Chapter 187

Chapter 187: Spirit Turtle Blood Brew

"Well…" Fang Lie said helplessly, "It might be difficult to handle an Immortal, but Purple Beard Master shouldn’t be a problem."

"But he’s hiding inside Purple Beard Villa. Can you enter?" the old bird chuckled.

"Hmm…" Fang Lie paused briefly before his eyes suddenly brightened. "I can’t enter myself, but someone else could, right? Now that we have the Lost Soul Crown, if we control a puppet from Purple Beard Villa, wouldn’t that grant us access?"

"Oh?" The old bird sounded surprised. "Never thought you’d be this sharp. In theory, a controlled puppet retains its memory—including knowledge of how to bypass the Formation. If you seize a Deputy Leader-level scoundrel, they might smuggle you inside!"

"Let’s proceed!" Fang Lie declared. "First I’ll refine this treasure properly, then gather information. Purple Beard Villa can’t stay completely isolated forever. Their members need supplies and daily provisions, don’t they?"

"Logical. Purple Beard Master won’t sit idle either—he’ll seek allies. You’ll find ample opportunity to strike during the chaos," the old bird remarked.

"Heh." Fang Lie smirked before focusing on refining the Lost Soul Crown.

This crown was a unique rankless treasure, theoretically refinable by any Cultivator. Yet its immense power made the process arduous. Even with Fang Lie’s cultivation, full refinement would take years—time he lacked.

The old bird then taught him Blood Forging: a method using Original Essence Blood for swift refinement and deeper bond with treasures. The drawback? Massive Nascent Soul energy depletion. Ordinary Cultivators avoided this, as dozens of blood drops were required.

But Fang Lie cared little. With his Nirvana fire regenerating flesh and bone, his Original Essence Blood replenished endlessly. Though refining the crown demanded over a thousand drops, it meant nothing to this anomaly.

Three days later, the crown was fully refined through sheer blood quantity. Simultaneously, Fang Lie perfected the Shield’s refinement, doubling its defensive capacity.

Preparations complete, Fang Lie rushed to Qingyu Island’s main street—a bustling strip with shops selling spirit talismans, pills, treasures, secret techniques, and Low-Level Beast meals.

He headed for the largest restaurant, Gathering Sea Tower. Such establishments teemed with mixed crowds and fresh information. Fang Lie also craved beast dishes that boosted cultivation while satisfying hunger—a dual-purpose feast after days of abstinence.

Upon entering, a Qi Sea realm disciple waiter gaped before bowing deeply. "Young Master Fang! Your order?"

"A private room first," Fang Lie commanded.

"At once!"

Though technically peers in cultivation, Fang Lie’s reputation dwarfed the waiter’s status. This was the freak who’d slaughtered Golden Pool and Purple Palace realm Cultivators, nearly usurping Purple Beard Master’s dominance on Qingyu Island. No merchant dared slight him now.

The waiter led him to an elegant second-floor chamber—usually reserved for Purple Palace guests—adorned with exquisite decor and mind-clearing incense. The attendant served premium spiritual tea whose aroma enhanced cultivation, each cup worth thousands of spirit stones.

After being served, he took out a delicate menu and asked Fang Lie to order.

Fang Lie picked it up and saw hundreds of dishes listed, with the priciest costing one hundred thousand spirit stones. Being his first visit and unsure of the specialties, he simply tossed the menu aside. "Six dishes and a soup that best enhance cultivation," he declared.

"Right away!" The waiter promptly agreed, then hesitated. "Young Master Fang, forgive my boldness, but our most potent cultivation dishes cost over a million low-grade spirit stones per meal." His concern was clear – he feared Fang Lie might be an ignorant rustic who’d refuse to pay afterward.

Fang Lie smiled. "Just serve them."

"Understood!" The waiter instantly recognized Fang Lie as a wealthy patron. After all, this was the same man who’d made Purple Beard Master flee in defeat – certainly not someone short on funds!

Seizing the opportunity, the waiter added, "Young Master, my earlier words were presumptuous," and slapped his own cheek. "Since cultivation is your aim, allow me to recommend our local specialty – Spirit Turtle Blood Brew. Made from third-grade demon beast blood essence, it boosts cultivation and strengthens the body."

"Truly?" Fang Lie’s eyes lit up. "Bring me a whole jar!"

"A jar?" The waiter forced a laugh. "This spiritual wine is sold by the bowl at one million per serving. A jar holds dozens! Even if you could drink it all, the Spiritual Energy might make your body explode. At your current cultivation, one bowl lasts days to digest."

"Then one bowl first," Fang Lie conceded.

The meal arrived swiftly, prioritized over other customers’.

True to its million-spirit-stone value, the spread featured premium ingredients: third-grade demon fish tongues, second-grade demon creature ribs, all exuding aromatic Spiritual Energy that saturated the room.

Fang Lie devoured the food ravenously. Each spiritual meat morsel dissolved instantly, releasing energy absorbed by his Magic into his Qi Sea. When absorption lagged behind intake, escaping energy made him pause to circulate his cultivation, ensuring zero waste.

The two-hour feast concluded with the crimson Spirit Turtle Blood Brew. Though resembling fresh blood, its heady fragrance promised potency.

The instant Fang Lie swallowed, fire erupted in his meridians. Rampant Spiritual Energy threatened to shred his internal organs – a deadly risk for most, but Fang Lie remained unconcerned about bodily damage. Meditating immediately, he spent another hour Cycling Energy.

Rising energized, he marveled, "This brew’s energy rivals the entire meal! My Qi Sea now spans over five miles. Regular meals like this would surpass normal cultivation!"

Reality soon tempered his excitement – rapid energy absorption required purification through the Linglong Qi Locking Tower to maintain Magic purity. Calculating, he determined tri-weekly consumption would suffice.

The brew’s true value lay in constitution enhancement. Better constitution meant stronger spiritual bones, allowing his Nirvana Fire Nascent Fetus Shadow to withstand more power. A robust shadow produced more Dao Pattern Karp, accelerating his cultivation speed through compounding benefits.

"Waiter!" Fang Lie urgently called, mind racing with possibilities.