Witnessing the fallen body of the two. The crowd drew in cold breaths. An Initial Stage Heart Improving Stage powerhouse was defeated just by that?! A simple punch?!
In the eyes of the crowd. The punch that Riku just released wasn't anything special. But in the eyes of Fang Lin, and the other elders who witnessed this fight. Their minds reeled in by the previous scene.
When the lightning smite formed its power around Riku, It sent off vague Mana Force undulations that normal cultivators itself wouldn't be able to detect. Yet to this elders, the sent off undulation was actually very familiar! Lightning Elemental Essence!
Take note that in this world, there were four great elements namely. Wind, Fire, Earth, Water. But if one combined one element from another. They could eventually form the other four greater elements known as. Sound, Light, Lightning, Darkness!
Of course, thee were other elements but as of now, they were very complex to actually witness their use. But to witness even the most simple Lightning Elemental Essence was too rare of an opportunity. But right now, this young man before them released such rare great element like it was his own!
~Bang!
A small explosion occurred as the ground trembled, Elder Han stomped his feet firmly onto the ground as he leaped towards Riku. His gaze flashed with killing intent.
"That bastard!" Fang Lin slightly cursed before his body turned to a violet mist, and shot off towards Riku.
Elder Han tightly clenched his fist as a violet glow condensed in his right fist, He then outstretched it up in the sky and prepared to launch a punch towards Riku's unconscious body.
~Bang!
Elder Han's eyes widened as his Mana Force concentrated punch was blocked by Elder Fang Lin, he frowned his eyebrows before retreating backwards.
"How dare you try to attack a student! Don't you have any shame?!" Elder Fang Lin furiously howled. In response, Elder Han's visage turned stiff before he snorted.
"Hmmph!" Elder Han coldly snorted, his mind was clearly full of disdain towards this newbie youngster. Though he was able to defeat Han Qiang, he was extremely sure that he just won by just a fluke. But noticing the piercing gazes full of disdain from the other elders targeted at him. Elder Han shot off from the stage towards the exit while his rumbling voice said. "Brat! You're lucky this time! If I ever see you at the medicine hall. I will make sure you that you'll pay your debt!"
With that, Elder Han disappeared from sight as he streaked through the sky. Fang Lin revealed a small sigh as he glanced over the tattered figures of the two. With a long lasting breath of relief. Fang Lin shouted. "Call the wood affinity members of the medicine hall! Treat these two with the highest priority!"
Five figures immediately turned to a streak of light as they flew towards the stage. They landed beside the two wounded students and inspected their conditions. Although their injury wasn't severe. There was something strange that happened in Han Qiang's body.
But the medicine hall members only shook their heads side by side as they pulled out a stretcher and carefully placed the two on it. They then injected a liquid medicine towards their arms as they checked the vitals of the two.
When they found out that nothing was wrong with their bodies. The medicine hall members saluted to Principal Fang Lin as they carried the injured and turned to a steak of light towards the Northern Building.
Principal Fang Lin's eyebrows frowned as he noticed the intrigued gazes of the crowd. In that instant. Fang Lin issued a low harumph as he shouted. "The match between the two concludes with a draw!"
With that, Fang Lin gestured towards Fang Xue as the latter nodded and the two then streaked towards the Northern Building.
The sudden spectacle was too fast to describe. The battle only started just a while, and it also ended in just a while! It was too fast for them to catch!
But thankfully, closed circuit television surveillance existed. And so, the crowds decided to pursue the manager of the dueling grounds to publicize the battle but he firmly refused. Causing the surrounding crowd to sigh in helplessness as they also exited the area.
Inside the Northern Building. Medicine Hall. Fifth Floor.
There, in the ward were two people laying down. There was a connected device from their wrist towards a machine. Accurately deducing their vital signs. Fang Lin's wrinkled face became wracked with more wrinkles as he was extremely worried.
Fang Xue on the other hand crossed her arms together. Preparing to scold the young man currently laying down. But currently, her gentle face frowned. She was currently worried about his situation.
Mumbling sounds emerged from Riku's lips as his consciousness slowly resurfaced. He softly clenched his fists as he felt his body. He was somewhat shocked to know that his body wasn't enduring fatigue at all. Instead, he was full of vigor and energy.
His Mana Force though was still on the borderline of fifty percent.
"You finally woke up you idiot! You made us worry for nothing!" Fang Xue pouted as she darted her gaze to the side. Not wanting to hear any more explanations from the young man.
"Junior, you really did do a number for yourself. Here, eat this and refine it." Fang Lin's tone on the other hand was gentle as he opened up his palm. Revealing a dual colored medicinal pill.
When the medicinal pill emerged. Riku's nose twitched as the aroma of medicinal herbs assaulted his nostrils. But his visage turned to a frown. Clearly, the amount of medicinal potency inside this medicinal pill was less than thirty percent.
'Vaselisk Grasse, Foe Bagdii, Fiery Soul Grass and Mountain Spiritual Dew's potency in this medicinal pill was wasted. Clearly extravagant.' Riku inwardly thought as he smiled and took the medicinal pill from Fang Lin's hands gulping it down.
Riku felt a stream of warm current rushing out from the pill inside his stomach. But clearly, It wasn't as strong as Riku expected.
"Thanks, Senior." Riku clasped his hands as he bowed down to the elder. Fang Lin, with a satisfied smug face said. "Now take care of yourself, I will hand this over to you if you ever want to return to your room." Fang Lin once again opened his palm as a small jade talisman appeared. This was the same talisman that Fang Lin used to transport himself towards the dueling grounds.
Riku beamed to a smile as he accepted the jade talisman. Riku darted his gaze towards Fang Xue and noticed that she was still angry to him. Riku shrugged it off and said. "Miss Fang, can you fetch me tonight for dinner? "
Hearing the words that Riku just said. The ignoring Fang Xue's figure jolted as she glanced over Riku. His earnest expression somewhat made Fang Xue embarassed as a faint line of red appeared on her cheeks. With a slow and steady voice. Fang Xue said. "Okay..."
Riku lightly smiled as he closed his eyes and laid back towards his bed. Fang Lin sighed as he gestured towards her granddaughter. Signaling for them to leave. Fang Xue could only nod as she understood Riku's situation. He was still recuperating so how could she just disturb his healing process. So with a slightly disappointed expression. Fang Xue turned his back and departed with her grandfather.
A clicking noise sounded as the jade talisman on Fang Lin's palm broke. A violet mist then erupted to enshroud the figure of the two. After about the time it takes for one to breath three breaths. The figures of the two disappeared.
Riku sighed in relief as he laid comfortably on the bed. He closed his eyes and followed his practice of breathing. Threads of spiritual energy gradually gathered in the air around him. These spiritual energy threads was thin. Thinner than the previous world that Riku lived.
Seeing the thin spiritual energy. Riku understood that his recuperating process would take much more time to conclude. But he couldn't do anything about the thin spiritual energy in the air. He could only helplessly sigh as he focused on condensing the spiritual energy around the air to Mana Force.
'Wait!' Riku's mind got struck by an idea as he stopped his breathing exercises. His gaze flashed with a divine light as he wave towards the air before him. Causing several alchemy materials to appear.
'Hmm, Pellet of the Wind, Essence of the True Dew, Cool Mountain Leaves, and Fiery Thorned Grass. This is enough to create that pill.
Riku nodded as he carefully placed the ingredients in jade bottle. He glanced over to his side and found out that there was another bed placed in a same way as his bed. With a slight flash of a warm gaze. Riku moved his body from the bed and headed towards the other bed.
There, as he expected, was Han Qiang's figure. Her figure wasn't really so sorry. But plasted on her jaded skin were slight lines of bruises from the Mana Force ripples. Her eyebrows were frowned in a way that she seemed to be enduring some pain.
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Riku lightly smiled as he decided to rub Han Qiang's hair. Though this girl had a grudge against Riku. It wasn't considered to be strong enough that he would cut off all connections to her. Thus, Riku decided to try and befriend this determined girl. She would surely prove to be loyal in the future.
With a slow opening of his palm. A small medicinal pill was revealed. Seeing the glass of water beside Han Qiang. Riku clutched the glass of water with his right hand as his other hand stuffed the pill in Han Qiang's mouth. He then slowly moved Han Qiang's upper body and made her drink water.
As the process ended. Han Qiang's lips mumbled inaudible words. Riku could only lightly smile as he turned and moved away from Han Qiang's bed. But his steps suddenly came to a halt as Han Qiang's little hand tightly clutched onto his.
"M-mother..." Han Qiang's pain filled voice surfaced. Though it was only one word. It contained huge loneliness and longing. Riku himself couldn't help but give a second glance towards Han Qiang. As he tried to remove Han Qiang's palm. Barely inaudible words once again came out from her pale lips. "Do-don't leave me..." This time, Han Qiang's tightly closed eyes revealed a misty liquid substance, slowly falling towards her cheeks.
Riku revealed a small smile. But that smile of his contained a hint of longing. Just like Han Qiang, his mother also left this world early. So even he, a battle steeled cultivator couldn't help but feel emotional by the mention of his mother.
But everything in this world eventually returns to ashes. That's the way of the heaven. It was impossible for mortals to evade the fate of death. That's one of the reasons why Riku decided to create his own heaven.
With a long lasting sigh. Riku decided to let the young girl Han Qiang clutched his hand for a while. After about thirty breaths. Riku slowly removed Han Qiang's reins to his hands. And with slow, heavy footsteps. Riku moved from Han Qiang's bed towards his own and retrieved the jade bottles.
Riku then procured the jade talisman and snapped it in two. A violet mist materialized and eventually covered Riku's lightly smiling figure. His disheveled hair fluttered in the wind as the violet mist covered Riku's figure. The scenery around him distorted as he was transferred inside his room. Room 4042
Riku decided not to waste anymore time and opened pressed the red button beside the automatic door. The red button prevents anyone from the outside to disturb the person inside the room. Thus, direct teleportation to the room was also prohibited.
Due to the privacy. Riku nodded his head as he seated himself cross-legged. He then procured the jade bottles before him in a line. Controlling his Mana Force, he opened it at the same time. The unique scent of medicinal herbs assimilated itself unto the room.
'Wait, my furnace... '
Riku cleaved towards the air before him as a small brown pot appeared before him. This was the furnace he barely afforded with his ample money as a solo cultivator. Despite its ragged appearance and the cracks plastered everywhere on its body. Wielding this furnace gave Riku a unique feeling of comfort.
Riku closed his eyes as he hovered his right palm before the opening of the furnace. A pale blue orb descended from his palm towards the furnace. When the pale blue orb landed inside the furnace. A pale blue profound flame erupted in a blaze.
Riku's eyes lit up as he witnessed the raging flame. He then slowly controlled the pale blue profound flame as he reduced the temperature. By the time it takes one to breath ten breaths, the pale blue profound flame was extremely suppressed that not even an inch of it was leaking from the furnace.
Thanks to Riku's concentration. He was able to steadily keep the flame from ascending to a blaze. When one concocts a medicinal pill. One would need to ensure that the flame was steady and the temperature wasn't too hot nor too cold. If it was too hot. The medicinal herbs would dissipate to ashes. And if it was too cold. The medicinal herbs wouldn't melt.
If the flames was a raging inferno. The potency of the medicinal herbs would be incredibly wasted. And so, It was necessary for an alchemist to be proficient in terms of flame controlling. That's the reason why alchemists was too rare.
Riku slowly moved the jade bottles one by one, starting from the Pellet of the Wind, he steadily poured the required ingredients inside the furnace. The calm profound fire inside welcomed the ingredients as if it was its long lost relative.
With a steady pace. Riku carefully smelled the area around the furnace. Accurately deducing if it was already melted. The ingredients inside mustn't be over melted or under melted. Or else, the medicine concoct process would greatly fail.
After about thirty breaths. Riku waved his hands as the profound flame extinguished, Riku transferred a part of his Mana Force towards the furnace as the numerous melted medicinal herbs floated in the air before him. With great care, Riku strongly circulated his Mana Force before him. Creating a vortex of endless cycles. The floating melted medicine was sucked inside the whirlpool and was steadily refined.
Beaded sweats formed on his forehead as he focused all of his concentration towards the refining stage. If one fails this stage of medicinal concoction. A backlash would occur, In the worst case scenario, his circulated Mana Force would reverse and damage his meridians.
After about two hundred breaths. Riku heaved a sight of relief as the refining stage finished. The hovering melted liquid before him turned to a golden brown one. With a flash of determination inside his eyes. Riku pointed his index finger towards the golden brown liquid before him as his concentration surged and shouted. "Disperse!"
Dispersing, Condensing Stage. The most important stage in concocting a medicinal pill. One would disperse the melted ingredients into countless specks of liquid and then combine them into one.
The dispersed golden brown liquid before him hovered as countless specks of liquid. With a thought and firm determination. Riku placed his palms parallel to each other as he shouted. "Condense!"
An invisible suction force appeared before the space between him and the golden brown liquid, before it sucked the dispersed liquid. Creating a faintly discernible whirlpool before him. Riku's eyes flashed with intense concentration as he gritted his teeth. Clearly, his Mana Force was gradually being sucked to the point that the recovered fifty percent was now twenty percent.
'Ah!' Riku inwardly howled as the whirlpool before him dispersed into the air. Revealing a mist of gold. As the mist dissipated, a floating golden brown pill emerged before it fell on the ground.
~~Chiii...
Before Riku could swallow the pill. The automatic doors which prohibited anyone from coming in somewhat opened. Riku's eyebrows frowned as he waited to see the visage of the person who disturbed his pill making process.
"This is..." Experiencing the sudden surge of Mana Force undulations, the figure of an old man slightly trembled. With his signature curved eyebrows. Riku clearly saw this man as, Elder Han!
Elder Han's eyes narrowed as he saw the golden brown pill before him. A flash of intense greed appeared in his eyes. Clearly, for a pill to exude this much ripples in the air. One could understand that the pill in question was something akin to a treasure.
Yet seeing it on Riku's palm. He couldn't help but feel anger swell up his chest. But due to the previous decision of the board. Elder Han came here to apologize, not to create disturbance. At first, he despised the fact the he needed to bow before a younger junior. But seeing that the board of elders seconded the decision. He was forced into a narrow path. That was he must apologize or else, he would be suspended from the sixth elder's seat.
Though the distance was far away, Riku could clearly see the shine of greed inside Elder Han's eyes. Nevertheless, he was facing to an elder. A Soul Condensing Stage powerhouse!
Riku decided to clasp his hands as he maintained a smiling facade and said. "What do you need of me? Sixth elder?"
"Hmmph! Just call me Elder Han! We have something to talk so I must close this door." Elder Han stepped inside the room as he waved his hands in a gesturing manner. In response, the door slowly closed with chiii sound.
But that didn't end there. Elder Han also pressed the red button beside the automatic door. Turning the room into a prohibited zone. Which means, no one could enter the premises with the exception of the elders or the principal.
Elder Han grinned from ear to ear as he pointed towards Riku's palm and howled. "Hand me over that pill!!"
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Author's note: Sorry for not being able to post yesterday! I hope you forgive me! I really was busy minding my real life problems that I didn't have enough time to procure this chapter! But nevertheless, here is it! Enjoy!