After stepping out of Qiayao Fang, Xiao Yan looked up at the slightly overcast sky and took a long, deep breath. From now on, he would officially be part of the impoverished clan. The four sets of herbs needed to craft Triple-Trace Qingling Pills had not only drained his entire 130,000 coin reserve but also required him to present a full set of three bottles, containing twenty-seven Regeneration Pills, in order to successfully secure them from the staff, who had been utterly astonished. To be clear, at market value, each Regeneration Pill typically cost over 5,000 coins—so twenty-seven of them, even without any discounts, amounted to over 100,000 coins. "I'm truly running out of money—hope I don't mess up the process. Otherwise, I might have to sell my companion Purple Crystal Source after all. Xiao Yan chuckled. Although he had purchased four sets of ingredients for crafting Three-Stripe Qingling Pills, his current strength made it impossible for him to achieve a hundred percent success rate. In fact, even if two out of the four attempts succeeded, that would still be a profitable venture for him. The problem was, he simply couldn't be certain he could maintain such a high success rate. Back when he participated in the Almeyan Imperial Pharmacists' Symposium, had it not been for a few lucky breaks, he might never have managed to produce the highest-grade Three-Stripe Qingling Pills. Yet who could guarantee that such good fortune would continue to accompany him? Turning back to gaze at the sign above the Thousand-Ingredient Shop, Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and cursed the shopkeeper under his breath before finally raising his sleeve and walking down the street, seeking a quiet place where he could craft his pills. After walking steadily along the street for nearly fifteen minutes, he paused outside a hotel, hesitated briefly, and then stepped inside. ... In the quiet room, Xiao Yan carefully arranged the herbs he had purchased on the table, pulling them out one by one while murmuring, "Thank goodness Doma didn't refuse the payment earlier. Otherwise, I'd have no money for even a hotel room now. This life... well, it's truly quite humble." After placing all the herbs aside, he then retrieved a medicinal cauldron that wasn't particularly refined. After completing these preparations, he patted his hands together and sighed, "It seems I'll have to battle once again. Well, I'll just treat it as a chance to get my hands accustomed to the process." With a gentle flick of his fingers, a streak of emerald flame emerged from his fingertips and was gently directed into the flame mouth of the cauldron. Instantly, the emerald flame surged into a vibrant, roaring blaze, rising and burning steadily within the vessel. Gazing at the rising jade-colored flames, Xiao Yan inhaled deeply, suppressing all the emotions swirling within him. With his slender fingers moving like plucking flowers or leaves, he swiftly swept across the table, drawing arcs that launched one herb after another into the medicinal cauldron, where they instantly turned to powder. In the quiet room, the jade flames danced like spirits within the cauldron, their sparks casting lively, sprawling patterns on the walls. As one herb after another was added, the powders of varying hues gradually merged, beginning to blend under the heat of the flames. One hour later, Xiao Yan fixed his eyes on the pill forming within the cauldron, drawing a purple pill from his storage bracelet with his fingers, quickly placing it in his mouth and gently chewing. At that moment, his hand seals shifted instantly—within the cauldron, the jade flames instantly receded, while simultaneously, a surge of purple flames erupted from his mouth and poured into the cauldron. "Puff…" As the purple flame just entered the cauldron, Xiao Yan's face subtly changed, and then a faint, dull sound echoed, followed by a pile of black ash sliding out from the bottom of the cauldron. "Hmph. Another failure..." Looking at the black ash, Xiao Yan shook his head in resignation. "When fusing the pills, I was overly eager; when transitioning the flame, I was restless and anxious. With such a hurried approach, the success rate barely reaches twenty-three percent..." The elderly pharmacist's calm voice resonated in his mind, pinpointing with precision the errors Xiao Yan had made during his initial attempt. The mind calm, with a jade-like flame dancing in his dark eyes, Xiao Yan slowly moved his long, slender hand across the desk, then suddenly stirred—immediately, one after another, the herbs were swept into the cauldron once more. The refining process continued quietly in the tranquil room, progressing steadily. After nearly another hour, Xiao Yan's slightly drooping eyes suddenly snapped open. His hand's seal formations fluttered like butterflies, vibrant and colorful. With a sudden wide opening of his mouth, a surge of purple flame erupted, while the green flame gently faded away. Within the cauldron, a smooth, pale green pill spun gracefully above the purple flame, with delicate, elegant patterns of purple and green slowly emerging and floating upon its surface. "Hmm..." Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Xiao Yan exhaled deeply, deciding not to risk summoning the Bone Spirit Cold Flame of Yao Lao once again. Although if successful, it would enable the Qing Ling Dan to achieve the third pattern, significantly enhancing its value, he wasn't confident at all that the final pattern could be established as successfully as it had been during the Pharmacist Grand Assembly. At this moment, his entire fortune relied on these two-pattern Qing Ling Dens. Should anything go wrong and they were ruined, it would indeed be quite embarrassing. "The value of a two-pattern Qing Ling Dan might reach around forty thousand, while a three-pattern one could fetch approximately sixty thousand—nearly doubling the price," Yao Lao's cheerful voice, full of allure, resonated. "Even forty thousand would cover the costs." His eyes flickered, and Xiao Yan strongly resisted the temptation, carefully placing the pills into jade vials. He then settled onto the bed beside the table, resting for half an hour before rising again and making his way to the desk to continue refining the remaining herbs. Throughout the afternoon, Xiao Yan remained tucked in his small room, diligently refining the herbs. As the light gradually faded, the herbs on the desk were completely refined. Two small jade vials now each held a round, pale green pill, their subtle fragrance gently seeping out, refreshing and invigorating. Within the cauldron, the purple flames burned fiercely. The final Qingling Pill had begun to develop a faint purple pattern under the gentle warmth of the flames—four sets of herbs could yield only three two-pattern Qingling Pills. Such a success rate was already astonishing. Of course, without the seasoned guidance of the elder pharmacist and the unique properties of the heterogenous fire, even with the most natural talent, Xiao Yan would have found it impossible to achieve this level of success. The purple flames danced gently within the dark pools of his eyes as he fixed his gaze steadily upon the Qingling Pill nearing completion. He lightly licked his lips, glanced briefly at the two two-pattern Qingling Pills resting on the table, and then, suddenly, the dark gaze warmed noticeably. "Hmph," a clear, knowing chuckle echoed in his mind—seeming to anticipate exactly what Xiao Yan was thinking. "Hehe, after all, we've already successfully crafted two Two-Trace Qingling Pills. Even if this one fails, we'll still have made a profit. People must always have a bit of risk-taking spirit, don't they?" Xiao Yan cracked a smile, lightly tapping his black ring. Instantly, a slender, pale-white flame rose gently. As the pale-white flame appeared, the once-hot room suddenly cooled considerably. Xiao Yan's expression grew steadily serious. With his soul energy enveloping the flame, he carefully guided it into the cauldron. Simultaneously, under the influence of another strand of his soul force, the purple flame quietly withdrew from the cauldron and gradually faded away. "The alternating cold and heat truly takes a toll on the durability... Ah, I suppose I'll need to acquire a better cauldron soon, otherwise I'll always be on edge when preparing medicines." Glancing at the subtle crack, Xiao Yan sighed and shook his head slightly, yet remained composed—under his control of the flame, the cauldron was still capable of supporting him through the complete refinement of the elixirs. Within the cauldron, the pale flames curled like slender white serpents around the medicine, gently radiating an unusual temperature through the intervals, slowly seeping into the medicine. Gradually, a fine white medicinal pattern began to spread across the surface. "Hmm, the control of the flame this time has improved considerably compared to last time," the elderly pharmacist nodded, expressing slight approval. At this moment, Xiao Yan's face was solemn, with cold sweat continuously dripping down his forehead. No matter how much he tried, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame was not his own—controlling it required immense concentration. As a result, he dared not engage in casual conversation with Yao Lao, fearing that even a slight shift in attention would cause a rise in flame temperature, thereby rendering the Qing Ling Dan completely useless. The final nurturing phase lasted nearly half an hour. Only when he saw the white medicinal patterns on the pale blue pill spread all the way around its circumference did Xiao Yan finally exhale, relaxing. With a subtle mental effort, his soul energy enveloped the crisp white flame and swiftly withdrew it from the flame mouth. With a hand gesture, the flame retracted back into his black ring. He then flipped his hand, and a jade bottle appeared, from which a jade-green pill shot out of the cauldron and hovered before him, before he smiled and carefully placed it into the bottle. "…Two two-pattern Qing Ling Pills, and one three-pattern Qing Ling Pill. These are the foundational assets that have enabled me to build my fortune." Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Xiao Yan gazed at the three jade vials. The abundant harvest had eased the fatigue lingering in his mind, washing it away. Upon entering the Black Angular Domain, he had realized how financially strained he had been—preparing the Fuzi Ling Dan required a substantial sum, and crafting the so-called Di Ling Dan demanded even more significant funding. The mounting debts had left Xiao Yan feeling overwhelmed. "Click..." As he placed the vials into his storage ring, a subtle sound suddenly echoed before him. Raising his head, Xiao Yan noticed that the cracks on the medicinal cauldron had gradually widened, finally collapsing with a crisp sound, shattering into fragments across the table.