Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

Alex was handed a storage bag, filled with various bottles and vials within it. Each vial and bottle was filled to the brim with blood from the many phoenixes within the palace.

“When did you start?” he couldn’t help but ask upon seeing it all. He was certain he would have to wait for a while after he convinced them to let him do this. Thankfully, they trusted him enough to do things in advance.

“After I came out of my closed cultivation session, Ningzhu told me about what you had proposed,” the matriarch said. “I asked Qukuang as you suggested, and she told me just what a major difference you have ended up making to the family.”

Alex nodded, while continuing to look through the blood. One of those vials was quite potent too, and after a brief glance he could tell that it was much different.

“Is this one the blood you gathered from the ancestral pool?” he asked.

“I believe so,” the matriarch said. “You asked for some to be gathered from there, didn’t you? You mentioned that it is to be the base of everything else.”

“That is correct, Matriarch,” Alex quickly said. “I could likely get close even without it, but it would’ve never been the same, and I would’ve had to waste a few months even. With this, I might be ready for the first trial in less than a week!”

The matriarch smiled. “That’s incredible,” she said. “What do you want in return?”

Alex paused, looking up. “In return?”

The matriarch continued to nod. “Of course. Since you’re giving something this incredible, you have to get something in return, don’t you?”

Alex hesitated. “I don’t know,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to get anything.”

Truthfully, he was going to absorb the blood and improve his own spirit root and then his blood aura. There was simply no need for anything else, if he was to be honest.

“You have to get something,” the matriarch said. “Even if you don’t want something, it is important that, as one of the great beast families, we don’t accept favors without giving something in return. Ask what you wish, and if we see merit in that request, we shall grant it.”

The words of the head of one of the Heavenly Beasts were something many could hope to gain. That only made Alex hesitate even more, as he simply didn’t know what it was that he wanted.

Alex gave it some serious thought, at which point he finally looked up.

“Do you have beast cores you could give me?” he asked.

The matriarch blinked in confusion. “Beast cores?”

“Yes,” Alex said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be Vermilion Bird cores. You might also not want to give them to me, so any other beast cores. As many as you have. And it would be better if they are Immortals or higher.”

The matriarch didn’t immediately accept or reject his request. She closed her eyes, seemingly falling into thought. Based on her expression, however, it looked more akin to her having a

conversation.

To the side, the other Celestial also looked unfocused. Whether they were conversing with each other, or together conversing with the other ancestors in the palace, Alex couldn’t tell.

He waited for a while, the other beasts in the room looking around with some confusion. After a while, the matriarch finally opened her eyes.

“We can give you close to 8000 beast cores. Only 5 of those will be from the Vermilion Birds. Is that fine?”

Alex could barely hide his surprise. He hadn’t expected the number of the beasts to be so big right off the bat.

“8000? That’s perfect. You can keep the 5 if you wish to. I’m really only looking for beast cores in general, and not any belonging to a specific beast.”

“We have decided to give you those 8000. We have plenty more, but most of those are required for our own cultivation,” the matriarch answered.

Alex didn’t argue. He was happy with what he was getting. He could only imagine the size of his army once he added those 8000 beasts to

his already massive group of blood beasts.

And these ones would be entirely sapient too.

Now all he needed to do was find a way to help those beasts continue to improve even after they were created.

He had some ideas.

After a while, Alex and the rest were finally dismissed from the hall, and so they walked out.

Scarlet took her regular human form at that moment, walking alongside Alex with a head full of red hair. Surprisingly, her human form had no changes that involved the Midnight Phoenix. It was as if the heavens still recognized her as a Vermilion Bird, so when she transformed, she was still a Vermilion Bird.

They were all returning to Scarlet’s room in the palace, and had just about reached it when Scarlet’s grandfather stopped them.

“Qing Zhangru is outside the palace,” he suddenly said. “Do you wish to meet him?”

Alex paused for a moment. “Qing Zhangru? Did the Azure Dragon patriarch send him?” he asked.

“That is correct,” Ningzhu said. “He is here with a message for you.”

“Okay…” Alex hadn’t expected that. “What message is that?”

“He wishes to meet you. And he wants you to bring this young one along with you,” Ningzhu said, pointing to Pearl.

Pearl raised an eyebrow. “The Azure Dragon patriarch wishes to meet

me?”

“Of course,” Ningzhu said. “You are unique, and you are an Azure

Dragon now.”

Pearl frowned.

“That’s fine,” Alex said. “We’ll go visit the Azure Dragon’s palace.”

“Should I tell Qing Zhangru that?” Ningzhu asked.

“Uhh… please tell him that we accept, but also that we wish to spend

at least a week here before we leave. I have to work on the blood and

finish it before I leave this place.”

Ningzhu couldn’t help but hold a mellow smile on his face.

“You should return to Huohuo’s chambers and rest. I will take care of

everything else.”