The cold wind howled through the icy peaks as Zhao Tian and Yao Jing trudged forward, their breaths visible in the freezing air.
After grueling weeks of searching the treacherous cold region, they finally stood at the edge of a valley shrouded in mist.
In the center of the valley, there was a single Misty Moon Petal, its translucent silver leaves shimmering like delicate ice.
The plant's petals emitted a faint luminescence that pierced through the surrounding mist.
"There it is," Yao Jing whispered, her green eyes narrowing with a mix of excitement and caution.
"Grrrr!" But their excitement was short-lived as a deep, guttural growl echoed through the valley, reverberating off the ice-covered cliffs.
The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly as an enormous shadow emerged from the mist.
From the dense fog, a beast appeared as It stood on four muscular legs, its body covered in crystalline scales.
Jagged ice formations jutted from its spine, and its massive head bore four glowing, slitted eyes, each radiating an intense cold.
Its maw opened to reveal rows of sharp, serrated fangs.
"So much for an easy grab," Zhao Tian muttered, looking at the beast.
Yao Jing let out a soft sigh "Frost Revenant Wyvern.. well, it is to be expected. It is a rare powerful herb and the astral energy surrounding it is rich, which is beneficial for beasts too."
With that, she jumped in the air, dashing into the valley "Let's finish this..."
*woosh* Flames began to swirl around her as she dashed to the ground like a comet, clearing the mist in the valley.
Before Yao Jing could land, the wyvern her and let out an ear-splitting roar, the sound carrying enough force to send shockwaves rippling through the valley.
"GUAAARGHHHH!!" Ice crystals formed in the air as the temperature plummeted further, the wyvern's aura saturating the environment.
As she landed stream of fire erupted from her body, so intense that the snow beneath her evaporated instantly, revealing scorched rock.
*woosh* The wyvern lunged, its massive jaws snapping shut where Yao Jing had been mere moments before.
*swish* She spun in mid-air, her flames gathering into a fiery whip.
*flip* With a flick of her wrist, the whip cracked against the wyvern's crystalline scales, creating an explosion of steam and sparks. *thoom*
"GRRR!" The beast howled in pain, recoiling back as the heat began to melt the ice along its spine.
Each addition caused the cauldron to react violently, shaking and emitting bursts of light.
Zhao Tian's hands moved with precision, channeling his astral energy to control the volatile mixture within.
Behind him, Yao Jing closed her eyes and began to channel her own energy.
Her fiery astral energy surged through her body and extended her palms, and a faint, warm glow surrounded Zhao Tian as her energy began to flow into him.
Her energy intertwined with his, creating a harmonious balance.
The fiery warmth of her energy stabilized the volatile astral energy within the cauldron, taming the unruly, rare herbs.
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly as they worked.
The cauldron's glow shifted from silver to radiant gold, a sign that the ingredients were finally merging.
Zhao Tian's hands moved in patterns, guiding the energy flows within the cauldron while simultaneously maintaining the perfect temperature of the alchemical fire.
Yao Jing's voice broke the silence. "The petal's essence is stabilizing. This is the critical moment, Tian'er. You'll need to fuse it completely or risk losing everything."
Zhao Tian nodded, and his energy surged into the cauldron, enveloping the volatile energies within and compressing them into a single, unified form.
The cauldron trembled violently, its runes glowing brightly as the final fusion took place.
There was a brilliant flash of light as the cauldron emitted a soft chime.
The intense energy dissipated, leaving behind a serene stillness.
Zhao Tian opened the cauldron lid carefully, and inside there was a single pill, its surface glistening with a silvery-gold hue.
Zhao Tian exhaled deeply, his shoulders relaxing as he picked up the pill and turned to Yao Jing, who opened her eyes and smiled, her face glowing with satisfaction.
"Are you taking it now?"
With a shake of his head, Zhao Tian replied "No, I will use it in my room later... For now, let's return to the sect."
"Hm, we need to report the Astral Mine."
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I hope you guys liked this chapter!