Chapter 172: Chapter 140: Investigating Chen Xiao, Clouded Leopard Inner Core

’Just another name to add to the list.’

Xiao Chen made a mental note and then began to inspect the two storage boxes.

’These were kept in storage boxes, so they should be worth something.’

He opened the first storage box. Inside were eight taels of Flame Light Spiritual Sand.

"Something good, at last."

Xiao Chen nodded in satisfaction.

The last time he’d acquired a catty of Flame Light Spiritual Sand from the Hundred Poison Demon, he had experienced its benefits firsthand while practicing his Magic.

It truly saved a great deal of time when practicing Magic.

He hadn’t expected to get a new supply of Spiritual Sand so soon after using up the last batch.

’In that case, I can consider resuming my practice of the Fire Transformation Treasure Talisman.’

One of the benefits of joining a sect was that most Magic had a corresponding upgrade path, so a Cultivator didn’t have to rack their brain searching for new techniques.

However, the other Magic Xiao Chen had practiced before were rather unique.

Most of them weren’t native Li Huo Sect techniques, so he couldn’t enjoy this benefit.

But the Fire Transformation Treasure Talisman was different. It was a quintessential Li Huo Sect technique.

Its corresponding advanced technique was the Fire Storage Treasure Talisman.

Xiao Chen had seen both of these techniques on the exchange list in the Merit Hall before.

At the time, however, he had been busy cultivating Flame Radiance, and his supply of Flame Light Spiritual Sand was nearly depleted, so he hadn’t chosen to redeem the Fire Storage Treasure Talisman.

’If I remember correctly, this technique isn’t too expensive. My Contribution Points should be more than enough.’

After carefully stowing away the Flame Light Spiritual Sand, he opened the second storage box.

HISS!

Xiao Chen gasped and blinked. Then, with a SNAP, he shut the storage box.

He glanced around, confirming he was alone in the room.

Only then did he reopen the storage box, revealing a small, perfectly round sphere inside.

’This thing... it looks like an Inner Core.’

He gingerly picked up the small sphere to examine it more closely.

Although this small sphere was quite different in color and size from the Ghost-faced Spider’s Inner Core...

...they both possessed an unusual weight and a certain indescribable, yet distinct, texture when held.

Now that Xiao Chen possessed Divine Sense, he no longer needed to perform any cumbersome tests.

He enveloped the sphere firmly with his Divine Sense and injected a tiny bit of Magical Power.

He immediately saw a spectral image flash across the sphere’s surface—a majestic Clouded Leopard.

"It really is an Inner Core!"

Every Demon Beast Inner Core was exceptionally precious, simply because they were so incredibly rare.

Although the odds of a Foundation Establishment-level Demon Beast forming an Inner Core weren’t particularly low...

...not a single one ever made its way to the open market. They were all invariably absorbed by the major powers for their own use.

This made Demon Beast Inner Cores far rarer than other treasures like Foundation Establishment Pills or Top Grade Magical Artifacts.

.

"Now this is a real treasure!"

Xiao Chen couldn’t help but exclaim aloud as he stared at the Clouded Leopard Inner Core in his hand.

For an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator, consuming a Demon Beast Inner Core could not only rapidly advance their Cultivation, but also permanently increase their Dantian’s Magical Power capacity.

For Xiao Chen, however, it had an even more important function.

To use one core to nourish another!

As the old saying goes, you are what you eat, and there was certainly some truth to it.

Since Xiao Chen already possessed an Inner Core of his own, refining other Inner Cores could drastically shorten the time needed to temper his Fake Pill.

It would be far more effective than any other Treasure of Heaven and Earth.

When he was refining the Top Grade Magical Artifact, Xiao Chen had been worried that his total Magical Power might be insufficient.

At the time, he had been thinking that after he returned, he should refine his own Inner Core to try to expand his total Magical Power.

But now, if he just refined this Clouded Leopard Inner Core, the Magical Power capacity of his own Inner Core would surely skyrocket.

This meant he could save a tremendous amount of both cultivation resources and time.

It was killing two birds with one stone.

’Speaking of which, where did this Inner Core come from?’

Previously, Xiao Chen had never heard any news regarding Inner Cores, so even though he wanted to collect them, he had no idea where to begin.

’But now that I’ve found my first Inner Core, there are bound to be more—a second, a third...’

’I’ll have to pay more attention to intelligence on this matter from now on.’

But he would worry about that later. The most pressing matter was to first refine the Clouded Leopard Inner Core he now possessed.

A Demon Beast Inner Core could, of course, be consumed directly.

However, doing so would require spending the better part of the next half-month gradually digesting and absorbing it.

As an Alchemist, Xiao Chen naturally had his own unique methods.

Namely, using alchemical techniques to refine the Inner Core into a medicinal essence.

"Rise!"

Xiao Chen extended his right hand, palm open, and a ball of Spiritual Fire instantly ignited in its center.

He then used his Magical Power to guide the Inner Core, suspending it directly in the Spiritual Fire to roast.

In just a Quarter Hour, the Inner Core had melted into a shimmering glob of medicinal essence, sparkling with flecks of golden light.

Xiao Chen opened his mouth wide and, in a single instant, inhaled the entire glob of essence.

In just one hour, he had completely absorbed the Clouded Leopard Inner Core that had been turned into a medicinal essence.

His Inner Core had already undergone preliminary Refinement, allowing it to hold an additional three streams of Magical Power.

But with the nourishment from the Clouded Leopard Inner Core, that capacity exploded from the original three streams of Magical Power to eighteen.

A sixfold increase in an instant!

Xiao Chen probed his Inner Core with his Divine Sense and confirmed that his total Magical Power capacity had reached a full eighty-four streams.