As they watched Xiao Yan suddenly thrust his hand into the pillar of light before him, exclamations of shock rippled through the crowd. A sea of puzzled and doubtful gazes converged on his figure, seemingly unable to believe that he was not ready to concede so easily. But now that the pill had already been formed, how could he possibly reverse the situation? Was he going to attempt to refine the pill all over again? Surely there was no time for such a thing.
Even Xuan Kongzi and the others on the high platform were momentarily taken aback by Xiao Yan’s actions. Evidently, they too were baffled. What more could Xiao Yan do at this juncture?
“This young man is not one to act recklessly. Perhaps he really has some kind of method…” The graceful woman gazed intently at the lean figure on the distant stone platform, her words tinged with hesitation.
“Let’s hope so,” Xuan Kongzi murmured after a moment of consideration. If a miracle could happen, it would be welcome indeed. But from where could such a miracle arise in this situation, they simply could not fathom.
From afar, Cao Ying kept her beautiful eyes fixed on Xiao Yan without blinking. She didn’t know why, but she had an inexplicable confidence in him. Perhaps it was because she had never seen this youth, who was about her age, display the slightest hint of panic.
Her intense gaze stirred a tinge of jealousy in Song Qing, who stood not far away. But compared to the current Xiao Yan, his title as the youngest elder of the Pill Tower held no weight.
“Hmph, all show and no substance!” The elder Mu Bone was also startled by Xiao Yan’s action, but he quickly sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. He, too, was unable to think of what Xiao Yan could possibly do to change this almost settled outcome!
Xiao Yan, undeterred by the bewildered gazes from all around, did not lose focus. Although the pill had taken shape, that did not mean he had lost his chance to compete!
At the level of an eighth-grade pill, its spiritual nature was far beyond ordinary pills. This grade of pill possessed its own spirit, which made it incredibly precious. The more spiritual a pill was, the higher its quality. This was a cardinal rule in the world of alchemy.
In other words, at the eighth-grade level, the critical factor was not the quality of the energy but the enhancement of the pill’s spirituality. Some pills with very high levels of spirituality could even automatically absorb pure energy from the environment to replenify themselves. Thus, the level of spirituality was the key determinant of an eighth-grade pill’s quality!
Even though the pill had already taken form, its spirituality was not yet stable. At this stage, there was still room for improvement, and if the spirituality were to increase, the quality of the pill would also make a final leap!
Of course, this sounded simple, but it was extremely difficult to achieve. A newly formed pill had its various purified medicinal energies in balance. To add anything else could easily disrupt this balance, causing the pill to be damaged. Even worse, if an explosion occurred, the consequences would be dire.
Hence, even the most capable alchemists rarely dared to further enhance the pill after it had formed. But Xiao Yan, emboldened by his inheritance from the Pharmacist Elder, was willing to take the risk.
Gently stroking the black ring, Xiao Yan recalled the secret technique within the treasure trove left behind by the Pharmacist Elder. This special skill, even Han Feng had never encountered, as he lacked the necessary power and skill. This unique art was called ‘Spirit Ascension.’
“Teacher, guide me…” Xiao Yan’s eyes closed, and he took a deep breath. Then, his eyes snapped open, and the hand inside the pillar clenched. An incredible burst of energy spread, and with many pairs of eyes watching, Xiao Yan’s hand slowly withdrew, revealing a dark red pill the size of a thumb.
The pill was entirely dark red, with a perfectly round surface. More astonishingly, a faint mist surrounded the pill, condensing into various shapes and swirling around it, making it appear particularly ethereal.
Withdrawing the pill from the pillar, Xiao Yan’s expression became unusually serious. The Spirit Ascension technique was the pinnacle of the Pharmacist Elder’s work, but even its creator used it sparingly due to the stringent requirements for the practitioner. Only by reaching the eighth-grade level did Xiao Yan dare to attempt such a method.
His eyes fixed intently on the dark red pill, he withdrew his hand, and the pill floated in front of him, jumping playfully. Releasing the pill, Xiao Yan clenched his hand, summoning a pale green Flame of the Lotus Heart. Then, he flicked his finger, and a black flame appeared quietly.
Bone Spirit Chilling Flame!”
At the sight of the white flame, Xuan Kongzi, Elder Mu Bone, and the Green Flower Old Freak were startled. They murmured softly, “It seems that the Pharmacist Elder gave him the Bone Spirit Chilling Flame, viewing him as a true disciple.”
The graceful woman’s eyes fixed on the white flame, whispered, “I didn’t expect the Pharmacist Elder to entrust him with the Bone Spirit Chilling Flame. It seems he truly considers him his heir.”
Countless pairs of eyes watched the five flames swirling around Xiao Yan. The experts among them drew sharp breaths, while the alchemists’ eyes gleamed with desire.
Before their desire could grow, Xiao Yan’s mind moved, and three flames leaped out, crashing into each other in a burst of destructive energy. Yet, before this could expand, a vast soul pressure erupted from Xiao Yan, enveloping the flames like a net and spinning them fiercely.
Fusing flames, Xiao Yan was already an expert. This act, seen as insane by others, was routine for him. Fusing the flames to form a Destructive Fire Lotus was far more difficult than merely merging them.
As the soul power whirled, the three flames stabilized amidst the awestruck gazes. After a few minutes, the soul power stopped, and a small, brownish-green flame appeared…
The moment the flame emerged, Xiao Yan waved his sleeve, and the brownish-green flame swiftly engulfed the playful, dark red pill.
“Has he gone mad?”
“Does he want to ruin the pill?”
Xiao Yan’s actions caused a commotion. Many stared at him in disbelief—did he want to destroy the pill?
Elder Mu Bone’s brow twitched, sensing something ominous.
“Could you have forgotten when the Pharmacist Elder once used a crazy method to refine an eighth-grade pill?” the graceful woman murmured, regaining her composure first.
Xuan Kongzi’s body jerked, and he exclaimed, “You mean… the Pharmacist Elder’s Spirit Ascension method?”
The graceful woman nodded, her eyes fixed on Xiao Yan. “It seems this disciple of the Pharmacist Elder has mastered all his skills… Xuan Kong, perhaps you should thank him this time.”
Xuan Kongzi exhaled deeply, a hidden excitement in his eyes. If Xiao Yan succeeded, perhaps this almost settled situation could be reversed!
Under countless watchful eyes, the dark red pill, encased in the brownish-green flame, started to tremble slightly. Its smooth surface became uneven, with a faint aura of spirituality seeping out. But the flame prevented it from escaping.
Xiao Yan watched the increasingly dry surface of the pill. When the spiritual energy within was completely extracted, he flicked his fingers, and two tiny specks of luminescent dust shot out from his ring, entering the flame.
These dust particles were the Spirit-Nourishing Dust Xiao Yan had obtained. This strange substance contained natural spirituality, and using it at this critical moment amplified its effect.
As the dust entered the flame, it dispersed, but strong souls could sense a surge of increased spiritual energy.
With the spiritual energy surging, Xiao Yan’s face grew grave. His soul power poured out, controlling the fire precisely, compressing the spiritual energy back into the pill with extreme care.
A skilled alchemist nearby would have noticed that the pill’s uneven surface was covered with countless microscopic pores, each containing a thread of spiritual energy that tethered the surrounding auras.
Pursuing the ultimate goal, Xiao Yan bit his tongue, spitting out a cloud of blood. The blood dissipated, then merged with the flame.
“Blood Sacrifice, Soul Return!”
As the blood sprinkled, Xiao Yan turned pale. His sudden cry echoed, and the spreading spiritual mist, like bees returning home, flowed through the minute pores and into the pill under his precise soul control.
When the last wisp of mist entered the pill, to everyone’s amazement, the previously bumpy surface began to smooth and shine at an observable pace…
As the pill’s surface returned to smoothness, the tricolor thunderclouds in the sky churned violently, as if summoned by some invisible force…
This scene detonated like a bomb, plunging the entire square into awe.
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