“Eh, this flame is extraordinary too, drawn from underground?” The Fire Crow was astonished. Originally, it was supposed to assist in the alchemy process, as it hailed from the Blazing Fire Cavern and wielded rare fire essence. However, upon seeing the silver flames drawn from beneath the cauldron, it halted its actions, observing carefully before exclaiming in awe, “This is the Earth Vein Spirit Flame!”
“Long have I heard that the Medicine Capital is extraordinary—its soil is unique, suitable for cultivating all kinds of precious herbs, and beneath the earth lies spirit flames that can be drawn for alchemy. Truly remarkable,” Huo Ling’er also praised. No wonder this was the birthplace of the ancient Medicine God, and where he ultimately perished. This ancient city was anything but ordinary.
The golden-yellow cauldron was heavy, standing as tall as half a person when including its legs. Now filled with a clear spring, the medicinal aroma inside grew increasingly rich. Silver flames danced beneath it, and white mist rose from the great cauldron, carrying an intoxicating fragrance. Those present couldn’t help but marvel—this cauldron, a relic of a thousand years, was imbued with potent medicinal properties.
Shi Hao truly wished he could buy it, knowing he would frequently need such a fine cauldron in the future. Yet, he also knew the owner would never sell it. Even if they did, he likely couldn’t afford it—it was far too precious.
The group stepped back as Shi Hao began bathing in the courtyard’s spring, cleansing himself of all impurities and achieving inner clarity. Only then could he enter the cauldron. Huo Ling’er and Yun Xi naturally withdrew, as Shi Hao needed to enter naked, leaving only a spiritual avatar behind to tend the flames.
At this moment, no one jested—this required utmost seriousness, for the slightest mistake could lead to disaster.
The golden-yellow cauldron, tempered by time, resonated with a clear, melodious chime when lightly struck. Shi Hao sat cross-legged inside as the water gradually boiled, enveloping him in mist.
“Great Leaf Vine,” Shi Hao instructed.
A pile of spirit herbs lay on the ground, exuding an alluring fragrance—these had cost Shi Hao all his savings. His spiritual avatar tossed a section of dark vine into the cauldron, its leaves oddly shaped like a fierce hound. The moment it entered, black light erupted, turning the water pitch-black.
“Snow Jade Ginseng!” Shi Hao continued.
A silver-white ginseng, shimmering with crystalline radiance, released wisps of white spirit mist—clearly a treasure.
From atop the courtyard wall, the Crimson Bird peeked, drooling. “So tempting! So many spirit herbs tossed in—I wish I could gulp down that cauldron in one bite!”
Next, Shi Hao directed his avatar to toss in a purple centipede over a meter long, its appearance unsettling.
“Pity, it’s not a spirit insect,” Shi Hao sighed.
According to the recipe, treasures like the Silver Sky Centipede or Golden Scorpion were needed, but they were far rarer than spirit herbs. Substitutes would have to suffice.
“That centipede is highly venomous—won’t it ruin the medicine?” the Crimson Bird fretted.
“No matter,” Shi Hao shook his head.
The Lesser Nirvana Pill recipe didn’t list spirit insects, but another lost royal formula did—one that could amplify medicinal effects severalfold when combined. If only he had that “auxiliary recipe,” the medicine could undergo a qualitative transformation.
“Silver Feather Grass,” Shi Hao commanded, and his avatar tossed in a radiant white herb with feather-like veins, exuding a refreshing fragrance.
With nearly twenty spirit herbs added, the cauldron began to glow faintly gold, resonating as it refined the ingredients. Now, the recipe’s true value shone—Shi Hao formed hand seals inside, channeling his inner Dao Fire to synergize with the external flames, refining the concoction in a unique manner.
His spiritual avatar returned to merge with him, and with a loud *boom*, the lid flew up and sealed itself.
The Crimson Bird gaped. “Is he going to get boiled alive?”
Soon, it sensed fluctuations—Shi Hao was forming seals, truly beginning to refine himself and unlock his latent potential.
Time passed swiftly, and by midday, the lid flew open. Shi Hao, submerged in boiling medicinal liquid, had skin like crystal, his pores absorbing the essence.
“Incredible!” the Crimson Bird gasped.
Shi Hao opened his eyes—the scalding water couldn’t harm him. Now past the initial phase, he no longer needed such caution.
“What a huge spider!” the Crimson Bird exclaimed, eyeing a basin-sized, eerie green creature.
Shi Hao had creatures from the Demon Spirit Lake, even a Golden Spider, but he saved those for his future breakthrough to the Venerable Realm. This was just another substitute—without a hundred ancient herbs, a perfect Lesser Nirvana Pill was impossible. He’d be content with even a single step forward.
Breaking through the Array Formation Realm couldn’t be rushed—no one could leap an entire major realm overnight. Refining the body was like simmering broth: gradual progress yielded the best results.
The Array Formation Realm had four stages: early, mid, late, and peak. Shi Hao didn’t aim for the impossible, lest he harm himself.
The Crimson Bird tried to steal techniques but realized the true secret lay in the refining method—Shi Hao’s inner Dao Fire and hand seals were key.
“Forget it,” it turned away.
Finally, a basket of venomous insects was dumped into the cauldron, along with twenty more spirit herbs and supplementary materials like beast bones and flood dragon tendons. The cauldron was sealed for real.
“Even ores?” The Crimson Bird glanced back, bewildered by the jumble of stones, insects, and bones.
The lid clamped shut. For a full day, the golden cauldron glowed, its seams airtight, brimming with spiritual energy and medicinal fragrance.
“Eh, this is no small feat—what grand medicine is being brewed?” The estate’s owner watched from afar, sensing the wild convergence of heaven and earth’s essence into the courtyard.
Outside, the Nine-Headed Lion and Fire Crow were equally stunned. Alchemy could draw such vast energy? The spectacle was bound to stir the entire Medicine Capital.
“Quick, set up barrier flags to conceal this!” Huo Ling’er urged.
They erected a formation to veil the courtyard. Otherwise, the growing commotion would surely arouse suspicion.
Upon entering, they saw spirit energy spiraling into the cauldron in violent vortices, life force surging unnaturally. The silver spirit flames from below flared wildly, their essence drawn into the cauldron.
By the end, gales howled in the courtyard, lightning crackled around the cauldron, and the scene turned apocalyptic.
The group was dumbfounded. Was this alchemy or some divine upheaval? The lid kept rattling, revealing Shi Hao buried in medicinal sludge, his body glowing in eerie harmony with the world.
Were they refining pills… or a person?
The cauldron’s mist thickened as the spring water evaporated. The air’s dense spirit energy liquefied, pouring endlessly into the cauldron.
“This isn’t just alchemy—it’s a terrifying breakthrough method!” they realized, shaken.
*Crack!* Lightning struck Shi Hao’s body, absorbed into his flesh.
“What kind of alchemy is this? It truly startles gods and ghosts!” They retreated as thunder roared and gales raged.
“Golden Pill!” They gasped. The medicinal sludge encasing Shi Hao gradually took the form of a golden pill.
*Boom!* Even denser spirit energy surged, altering the pill’s composition as lightning and silver flames merged into it.
The lid rattled incessantly, the scene now a maelstrom of mist, lightning, and fire. Whether Huo Ling’er, the Nine-Headed Lion, or Yun Xi—despite their illustrious backgrounds—none had witnessed such alchemy. This was forging a fleshly golden pill!
*Crack!* A sound came from within, as if flesh were splitting. The golden pill warped, fissuring and healing, its glow revealing Shi Hao’s state.
“What’s happening to him?” Huo Ling’er paled.
The others shared her concern. Shi Hao’s body was riddled with cracks, seemingly on the verge of exploding.
“This method is too tyrannical—the transformation is violently extreme,” they concluded, not far from the truth.
Shi Hao was undergoing a brutal metamorphosis. Stagnant in the Array Formation Realm for so long, he was now breaking through to the mid-stage, forcibly unlocking his body’s treasures. The sheer potential was tearing his flesh apart.
Yet he remained still, seated in meditation, his body radiating faint gold as his aura swelled. Though bleeding, he grew stronger, inscribing formations within his flesh—true to the name “Array Formation.”
The path to power was never gentle.
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