Deep within the Heavenly Grave, Xiao Yan stood alone before a towering gravestone on the plain. First, he paid respectful homage to the stone before slowly lifting his gaze, surveying the surroundings with sharp eyes. Around the edges of the plain were numerous energy beings; yet none had dared encroach upon the thousand-zhang domain surrounding Xiao Yan. The gazes they cast toward him were laced with visible reverence.
Leaving aside the fact that Xiao Yan had now become the master of the Heavenly Grave, even his imperial-stage soul alone was enough to send shivers down their energy-bound spines. These entities were in truth a native species of the Heavenly Grave—former beings who had once been extraordinarily formidable in life, though those days were long gone. Now, they existed only as energy bodies sustained by the mysterious powers of the grave itself.
Xiao Yan had examined them and discovered over a dozen who possessed strength rivaling that of the Dou Sheng peak. Yet, none could compare with the legendary prowess of his ancestor, Xiao Xuan—a fact which brought forth a wry smile from Xiao Yan’s lips. If there still remained among them an entity matching Xiao Xuan, then surely the guardian spirit of the Heavenly Grave wouldn’t have been able to wreak havoc so freely.
Although this gathering wasn’t bad as an army, its usefulness to Xiao Yan remained limited due to the peculiar nature of the grave—the entities could not leave this place. “Still,” Xiao Yan mused, stroking his chin with amusement, “if I ever face an enemy, perhaps I can lure them right into the Heavenly Grave…”
He settled himself cross-legged before the stone tablet, slightly opening his eyes as he said in a low voice, “Blood Saber, guard me well—do not let anyone disturb my cultivation.”
Among all the energies within the graveyard, few did Xiao Yan truly trust. Only one figure—the venerable Blood Saber Monarch—could be considered familiar company, making him the natural choice to maintain order during Xiao Yan’s retreat.
“Yes.” Farther away, a red-robed form answered respectfully at once. A clearer view revealed him unmistakably as the Blood Saber Monarch. In the realm of the Heavenly Grave, his status was no longer insignificant—for the other entities recognized his special ties to Xiao Yan, the new ruler of the place. Therefore, even those whose powers surpassed his greatly showed him uncommon civility.
As much as Blood Saber delighted in his elevated standing, he fully understood it hinged largely upon borrowing the prestige of a more powerful force—he bore no illusions about his subordinate position beneath Xiao Yan and served accordingly, with utmost sincerity.
Once instructed thoroughly, Xiao Yan formed a symbolic mudra with both hands. From his shoulder shimmered a small silhouette—Xiao Yi—who wasted no moment in parting her tiny mouth. From it emerged a radiant beam of golden light.
“RUMBLE!!”
At the release of that golden streak, the sky thundered wildly above. The light burst through the storm clouds, swelling instantaneously into a colossal Golden Thunder Dragon measuring thousands of zhang across, lightning arcs raging along its body as booming cracks echoed across the heavens.
Many of the energy beings looked on with dread flickering in their gazes as they quickly retreated farther back; even the slightest contact with such radiant might could very likely turn many of them to ashes.
“ROARRR!!!”
The dragon thundered overhead, its twin golden eyes cold and devoid of emotion—its existence but raw elemental power without any shred of consciousness.
A smile touched Xiao Yan’s lips. He felt keenly the sheer violence contained within this energy—once it would have forced him to cautiously borrow some of its might on rare occasions, taming or assimilation beyond his capability at that time.
Yet fortuitously, his ascension into the Imperial Realm allowed him to perceive the Nine Mysteries Golden Lightning—the former menace he feared immensely—as just another manageable source now. The more potent its energy was, the faster Xiao Yan could harness and enhance his own might.
Right now, nothing mattered more than growing stronger.
“I wonder just how wild you may yet become,” Xiao Yan murmured softly while reshaping his gesture once again.
From his forehead poured waves of boundless Soul Power—a depth akin to an endless ocean unleashed in a mighty gale. In the blink of an eye, a gigantic figure loomed across the skies, eclipsing even the great dragon several times over.
It bore Xiao Yan’s exact appearance but carried an oppressive aura so immense that it dwarfed the dragon below like a whisper next to thunder. Looking at this enormous being inspired terror deep within the observers’ souls—an urge to kneel instinctively seized anyone nearby.
As if recognizing such overwhelming presence, even the mindless Thunder Dragon quietened, roaring less furiously, and letting its golden lightning dim slightly.
Overlooking the beast calmly, suddenly massive arms resembling entire mountain ranges tore through clouds above, striking downward with unstoppable will.
“BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!”
Fierce thunderbolts arced violently throughout the sky like a sea of burning amber lightning—yet the newly-formed storm shattered instantly as monstrous hands closed around the writhing body of the Thunder Dragon.
“SCREEEECH!!”
Lightning lashed out wildly, striking against the clutches, emitting ear-piercing crackles—but they did little more than bounce off unharmed.
“HA! Submit!” The colossus growled sharply. With a surge of force in its grip, the thunderous sky split apart—and in the blink of an eye, the golden beast imploded under pressure!
Its demise scattered dense golden liquid across the firmament—waves of immense energy rippling outward from every droplet.
“WHOOSH!”
Immediately, Xiao Yi sprang from Xiao Yan’s shoulder and expanded rapidly until forming a flaming cauldron thousands of zhang wide—its lid opened wide, drawing in a powerful pull. Instantly, the vast pool of gold rained downward in streams as rivers descending from the skies, plunging entirely into the roaring depths of the blazing urn.
No sooner had the final drop vanished inside the vessel, then rose surging torrents of fierce pinkish fire engulfing everything, beginning relentless refinement. At the same time, Xiao Yan lifted his hand. Thousands upon thousands of medicinal plants swarmed forth from his spatial ring and formed a swirling sea suspended midair—a veritable pharmacological expanse floating amidst the clouds.
However, unlike ordinary methods where lightning is absorbed directly, this was no mere absorption exercise; for even though such action alone might push him near Six Star Dou Sheng peak territory—it was far from sufficient ambition.
Instead, he planned to forge a pill—using the purest essence of this Nine Mysteries Golden Lightning itself as the primary ingredient.
This rare alchemy, called the Lei Jie Dan (Thunder Tribulation Pill), was quite unusual, for normally the main ingredient for pills consisted of earthly herbs or mystical substances—but what fueled these legendary remedies? Nothing less than the very Storms themselves summoned when pills neared completion!
Lei Jie Dian came in grades: eighth tier, ninth tier treasure-grade, or even ninth-tier arcane-grade elixirs depending solely upon the purity of their foundational materials. Xiao Yan, employing Nine Mysteries Lightning itself—a rarity already—to craft one, was aiming for Arcane Grade excellence…something attempted scarcely even among sages.
Though only successfully performed once previously amid considerable luck, today his soul stood crowned by Emperors’ Dominion—one whose mastery transcended all known limitations. No mistake escaped such perception, nor change unforeseen by this peerless awareness.
Thus he bore little worry regarding ruining so singular a batch. Imperial Soul granted him the assurance to proceed unshaken.
Above, medicinal flocks circled endlessly around his infernal furnace feeding ceaselessly into it—a transformation occurring immediately at each entrance, reduced into the essence of absolute clarity merging smoothly into the glowing golden solution already brewing.
As more and more flora enriched the substance’s core brilliance, subtle variations surfaced—a shimmer dancing upon its skin laced frequently with flickers from lightning strikes within, producing something surreal, majestic to behold.
But the forging process demanded weeks—months perhaps. Fortunate indeed that he’d prepared ahead. Within the sanctuary of Heavenly Grave temporal distortion, two months here equaled merely six Earth days outside—plenty of time in which the Lei Jie Dan might achieve completion.
Accordingly, for an entire moon cycle thereafter—unending rumblings sang hymns of progress echoing through eternal halls of Heaven’s Vault.
High aloft floated that infernal chalice ablaze, tendrils of rosy flame curling far outwards instilling genuine unease amongst those watching forms cloaked in ancient memory.
Day by day passed thus, nearing almost halfway past the lunar measure when at last, Xiao Yan slowly reopened tranquil orbs fixated toward the fiery abyss above.
Golden illumination surged inward within. Its earlier abundant liquidity vanished completely. Yet within, perfectly suspended where once fluid churned lay a solitary pill the size of one’s fist—gleaming as solid molten gold.
Each passing breath from this artifact pulsed vibrant bursts of auroral thunderflashes across invisible horizons echoing continuous resounding booms.
Yes…
Ninth-Tier Arcane-Pill—
The Lei Jie Dan—was finally born.
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