Amidst the boundless mountains, a blue energy pillar, about ten feet in diameter, shot straight into the azure sky, lingering for a long time. The Pharmacist Elder slowly sat up from the ground, glanced at the massive pillar of light, and frowned slightly. He then waved his hand, causing the pillar to tremble violently. After a moment, a wisp of blue light detached itself from the pillar and floated down, eventually hovering above his palm.
The blue light gradually faded, revealing its true form: a dragon-eye-sized azure pill. The surface of the pill was perfectly round, like the sea, with faint blue patterns resembling ocean waves, exuding an air of profound mystery. As the wisp of blue light detached itself, the enormous pillar of light seemed to lose its energy support, quivering slightly before gradually becoming hazy and finally dissipating entirely.
Seeing the massive pillar of light vanish completely, Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Such a commotion, if it had continued, would have likely alerted the elders of the inner academy. Fluttering his Purple Cloud Wings, Xiao Yan slowly landed on the mountain peak, his curiosity piqued as he gazed at the azure pill hovering in the Pharmacist Elder’s palm. “Is this the Earth Spirit Pill?”
The Pharmacist Elder nodded with a smile, but there was a hint of weariness on his aged face. It seemed that using a soul body to refine a sixth-grade pill was still quite a strain for him.
Xiao Yan noticed the weariness on the Pharmacist Elder’s face and said softly, “Now that the pill is successfully refined, you should return to the ring to rest.”
“Ah, this soul form indeed cannot fully utilize my strength. In the past, refining a sixth-grade pill never took so long. Now, not only does it take more time, but it also drains a lot of energy,” the Pharmacist Elder sighed, shaking his head.
“Don’t worry, teacher. Once I obtain the Falling Heart Flame, I’ll start trying to refine a body to house your soul. When I succeed, you will be reborn again,” Xiao Yan consoled with a smile.
“I’m not in a rush; I’ve waited for so many years,” the Pharmacist Elder smiled, though his expression showed some appreciation for Xiao Yan’s words.
Xiao Yan chuckled and reached out to grab the pill hovering above the Pharmacist Elder’s palm. However, as his hand closed, the Earth Spirit Pill transformed into a streak of blue light, shooting away and circling around the Pharmacist Elder as if it had a spirit.
Staring in surprise at the Earth Spirit Pill that had dodged his grasp, Xiao Yan stammered, “Are all sixth-grade pills so spirited? Do they even know how to evade?”
“Not all of them. Pills of this grade do have some spiritual quality, but it’s very vague. Ordinary sixth-grade pills don’t have such pronounced spirituality. But this Earth Spirit Pill ranks among the top of its class, especially after being refined with my Bone Spirit Cold Fire, making it more spirited than others of the same level,” the Pharmacist Elder explained with a smile. He then waved his hand, and the floating Earth Spirit Pill automatically flew into his grasp. He took out a jade bottle, placed the pill inside, and tossed it to Xiao Yan.
Carefully catching the jade bottle, Xiao Yan marveled at the Earth Spirit Pill floating within and remarked, “If a sixth-grade pill has this much spirit, can higher-grade pills even speak?”
Thinking of a pill that could converse with humans, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but sweat a bit.
“Heh, seventh-grade pills indeed have stronger spirits. Some pills, if not handled carefully, will fly away on their own, leaving the exhausted alchemist speechless. Eighth-grade pills can even fight people—how extraordinary is that?” the Pharmacist Elder laughed.
Xiao Yan was speechless. Pills that could fight people? This… eighth-grade pills were that powerful?
“If eighth-grade pills are so strong, wouldn’t ninth and tenth-grade pills be beyond the realm of the heavens?” Xiao Yan asked with a bitter smile.
“Supposedly, some ninth-grade pills can even take human form,” the Pharmacist Elder began, causing Xiao Yan’s head to spin. It was getting more and more absurd. Pills turning into humans?
“Nines are the highest, and above them is not called tenth-grade, but the unique ‘Emperor Grade.’ This grade of pill has not appeared since ancient times. I’ve read some ancient texts that vaguely suggest these ‘Emperor Grade’ pills are somehow related to the legendary Emperor Rank,” the Pharmacist Elder chuckled, his last sentence spoken in a low, cautious tone, as if afraid someone might overhear.
Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, Xiao Yan was stunned. Were these Emperor Grade pills that terrifying? Did one need such a pill to break through to the Emperor Rank?
“Emperor Grade pills, for thousands of years, have been unrefinable. First, there are no formulas for them. These formulas are fundamentally different from what we use. We refine heaven and earth’s spiritual herbs, while Emperor Grade pills refine the very essence of heaven and earth, mountains and seas,” the Pharmacist Elder said calmly, shocking Xiao Yan. Refining the entire world into a pill? That was too mind-boggling.
“Second, no one has the strength to do it,” the Pharmacist Elder added with a smile. “Even if I were at my peak, I couldn’t reach that level.”
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan nodded silently, amazed by the alchemists’ incredible abilities. This was truly shocking.
“Well, knowing this now won’t help. When you reach that level, you’ll naturally learn more,” the Pharmacist Elder waved his hand, putting away the ‘Black Magic’ pill cauldron on the ground into the black ring. Then, with a flick, the ring accurately settled on Xiao Yan’s finger.
Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan smiled. “Since the Earth Spirit Pill is done, let’s head back to the inner academy, shall we?”
The Pharmacist Elder nodded casually but suddenly turned, looking towards the distant mountains, his expression changing.
“Teacher, what’s wrong?” Xiao Yan asked, a bit tense.
“Hide, someone is coming, and they’re very powerful! They must have been attracted by the earlier commotion when the Earth Spirit Pill was formed,” the Pharmacist Elder said gravely. After a moment’s thought, his figure transformed into a light barrier covering Xiao Yan. “Hide. With your strength, you can’t escape their detection, so I’ll use my soul power to conceal you. Quick.”
Sensing the urgency in the Pharmacist Elder’s voice, Xiao Yan felt the formidable presence approaching. Vibrating his Purple Cloud Wings, he quickly scanned the surroundings and then dashed into the vast mountains, disappearing into the lush greenery.
Hiding in the dense forest, Xiao Yan found a secluded spot and peered through the branches, watching the distant sky.
Shortly after Xiao Yan had hidden, a faint sound of wind slicing through the air was heard, and a blurry black figure suddenly appeared in the sky. As the figure paused, Xiao Yan could feel a massive, invisible wave spreading, enveloping the nearby mountains like a radar, but he remained undetected thanks to the Pharmacist Elder’s soul protection.
After a while, the scanning stopped, and the black figure flickered, reappearing atop the small mountain where the Pharmacist Elder had refined the pill.
“Such incredible speed,” Xiao Yan thought, slightly awed. Through the branches, he could see the figure was an old man with white hair.
“This person must be from the inner academy, but their strength far surpasses the elders. If I’m not mistaken, he should be the most respected Grand Elder,” Xiao Yan mused.
“Who is the friend refining pills in my inner academy? If possible, could you come out and meet me?” the black-robed elder’s voice, imbued with potent battle aura, echoed through the sky, resonating endlessly.
Xiao Yan, of course, did not reveal himself. Lying motionless in the bushes, he kept his heartbeat to a minimum, confident that even with the black-robed elder’s formidable skills, he would not be detected.
The powerful voice continued to reverberate, but after a long time, it finally faded. The black-robed elder, finding the area quiet, frowned. “Have they already left?”
With a sigh, the black-robed elder leaped away, disappearing into the horizon.
Seeing the black-robed elder gone, Xiao Yan sighed in relief. Just as he was about to move, the Pharmacist Elder’s stern voice sounded in his ear, “Don’t move!”
Freezing in place, Xiao Yan maintained his position, staying still for nearly half an hour. Just as he was about to give up, his eyes widened as a black-robed figure, seemingly materializing out of thin air, appeared on the mountain peak.
Staring at the figure that had seemingly returned, Xiao Yan’s forehead was covered in cold sweat. This old man was truly cunning. If not for the Pharmacist Elder’s warning, he would have been caught. This wasn’t the first time he’d encountered such a situation.
The black-robed elder, after another fruitless search, sighed and disappeared once more. This time, as the figure vanished, Xiao Yan finally relaxed, his body limp and drenched in sweat.
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