Free Web NovelChapter 1331: Chapter 515: Tribulation of the Pill Embryo! Great Demon Attack!
[Special Event Triggered: Dragon Slaying!]
Staring at that line of tiny characters reflected on his retina, Chen Mo’s brows knit tightly, his expression growing grave.
As always, aside from the event’s name there was still no hint at all; this was the system’s consistent style—
it would not force him to do anything, nor punish failure; everything was left to his own discretion, and afterward it would assess his performance and grant rewards of varying value.
"So, what exactly does this ’dragon’ refer to?"
"Wu Lie, or Zhu Jiuyou?"
Back then in the Daoist Forbidden Land, the Daoist Ancestor had also mentioned the words "dragon slaying"; there must be some connection between the two.
What could be confirmed for now was that during this period of alchemy, Wu Lie would definitely make a move; once he slipped up, it would be the perfect moment to cut him down!
"You want to kill me?"
"Who is hunter and who is prey is far from decided yet."
The corner of Chen Mo’s mouth curled into a cold smile, a fierce, icy light flashing in his eyes.
...
...
Boom, boom, boom—
Radiance burst forth in the drill ground, Primordial Qi surging like waves.
First was the Evergreen Branch, then the Gold Sand Marrow, the Heavenly Heart Mist Grass, the Earth Fire Flowing Cloud Flower... Just the refining of these five Immortal Materials alone took a full two days.
The reason Immortal Materials were so called was because each contained a wisp of Innate Dao Rhyme, having already transcended the mundane category; if one wished to use them as raw ingredients for alchemy, not only was a high-grade Alchemy Fire required, but an extremely delicate control as well.
If the firepower was too weak, it could not melt them; if too fierce, it might damage the Dao Rhyme and greatly diminish the efficacy.
Even someone as mighty as a Daoist Venerable had to muster twelve-tenths of her focus, for there was only a single stalk of each of the Five Elements Immortal Materials; there was no chance for trial and error, and the slightest carelessness would see all efforts ruined!
Hoo—
The Two Forms Mysterious Heart Fire blazed fiercely, the entire alchemy furnace humming and trembling.
This was Ji Hongxiu’s Innate True Fire, not a mere high temperature, but something evolved from Yin Yang Qi, containing the supreme principle of "all things bear Yin and embrace Yang, and through their intermingled Qi achieve harmony", able to decompose matter down to its root and thereby preserve the Innate Dao Rhyme to the greatest degree.
By the time the last "Golden Thread Stone Flower" was refined, five halos of differing colors were suspended above the Furnace Tripod, each one the refined Spiritual Marrow essence drawn from a Five Elements Immortal Material.
"What an astonishing method!"
"Her control over the Alchemy Fire is wondrous to the extreme; the essence and Dao Rhyme have not suffered the slightest loss. Truly worthy of being the Daoist Sect’s Ultimate Venerable—such methods are nothing short of miraculous!"
"At this rate, there is indeed hope of forming the pill; Lord Commander’s life may yet be saved!"
Seeing things progress so smoothly, the gathered Pill Masters could not help their delighted expressions, exclaiming in admiration.
Yet Ji Hongxiu’s expression did not relax in the slightest; her eyes were filled with solemnity. She knew clearly this was only the beginning—the real work was yet to come.
The Creation Golden Pill required "Seven Refinements and Nine Turns" before it could take shape, in total requiring twenty-seven days, during which she had to maintain unwavering focus without a moment’s respite; it was a tremendous trial on both body and spirit.
Moreover, given Ling Yishan’s current condition, she could not afford the least negligence...
"In the Taichu there was Dao, the Dao transformed into pill essence; now, bearing the Supreme Decree, I open the Furnace of Creation."
"This furnace fire is no mere fire, but the radiance of my heart; this alchemy furnace is no mere furnace, but the sea of my nature."
"Eastern Cyan Essence Qi, from which the essence of Jia and Yi Wood is born. Southern Red Bright Qi, wherein the virtue of Bing and Ding Fire is stored."
"Western Pure Splendor Qi, wherein the soul of Geng and Xin Metal is clear. Northern Xuanming Qi, wherein the virtue of Ren and Gui Water is deep. Central Yellow Old Qi, wherein the virtue of Wu and Ji Earth is thick..."
Ji Hongxiu’s eyelids drooped slightly as her lips moved.
With each spell she chanted, the light clusters suspended in midair shivered once.
As the final syllable fell, it was as though an invisible great hand had kneaded the five strands of Spiritual Marrow together, fusing them through their spiritual substance into a mass of azure-black matter that shifted ceaselessly in form like a living thing.
"Into the furnace!"
Under Ji Hongxiu’s guidance, that mass of matter slowly descended into the furnace.
The lid closed; the Alchemy Fire roared up, emitting a deafening thunder.
"Dark and obscure, therein lies the essence. Vague and indistinct, therein lies the true. Dare not stir it first, but let it ferment of itself. The sundering of chaos lies within a mere inch of the heart."
The Yin Yang Dual Flames flickered unsteadily; the material within the furnace began to slowly meld, its color shifting from azure-black to a pure profound black, its volume constantly shrinking, signifying that all useless impurities were being expelled...
...
...
Time flew by; in the blink of an eye, nine days had passed.
The Nine Nine Mysterious Fire Furnace was steady as a boulder, its interior seething with five-colored Qi light.
Through the fire-viewing aperture one could see a round, lustrous pill rolling within the Two Forms Fire, its entire body jet-black like ink, without the slightest trace of other colors.
Watching this scene, the nerves Ji Hongxiu had kept taut for many days finally relaxed a little.
"The first step, ’Cleansing Spirit and Washing Impurity’, is already complete. From the way the Five Elements essences have fused, everything is still proceeding relatively smoothly."
"Next we must begin ’Stabilizing Origin and Returning Qi’, to condense the pill embryo..."
Although Tianshu Pavilion possessed the pill recipe for the Creation Golden Pill, aside from the Daoist Ancestor, no second person had ever attempted to refine it.
On one hand, there was no need; though this pill could help an Ultimate Venerable reshape their Dao Foundation, it could not remove the price imposed by the Heavenly Dao—those fated to die would still die all the same; it was only useful in special cases like Ling Yishan’s, where the very Origin had been damaged.
On the other hand, the ingredients were far too rare; the materials consumed here alone could refine hundreds of Premium Spiritual Elixirs. Even as Sect Master, Ji Hongxiu could not be so extravagant as to use Immortal Materials for practice. Now she could only cross the river by feeling for stones, taking one step and seeing one step.
Fortunately, Chen Mo had obtained the Daoist Ancestor’s legacy, which contained the Patriarch’s lifetime cultivation insights, including of course his experience in refining Golden Cores; back at Fuyun Mountain he had already shared all of it with her.
