Free Web NovelChapter 387: Chapter 370: Supreme-Grade Pill
A Life Artifact is forged from the essence of heaven itself, seized by a Minor Perfection Cultivator. If such an attack could breach it, the Extreme Dao Alliance wouldn’t have bothered expending so much effort.
"Everyone, stop wasting your energy. You’re better off saving your strength to resist the furnace fire."
Wang Meng spoke, and the other four stopped, slumping helplessly amidst the skeletons. The bones crumbled to dust at the slightest touch, their Essence Blood and Elemental Power having been drained completely dry.
Even for Cultivators, such a sight was horrifying, and they knew they would soon suffer the same fate.
The other four also felt the temperature inside the furnace rising, forcing them to circulate their Elemental Power to resist the encroaching flames.
The middle-aged man outside, however, was delighted. The stronger their resistance, the more essence he could extract.
Life Pills could not only enhance one’s Elemental Power but also extend their lifespan, making their creation a Forbidden Technique. The fresher the ingredients, the better, and materials of this quality were rare. Powerful Sects placed great importance on their prized disciples, so the Extreme Dao Alliance only had such opportunities occasionally. Since the captives had to be silenced anyway, they might as well be handed over to him. In return, of course, he was responsible for refining Pills for the Extreme Dao Alliance.
If nothing else, he was supremely confident in his pill-refining abilities. The very existence of his Life Artifact, which was designed for that exact purpose, was a testament to his skill.
’These five must have considerable talent. They were either discovered on short notice, or their backing Sects aren’t very strong. Otherwise, the Extreme Dao Alliance would have had to release them, progress or not.’
The middle-aged man watched the five people desperately resisting inside the Pill Furnace, his expression greedy. ’If I could one day refine even Minor Perfection experts,’ he thought, ’I could definitely create far superior Pills. My Life Artifact would evolve further, and I could even steal their abilities.’
The temperature in the cauldron began to rise. For Wang Meng and the others, the Celestial Fire Cauldron was nothing short of hell.
Before long, one of the Cultivators let out a bloodcurdling scream and began to shrivel. His Elemental Power and Essence Blood were visibly drained away by the Celestial Fire Cauldron.
The sight was unbearable. The hearts of the remaining four turned to ice, and they pushed their Cultivation Techniques to the absolute limit. One of them, a Talisman Cultivator, even set up a Defense Array.
But they were inside the Celestial Fire Cauldron. What good could such an Array Technique possibly do?
The Five Elements Technique circulated within Wang Meng’s body, but he had no confidence at all. The intensity of the flames was growing, and a powerful suction force filled the entire space, as if trying to suck him dry.
Wang Meng cursed inwardly. ’If I get out of this, I’ll make the Extreme Dao Alliance pay!’
Although the Celestial Fire Cauldron was scorching hot, the world within the four men’s vision was utterly dark. They couldn’t see a single ray of light, yet the temperature kept rising.
The one with the weakest resolve began to hallucinate. The disciple from the Dharma Flower Sect suddenly felt as if he were surrounded by countless undead, baring their fangs and claws as they lunged for him. He fought back in a panic, but the moment he channeled his Mana, he felt his body being torn apart by innumerable Demons. He burst into a mist of blood, which was instantly absorbed by the Celestial Fire Cauldron.
The middle-aged man observed the glow of his Life Artifact. It had turned red after absorbing the Essence Blood of just two people. ’Not bad at all,’ he mused. ’Abundant Vitality, excellent potential... plus two months of being fed Pills and Spiritual Liquid, they truly are the finest Furnace Cauldrons.’ Ever since refining his first living person, he had become addicted; no other material could satisfy him.
’That Zheng Dasheng is quite reliable,’ he thought. ’Even though I have to give him half, this partnership is well worth it.’
As the Celestial Fire Cauldron turned red, the temperature inside instantly doubled. Paradoxically, the interior of the cauldron grew even darker. There were no visible flames, only the sensation of being incinerated. Finally, another person could no longer hold on, transforming into a streak of light that vanished into the gloom.
The Celestial Fire Cauldron employed the "Boiling Technique," designed to render out a Cultivator’s entire Spiritual Qi. If the Life Artifact were to evolve further, it could even extract its victim’s abilities and produce even more wondrous things. This was the true power of a Life Artifact, and the reason so many would risk their lives to obtain one. No other Magical Artifact, no matter how powerful, possessed such potential for growth or such unexpected capabilities.
The only ones left were Wang Meng and a Body Cultivator from the forty-first layer. A small red flag was planted before him, its crimson light enveloping him, seemingly warding off the illusions and the fiery assault. However, cracks had already begun to appear on the small flag.
Wang Meng, meanwhile, pushed his Five Elements Technique to its limit, using the other four elements to balance the tyrannical Five Elements Flame in the space. All fires in the world are a type of Five Elements Flame, but Wang Meng could only barely manage to neutralize it. The reason he could still hold on was twofold: first, his Five Elements Body provided an abundant supply of Elemental Power, and second, and more importantly, he was immune to the illusory attacks.
The Celestial Fire Cauldron could generate illusory attacks, but to Wang Meng, who was impervious to such evils, they were nothing more than parlor tricks. Still, if this continued, he feared his only fate was to be refined.
The Body Cultivator was also gritting his teeth, holding on. He could sense Wang Meng, and Wang Meng could sense him. In a time like this, it was a small form of support.
Suddenly, the Body Cultivator flew into a rage and charged at Wang Meng, his face contorted. It seemed he wanted to drag someone down with him before he died.
But the moment he rose, the small protective flag burst into flames with a POOF. He took one step, and his entire body ignited. He shrieked and rolled on the ground until finally, he dissolved into tiny specks of light.
Outside, a look of delight spread across the middle-aged man’s face. The Celestial Fire Cauldron had turned orange. ’Interesting,’ he thought. ’One of them actually had a decent Magical Artifact. My Celestial Fire Cauldron can even break down the Elemental Power within such items.’
’Now there’s only one little guy left,’ he mused. ’With the Celestial Fire Cauldron glowing orange, this batch of Life Pills is sure to be excellent.’
Wang Meng was startled. He felt a pang of pity watching the other man turn to flames, but he didn’t allow his focus to waver. His Five Elements Technique continued to run steadily. The searing heat couldn’t destroy his will; on the contrary, Wang Meng was long accustomed to this degree of pain.
The middle-aged man outside was also waiting. Anyone below the Minor Perfection realm would be broken down within five ancient hours at most. The longer someone persisted, the more abundant their essence, and the better the quality of the Pill.
Even if the illusions couldn’t affect him, the feeling of being incinerated while his Mana was being extracted inflicted immense physical agony. The slightest lapse in concentration would mean all his efforts would be for naught.
No one could endure it. Sometimes, death was a release.
The middle-aged Cultivator sat cross-legged, controlling his Life Artifact as it slowly stewed its contents.
No matter how strong he was, Wang Meng was only at the Thirty-Fifth Layer. Trapped inside his enemy’s Life Artifact, his Five Elements Technique was gradually reaching its breaking point, and his consciousness began to fade.
CRACK...
The Star Ring shattered, and the Qiankun Bag ruptured. Sanmao tumbled out, instantly feeling the intense, searing heat.
Sanmao was the Essence of Fire, so it didn’t mind being burned. But this was no simple Pill Furnace; it was a Life Artifact. Illusions began to invade Sanmao, and at the same time, the cauldron began to frantically drain its power.
The Celestial Fire Cauldron abruptly turned a brilliant gold, radiating dazzling light. The middle-aged Cultivator’s eyes flew wide open. He clenched his fists and began to dance about in a crazed frenzy.
"You brat! Hiding a heavenly treasure like that! I’ve hit the jackpot!"
This batch was no longer a simple Life Pill. Once it turned golden, it would become a Life Span Pill! A single pill could add ten years to one’s life. It was simply incredible.
Among the Secret Techniques of the Heaven-Reaching Pill God Sect, this was an absolute treasure of the highest grade.
