Chapter 645: The Silver Jug Tai Cang Cauldron and the Alchemy Contest
"Blood essence of ninety-nine eighth-tier Ancient Void Dragons?"
Hearing Mo Yu's words, both Yao Lao and Yao Dan were stunned, and then their faces showed expressions of amazement.
Although the Ancient Void Dragon Clan didn't have the same strict burial traditions as the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan, where all deceased clan members had to be buried in the clan's sacred grounds, the corpse and blood essence of an Ancient Void Dragon were still incredibly rare. The remains of a single eighth-tier Ancient Void Dragon, if auctioned in the outside world, would surely cause a bloodbath.
Yet Mo Yu had managed to let the Wind Fury Dragon Flame absorb the blood essence of ninety-nine wind-attributed Ancient Void Dragons, and all of them were eighth-tier! Even Yao Dan, the leader of the Medicine Clan, couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
While Yao Lao and Yao Dan were shocked, Mo Yu just smiled lightly. In truth, the Wind Fury Dragon Flame's evolution was somewhat of a coincidence.
A few years ago, there was unrest on Dragon Island. Besides the East Dragon Island, which was the stronghold of Zi Yan's royal lineage, the other three Dragon Islands had joined the rebellion. Without Mo Yu's timely intervention, Zi Yan and the entire East Dragon Island would have been in great danger.
With Mo Yu's help, Zi Yan not only crushed the rebellion of the three Dragon Islands but also reunited the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, becoming the undisputed Dragon Emperor.
After the rebellion was suppressed, while most of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan's leaders were pardoned, there were still a few die-hard rebels who were executed.
Mo Yu hadn't originally paid much attention to these executed dragons. However, when searching for a suitable exotic flame for Gu He, Mo Yu's Genfu combed through the entire continent and finally acquired the Wind Fury Dragon Flame through a semi-forced purchase from a reclusive family in the Eastern Profound Region.
Although the Wind Fury Dragon Flame was listed on the Exotic Flame Ranking, it only ranked eighteenth, just one spot higher than the Green Lotus Core Flame. If this were the Gu He of the Jia Ma Empire days, he would have been overjoyed to acquire it. But now, as the top alchemist of Genfu and an eighth-tier peak alchemist, the Wind Fury Dragon Flame was more of a burden than a benefit, barely even useful compared to the flames from an eighth-tier magical beast.
Mo Yu himself felt that the Wind Fury Dragon Flame didn't suit Gu He's current status. However, powerful exotic flames were either hidden deep in the wilderness or held by powerful clans like the Flame Clan or the Medicine Clan, so Genfu couldn't easily obtain a higher-ranked flame.
After much thought, Mo Yu came up with a solution: upgrade the Wind Fury Dragon Flame!
Although every exotic flame had its own ranking, their power didn't necessarily have a strict limit. If they did, there wouldn't be stories of flames devouring each other to grow stronger. After all, the top-ranked Emperor Flame of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor reached its peak by devouring other flames, eventually becoming the last Dou Emperor of the continent.
With this in mind, Mo Yu turned his focus to the wind-attributed Ancient Void Dragons, believing that if the Wind Fury Dragon Flame could absorb their blood essence, it could evolve.
Mo Yu shared this idea with Zi Yan, who had always had a soft spot for him, even developing romantic feelings. Without hesitation, she agreed.
Although some elders of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan objected, they couldn't deny Mo Yu's great contribution to saving their clan, and the fact that the blood essence came from rebel dragons made it easier for them to turn a blind eye.
Thus, Mo Yu began a massive campaign to absorb the wind-attributed Ancient Void Dragon blood essence. In just half a month, the Wind Fury Dragon Flame had absorbed the essence of ninety-nine eighth-tier dragons!
After absorbing the blood essence of ninety-nine wind-attributed Ancient Void Dragons, the Wind Fury Dragon Flame successfully evolved, meeting Mo Yu's expectations.
Mo Yu believed that the current Wind Fury Dragon Flame was comparable to the Red Lotus Flame, ranked eighth on the Exotic Flame Ranking. It had risen by ten ranks, a truly terrifying improvement.
While Mo Yu was reminiscing, Gu He explained the changes in the Wind Fury Dragon Flame in the arena. When he finished, he glanced at the silver-eyed young man in the audience and said with admiration, "Thanks to the Master, I, Gu He, now possess such a powerful flame."
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded. "That definitely sounds like something Cousin Mo Yu would do."
Xiao Yan didn't feel jealous of Gu He's powerful flame. Instead, he felt a sense of nostalgia.
Back when he had traveled to the Tagore Desert in search of the Green Lotus Core Flame, he had encountered Gu He, who was then known as the Pill King, also searching for the same flame. Through a twist of fate, Xiao Yan had succeeded in obtaining the flame, while Gu He missed the opportunity.
Reflecting on the past, Xiao Yan realized that if Gu He hadn't muddied the waters, it would have been difficult for him to snatch the flame from the Snake-People Tribe.
Because of this shared history, Xiao Yan felt a certain fondness for Gu He, especially since there had never been any personal conflicts between them. Over the years, Gu He had finally fulfilled his dream of obtaining a powerful exotic flame and had become one of the continent's top alchemists, standing on this stage alongside Xiao Yan.
Shennong Elder gazed at the wind dragon flame in the sky and couldn't help but marvel, "To think someone could come up with a way to evolve an exotic flame. Master Mo is truly a genius and a strange one at that. In terms of power, the only thing here that might be able to suppress Gu He's Wind Fury Dragon Flame is Xiao Yan's flame spirit."
No one in the audience disagreed with Shennong Elder's remark.
Although Shennong Elder's Life Flame was ranked fifth, its strength lay primarily in its life-giving properties. In terms of raw battle power, it might not even be as strong as Bone Spirit Cold Fire, let alone Wind Fury Dragon Flame.
As for Phantom Soul's Devouring Void Flame, it was ranked second, but it was merely a child flame. Even though child flames had high potential, they clearly couldn't compare to the evolved Wind Fury Dragon Flame, now powerful enough to rank eighth.
The Nine Nether Wind Flame wasn't even worth mentioning in this context.
"I didn't expect such a powerful exotic flame to be in the hands of an unknown figure. It seems Genfu is truly wealthy. But it's all for nothing. After all, what good pills can an eighth-tier alchemist possibly refine?" Phantom Soul's gaze locked onto the flame in Gu He's hand, his eyes gleaming with undisguised greed.
Even though Gu He was now an eighth-tier peak alchemist, just a step away from reaching the ninth tier, Phantom Soul still considered him insignificant.
But the evolved Wind Fury Dragon Flame was a different story. If Phantom Soul's Devouring Void Flame child flame could devour it, it would likely grow to a terrifying level.
Gu He, however, ignored Phantom Soul's sneers. He knew that the only way to silence doubt was through his own strength.
"If the five participants are ready, let the alchemy contest begin," Yao Dan's voice rang out as he stood up and spoke loudly from the main seat.
As Yao Dan's words fell, Xiao Yan was the first to make a move.
The little flame spirit on Xiao Yan's shoulder opened its mouth, and a pink fire cauldron, no larger than a thumb, shot out. In the blink of an eye, it expanded, growing into a massive cauldron hundreds of meters wide that hovered in the sky, surrounded by swirling fire dragons. The deep, resonant roars of the dragons echoed, and the temperature of the entire area soared.
As Xiao Yan's fire cauldron rose into the sky, the other four contestants also took a step back, each dividing the vast sky into five distinct regions.
Phantom Soul flickered and appeared atop his black fire cauldron, sitting cross-legged. With a wave of his sleeve, countless medicinal ingredients flew out, filling the air with a thick, medicinal fragrance.
At the same time, Elder Wanhuo summoned a fire cauldron using his Nine Nether Wind Flame.
At their level, physical cauldrons were almost unnecessary. They could easily summon a cauldron from their exotic flames at any moment.
However, out of the five contestants, Gu He was the only one who didn't use his flame to form a cauldron. Instead, he slowly took out a silver cauldron from his storage ring.
The silver cauldron was massive, towering several hundred meters high. Its three legs were like pillars supporting the heavens, emanating a deep sense of power. Moving upwards, the cauldron's surface was covered with intricate, mysterious runes. These runes emitted a special energy that seemed to subtly draw upon the surrounding natural energy.
The appearance of the silver cauldron immediately drew the attention of Elder Wanhuo and the others. After examining it closely, they let out low murmurs of surprise.
"This cauldron is unusual. If I'm not mistaken, it must have been crafted by Master Mo. What is its name?" Yao Dan, having been observing Gu He because of the Wind Fury Dragon Flame, raised an eyebrow as he noticed the special cauldron.
He could sense that while the silver cauldron didn't seem particularly special at first glance, the mysterious runes engraved on it would provide unexpected benefits during the pill-refining process.
If such a cauldron could aid an eighth-tier peak alchemist—nearly a ninth-tier alchemist—it was clearly of immense value.
According to the Medicine Clan's intelligence, Mo Yu was not only a brilliant alchemist but also a rare and outstanding artifact forger. His achievements in artifact forging were said to rival Yao Dan's accomplishments in alchemy.
"Hehe, you've got sharp eyes, Chief Yao. It's just a little trinket I made. I call it the Silver Jug Tai Cang Cauldron," Mo Yu said with a light smile.
"Silver Jug Tai Cang Cauldron, eh? A fine name. Master Mo, would you be willing to craft a few cauldrons for the Medicine Clan in the future? We won't take advantage of you. How about one ninth-tier pill per cauldron?" Yao Dan smiled.
Hearing this, Mo Yu's eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded with a smile. "Of course."
Though he agreed, Mo Yu knew that the Medicine Clan would probably never get the chance to use his "Silver Jug Tai Cang Cauldron."
On the stage, out of the five contestants, the one making the biggest impression was Shennong Elder.
The green, liquid-like flame above his head rapidly spread out, enveloping him as he sat cross-legged in the center of the flame sea. With a wave of his sleeve, countless fragrant medicinal seeds scattered into the flame sea.
In front of the stunned audience, the seeds sprouted and grew rapidly, flourishing within the burning flames.
Shennong Elder didn't even need actual herbs; all he needed were seeds. It was faster, more convenient, and far less expensive, making every alchemist present green with envy!
Smiling, Shennong Elder watched as the herbs matured, satisfied. He flicked his finger, and the green flame rippled, condensing into drops of pure green liquid.
Within these drops of liquid, faint flames flickered, and a thick life force radiated from them.
These drops of liquid hovered over the herbs before falling gently. As soon as the plants absorbed the liquid, they grew even faster, as if they had been given a powerful catalyst.
In just a matter of minutes, the seeds had grown into fully matured, rare medicinal plants. They rose gracefully from the green flame sea, swaying in the fire like they were dancing with joy.
"Impressive, that's the power of the Life Flame."
Seeing this magical scene, Mo Yu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
Aside from its weak battle capabilities, the Life Flame was the dream flame of every alchemist. The ability to rapidly cultivate medicinal plants was nothing short of an alchemist's gold mine.
After a brief moment of admiration, Mo Yu shifted his focus back to Xiao Yan and Gu He.
However, after summoning the Silver Jug Tai Cang Cauldron, Gu He hadn't made any further moves. Instead, he was observing the other four contestants with intense focus, like a diligent student.
Gu He's behavior drew some mocking comments from the audience, but he remained unfazed, continuing his careful observations. After a while, he even closed his eyes, appearing as if he were in deep meditation.
Seeing this, Mo Yu raised an eyebrow, then smiled knowingly.
He had complete confidence in Gu He. Perhaps Gu He was preparing to give him a pleasant surprise.
While Mo Yu was deep in thought, a sudden commotion erupted in the audience.
Mo Yu's gaze followed the crowd's focus, and he saw Xiao Yan's fire cauldron drawing in countless herbs from the air in a dazzling display. The cauldron's flames surged as it swallowed thousands of herbs at once.
"So many ingredients at once? He's actually going to refine them all together?"
Seeing this, even the elders of the Medicine Clan couldn't help but twitch in astonishment.
Thousands of different herbs, each with distinct refining requirements—could Xiao Yan really manage to refine them all at once?
Mo Yu and Yao Lao exchanged a glance and then smiled knowingly.
When it came to Xiao Yan's alchemy skills, no one here knew better than the two of them.
Mo Yu also knew that the real spectacle was only just beginning.
(End of Chapter)
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