Chapter 117: The Pill King's Collapse
"An Heavenly Flame! That's an Heavenly Flame!" Whispers rippled through the crowd of alchemists, their voices trembling with excitement.
Gu He's face darkened as he gazed at the flames surrounding Xiao Yan. With his knowledge, he immediately recognized its identity: Yin Yang Twin Flames, ranked 21st on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!
"So this is what it means to belong to a truly powerful clan. They even provided him with an Heavenly Flame," Yun Po Tian sighed wistfully as he floated near his memorial tablet.
Heavenly Flames were rare treasures even for Dou Zun powerhouses. Yet, here was a young man casually wielding one.
"With a flame like that, his alchemy skills must already be at least fifth tier," Gu He thought grimly.
However, before he could dwell further, an overwhelming soul force erupted from Xiao Yan, spreading through the plaza like a tidal wave.
Though Xiao Yan wasn't intentionally releasing his soul power, even the faint ripples caused some of the weaker disciples nearby to pale and stagger.
"This... This soul force is indeed at the seventh tier level... and it's not even at the beginner stage!" Gu He's face turned ashen.
"How is this possible? How can someone so young possess a seventh tier soul force?"
His disbelief began to crumble. Now, he was forced to accept the possibility that Xiao Yan could indeed refine a seventh tier pill.
"No! Seven tier pills are incredibly difficult to perfect. There's no way he can succeed," Gu He thought, clinging to a shred of denial.
Xiao Yan, however, paid no attention to Gu He's reactions. Refining a seventh tier pill wasn't a trivial matter, even for him, so he adopted a serious demeanor.
With a flick of his finger, the black and white Yin Yang Twin Flames surged into the cauldron, spreading into a blazing inferno that consumed its interior.
The first step was the extraction of medicinal essences.
Xiao Yan's soul power carefully enveloped a silver magic core from a thunder element beast and tossed it into the flames.
The silver core emitted violent resistance, sparking bolts of lightning that crackled in all directions. Among all elemental cores, those of the thunder element were notoriously volatile and difficult to refine.
But no matter how ferocious the lightning, it stood no chance against the scorching temperature of the Yin Yang Twin Flames. The lightning arcs disintegrated before they could escape the fire.
In just an hour, the unruly sixth tier magic core was reduced to a smooth, silver paste.
The audience, including Gu He and the other alchemists, couldn't hide their amazement. For many of them, refining even a fraction of such a core would drain their Dou Qi completely.
Even Gu He, with his experience, needed an entire day to process a core of this caliber. Yet Xiao Yan had accomplished it in just one hour.
Xiao Yan continued methodically, refining the other key ingredients: the Heavenly Thunder Mystical Fruit and the Crimson Blood Demon Vine. These were reduced to a fine silver powder and a single drop of crimson liquid, respectively.
With the most challenging ingredients prepared, Xiao Yan glanced at Gu He, whose pale complexion brought a mischievous smile to his lips.
Next, Xiao Yan waved his hand, and over 30 additional medicinal ingredients floated into the air. The Yin Yang Twin Flames expanded beyond the cauldron, enveloping the herbs mid air.
In an instant, more than 30 black and white fireballs burned brightly, illuminating the entire plaza.
"He can refine over 30 ingredients simultaneously?! This Xiao Yan is terrifying!"
The gathered alchemists were stunned. Some stared in awe, while others knelt on the ground, tears streaming down their faces as if witnessing a divine miracle.
"This is true alchemy," one elder alchemist murmured, tears glistening in his eyes.
"For me to see such a scene in this lifetime... I can die without regrets," another elderly alchemist said with a heavy sigh, his voice choked with emotion.
The Yun Lan Sect disciples and elders couldn't fully grasp the intricacies of what they were witnessing. But judging by the reverent expressions of the alchemists, they knew they were in the presence of greatness.
"Damn, this is incredible," some of the less educated disciples thought.
Even Nalan Yanran couldn't take her eyes off Xiao Yan. Despite her lingering resentment, she found herself drawn to his brilliance.
"He's so dazzling, even if he is infuriating," she thought, feeling a twinge of jealousy.
Nearby, Yun Yun watched Xiao Yan with a complicated expression. She couldn't deny the overwhelming talent and charisma of the young man before her.
After an hour, one by one, the fireballs extinguished. From each, perfectly refined medicinal essences descended into pre arranged jade bottles, each shimmering with purity.
Xiao Yan continued the process seamlessly, dividing over 100 ingredients into three separate batches. His movements were fluid and precise, like a master conductor leading an orchestra.
"This... this is art! The art of alchemy!" an elderly alchemist shouted, his voice quivering with excitement.
Gu He, on the other hand, was pale as a sheet. He swayed on his feet, the reality of Xiao Yan's skill crushing him.
"How can such a monstrous talent exist in this world?" he thought bitterly. From the moment Xiao Yan began refining multiple ingredients at once, Gu He knew he had already lost.
Still, he couldn't tear his eyes away, absorbing every detail of Xiao Yan's technique. Despite his humiliation, he felt a spark of inspiration, almost like the urge to kneel and beg Xiao Yan to take him as a disciple.
Finally, with all the ingredients refined, Xiao Yan guided the essences into the cauldron in perfect sequence. Over the next hour, the mixture coalesced into a silver orb, radiating faint energy.
At this stage, even Xiao Yan felt a hint of fatigue. But he pressed on, his hand forming seals to manipulate the Yin Yang Twin Flames.
The flames transformed into two ethereal koi fish, circling the silver orb with a tranquil rhythm. Their movements exuded a sense of cosmic balance, further refining the pill.
Another hour passed, and the orb shrank into a pill the size of a dragon's eye, gleaming with silver light.
"It's finished!" the crowd murmured, their excitement reaching a fever pitch.
But the pill remained inert, showing no signs of the energy characteristic of a finished seven tier pill.
"Did it fail?" some alchemists whispered nervously, their hearts sinking.
Gu He's expression grew conflicted. If Xiao Yan's pill failed, his own victory would feel hollow. Yet, as an alchemist, he couldn't help but hope for Xiao Yan's success.
Suddenly, the sky above the Yun Lan Sect darkened as ominous black clouds rolled in, casting the mountain in shadow.
"Thunderclouds!" an elder alchemist gasped, before fainting from excitement.
"That's pill thunder! He really did it he's refined a seven tier pill!"
Gu He's face twisted in anguish as he let out a bitter laugh.
"Pfft!" Unable to suppress his despair, Gu He coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.
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