Beneath the ancient golden tree, Ye Tian's hands moved swiftly, as gracefully as a butterfly's wings.
He continuously added medicinal ingredients into the alchemy furnace, adjusting the flames when necessary.
To him, refining pills was as routine as preparing a meal—something he was extremely familiar with.
Yet, no matter how skilled he was, he couldn't afford to be careless. Every refinement demanded his utmost concentration.
Undoubtedly, it was both a mental and physical torment.
This was also why Ye Tian rarely refined pills unless absolutely necessary.
But this time, he had no choice.
First, he had promised Xiao Wu to save Daiya in exchange for a chance to leave.
Second, he needed the Cleansing Soul Pill to expel the Sea God's inheritance mark.
"The ingredients are all in. Whether or not this pill succeeds now depends on how well I control the fire."
Ye Tian focused entirely on the alchemy process, completely unaware that two young women were watching him from a distance.
"My little brother... I haven't seen him in years. He should be around this tall by now," Daiya murmured, her golden pupils soft with nostalgia.
"Time passes so quickly..."
A self-deprecating smile appeared on her face.
"I originally wanted to create a stable life for my brother through my own efforts."
"But in the end, I can't even take care of my own life."
"Everything will be fine. You have to trust Ye Tian—he will cure you," Xiao Wu reassured gently, supporting Daiya by the waist.
"Daiya-jie, you've already done your best."
"Don't worry, once you recover, I'll go to East Sea City with you."
"With your abilities, you should be able to find a decent job in a small city like East Sea City."
"That way, you can always look after your brother."
Xiao Wu's voice gradually faded as she spoke.
In truth, she knew very well—Daiya's ultimate goal in life was to take revenge on the Star Luo imperial family.
But Daiya was far too weak, not even one ten-thousandth of the royal family's strength.
Such a deep-seated hatred might never be avenged in this lifetime.
Moreover, the Star Luo Prince, Dai Mubai, was one of her close friends.
For Xiao Wu, siding with either party would place immense pressure on her heart.
Daiya turned to look at Xiao Wu, her face pale but with a faint smile.
"You're right, Xiao Wu. Perhaps people should learn to recognize their limits and accept reality."
Just as they were speaking, a brilliant light shot up from beneath the ancient golden tree.
Before Xiao Wu could react, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the once-clear sky.
Thunder rumbled continuously.
"It was just sunny a moment ago. Why is there suddenly a thunderstorm?" Xiao Wu asked in confusion.
Before she could finish, a figure darted past her.
It was Ye Tian, clutching his alchemy furnace as he rushed into the golden treehouse.
His voice rang out urgently, "Run! It's a Pill Tribulation Lightning!"
"Huh?"
Xiao Wu was startled.
Without hesitation, she carried Daiya and followed him inside.
She had only heard of hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts undergoing tribulation and being struck by lightning.
But she'd never heard of alchemy triggering a heavenly tribulation.
The moment they entered, loud crashes and crackles filled the air outside.
Even the treehouse trembled.
It was clear that the ancient golden tree was being struck by lightning.
Luckily, the tree had long since dried out and was non-conductive, so they were safe.
After settling Daiya down, Xiao Wu turned to Ye Tian and asked,
"What kind of pill is this to attract heavenly tribulation? That's unbelievable!"
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Ye Tian let out a sheepish chuckle.
"Honestly, this is my first time seeing it happen too."
And that was the truth.
Ye Tian could guess that the Cleansing Soul Pill's effects went against this world's rules, which was why the tribulation lightning appeared.
After all, this pill could even force out a god's inheritance mark.
Its very existence was a challenge to the laws of the Douluo Continent.
Fortunately, the ancient golden tree was strong enough to withstand the lightning.
If he'd refined this elsewhere, he might have been directly struck by lightning himself.
"Since the tribulation has passed, does that mean the pill is complete?"
Xiao Wu leaned in curiously, raising her eyebrows as she asked.
"Yes."
Ye Tian nodded, rubbing his hands together expectantly.
Carefully, he opened the alchemy furnace.
He had used up all the medicinal ingredients he carried—twenty portions in total.
But he had no idea how many successful pills he had produced.
After all, this was his first time refining the Cleansing Soul Pill.
As the lid slowly lifted, a strong medicinal fragrance filled the air.
The scent was so chilling that it felt like falling into an ice cave.
Ye Tian's eyes lit up with joy.
"The Cleansing Soul Pill has an extreme cold attribute, exactly as described in the prescription."
"Looks like it's a success."
With that, he finally relaxed and fully removed the lid.
Inside, twenty small compartments of the furnace were now exposed.
Most of them contained nothing but black, charred remains.
But in three of them, brilliant white pills radiated a soft glow.
Seeing only three pills, Ye Tian sighed,
"Looks like my skills have gotten rusty. The success rate is below 20%."
"Wait, that's not how success rates are calculated!" Xiao Wu exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief.
If she didn't know Ye Tian's personality, she would have thought he was showing off.
After all, other alchemists measured success based on the number of successful attempts, not how many pills came out of a single batch.
Even top-tier alchemists would be lucky to succeed in half of their attempts.
Yet Ye Tian had never failed.
Xiao Wu couldn't help but admire him.
"Your alchemy talent is probably the greatest in history!"
"Is that so?"
Ye Tian chuckled, shaking his head.
"Anyone could do this with enough practice."
Xiao Wu didn't believe him at all.
She knew this was just Ye Tian being modest.
If every alchemist were as outstanding as Ye Tian,
then the price of elixirs across the continent wouldn't always be so high.
Thinking of this, Xiao Wu gained a deeper understanding of Ye Tian's abilities,
and her desire to recruit him grew even stronger.
However, she didn't show it. The priority right now was to save her benefactor, Daiya.
Ignoring the fact that the elixir was still scalding hot, Xiao Wu reached out her slender fingers, pinched one,
lifted it slightly in her palm, turned to Daiya, and smiled sweetly:
"Aya-sis, you're saved."
Just as Xiao Wu was about to get up, Ye Tian stopped her.
Ye Tian explained:
"The Soul-Cleansing Pill is extremely cold in nature. If you give it to her directly, she'll die for sure."
"Huh?"
Xiao Wu quickly returned the pill to Ye Tian with an apologetic expression.
"Then what should we do?"
For a moment, Xiao Wu was extremely anxious.
She never expected that even after obtaining the antidote, she could still almost harm Aya-sis.
Ye Tian held the pill and chuckled:
"The mental damage Daiya suffered isn't actually severe. It's just that her cultivation is too weak to withstand it."
"This pill doesn't necessarily have to be consumed; it can be used externally as well."
He handed the pill back to Xiao Wu, glanced at Daiya, and smiled:
"Find a bathtub, dissolve the pill in it, and soak her in it for a day. That will do."
"This process doesn't require me to personally handle it, right?"
Hearing this, Xiao Wu and Daiya both blushed slightly.
"No need to trouble you." Xiao Wu steadied herself and said awkwardly.
"The elixir has been prepared. Since that's the case, it's time for me to leave."
Just as Xiao Wu was still excited about obtaining the pill,
Ye Tian took the opportunity to voice his thoughts.
His sister was still in the Star Dou Forest, in a perilous situation.
Therefore—
Ye Tian had no intention of staying in this central area for too long.
"Can't you stay a few more days?"
Xiao Wu's bunny ears drooped down, and she clasped her hands together in front of her chest, pleading.
If Ye Tian left now, her plans to recruit him would likely fall apart.
Ye Tian smiled slightly and waved his hand: "My mind is set; there's no need to say more."
Hearing this, Xiao Wu couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
Their brief time together had made her realize that if she let Ye Tian leave now,
she might never see him again.
However, Ye Tian had helped her so much.
She couldn't use force to make him stay.
Moreover, Ye Tian's talent in alchemy and medicine was truly outstanding.
And she was just a mere Soul Emperor—what great promise could she offer him?
After thinking it over, Xiao Wu had no choice but to bid farewell to Ye Tian.
She bowed deeply, her eyes filled with melancholy:
"I won't insist on keeping you. If you ever encounter trouble in the future, you can go to Heaven Dou City and find Shrek Academy. I have some influence there."
"Thank you."
Ye Tian bowed in return.
Just as he was about to turn away, Xiao Wu stopped him again:
"Um… the letter for Shrek Academy, I'll leave it to you."
Xiao Wu bent forward slightly and handed him a letter with both hands.
"Alright." Ye Tian smiled and agreed.
At that moment—
Xiao Wu ran out of the golden treehouse and waved, calling out,
"Da Ming, hurry and escort Ye Tian off Heart Lake Island."
Shortly after her voice fell—
A pitch-black little snake slithered over.
Beside the snake was a large black gorilla.
"Pfft, haha! Da Ming, Er Ming, what's with your outfits?" Xiao Wu covered her mouth and giggled, pointing at the two soul beasts.
"Ask him."
The Sky Azure Bull Python flicked its tail, pointing at Ye Tian with a look of utter despair.
The Titan Giant Ape added,
"When the tribulation lightning came just now, you guys ran fast, but Da Ming and I suffered."
"That lightning tribulation was truly terrifying."
The Sky Azure Bull Python still had lingering fear.
Even though this tribulation was far weaker than the one he endured when he became a hundred-thousand-year soul beast,
when it struck him, it still nearly flayed him alive.
He could hardly imagine—if a two-hundred-thousand-year soul beast tribulation descended,
could he even survive it?
Thinking of this, the Sky Azure Bull Python shuddered in fear.
As a being that had lived for two hundred thousand years, he had no desire to die.
He fixed his eyes on Ye Tian, filled with urgent expectation, and asked:
"Ye Tian, under what conditions can we obtain the Tribulation Pill?"
The Sky Azure Bull Python wasn't afraid of Ye Tian setting harsh conditions—he was afraid Ye Tian wouldn't set any conditions at all.
If that happened, he would never get the Tribulation Pill.
Seeing the Sky Azure Bull Python ask again,
Ye Tian remained unmoved.
He simply said indifferently:
"You all saw it earlier. A pill that defies the heavens like this is bound to be struck by tribulation lightning."
"With my abilities, I could never refine it successfully."
"Only if my master takes action is there a slim chance of success."
"Your master? Where is he?"
The Titan Giant Ape couldn't help but step forward.
Seeing the eager look in its eyes, Ye Tian played along and sighed lightly:
"To be honest, my master hasn't left the mountain for nearly a hundred years, let alone refined pills for others."
"But my master loves soul beasts. If you agree to become my master's guardian beasts and protect him for a hundred years…"
"There's a chance you could obtain the Tribulation Pill."
Ye Tian had his own plans.
The Tribulation Pill, while difficult, wasn't particularly rare to him.
The reason he said this—
Wasn't to trick the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape into serving him.
After all, loyalty was built on mutual trust, not deception.
Tricking them would only turn them into enemies.
Ye Tian's real goal was to send these two great soul beasts to a remote island, where they would spend a hundred years.
That way, the Tang San faction would lose two of its top combatants, significantly weakening their strength.
After hearing Ye Tian's words, the two soul beasts exchanged glances, deep in thought.
What Ye Tian said didn't seem like a lie.
And a hundred years didn't seem long for soul beasts like them.
However, becoming guardian beasts felt a bit degrading.
But for the Tribulation Pill, it was worth it.
After much deliberation—
The Sky Azure Bull Python fixed its eyes on Ye Tian and asked first:
"If we choose to become guardian beasts, you won't make us do anything cruel, right?"
Hearing this, Ye Tian chuckled:
"I can guarantee that."
"My master is now pursuing the Dao of Nature and is rarely seen."
"You probably won't even meet him often."
Hearing this,
The Sky Azure Bull Python breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as he didn't have to harm innocent soul beasts, everything else was fine.
"I accept."
The Sky Azure Bull Python agreed.
"Me too." The Titan Giant Ape quickly followed.
He and the Sky Azure Bull Python were always together.
If the Sky Azure Bull Python was going, he would go too.
"Good."
Ye Tian nodded with a calm smile.
Trading just two Tribulation Pills to remove two key figures from the enemy faction—this was an excellent deal.
"In three months, find me in East Sea City." Ye Tian gestured, reminding them.
"East Sea City…"
Hearing this name, Xiao Wu suddenly raised her eyebrows, deep in thought.
(End of Chapter)
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