Chapter 83: Tempering the Pill
Time passed second by second.
With a clear humming sound, the youth's pill furnace roared open.
"Condense!"
The youth gave a sharp shout, his hands swiftly forming seals.
A crimson fire mark suddenly appeared at the center of his brow. He opened his mouth and spat out a flame of golden-red.
The flame churned in the air, transforming into a lifelike fire phoenix. Its wings spread wide as it circled, scattering specks of golden radiance.
"Phoenix True Flame!" Yao Lao's pupils contracted. "No, it is weaker than the genuine Phoenix True Flame. It should be the fire of some fire-type spirit beast mixed with phoenix bloodline!"
The fire phoenix gave a long cry and dove down, completely wrapping around the pill furnace.
Within the blazing heat, nine pills could faintly be seen spinning rapidly inside the furnace. With every turn, they absorbed a trace of the Phoenix True Flame's source power.
Tempering the pill was the most crucial step of alchemy.
Ordinary alchemists used common spirit fires to refine, achieving medicinal fusion as the minimum standard.
But true masters of the Dao of Alchemy possessed unique tempering arts—some used cold springs to make pills turn yin and gentle; some used spirit blood to imbue life force. Yet the finest method was none other than tempering with the origin flame of a spirit beast.
"Phoenix nirvana, reborn through fire," the youth said proudly. "By tempering with Phoenix True Flame, the medicinal effect can more than double!"
The nine pills gradually became crystalline within the fire, delicate phoenix patterns surfacing on their shells.
When the last wisp of flame was fully absorbed, the pills suddenly burst forth with dazzling golden light. Nine phoenix phantoms shot skyward, circling and crying in the clouds.
"It is done!" The youth laughed loudly. "Superior Spirit Gathering Pills, infused with the power of Phoenix Nirvana!"
All the onlookers were shaken.
Ordinary superior Spirit Gathering Pills were already rare. After tempering with Phoenix True Flame, these pills had nearly reached the level of perfection.
Nine spiritual patterns flowed continuously over the pills, while a rich medicinal fragrance instantly filled the entire camp.
"Good, good, good!" Shuang'er's second uncle exclaimed. "To use common herbs and refine them into superior spirit pills—such a wondrous art already bears the air of a grandmaster!"
The youth folded his hands behind his back, brimming with confidence as he looked toward Xiao Chen.
At this moment, Xiao Chen had just finished purification. Clumsily lifting the furnace lid, he prepared for the final step—tempering the pill.
"There is still time to admit defeat," the youth mocked. "With your half-baked skills, how dare you compare with me?"
But before his words fell, Xiao Chen suddenly smiled.
"Do not celebrate too soon."
He abruptly drew his longsword, its tip pointed to the heavens. "Nine Heavens Thunder—Heavenly Tribulation!"
With a resonant shout, the longsword in Xiao Chen's hand burst forth with blinding lightning.
In an instant, the world around darkened, as if even daylight had been swallowed by the sudden thunder.
"Boom!"
A pillar of purple-golden lightning fell from the nine heavens above, thick as a water barrel, piercing through heaven and earth, completely enveloping Xiao Chen's pill furnace.
Violent thunder serpents slithered madly over the furnace surface, crackling with bone-numbing bursts.
The grasses and trees around the camp shook without wind, trembling under the scattered thunder force.
"This… this is…" The gray-robed elder's pupils shrank sharply, his white beard whipping wildly in the storm. "It is truly the might of a Heavenly Tribulation! How can this be!?"
He strode forward, hurriedly shielding the youth behind him.
The next moment—
The lightning grew fiercer. The sky above the camp turned into a sea of thunder.
Within the clouds, countless thunder dragons rolled. Each flicker made the earth tremble violently.
The onlookers were forced to circulate all their true essence to resist. Those with weaker cultivation were crushed to their knees beneath this heavenly might, unable to even lift their heads.
"Crack!"
Another deafening thunderclap resounded as countless fine cracks suddenly spread across the surface of the pill furnace. Blinding lightning shot out from the fissures.
Just as the cauldron was about to explode, all the lightning abruptly collapsed inward, transforming into nine purple-golden thunder patterns that imprinted deeply upon the surface of the pills.
The thunderclouds dispersed and sunlight returned. Inside Xiao Chen's furnace, three crystalline pills floated quietly, each entwined with tiny arcs of lightning that radiated a pressure that shook the heart.
"To temper pills with Heavenly Tribulation…" The youth's face turned ashen, his voice trembling. "This… how can this be…"
Within the alchemy world, an old saying had long circulated—
Without tribulation, one never surpasses perfection. With tribulation, one steps into true mystery.
Its meaning was that no matter how flawless a pill, without tempering through tribulation it would always stop at perfection; only through the baptism of Heavenly Tribulation could it reach the realm of true profundity.
As the lightning gradually faded, three crystalline pills lay quietly within Xiao Chen's furnace. Nine thunder patterns intertwined on their surfaces, faint purple lightning flowing within. They were unmistakably the legendary—Tribulation Pills!
The youth could never have imagined that in this world, someone would deliberately summon down Heavenly Tribulation just to grant their disciple an easier path, then suppress and tame it with overwhelming might, and finally refine it into medicine for their pupil to use!
…
In truth, the youth did not know that Xiao Chen himself was inwardly rejoicing at his good fortune!
The method of tempering pills with tribulation was nothing more than an idea he and Yao Lao had once casually discussed. He never expected that in today's rush, it would actually succeed.
Yet only he knew that carrying it out was far more difficult than theory suggested.
It could only be said that his master was far too formidable—this segment of lightning tribulation in his hand had been tamed so completely it was more obedient than a dog.
He quietly glanced at Yao Lao and saw a trace of surprise flash in the old man's eyes, which then softened into a pleased smile.
Within the furnace, the three Spirit Gathering Pills lay still, their surfaces glowing with flowing thunder patterns.
In terms of appearance and fragrance, they could not compare to the nine pills tempered by the youth's phoenix fire.
But that wisp of tribulation's aura had transformed their very essence—like the difference between crude iron and refined steel. Though born from the same origin, the gulf was as vast as heaven and earth.
The youth's face turned grim, fists clenched tight within his sleeves.
With a sudden sweep of his robe, he turned to leave.
"Wait." Xiao Chen's voice rang out. "There was a wager made. Have you forgotten?"
The youth's steps faltered, his back visibly stiffening.
Silence fell over the crowd, all holding their breath as they watched.
After a long moment, the youth slowly turned, his expression shifting with indecision.
At last, he clenched his teeth, forcing out two words through the gap: "I apologize."
Before the sound faded, his figure had already turned into a stream of light darting toward the sky.
After flying a hundred zhang, he halted abruptly in midair. His voice, wrapped in surging true essence, boomed down: "The matter of the Plant Spirit Clan was personally planned by our pavilion master. You had best leave quickly, otherwise—" His tone suddenly grew cold. "Prepare to suffer the wrath of Heaven and Man!"
Before the echo faded, his silhouette vanished into the twilight.
Xiao Chen gazed toward the horizon, his brows knitting slightly.
At some point, Yao Lao had appeared beside him and said in a low voice, "Boy, this time you may truly have stirred up trouble that cannot be resolved."
Shuang'er timidly stepped closer. "Young Master Xiao, Senior Yao Lao, perhaps you should…"
"It is fine." Xiao Chen suddenly smiled, turning to Yao Lao. "For troubles we cannot solve, do we not still have Master?"
Yao Lao was stunned at first, then stroked his beard and burst into laughter, the worry in his eyes scattering completely.
…
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