Zhu Ziyang was preparing to refine a pill called the Essence Gathering Pill.
The Essence Gathering Pill was a low-grade medicinal pill that could assist with soul power cultivation by accelerating its circulation. It was extremely beneficial to Soul Masters below the Soul Ancestor level. Once a foundational cultivation resource in ancient times, it had now been lost to history.
The refining method for this pill was quite simple, and the materials required were all fairly common—making it an excellent choice for beginners to practice with.
Right now, the Essence Gathering Pill was the most suitable for Zhu Ziyang. It could not only meet his own cultivation resource needs but also be sold for profit.
He took out the soul tool pill furnace and injected soul power into it, activating the flame core inside.
This pill furnace was a Grade Four soul tool. Though referred to as a soul tool pill furnace, it was essentially a standard furnace with a flame core embedded within.
The flame core itself was a Grade Four soul tool. Once soul power was injected, it could ignite flames that reached temperatures of up to 1500°C, more than sufficient to refine a low-grade pill like the Essence Gathering Pill.
Once the furnace reached an appropriate temperature, Zhu Ziyang began placing in the medicinal ingredients to start the first step of pill refining—purification.
The first was the Essence Converging Flower. This was the primary medicinal ingredient of the Essence Gathering Pill, with properties of drawing and condensing soul energy. The formula recommended using a century-old flower, but Zhu Ziyang had a millennia-old one. It would improve the final pill's potency by several levels.
About ten minutes later, Zhu Ziyang judged that the flower's essence had nearly finished purifying. He opened the furnace and extracted the essence, then moved on to the next step.
The next herb was the Sacred Essence Fruit, second only to the flower in importance. It helped increase soul power. A century-old Sacred Essence Fruit cost no less than ten thousand gold soul coins, making it the most expensive ingredient in the formula.
He repeated the same purification process for the fruit.
Then, combining both the Essence Converging Flower and Sacred Essence Fruit essences, he began the high-temperature refining process to remove any residual impurities.
After another quarter of an hour, he began to add Jade Ganoderma, Astragalus Root, and Green Grain Beast blood, one after another. The first two were common auxiliary herbs. As for the Green Grain Beast blood—it came from a mild-tempered, small soul beast and had a calming, harmonizing effect, acting as a catalyst and stabilizer for the entire refinement.
After all ingredients were placed into the furnace, Zhu Ziyang injected more soul power, causing the flames to flare up. The second step—fusion—was underway.
This stage required extremely high temperatures to forcibly merge, extract, and re-merge the materials repeatedly, ultimately liquefying all ingredients into a near-solid essence. It was the most critical phase in pill refinement and demanded exquisite flame control. Since Zhu Ziyang was using a soul tool furnace, he had to be even more cautious with soul power input.
Two hours passed before the second step was complete.
Zhu Ziyang exhaled deeply, a relaxed smile appearing on his face. Everything had gone smoothly so far.
Now came the final step—pill formation!
As the name implied, this step involved condensing the liquefied medicinal essence into pill form. Though it seemed straightforward, it was actually the most failure-prone part of the process, requiring caution and patience above all.
With a focused expression, Zhu Ziyang began the final stage. He adjusted the soul power feeding into the furnace to fine-tune the flame temperature. After some delicate testing, he finally found the ideal heat for forming the pill.
He maintained the flame carefully, slowly controlling a small glob of liquid and compressing it over time through the heat. Time passed silently.
—
While Zhu Ziyang concentrated on pill refinement, in the Heavenly Soul Empire's Cloud River Grand Canyon…
A young man, a young woman, and a robust elderly man with silver-white hair stood together.
"Xiao Ya, have you really made your decision? You still have time to change your mind," Yu Beibei asked Tang Ya.
"Yes! I've decided. The ancestors of the Tang Sect and my parents—they all seem to be crying out to me that the path we once believed in was wrong. We always knew it was, but no one wanted to admit it."
"Now that Zhu Ziyang has pointed it out, maybe it's a blessing in disguise!" Tang Ya's delicate face held both pain and resolve. "Rather than follow a path doomed to failure, why not take a chance and walk a path no one else has taken before? Besides, didn't you say your family elders agree with Zhu Ziyang's view too?"
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to the stoic old man beside her.
"Then I won't say more. Just remember—I'll always support you!" Yu Beibei said solemnly.
"Mm! Thank you, Beibei!" Tang Ya smiled genuinely from her heart.
Her gaze then fell on the green-and-yellow vine uprooted before her. Without hesitation, she sat down and began drawing the yellow soul ring floating above it.
—
At the same time, in a place unreachable to mortals…
Gentle halos of light, like a mother's hand, caressed the mist that was as delicate as a young girl's skin. The ethereal space felt uncannily tangible. In the hazy light, the outline of a majestic palace could barely be seen—real and unreal at once.
A figure stood silently in the mist, gazing into the endless distance, as though watching something unseen.
He had a cascade of sky-blue hair flowing down to his feet. If not for his tall figure and broad shoulders, one might mistake him for a woman. His luxurious blue robe shimmered like rippling water. Anyone who looked closely would be drawn into the deep ocean-blue hues—as if their soul would drown in its depth.
Though he looked barely over twenty, his face was adorned with deep, unfathomable eyes. They appeared empty, yet seemed to contain all things. Occasionally, a flash of violet passed through them—utterly mesmerizing. They held the feeling of fleeting brilliance, the instant of life and death.
"Why?" the man murmured, a trace of doubt in his gaze. "Why has the connection between me and the Tang Sect suddenly weakened? Has something happened? That shouldn't be the case…"
He moved his slender fingers through the air as if unraveling invisible threads, searching for something.
"Strange… nothing seems wrong. All preparations are intact. Then why… Could it be that He noticed?"
The man's eyes glinted sharply.
"Damn it. Is my perception of Douluo Continent starting to blur? Did He really make a move? Was I too hasty? …Forget it. The setup is complete. Time to lie low for a while."
He continued weaving something in the mist, his gaze turning cold as he whispered, "Almost there. That rising star's fate is now entangled with the Tang Sect. Now we just wait quietly. I hope the one you chose with great destiny won't disappoint me. Otherwise… heh… the Sun Moon Empire, soul tools… in the end, they'll all be my pawns anyway. I even gave up Xiao Qi for this…"
He chuckled, then extended his hand. A pale blue orb of light appeared in his palm, within which the faint image of a little girl could be seen.
"Good girl. Just wait a bit longer. The coming-of-age gift I've prepared for you is almost ready. Just waiting for that beast to take the bait…"
"Enjoy your last moments… World Will? Tch~"
His figure vanished into the mist, and only a faintly scornful voice lingered in the sky.
(End of Chapter)
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