Chapter 440: Never Speak Before a Dying Opponent
Refining high-grade pills was never a quick process. For alchemists like Xiao Yuan and the others present, a single pill might take ten days to half a month. All the surrounding alchemists understood this well, and rather than grow impatient, they watched with interest. Outsiders might find it dull, but for insiders, this was a true masterclass in alchemy.
As time passed, five days slipped by. During this period, several furnaces exploded from energy imbalances, destroying precious materials. But no one was discouraged—failure was common in alchemy. No one, not even a master, had a 100% success rate.
Even Xiao Yuan had wasted a few ingredients.
But it didn't matter. After overcoming a few early hiccups, his refining speed had increased significantly.
By the end of the fifth day, most participants had found their rhythm, and failures became rare. By the tenth day, a few cauldrons had already begun forming pill embryos. The energy fluctuations grew increasingly intense.
The plaza's atmosphere tightened as anticipation swelled—everyone could sense that the most exciting moment was about to arrive.
Boom!
Suddenly, dark clouds gathered above, lightning flashing like silver serpents. Seven layers of colors slowly emerged within the cloud before halting.
Seven-colored pill lightning!
This would be jaw-dropping anywhere else in the Central Plains. But here, it only earned a few shakes of the head—this was already the fifth time someone had triggered seven-colored lightning.
"Another seven-colored lightning," Xuan Kongzi commented with a chuckle.
"Old Lin must be disappointed," Yao Lao added, glancing at the elder who had triggered the lightning. That man was shaking his head with a wry smile.
Xuan Yi smiled and turned toward Xiao Yuan.
"That little guy is the calmest one here."
Yao Lao sighed. Others had either completed their pills or were close to it. But Xiao Yuan's cauldron had shown no signs of forming a pill—and yet, he appeared completely relaxed, as if the contest were about sitting still.
"Old Freak Hou should complete his pill within three days. If I'm not mistaken, he's making the Flame Demon Clear Profound Pill. If successful, it will definitely summon nine-colored lightning."
Xuan Kongzi explained.
"He's improved quite a bit over the years," Yao Lao nodded.
"If Xiao Yuan wants to win, he'll have to refine a ninth-tier pill," Xuan Yi said, confident in Xiao Yuan. "Judging by the number of herbs, it doesn't look like he's making anything common."
Three more days flew by. Only a handful of alchemists remained active—the rest had either failed or already summoned their pill lightning.
Most eyes now focused on just two people: Old Freak Hou and Xiao Yuan. The former's pill was already confirmed to summon nine-colored lightning—so far, the strongest.
As for the latter, everyone watched more out of curiosity. His cauldron had shown no signs of progress—only nine fire dragons continued to swirl within.
Boom!
Suddenly, a deep boom echoed through the air. Energy rippled violently as dark clouds rapidly gathered above.
"Old Freak Hou's pill is complete?"
Cries of surprise rang out.
Old Freak Hou stood proudly. Even his typically cold face showed a faint smile. He smirked in Xiao Yuan's direction, then turned to face the lightning above.
Sure enough—nine-colored lightning emerged.
"It's nine-colored!"
The crowd gasped.
"Haha! Yao Chen, looks like I win this time!"
Hou sneered as he glanced back at Yao Lao.
Just as Yao Lao was about to respond, a calm voice interrupted.
"Don't speak before your dying opponent. You're too old to still not know that."
The crowd turned in surprise—Xiao Yuan had finally opened his eyes.
"You brat, no amount of witty words will help you now," Hou sneered, casting another look at Xiao Yuan's cauldron—which still seemed dormant. He scoffed again.
Xiao Yuan smiled and stood slowly.
Buzz!
The moment he rose, his cauldron emitted a faint hum.
"Is that...?"
"There's a faint pill fluctuation..."
The Grand Elder in the hemp robe spoke softly. His peers all glanced over in surprise—they hadn't sensed anything, but they trusted his judgment.
"Trickery!"
Hou was momentarily stunned but quickly sneered again.
Xiao Yuan ignored him. Raising his palm, he made a grasping motion toward the cauldron.
ROAR!
A mighty dragon's roar echoed as the nine fire dragons inside expanded rapidly.
Boom!
Unable to contain them, the fire cauldron exploded, though the flames didn't spread—they were immediately absorbed back by the dragons.
Still, the temperature spiked. Several nearby alchemists were forced to retreat.
ROAR!
The dragons merged into one enormous golden dragon, hundreds of meters long, hovering in the sky and exuding such power that even the nine-colored lightning above Hou's head began to retract.
"What are you doing?!"
Hou shouted in alarm, sensing danger.
"Silence."
Xiao Yuan shot him a glare. The soul pressure in his voice alone made Hou stagger back several steps—nearly losing control of his pill in the process.
If Xiao Yuan hadn't held back, Hou's soul would have shattered.
"You!"
Hou's face twisted in disbelief. Only now did he realize—Xiao Yuan had a Heavenly Perfection soul!
Xiao Yuan turned back to the sky. With a flurry of hand seals, he activated a technique:
"Nine Dragons Return to Origin!"
One by one, the fire dragons merged, becoming a colossal golden dragon, nearly identical to the legendary Taixu Ancient Dragon.
At that moment, an intense energy fluctuation burst from the dragon's body.
"A pill fluctuation?!"
Gasps filled the air. Until now, no one had sensed anything!
"To form a dragon with fire, then conceal a pill within it... even you couldn't do this, could you, Yao Chen?"
Xuan Kongzi turned to Yao Lao in awe.
"I… no."
Yao Lao could only shake his head. Even he didn't dare try such a technique—yet Xiao Yuan had mastered it without formal instruction.
Other alchemists began noticing too, and murmurs of amazement filled the plaza.
"Yao Chen's disciple is truly exceptional."
The elders atop the platform exchanged glances, nodding with admiration.
BOOM!
The energy surged. The sky darkened rapidly as clouds gathered—not the typical gray, but an eerie, pitch-black shade.
The black clouds spread ominously, with no thunder or lightning—just an overwhelming sense of dread that shook the soul.
Above Hou, the vibrant nine-colored lightning quickly shrank, as if frightened.
"What kind of lightning is that?! Even nine-colored lightning is scared!"
Even the seasoned alchemists were stunned.
Only one thing could surpass eight-tier pills with nine-colored lightning: a ninth-tier pill.
"Is Xiao Yuan refining a ninth-tier pill?!"
Shock rippled through the entire crowd.
"Black Demon Lightning… It's been many years since we last saw it."
The Grand Elder looked up and muttered.
On the ground, Xiao Yuan watched the writhing black clouds with a slight smile. He could feel the immense destructive force within—far beyond what nine-colored lightning could match.
During his time in the Heavenly Tomb, he hadn't just trained combat techniques—his alchemy had also grown. The only reason he hadn't tried a ninth-tier pill before was due to a lack of materials.
Now, the black cloud twisted above like a living being. No thunder sounded—only an oppressive silence that made the pressure even worse.
After about ten minutes, the center of the cloud cracked open, revealing a black hole so deep it swallowed even the light.
Just then, Xiao Yuan's hair stood on end.
Even with his physique, he couldn't withstand the Black Demon Lightning!
Zzzap!
A thick, silent bolt of black lightning shot down from the void, tearing through space and aiming straight at the golden dragon.
It didn't look big—but it carried death itself.
All around, the alchemists paled and retreated.
If that touched them—even brushing against it—they'd die on the spot.
(END CHAPTER)
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