Dead silence! Utter dead silence!
The entire Dan Ding Peak Plaza seemed to have been plunged into millennia-old ice. All sounds vanished, leaving only countless gazes filled with shock, anger, or bewilderment, all fixed on the Chaos Star Cauldron in the center of the plaza, radiating an eerie silver-gray light, its mysterious scratches on the bottom pulsating as if alive, and on the figure in a blue robe with rolled-up sleeves and a somewhat stiff expression before the cauldron—Lin Yuan.
The earth fire was completely extinguished! What did this mean? It meant that the very foundation upon which Dan Ding Peak relied for survival and was so proud of had been extinguished by a single pot... This was an utter disgrace to the alchemy world, a fatal blow that cut off its very lifeline! Lie Yangzi trembled all over, his face as pale as paper. His finger pointing at Lin Yuan shook like a leaf in the autumn wind. His lips moved, but he could only let out gasps of "ho...ho..." His anger and fear almost consumed his reason.
"Lin! Yuan!" He finally squeezed out two words filled with killing intent through gritted teeth. The terrifying pressure of the Tribulation Transcending stage surged forth like a volcano about to erupt, making the air in the entire plaza thick and heavy. The ashes beneath countless alchemy furnaces were stirred up slightly by this pressure.
Just then, a chilling aura, as clear as moonlight yet far more powerful and vast, appeared as an invisible barrier, instantly blocking Lin Yuan's path. Feng Qinghuang moved gracefully, positioning herself half a step in front of Lin Yuan. Her flowing moonlight-like veil moved without wind, her peak Tribulation Transcending power contained yet subtly and forcefully resisting Lie Yangzi's violent attack. She slightly raised her starry eyes, calmly sweeping them over Lie Yangzi. There was no provocation in her gaze, only a disdainful indifference, as if saying: "Touch my master, and see what happens?"
Lie Yangzi's body stiffened abruptly, as if struck by a heavy blow. His rising momentum was forcefully suppressed, his face turning from white to red, and he felt so suffocated that he almost vomited blood! Only then did he realize that the stunningly beautiful woman who had been quietly standing behind Lin Yuan was actually terrifyingly powerful! Peak Tribulation Transcending! Moreover, the condensation and profundity of her aura far surpassed his own!
"Old man Lieyang! How dare you be so insolent!" Gu Chen also jumped out, his hair and beard bristling, pointing at Lieyangzi and cursing, "What does your own earth fire's inadequacy have to do with my peak master? Brother Guo's divine might is unparalleled, drawing upon the power of heaven and earth and stars to refine pills, how can your mere earth fire and mortal flames compare? It's good that it's extinguished, so as not to pollute this pure star Dao! Peak master! Ignore this old scoundrel, let's continue! Let these frogs in a well open their eyes!" His fanatical gaze was fixed on the Chaos Star Cauldron, as if he were looking at the most perfect work of art in the world.
continue?
Lin Yuan was actually panicking. This guy was too ruthless, cutting off the energy supply to their stronghold! This was a huge grudge! But now he was in a bind, with tens of thousands of eyes watching, and his own disciples and elders fervently urging him on. He had no choice but to... bite the bullet and go for it!
"Ahem!" Lin Yuan cleared his throat, trying to suppress his anxiety. Under Feng Qinghuang's cold yet powerful protection and Gu Chen's fervent and unwavering gaze, he straightened his back, his face once again displaying that "everything is under control" "kind" smile, and said loudly:
"Peak Master Lieyang, please calm down! Fellow cultivators, do not panic!"
"As I just said, earth fire is a minor path! It's gone now, so let everyone witness what true 'the great way is simple' really means, and what 'the power of stars tempers and refines all things' truly means!"
His gaze swept across the angry, surprised, mocking, and numb faces in the room, finally settling on his own magical cauldron.
"Watch closely!"
Lin Yuan took a deep breath and pressed his hands heavily onto the intricate and profound star runes on both sides of the Chaos Star Cauldron!
"Chaotic Star Pot! Star-Forged Spirit! Get cooking!"
Buzz—!!!
This time, the Chaos Star Cauldron reacted even more violently than before! The silver-gray light on the cauldron suddenly receded, as if transforming into tangible liquid starlight flowing across the cauldron's walls. The mysterious scratches burst forth with dazzling light, like lightning cleaving through chaos at the dawn of the universe! An invisible gravitational force, far more powerful and pure than before, carrying the dual Dao of the birth of chaos and the annihilation of stars, erupted with a deafening roar!
This time, it didn't try to plunder the earth's fire, but instead set its sights on... the sky!
Rumble!
Despite the clear blue sky, everyone seemed to hear the roar of stars turning and galaxies rushing! Visibly, the sky suddenly darkened for a moment, and countless extremely fine yet pure beams of starlight, like subjects summoned by an emperor, pierced through the distance of space, ignored the obstruction of daylight, and fell from the heavens, precisely merging into the chaotic star cauldron!
The scene inside the pot changed instantly!
The pile of cheap materials that originally looked like "pig swill"—Spirit-Nourishing Grass, Tranquilizing Flower, Starfruit Juice, Stardust Sand, and even that small clump of inconspicuous "bottom soot" (chaotic dust)—underwent an incredible transformation under the violent and pure power of the stars and the faint yet supreme chaotic annihilation aura inside the pot!
The Spirit-Nourishing Grass and Tranquilizing Flower instantly decomposed and melted, transforming into the purest herbal elixir, perfectly blending with the viscous Stardust Juice. Stirred by the power of the stars, the Stardust Sand swirled and collided like billions of miniature stars within a pot, releasing pure stellar essence. And that small wisp of Chaos Dust acted as both the most powerful catalyst and the most exquisite balancer; wherever its faint aura passed, the raging stellar power was tamed and subdued, the essence of the herbs and the stellar essence forcibly blended, compressed, and purified!
No flames! No smoke or fire! Only the brilliant starlight flowed, surged, and collided within the pot! Lin Yuan's hands seemed to possess magic; he didn't need any complicated fire control techniques. He simply relied on the mysterious connection with the Chaos Star Pot to guide the direction of the starlight's flow, constantly patting, vibrating, and rotating the pot's body along its rim!
That movement... it was exactly like a top chef flipping a wok and stir-frying!
But what he was tossing around wasn't vegetables, but a star egg that was gestating a miracle!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Buzz~~~"
The sounds of the pot vibrating and the buzzing of the flowing starlight were exceptionally clear and exceptionally... demonic in this deathly silent square where you could hear a pin drop!
Everyone was stunned.
This includes Lieyangzi, who nearly fainted from anger on the high platform.
Alchemy... can be done like this?
Using an iron pot instead of a furnace?
Without using earth fire or heavenly fire, how can we draw upon the power of the stars?
No need for careful extraction and blending, just toss the pan like you're stir-frying vegetables?!
This completely overturned their understanding of alchemy! Absurd! Bizarre! Unbelievable!
However, an even more shocking change followed!
As Lin Yuan's "stirring" motions became faster and faster, and as the vortex of star energy inside the pot became more and more rapid, an indescribable fragrance suddenly burst out from the pot!
That's not the aroma of any known elixir!
It is pure! Pure! It seems to contain the breath of the most primordial stars, and carry the vigorous vitality of newly sprouted plants. Deeper still, it faintly reveals a trace of ancient chaotic Daoist charm that stirs the soul, seemingly capable of encompassing all things and annihilating all things!
The fragrance was initially very faint, but it possessed a terrifying penetrating power, ignoring the invisible barrier set up by Feng Qinghuang, and instantly permeated the entire square!
A young alchemist from a small sect, who was standing nearby and holding his extinguished alchemy furnace, was on the verge of tears when he subconsciously took a deep breath.
"Well..."
The grief and indignation on his face froze instantly, replaced by an extreme sense of comfort and bewilderment. He felt a certain acupoint that had been blocked for many years loosen slightly under the influence of this fragrance! The restless spiritual energy within his body, as if cleansed by a clear spring, became gentle and peaceful like never before! Even his soul felt a cool comfort!
"What...what is this fragrance?" he murmured to himself, his eyes glazed over.
As if in a chain reaction, more and more people smelled this strange fragrance of elixir.
"Ouch...that feels so good..."
"My consciousness... seems to have been nourished?"
"The circulation of spiritual energy... has become faster? And purer?"
"My God! This aroma... just one whiff feels even better than taking a Grade Three Heart-Clearing Pill?!"
A ripple of surprise, gasps, and incredulous whispers spread across the deathly silent square. The angry gazes gradually gave way to shock and curiosity, and the mocking expressions froze on their faces, turning into blank stares.
On the high platform, the color drained completely from Lie Yangzi's face, replaced by a deathly ashen expression. He stared intently at the cauldron bubbling with starlight, his nose twitching uncontrollably, greedily trying to capture every wisp of the strange, elusive medicinal fragrance. As a grandmaster of alchemy, his perception of medicinal properties far surpassed that of ordinary people! This fragrance… the purity of life force and the profound mystery of its Daoist essence were realms he had pursued his entire life but had never reached! This was absolutely incomparable to something like "Minor Star Powder"! This cauldron… this pile of junk materials… how could this be?!
"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!" Lie Yangzi roared inwardly, his Dao heart experiencing an unprecedented shock. His proud understanding of alchemy seemed so pale and laughable in the face of the pot before him and the figure "flipping the wok"!
Just as the entire square was enveloped in this strange, sweet fragrance, and everyone was stunned into silence—
Mutation and regeneration!
An indescribable, irresistible, and seemingly immense pressure, originating from the beginning of the world and the origin of the universe, descended without warning!
This pressure wasn't deliberately released, yet it felt as if the entire sky had collapsed, carrying an unparalleled nobility and an ancient, boundless grandeur! All the cultivators in the plaza, regardless of their cultivation level, including Lie Yangzi and Feng Qinghuang, who were at the Tribulation Transcending stage, felt their bodies suddenly sink, their souls seemingly frozen, and even their thoughts became sluggish!
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
The space itself seemed to become viscous.
Only the Chaos Star Pot continued to churn in the starlight, its wondrous aroma growing ever stronger.
A grand, calm voice, tinged with curiosity and amusement, seemed to resonate directly within the depths of everyone's souls, echoing clearly across the frozen square:
"Hmm? This pill... is quite interesting."
The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to contain the rhythm of the universe, causing everyone's hearts to tremble!
Immediately afterwards, the owner of the voice seemed to "look" more carefully, and there was an undeniable... expectation in his tone?
"This intertwining of chaotic annihilation and stellar creation... though faint, it's still quite novel. Little one..."
The voice paused slightly, as if it had locked onto its target.
"For me too..."
"...Stir-fry a whole pot?"
Boom—!!!
It was like a million thunderbolts exploding in everyone's minds at the same time!
Lie Yangzi's vision went black, and he almost fainted on the spot! He recognized it! That voice... that pressure... it was... it was the Emperor Ancestor! It was the legendary Emperor Ancestor, who was said to have long since withdrawn from worldly affairs and whose presence was rarely seen!
The Emperor Ancestor... was actually attracted by what was being cooked in this pot?
And... you want to "order another pot"?!
That wretched pot of Starfall Peak... is it going to end up on the Emperor's table?!
Lieyangzi felt a surge of blood rush to his throat, and his Dao Heart cracked open with a loud snap. All his schemes, all his pride, all his anger, became a complete and utter joke in the face of the Emperor Ancestor's casual remark!
In the center of the square, Lin Yuan, who was sweating profusely and trying to maintain his "masterful demeanor" while "stirring up" something, suddenly froze.
His neck stiffened slightly as he slowly raised his head, gazing at the endless sky where the oppressive force descended. The "nuclear benevolent" smile on his face turned completely blank.
"Stir-fry...stir-fry a whole pot?" Lin Yuan's mind was buzzing, with only one thought frantically flashing across his screen: "Damn it! This pot...it seems I've gone too far, even summoning the final boss?!"
The entire Dan Ding Peak Plaza fell into a deathly silence even more profound and eerily silent than when the earth fire had extinguished. Only the bubbling of stellar energy churning within the Chaos Star Cauldron and the increasingly rich, strange fragrance of pills—a fragrance that even the Emperor Ancestor found intriguing—silently proclaimed—
It seems that the era of "pot" is truly coming.