Chapter 427: The Breakthrough Pill is Complete, Thunder Destroys the Divine Phoenix
In Executioner City of the Northern Continent, Xiao Tiance and Ling'er were engaged in a pivotal discussion.
After Xiao Tiance asked, "Ling'er, from what you said, it seems you have a method to deal with the extraterritorial demons?"
Ling'er nodded lightly and replied softly, "Indeed, I do. However, this method is one I hope we won't have to use unless there is absolutely no other option."
Hearing this, Xiao Tiance didn't press further. Instead, he nodded. **"Understood. Let's hope that moment never comes.
For now, I need to focus on refining some Breakthrough Pills. The process will cause quite a commotion. Ling'er, I'll need you to set up a spiritual formation when the pills are about to form, to isolate the area and prevent the pill tribulation from harming anyone in Executioner City."**
"Leave it to me, Young Master." Ling'er agreed and quickly re entered Xiao Tiance's body.
Preparing for Refinement
As Ling'er retreated, Xiao Tiance activated his soul energy. A magnificent cauldron emerged from his storage ring, descending gracefully before him.
"Boom!"
The cauldron landed with a resonant thud, and Xiao Tiance looked at it with satisfaction. "As expected of the Flame Emperor Cauldron, ranked first on the Heavenly Cauldron List of the Dou Qi Continent. Its materials and craftsmanship far surpass the other cauldrons on the list."
The Heavenly Cauldron List was a ranking of the finest alchemical furnaces in the Dou Qi Continent, featuring only the most extraordinary cauldrons. Of the thirteen cauldrons on the list, each possessed unique qualities that captivated alchemists across the continent.
However, the Flame Emperor Cauldron stood in a league of its own, vastly superior to the others on the list. It was said that the disparity between the Flame Emperor Cauldron and its counterparts was as great as the heavens and the earth.
The cauldron's reputation wasn't mere legend. It was forged in ancient times by a Dou Emperor renowned for his skill in artifact crafting. The Flame Emperor Cauldron was the culmination of his life's work, refined to perfection by an unimaginable calamity of lightning that the Dou Emperor himself couldn't withstand.
The Legendary Flame Emperor Cauldron
The cauldron gleamed a resplendent golden hue, and its surface was adorned with intricate carvings resembling a grand map of mountains and rivers. Its presence exuded an aura of reverence and power that inspired awe.
Xiao Tiance had acquired this cauldron thanks to Ling'er, who had guided him after her awakening. With her insights as the Dou Qi Continent's Plane Embryo, she directed Xiao Tiance to retrieve this treasure upon his ascension to Dou Emperor.
Since arriving in the Great Thousand World, Xiao Tiance had seldom used the Flame Emperor Cauldron, as his refined techniques and soul strength allowed him to concoct most pills without it. However, the Breakthrough Pills he was about to craft were no ordinary pills they were meant to aid even Heavenly Sovereign experts in advancing their cultivation.
He sat cross legged, levitating a meter above the ground, and entered a state of deep meditation. Slowly, his energy stabilized, and his mind reached its sharpest focus.
Gathering the Ingredients
Before him, the Flame Emperor Cauldron stood tall, radiating an aura of antiquity and grandeur.
Xiao Tiance's eyes snapped open after some time, gleaming with determination. He landed softly on the ground and activated his soul energy once more.
From his storage ring and the Heavenly Dao Tower, a vast collection of high grade spiritual herbs and heavenly treasures emerged nearly 2,000 different ingredients in total. Controlled by his soul energy, the herbs floated in the air, orbiting Xiao Tiance and the cauldron in a mesmerizing pattern.
"Swoosh!"
As everything was meticulously prepared, a golden flame Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame erupted in Xiao Tiance's palm. With a casual flick, the flame leaped beneath the Flame Emperor Cauldron, transforming into a roaring inferno that engulfed the base.
Once the cauldron was sufficiently heated, Xiao Tiance removed its lid with precision, revealing its gleaming interior. One by one, the carefully selected ingredients began to enter the cauldron in a precise sequence, their spiritual energies blending harmoniously under Xiao Tiance's expert control.
The Refinement Process
Each step of the process was performed with unmatched precision, as Xiao Tiance utilized his vast experience as an alchemical grandmaster. The Flame Emperor Cauldron hummed softly as the ingredients within it began to merge, their energies condensing into a singular entity.
Golden flames surged and danced beneath the cauldron, nurturing the embryonic form of the Breakthrough Pills. Xiao Tiance's soul energy weaved seamlessly through the process, ensuring that every step proceeded flawlessly.
As the cauldron's contents began to stabilize, the surrounding air grew tense, and faint arcs of lightning flickered ominously in the sky above.
"The pill tribulation is beginning to form," Xiao Tiance muttered. His expression remained calm, but his soul energy surged in preparation.
"Ling'er, it's almost time. Activate the isolation formation and ensure the tribulation doesn't harm the city," he instructed.
Ling'er's voice echoed from within, "Understood, Young Master."
The next moments would determine the success of Xiao Tiance's endeavor to create one of the most extraordinary pills in the Great Thousand World.
Refining, purifying, extracting, and preserving the essence each step of Xiao Tiance's alchemy process was mesmerizing. After half a month of meticulous work, as the most challenging ingredients were finally handled, Xiao Tiance's eyes flashed with determination.
"Fuse for me!"
His deep voice resonated as a surge of powerful soul energy flooded the Flame Emperor Cauldron, forcing the various medicinal liquids within to begin merging.
The First Signs of Tribulation
"Boom!"
The sky darkened as rolling thunder echoed across the heavens. Black clouds rapidly gathered above the city. Xiao Tiance glanced up but remained unfazed. Instead, he contacted Ling'er with a mental command.
"Ling'er, activate a spiritual formation. Enclose the area large enough to contain the entire storm cloud."
"Understood, Young Master."
Ling'er replied and immediately began channeling energy from the spirit energy token on Xiao Tiance's waist. Her hands danced in complex seals, and intricate, glowing spiritual marks rapidly formed in the air.
In mere moments, tens of thousands of spiritual sigils surrounded Xiao Tiance, forming a protective dome.
As a grandmaster in spirit arrays, Ling'er could craft formations with a single thought. Though constrained by her lack of independent energy, her speed was still astonishing. Within a single breath, a massive spiritual array surged skyward, enveloping the storm clouds above.
Fusion and Tribulation Lightning
Despite the ominous flashes of lightning above, no strikes fell just yet. The tribulation waited for the pills to fully form.
Inside the cauldron, Xiao Tiance exerted even greater control over the medicinal liquids, merging them completely under his refined soul energy. Gradually, the liquid began to separate into ten distinct portions, each of which began to solidify under the scorching flames of the Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame.
"Crack!"
At the exact moment the pills formed, the lid of the Flame Emperor Cauldron burst open. Xiao Tiance waved his hand, and ten shimmering pills shot into the air, rising high into the sky.
The first bolt of tribulation lightning descended, smashing into the pills. One pill was instantly obliterated into dust, while the remaining nine endured the baptism of lightning. The intense thunderbolts purified the pills further, removing their final impurities.
A Test of Strength
Seeing the destruction of one pill, Xiao Tiance winced.
"Ten sets of materials for ten pills, yet one is already lost. What a waste!" he thought bitterly.
As more tribulation lightning gathered, Xiao Tiance decided to intervene. "I can't let this go unchecked. If the strikes continue unabated, the remaining pills might also be destroyed."
With a single thought, Qinghou, the strongest of his Heavenly Puppets, shot into the sky. The puppet intercepted the lightning bolts, absorbing most of their destructive force.
Under this protection, the remaining nine pills began to emit a golden glow, marked by faint red streaks. As Xiao Tiance observed, the pills developed eight intricate patterns across their surfaces.
A Critical Decision
Xiao Tiance furrowed his brow. "The pills can endure one more lightning strike, which will add a ninth pattern and greatly enhance their potency. But the risk of failure increases with each strike. Should I take the gamble?"
After a moment's thought, Xiao Tiance commanded Qinghou to shift slightly, allowing the next wave of lightning to strike the pills directly.
"Buzz!"
The nine pills trembled violently as the lightning struck. Moments later, each pill bore a ninth pattern, signaling their completion.
"Success!" Xiao Tiance's face lit up with relief.
Pill Spirits and Escaping Tribulation
As Xiao Tiance prepared to collect the pills, something unexpected happened. The nine pills suddenly emitted a blinding light and transformed into nine golden dragons, each with five claws, attempting to flee.
"Trying to escape? Not on my watch!" Xiao Tiance's voice boomed as he unleashed the full might of his Heavenly Sovereign mid stage aura. The oppressive energy paralyzed the nine dragons, forcing them to revert to their pill forms.
With a wave of his hand, Xiao Tiance sealed the pills into nine jade bottles.
A Sudden Crisis
Before he could fully relax, Xiao Tiance sensed something alarming. The storm above had not dissipated. Instead, an even more ferocious bolt of lightning began to take form, its power comparable to the red lightning tribulation he had faced when advancing to mid stage Heavenly Sovereign.
As he deliberated on recalling Qinghou, the lightning condensed into the form of a thunder qilin and charged directly at the puppet.
"No! Qinghou hasn't fully absorbed the previous lightning energy. If this strikes, it will destroy his body!" Xiao Tiance reacted instantly, activating his Heavenly Dao Myriad Tribulations Body, summoning a towering 2,600 meter figure of pure energy.
But the qilin was faster.
A Shocking Revelation
The thunder qilin struck Qinghou squarely, unleashing devastating energy. A chilling, inhuman scream erupted from the puppet.
"Damn it! Just one step away! I was so close to taking over this Heavenly Puppet's body! Curse you, Xiao Tiance! I won't let you off, even in death!"
The voice sent shockwaves through the air.
"Feng Mingtian?" Xiao Tiance and Ling'er exclaimed simultaneously.
The voice belonged to none other than Feng Mingtian, the former clan leader of the True Phoenix Clan, thought to have perished under Xiao Tiance's lightning tribulation.
Unbeknownst to all, Feng Mingtian had hidden a fragment of his soul within Qinghou's body, attempting to possess it.
As the thunder qilin's strike obliterated him, the True Phoenix mark on Qinghou's forehead also vanished, marking the end of Feng Mingtian's schemes.
Xiao Tiance gazed into the dissipating storm clouds and exhaled deeply. "One less threat, but many more to face."
(End of Chapter)
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