Chapter 331: Soul-Elevating Spirit-Nurturing Pill
Inside the sealed chamber, Yao Lao, Xiao Yuan, and Xiao Yan all wore serious expressions.
They had spent an entire day discussing the formulation of a pill capable of enhancing soul power. It involved multiple live tests and numerous failures. If not for Yao Lao's formidable soul strength and Xiao Yuan having already reached the eighth-tier level, these trial-and-error efforts could've taken a week on their own.
Once the formula was finalized, the pill was named.
Soul-Elevating Spirit-Nurturing Pill — its effects were simple but powerful: a certain probability to help a person at the peak of the Mortal Realm in soul power break through to the Spirit Realm, with a small chance of raising their soul power by one sub-tier.
That probability depended on three factors: the user's current soul realm, the alchemist's skill level, and the number of Soul-Nurturing Dust particles used as the main ingredient.
Nearly a week had passed since the formula was established. Xiao Yuan had already begun refining the pill.
He had absolute confidence in his own alchemy skills.
Barring any accidents, the pill would at least draw a six-colored Pill Thunder, marking it as a high-quality eighth-tier pill.
This was essentially the upper limit of what Xiao Yuan could produce currently. Raising the pill's quality further would require a secret technique that Yao Lao had mastered.
Soul Elevation.
But since this wasn't a competition, there was no need for Xiao Yuan to push himself to the brink. He wasn't planning to use that move.
Now, he had reached the most crucial stage of refinement.
All medicinal liquids had been purified and fused.
For most pills, this would be the point of convergence.
But not the Soul-Elevating Spirit-Nurturing Pill. Two more steps remained:
Injecting a significant amount of pure soul force into the concoction to seal it within the pill.Introducing at least one grain of Soul-Nurturing Dust to elevate the pill's essence.
Because of this, ordinary alchemists were incapable of refining this pill.
It required an eighth-tier pinnacle alchemist—one who could spare the soul power needed to inject into the pill's core.
Xiao Yuan, though not yet at that pinnacle, had the Yin-Yang Soul-Nurturing Pearl, allowing him to draw pure soul force from within.
Even so, having only recently reached the eighth tier, he had to give it his all. A failure here would cost him dearly—especially the precious Soul-Nurturing Dust. Every grain used was one fewer he had left.
Beside him, Yao Lao and Xiao Yan were solemn as well. They knew exactly how difficult this pill was to refine. Yao Lao, though fully recovered, lacked a physical body and couldn't undertake such a task himself.
Xiao Yuan, however, had fully inherited Yao Lao's teachings and even developed his own techniques. He was truly a master alchemist in his own right now.
Should word spread, even Dou Zuns would treat him with respect.
As for Xiao Yan, witnessing the entire process had greatly deepened his own understanding. He was now just one step away from becoming an eighth-tier alchemist himself. He believed he would achieve that breakthrough before the Pill Gathering began.
Within the Black Demon Cauldron, a semi-transparent, multi-colored liquid floated and changed form.
The rainbow hue came from a familiar herb: Seven Illusions Azure Spirit Sap.
But this wasn't just any sap—this was a ten-thousand-year-old strain, found in a corner of Lei Zun Zhe's storage ring. Lei Zun Zhe didn't understand herbs like Xiao Yuan, only recognizing it by name and vaguely guessing its age to be several thousand years.
Xiao Yuan, upon discovering it, had nurtured it with his Jueyin Windwood Flame until it reached a ten-thousand-year maturity level.
This had taken a long time and left Xiao Yuan yearning for the legendary Spirit Flame of Life, which could accelerate herb aging instantly—though it required immense strength to wield.
Ordinary Seven Illusions Azure Spirit Sap could restore and stabilize soul force. But once it reached ten thousand years, it had the ability to preserve a soul.
Even a near-dissipated soul like Tian Huo Zun Zhe's could be stabilized merely by exposure to its aura. If liquified, it could elevate the soul power of an ordinary Dou Zun to the Mortal Realm's peak—a feat many alchemists spent their entire lives failing to reach.
On the vast Dou Qi continent, even among the best, the number of top-tier alchemists eligible for the Pill Gathering was barely a quarter of Sacred Pill City's population.
Thus, this ten-thousand-year Seven Illusions Azure Spirit Sap was a rare treasure. Thankfully, refining the Soul-Elevating Spirit-Nurturing Pill required only half a dose.
So long as Xiao Yuan retained part of the herb, he could regrow it over time, though not as swiftly as with the Spirit Flame of Life. Even so, Yao Lao and Xiao Yan were jealous of his abilities.
Now fully focused, Xiao Yuan began injecting pure soul force from the Yin-Yang Soul-Nurturing Pearl into the seven-colored medicinal fluid. The initially formless liquid gradually became spherical.
Sweat drenched his forehead. Despite his soul sense guiding the process, his eyes remained locked on the cauldron.
Even when refining the Fire Buddha Pill, he hadn't been this nervous.
After all, this was an eighth-tier pill.
Thankfully, everything progressed smoothly. As the last stream of soul power entered the pill, a dense and powerful aura surged from the cauldron. Above the Ye estate, clouds began to gather.
Boom!
A column of light burst upward, piercing the chamber ceiling and reaching the sky.
Outside, Tian Huo Zun Zhe appeared in mid-air, eyes wide with awe as the rooftop was blasted open by pill energy.
This aura… was unmistakably that of an eighth-tier pill!
Had Xiao Yuan actually succeeded after only a few days?
Feeling numerous probing gazes nearby, Tian Huo Zun Zhe released his aura.
His seven-star Dou Zun presence sent a clear warning—curiosity was fine, but come closer and you die.
Even so, many people still wondered: Who had refined such a pill? What kind of medicine could it be?
The sky above began to churn as a massive thundercloud took shape—hundreds of meters wide.
Within moments, the cloud turned tri-colored!
"Three-colored thundercloud?!"
Everyone in Sacred Pill City could see the anomaly. The gathered alchemists instantly recognized what this meant.
For eighth-tier pills, visual inspection was no longer enough—Pill Thunder color determined quality.
The more colors in the thundercloud, the higher the quality. It was said that a nine-colored thundercloud meant the pill had reached ninth-tier, holding the power of creation itself!
Three colors meant one thing: an eighth-tier pill.
An eighth-tier alchemist, refining pills within Sacred Pill City?
If this person entered the Pill Gathering, was there even a competition left?
Many alchemists felt disheartened. While they were still at the seventh tier, someone else had already reached the eighth.
The gap felt larger than that between Dou Zong and Dou Zun.
Some speculated this was the work of a Pill Tower elder and made mental notes to forge ties.
But none of this mattered to Xiao Yuan.
As his hand seals changed, the pill shrank and concentrated further. The thundercloud above began to shift—and a fourth color appeared!
"Four-colored thundercloud!"
Everyone at the Ye estate rushed out, stunned.
The old alchemist surnamed Wang was so moved his beard trembled. Tears welled up in his eyes.
Witnessing an eighth-tier pill being born—this was a blessing. For a man who had long dreamed of reaching this level, it was overwhelming.
The difference between seventh and eighth tier was more than technique—it was the spiritual essence within the soul.
Though he didn't know what pill his "teacher" was making, the aroma alone rejuvenated his soul. This pill… must aid the soul!
He had his suspicions but dared not interrupt. Hovering in the air, he alternated between watching the sky and Xiao Yuan's complex refining process.
Then, as Xiao Yuan formed his final hand seal, a fifth color appeared in the sky.
Five-colored thunderclouds darkened the heavens.
Strong fighters and alchemists alike flocked toward the Ye estate, surrounding it.
Yao Lao had retreated into the ring to avoid being recognized. Still, this was his disciple's moment—he wanted to witness it.
Xiao Yan closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them—his left eye flickering with ghostly white light.
There was no other way.
Though surrounded by watchers, Xiao Yuan was unfazed. He had been watched before.
Now was the final moment.
With a flick of his finger, a grain of Soul-Nurturing Dust flew into the cauldron. His soul force pressed down, and the flame's heat surged, vaporizing the dust into an ethereal mist.
The mist hovered, then was instantly absorbed into the small, rainbow-colored pill—now the size of a phoenix tree seed.
At that moment, the pill became completely transparent, with mystical vapors and shimmering soul energy rippling inside like divine nectar.
And in the sky—the five-colored thundercloud churned violently again!
This sudden change caused a stir among the spectators.
"The thundercloud changed again!"
A shocked voice rang out.
Two more colors emerged from the swirling clouds.
Seven-colored thunderclouds!
Impossible!
Boom!
The crowd exploded into frenzy. Cheers shook the heavens, and even Sacred Pill City itself trembled faintly.
Seven-colored Pill Thunder!
A myth made real before their eyes. Alchemists from all over were on the verge of ecstasy.
"Seven-colored Pill Thunder?!"
From his domain in Sacred Pill City, Xuan Kongzi peered through the void, his face grim.
Even he had to personally intervene when refining such a pill.
Now someone else had done it? Unexpected indeed.
But someone else was even more shocked.
Hovering in the void outside the Ye estate, a graceful mature figure gazed downward.
Though the thundercloud was stunning…
What rattled her soul wasn't that.
It was the pitch-black cauldron below.
Countless memories surfaced in her mind, freezing on a handsome, smiling face.
"Black Demon Cauldron… Yao Chen…"
Her whisper echoed through the space, as cracks in the void mirrored her inner turmoil.
(END CHAPTER)
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