Space manipulation!
A Saint realm expert! It was definitely a great Saint realm expert!
Fear snaked through the old man's heart, didn't Heartless Young Noble said Huang Xiaolong only have one Xiantian Tenth Order expert by his side?
"So, tell me, who sent you?" Huang Xiaolong's words were spoken slowly, yet the iciness within was unmistakable.
The black-clad old man woke from his terror but did not utter a word.
His attitude made Zhao Shu, Yu Ming, and Fei Hou's faces turn gloomy. Huang Xiaolong raised a hand to prevent them from doing anything, then he directed a finger at the old man's torso, sending frigid Asura qi into his body that entered from the seven orifices.
The black-clad old man felt as if millions of ants were biting him, a miserable howl reverberated from his throat.
Huang Xiaolong watched on with a cold expression. Once the Asura frigid qi invaded the body, not even a Saint realm expert could withstand the torment it brought without suppressing it with battle qi. Moreover, this black-clad old man was not a Saint realm expert.
Both of the old man's hands were clawing at his own chest. In a short several breaths' time, blood already stained his hands and torso.
"It, it was Heartless Young Noble, he sent me!" In the end, the black-clad old man could not tolerate the piercing pain any longer and shouted out in bursts of short gasps.
Heartless Young Noble! Huang Xiaolong sneered.
In fact, even if the old man hadn't told him, he could already guess who the mastermind was.
This black-clad old man's strength was not weak at all. He was most likely a Xiantian Eighth Order or a Ninth Order expert. When thinking of who it could be that had a grudge against him and also had the ability to send a Xiantian Eighth or Ninth Order expert, the only person to date was Heartless Young Noble.
"Please, I beg you, spare me!" The old man begged for mercy as soon as he named his master.
Zhao Shu, Yu Ming, and Fei Hou looked at Huang Xiaolong.
Huang Xiaolong looked at the old man and suddenly a thought flashed across his mind. He turned and said to Yu Ming and Fei Hou, "Both of you keep a lookout. Zhao Shu, lend me a hand!" With this, Huang Xiaolong called the Linglong Treasure Pagoda out.
Even though neither Yu Ming nor Fei Hou knew what Huang Xiaolong was planning to do, no questions were asked. Acknowledging Huang Xiaolong's order respectfully, they disappeared from the spot in a flash to keep watch of the surrounding area.
"Sovereign, you are…?" Zhao Shu was also a little doubtful.
"Send your battle qi into my body." Huang Xiaolong said.
Still in doubt, Zhao Shu acted according to Huang Xiaolong's order. Circulating his battle qi, both of his palms were placed at Huang Xiaolong's back and a powerful energy entered Huang Xiaolong's body.
With a wave of his hands, Huang Xiaolong slapped his palms onto the Linglong Treasure Pagoda that was floating in front of him. In a blink, the Thousand Beast Cauldron on the second layer burst out in a radiant light. The Thousand Demon Engulfing Destruction Array triggering a forceful suction force that swallowed up the black-clad old man instantaneously into the Thousand Beast Cauldron.
Watching the Linglong Treasure Pagoda suck the old man in, Zhao Shu, Yu Ming and Fei Hou that were guarding close by nearly had their eyeballs pop out of their sockets.
The trio was aware Huang Xiaolong possessed the Linglong Treasure Pagoda but none of them knew it could be used in this fashion.
Right before the three pairs of shocked eyes, the Linglong Treasure Pagoda shone increasingly bright as it shook vigorously.
From within the pagoda came the old man's anxious pleading voice.
"Huang Xiaolong, I beg you, spare me! Let me go, I'm willing to surrender to you and profess you as my master!"
"It took me six hundred years of hard penance to achieve my cultivation today. I'm a Xiantian Eighth Order expert, I don't want to die! Huang Xiaolong, I'm begging you, I don't want to die, let me go!"
Listening to the ghastly shrieks coming from inside the pagoda, Zhao Shu, Yu Ming, and Fei Hou felt goosebumps running down their necks.
At this time, the Heaven and Earth Origin Reverting Array came to life, the origin reverting flames burned strongly akin to an iron tempering furnace, 'molding' the black-clad old man. Though the black-clad old man circulated his battle qi to stave off the burning flames, the origin reverting flames continued to encroach, invading his internal body and roasting him alive from inside out. The excruciating torment was more than the black-clad old man could bear.
This pain was many times worse than the Asura frigid qi eroding his body, many times more insufferable.
Hearing the old man's tragic cries, Huang Xiaolong allowed Zhao Shu to continue transmitting battle qi into his body to supply the Heaven and Earth Origin Reverting Array, igniting to origin reverting flames within to dance wildly.
This black-clad old man might be begging for mercy at this moment, claiming willingness to serve under Huang Xiaolong, but on the other side of the wall was Heartless Young Noble. Who knew when the old man would turn around and bite him. Thus, without absolute trust and confidence, it was impossible for Huang Xiaolong to keep such a person by his side. Only one way remained, forceful refinement!
Since this Thousand Beast Cauldron could refine beast cores into spirit pellets, then the same theory should apply to a human warrior. They too, very likely, could be refined into a spirit pellet.
A Xiantian Eighth Order expert had a rich concentration of battle qi in their meridians and Qi Sea. Not only that, their flesh and blood essence was comparable to high-grade elixirs.
Inside the Thousand Beast Cauldron, the black-clad old man persisted by circulating his battle qi to resist and managed to do so for more than an hour. Gradually the cries grew weaker and at the end barely a whisper came out, then completely disappeared.
When the black-clad old man's voice completely stopped, the radiant light shrouding the Linglong Treasure Pagoda grew bigger and brighter.
The same thing was happening to the Thousand Beast Cauldron on the second layer of Linglong Treasure Pagoda. Blinding light flared!
Four hours later, the Thousand Beast Cauldron suddenly issued a lilting hum as a pillar of light shot up into the sky from the cauldron lid. A thumb-sized, glossy round spirit pellet flew out from the cauldron, appearing above the Linglong Treasure Pagoda.
The spirit pellet's appearance instantly brought about lightning and rumbling dark clouds in the sky above. A prism of resplendent light swirled in midair, and faint tiger roars were heard coming from the backyard of the estate. A surreal shadow of a black-white tiger materialized and slowly vanished.
The spiritual energy around the Southern Hill Estate greatly fluctuated.
Yu Ming and Fei Hou's eyes were staring straight at the spirit pellet hovering above the Linglong Treasure Pagoda. Even Zhao Shu was caught staring up above.
"Grade Seven Spirit Dan!" All three exclaimed simultaneously.
When the refinement of a grade seven and above spirit pellet was successful, a manifestation of some kind would appear in the sky, triggering tumultuous changes in the surroundings spiritual energy.
Refining a grade seven and above spirit pellet was extremely difficult and had a very low success rate. Even if one had all the necessary ingredients, there was no guarantee in condensing a pellet. Yet, Huang Xiaolong did so with the help of the Linglong Treasure Pagoda!
After getting over their shock, they turned to stare at the Linglong Treasure Pagoda in astonishment.
Didn't this mean that by using the Linglong Treasure Pagoda, they could refine a grade eight, grade nine, and probably even a grade ten spirit pellet?!
Watching their thoughts clearly flickering on their faces, Huang Xiaolong shook his head. The truth was, if it wasn't for Zhao Shu's presence, the aid from a Saint realm expert, it would have been impossible for him to refine the old man even with the Linglong Treasure Pagoda. This was especially so when Huang Xiaolong noted that the amount of energy required by the Thousand Demon Engulfing Destruction Array and Heaven and Earth Origin Reverting Array was too alarming.
Zhao Shu was a high-level Saint realm expert, not someone who had just recently broken through to the early Saint realm, thus the abundance of his battle qi was hard to imagine. But to refine to black clad old man, the Thousand Beast Cauldron actually sucked more than half of Zhao Shu's battle qi reserve.
More than half!
Ergo, spirit stones were essential!
A grade three spirit stone was sufficient to refine a grade five spirit pellet, grade two spirit stone could support the refinement process for grade six spirit pellet. In short, to refine grade seven spirit pellet he needed grade one spirit stones!
However, auction and trading houses rarely had grade one spirit stones for auction or trade, where would he get them?
Huang Xiaolong flexed his palm and puled the round pellet hovering in the air into his palm. Vaguely, a black and white shadow of a tiger could be seen prowling within.
This was the black-clad old man's martial spirit which was refined into the pellet as well by the Thousand Beast Cauldron.
It was said a grade seven spirit pellet not only increases one's battle qi substantially, but also raises the flesh's physical defense and strengthens the internal organs as well as the soul. Huang Xiaolong rolled the round pellet in his hand, thinking to himself.
The sky was illuminating. In the early morning, he needed to be present at Duanren Square to receive his rewards. So, Huang Xiaolong decided to wait until he returned before consuming the spirit pellet.