Chapter 212: Ancient Void Dragon and Pill Creation!
In the sky, the thunder of the pill roared loudly. Tang Zhen showed a hint of joy in his eyes; according to his calculations, Xiao Ze must have completed the refinement on his first try. But, considering Xiao Ze's level of alchemy skill and the state of his soul, it wasn't surprising that he succeeded on his first attempt.
Tang Zhen was about to step in to protect Xiao Ze from the pill thunder when he heard Xiao Ze's voice from the cave.
"Please, Master Tang, do not intervene. These pill thunders are beneficial to me."
Hearing Xiao Ze's voice, Tang Zhen hesitated for a moment before responding.
"If Elder Xiao Ze requests it, I will not intervene. However, please do not overdo it and stay within your limits. If you can't handle it, don't push yourself."
"Of course."
The fully-formed pill thunders followed the trail of pill qi and rushed directly towards the cave. For a moment, rocks fell inside the cave, making Tang Zhen worry that Xiao Ze might be buried alive.
Tang Zhen squinted, looking deep into the cave, where he glimpsed a golden flame that blocked his vision.
"This flame is terrifying!"
Tang Zhen, feeling an instinctive fear from his inner fire, the Nine Thunder Dragon Fire, expressed his surprise. "Although the Dan Tower has sealed the Three Thousand Flames, as far as I know, its color is not golden. For the Nine Thunder Dragon Fire to show fear, it must be at least one of the higher-ranked flames on the Strange Fire List. A golden flame..."
Thoughts raced through Tang Zhen's mind. However, not being an alchemist, he couldn't precisely identify the details of the higher-ranked flames on the Strange Fire List.
"Master, haven't you noticed that the frequency of the pill thunders seems higher than usual?"
The Grand Elder suddenly spoke, pulling Tang Zhen from his thoughts, who immediately frowned.
"That's true, it's much faster than the level seven pill thunders, almost two or three thunders per breath."
Tang Zhen, who also practiced alchemy thanks to the Nine Thunder Dragon Fire, could produce pills even without the soul strength of an alchemist. For this reason, he occasionally observed high-level alchemists during pill refinement. The pill thunders that fell during the formation of level seven pills were not as frequent as the ones Xiao Ze faced now.
"Won't this cause problems?"
The Grand Elder, worried, expressed his concern. Something so abnormal usually foretold danger, and he feared for Xiao Ze's safety. After all, Xiao Ze was an elder of the Dan Tower, invited by the Burning Flame Valley for pill refinement. If anything happened to him, the valley would be partly responsible.
Tang Zhen hesitated while observing the golden flames in the cave, wondering if he should intervene. The golden flames blocked Tang Zhen and the Grand Elder's perception, while inside the fire, golden roots absorbed the pill thunders. The high frequency of the thunders was due to the golden roots absorbing them, rather than simply resisting them. The speed at which the pill thunders disappeared was so fast that their frequency increased.
Xiao Ze, using the Source Tree to absorb the pill thunders, also absorbed the power of the lightning. With his current constitution, absorbing pill thunders was as easy as eating or drinking. Xiao Ze, feeling the growing power of the lightning in his body, watched as the golden roots shredded the pill thunders, turning them into electric snakes that filled the cave.
Suddenly, an understanding dawned on him. Xiao Ze smiled slightly. "By interacting with these pill thunders, I've finally achieved an insight."
"Now that I've grasped this perception, I just need to follow it to complete my speed combat technique."
Although Xiao Ze's insight didn't last long, it was extremely valuable. Looking inside the Yun Ling cauldron, a pill full of vitality was spinning rapidly. If an experienced alchemist saw it, they would notice that its quality far exceeded that of an ordinary fire-prevention pill. With his soul reaching the Spirit Realm, Xiao Ze's control over the Yun Ling cauldron was masterful. He could actively enhance the vitality of the pills, a valuable skill even for level eight pills. Generally, the higher the quality of a level eight pill, the more vitality it contains. Being able to actively increase this vitality would make other level eight alchemists envious.
"This is the first pill where I actively use vitality enhancement. Let's see how the result turns out."
With the last pill thunder absorbed by the golden roots, Xiao Ze took the pill out of the cauldron.
"The pill contains vitality and its quality far exceeds the normal."
"This is due to the Yun Ling cauldron, as well as the increase in my soul power and the Source Emperor Flame."
"With my soul power in the Spirit Realm, the Yun Ling cauldron, and the Source Emperor Flame, the success rate in refining level seven pills is extremely high!"
The pill thunders ceased, and Tang Zhen, who had decided not to intervene, finally relaxed. During his time with Xiao Ze, he had come to know him better. He wasn't the type to push beyond his limits out of pride. If he couldn't handle the pill thunders, he would have surely asked for help. Evidently, Xiao Ze managed the thunders with ease.
When the pill thunders finally stopped, the golden flames deep in the cave calmed. Feeling Xiao Ze's presence, Tang Zhen and the Grand Elder breathed a sigh of relief.
"Master Tang, I have successfully completed the refinement of the fire-prevention pill."
Xiao Ze emerged from the cave, unconsciously using some of the pill thunder's power, moving faster than usual, which surprised Tang Zhen. Tang Zhen quickly took the pill from Xiao Ze's hands, recognizing its superior quality with a single glance: the lines on the pill were clear, the medicinal aroma was strong, and the energy contained was powerful.
"Thank you, Elder Xiao Ze. During this time, the spatial distortions within the ancient ruins have improved."
Hearing this, Xiao Ze's eyes lit up. "Oh? Can I take a look?"
"Of course. Grand Elder."
"Yes." The Grand Elder responded respectfully. Now he had no objections to Xiao Ze entering the ancient ruins. The presence of an alchemist who would soon be a level eight master was enough for the Burning Flame Valley to treat him with the utmost respect; even the Grand Elder had to be courteous.
Shortly after, the Grand Elder opened a spatial portal to the ancient ruins.
"Let's go, Elder Xiao Ze."
Tang Zhen stepped into the spatial portal, quickly followed by Xiao Ze, enveloped in lightning flashes.
"How impressive! Not only is his alchemy skill extraordinary, but also his cultivation in dou qi (battle energy)."
The Grand Elder couldn't help but exclaim at Xiao Ze's speed.
Passing through the spatial portal, Xiao Ze saw the ancient ruins once more. There were fewer spatial cracks than before. The bronze palace was also more visible.
"We can enter now. We just need to be careful. But, to be safe, should we wait two or three more days?"
Tang Zhen, after inspecting the ruins, suggested this.
"Yes... maybe." Xiao Ze hesitated for a moment, deciding to follow Tang Zhen's advice. Although he was eager to see what alchemy treasures the bronze palace hid, he knew that patience was a virtue and that acting cautiously was better. There was no rush, as no one was competing with him for the ruins.
Chapter End
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