"To think it possesses concealment methods similar to the Fishing Pond. Sun Piaomiao's strength and foundation might be even greater than I imagined."
As Li Fan pondered, the stone sphere in his hand transformed. Formation and pill crafting shared a common origin. Li Fan's mastery of formations was unparalleled, bordering on the Immortal realm. By analogy, though he hadn't formally studied alchemy, he far surpassed most alchemists. Moreover, medicine and alchemy were intertwined, and Li Fan had inherited the Healer's legacy…
Prompted by Ruan Tianxiao, Li Fan now perceived the world as an alchemist would. With heaven and earth as his furnace, the stone in his hand truly became a translucent pill! The faint fragrance intensified a thousandfold. Li Fan's mouth watered, and he felt a strong urge to swallow the pill.
"This stone pill is truly a gift from Sun Piaomiao to his descendants…" The thought flashed through his mind. Then, he tossed the pill to Ruan Tianxiao. "Try it," he said, his tone unaffected by the pill's allure.
Ruan Tianxiao trembled with excitement, quickly swallowing the pill before Li Fan could change his mind. The recovering Medicine King Sect members watched with regret.
As Ruan Tianxiao ingested the pill, his demeanor instantly shifted. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the others, a nostalgic expression on his face. Though standing before them, he seemed to exist in a different time, an ethereal presence like a banished Immortal.
Such a dramatic change didn't go unnoticed. But the implications were too incredible to voice.
"Sun… Piao… Miao," Li Fan slowly enunciated, the wooden sword's shadow ready for a swift escape.
Transformed by the stone pill, as if possessed by Sun Piaomiao, Ruan Tianxiao briefly reminisced before sitting cross-legged in mid-air. He began to speak.
"The pill embodies the transformations of the Heavenly Dao. Medicine cures the ailments of all creation. The Dao is formless, unchanging, and eternally circulating. The pill unites with it, medicine manifests it. Is heaven and earth not a single pill formula?"
His first words captivated everyone, including Li Fan. Remaining vigilant, Li Fan memorized every word.
"The Dao lives and dies. In its life and death, it manifests and fades, just as a pill is born and refined."
"At the moment of refinement, it seems alive, yet is dead. It is the shadow of the Dao, the corpse of the Dao."
…
As Ruan Tianxiao spoke, the image of a cauldron appeared. Within it, the sun rose and set, the Star Sea churned, life and death intertwined, and heaven and earth underwent cycles of creation and destruction. The cycle accelerated, the light within flickering faster and faster, eventually converging into a single point – both utterly dark and infinitely bright, a paradoxical fusion.
"Life and death as one, merging with the true Dao. Unfettered and free, my pill is complete."
With these final words, the cauldron shattered, unleashing a scorching storm that felt incredibly real. Though merely an illusion, it ruffled Li Fan's hair and clothes. The others saw the birth and death of the Star Sea and the Dao within the fleeting, brilliant spectacle. As the light faded, Ruan Tianxiao's ethereal aura vanished.
"Ugh…" Ruan Tianxiao groaned, as if awakening from a dream. He clutched his head in pain, blood gushing from his orifices.
Li Fan saw Ruan Tianxiao's soul, fractured and ravaged, being nourished and healed by the mysterious energy absorbed from the stone pill. Without it, his Dao Integration realm cultivation wouldn't have saved him from annihilation.
The Medicine King Sect members rushed to his aid. Li Fan's thoughts, however, remained fixed on the profound words spoken by Sun Piaomiao through Ruan Tianxiao.
"Life and death as one, merging with the true Dao. Unfettered and free, my pill is complete." Li Fan repeated the final line, a rare excitement stirring within him.
"Marvelous, simply marvelous! Sun Piaomiao's scripture surpasses even the Healer's discourse."
"This…" Li Fan frowned, about to name the text, when the perfect title arose unbidden, the inevitable choice for anyone who heard it:
"The Dao Refining Medicine King Scripture."
Li Fan's eyes narrowed. As he savored the words, a sense of gravity settled over him.
"This scripture is Sun Piaomiao's true legacy. Compared to it, the Life-Saving Eternal Scripture is mere child's play."
"It's not a simple cultivation method, but a philosophical approach to the very source of the Dao. Like the Record of Mending the Heavens, it doesn't detail specific techniques, but anyone with sufficient comprehension can derive their own cultivation methods and divine abilities from it."
Even with his vast experience and knowledge, Li Fan found himself inundated with inspiration as he contemplated the scripture. Its profoundness was evident.
The mental storm raged for three days and nights before gradually subsiding, leaving lingering sparks of inspiration. Li Fan meticulously recorded every thought. Only then did he reflect on the events, and inevitable doubts arose.
"Is Sun Piaomiao still alive?"
Ruan Tianxiao's possession seemed to originate from Sun Piaomiao's legacy within the stone pill. Yet, Li Fan couldn't shake the feeling that Sun Piaomiao had truly descended, briefly inhabiting Ruan Tianxiao's body.
"This scripture doesn't mention Immortal ascension, yet it describes power beyond the mortal realm."
"I'd rather believe this is a new scripture created by Sun Piaomiao after ten thousand years of accumulation, not something he comprehended back then…"
As Li Fan pondered, the Medicine King Sect members, tending to Ruan Tianxiao, excitedly discussed the scripture.
"Refining the Dao, refining heaven and earth, just like refining a pill! My understanding of the Dao of Pills was so superficial!"
"To think our Medicine King Sect's true inheritance was so extraordinary, yet we let it gather dust for ten thousand years… What a grave sin!"
…
As the discussion continued, Liu Ruchen approached Li Fan.
"Senior, I believe I understand why unfolding the Immortal Realm chess piece failed."
"If we compare the process to pill refinement, the 'fire' was too intense, too hasty, too impatient. It requires a gentle flame, a gradual approach." Emboldened by his newfound understanding, Liu Ruchen spoke with confidence.
Li Fan nodded without correcting him. "There's no rush. Sun Piaomiao's scripture is profound. Even I have benefited greatly. Take this opportunity to comprehend and digest it."
Liu Ruchen bowed, about to rejoin the discussion, but hesitated. He whispered, "Senior, is Ancestor Piaomiao still alive?"
It seemed Li Fan wasn't the only one who sensed something more.
Li Fan didn't answer directly, but offered a cryptic smile.
The Medicine King Sect members continued to share their insights while scouring their former grounds, hoping to find more of Sun Piaomiao's legacy. Unfortunately, the stone pill seemed to be his only remaining inheritance. Empty-handed, Li Fan brought them back to the Great Qi Small World. They entered seclusion or resumed their pill refinement, eager to apply their newfound knowledge.
"Refining the Dao…"
If these Dao Integration realm elders could gain so much, Li Fan's gains were even greater. Gazing at the Xuanhuang World, the inspiration he had previously suppressed resurfaced.
"In a sense, my plan to elevate the Xuanhuang World into an Immortal Realm is also a form of pill refinement."
"Adding ingredients, tempering with external forces, until the pill is complete." Li Fan's eyes gleamed with unprecedented understanding.
"However, my choice to integrate with the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm's Heavenly Soul was like discarding the precious pill after refinement and merely licking the residue on the cauldron…"
Li Fan pondered. The thought sparked a desire to consume the future Xuanhuang Immortal Realm like a pill, a desire that quickly became overwhelming.
He immediately recognized the danger. Closing his eyes, he suppressed the urge.
"The idea is sound."
"Unfortunately…"
"Not everyone can consume the Xuanhuang Immortal Realm pill."
"Even with all my trump cards, I wouldn't be able to." Li Fan remained clear-headed, aware of his limitations.
"Even if I could swallow it, I wouldn't be able to digest it. I'd explode."
"Hmph, I'm not that foolish." He reviewed the Dao Refining Medicine King Scripture.
"Sun Piaomiao is arguably the greatest alchemist, but his limit was refining pills within a single lifetime."
"Whereas I…" The scripture's characters transformed into swirling starlight, which Li Fan absorbed.
"With True Return, I can refine pills across multiple lifetimes!"
"In this respect, I have an unparalleled advantage!"
"I am naturally the ultimate alchemist!"
His gaze returned to the Xuanhuang World, his mind racing.
"Even if I can't consume the Xuanhuang Immortal pill in this lifetime,"
"I can use alchemy principles to make the realm's ascension smoother. My previous methods, though effective, were too crude."
"Moreover…"
"The experience gained in this lifetime can be carried over to the next, and beyond."
"Alchemists dedicate themselves to refining a single perfect pill. Once the process begins, there's no turning back. Only success or failure."
"But I can refine the same pill repeatedly, until it reaches its theoretical peak."
Li Fan envisioned a colossal purple-gold cauldron enveloping heaven and earth, the entire Xuanhuang World and all its inhabitants within, transforming into a single pill!
"Now, all that remains is to light the fire!"
Sensing that the number of beings covered by the Equal Heavens Ritual in the Small World had met the Profound Immortal Vessel's requirements, Li Fan sped towards the edge of the Star Sea.
He soon arrived near the vessel and deliberately released his aura.
"Hmm? Your aura…"
"Have you gained new insights?" Perhaps due to their shared participation in the Equal Heavens Ritual, Zhong Daogong and the other vessel elders keenly sensed the subtle change in Li Fan.
Unlike before, Li Fan wasn't as forthcoming. He simply smiled.
"The Equal Heavens Ritual has reached its target. It's ready to be activated."
"When shall we equalize the Star Sea's power?"
"I've waited so long, I'm quite eager." Without requesting entry, Li Fan got straight to the point.
After a brief silence, the vessel elders replied.
"We… still have some preparations to make."
"Seven days from now, outside the vessel."
"Why don't you come in and rest?"
Li Fan declined. "It's fine. I'll wait here."
"I've recently gained new insights regarding communicating with the Star Sea. Being inside the vessel would be a hindrance."
The vessel elders didn't press the issue. An awkward silence fell.
Li Fan stood amidst the stars, eyes closed in contemplation.
Seven days later, the elders emerged. Nodding to Li Fan, they began preparing the ritual in the void outside the vessel. They placed white flags in a specific order. Li Fan saw clearly that each flag bore a combination of over a dozen different True Immortal script characters.
Li Fan recognized each character individually, but combined and superimposed like this, they seemed to hold a different meaning.
"Hmm?"
Li Fan thought of the Immortal Realm chess piece sealed within the Great Xuan. It, too, involved superimposed True Immortal script, though the ones on the vessel's flags were far simpler.
"But it should be sufficient to support the ritual."
To Li Fan, the flags resembled sharp needles, piercing the Star Sea.
"Hear ye!"
With the ritual prepared and the elders in position, Zhong Daogong, leading the group, flew to the center. He looked up and cried out.
(End of chapter)