"Life and death are one, merging with the Dao to achieve true unity. Detached from the mundane, my Dao Pill is formed."
Li Buren carefully pondered the contents of the [Dao Refining Medicine King Scripture], finally understanding the reason for his initial failure.
"My intentions were too focused, not in line with the carefree spirit of the Dao…"
Li Buren shook his head, chuckling.
"Indeed, I was too focused on the result."
"The Dao Pill is merely a supplement. Beneficial, but not essential."
For Li Fan, the success of the Dao Pill wasn't the key.
The important part was the refining process itself.
Having witnessed the grandeur of the true Great Dao through Dao Bearer, Li Fan knew that comprehending all Three Thousand Great Daos on his own would be an incredibly long and inefficient process.
He might not even complete it before the end of the mortal world.
So, he needed shortcuts.
Besides directly absorbing the Dao comprehension of the Grand Magus and Dao Bearer, the [Dao Refining Medicine King Scripture] passed down by Sun Piaomiao was also a highly effective method.
The Great Dao manifested as all things in the world, and through the process of [Dao Refining], these things could be refined back into their original "Dao" state.
This was similar to the function of [Yuanshi], but the refined Dao wasn't in the same primordial, chaotic state. Instead, it was organized and clarified, easier to comprehend.
Simply put, it was the difference between simply seeing and truly understanding.
Even if the Dao Pill wasn't successfully formed, the process of condensing the Dao was enough for Li Buren to closely observe these Dao Principles.
Seven days later, Li Buren began refining again.
Although various phenomena still manifested, the inhabitants of the Primordial Immortal Realm, having survived the previous ordeal, were mostly no longer afraid.
And the five Grand Emperors and thirteen Venerables, who benefited from the process, were even more enthusiastic.
Under Li Buren's remote guidance, amidst flickering flames, a Dao Pill began to form.
Compared to the previous flawed attempt, this true Dao Pill, besides being enveloped in a purple aura, also possessed a nascent sentience.
Facing Li Buren, who was about to consume it, the Dao Pill showed no fear, even exhibiting a hint of eagerness.
"The Dao Pill is essentially a condensation of countless Dao Principles. It won't vanish after being consumed."
"Instead, it will merge with my understanding of the Dao…"
As this realization dawned upon him, Li Buren paused, the Dao Pill hovering before his mouth.
His ingrained caution made him reconsider. Even for an avatar, the risk wasn't worth it.
"Here, it's yours."
He casually tossed the Dao Pill away, triggering a scramble among the Grand Emperors and Venerables.
For these beings, consuming a single Dao Pill was equivalent to millennia of arduous cultivation, perhaps even more.
Li Fan had strictly defined the roles and authorities within the Primordial Immortal Realm.
Even the Grand Emperors could only observe the Dao Principles within their respective domains. However, the Dao Pills bestowed by Li Fan bypassed these restrictions.
"This is true power."
"Breaking the rules, ignoring the rules, and even…"
"Creating the rules."
As Li Buren continued to refine Dao Pills, insights accumulated within Li Fan's mind.
Combined with his learnings from Dao Bearer, his progress was astonishing.
After the nineteenth Dao Pill, Li Buren stopped giving them to the inhabitants of the Primordial Immortal Realm and began collecting them.
The accumulation of Dao Pills was an irresistible temptation for any being, far exceeding the allure of the Heavenly Soul in the Xuanhuang World.
Yet, Li Buren remained completely unmoved.
Practice makes perfect. Besides refining Dao Pills with increasing ease, Li Buren also developed some unique ideas.
"Since Mo Annihilation can manifest as a Heavenly Soul, it should theoretically be able to merge with a Dao Pill."
With this thought, during the next refining process, Li Buren began channeling the power of Mo Annihilation.
However, Mo Annihilation, like the Dao Obliteration Calamity, could erode Dao Principles. Its integration caused the refining process to fail.
But this failure gave Li Buren hope.
The Dao Pill hadn't dissipated instantly upon contact with Mo Annihilation but had persisted for a while before collapsing.
"It seems the proportions are incorrect. I need to adjust them."
After six months of experimentation, Li Buren finally refined the first [Mo Annihilation Dao Pill].
It was still enveloped in a sacred purple aura, even more intense than a normal Dao Pill.
Astonishingly, patterns resembling the Mountain and Sea naturally appeared on its surface, adding to its mystique.
Li Buren stared at it for a long time, unsure if this Mountain and Sea imagery was a coincidence.
So, he refined another pill.
The result was the same.
"Interesting." Li Buren tossed the "poison pill" out of the Dao Palace.
Having been deprived of Dao Pills for a while, this seemingly extraordinary pill triggered a fierce battle among the inhabitants of the Primordial Immortal Realm, even more brutal than all the previous conflicts combined.
An Earth Spirit, born during the Primordial Immortal Realm's creation, was fortunate enough to obtain the pill.
Overjoyed, it swallowed the Dao Pill.
Enveloped in a purple aura, the Earth Spirit uncontrollably ascended towards Li Buren's Dao Palace, disappearing from sight, eliciting gasps of astonishment and envy.
Li Buren observed the Earth Spirit, now completely "purple" and seemingly devoid of consciousness, and stroked his chin.
"This is…"
"Dao Transformation?"
The Earth Spirit's life force had dissipated, leaving only its form. However, there was no "Dao of the Earth Spirit."
This scene was bizarre.
The Earth Spirit, instead of absorbing the Dao Pill, had been consumed by it.
And Li Buren noticed that there was no trace of Mo Annihilation within the transformed Earth Spirit.
It had been consumed during the Dao Transformation process.
"So, this is another application of Mo Annihilation?"
A single experiment wasn't enough to understand this peculiar transformation.
Li Buren proceeded to refine fifteen more [Mo Annihilation Dao Pills].
As bizarre purple statues accumulated around him, he gradually grasped the underlying principle.
This time, he bypassed the Dao Pill refining process entirely. With a thought, he unleashed the power of Mo Annihilation, targeting a being below.
Instead of being annihilated as usual, the target underwent "Dao Transformation," reverting to its primordial form at the moment of its creation.
(End of chapter)