252: Chapter 251 The Elixir is Complete!

When he reached the entrance, he suddenly stopped and said without turning back, "Han Zhou, your master will be waiting outside for you. Regardless of whether you succeed or not, I'll be right here."

As his voice fell, the stone door slowly closed.

Inside the cave, only Jiang Hanzhou remained.

He took a deep breath, clearing all stray thoughts from his mind. Han Qing, Blood Shark Island, the Ten Thousand Gu Sect, Heavenly Sword Peak—all those conflicts, conspiracies, and grudges were cast aside at this moment.

At this moment, he had only one identity.

An Alchemist.

He raised his right hand, his mind moving slightly.

Within his body, four types of True Intent operated simultaneously. Tide as the foundation, Pure Yang as the fire, Metal Sharpness as the edge, and Heavenly Fire as the change—the four harmonized without hindrance, condensing into a ball of dark gold flame in his palm.

As the flame churned, its edges held the searing heat of crimson, the icy chill of deep blue, the sharp edge of gold, and the shifting transformations of dark gold.

Heavenly Fire True Intent, Major Achievement.

Samadhi True Fire, Perfection.

He raised his left hand and gave a gentle beckoning motion.

The Li Fire Furnace rose slowly from the stone platform, suspended in mid-air. The fire patterns on the furnace body began to light up, and a dark red glow flowed slowly through the gloom, illuminating the entire cave as if it were broad daylight.

He took a deep breath and sent the flame from his palm into the bottom of the furnace.

Boom—

The moment the flame entered the furnace, the Li Fire Furnace jolted violently! The fire patterns on the furnace body suddenly flared, and a blazing light erupted from within, making the fire-attribute Spirit Stones on the cave walls shine even more brilliantly.

The furnace temperature was climbing rapidly.

Three hundred degrees.

Five hundred degrees.

Eight hundred degrees.

One thousand degrees.

Jiang Hanzhou's Divine Sense tightly locked onto the temperature changes within the furnace, not daring to relax for a second. Refining a spirit essence pill had extremely harsh temperature requirements—too low, and the materials couldn't be purified; too high, and they would be incinerated.

He needed to throw the first medicinal material into the furnace at the exact moment the temperature reached twelve hundred degrees.

Too early wouldn't work, and too late wouldn't work either.

The temperature was climbing.

Eleven hundred degrees.

Eleven hundred and fifty degrees.

Twelve hundred degrees—

Now!

Jiang Hanzhou flipped his right hand, and the Purple Gold Lingzhi flew up from the stone platform, landing precisely into the furnace.

Sizzle—

The moment the Purple Gold Lingzhi entered the furnace, it made a slight sizzling sound. That was the sound of Impurities within the herb being evaporated by the high heat. His Divine Sense probed into the furnace, carefully observing the changes in the Purple Gold Lingzhi.

The medicinal material slowly melted in the flames, turning into a pool of purple liquid. Fine black Impurities floated on the surface of the liquid; those were the toxins and dross within the herb.

With a thought, the flames in the furnace began to divide. Part of the fire continued to maintain the furnace temperature, while another part transformed into countless fine threads of fire, wrapping around the purple liquid layer by layer to purify it.

The black Impurities were stripped away, burned, and evaporated bit by bit by the fire threads.

The purple liquid became purer and more translucent, finally turning into a single purple droplet only the size of a grain of rice.

The first medicinal material was successfully purified.

Jiang Hanzhou wrapped the purple droplet with his Divine Sense, suspending it in a corner of the furnace, and then threw in the second material—Seven Star Grass.

The moment the Seven Star Grass entered the furnace, it emitted a faint, delicate fragrance. That scent was extremely light, yet it contained dense medicinal power.

He followed the same process, using the flames to melt, purify, and condense the Seven Star Grass.

A drop of emerald green liquid formed in the furnace.

The third ingredient, the fourth, the fifth...

One by one, the medicinal materials turned into pure medicinal liquids in his hands, colorful and flowing slowly within the furnace.

Until the twelfth ingredient—the Ice Soul Stamen.

Jiang Hanzhou picked up the Ice Soul Stamen and examined it closely.

The stamen was light blue, only the size of a fingernail, with fine ice crystals condensed on its surface. He probed it with his Divine Sense and checked carefully—there was nothing unusual; it matched the description in Pharmacist Qu Fengchun's letter and was the genuine article provided as a replacement.

He threw the Ice Soul Stamen into the furnace.

The moment the stamen entered the furnace, a bone-chilling cold erupted from within! That cold collided with the blazing flames in the furnace, making a sizzling sound as a large amount of white mist escaped from the furnace.

Jiang Hanzhou grit his teeth, using his Divine Sense to forcibly suppress that chill, wrapping and melting the Ice Soul Stamen layer by layer.

The stamen slowly melted in the flames, turning into a droplet of ghostly blue liquid. The droplet contained extremely dense ice-attribute spiritual power, which was completely incompatible with the other medicinal liquids in the furnace.

He took a deep breath, his mind moving slightly.

The eleven drops of medicinal liquid in the furnace moved simultaneously, converging toward that ghostly blue droplet.

The twelve medicinal liquids slowly began to merge.

This was the most critical step in refining the spirit essence pill: the Fusion of the twelve medicinal liquids could be neither too fast nor too slow. If too fast, the liquids would clash; if too slow, they would solidify.

He had to use his mind as a guide, letting the twelve medicinal liquids slowly intermingle, fuse, and condense within the flames.

One breath.

Ten breaths.

One hundred breaths.

The twelve medicinal liquids finally fused completely.

Inside the furnace, a mass of medicinal liquid the size of a fist was flowing slowly. The liquid was deep purple, with fine dragon patterns of gold flowing on its surface; with every rotation, a wisp of dense medicinal fragrance escaped from the furnace.

The first step, purification and Fusion, was complete.

Next came the true test—

Channeling the Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence.

Jiang Hanzhou took a deep breath and extended his Divine Sense outside the cave.

Outside the Fire Cloud Cave, countless wisps of spiritual essence flowed through the world. They were formless and substanceless, yet present everywhere. Some were blazing like fire, some cold as frost, some sharp as blades, and some long and continuous like water.

His Divine Sense traveled through those Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essences, searching for the wisp that resonated most with him.

Refining a spirit essence pill required sealing the Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence into the medicinal liquid, allowing the liquid and the essence to fuse, coexist, and sublimate, finally condensing into a Medicinal Pill.

But the Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence would not cooperate voluntarily.

They would only frantically lash out at the medicinal liquid, attempting to break free from their constraints.

He needed to use his will as a chain to firmly lock them within the medicinal liquid.

A wisp of fire-attribute Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence slowly approached.

That wisp was extremely subtle, yet it contained an indescribable intensity. It circled around him once and then charged toward the medicinal liquid in the furnace—

Boom!

The moment the spiritual essence entered the medicine, the liquid in the furnace boiled violently!

Those dragon patterns of gold flowed frantically, colliding, clashing, and entangling with the power within the spiritual essence. The entire Pill Furnace vibrated violently, and the seven holes on the furnace lid simultaneously spewed out blazing flames!

Jiang Hanzhou grit his teeth, using his will to death-grip that wisp of spiritual essence, not letting it escape.

But the spiritual essence was too violent.

It rampaged through the medicinal liquid, each impact causing the Pill Furnace to vibrate even more fiercely. The fire patterns on the furnace body flickered unsteadily, and fine cracks even appeared in some places.

"Subdue for me—!"

Jiang Hanzhou gave a low shout, and the four types of True Intent within his body erupted simultaneously! Tidal True Intent transformed into invisible chains, wrapping around the spiritual essence layer by layer; Pure Yang True Intent became a blazing fire, searing the essence; Metal Sharpness True Intent became sharp blades, cutting through the essence; and Heavenly Fire True Intent fused, condensed, and sublimated all of this.

That violent wisp of spiritual essence was finally tamed.

It flowed slowly within the medicinal liquid, fusing, coexisting, and sublimating with the medicinal power.

The color of the medicinal liquid gradually changed from deep purple to dark gold.

The first step of infusing the spiritual essence into the medicine was successful.

But Jiang Hanzhou did not breathe a sigh of relief.

Because this was only the first wisp.

Refining a spirit essence pill required sealing in at least nine wisps of Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence.

Each wisp was a life-and-death test.

He took a deep breath, and his Divine Sense extended outside the cave once more.

The second wisp, the third, the fourth...

Every wisp of spiritual essence was as violent as the first, and every infusion was a life-and-death struggle.

His face grew paler and paler, veins bulged on his forehead, and sweat slid down his cheeks, making a soft "patter" as it hit the stone platform.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the lake of the Divine Soul was drying up at a visible rate.

The dark gold dragon patterns on the Heart Blade flowed frantically, drawing out all the remaining Divine Soul power from the lake and injecting it into the furnace to suppress the spiritual essence.

The fifth wisp.

The sixth wisp.

The seventh wisp.

The eighth wisp.

Only the last wisp remained.

Jiang Hanzhou's Divine Sense probed outside the cave, searching for the ninth wisp of Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence.

But just then—

A sudden change occurred!

The Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence outside the cave suddenly became violent!

Countless wisps of spiritual essence surged, collided, and entangled frantically, forming an invisible storm that swept toward the Fire Cloud Cave!

Jiang Hanzhou's expression changed drastically.

This was a spiritual essence rampage!

He had seen records of this in Master Xue Mu's Jade Slip—when an Alchemist channels too much Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence, it can trigger a chain reaction, forming a spiritual essence storm. The essences within the storm are no longer docile; they are frantic, violent, and uncontrollable.

The spiritual essence storm slammed into the isolation Formation of the Fire Cloud Cave, producing a deafening roar!

The entire cave was vibrating!

The fire-attribute Spirit Stones on the walls flickered unsteadily, and some even developed fine cracks!

The isolation Formation runes on the stone pillars flashed frantically, their silver-white light clashing, tearing, and entangling with the invisible spiritual essence storm outside.

Jiang Hanzhou stared fixedly at the medicinal liquid in the furnace, a flash of determination in his eyes.

There was no time left.

If he waited for the spiritual essence storm to break through the isolation Formation, not only would the pill be destroyed, but he himself would be torn to shreds by the violent spiritual essence.

He had to seal the ninth wisp of spiritual essence into the medicinal liquid before the storm broke through the Formation.

But the ninth wisp was surging frantically within the storm, making it impossible to capture.

What should he do?

Jiang Hanzhou closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down.

If the ninth wisp couldn't be captured, then—he would let it come to him.

He withdrew his Divine Sense, no longer trying to capture the spiritual essence, but instead exposing the aura of the medicinal liquid in the furnace to the storm.

The aura of the medicinal liquid was like a bright lamp flickering in the darkness.

As expected—

The spiritual essence in the storm frantically surged toward the medicinal liquid!

Not just one wisp, but dozens, hundreds, thousands!

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils contracted sharply.

If he let all these spiritual essences flood into the medicinal liquid at once, it would collapse in an instant!

He grit his teeth, and the four types of True Intent in his body erupted with full force! Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the last drop of Divine Soul power was drawn from the lake and injected into the furnace!

He used his will as a wall, blocking those violent spiritual essences outside the furnace, allowing only a single wisp inside.

One wisp.

Just one wisp.

The spiritual essence frantically slammed against the wall of his will, each impact causing his Sea of Consciousness to vibrate violently.

A trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth, a sign that his Divine Soul was damaged.

But he did not retreat.

He held that wall with everything he had, blocking countless wisps of spiritual essence outside while allowing only one to slowly pass through.

That single wisp of spiritual essence was dark gold throughout, containing an indescribable majesty and dominance.

It slowly entered the medicinal liquid, fusing, coexisting, and sublimating with the eight wisps already there.

The nine wisps of spiritual essence were all gathered.

At this moment, the medicinal liquid in the furnace underwent a qualitative change.

The mass of dark gold medicinal liquid began to rotate, condense, and shrink.

The rotation became faster and faster, the condensation tighter and tighter, and the shrinkage smaller and smaller.

Finally—

"Buzz—!"

A clear, resonant hum echoed from within the furnace.

That hum was like a dragon's roar, like a tiger's howl, like the first clap of thunder at the dawn of creation.

The seven holes on the furnace lid simultaneously spewed out brilliant golden light!

That light pierced through the isolation Formation of the Fire Cloud Cave, through the mountain-protecting array of Red Fire Peak, and shot straight into the sky!

The entire Dragon Abyss Palace saw this light.

Jiang Hanzhou opened his eyes and looked into the furnace.

Inside the furnace, three Medicinal Pills, translucent white throughout with dark gold dragon patterns flowing on their surfaces, were suspended quietly.

The pills were only the size of a longan, yet they radiated an indescribable vitality and Spiritual Qi.

On the surface of each pill were nine fine golden lines—the traces left by the nine wisps of Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence.

The spirit essence pill was formed.

Three of them.

High Grade.

Jiang Hanzhou stared at the three pills, remaining silent for a long time.

Then, he slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

He had succeeded.

And at this moment—

Outside the cave, Master Xue Mu stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the pillar of golden light shooting into the sky, his eyes full of gratification.

"That brat," he murmured, "well done."

Behind him, Zhou Lie and Liu Ningshuang also stared at the light, their faces filled with shock.

"Is that... the light of a spirit essence pill being formed?" Zhou Lie murmured. "Junior Brother Jiang... he succeeded?"

Liu Ningshuang didn't speak, but an indescribable light flashed in her cool, clear eyes.

Meanwhile, at Heavenly Sword Peak, Cold Frost Master stood by the window with his hands behind his back, looking at the golden pillar of light rising from Red Fire Peak, his expression as dark as water.

Behind him, Han Qing knelt on one knee, head lowered, his expression unreadable.

"He succeeded." Cold Frost Master's voice was calm, yet it contained an indescribable chill. "A spirit essence pill, formed at High Grade. It won't be long before he reaches a Breakthrough to the Dragon Fetus Realm."

Han Qing raised his head, a cold glint flashing in his sinister eyes: "This Disciple understands."

"You don't understand." Cold Frost Master turned around, staring directly at Han Qing. "Fang Demao's side has already been exposed. That little brat from Red Fire Peak won't let this opportunity slip by. Before the Sword Discussion Assembly, he will definitely settle accounts with Fang Demao first. When that time comes, what do you plan to do?"

Han Qing was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "This Disciple will take action personally."

"Take action personally?" Cold Frost Master gave a cold laugh. "The Sword Discussion Assembly hasn't arrived yet. If you take action personally, do you want everyone to know that Heavenly Sword Peak is targeting him?"

Han Qing lowered his head and said nothing.

Cold Frost Master was silent for a long time before slowly saying, "Fang Demao cannot be kept. You go handle it; make it clean. As for Jiang Hanzhou—I want him dead at the Sword Discussion Assembly."

Han Qing raised his head, a flash of killing intent in his eyes: "This Disciple understands."

He stood up, turned, and left.

Cold Frost Master stood by the window, watching the gradually dissipating golden light from Red Fire Peak for a long time.

Then, he spoke slowly, his voice so low that only he could hear it:

"Master Xue Mu, do you think you've won?"

"No."

"This is only the beginning."