Dancheng

Shen Wen no longer paid attention to the outside gazes. With a wave of his sleeve, the heaven burning cauldron landed.

Hundreds of medicinal herbs emitting a scorching Aura were neatly arranged on the jade platform beside him.

He gazed at the medicinal herbs for a moment, then flicked his finger, and a wisp of invisible heart-fire fell into the heaven burning cauldron.

Shen Wen stood before the pill cauldron, his expression calm.

With a slight thought, the hundreds of prepared medicinal herbs simultaneously floated up from the jade platform, as if accurately guided by an invisible giant hand, and flowed into the heaven burning cauldron like a stream, following some profound order and interval.

The timing, angle, and even the flame temperature carrying each herb into the cauldron were precise to the smallest detail, exuding a cold order and absolute control.

At the edge, the three Burning Flame Valley Elders, whose gazes were originally indifferent or even slightly scrutinizing, suddenly froze.

Although they were not Alchemists, they had lived for most of their lives and had seen countless Alchemy scenes.

When Valley Master Tang Zhen refined high-grade Medicinal Pills, they often stood by as Protectors, but when had they ever seen such a display of ease, controlling hundreds of medicinal herbs simultaneously as if they were an extension of his own arms?

Medicinal herbs entering the cauldron was not a simple tossing.

They needed to be finely wrapped with Soul Power, supported by Dou Qi or flames, and undergo preliminary processing in specific areas of the cauldron at specific temperatures.

For an ordinary high-rank Alchemist, being able to handle a dozen types at once was already considered impressive.

To see hundreds of medicinal herbs being "deployed" as methodically as an army was simply unheard of!

"This..."

The oldest of the three Elders, an old man with red eyebrows, moved his lips but ultimately failed to speak; the look of disapproval in his eyes had long since been replaced by shock.

They had long known that Shen Wen was the "youngest Grade 8 Alchemist," but when that reputation was put into practice, it was such a terrifying sight.

Another dark-faced Elder couldn't help but whisper to his colleague, "Wu Chen said before that this boy was too young and might lack experience, and that attempting to restore the original eighth-grade pill was overreaching... Looking at it now, it seems we were like frogs at the bottom of a well."

The Elder called Wu Chen remained silent, merely staring intently at Shen Wen's fluid movements, the last trace of doubt in his eyes vanishing.

They had indeed advised Valley Master Tang Zhen before, feeling that since Shen Wen was encountering this Pill Formula for the first time and it was Grade 8 difficulty, the risk of failure was significant. They thought it would be safer to first refine the improved seventh-rank top-tier pill.

However, Valley Master Tang Zhen had insisted on his own way, even paying the price of the complete Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Transformations and a massive favor.

Looking at it now, the Valley Master's decision might have been correct.

The refinement proceeded in silence, with only the faint hum of energy flowing within the Medicine Cauldron and the soft sound of rising flames.

Shen Wen's movements were not at all sluggish; every step was as precise as if it had been tempered a thousand times, carrying a unique beauty akin to the charm of the Dao.

Time passed quietly, and most of the day was spent in such extreme focus and control.

Suddenly, from beyond the volcanic rock dome reinforced by a Formation above the platform, a dull rumbling sound echoed.

Above the valley, the world's energy began to stir violently, and the originally crimson sky darkened at a pace visible to the naked eye.

Heavy dark clouds gathered from nowhere, stacking layer upon layer, with lightning flickering within, as a heart-palpitating pressure slowly descended.

"The Pill Lightning is about to form!"

Valley Master Tang Zhen stood up abruptly, looking up at the sky, his face showing both tension and an uncontrollable excitement and relief.

As a Dou Zun who also wielded a Heavenly Flame, he had refined high-grade Medicinal Pills many times and knew well the difficulty involved.

If an ordinary Seventh-Rank Alchemist were to refine the incomplete version of the fire bodhi pill, they would likely be drenched in sweat and giving it their all by now, with success still uncertain.

Yet this Grandmaster Shen before him had barely changed his expression from start to finish; his movements remained calm and unhurried, as if refining this Eighth Grade Pill was not a challenge but a practiced performance.

"Fortunately... fortunately, I agreed to his conditions back then."

Valley Master Tang Zhen thought to himself, a slight cold sweat breaking out on his back—both from lingering fear and immense joy. A complete eighth-grade fire bodhi pill!

Its value and efficacy were far beyond what the improved version could compare to.

Looking across the continent today, an eighth-grade Grandmaster who was both confident and willing to refine this pill for his Burning Flame Valley,

besides the one before him, would likely only be the brilliant but fallen Venerable Yao of the past.

He reflexively looked at his daughter beside him, only to see Tang Huo'er's bright eyes fixed firmly on Shen Wen, sparkling with brilliance.

She had seen her father refine pills; it was a state of total concentration and high tension, as if facing a great enemy, where every successful pill felt like surviving a major battle.

But Shen Wen's Alchemy was like a natural art—precise, elegant, and composed.

Those violent medicinal herbs and flames were as obedient as brush and ink in his hands, together painting a world-shaking masterpiece.

An unprecedented feeling surged in her heart, not just from being shocked by his skill.

Just as everyone's hearts were hanging on the cauldron, the ancient red copper pill cauldron shook violently, and the lid automatically flipped open with a "buzz"!

A fiery red stream of light, as intense as a small sun and accompanied by majestic medicinal power and spiritual fluctuations, shot out from within the cauldron like a startled swan, heading straight for the sky.

It was the newly formed eighth-grade fire bodhi pill, full of spirituality and attempting to break free from its shackles to escape!

"Not good!"

Valley Master Tang Zhen's expression changed, and he instinctively moved to intercept it.

Grade 8 pills already possessed spirituality, so escaping was not unusual, but if it were allowed to flee into the vast volcano or a spatial rift, trying to find it again would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.

However, before his body could even move, he froze in place.

He saw Shen Wen, as if he had expected it, not even raising his head, but merely casually reaching out his right hand toward the fiery red light and making a hollow grasping motion with his fingers.

The space around the aggressive fire bodhi pill, which was trying to break through the air, instantly solidified, as if it had crashed into an invisible wall of amber.

No matter how it flashed its light or dashed left and right, it could no longer move an inch, as if held firmly by an invisible giant hand.

With a gentle flick of Shen Wen's wrist, the struggling pill obediently flew back and landed steadily in his already open palm.

The pill was round and translucent, as crimson as fire, with golden pill veins flowing on its surface, emitting a refreshing, mellow medicinal fragrance and warm energy.

Almost at the same moment the pill landed in Shen Wen's hand, the terrifying thunderclouds that had been brewing in the sky finally reached their peak!

"Boom—!!!"

A deafening roar tore through the sky—not one bolt of lightning, but four thick pillars of lightning of different colors, intertwined and woven together: green, white, red, and yellow. A four-colored Pill Lightning!

Carrying violent energy that could destroy all things and cleanse spirituality, like spears of Heavenly Tribulation, they struck down fiercely toward Shen Wen... or rather, toward the newly born Eighth Grade Pill in his hand!

That power was far beyond what an ordinary Dou Zong's Heavenly Tribulation could compare to; even a low-rank Dou Zun would need to be on high alert when facing such four-colored Pill Lightning, as the slightest mistake could result in a serious injury.

"four-colored Pill Lightning! Father, quick..." Tang Huo'er was intimidated by that world-destroying Aura, her face paling as she instinctively cried out, wanting Valley Master Tang Zhen to help.

However, before her voice could even fade, the scene that unfolded before her eyes caused her and everyone present, including the three knowledgeable Elders, to have their pupils contract suddenly and their breathing stop.

Facing the four-colored lightning pillars that were enough to level mountains, Shen Wen didn't even lift an eyelid.

His left hand still held the now-quiet fire bodhi pill, while his free right hand formed a claw. He casually grabbed upward toward the roaring four-colored thunderclouds and then—clenched his fist fiercely!

There was no world-shaking collision, no brilliant clash of energies.

An illusory giant hand, chaotic in color and entwined with gray currents and faint silver light,

appeared out of thin air beneath the thunderclouds, like the hand of a god reaching out from the Void Realm, unerringly.

It grabbed the four-colored lightning pillars of staggering diameter, along with the main body of the heavy, roiling thunderclouds behind them, all within its palm!

The massive Pill Lightning, which would make even a Dou Zun turn pale, fell into that Chaos giant hand and became like a violent lightning Dragon pinned at its vital spot.

The struggling lightning dimmed and shrank at a visible pace, and even the deafening thunder was forcibly choked by an invisible force, turning into low whimpers.

Under the gaze of five pairs of eyes filled with extreme horror—Valley Master Tang Zhen, Tang Huo'er, and the three Elders—the five fingers of the Chaos giant hand slowly closed.

The Soul-shuddering four-colored Pill Lightning and the rolling thunderclouds were actually compressed and imprisoned by force, finally condensing into a brilliant lightning ball only the size of a fist. Four-colored electrical lights flowed and darted like spirit snakes on its surface, yet not a shred of energy could leak out!

With a beckon of Shen Wen's hand, the lightning ball containing terrifying destructive energy obediently flew down.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he opened his mouth and inhaled, swallowing the lightning ball directly as if it were a jellybean.

"Gulp..."

A faint, low rumble of thunder seemed to emanate from within his body before quickly subsiding.

Shen Wen's expression was normal, and he even narrowed his eyes comfortably, as if he had just tasted a slightly stimulating drink.

The entire volcanic interior platform was dead silent.

Valley Master Tang Zhen's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, forgotten. Tang Huo'er's mouth was slightly open, her emerald eyes wide with disbelief.

The three Elders were even more like clay statues or wood carvings, the wrinkles on their faces seemingly frozen, leaving only a sea of shock and bewilderment in their eyes.

Crushing four-colored Pill Lightning with his bare hands? And... swallowing it?

Just what kind of monster is this?!!

Shen Wen seemed not to notice the five people's dazed expressions. He looked down at the fire bodhi pill in his palm, which was now completely docile and its brilliance restrained, and nodded with satisfaction.

He casually took out a prepared cold jade box, placed the pill inside, and sealed it.

Only then did he turn to look at Valley Master Tang Zhen, who still hadn't recovered from the shock, his tone as flat as if he had just brushed away a fallen leaf:

"Valley Master Tang, I have fortunately fulfilled the mission. The eighth-grade fire bodhi pill is complete."