675: Nine Flames Shaping

The vast information of the Myriad Medicine Origin Qi and the fragments of the Herbal Path Comprehension flooded into his Sea of Consciousness.

Yao Delong felt a majestic and pure power of the Herbal Origin wash through his entire body, and even his Divine Soul felt refreshed.

His understanding of the medicinal properties of herbs instantly soared to a brand-new level!

Furthermore, a supreme method explaining the Herbal Origin and communicating with the spiritual plants of heaven and earth was imprinted in his heart, incredibly profound.

"Good stuff!" Yao Delong praised inwardly.

This Myriad Medicine Origin Qi was exceptionally rare, formed from the extraction of the essence of ten thousand types of Spirit Medicines; it was one of the core primary ingredients for refining Ninth-Grade Divine Pills!

Its value was immeasurable! And those fragments of the Herbal Path Comprehension were top-tier secret techniques that pointed directly to the Foundation of the Alchemic Dao, enough to take his Alchemy to the next level!

However, he was not surprised by this result.

The alchemic experience bestowed by the Yin-Yang Harmony System had already pushed his Realm to the Eighth Order Peak, half a step into the Ninth Order!

Not to mention the deductive control brought by the Perfection of the Void Derivation Pill Transformation Art. That Savage Demon Green Dragon?

He was just an upstart relying on talent; his true alchemic attainments were only at the Seventh Order Peak. Being perfectly crushed by Yao Delong was only natural!

The light faded, and his feet touched solid ground.

A scorching breath rushed toward him, carrying the scent of sulfur and molten metal.

Yao Delong looked around and found himself in a lava valley of staggering proportions!

Beneath his feet was dark red rocky ground covered in ancient runes, searing hot.

All around were cliffs flowing with dark golden lava, where scorching bubbles constantly burst, releasing terrifyingly high temperatures.

The entire valley was like a giant natural furnace, the air filled with violent fire-attribute energy.

In the center of the valley, nine flame totem pillars of various shapes, each a hundred zhang tall, rose from the ground, arranged in a circle!

Each totem was cast from an unknown dark golden metal, with surfaces engraved with fire runes of extreme complexity,

continuously emitting a heart-palpitating pressure of flames!

What burned on the totems were not physical flames, but 'Fire Intent' condensed from different Law forms:

Some were as bone-chillingly cold as ice crystals (Cold Flame Totem), some were as dense and explosive as fine rain (Explosive Flame Totem),

some were like a raging dragon's roar, and some were like a Phoenix's Nirvana... Nine distinct Conceptions of different fires together formed the core of this Earth Vein Furnace!

At this moment, nearly a thousand Cultivators and members of the Yao Race who had passed the first trial, including Liu Ruyan, the Savage Demon Green Dragon, and Elder Chen of the Myriad Sword Valley, were scattered around the nine totems.

Excitement and tension were visible on everyone's faces; they had clearly already received their rewards for the first trial.

Liu Ruyan held a Treasure Pill the size of a longan in her hand, shimmering with purple light,

it was precisely that half-step Eighth Order 'Purple Cloud Spirit-Concentrating Pill,' and her beautiful face was full of joy.

The Savage Demon Green Dragon gripped a pill as red as fire, with nine golden patterns flowing on its surface,

emitting a majestic life Origin Qi; it was the Eighth Order Medium Grade 'Crimson Sun Bone-Growing Pill'!

Although it was far inferior to the nine aperture spirit nurturing pill, it was still exceptionally precious, giving him some comfort.

Most of the others who ranked highly obtained Seventh Order pills or rare primary medicines, and even the lowest-ranked received a complete Eighth Order herb!

"Buzz!"

The Pill Venerable Phantom manifested once again above the valley, his grand voice drowning out the roar of the lava:

"The second trial: 'Nine Flames Shape-Forging'!"

"You must use your own Pill Fire to perfectly replicate the nine subtle variations of the different fires from the corresponding totems in the void before you!"

The phantom waved its hand, and a beam of light shot out from the top of each of the nine totems, clearly displaying the 'Fire Shapes' that needed to be replicated on a light screen in front of everyone:

Cold Flame Totem—requires condensing fire into nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine ice-cold hair-thin needles!

Explosive Flame Totem—requires transforming fire into a sky full of fine rain, where each raindrop explodes upon contact!

Raging Dragon Totem—requires gathering fire into a hundred-zhang dragon shape, with a soul-shaking dragon roar!

Phoenix Totem—requires deriving fire into Nirvana True Feathers, reborn through fire!

...The nine variations, each involving the ultimate control over flame shape, temperature, energy explosion, and Law Conceptions!

"During the replication process, a single mistake will cause the corresponding fire to materialize and backlash! At best, you will be heavily injured; at worst, your body and soul will be incinerated!"

"Time limit: two hours! Replicate all nine variations to pass!"

As soon as the voice fell, the temperature of the entire furnace valley seemed to rise by a few more degrees!

"Hiss... so difficult!"

"These variations... are too subtle! A slight mistake and..."

"Two hours to replicate nine variations?! This..."

Many alchemists with lower cultivation or those whose fire-control techniques were not top-tier instantly turned pale, feeling despair.

But many others also had a raging fighting spirit ignited in their eyes! The rewards for the first trial were so generous; if they passed this second trial, the rewards would definitely be even more astounding!

"Hahaha! Fire control? This is exactly what I like!" The Savage Demon Green Dragon laughed wildly and impatiently rushed toward the Raging Dragon Totem!

He clapped his hands together, and a burst of domineering green fire that seemed capable of incinerating the void erupted!

At the core of that fire, a phantom of a green lotus faintly drifted, emitting an aura that suppressed all other fires!

"Green Lotus Heaven-Burning Flame?!" Elder Chen of Myriad Sword Valley cried out in shock. "Wood generates fire... to think it could give birth to such a domineering Sacred Fire?"

The surrounding crowd was also deeply shaken; the quality of this demon's Pill Fire far exceeded their imagination!

Liu Ruyan's expression was solemn. No longer hesitating, her jade-like hands formed a seal, and a noble and mysterious purple flame rose from her palm,

the edges of the flame carrying wisps of destructive thunder—this was her natal Pill Fire, the Purple Extreme Heavenly Fire!

She chose the extremely difficult Phoenix Totem.

For a time, all kinds of Pill Fires appeared within the furnace valley! Blue water-flames, golden Buddha-flames, forest-white bone-fires... a riot of colors, each competing for brilliance!

The violent heatwaves overlapped, causing the air to begin to distort!

Some people had already begun trying to condense the first variation, acting with extreme caution, as if treading on thin ice.

The Savage Demon Green Dragon glanced at Yao Delong, who was still "dazed" in place, and the sneer in his heart grew even stronger:

"Hmph, the first trial was just a fluke! Fire-control techniques depend on the fire seed's Origin and control power!

With your mere trash fire at the level of Essence Fire, how can you compare to my Green Lotus Heaven-Burning Flame? You must be scared witless!"

He paid no more attention and focused entirely on driving his Sacred Fire, beginning to outline the shape of the raging dragon. The green flames tumbled, and faint dragon roars could be heard; his progress was rapid!

Yao Delong indeed hadn't moved.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his deep gaze slowly sweeping across the nine majestic flame totems, his brow slightly furrowed.

"These nine totems... their auras seem independent, but faintly... they seem to form a mysterious cycle? What is the connection?"

He quickly deduced in his mind. The nine variations of different fires... the fire-condensing chapter of the Great Sun Body Forging Art... the Method of Burning Divine Fire... the fire-control essentials of the Void Derivation Pill Transformation Art... countless thoughts collided.

After watching for a long time, that trace of connection remained hazy. By now, many people had successfully condensed the first or even the second variation.

The Savage Demon Green Dragon, relying on the dominance of the Green Lotus Heaven-Burning Flame, had even completed the first three variations of the Raging Dragon Totem in one go!

"Forget it, I'll follow the rules first." Yao Delong stopped overthinking and randomly chose a spot near the Cold Flame Totem to sit cross-legged.

"Whoosh!"

With a thought, a wisp of seemingly ordinary red-gold flame leaped from his fingertip!