890: Chapter 891 The Old Demon Emperor's Promise

He raised his head, and within those eyes that had weathered countless storms, a thick, inseparable mix of anxiety and entreaty now surged. "This old man... never expected the Chaos Python Clan to strike such a cruel blow! The Dao injury Wuya suffered has directly damaged his Origin soul; nothing short of a peerless Divine Pill can save him! If you, little friend, can use this Heaven-Defying pill to bring my son back..."

Mo Jue took a deep breath, promising with what seemed like every ounce of his strength, "My Qingqiu Sky Fox lineage shall henceforth honor you as our eternal Chief Guest of Honor! The Qingqiu Treasury shall be fully opened to you! In the future, should you have any need, even if it means crossing mountains of blades or seas of fire, I, Mo Jue, and all of Qingqiu will exert the power of our entire clan, undeterred by ten thousand deaths!"

Yao Delong's heart jolted, and he immediately rose to return the salute. "Senior, you overstate things! I also feel deep sorrow for the great calamity Fox King Wuya has faced and will naturally give my all!" From the other's suppressed grief and desperate promise, he instantly understood more—this Old Demon Emperor had only this pair of children, both of whom were Prodigies. Demon Emperor Xue Wuya, in particular, was the hope of the entire Qingqiu lineage, having reached the Peak Demon Emperor Realm in just a few thousand years and possessing the potential to strike for the lost position of 'Fox Emperor' that had been vacant for ten thousand years!

The Qingqiu lineage had been silent for too long. The humiliation of falling from a Royal Clan to a King Clan, the fatal blow from the Chaos Python Clan... it all weighed heavily on this old father's shoulders, and on the future of Qingqiu.

"Senior, rest assured," Yao Delong's voice carried a convincing, calm power, his eyes burning bright. "If this pill succeeds, not only can Fellow Daoist Wuya's Origin be restored, but the medicinal power of the Sky Demon Nirvana Flower Core can help him break through his limits and knock upon the gates to an even higher Realm!"

"Truly?!" An unprecedented radiance erupted in Mo Jue's eyes. It was the ecstasy and hope of someone on the brink of despair grasping at their only lifeline, and his entire spirit seemed to lift significantly.

He suddenly turned to look at Xue Shushu by his side, his voice firm and decisive. "Shu'er! For the next few days, you must stay by Young Friend Long's side and protect him! Give him whatever he asks for! The future of Qingqiu rests entirely on this single furnace of pills!" Before his voice had even faded, the old man's figure had already dissipated like blue smoke outside the Secret Chamber, leaving behind only a trace of resolute aura.

Only two people remained in the Secret Chamber. A trace of indescribable complexity crossed Xue Shushu's exquisite face as her slender hand offered a Storage Pouch emitting intense spatial fluctuations. Her voice was lower than usual: "Daoist Long, all the spiritual materials you requested are inside. As for the essence blood... when do you need it?"

Yao Delong took the Storage Pouch and swept his Divine Thought through it, feeling a surge of joy. The medicinal ingredients were not only complete but their quality far exceeded his expectations. That substituted Sky Demon Nirvana Flower Core was radiant with flowing light, its petal edges flickering with faint blue soul-fire, containing a majestic Power of Creation over life and death. The half-section of the Sky Demon Nirvana Flower Core was crystal clear, like the frozen essence of a Phoenix, its aura ancient and sacred. The Qingqiu lineage had truly spared no expense this time!

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist." Yao Delong's expression was solemn. "Refining this Nine Aperture Nourishing Soul and Replenishing Spirit Divine Pill is extremely complex and dangerous; there can be no margin for error. The most critical step is when the pill embryo is first formed and the medicinal powers are on the verge of fusing; I will need you to use your Demon Emperor essence blood as a catalyst to trigger the vitality of the Nirvana Flower Core and forcefully inject it within. This step requires our minds to be connected, and the timing is fleeting! I must ask you to act as a Protector in this chamber for the next few days and wait for that moment to arrive."

Hearing this, Xue Shushu's eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded solemnly. She naturally understood that at such a life-and-death moment of refining a Ninth-Grade Divine Pill where no disturbance could be tolerated, allowing an outsider like her to remain in the pill chamber was in itself a sign of immense trust and entrustment. "Daoist Long, rest easy! On the day the pill is completed, leave that world-destroying Pill Lightning Tribulation... to me!" Her words carried an unquestionable resolve, and nine illusory fox tail shadows seemed to flash behind her.

The two said no more, their eyes meeting in a silent understanding. The heavy stone door of the Secret Chamber closed soundlessly, sealing off everything from the outside world.

Yao Delong sat cross-legged in the center of the Secret Chamber. With a thought, an ancient and heavy giant cauldron emitting a vast Xuanhuang aura crashed to the floor—it was the Dao Artifact given by Xue Shushu, the xuanhuang creation cauldron! Runes flowed across the cauldron's body, faintly connecting with the pulse of the earth. Yao Delong secretly felt lucky; if not for this treasure cauldron to suppress the process, his previous Pill Furnace would likely have had a very low success rate against the backlash of a Ninth-Grade Divine Pill.

"Hah!"

Yao Delong gave a low shout, and his majestic Yuan Qi transformed into invisible hands, pulling the nine main medicines from the Storage Pouch into the air. Nine top-tier spiritual materials of different forms and auras—some fiery, some icy, some full of life, and some filled with Death Qi—hovered above the cauldron mouth, each emitting a heart-palpitating amount of energy.

The next moment, a wisp of dreamlike Glazed-colored flame that seemed capable of incinerating the Void Realm rose from Yao Delong's palm—the Glazed Hearth Fire!

The moment the flame appeared, the temperature in the entire Secret Chamber did not rise drastically, but the space distorted eerily, as if it could not withstand the temperature of this fire's Origin. Xue Shushu's pupils shrank; even from a distance, she could feel the terrifying power contained within that tiny flame, enough to burn away a Demon Emperor's Divine Soul! This was absolutely no ordinary earthly Essence Fire!

"Glazed Hearth Fire, Nine-Flame Light Split!" Yao Delong's hand seals bloomed like a lotus.

Whoosh!

That clump of Glazed-colored flame trembled violently and instantly split! Nine streaks of flames of different colors and forms leaped out like spirits! Some were crimson like blood, violent and scorching; some were deep blue like ice, freezing the soul; some were emerald green, containing endless vitality; some were ash-white, as if they could dissolve all things... Each one emitted the aura of an earthly Essence Fire sufficient to make an ordinary Demon King tremble with fear!

Nine types of Essence Fire with completely different attributes were actually controlled by him alone, as easily as his own fingers!

"Nine-Flame Soul Tempering!" Yao Delong's Divine Thought, like billions of silk threads, precisely wrapped around the nine clumps of Essence Fire. He controlled them simultaneously, like the most precise Great Master of forging, and began to separately temper the nine hovering main medicines.

Sizzle! Hiss! Crackle!

For a time, strange noises echoed continuously within the Secret Chamber. The violent fire-attribute spiritual materials were enveloped by the blood-red flames and frantically purified; the icy-attribute ones were gently brushed by the deep blue ice-flames, extracting the most refined cold marrow; the vibrant plant was wrapped in green flames, its leaves unfurling as it dripped emerald liquid... Nine types of Essence Fire, nine tempering methods, all proceeding simultaneously under Yao Delong's terrifying multi-tasking control!

Xue Shushu held her breath, her green eyes filled with nothing but shock. This was no longer just the art of alchemy; it was near-miraculous! She had never imagined that fire control techniques could reach such an inconceivable and supernatural level! Especially that core Glazed-colored flame itself; its mystery and power made even her, a Demon Emperor, feel a trace of palpitation. The secrets this Fellow Daoist Long carried were simply unfathomable!