Crack! Crack!
The cracks forming on the cauldron grew larger and larger, spreading out like a spiderweb.
“Your Highness, once the cauldron explodes, the dicinal concoction will be utterly destroyed…” Elder Jiang Li couldn’t help but shout.
Prince Yuanqing nodded.
He was well aware of the situation before him.
The most crucial elent in pill forging was the cauldron itself. If it shattered, the previously refined dicinal power would instantly dissipate, rendering all efforts futile.
But at this mont, he had already exhausted all his strength. The River of Destiny, operating at full capacity, emitted a “rumbling!” sound, as though it might collapse at any given mont and explode on the spot.
“How about… trying to throw the cauldron into the Yellow Spring Water?” Just then, Zhang Xuan, who had been silently absorbing Power Destiny from the River of Destiny, suddenly spoke.
“The cauldron is unimaginably hot right now;
throwing it in would only make it shatter faster… If you don’t understand, stop speaking nonsense here…” One of the elders couldn’t help but rebuke him.
The cauldron, burned so violently by the inferno that it seed as though it might lt at any mont—throwing it into the icy Yellow Spring Water now would undoubtedly cause it to explode even quicker.
“Shut up!”
Before the elder could finish his words, Elder Jiang Li, hovering in mid-air, abruptly interrupted him. His previously anxious gaze suddenly lit up: “No, this might work! The Yellow River Guiding Flower is nurtured by the Yellow Spring Water, growing from its essence. Putting the cauldron into the Yellow Spring Water is akin to returning it to its source, which may suppress the Flower’s violent outburst!”
“Do it!”
After murmuring to himself, Elder Jiang Li clenched his teeth tightly. With a fierce flick of his wrist, the scorching cauldron roared as it plunged into the tumultuous Yellow Spring. In an instant, the river seed to be severed, scalded into a vast blank void, wisps of mist rising like ascending white clouds.
“It didn’t explode? This… How is this even possible?”
The elder who had previously scolded Zhang Xuan hurriedly peered closer and saw that the cauldron, which had been riddled with cracks and on the verge of exploding, not only hadn’t burst but had its fissures sealed by the dicine clinging to the mist. The cauldron—remarkably—had beco sturdier and was no longer at imdiate risk of shattering.
Moreover, with the assistance of the Yellow Spring Water, the previously stagnant pill forging process unexpectedly accelerated. Waves of dicinal fragrance wafted out, suggesting that the pill was almost complete.
“Still not quite there…”
After continuing the refinent for a while, the fragrance grew increasingly rich, yet the pill refused to form fully. Elder Jiang Li’s face once again showed signs of worry.
“What’s going on?”
Prince Yuanqing had also detected that sothing was amiss.
According to standard pill forging procedures, once the fragrance began emanating, it ant the pill had already taken shape and would erge from the cauldron in a short while. Yet now, it still fell short of completion.
“Reporting to Your Highness, it must be because the required strength for this pill is too imnse. Even draining all the surrounding Origin qi won’t suffice!” Elder Jiang Li hurriedly explained.
“Insufficient strength?” Prince Yuanqing’s eyes flashed with clarity.
So formidable pills require dicinal materials that have aged over a thousand years. It’s not rely that such dicine possesses potent properties;
rather, they harbor an overwhelming essence, making forging exceptionally challenging. However, success also dramatically boosts the quality of the resulting pill.
For the refinent of this particular pill, the dicinal materials placed into the cauldron were mostly over two thousand years old, a level of opulence without question. Yet even so, accelerating its formation proved nearly impossible!
The latent pressure of these two-thousand-year-old materials was still insufficient!
“I happen to possess two dicinal materials aged over ten thousand years. Perhaps adding them might ensure success…” After so hesitation, Prince Yuanqing nodded solemnly.
Ten-thousand-year-old dicinal materials acquire Spiritual Wisdom as well as undergo lightning tribulations as part of their tempering. Out of millions, only a scant few survive. Moreover, such prized materials are split among various powerful clans—priceless and rare. Even as Crown Prince, Yuanqing wasn’t easily able to procure them.
Having two of them already constituted his years of hard-earned accumulation.
“Ten-thousand-year dicinal materials? Absolutely not!”
Elder Jiang Li extended his hand to stop him outright.
“Why?” Prince Yuanqing frowned.
Scrutinizing the Crown Prince’s action, Elder Jiang Li spoke hurriedly: “Pill forging revolves around balance. The current arrangent of all dicines in the cauldron perfectly aligns with the Yellow River Guiding Flower’s properties. Introducing ten-thousand-year materials would tip this equilibrium too strongly, leading to inevitable failure!”
“Then what do we do?”
Prince Yuanqing furrowed his brows.
Though incapable of pill forging himself, he understood Elder Jiang Li’s reasoning. Whether for pill refinent or any other task—the key lay in maintaining balance. The dicine’s imnse latent strength was undeniable, yet forcibly integrating it would disrupt the delicate neutrality of the concoction, casting the pill toward uncontrollable results.
“Your Highness, have you ever heard of ‘Jiezi Refining’?”
Elder Jiang Li’s eyes glead.
“Are you referring to Fu Jiezi, the Apothecary renowned for his pill forging mastery seven thousand years ago?” Prince Yuanqing paused, turning his gaze toward the elder.
“Indeed. That Apothecary was my master’s grandmaster. Does Your Highness know how he t his end?” Elder Jiang Li asked.
Prince Yuanqing shook his head: “I’ve heard of this individual, aware of his extraordinary pill forging techniques. As to the circumstances of his demise—I’ve no knowledge. Could it involve the forging of this kind of pill?”
While uncertain why Elder Jiang Li broached this topic at such a critical juncture, Yuanqing knew it surely pertained to pill refinent.
“Not related to forging this pill specifically, but connected to an especially powerful dicine. Back then, Grandmaster Jiezi sought to forge the Chaos Returning Origin Pill—a process fraught with identical hurdles to our current situation. The dicinal essence sufficed, yet the potency lacked…”
Elder Jiang Li explained.
“How did he resolve it?” Hearing that soone had faced this challenge before and that Elder Jiang Li might have insight, Prince Yuanqing exhaled slightly.
Although Fu Jiezi’s ultimate fate remained unclear, myths surrounding the Chaos Returning Origin Pill had circulated widely.
Ford from Void Star Pattern Sunflower, Thunder Marsh Charcoal Ash, Eight Desolate Dragon Elephant Fruit, and other rare elents—it could elevate even the Peak of Life Sea Realm to unprecedented heights!
The legend of the pill remained well-known throughout the Source World, with only three instances of success recorded in its history. All three originated from Fu Jiezi’s one miraculous cauldron.
Among the recipients of the pill were royalty like King Yuanqing’s ancestor and a revered Bodhisattva from the Buddhist Sect—both renowned breakthroughs attributed to its mystical effects.
Given the lore surrounding the pill, it stood to reason Fu Jiezi successfully navigated similar crises during its forging.
Fists clenched tightly, Elder Jiang Li declared: “Grandmaster Jiezi once faced the choice of using ten-thousand-year materials but ultimately abandoned the notion. After pondering deeply, he resolved to make the most profound sacrifice possible!”
“Oh?” Prince Yuanqing questioned further.
Elder Jiang Li replied: “That sacrifice was… to offer his own body as the essence! The pill lacked strength, not dicinal balance. Therefore, all that was needed to complete the process was pure and overwhelming power! As the strongest alchemist of the Source World, the force within his own body was the purest of all—and perfectly harmonious with the various dicinal attributes. By offering himself, the pill was guaranteed to succeed! That is how Grandmaster Jiezi ultimately forged the Chaos Returning Origin Pill!”
“Refining the pill with oneself?”
Prince Yuanqing waved his hand fiercely: “Absolutely not! I refuse to condone this!”
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