Chapter 4705 Important Matter
Long Chen was shocked to see the flame clump that had accumulated the most energy suddenly explode. Nothing had attacked it or anything; it simply detonated.
The instant it exploded, another flame clump absorbed its energy, becoming the strongest entity within the pill furnace. It had just formed when an unremarkable-looking clump pierced through it like an assassin lying in wait.
The interior of the Earth Cauldron instantly descended into chaos, with all the flame clumps crazily killing each other. Even the ones hiding in the corner were drawn into the chaos.
BOOM!
The energy inside of the Earth Cauldron instantly went out of control. With an explosive sound, all the flame clumps vanished, transforming into black ash.
When silence descended, Long Chen realized that he was covered in cold sweat. Although it was just a competition between flame clumps, he felt like he had just watched an entire world’s rise and fall. Looking at the black ash, he felt a profound sense of shock.
“What did you see?” asked the Earth Cauldron.
“I saw a great deal...” mumbled Long Chen. It was his first time examining the process of failure when refining pills so closely, and it gave him a great deal of enlightenment.
“Alright, keep refining.”
Under the Earth Cauldron’s guidance, Long Chen took a deep breath and calmed his emotions before starting the second refinement. This time, he did not get distracted. Using his Spiritual Strength to balance the energy within every pill, he had the energy cycle endlessly, maintaining a marvelous balance.
As Long Chen’s Spiritual Strength retreated, the interior of the pill furnace rumbled as the pills condensed. He had to retract his Spiritual Strength so that the pills could freely absorb the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, becoming independent bodies.
If Long Chen didn’t pull back his Spiritual Strength, it would cause the pills to lose their spirituality. Such pills would never be of high quality.
However, when Long Chen’s Spiritual Strength was out of the pill furnace, what was inside was no longer under his control. At this point, the only thing he could count on was luck. This factor made it so that every alchemist—no matter their level—knew they always had a chance of failure in the refinement process.
BOOM!
The Earth Cauldron quivered before falling silent. When Long Chen carefully opened the lid, nine hundred and ninety-nine pillars of light soared.
Long Chen waved his hand, blocking them. These medicinal pills had instantly tried to flee, but how could Long Chen possibly let them do so?
“Success!”
Blocking the medicinal pills suspended before him, Long Chen felt excited. These medicinal pills had come flying out in a blaze of divine light, but now they were growing darker, wrinkled like dried-up tangerines.
Long Chen used a special pill cloth to seal the medicinal energy inside, as well as screen it from the senses of the heavens.
Only this kind of pill cloth could allow nine hundred and ninety-nine peerless grade pills to appear in this world at the same time. Otherwise, only one of them would survive, and the rest would all be destroyed by the Heavenly Daos.
The term "peerless grade" signified that two of the same thing couldn't exist at the same time. Condensing a pill cloth to screen them from the heavens was the only thing that allowed them to exist in this world. As long as the pill cloth was not broken, it would be fine no matter how many of them were refined.
To have refined nine hundred and ninety-nine peerless grade golden pills at once was shocking even to Long Chen. If this news were to spread, it would definitely frighten a bunch of people to death.
“The Pill Dao is also a Grand Dao. To master one Dao is to master all Daos. Refining pills can also be a form of cultivation. You must closely examine the profundities that lie within them. Don’t rush the results only to neglect the process,” explained the Earth Cauldron.
“Many thanks for your reminder, senior. I understand.” After that, Long Chen nodded reverently.
For him, refining pills was always about the medicinal pills. But now Long Chen realized just how many opportunities he had wasted over the years.
“Huo Linger, did you understand?” asked the Earth Cauldron.
“I memorized the process, and I won’t mess it up. The changes in Spiritual Strength and shifts in flames are all no problem to me. My Spiritual Strength isn’t as strong as Big Brother Long Chen’s though, so I’m worried I won’t be able to do it as well,” replied Huo Linger with a trace of embarrassment.
“For you to say such a thing, it means that you haven't truly understood it yet. This balancing art is a subtle one that doesn’t require much energy. Long Chen also tried to control things with brute force at the start, but later, the shifts in Spiritual Strength and the tempo of the flames changed according to the inside of the pill furnace. As long as you understand... Well, you’re only a flame spirit. For you to be able to understand this much is already amazing. I will refine two more furnaces of pills with Long Chen, so keep a close eye on the changes,” said the Earth Cauldron.
Just like that, the Earth Cauldron started another refinement. With his previous experience and the Earth Cauldron’s enlightening words, Long Chen’s control with his soul became simple. Just as the Earth Cauldron said, this balancing act only required skill, not brute force.
As long as someone mastered this skill, everything would be easy. They then refined two more furnaces of pills, and by the third time, Huo Linger would try.
As expected, despite Huo Linger being smart, she was still a flame spirit, and her comprehension skill could not be compared to Long Chen's. The third refinement failed midway.
This was a rather large blow to Huo Linger, and Long Chen consoled her, telling her not to worry. Failure was just another way for Long Chen to comprehend things. He still gained something just by watching the process of the world within the Earth Cauldron go out of control. Thus, there was no need for Huo Linger to feel pressure to succeed; even failure was a win for Long Chen.
With that, Huo Linger didn’t get anxious. With the Earth Cauldron’s guidance, after seven failures, she finally succeeded on the eighth refinement.
Furthermore, this one success caused her confidence to grow, and she memorized the trick. She successfully refined it two more times in a row. With this success, she hugged Long Chen, laughing and jumping excitedly.
“Alright, it’s time for the next one! The Lotus Heart Divine Venerate Pill!” said the Earth Cauldron.
Long Chen hastily took out the necessary medicinal ingredients according to the Earth Cauldron’s instructions. With the experience of success, everything went easily.
Long Chen first refined it and had Huo Linger study the process. Huo Linger knew how important medicinal pills were to Long Chen, so she was observing the process with great focus.
In any case, refining pills relied on control, and this could be considered another form of cultivation to her. On top of that, the Earth Cauldron was occasionally enlightening her to certain points, making her very grateful toward it.
By the time they finished refining every single kind of Divine Venerate Pill that they could, half a month had passed. Huo Linger was capable of refining every single one of these pills. Thanks to that, Long Chen could just leave the refinement to her and the Earth Cauldron, and he was free to do what he needed to do. Long Chen was just about to go when the Earth Cauldron stopped him.
“Aren’t you forgetting something very important?”
“What thing?”
“Have you forgotten what the Dragonblood Legion is most lacking at the moment?”
Long Chen stared at it for a long time, completely baffled.
“Have you forgotten about your Heavenly Doyen Fruits?”
Pow!
Long Chen slapped his leg hard and jumped up.