Chapter 928: Refining the Sky Demon Puppet
A murky blood fog surged in all directions from the white-colored ring. It swiftly agglomerated into a blood-colored figure within the cave.
This figure had just appeared when an unusually dense stench spread out. However, the two people within the cave were not ordinary people. This kind of negative emotion did not successfully corrode their mind.
The fierce spirit had just appeared when it saw Xiao Yan and Tian Huo zun-zhe. Perhaps because it had been captured the last time it saw these people, but it actually did not pounce on them. Instead, it turned around, transformed into a blood shadow that wildly shot out of the cave. It appeared to be afraid of them and was actually attempting to flee.
"Hmph, you wish to escape?"
Tian Huo zun-zhe let out a cold snort upon seeing the actions of the fierce spirit. His hand was clenched and the Fallen Heart Flame in front of him swiftly spread out. It transformed into a fire web as it rushed out. Finally, it managed to seal the cave exit just before the blood figure reached it.
Fear flashed across the blood-colored eyes of the fierce spirit when it saw the invisible fire web. Although it lacked intelligence, its instincts told it that this invisible fire web in front of it would cause it great harm.
The rushing blood figure forcefully halted its charging body amid an ear-piercing screech. After which, it stilled its body at a spot only five feet from the fire web.
The body came to a stop, but before the blood figure could rejoice, Tian Huo zun-zhe waved his sleeves. One could watch as the fire web fell before turning into a something like a hungry wolf, charging forward. The web wrapped around the fierce spirit, which could not withdraw in time.
Chi! Chi!
The fire web had just made contact with the fierce spirit's body when it immediately emitted waves of white fog. A 'chi chi' sound repeatedly appeared. It was also accompanied by the all out struggle of the fierce spirit. Although it did not possess any intelligence, the Fallen Heart Flame could affect its spirit. It was difficult to avoid this kind of searing pain that originated in one's spirit.
Waves of viscous blood-colored fog surged from the fierce spirit's body as it struggled. After which, the fog collided with the surrounding invisible fire web. They began to fiercely and ruthlessly erode each other.
"Hmph!"
A cold expression flashed across Tian Huo zun-zhe's eyes when he saw the retaliation of the fierce spirit. His hand suddenly changed and the fire web began to slowly shrink. While this fire web was shrinking, the fierce spirit's body within it also became smaller.
"Xiao Yan, increase the strength of the Fallen Heart Flame!"
Tian Huo zun-zhe suddenly cried out as he stared at the shrinking fire web.
Xiao Yan, who had already been waiting for orders by the side, immediately nodded his head upon hearing this. He flicked his finger and a wave of Dou Qi shot out. Finally, it landed on the fire web. The Dou Qi was swiftly swallowed by the fire web. Following the fire web's consumption of Dou Qi, the invisible flame lingering on its surface became denser. On the other hand, the fierce spirit within repeatedly emitted a furious screech because of the grilling. No matter how intensely it struggled, it was too difficult to escape from the fire web's restraints.
"Continue to strengthen it!" Tian Huo zun-zhe glanced at the spirit that was still struggling and commanded in a deep voice.
Xiao Yan's expression was calm. His ten fingers flicked repeatedly and numerous Dou Qi pillars erupted. Finally, they completely merged with the fire web. With the addition of more Dou Qi, the temperature of the Fallen Heart Flame became frightening. In the end, the fierce spirit finally erupted amid a sharp miserable cry, and transformed into a viscous blood-colored fog that drifted within the fire web.
Tian Huo zun-zhe sighed in relief upon seeing this scene. The seal on his hand changed and the fire web gradually scattered. It soon agglomerated into a ten-foot-large cauldron made of flames. The cluster of viscous blood-colored fog was stuck within the cauldron.
Surprise also flashed across Xiao Yan's eyes as he studied Tian Huo zun-zhe's ingenious method of agglomerating a flame cauldron. He was indeed worthy of previously being an elite Dou Zun. Xiao Yan admitted that his flame controlling method was far inferior to his. Tian Huo zun-zhe was really deserving of his name.
TL: Tian Huo – means sky fire
The temperature within the fire cauldron was extremely frightening. By being refined under that high temperature, the cluster of viscous blood fog slowly became pale. Xiao Yan knew that as long as the blood color within it was completely refined away, the fierce spirit would have been successfully refined into a cluster of extremely pure Spiritual Strength…
However, the process of such a refinement was somewhat slow. It was likely that one would have difficulty completely refining the fierce spirit at this speed without at least three to four days…
"Alright, next, I will need you to help me maintain this fire cauldron. The current me is unable to maintain the exhaustion of this fire cauldron." Tian Huo zun-zhe's face revealed a smile as he looked at the blood-colored fog, slowly being refined within the fire cauldron. After which, he smiled as he spoke to Xiao Yan.
"Aye, old mister Yao, you can just relax." Xiao Yan smiled and nodded. The flame was controlled by Tian Huo zun-zhe. All he needed to do was to provide enough Dou Qi to maneuver the Fallen Heart Flame. This did not drain too much of his mental strength.
Tian Huo zun-zhe also smiled and nodded when he heard this. After which, he slowly shut his eyes and sat cross-legged in the air. A thread of Spiritual Strength came out and controlled the flame within the fire cauldron to proceed with the refinement.
Xiao Yan once again poured in a wave of Dou Qi into the fire cauldron upon seeing Tian Huo zun-zhe shut his eyes. After which, he clenched his hand and an ordinary grayish-brown bamboo scroll appeared in his hand.
"Sky Demon Puppet."
This scroll was naturally a treasure that Xiao Yan had obtained from raiding the Demon Flame Valley storehouse. The puppet skill that was recorded on it caused him to be very curious.
Xiao Yan's finger slowly flipped open the scroll. Those words written on it began to enter Xiao Yan's head one at a time before leaving behind a deep memory that was difficult to remove.
The cave slowly descended into silence. Tian Huo zun-zhe was focusing his attention on the flame that was refining the fierce spirit while Xiao Yan had thrown his attention to the mysterious world that was recorded within the bamboo scroll.
This quiet atmosphere continued for around an hour or so before Xiao Yan recovered from Tian Huo zun-zhe's urging voice. He immediately gave an embarrassed smile and hurriedly summoned a wave of Dou Qi to throw into the fire cauldron.
After this one hour of study, Xiao Yan also gained some understanding of this 'Sky Demon Puppet.' If one wanted to refine this thing, one would have to possess the three key ingredients written in the introduction: a corpse, a Monster Core, and a spirit. Of course, other than these, one would require some special metallic materials in order to make the puppet's body even tougher.
Xiao Yan tapped the bamboo scroll softly on his arm. He gradually descended deep into thought. He was basically in possession of all of these things. For a corpse, he had Yun Shan's and the Old Ground Demon Ghost's body. For a Monster Core, the rank 7 fire affinity Monster Core should be able to do the trick. For a spirit, the Protector Tie from the 'Hall of Souls' he had obtained from the Chu Yun Empire back then was the best replacement. Xiao Yan also possessed some special metallic materials in his Storage Ring. Because he was an alchemist, it was his habit to collect various things.
A cold glint suddenly flashed across Xiao Yan's eyes as he thought of about spirits. He shook his hand and a jade bottle with a faint invisible flame covering its mouth appeared in his hand. There was a thread of spiritual ripple faintly seeping out from it.
Xiao Yan's finger rubbed the bottle's mouth and eliminated the layer of flame. He kept his eyes shut and a Spiritual Strength carried a voice that was transmitted into the jade bottle.
"Han Feng, do you know the place where the 'Hall of Souls' has imprisoned teacher?"
"Ha ha, Xiao Yan, do you wish to rescue that old fellow who will not die? Stop dreaming. This little ability of yours is like an ant if you were to meet the true experts from the 'Hall of Souls.' Hee hee, if you really wish to know, you can let me out and beg me properly. Perhaps, I might suddenly be merciful and reveal a little information to you!" An arrogant laugh sounded from the jade bottle.
Xiao Yan's face remained indifferent. He did not waste his breath. With a flick of his finger, a wisp of jade-green flame entered the jade bottle. Soon a miserable ear-piercing scream was transmitted from the jade bottle.
"Stop burning. What do you want to know? We can discuss the matter slowly!"
Xiao Yan ignored the terrified cry within the jade bottle. With a wipe of his finger, a thin flame once again sealed the bottle's mouth. He then assessed the jade bottle before putting it back into his Storage Ring. When dealing with such a person, it would be easier to talk if he was allowed to suffer a little.
Xiao Yan glanced at the fire cauldron after doing all this. The viscous blood fog within it had paled quite significantly. Clearly, the refinement was progressing quite well.
Xiao Yan's gaze shifted away from the fire cauldron. He played with the bamboo scroll on his hand, hesitated for a moment, and stored it within his Storage Ring, Currently, he still needed to take care of the fire cauldron. Hence, it was not the best time to refine other things. It would not be too late to wait until after he had completely refined the fierce spirit before starting.
Xiao Yan ceased hesitating after having made his decision within his heart. He exhaled a gentle breath, sat cross-legged, and began to absorb energy to replenish the exhaustion within his body.
Three days of quiet refinement passed by in a flash…
On this day, the two people in the cave who had their eyes shut opened them together without any prior agreement. Their gazes were thrown to the fire cauldron floating in the air. Both of them sensed that the viscous blood-colored fog had completely scattered. Replacing it was a cluster of chaotic vapor. Xiao Yan sensed an extremely dense Spiritual Strength in that vapor.
"It has finally been successfully refined…"
An excited expression flashed across Tian Huo zun-zhe's eyes as he stared at the invisible gas. He moved his hand and the fire cauldron collapsed. It immediately transformed into a cluster of invisible flame, that rushed to Xiao Yan before entering his body.
That cluster of chaotic gas was swallowed by Tian Huo zun-zhe after it approached him. His figure then shook and transformed into a white glow that entered the white-colored ring.
"Ha ha, Xiao Yan, words cannot thank such a great favor. The old me will come and return this favor after completely absorbing this Spiritual Strength. Additionally, the time I need for this absorption might be somewhat long. You should be more careful."
Xiao Yan also smiled when he heard Tian Huo zun-zhe's laughter. He nodded slightly and lifted his head to look at the empty cave. He laughed softly, "In that case, I shall refine the 'Sky Demon Puppet'…"
Chapter 929: Refinement
The night sky was covered in the light of the stars. The outdoors were quiet. Besides the occasional croak of a frog, everything was completely silent. A cold wind convoluted the interior of an empty cave while Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on an enormous rock within the cave. His expression was solemn. A moment later, he waved his hand and two items rushed out of his Storage Ring. These items landed heavily on the ground, stirring up some dust.
Two corpses that had been frozen appeared on the ground. Xiao Yan was not unfamiliar with these two corpses. They were Yun Shan and the Old Ground Demon Ghost…
Xiao Yan's gaze slowly swept across the faces of these two corpses, that had been maintained with the expression that they . Finally, his gaze paused on the white-robed Yun Shan. Xiao Yan finally let out a sigh a long time later. After so many years, Xiao Yan's hatred had gradually reduced following the disbanding of the Misty Cloud Sect. Moreover, its miserable fate was barely able to make up for what it did to the Xiao clan.
When comparing the two corpses, Yun Shan's strength was around that of a two to three star Dou Zong before he died while the Old Ground Demon Ghost had the strength of a seven star Dou Zong. If one were to compare which corpse to use to refine the 'Sky Demon Puppet,' the success rate of the latter might be a little higher. Moreover, Xiao Yan did not wish for something with Yun Shan's appearance to follow beside him even if that thing was merely a puppet with Yun Shan's face…
Xiao Yan's gaze paused on Yun Shan's face. His mind was somewhat absent. A graceful and proud figure that emitted a noble aura vaguely surfaced within his mind along with the cloud-white dress that gently drifted on the figure, highlighting the figures moving curves.
"Yun Yun…"
A low muttering sound was suddenly emitted from Xiao Yan's mouth. His fist was involuntarily clenched as he recalled her complicated gaze when she was about to leave back then.
Seventy percent was desolation within those eyes, ten percent was helplessness, ten percent was sadness from giving up and there was a faint amount of hatred. She seemed to still take his viciousness to heart. He had cruelly shattered everything she had. It was this little thread of hatred that spurred her to leave the place she had lived for so many years… perhaps from the way she saw it, that place was a place of sadness. After leaving, it would be extremely difficult for her to return.
Xiao Yan's fist under his sleeves tightened. He undeniably possessed faint feelings to this woman, the first person to have skin contact with him back when he was training outside. All that had happened in that cave was far too great a blow to his youthfulness. It was from that moment on that he truly understood what a woman was. He was no longer a boy; he had transformed into a true man. Xiao Yan knew that he would never be able to forget her for the rest of his life. All of this seemed to be like a searing imprint that caused him to be unable to forget her.
The meeting of the two was quite moving. However, it seemed to have ended in misery. It was impossible for Xiao Yan to forgive what the Misty Cloud Sect and Yun Shan had done to the Xiao clan. Hence, being the Misty Cloud Sect's leader, she had to stand against Xiao Yan even if the one who had ended up miserably injured was her. This was an ending that had already predetermined from the start…
A soft sigh slowly reverberated within the cave. Xiao Yan waved his hand and returned Yun Shan's corpse to his Storage Ring. He was unwilling to use his body to refine the 'Sky Demon Puppet.' Even he was unable to figure out what was the actual reason was. All he wanted to prevent was the vague thought of piercing a bloody knife into the weak heart of a woman, covered in injuries.
There had been no news of Yun Yun ever since she left the Jia Ma Empire. The Dou Qi continent was enormous. Attempting to look for a person in the vast sea of people was equivalent to finding a needle in a haystack. However, Xiao Yan had a vague feeling that he might be able to meet her again in the Central Plains…
Although this feeling was without any reason, Xiao Yan still chose to believe it. Hence, he had stored away Yun Shan's corpse. He did not wish to unexpectedly run into her and have her not want to see him because of the puppet following him…
"Teacher, once this disciple has rescued you, this disciple will personally help you find an even stronger body."
Xiao Yan quietly muttered within his heart. His eyes also gradually became clear as a stern expression quietly appeared.
Xiao Yan clenched his hand and the jade-green flame once again surged out. He flicked his finger and the flame rushed out, and wrapped around the Old Ground Demon Ghost's corpse. The high temperature swiftly melted the layer of ice that covered the body.
The clothes of the Old Ground Demon Ghost turned to powder after the ice melted. The hot temperature caused the corpse to turn fiery-red. Following this repeated grilling, threads of faint black air escaped from the corpse and were incinerated by the jade-green flame into nothingness.
This kind of black gas was a kind of corpse vapor. It contained the will of the owner when he was still alive. If this black gas was not completely expelled, other spirits would find it difficult to merge with the body. Moreover, the refinement of the 'Sky Demon Puppet' needed the body, Monster Core, and spirit to be seamlessly merged. Hence, this corpse vapor needed to be removed.
The temperature of the Heart Flame was precisely controlled by Xiao Yan. The flame was able to force out the corpse vapor but not burn the body.
Just refining the physical body took up three hours of Xiao Yan's time. Only then was the corpse vapor within the corpse completely expelled.
Xiao Yan sighed in relief when the final thread of corpse vapor left the body. He immediately flicked his finger and two Dou Qi storms shot out, opening a fist-sized hole in the chest and the forehead of the corpse.
No fresh blood flowed out of the holes because all of the blood had been vaporized during the refinement of the corpse. This was a small step in refining the 'Sky Demon Puppet.'
At this moment, the corpse of the Old Ground Demon Ghost had also been struck by a couple of circles. The skin of his body was grayish-white with a cold appearance. The skin tightly adhered to its shriveled muscles. His hands had also become exceptionally long, appearing like sharp daggers.
Xiao Yan refined this corpse a according to what was written on the bamboo scroll. After which, he extended his hand and beckoned. The fiery-red Monster Core appeared out of nowhere, and fell into the small hole on the corpse's chest. After completing all this, Xiao Yan's pulled out another jade bottle with a cold expression. The jade bottle was faintly emitting a powerful spiritual ripple.
"Xiao Yan, what does it take for you to let off the old me?" A furious and vicious roar was transmitted from the jade bottle the moment it appeared.
"Protector Tie, there is no need to be anxious. I will let you out immediately…" The corner of Xiao Yan's mouth was lifted into a cold smile. He clenched his hand and the jade bottle suddenly shattered, revealing a black-colored spirit. The spirit had just came out when it fled toward the cave's exit without caring about anything else. However, Xiao Yan, who was prepared, caught it.
The black-colored spirit struggled wildly as curses were emitted from his mouth. His tone was also filled with fear and craziness. Clearly, Protector Tie was aware of what was going to happen. Hence, he unleashed his final strength amid his despair.
Xiao Yan's gaze was dense as he stared at Protector Tie's soul that was trying its best to struggle away. The corner of his mouth revealed a cold smile. After which, he increased his strength and the flame in his hand surged. It wrapped around Protector Tie. Sharp miserable cries and incomparably vicious curses immediately resounded within the cave.
Xiao Yan appeared to have failed to hear the vicious curses. He merely continued to increase the temperature of the flame. With this high temperature refinement, Protector Tie, who had been sealed for a long time, lost the intelligence hidden within his soul. At this moment, his intelligence had completely vanished…
Xiao Yan glanced at the cluster of black fog in his hand after having refined Protector Tie's awareness. He gently tossed it and the black fog transformed into a swirling gas that entered the hole in the corpse's head in a lightning-like manner.
The tightly shut eyes of the Old Ground Demon Ghost suddenly opened after the insertion of this intelligence. His eyes were filled with a dark-black color…
Xiao Yan was not surprised by this scene. He flicked his ten fingers and numerous metallic objects, containing strange lusters, shot from his Storage Ring. They steadily drifted in the air in front of him.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly upon inspecting the many strange metals floating in the air. He clenched his hand and the jade-green flame was spat out of his palm like a fire pillar. A suction force surged out and sucked the metals in…
Under the refinement of the high temperature of the Glazed Lotus Heart Flame, these strange metals gradually showed traces of melting. However, they weren't melting just yet.
At this moment, Xiao Yan split his attention in half. On one hand, he was controlling the flame to refine the corpse at a constant temperature. On the other, he used an extremely high temperature to refine the strange metals. The high and low flame temperatures required an extremely difficult level of flame control. However, it was fortunate that Xiao Yan had already practiced the 'Five Ring Flame Expelling Skill.' Hence, he did not end up scrambling around.
The two refinements required a lot of time, especially the corpse refinement. The refinement needed to reach a certain point in order to force the spirit and the Monster Core, placed within the corpse, to perfectly merge…
Moreover, Xiao Yan knew that this was not a task that he could complete within a short period of time. Hence, Xiao Yan, seated cross-legged on an enormous rock, gradually shut his eyes and quietly waited for the moment when the perfect merger was achieved.
This wait continued for seven days. The strange metals had been completely refined during these seven days. They had transformed into a dark-gold-colored liquid. It slowly flowed within the flame, emitting an unknown luster.
The metal refinement had already finished. However, the perfect merger of the body, spirit, and Monster Core still had not arrived. Nevertheless, Xiao Yan did not feel remotely frustrated because of this.
Chapter 930: Successful Refinement!
Xiao Yan's tightly shut eyes were suddenly opened within the cave. A joy flashed in his eyes. Both of his hands immediately formed a strange seal and a somewhat unusual cry was emitted from his mouth.
The Old Ground Demon Ghost's body trembled suddenly following the emission of this cry. Immediately, the spirit that lingered in its head seemed to have been forcefully shattered by something invisible. It transformed into a countless number of light spots that densely scattered through every part of its body. The instant the spirit turned into light spots, the Monster Core that was in the body's chest emitted a slight buzzing sound. Soon wild, violent energy surged out like rising lake water. Finally, the energy moved along the body's veins like it was being circulated.
The grayish-white color on the surface of the body became denser following this change in the spirit and the Monster Core. The size of the entire body was also slowly shrinking. A majestic aura that was void of any emotion slowly spread from the corpse.
Xiao Yan's eyes also brightened a little as he sensed this aura that could match a four or five star Dou Zong. He forcefully controlled the slight excitement within his heart. With a move of his hand, the cluster of dark-gold liquid floating in front of him slowly drifted out. Finally, it was scattered onto the ice-cold corpse.
Chi! Chi!
The liquid metal of extremely high temperature landed on the corpse and immediately formed waves of white fog, a burning smell was emitted. However, the skin in contact with the liquid did not show any signs of being damaged. After the refinement earlier, the strength of the puppet's body had already reached a powerful level.
Spiritual strength swept over this puppet like floodwater while the dark-gold solution slowly wormed its way all over the body. In an instant, smelly white fog smoke was expanding from the puppet's body. The 'chi chi' sound that was emitted when the high temperature made contact with one's skin caused one's pores to stand.
The grayish-white color was replaced by a dark-gold color when the liquid completely spread over the puppet. That flickering gold light gave one the strange feeling of it being hard.
Xiao Yan's gaze glanced at the puppet covered by the liquid mixture. He let out a gentle breath. Immediately, he waved his sleeves and the jade green flame once again surged out. After which, it completely wrapped around the puppet. A frighteningly high temperature slowly seeped out…
The dark-gold-colored liquid began to slowly encroach into the puppet's skin following the repeated high temperature grilling. With the increasing intensity of this encroachment, the color of the puppet's body gradually turned a dark-green. It appeared just like a bronze piece at a glance.
Xiao Yan's brows were knit. He studied the puppet's color as it turned darker. He said, "It is merely a bronze color?"
It was recorded in the bamboo scroll that the 'Sky Demon Puppet' was divided into three categories, Sky, Earth, and Man. The Sky category was gold, the Earth category was silver, while the Man category was bronze. The color that this puppet currently displayed clearly indicated that it belonged to the last category among the three. No wonder Xiao Yan was somewhat dissatisfied.
Although Xiao Yan felt somewhat disappointed in his heart, he did not cease the flame's grilling immediately. A frighteningly high temperature continued to seep out, allowing the dark-gold mixture to absorb into the skin and the shriveled muscles.
This so-called 'Sky Demon Puppet' refining method used these metal materials to reform the strength of the body. If someone did this while alive, it was likely that he would have died with his body being blasted apart. However, this puppet was able to completely ignore such an intense pain by not having any senses. Hence, if it was successfully refined, the puppet, which did not know any Dou Techniques , would still possess a physical body that was a perfect killing weapon…
A silver glow suddenly flashed over the skin, that contained the faint-green color, as the dark-gold solution was gradually soaked up by the puppet…
The silver glow that had suddenly appeared was not ignored by Xiao Yan. His eyes immediately stared at the puppet's body and an excitement quietly rose in his heart.
An increasing number of silver glows began to flash and appear while Xiao Yan's eyes remained fixated on it, not blinking. The dark-bronze color on the puppet's body slowly dispersed.
Following the appearance of the silver glow, the aura that was spreading out of the puppet was gradually increasing!
This transformation took around ten plus seconds. After which, the dark-bronze puppet turned into a shiny-silver one. However, there was still a little bronze flickering within the silver light. Nevertheless, it could be ignored when compared to the large silver glow…
When the silver glow reached its peak, it suddenly came to a stop. The rising aura also abruptly halted. Immediately the silver glow dimmed and all the light seemed to enter the puppet. Although the silver glow had dimmed, Xiao Yan sensed that the aura of the puppet had not been reduced at all. Clearly, the scattering of this kind of silver light was a small tactic that prevented the puppet from being too eye-catching.
The puppet slowly stood up within the jade-green flame. After which, it floated in the air without borrowing any force to support it. It did not move even a little and its eyes were two empty black holes.
Xiao Yan gently bit the tip of his tongue. A drop of fresh blood that contained some Spiritual Strength drifted out. It accurately landed on the forehead of the puppet and slowly penetrated its body. In the end, it formed a thumb-sized dark-red blood spot.
After this drop of blood entered the puppet's head without any resistance and imprinted a mark that could not be removed, the empty black eyes of the puppet slowly gained a barely present life. It turned its somewhat stiff neck, lowered its head, and looked at Xiao Yan seated cross-legged on an enormous rock. After which, its leg landed on the ground as it knelt with one knee. Its head slowly lowered in the direction of Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan's eyes were shut. When the spiritual blood had entered the puppet's forehead earlier, he had clearly sensed that his spirit seemed to have been separated into two. One of them controlled his actual body while the other controlled this puppet in front of him… at this moment, he felt a kind of vaguely present feeling. The puppet in front would obey all of his orders. Even if that order were to have it attack Xiao Yan himself, it was likely that it would attack without hesitation.
With the spiritual seal imprinted on it, this puppet would become Xiao Yan's best bodyguard because it could never possess any thoughts of betraying its master.
Xiao Yan's gaze contained a fiery heat as it stared at this Sky Demon Puppet who knelt with one knee on the ground. Oh… perhaps it was more appropriate to call it an Earth Demon Puppet because this puppet had not reached the highest level recorded in the bamboo scroll.
Even though it was merely an Earth Demon Puppet, Xiao Yan was still quite satisfied. He could sense that the strength of this Earth Demon Puppet was likely not weaker than a five or six star Dou Zong.
Xiao Yan's gaze swept over the Earth Demon Puppet for a moment before he suddenly laughed. His body moved and rushed out of the cave. The Earth Demon Puppet followed close behind him. Perhaps it was because of a lack of familiarization, but each time one of its feet landed, it would cause a couple of spider-web-like cracks to spread across the ground. Xiao Yan was stunned by the powerful force with which it walked.
Xiao Yan flapped his bone wings and floated in the air above the magma sea. The Earth Demon Puppet also stood in the empty air beside him without any expression.
"Punch this." Xiao Yan's finger pointed at the magma sea below and ordered out loud.
A red glow appeared in the Earth Demon Puppet's eyes the moment Xiao Yan's voice sounded. The puppet's fist tightened before it was punched straight out!
"Chi!"
The fist was thrown forward and the space in front of the Earth Demon Puppet began to distort. The air seemed to have formed an arc with the fist at the middle. A-hundred-foot-large wall of compressed air appeared to have wrapped around the frontmost portion of the arc. Finally, it was like a cannonball, carrying an ear-piercing ring as powerful wind ripples shot out!
"Bang!"
The cannonball of air violently smashed into the magma. Immediately, a soul-stirring sound resounded over this world. As the magma surged, an enormous magma wave churned and appeared. It violently smashed against the mountain wall, causing the deep hole to tremble…
The strength of its fist was actually this frightening!
A shocked feeling flashed across Xiao Yan's eyes when he saw the enormous magma fire wave that had been created. The fist earlier would definitely be able to cause some of the elite one to two star Dou Zongs to be seriously injured! If that person was even unluckier, it was not impossible for them to be killed from just one punch!
This Sky Demon Puppet was indeed worthy of being a killing weapon that was passed down from ancient times. Such a powerful killing force fit the word 'terrifying' perfectly.
Moreover, this current puppet of Xiao Yan's had only reached the level of an Earth Demon Puppet. Just how powerful was the Sky Demon Puppet?
A heat erupted within Xiao Yan's eyes as he thought until this point. However, he helplessly shook his head. Just refining this Earth Demon Puppet had exhausted a corpse of a seven star Dou Zong, a rank 7 Monster Core, and an elite Dou Zong's spirit. If he wanted to refine a Sky Demon Puppet, would he not require the corpse of an elite Dou Zun, a rank 8 Monster Core, and a Dou Zun's spirit?
Xiao Yan wiped the cold sweat off his face. He wisely tossed all of these unrealistic thoughts out of his head. With a wave of his sleeves, he stored the Earth Demon Puppet into his Storage Ring. A Storage Ring cannot keep any living being alive. However, the Earth Demon Puppet was merely a puppet that did not even possess the slightest consciousness.
"The Earth Demon Puppet has already been successfully refined. Next, I will have to refine the Heaven Soul Blood Bone Pill…"
Xiao Yan softly sighed as he rubbed the Storage Ring. Honestly speaking, even he was not confident in refining a tier 7 medicinal pill…
Chapter 931: Big Commotion
Xiao Yan did not hurry to begin refining the Heaven Soul Blood Bone Pill after coming out of the magma world. A tier 7 medicinal pill was not something of an ordinary tier. With his current strength, it was likely that his chances would not be higher than a fifty percent success rate even in peak condition and with the help of a 'Heavenly Flame.' His weary condition after having refined the Earth Demon Puppet made those odds even worse.
Moreover, Xiao Yan had yet to gather all of the medicinal ingredients that were needed to refine the Heaven Soul Blood Bone Pill. Additionally, the medicinal pill refinement this time around was definitely not something that could be successfully accomplished on the first attempt. Hence, Xiao Yan needed to prepare enough medicinal ingredients to avoid the embarrassing situation of running out of medicinal ingredients.
Xiao Yan did not spend much effort on the matter of searching for medicinal ingredients. After giving Xiao Li a list of medicinal ingredient names, he maneuvered the strength of Xiao Gate to swiftly search for them. This kind of large scale searching was much more efficient compared to Xiao Yan searching by himself.
Xiao Yan had become much more relaxed after leaving the matter of finding medicinal ingredients to Xiao Li. He would occasionally roam the Inner Academy and give pointers to some members of 'Pan's Gate.' After which, he spent the remaining time training quietly, hoping he would return to his peak condition as soon as possible.
Xiao Yan waited for nearly ten days. During these ten days, Xiao Li finally managed to gather all of the medicinal ingredients that Xiao Yan required after utilizing an enormous amount of manpower. The number of medicinal ingredients also caused Xiao Yan to be extremely happy.
On the third day after these medicinal ingredients were delivered to Xiao Yan's hands, he, while training within a quiet room, slowly opened his eyes. The shut chamber suddenly rang with the sound of whistling wind after he opened his eyes. There was even the deep sound of thunder within the wind whistle…
An invisible strength caused Xiao Yan's robes to expand and flutter. His white-colored outer clothes had also moved without the presence of any wind. A glow faintly flickered within Xiao Yan's dark-black eyes. The corner of his mouth revealed a slight smile.
At this moment, Xiao Yan seemed to have reached the best condition he had ever been in since he had advanced to a six star Dou Huang!
"It is time…"
A low mutter was transmitted from Xiao Yan's mouth. His body slowly stood up. His figure was covered in a white-colored windbreaker, causing him to appear extremely tall. He raised his head and softly muttered, "In that case, we will begin." The rushing sound of thunder broke through the air, ruining the quiet atmosphere of the room. Xiao Yan's body had gradually turned blurry.
His figure became blurrier. A moment later, it disappeared in a strange manner…
There were stairs made of rocks somewhere in the middle of the Inner Academy. At the top of the rock stairs was a small platform that could only accommodate two people sitting cross-legged. This place was the tallest part of the Inner Academy. Ordinary students were forbidden from entering it.
If one were to raise one's head while in the Inner Academy to look at this spot, one would see a small platform supported only by a thin staircase made out of rocks. One could view the entire Inner Academy by standing on this platform. Similarly, this place could be seen by everyone within the Inner Academy…
The stairs and the platform had been built a very long time ago. According to the First Elder, this place was where the Headmaster used to train. Hence, ordinary students were forbidden from climbing it. However, Su Qian loaned it to Xiao Yan the moment he heard that Xiao Yan wanted to attempt refining a tier 7 medicinal pill.
This place was naturally not as ordinary as it looked, especially since it had been used by the mysterious headmaster as a training area. A faint spatial ripple that was difficult to discover permeated through the air around the rock platform. These spatial ripples were extremely unique. They were just like a magnet that sucked in all the surrounding natural energy.
The effects of training in this spot were quite great. Additionally, the safety of the platform was very high with the vaguely visible spatial ripple acting as protection. Hence, those within the Inner Academy who possessed the qualification to train in this place were so few they could be counted on one's hand.
At this moment, the faint muffled sound of thunder appeared on the rock platform that had been left quiet for a long time. A figure rushed over like lightning. Finally, the figure appeared on the rock platform. After which, he sat cross-legged on it.
The one who had appeared was naturally Xiao Yan, who had exited the quiet chamber. At this moment, he was in his peak condition. Powerful Dou Qi surrounded his body. Under its might, a majestic feeling was formed. This kind of feeling was something that even some of the experts at the peak of the Dou Huang class had difficulty producing.
With Xiao Yan's current condition, he appeared like a light surrounded by darkness, which was extremely eye-catching. Hence, he had just appeared when numerous figures began to swiftly fly over from all parts of the Inner Academy. They quickly rushed over. Finally, they paused a hundred meters away and watched Xiao Yan in the distance.
A couple of figures also rushed over after these Elders. Finally, these figures appeared in the sky. All the Elders hurriedly gave their greetings when they saw who they were.
The only person who could be treated with such respect by these Immer Academy Elders was Su Qian. At this moment, his eyes were narrowed as he studied Xiao Yan from a distance. A smile also flashed across his face as he sensed the fluctuating Dou Qi around his body. He turned his head and smiled as he said to the Little Fairy Doctor beside him, "Looks like this little fellow has put in a lot of effort for this day…"
The Little Fairy Doctor nodded. Her gaze looked at the densely packed human figures below, causing her to involuntarily knit her brows. She said, "Will refining a pill in such a place disturb him?"
"Ke ke, relax. A spatial ripple that was placed by the headmaster back then is present around the rock platform. It is extremely difficult for someone outside to disturb him. Moreover, the reason I asked him to refine the medicinal pill here because of the unusual natural phenomenon that occurs with the birth of a tier 7 medicinal pill. It might even be accompanied by Pill Lightning. The surrounding spatial design of the rock platform might help him a little when the time comes…" Su Qian waved his hand and smiled as he explained.
The Little Fairy Doctor slightly nodded after hearing his explanation. She did not say anything else as her grayish-purple eyes found Xiao Yan.
The sudden appearance of so many Inner Academy Elders in the sky naturally caused a commotion within the entire Inner Academy. A countless number of gazes glanced in the direction they were facing before finally seeing a black-robed, young man sitting cross-legged on the rock platform. All sorts of noise immediately erupted within the Inner Academy.
"Isn't that Senior Xiao Yan? Why would he appear there?"
"Recently, I heard news from a member of 'Pan's Gate' saying that Senior Xiao Yan seemed to be planning on refining a high tier medicinal pill…"
"Is he really refining a medicinal pill? I have long heard that Senior Xiao Yan is not only very strong, but he is also a tier 6 alchemist. If I can see him refining a medicinal pill today, hee hee, I would have the capital to brag to my clan when I return in the future."
As many private conversations spread across the Inner Academy like a wave, an increasing number of students put aside the things they wished to do. Instead, they ran out of their rooms. After which, they came to a spacious region, raised their heads, and looked toward the rock platform in the distance. Some fear and respect flashed across their eyes as they looked at the somewhat skinny black-colored figure. After the intense battle between him and the Old Ground Demon Ghost, the position of Xiao Yan within the hearts of these Inner Academy students was something that even some Elders could not match.
Quite a number of human figures were standing on a tall pavilion not far away from the rock platform. All of these people were wearing a similar badge on their chest. They were surprisingly members of 'Pan's Gate.'
Wu Hao, Hu Jia, Xiao Yu, Xin Lan, and the other leaders stood around the leader's spot, lookimg at Xiao Yan. They knew more about the matter of Xiao Yan refining a high level pill than the rest of the students. A tier 7 medicinal pill; a tier that caused one's heart to quiver involuntarily. Such a medicinal pill rarely appeared even in the 'Black-Corner Region.' An alchemist who could refine a tier 7 medicinal pill had not appeared in the 'Black-Corner Region' for quite a number of years…
Tier 7, a medicinal pill of this tier could already be ranked at the peak among the medicinal pills. Even if it were to placed within the Central Plains where the strong gathered, it would also create a large commotion. The tier 7 level possessed the qualification to be snatched by some of the old demons in the Dou Zong class…
"This fellow is restless even though he is about to leave. This gathering today is likely the biggest one in the history of the Inner Academy…" Wu Hao lowered his head and glanced at the area below. At this moment, every part of the Inner Academy with an empty space was filled with black masses of human figures, and a countless number of gazes gathered on the black-robed, young man on the rock platform.
"However, if he really does succeed, he will likely be the strongest student in the history of the Jia Nan Academy ever since its founding…" Xiao Yu smiled slightly. Her pretty eyes contained a glow as she stared at the skinny figure. It was difficult to imagine that the youth who had been given the title of trash by the clan back then was currently sitting in the most glorious spot within the Jia Nan Academy…
"Ever since the Jia Nan Academy was founded, there were two people who advanced to the Dou Huang class before they graduated. There was one person who advanced to the Dou Zong class. They are not an ordinary human being and had been blessed with an exceptional training talent. It was only due to this that he ended up advancing. However, if Xiao Yan were to be able to successfully refine a tier 7 medicinal pill, he would be able to surpass him…" Hu Jia laughed. She looked at Xiao Yan and said, "This fellow is indeed very outstanding. Now, even I involuntarily feel my heart being moved. No wonder someone as talented as Xun Er would have her heart taken by him."
Xin Lan, who was wearing blue clothes, stood beside Hu Jia and smiled sweetly. Her eyes looked to the rock platform as she grabbed her hands to tightly suppress her emotions. Her heart was extremely excited. If Xiao Yan was able to refine a tier 7 medicinal pill, his potential would be quite terrifying. After all, an alchemist of such an age who could refine a tier 7 medicinal pill was an existence as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns even in the Central Plains…
The current Xiao Yan was unaware of just what kind of big commotion had been created because of his appearance. At this moment, his mind was completely focused. External distractions had great difficulty interrupting him even a little.
"Hu…"
A breath that carried some heat seeped out of Xiao Yan's nose. An extremely solemn expression flashed in his eyes. Both of his hands moved and an enormous bright-red medicinal cauldron suddenly appeared. It carried a 'clang clang' sound as it landed on the rock platform!
The most difficult pill refinement Xiao Yan had ever attempted, since becoming an alchemist, had officially begun!
Chapter 932: Refining The Heaven Soul Blood Bone Pill
The crimson medicinal cauldron, covered in beast drawings, landed heavily on the rock platform. That heavy feeling nearly caused the rock platform to shake.
Xiao Yan inhaled a deep breath of air as he looked at the medicinal cauldron in front of him. He opened his mouth and a cluster of jade-green flames was spat out. With a flick of his finger, the flame carried a beautiful tail that barged into the medicinal cauldron. It immediately erupted once inside. Fierce flames repeatedly churned within the medicinal cauldron. The increasing temperature caused this… place to gradually grow hotter.
Xiao Yan waved his sleeves as the flame rose. Medicinal ingredients immediately began to drift out of his Storage Ring one after another. They surfaced in the air above the rock platform under the cover of his Dou Qi. They appeared like tiny light clusters that seemed very beautiful when looked at from below.
"Heaven Soul Blood Bone Pill, tier 7 medicinal pill. It has the shocking miraculous effect of improving one's constitution and raising one's training talent. The ingredients needed to refine it are extremely troublesome. There are around seventy-seven of them with four main ingredients. The four are Dragon Blood Ganoderma, Bone Spirit Fruit, Mysterious Sky Green Vine, and the essence blood of a rank 7 or higher Magical Beast. Each of these four ingredients are extremely rare and precious things. It was quite difficult to find them. Moreover, the refining method is harsh and requires one to pay special attention…"
The method to refine the Heaven Soul Blood Bone Pill slowly surfaced within Xiao Yan's mind. Some of the critical parameters were also imprinted into Xiao Yan's mind without a single word missing.
Seventy-seven refining ingredients. It was the first time that Xiao Yan had seen a pill that required such a number of medicinal ingredients. Even the ingredients needed for the Ground Spirit Pill that Yao Lao had refined for the purpose of subduing the Fallen Heart Flame did not reach this number. From it, one could tell that this Heaven Soul Blood Bone Pill was extremely difficult to refine. It likely even exceeded the difficulty of the Ground Spirit Pill…
These confused thoughts flashed across Xiao Yan's heart only to be expelled by him moments later. He raised his head, sensed the temperature within the medicinal cauldron, and nodded. His finger beckoned and one could see the fiercely burning jade-green flame within the medicinal cauldron immediately began to weakened.
Xiao Yan stared intently into the medicinal cauldron. A moment later, he moved his finger and a glow flashed over. It immediately transformed into a blood-red-colored Ganoderma that landed in his hand.
This Ganoderma (Lingzhi) had just appeared when it began to emit waves of a bloody scent. One could even vaguely sense a ripple of pure energy within the bloodiness.
This was one of the key ingredients used to refine the Heaven Soul Blood Bone Pill, the Dragon Blood Ganoderma. Although this kind of Ganoderma was not really tainted with dragon blood, it was extremely difficult to form. It needed to absorb the fresh blood of at least three kinds of snake-shaped Magical Beasts in order to break out of the ground and live.
Xiao Yan's finger gently caressed the surface of the Dragon Blood Ganoderma. He sensed the somewhat pure energy contained within it. After exhaling gently, Xiao Yan flicked his finger and the Demon Blood Ganoderma turned into a red glow that was thrown into the medicinal cauldron.
With the entrance of the Dragon Blood Ganoderma, the hibernating jade-green flame within the medicinal cauldron immediately surged out like a hungry wolf and swallowed it whole…
Xiao Yan's ten fingers were all flicked the instant the flame swallowed the Dragon Blood Ganoderma. One could watch as the many light spots suspended in the air immediately divided themselves into strings of ten. They were immediately thrown into the medicinal cauldron before they began to charge into the flame without hesitation, one after the other…
The Dragon Blood Ganoderma had cold properties. It would be destroyed upon contact with fire. If one wanted to refine the medicinal liquid within it, one would have to use the dark chillness within the other medicinal items. Those ingredients that had been thrown into the medicinal cauldron earlier were the neutralizing items that had been prepared…
Refining so many medicinal ingredients at the same time was harsh on one's Spiritual Strength. However, it was fortunate that the current Xiao Yan already possessed the qualification and strength to attempt this.
The many medicinal ingredients that had charged into the flame began to swiftly wither within a couple of breaths of coming into contact with the Glazed Lotus Heart Flame. Finally, the actual bodies transformed into powder. Droplets of pure medicinal liquid began to drip down. Finally, they merged under Xiao Yan Spiritual Strength's precise control. After which, they uniformly landed on the shriveling Dragon Blood Ganoderma…
The drops of the medicinal liquids started to slowly fade the blood-red color of the Dragon Blood Ganoderma. Its blood-colored skin was peeled off piece by piece. This continued for merely a moment before the color of the Dragon Blood Ganoderma become a pale-white color.
Xiao Yan did not pay too much attention to this Dragon Blood Ganoderma that had turned pale white. The genuine essence of the Dragon Blood Ganoderma was not within its body, but in the blood-colored skin. That's what was needed to refine the Heaven Soul Blood Bone Pill.
The few drops of pale-white medicinal liquid fell on the blood-red skin, and the skin quietly melted under the constant temperature. A couple of minutes later, a fist-sized pool of a blood-colored liquid appeared within the medicinal cauldron.
Xiao Yan heaved a sigh of relief when his first refinement was successfully completed. He waved his hand and the flame wrapped around the liquid, slowly emitting a warmth that caused the blood-colored liquid to gradually shrink. The liquid's color also became richer…
This cluster of blood-colored liquid had already turned extremely viscous by the time it had shrunk to the size of a thumb. Seeing this, the corner of Xiao Yan's mouth revealed a smile. With the beckoning of his hand, another light rushed over, transforming into a white-colored fruit with a surface that was full of potholes. This was the so-called Bone Spirit Fruit…
The refinement of the few key ingredients was extremely arduous. If one did not possess a special refinement method, it would be difficult to refine the portions that one needed. This was the case for the Dragon Blood Ganoderma, for the Bone Spirit Fruit, and for the Mysterious Sky Green Vine.
The difficulty of the Bone Spirit Fruit's refinement was even greater. Xiao Yan used nearly twenty other ingredients to neutralize it along with an hour's time in order to successfully refine a white-colored drop of bone-like liquid.
After the successful refinement of the Bone Spirit Fruit, Xiao Yan threw the Mysterious Sky Green Vine into the medicinal cauldron. This so-called Mysterious Sky Green Vine was extremely tough. It was neither wood nor gold. Moreover, the thing that really surprised one was its impressive fire resistance. Even though Xiao Yan had the help of the Glazed Lotus Core Flame, he spent a total of two hours in order to cause crack lines to appear on its surface.
Over twenty light clusters flew into the medicinal cauldron the moment the Mysterious Sky Green Vine cracked apart. Finally, they were refined by Xiao Yan, transforming into droplets of pure energy that dripped onto the green vine…
Borrowing the neutralizing strength of these many medicinal ingredients, the Mysterious Sky Green Vine, that seemed to have shrivelled, finally split apart after around half an hour. A pale-green powder scattered out before solidifying into a green-colored powder ball by Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength.
The three kinds of key ingredients were all successfully refined. Seeing this, Xiao Yan, along with Su Qian's group observing from a great distance, sighed in relief. The swift refining method of Xiao Yan dazzled their eyes. Although they did not really know much about refining medicinal pills, they were able to pick up on Xiao Yan's smooth refining method. This kind of refinement was really somewhat pleasing…
The waves of noise transmitted from the Inner Academy did not make it to Xiao Yan's ear. He rested for a moment after refining the three key ingredients before he once again refocused his attention. He mused for a moment and took out a jade bottle from his Storage Ring. The bottle's mouth was slowly tilted and a drop of green-red blood dripped out.
The green-red blood glided in front of Xiao Yan. Although the blood was small in size, the wild and violent energy contained within it was not something that one dared to underestimate.
This green-red blood was naturally refined from the mysterious Magical Beast dried corpse that he had obtained from the auction back then. The rank of the Magical Beast when it was alive was quite high. It had already far exceeded the requirements of the Heaven Soul Blood Bone Pill. If it were to be used in the refinement and if the refinement were to succeed, the quality of the medicinal pill would likely be even greater.
The many Elders in the sky also sensed something when this drop of green-red blood appeared. All of their faces immediately changed a little.
Xiao Yan's gaze stared intently at the drop of green-red blood. A moment later, he flicked his finger and the blood gently drifted away before entering the medicinal cauldron.
The green-red liquid blood had just fallen into the medicinal cauldron when the powerful strength contained within it stirred waves of wild wind. Seeing this, Xiao Yan frowned, hesitated a little, and then immediately clenched his teeth. The medicinal liquid and medicinal powder that had been refined from the Dragon Blood Ganoderma, the Bone Spirit Fruit, and Mysterious Sky Green Vine were thrown in with the green-red blood!
The three kinds of items, that contained extremely powerful energy, did not cause even a little surge when they landed in the green-red blood. Just when Xiao Yan's heart had just sighed in relief, however, a wild, violent energy ripple suddenly erupted from the green-red blood. It violently smashed against the medicinal cauldrons wall. A loud and clear sound wave swiftly spread, encompassing the entire Inner Academy.
The thick medicinal cauldron trembled violently a couple of times at this moment. If it had been an ordinary medicinal cauldron, it was likely that this tremble would have caused it to burst apart.
Xiao Yan's face was volatile as he looked at the surface of the green-red blood that was swiftly and repeatedly churning. At this moment, the sleek round surface of it had formed numerous long narrow thorns, causing it to look just like a tiny sea urchin. Within the churning sea urchin was an energy ripple that was so wild and violent words could not describe it.
Clang! Clang!
Numerous energy ripples repeatedly collided against the walls of the medicinal cauldron, and a loud sound repeatedly reverberated throughout the Inner Academy. At this moment, almost everyone was certain that there seemed to be a problem during the refinement.
"First Elder, what do we do?" An Elder softly inquired as he looked at the rock platform.
"What can we do? Refining a medicinal pill is different than fighting someone. How can we just help if we want to? Xiao Yan can only rely on himself during this kind of situation. Any random actions taken by others would just disturb him. Moreover, the refinement of a tier 7 medicinal pill has a low chance of success. Xiao Yan is currently still a tier 6 alchemist. Failing is an extremely common thing. There is no need to make a mountain out of a molehill." Su Qian frowned and spoke with a deep voice.
That Elder could only bitterly smile and nod his head after being reprimanded by the First Elder.
While the entire Inner Academy had turned into an uproar because of the repeated loud banging soind being emitted, Xiao Yan's gaze was staring firmly at the interior of the medicinal cauldron. His Spiritual Strength had completely poured out and densely covered every single corner of the medicinal cauldron…
He also knew that his chance of successfully refining a tier 7 medicinal pill was extremely low with his current alchemist skill. Even some tier 7 alchemist had difficulty successfully refining the medicinal pill on their first try…
With the small focal distance of Xiao Yan's gaze, his mind had become very focused. At a certain instant, the jade-green flame suddenly surged within his dark-black eyes. While the flame rose, Xiao Yan seemed to be able to vaguely see an intense battle between the energy corrosion and the merger with the green-red blood.
"So this is the reason…"
A low mutter was slowly transmitted from Xiao Yan's mouth as he came to a sudden understanding.