Yi Yun watched Alchemist Sage Purple Gold and company with a cold, almost indifferent expression on his face. He did not speak but only counted the time silently.
These people had thought too little of Ling Xie'er's strength and also thought too highly of themselves. If not for Ling Xie'er, the array would not have lasted three months, let alone three years.
Now that they were taking over the array, they even let themselves believe that there was a pie in the sky. However, they never realized that it was actually a meteorite that was crashing down at them.
After Alchemist Sage Purple Gold took control of the Herb Nurturing Array, he immediately began studying it. With the Nine Transformations Rejuvenation Array and his fire seed as the Herb Nurturing Array's array fire, it would only be a matter of time before he finished comprehending the Herb Nurturing Array.
But at that moment, he realized that the Fire of Seven Emotions could no longer absorb the Heretical God Fire Seed's strength.
Although the Heretical God Fire Seed was still trapped in the array, she had already shrunk into a blob with an impermeable defense. She could no longer be devoured at all.
Even so, Alchemist Sage Purple Gold remained calm. He was fully composed for he believed that as his understanding of the array grew, the Heretical God Fire Seed would eventually end up in his proverbial jaws. There was no escaping him. When the time came, he could refine the Heretical God Fire Seed completely once and for all. He could even obtain the ethereal body of Ling Xie'er!
Alchemist Sage Purple Gold was very interested in Ling Xie'er's actual body. If he were to only obtain the flame, the Heretical God Fire Seed's grade would drastically reduce and his efforts would be quite wasted.
Alchemist Sage Purple Gold could not help but look at Yi Yun. He saw Yi Yun standing in the void with an extremely calm expression.
"I want to see how long you can maintain your calm composure." Alchemist Sage Purple Gold felt disdain for him.
At that moment, the Herb Nurturing Array had naturally sensed the changes it was going through. Such an important array definitely had unstable periods. Any unexpected changes would incur the High Priest's displeasure. He kept having a sense of foreboding.
"Your Excellency, there's no need to worry. Now that the Herb Nurturing Array is in my hands, I can use my fire seed as the core to the array. It will make it much easier to understand the array. Although completing the array will require a long period of time, stabilizing it isn't difficult. When the time comes, Her Highness will also know the difference between those alchemist sages you mentioned and me," Alchemist Sage Purple Gold said confidently. With the Fire of Seven Emotions as the core, it was equivalent to him sending his perception deep into the Herb Nurturing Array's interior!
Fire seeds and their owners shared the same soul. The comprehension of arrays was mostly done externally. But that was akin to studying a mountain through the mist so it was naturally unclear. Now, with the fire seed as an eye, he could see the core and essence of the array. The effects were obviously different.
Actually, if not for the array's anomaly, Alchemist Sage Purple Gold would not have had such an opportunity. He had accomplished the first step and completing the Herb Nurturing Array was only a matter of time.
"Perhaps, it might be a blessing in disguise," The High Priest pondered.
It was common saying that establishment could happen after destruction. The alchemists that were invited in ancient times were all extremely careful. No one dared to do something drastic which might cause an anomaly in the array.
But this time, with the array in outright chaos, it actually gave alchemists more opportunities. It also gave the High Priest a glimmer of hope that the array could be completed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Flames spewed out. At that moment, in the core of the array, Ling Xie'er's ethereal body had returned to the Heretical God flames. She hugged her legs and curled into a dark corner. Her body lingered within a layer of black flames that formed a perfect defense.
Standing in front of Ling Xie'er was a voluptuous rainbow-colored beauty, as well as a fire centipede and fire toad.
Despite surrounding Ling Xie'er, they could not do anything to her due to the protection of her black flames.
"Hmph! Lass, don't think I won't be able to eat you up just because you contracted all your strength. I have the Nine Transformations Rejuvenation Array supporting me while you have nothing! The strength we fire seeds can produce depends on our master. You might as well get rid of that useless master of yours. Follow my master and be a young maidservant. Treat him well, that's a safer way out." The voluptuous woman sneered.
She temporarily ignored Ling Xie'er and turned to face the Herb Nurturing Array. She focused her strength deep into the array.
She still had a mission to accomplish, which was to use her own strength to help Alchemist Sage Purple Gold probe the array.
The voluptuous woman carefully controlled her strength as she slowly released it from the array's core.
The first time she fused with the worldly array, she felt like she had instantly manifested as the world around her. Her vision turned infinitely expansive and her soul seemed to experience a complete sublimation. She felt like a door to a brand new world had opened.
"Oh? Did this lass experience the same thing back when she fused with this array?"
Just as the voluptuous woman was thinking that, she suddenly felt the suction power from the array increase in strength. She was the one originally controlling her strength to slowly cover the entire array but now, the situation had reversed. The array was absorbing her.
"What…"
The voluptuous woman momentarily panicked. The color in her face drained as she tried to control her strength. However, despite her best efforts at doing so, her strength was being rapidly drained away.
She felt like the array was a massive spider web and she was a fly trapped in that web. She was completely stuck in it.
Be it the voluptuous woman, the fire centipede or the fire toad, they were stuck to the array. There was no way for them to move!
"Seven Emotions, what's happening?"
Alchemist Sage Purple Gold's mind was tied to the voluptuous woman. Her sudden panic left him alarmed.
He wanted to use the Fire of Seven Emotions to probe the array but not long after he did so, such an unforeseen thing happened. However, Alchemist Sage Purple Gold did not know the reason. All he knew that before Yi Yun switched the array fire, the array was using a South Li Fire.
The South Li Fire was not considered an extremely high-grade fire seed. It was very inferior to his Fire of Seven Emotions. Why was the South Li Fire able to stabilize the array but when it he put in his Fire of Seven Emotions, with two other fire seeds aiding it, everything failed?
Could it be that the laws had changed after the array's anomaly happened? The Fire of Seven Emotions's strength was now insufficient?
But Yi Yun's fire seed had clearly permeated its strength throughout the array. He even retracted its strength at the final moment to consolidate a plume of fire…
Upon realizing this, Alchemist Sage Purple Gold found it unbelievable. Could it be that he had still underestimated the strength of Yi Yun's fire seed?
However, how could that be possible? His Fire of Seven Emotions was already one of the highest ranking fire seeds in the Sinkhole. Even the top ranking fire seeds like the Empyrean Cleansing Flame and Inferno of Samsara were not that much stronger than the Fire of Seven Emotions.
What sort of fire seed was in Yi Yun's hands?
"Master, quickly think of a solution. My strength can't handle this much longer."
The voluptuous woman's panicked but she maintained a gentle voice. Alchemist Sage Purple Gold's expression changed immediately as he looked at his disciples and said, "Quickly put your fire seeds into the array!"
In the Sinkhole, fire seeds may have been rare, but they were not completely extinct. As disciples of Alchemist Sage Purple Gold, most of them had fire seeds. The only difference was that the quality was way inferior.
"Ah?"
The Alchemist Sage Purple Gold's disciples were taken aback. They were a little afraid of putting their own fire seeds into the worldly array. However, with their master giving the command, they naturally did not dare voice their doubts. They sent their fire seeds into the array.
At the same time, Patriarch Pillheart and Ouming Yin had no choice but to demand their disciples inject their fire seeds into the array.
They could sense the horror coming from the array. It was like a bottomless hole that was crazily devouring the strength of their fire seeds. Their fire seeds would soon succumb.
However, how was it possible?
Previously, Yi Yun had only placed a single fire seed into the Herb Nurturing Array. His fire seed alone could fill the entire array and even stabilized it up to a certain point. It prevented the anomalies from happening too soon.
They refused to believe it. There must be a mistake somewhere!
At that moment, the core of the Herb Nurturing Array already held nineteen fire seeds!
However, other than the Fire of Seven Emotions, the other eighteen fire seeds added together could only barely match the Fire of Seven Emotions's strength.
It was far from enough!
"Fellow Daoists, there has been some unexpected change in the array. I request your help. Please contribute your fire seeds to fill the array!"
Alchemist Sage Purple Gold asked other alchemists. They were not his disciples so he no right to order them.
However, no one responded to his request. Their fire seeds were precious to them. As alchemists, they could also sense the changes in the Herb Nurturing Array. A situation in which Alchemist Sage Purple Gold could not control had happened. Under such circumstances, which one of them would dare risk contributing their fire seeds?
Upon seeing no response from more than ten thousand people, Alchemist Sage Purple Gold frowned. Even if a tiny percent of this bunch of bastards possessed fire seeds, their contributions would definitely fill the array's energy requirements. When that happened, the array would naturally stabilize.
"Fellow Daoists, do you not trust me? This array's energy fluctuations may be violent but everything is under my control. This array was only controlled by the lone South Li Fire before. Now with my Fire of Seven Emotions and nearly twenty fire seeds controlling the array, it is mostly under control. By placing your fire seeds in, you are actually gaining an opportunity. You will be able to come into close contact with the profundity of the array and its array patterns. It will rapidly increase your knowledge of alchemy…"
Just as Alchemist Sage Purple Gold said that—
Boom!
An massive explosion sounded as though the world was being rendered asunder. The land in the array's interior cracked open as rampaging flames surged into the sky as though a volcano had suddenly erupted.
Such a terrifying energy blast came without warnings. With Alchemist Sage Purple Gold right in the middle, his body suddenly jolted as the Nine Transformations Rejuvenation Array beneath him immediately produced violent fluctuations.
What happened!?
All the alchemists present were alarmed as they looked toward Alchemist Sage Purple Gold. They saw his contorted expression. Clearly, the sudden turn of events had caught him by surprise as well.
He took a deep breath and said, "Fellow Daoists, although a tiny problem has surfaced, I have yet to lose control of the array. Quickly inject your fire seeds into the array. Then, everything can be stabilized!"
As Alchemist Sage Purple Gold said those words, there was another abrupt boom!
The ground beneath them cracked open!