Huang Xiaolong infused battle qi into the Linglong Treasure Pagoda and it broke out in a sphere of aureate light. With a quick flash, Huang Xiaolong's eyes blurred and he appeared in a different space.
There were some similarities between this new space and the first layer of Linglong Treasure Pagoda. Floating above the first layer of Linglong Treasure Pagoda were Fire Dragon Pearls. Red clouds typically formed thick fire dragon qi, but there was no such thing here.
The upper part of Linglong Treasure Pagoda was empty other than the item placed on the ground in the center, a cauldron!
A hexagonal-shaped cauldron that looked like it was made from crystal. Other than that, there was nothing else in that space.
Huang Xiaolong stared dumbly at the crystal cauldron. This was acauldron used for refining pellets?
He had imagined there would be a high-grade treasure like the Fire Dragon Pearls on the second floor—Huang Xiaolong thought the second floor would contain spiritual treasures that could enhance a Xiantian realm expert's strength. But amongst the many possibilities that went through his mind, never did he think the second layer of the Linglong Treasure Pagoda would contain nothing more than this cauldron!
Huang Xiaolong walked one full circle around the cauldron. The crystal cauldron was slightly over a meter tall, and on the cauldron's body were carvings of some ancient runes and some bizarre looking demonic beasts.
After studying the cauldron for a moment, Huang Xiaolong approached and tried to lift it up. However, he found he could not actually move the cauldron even an inch with his current strength. No matter how much battle qi or internal force Huang Xiaolong used, the crystal cauldron remained immovable.
It seemed this cauldron was 'one' with the Linglong Treasure Pagoda!
Frowning, Huang Xiaolong pondered for a moment before calling out one of the blades and sliced his finger, dripping a drop of blood on the cauldron. The instant the drop of scarlet red blood fell onto the cauldron, it vibrated strongly and a hum echoed in the space.
At the same time, pieces of memories appeared in Huang Xiaolong's mind…
Memories related to the cauldron.
The cauldron was named the Thousand Beast Cauldron. There were two big array formations carved inside it: one was called the Thousand Demon Engulfing Destruction Array, and the other was named Heaven and Earth Origin Reverting Array.
The Thousand Demon Engulfing Destruction Array could swallow living beings into the cauldron. As for the Heaven and Earth Origin Reverting Array inside the cauldron… it could refine everything within, reverting it back to its source of origin, ending in pellet form!
These two arrays complemented each other, and their miraculous combination could swallow thousands of living beings, turning their essence into pure energy!
Huang Xiaolong was flabbergasted.
Isn't this too terrifying?!
According to the memories he just received, as long as the owner of the Thousand Beast Cauldron grew stronger, the more powerful the cauldron would be too—the implication would be that even swallowing a sacred mountain or a vast sea was not a problem! As he got over his shock, Huang Xiaolong became wildly ecstatic.
Swallowing any and all living beings, refining them into a pellet… didn't that mean the higher the quality was of the object being swallowed coupled with the larger amount of energy it consumed, then the pellet grade it refined would also be higher?!
He could refine as many Grade Four or Grade Five Dans as he liked?! Huang Xiaolong's eyes twinkled brightly.
It was sometime later that Huang Xiaolong managed to calm the surging waves in his heart as he took out a Stage Ten beast core from the Asura Ring.
This Stage Ten beast core was taken from a peak late-Stage Ten demonic beast.
Expelling some of his battle qi, the Thousand Beast Cauldron flickered as a strong suction force came from inside the cauldron, swallowing the beast core in Huang Xiaolong's palm. Subsequently, the Heaven and Earth Returning Origin Array activated, and a lucent glow surrounded the Thousand Beast Cauldron as it shook. A mist of water vapor steamed out from the cauldron's body, lasting for an hour before the Thousand Beast Cauldron quieted down.
A ray of dazzling light rushed out, and a thumb-sized, round blackish-yellow glossy spirit pellet that exuded an aromatic scent flew out from the depth of the cauldron.
Delighted, Huang Xiaolong waved his hand and a suction force brought that small spirit pellet into his palm. In one swift flick, he popped that small round pellet into his mouth. He could instantly feel a warm energy spreading out inside his body.
Huang Xiaolong sat down cross-legged, running Asura Tactics to refine the pellet's energy.
A short while later, Huang Xiaolong stood up.
After absorbing the energy from the thumb-sized spirit pellet refined from a peak late-Stage Ten beast core, Huang Xiaolong determined it was at least at the high Grade Four Spirit Dan level.
High Grade Four!
Though a high Grade Four Spirit Dan may not be as valuable as high Grade Five Spirit Dan, it was still so scarce in supply that it could fetch a high price of at least thirty thousand gold in the auction houses.
And a peak late-Stage Ten beast core roughly cost about ten thousand gold coins on the market.
If a peak late-Stage Ten beast core produced a high Grade Four Spirit Dan, then what about a Xiantian level beast core? That would very likely produce a Grade Five Spirit Dan!
In Luo Tong Royal City, a Grade Five Spirit Dan was not something one could buy even with gold coins. This was because the success in refining a Grade Five Spirit Dan was too low.
In general, a Grade Five Spirit Dan needed fifty to sixty types of ingredients, each requiring a minimum age of two to three hundred years old. Even if all the ingredients gathered were of premium quality, something may go wrong during refining, causing failure. In the end, the chances of success were only fifty-fifty.
Huang Xiaolong took a deep breath.
Grade Five Spirit Dan was useful even for a Xiantian realm expert!
A Grade Five Spirit Dan should have some value in Duanren Empire as well, right?!
But, in the next moment, Huang Xiaolong's eyebrows scrunched together.
Earlier, when he pushed his battle qi to support the cauldron for an hour's time, it actually drained all his battle qi!
Since breaking through the Xiantian realm, his netherworld battle qi was richer than an average Xiantian Second Order expert, yet he could only refine one high Grade Four Spirit Dan.
If he managed to hunt a Xiantian realm beast and obtain its beast core, didn't that mean he would be sucked dry and become a mummy if he wanted to successfully refine a Grade Five Spirit Dan?!
He could only solve the problem when the time came. Huang Xiaolong sighed. After coming to this realization, he decided to exit the ancient battlefield.
On the outside, Zhao Shu, Yu Ming, and Fei Hou were already waiting anxiously—Huang Xiaolong had stayed inside the ancient battlefield for three days and three nights.
Seeing Huang Xiaolong come out, all three of them secretly let out a sigh of relief.
In the next instant, Zhao Shu and Yu Ming displayed a shocked expression on their faces while staring at Huang Xiaolong. With their keen eyesight, they immediately noted that there was a difference after Huang Xiaolong came out from practice compared to three days ago.
"Sovereign, you've reached the Xiantian realm?!" The words flew out from Zhao Shu's mouth.
Fei Hou was stunned. He quickly turned towards Huang Xiaolong.
Watching the three faces in front of him, Huang Xiaolong smiled faintly, "I broke through accidentally."
In Huang Xiaolong's opinion, it was indeed an accident. He did not expect it would happen so fast.
However, to Zhao Shu, Yu Ming, and Fei Hou's ears, these words were like a dizzying spell. He broke through accidentally?
A seventeen-year-old Xiantian realm expert!
It would be a sensation in the Snow Wind Continent if it was made known.
Even a Saint realm expert like Zhao Shu felt deeply shocked.
Huang Xiaolong then asked Zhao Shu, Yu Ming, and Fei Hou how to deal with the problem of overdrawing battle qi while supporting the arrays within the cauldron when one was refining pellets.
None of the three thought too much about it, and Zhao Shu answered, "It can be substituted with spirit stones."
"Spirit stones?" Huang Xiaolong's eyes lit up. This was his first time hearing about spirit stones.
"Yes, Sovereign. Spirit stones are formed from accumulated spiritual energy over many years, a type of mined stone that contains pure spiritual energy inside. Most Xiantian experts refining Grade Five Spirit Dan would use spirit stones to activate the arrays within the cauldron. In general, a grade three spirit stone is sufficient to support the refining process of one Grade Five Spirit Dan." Zhao Shu explained.
One grade three spirit stone could help refine one Grade Five Spirit Dan.
Zhao Shu went on to explain the different grades of spirit stones. The grades were grade five, grade four, grade three, grade two, and grade one, with grade five being the lowest. Above grade one spirit stone was top grade spirit stone.