บท 177: Half a Supreme Pill, Cocooning with Thunder
In the ensuing few hundred years, the Vast Heaven remained tranquil, and the Vast Heaven Sword Sea was as placid as a mirror.
The entire region of the Vast Heaven Sword Sea lapsed into stillness. Only occasionally would foreign cultivators pay a visit, seeking counsel on supernatural powers or requesting an audience with the elders.
Take, for instance, the Sect Master of Jade Terrace Mountain, who frequented Chen Xia. It all stemmed from the incident that had transpired hundreds of years prior, when an old fiend had launched an assault on Jade Terrace Mountain.
Every few decades, like clockwork, the Sect Master of Jade Terrace Mountain would seek out Chen Xia, his persistence unwavering.
Chen Xia, ever the epitome of courtesy, would respond, "Rest assured. I'm looking into it."
However, these words only served to heighten the Sect Master's anxiety, for each time he inquired, Chen Xia's reply was identical. At that moment, he couldn't suppress his urge to press further.
"Have you unearthed any leads at all?"
"None,"Chen Xia replied with resolute certainty, shaking his head.
"But…but it's been hundreds of years of scouring already,"the Sect Master of Jade Terrace Mountain lamented, his distress palpable.
Chen Xia slowly waved his hand and said, "I understand your impatience, but do try to calm yourself. For I am even more eager than you. I've already devised a plan, so allow me to shoulder the burden of this anxiety for now."
"But…but…"The Sect Master of Jade Terrace Mountain was still intent on arguing his case.
Chen Xia furrowed his brow, a tinge of impatience creeping into his tone. "Why the haste? The star region is only so expansive. If you grant me tens of thousands of years, surely I'll track it down."
The Sect Master of Jade Terrace Mountain was on the verge of tears. "By the time tens of thousands of years have elapsed, I'll be long gone, laid to rest in my grave."
"Is that so?"Chen Xia arched an eyebrow. "Then set your mind at ease. I'll be sure to convey the news to you, even if it means sending it to the afterlife."
The Sect Master of Jade Terrace Mountain knew he was no match for Chen Xia in a war of words, nor did he dare to engage in combat. All he could do was stand there, consumed by worry.
The root of his anxiety lay in his dread of the old fiend's potential return. By then, the Vast Heaven Sword Sea might be too beleaguered to offer any defense.
Thus, the Sect Master of Jade Terrace Mountain had hoped to capitalize on the period when the Vast Heaven Sword Sea still boasted strength to vanquish the old fiend.
Yet, gauging from Chen Xia's current stance, he seemed in no hurry to take action.
Disheartened, the Sect Master of Jade Terrace Mountain now saw no hope. All he could do was rue the twenty thousand spirit stones he had parted with.
It was a fruitless endeavor, akin to casting precious morsels before a ravenous dog, yielding not a single shred of return.
With a heavy heart and slumped shoulders, the Sect Master of Jade Terrace Mountain took his leave, perhaps never to return.
Following in his wake, Zhang Daoming also sought out Chen Xia. He meandered into the cave at a leisurely pace, in no particular rush. After settling in, he uncorked a jug of wine, took a sip, and a smile graced his lips.
"Nearly all the ingredients for your top-tier Dao Medicine are assembled. When do you intend to commence the refining process?"
"In due course. I'll spread the word first and invite other alchemists to purchase tickets for a front-row view,"Chen Xia replied. He had just bid farewell to the Sect Master of Jade Terrace Mountain and was presently engrossed in poring over a tome on supernatural powers.
Zhang Daoming took another swig of wine and shook his head, a bemused expression on his face. "Do you truly believe there will still be gullible alchemists willing to part with their coin to witness your pill-making spectacle?"
Word of Chen Xia's unorthodox wok-based pill refining had swept through the Vast Heaven Sword Sea like wildfire. Virtually every alchemist in the star region had caught wind of the tale.
At first, some alchemists scoffed at the notion. But after paying for a ticket and witnessing the process, they were left with no choice but to believe. And their verdicts were astonishingly uniform, summed up in a single word:
Bizarre.
It was a practice that defied their understanding.
Subsequently, the alchemists reached a consensus. Any who dared to pay to watch Chen Xia at work was, in their eyes, a simpleton.
Zhang Daoming, well-versed in these developments, naturally voiced his doubts.
"Even if you're concocting half a Great Medicine, while these folks might not be keen on observing your technique, surely they'd be drawn by the allure of the medicine itself, right?"Chen Xia proposed.
Zhang Daoming clutched the wine jug, his brow furrowed in thought. "It's a viable idea. I can assist with the promotion. But as to how many will take the bait, I can't say for sure."
"Very well, we'll see how it plays out,"Chen Xia nodded, leaning back against the wall. He was in no rush either.
The debts he owed the elders had been conveniently chalked up to the Old Fisherman's account. It was of no immediate concern to him.
The sole obligation he had was to repay the ten thousand spirit stones he owed Li Yang.
As for the funds owed to the auction house, Chen Xia planned to chip away at the debt through painstaking pill refining in the future.
Zhang Daoming drained the last drop of wine from the jug in one gulp, smacked his lips twice, and grinned. "Press on, young man. If you manage to ascend to the rank of Great Emperor one day, I'll beam with pride, even from the depths of the netherworld."
"Then I'll surely make a point of journeying to the underworld to share the good news with you in person,"Chen Xia replied with a smile, propping his head up.
"Fair enough. I'll be waiting,"Zhang Daoming said, a chuckle escaping him as he reattached the empty wine jug to his waist. The white jade vessel emitted a crisp tinkling sound as it made contact.
A few months later, the news that Chen Xia was poised to refine half a Great Medicine reverberated throughout the Vast Heaven Sword Sea. The alchemists in the star region also got wind of it.
Some even traveled hundreds of thousands of miles, spurred on by sheer curiosity, just to witness Chen Xia's alchemical prowess.
If he could indeed pull it off, Chen Xia would be crowned the preeminent Dao Alchemist in the star region, perhaps even earning the title of half-step Dan Dao Grandmaster.
Merely being associated with the term "Dan Dao"signified that Chen Xia had attained a masterful stature.
The ticket price for admission was set at fifty spirit stones. Given the opportunity to behold half a Great Medicine, it was a bargain, not to mention the added spectacle of Chen Xia's technique.
Chen Xia had finally procured the last essential ingredient for his top-tier Dao Medicine. Thus, he scheduled the refining session for six months hence.
The intervening period was uneventful. Chen Xia refrained from any pill-related activities. In fact, it had been a full fifty years since his last foray into alchemy.
Over time, Chen Xia had come to grasp the essence of luck. It was all about accumulation.
When he had abstained from pill refining for a decade, the Dao Medicines he produced were of middling or inferior quality. Only on rare occasions would a high-grade specimen emerge.
If he held off for twenty years, he could reliably churn out medium to high-grade Dao Medicines.
Now, with his sights set on a top-tier Dao Medicine, or even half a Great Medicine, he knew he had to bide his time, allowing luck to amass gradually.
Chen Xia wasn't certain of the upper limit of this luck accumulation, but he reckoned fifty years ought to suffice.
And so, the appointed hour arrived.
Still attired in a simple, unadorned blue shirt, exuding an air of calm detachment, Chen Xia made his way slowly towards the Sword Forest.
The Sword Forest, now bereft of its three million flying swords, presented an ideal setting for Chen Xia's pill-making endeavor.
Nearly a thousand alchemists had congregated there, including some renowned names in the star region.
A cacophony of murmured discussions filled the air.
"Can he truly pull it off? Chen Xia is on the cusp of ascending to the ranks of the half Dan Dao Grandmaster!"
"If he manages to succeed, he'll undoubtedly be the most promising alchemist in the star region. At his age, he's a veritable prodigy."
"…"
Chen Xia came to a halt, straightened his spine, and faced the assembled throng of over a thousand alchemists, his countenance serene. With a fluid motion, he raised his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips, and then lowered his palm, uttering a single command.
"Erect the cauldron."
A colossal pill refining cauldron materialized before him, suspended in mid-air, with golden flames dancing merrily beneath.
It wasn't a wok?!
The alchemists present gaped in astonishment, their eyes widening in disbelief. They had expected Chen Xia to revert to his unorthodox ways, but this…this was unexpected.
But their amazement was short-lived.
For when it came time to introduce the medicinal ingredients, Chen Xia's approach was indistinguishable from his wok-based antics. He simply tossed them all in, heedless of the complex interplay of medicinal properties.
Zhang Daoming, standing nearby, watched with a furrowed brow. Unable to contain his curiosity, he leaned in and asked, "Is this any different from using a wok?"
Chen Xia reached up and tapped the tip of his nose, a chuckle escaping him.
"Call it a formality."
In truth, he was simply adhering to convention, a nod to the age-old traditions of alchemy.
Chen Xia had never delved deep into the arcane arts of Dan Dao. He was a maverick, relying on instinct and raw talent to produce results.
Among the onlookers, not a single soul, not even Chen Xia himself, could claim to fully understand the alchemy at play.
Three hours elapsed.
Suddenly, the sky was rent asunder by a maelstrom of purple-red pill thunder, coiling and writhing like a fearsome thunder dragon prowling among the clouds, exuding an aura of terrifying potency.
The elders of the Vast Heaven Sword Sea were the first to rouse themselves. They hastened to the Sword Forest, their brows knitted in consternation as they beheld the celestial spectacle, their voices tinged with disbelief.
"Did he truly manage it?!"
"I'm not so sure we can use the term 'refine'. While it's undeniably his handiwork, it seems…different."
"…"
The purple-red pill thunder continued its frenzied dance, growing ever more violent. The thunder dragon within seemed to be taking on a more tangible form, its gaze fixed menacingly downward, its pressure suffocating.
"It's going to devour the pill!"
Zhang Daoming's voice rang out, sharp with alarm.
And then, with a deafening roar, the thunder dragon plummeted from the heavens, a ten-thousand-foot thunder pillar lancing down, obliterating a vast swath of the surrounding area.
The alchemists scattered in panic, their faces drained of color. As they turned to gaze at the epicenter, they saw a maelstrom of thunderbolts and lightning. But through the chaos, a glimmer of golden light shone through.
There, in the heart of the maelstrom, stood Chen Xia, bathed in dazzling golden radiance. A golden real dragon seemed to encircle him, its scales glinting in the light.
In his hand, he clutched a pure white pill, resplendent with intricate pill patterns. From a distance, it bore an uncanny resemblance to a dragon's head.
The pill exuded a rich, intoxicating fragrance that permeated the air, and its patterns seemed to writhe and shift, as if alive, further enhancing the illusion of a dragon's head.
Top-tier Dao Medicine, half a Great Medicine!
The alchemists stood rooted to the spot, their minds reeling. Above them, the thunder roared unabated, as if threatening to shatter the very heavens.
Chen Xia, without a word, raised his hand and popped the half a Great Medicine into his mouth. Then, casting a defiant glance skyward, he murmured.
"Mine."
In response, the thunder bellowed with renewed fury. A thousand-foot thunder pillar hurtled down, the purple-red thunder dragon in hot pursuit.
Chen Xia's eyes flashed with a blinding white light. The golden dragon qi that had once enveloped him transformed in an instant into a searing white, its power so intense that it sent a wave of bloodline suppression rippling through the onlookers.
The purple-red thunder dragon faltered in mid-air, its momentum checked.
With a roar, Chen Xia, cloaked in his dual-colored dragon qi, surged forward, seizing the thunder dragon and hurtling it towards the ground.
The center of the Sword Forest erupted in a cataclysmic explosion. The already barren terrain was now a scene of utter devastation.
Chen Xia and the purple-red thunder dragon locked in a fierce struggle, their bodies crashing against the ancient immortal swords strewn about, sending them ringing out in a discordant chorus.
The cultivators watching from the periphery dared not approach. They could only stand there, mouths agape, eyes wide with disbelief, and mutter.
"Is he actually taking on the heavenly thunder?!"
The titanic struggle didn't last long. Slowly, a pure white dragon qi emerged, enfolding both Chen Xia and the purple-red thunder dragon.
And then, at some point, in the heart of the shattered crater in the center of the Sword Forest, a gargantuan cocoon took shape. It was a thing of ethereal beauty, pure white and laced with veins of purple thunder.
The big yellow dog, having caught wind of the commotion, came bounding over. When it laid eyes on the enormous cocoon, it leapt up and down in uncontained excitement, shouting.
"My brother is going to evolve!"
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