The power of the five elements shot straight into the heavens.
It transformed into five beams of light illuminating the skies, while the blood-fiend aura of the Five-Element Blood-Congealing God-Pill grew ever denser.
This pill, with blood-fiend as its core, suppressed and balanced by the five elements, and further reinforced by their power, could be considered a superior medicine among sixth-grade pills.
The lightning in the sky grew more and more violent.
Normally, the phenomenon of Pill Tribulation for a sixth-grade pill would never actually descend. Yet at this moment, the thunder above their heads loomed like a blade, carrying the omen that it might fall at any time.
“Are you kidding me? He can refine it like this?”
“Did anyone count how long it took him just now, ten seconds? Or fifteen?”
“I feel like I’ve wasted my entire life of pill refining… may as well have been fed to a dog.”
All around, people were whispering in amazement.
That little girl with the candied hawthorn licked the sugar coating, smiling, “Did you see clearly now?”
“No, I didn’t understand a thing,” the young man shook his head, his expression solemn.
“See, I told you, don’t underestimate others,” the girl replied smugly.
……………
Above, thunderclouds gathered thickly, as though the tribulation was about to strike.
The rumble of thunder was already echoing through the air.
Xu Zimo waved his right hand, spiritforce surging, and directly seized the Five-Element Blood-Congealing God-Pill.
With the pill’s aura shielded, the thunder overhead gradually weakened.
In the end, the clouds dispersed into nothingness, leaving the skies bright and clear once again.
As if nothing at all had happened.
Xu Zimo stretched out his hand, the pill loosened, releasing dazzling five-colored light.
Six shining runes appeared on its surface.
The utmost limit of a sixth-grade pill was six Dao Runes. By the same rule, a seventh-grade pill bore seven Dao Runes.
The pill fragrance spread out, drifting for miles around.
“Pffft!” A sudden sound came from nearby.
The white-haired youth’s pill furnace flickered unsteadily, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The pill that had been moments away from completion instantly collapsed into waste.
His face turned ashen. He had been so close to success, but seeing Xu Zimo finish ahead of him, and with such unmatched quality, his Dao Heart had been thrown into chaos.
One small mistake was enough to ruin everything.
That was the cruelty of pill refining.
Until the final instant, no one could be sure of success.
As the white-haired youth failed, the other participants completed their own pills one after another.
But theirs were nothing remarkable, ordinary sixth-grade pills, with only one or two Dao Runes at best.
The woman with the Ancient Phoenix Furnace was the most outstanding among them, producing a pill with five Dao Runes.
Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters stood, his gaze fixed deeply upon Xu Zimo.
Then he gathered up all of the participants’ pills.
“There’s no need to compare further, he has won,” the woman with the Ancient Phoenix Furnace said calmly.
“What is your name?” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters asked, looking toward Xu Zimo.
“Xu Zimo.”
“Very well. Later, follow me to the Saint Sovereign Tower,” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters nodded.
He glanced over at the other contestants, thought for a moment, and said, “The nine of you shall each receive one hundred points. And five stalks of high-grade celestial herbs as a reward.”
The group quickly expressed their thanks.
………………
As the crowd dispersed, Ghost Buddha narrowed his eyes slightly.
A disciple beside him whispered, “My Lord, how should we deal with this?”
“Did you understand his pill refining method just now?” Ghost Buddha asked.
“What refining method? That was pure nonsense,” the disciple replied.
“Nonsense?” Ghost Buddha sneered coldly.
“Could you, in such a short time, refine a pill of such quality?”
The disciple fell silent.
“This matter, I shall judge for myself. You needn’t interfere,” Ghost Buddha waved his hand lightly.
……………
Xu Zimo followed Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters back to the chamber in the Saint Sovereign Tower.
“To be honest, I underestimated you,” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters said directly.
“What now?” Xu Zimo asked.
“I’ll explain briefly about tomorrow’s Myriad Alchemy Gathering. If you can help my Demon Faction achieve good results, we will certainly not treat you poorly,” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters said.
“All I want is points,” Xu Zimo replied.
“No problem,” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters nodded.
“Have you decided what pill you’ll refine tomorrow? Naturally, the higher the grade, the better.”
At this, Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters added, “Among the participants, the ones you must pay most attention to are those from the Alchemy God Tower and from Buddha Faction.”
“Alchemy God Tower?” Xu Zimo asked with a frown.
“What kind of place is that?”
“You’re an Alchemist and you don’t know the Alchemy God Tower?” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters was surprised.
“Who taught you to refine pills?”
“I’m self-taught,” Xu Zimo shrugged.
“....Don’t joke with me,” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters clearly didn’t believe it.
“With skill like yours, how could you be without a master?”
“Then tell me, does my method just now resemble anyone’s?” Xu Zimo asked.
Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters pondered for a while, then slowly shook his head.
That pill refining just now had indeed succeeded, but it was nothing more than reckless mixing, there was no technique at all.
But since Xu Zimo had succeeded, there was nothing he could say.
“You’ll need to prepare your own refining materials. Whatever you want, tell me, and I’ll try to provide it,” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters said.
Xu Zimo thought for a moment. Most of the ingredients he needed had already been arranged by Golden Cicada Lord.
Only a few crucial main ingredients remained.
“Find me three primary medicines,” Xu Zimo said.
“The demon core of a Nine-Lives Cat Demon, a wisp of True Immortal Essence, and the Dragon Pearl of a Ten-Thousand-Year Golden Dragon.”
At these words, Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters’s expression turned grim.
Any one of these would be difficult enough to acquire, let alone all three.
“What pill are you trying to refine?” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters asked with a bitter smile.
“You’ll know when the time comes,” Xu Zimo replied.
“To be honest, with my own ability, even I cannot manage it,” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters shook his head.
“Then have your entire Demon Faction search for them,” Xu Zimo said.
“That’s impossible,” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters immediately refused.
“What if I take first place in the Myriad Alchemy Gathering?” Xu Zimo smiled.
“This…” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters hesitated.
The Myriad Alchemy Gathering concerned Heaven's End, Ocean's Edge, and that Particle World was of immense importance.
“You’re confident you can win first place? Do you even know who your opponents are?” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters asked.
“No matter who they are, that first place is mine,” Xu Zimo replied calmly.
His voice carried neither arrogance nor disdain, only plain simplicity, yet within it was a conviction that made it utterly persuasive.
“…Very well. I’ll gamble on you,” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters said after a long silence, finally raising his hand.
“Tomorrow morning, I’ll have those things delivered to you.”
The two spoke a little longer before Xu Zimo departed.
Moon-Pluck Fairy and Miss Jing were waiting outside. The three left the Saint Sovereign Tower, while Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters went to seek out the main ingredients.
He assigned his disciples to escort Xu Zimo and his companions to rest.
Beside the Saint Sovereign Tower was an inn, established by the Brahma Monarch God Realm.