In the alchemy room, Gu He retrieved all the medicinal materials from his ring and carefully placed them one by one on the table. His gaze swept slowly over the dozen or so snow-white jade boxes before him.
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the fluctuations in his heart. With a flick of his fingers, the massive Dragon Soul Cauldron materialized out of thin air and landed heavily on the ground, accompanied by a deep, resonant dragon's roar.
Gu He narrowed his eyes, his mind replaying the refining method for the Emperor's Pill and the various points of caution. After a long moment, his eyes suddenly snapped open, and within their dark depths, purple flames began to rise.
"Puff!"
With a soft sound, a wisp of purple flame sprang forth from between his fingers. With another flick, the flame transformed into a streak of light and shot into the pill cauldron like lightning.
As soon as the flame entered the cauldron, its tiny form swelled rapidly. In an instant, the small flame erupted into a raging fire, burning fiercely within the cauldron.
As the purple flames rose, the dragon-shaped patterns on the surface of the Dragon Soul Cauldron seemed to come alive, radiating a dazzling golden light.
Once the temperature inside the cauldron stabilized, Gu He waved his hand, and a snow-white jade box exuding a faint chill flew into his palm.
Inside the box lay a plant that resembled an ice sculpture. Though it appeared unremarkable, the potent medicinal fragrance emanating from it revealed its extraordinary nature.
This was the Heart of the Ice Orchid, a treasure condensed from the purest cold energy in the most frigid of places.
For cultivators of ice-type dou qi, refining and absorbing it would significantly enhance the chill of their dou qi, making it an invaluable treasure.
Gu He's eyes flickered with surprise as he examined the Heart of the Ice Orchid. Its purity and size indicated that it was of the highest quality. He couldn't help but wonder where Yunyun had obtained such a rare item.
Holding the Heart of the Ice Orchid between two fingers, a bone-chilling cold quickly seeped through his fingertips, nearly numbing his entire arm.
Glancing at his arm, now covered in a thin layer of frost, Gu He focused his mind, and the purple flames within his body surged, swiftly dispelling the invasive cold.
With a flick of his wrist, the Heart of the Ice Orchid was tossed into the pill cauldron with precision. The purple flames roared violently, engulfing it like a ferocious beast.
The Heart of the Ice Orchid did not yield easily. It continuously emitted streams of icy mist, attempting to resist the scorching heat.
The mist clashed with the emerald-green flames, and at their intersection, a faint white vapor began to form. The Heart's icy energy, accumulated over countless years, momentarily held its ground against Gu He's divine flames.
"As expected of an item born from extreme cold. It can actually contend with my natal flame for so long," Gu He murmured in amazement. With a thought, the temperature inside the cauldron surged sharply.
Under the increasingly intense heat, the Heart of the Ice Orchid finally began to falter. The ice-crystal-like surface started to show signs of melting. Seeing this, Gu He let out a sigh of relief.
Thanks to his natal divine flame, which was a fusion of various unique heavenly flames, the refining process was significantly accelerated. If he had used ordinary flames, it would have taken at least a day or two, consuming both time and a tremendous amount of dou qi.
For an alchemist, a heavenly flame was indeed no less valuable than a magical artifact.
The refining process continued for about an hour until the solid Heart of the Ice Orchid finally melted completely into a snow-white, viscous liquid, brimming with pure energy.
After completing the refinement, Gu He spent another half hour purifying the liquid. Without resting, he immediately tossed another stubborn medicinal herb into the cauldron.
Time passed slowly in the secluded alchemy room. The number of medicinal materials in the jade boxes gradually dwindled, and the air became thick with the mingling scents of various herbs, creating an almost tangible atmosphere.
As the refinement progressed, Gu He's expression grew increasingly solemn. He knew that the most critical moment was approaching.
Though confident in his abilities, Gu He understood that the Emperor's Pill was the highest-grade elixir he had ever attempted to refine. He could not afford even the slightest mistake.
Even among sixth-grade pills, the Emperor's Pill was considered top-tier. For a Dou Emperor, such a pill was nearly irresistible.
Of course, the materials required to refine the Emperor's Pill were exceedingly rare.
If not for Yun Yun's status as the sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect, with her vast resources and connections, gathering these materials would have been nearly impossible. For others, even a Dou Emperor-level expert, it might take a year or two to collect everything.
Moreover, refining the Emperor's Pill was an incredibly difficult task.
Even for a sixth-grade alchemist, the success rate was only around 30% to 40%. With Gu He's current skills, refining a sixth-grade pill was manageable, but the Emperor's Pill was no ordinary elixir.
Even for him, the success rate might not exceed 50%. However, with the aid of his natal flame and the Dragon Soul Cauldron, he could boost the success rate to around 70%.
Gu He was acutely aware of the challenges involved in refining the Emperor's Pill, so he dared not be careless. His eyes remained fixed on the movements within the cauldron.
At a certain moment, he suddenly compressed the refined medicinal liquid inside with a surge of soul power.
At this point, Gu He's soul power was fully immersed in the cauldron, allowing him to detect even the slightest changes. Under his intense focus, the various purified medicinal liquids began to merge.
The fusion process proceeded smoothly, and soon, a colorful liquid the size of half a fist formed within the cauldron.
Despite this progress, Gu He remained tense. His soul power meticulously controlled the flames, slowly adjusting the temperature to allow the medicinal liquids to fully condense.
Time slipped away like sand through fingers as the flames danced within the cauldron. Beads of sweat began to form on Gu He's forehead. Even for him, the continuous refining process was becoming slightly taxing.
As the liquid ball gradually shrank and condensed, its surface began to harden. After about half an hour, a rudimentary pill with an uneven surface took shape.
Seeing the pill's initial form, Gu He finally felt a weight lift from his chest. The most challenging steps were complete. Now, all that remained was to maintain the flame and allow the pill to fully form. If all went well, the Emperor's Pill would soon be successfully refined.
…
In the quiet courtyard, Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran sat silently in the gazebo, occasionally glancing toward the alchemy room with mixed expressions.
"Teacher, do you think Elder Gu He will succeed?" Nalan Yanran finally broke the silence, unable to contain her curiosity.
Yun Yun shook her head lightly. She had no way of knowing.
"Sect Master, Senior Sister Yanran, there's no need to worry. Alchemy is a time-consuming process, and rushing it won't help," the Little Fairy Doctor said calmly as she poured tea for the two. Her serene eyes briefly glanced toward the alchemy room. "Since the teacher is so confident, he will surely succeed."
Hearing this, Yun Yun looked up at the Little Fairy Doctor in surprise, silently admiring the girl's composure. Recalling what Nalan Yanran had told her the previous day, Yun Yun couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Not only was this girl exceptionally talented, but her temperament was also far superior to most. It was no wonder she had achieved so much at such a young age.
Yun Yun glanced at Nalan Yanran, who seemed somewhat restless, and sighed again. Compared to the Little Fairy Doctor, Yanran still had some growing to do.
"Junior Sister, are you really that confident?" Nalan Yanran asked, puzzled.
The Little Fairy Doctor smiled gently. "It's not that I'm confident, but I believe in the teacher. He has never failed to deliver on his promises."
"Really?" Nalan Yanran asked skeptically.
Just as she spoke, the entire courtyard suddenly trembled violently.
The sudden tremor startled the three of them, and their eyes immediately turned toward the alchemy room, where an intense energy fluctuation was rapidly building.
"It seems Elder Gu He is about to succeed," Yun Yun said, a glimmer of joy flashing in her eyes. Though not an alchemist herself, her years of experience had taught her that the formation of high-level pills often triggered such phenomena.
The Little Fairy Doctor's face lit up with a smile. "I told you teacher would succeed."
At that moment, the energy fluctuation in the alchemy room surged to a terrifying level. With a loud bang, a beam of dou qi about half a foot thick shot out from the room, piercing through the ceiling and soaring into the sky.
The three of them stared in awe at the beam of light. 'Was this the power of a high-level pill being formed?'