"Have I become this formidable already?"
Watching the Thunder Cloud gather, the air seemed to grow heavy. Zhao Li was filled with emotion.
Things and people change. Seven or eight years ago, before he had formally studied Alchemy Technique, he happened to encounter his master refining pills on his first trip up the mountain. That had triggered Pill Lightning. Seeing his master fight against the Pill Lightning, he felt worry and longing. He never expected that in just a few short years, he would reach the same level his master had back then.
Lightning flashed, occasionally crackling.
Zhao Li stopped thinking and, with a thought, withdrew the Flame. The blood-red Pills appeared.
The moment the Pills were exposed to the air, the Thunder Cloud seemed to find its target. The sky above the canyon quickly darkened. Layers of dark clouds gathered densely, with occasional flashes of lightning visible within them.
As the Thunder Cloud condensed and heavenly might descended, Medusa and the Great Elder felt the vast power of the heavens. Even their breathing became heavier, and a sense of insignificance arose in their hearts.
Their faces pale, they retreated further, stopping only when they were outside the range of the Thunder Cloud. They looked at Zhao Li, their eyes revealing worry, though they weren't sure if they were worried about him or the Pills.
Zhao Li had long known that Seventh Grade Pills had a certain possibility of attracting Pill Lightning. As the Pills formed, he saw the Thunder Cloud brewing and didn't dare to be careless, preparing early.
Crack!
A thick bolt of lightning flashed, instantly appearing above the Medicine Cauldron and striking fiercely towards the Pills, as if to destroy the Bone-Generating Blood-Melting Pill.
Though the lightning was fast and its Momentum astonishing, it was still blocked by Zhao Li. The lightning struck Zhao Li's Dou Qi barrier, and the surrounding air rippled from the impact.
After blocking this attack, Zhao Li also judged the power of the Pill Lightning, and the anxiety in his heart eased.
He didn't have a divine artifact like the Heavenly Demon Puppet to withstand the Lightning Tribulation. This was his first time attracting Pill Lightning, and facing such heavenly might, he wasn't entirely confident. He was still somewhat nervous.
"Is this the Pill Lightning caused by Seventh Grade Pills? The power is decent. A typical Dou Sect expert could probably withstand three to five attacks without injury, but any more might result in injury."
The Lightning Tribulation's first strike was ineffective. The speed at which the lightning gathered increased slightly, and another bolt quickly condensed and struck down again.
Watching from afar, Medusa and the other felt bolt after bolt of lightning, their hearts pounding. But seeing Zhao Li casually block the lightning, they exchanged glances. While relieved, they both understood what the other meant – Zhao Li was too strong.
Although they weren't targeted by the Pill Lightning, the scattered lightning from the bolts caused rocks to fly in the canyon. If they had faced the Thunder Cloud, perhaps two bolts of lightning would have been enough to end their lives.
Several bolts of lightning struck down, but the Thunder Cloud showed no sign of dispersing. Zhao Li looked at the still gathering Thunder Cloud, thought for a moment, condensed a stream of Dou Qi, drew a bolt of lightning towards him, and began to comprehend.
Since Space could be used to comprehend Rules, perhaps lightning could also be understood.
The Thunder Cloud seemed to be angered by Zhao Li's actions. The speed at which it condensed slowed, but its power increased by more than a notch.
"Oh, it's going to unleash a big move, huh?"
Zhao Li felt the lightning grow stronger, and the air carried a burnt smell.
He defended while studying it. Time passed, and the Thunder Cloud began to weaken, gradually dispersing.
Zhao Li looked at the dispersing Thunder Cloud, lost in thought.
Clang—
The Medicine Cauldron emitted a clear sound, pulling Zhao Li's thoughts back.
With the Thunder Cloud dispersed, the blood-red Pills were once again full of life, even more condensed due to the baptism of the lightning.
As if seeing that Zhao Li hadn't noticed it, it darted left and right, preparing to escape.
Zhao Li came back to his senses, extended his palm, and grasped it in his hand. Only then did it settle down.
"Congratulations, sir, on successfully refining the Pills."
Medusa's soft voice came over.
Zhao Li followed the sound and looked over. She still had a thin veil covering her face, her slender waist swaying as she walked gracefully towards him.
Having gained a little insight just now, Zhao Li didn't plan to stay long. He was preparing to leave to properly digest and absorb the insights he had gained.
He put away the Pills, waved his sleeve, and sent them over. "Thank you for the hospitality. The Pills are refined, and I should leave now. Farewell."
Watching Zhao Li's gradually dissipating Afterimage, Medusa and the Great Elder exchanged glances, feeling a slight regret, but were quickly drawn by the Pills in their hands.
With these Pills, their next Queen would definitely surpass her, with extremely high talent and formidable strength, very likely leading them out of the desert.
Their thoughts were indeed correct. In the future, they not only left the desert but also left this Plane, but that was a story for later.
Over there, Zhao Li left and found a place. Recalling the condensation and dispersion of the Thunder Cloud just now, many insights arose in his mind.
After a long time, he shook his head, feeling a little regret. He had gained something, but there was no way to verify it.
"I can only verify it when I attract Pill Lightning again. Tsk, I wonder what achievements that Medusa Queen will have after being nourished by a Top-tier Secret Technique? I wonder if she will still have interactions with Xiao Yan because of the Heavenly Flame?"
Thinking about the various future events in the book, Zhao Li felt he had been a bit impulsive. If this incident caused the Flame Emperor to lose his wife, Zhao Li would feel a little embarrassed.
Putting away his thoughts, Zhao Li hurried towards Jia Ma Holy City.
He naturally didn't know that because of this pill refining, Medusa's Bloodline almost failed to continue, but precisely because of this, that destined marriage became a little more complete.
...
Jia Ma Holy City is the Imperial Capital of the Jia Ma Empire.
The Cloud Mist Sect is the strongest force, followed by the Imperial Family. The remaining four families are the Xiao Family, Mu Family, Nalan Family, and Mitel Family, closely following behind.
However, due to the nature of the Cloud Mist Sect, which only cultivates on Cloud Mist Mountain, everyone lived in peace with very little friction.
The current Sect Master of the Cloud Mist Sect is a woman named Yun Yun. She has extremely high talent and a Cultivation Level of High-level Dou Emperor. Except for the Imperial Family Ancestor, no one can contend with her. The remaining families only have low-level Dou Emperor experts.
Experts always attract attention easily. Any slight disturbance will become the topic of conversation after meals. After Zhao Li entered Jia Ma Holy City, he walked around a few times and learned about the situation of the major forces.
After getting a general understanding of the Jia Ma Empire, Zhao Li felt a bit puzzled.
"Since the Xiao Family still has a Dou Emperor and is considered a first-rate power in the Jia Ma Empire, why did they have to move away from the Imperial Capital and settle in Wutan City within just a few decades? What happened during that time?"
Zhao Li calculated the time. The Xiao Family's move from Jia Ma Holy City should happen in the next fifty-plus years. A Dou Emperor expert is enough to protect two or three generations as they grow. Something significant must have occurred during that period.
"Zhao Li, Zhao Li, unexpected events can happen to the weather, and misfortune can strike people at any time. How can you not even understand this?"
Fortunately, Zhao Li wasn't someone who dwelled on things, so he stopped thinking about it. How the Xiao Family changed had little to do with him. If it weren't for his favorable impression of the future Flame Emperor, he wouldn't have even specifically traveled to the Northwestern Region.
Over the next few days, Zhao Li found a place in Jia Ma Holy City and temporarily settled down.
Just like the previous two years, Zhao Li would stay in each place he visited for a while, carefully experiencing the different local customs and cultures. It was the accumulation of these small insights that allowed him to quickly break through to Dou Emperor and advance to Dou Sect.
The next few days were uneventful, spent listening to music in a brothel.
This day, just as Zhao Li left the Immortal Sound Pavilion and was moving through the crowd, he overheard several people discussing the Alchemist Competition. Each of them was like a fan watching the World Cup in his previous life, analyzing the strength of the various contestants within their own understanding and guessing who the hot favorite for the championship was. It was quite lively.
As Zhao Li listened, his heart stirred. Perhaps he could use this competition to have closer contact with the major powers of the Jia Ma Empire.
Although he had recently refined a Seventh-Grade Pill that attracted Pill Lightning, the rank he had actually tested and certified at the Alchemist Guild was still only Second-Grade Alchemist.
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