The Thunder Tribulation Descends

The brilliant, multicolored Empyrean Flame churned within the Medicine Cauldron, where various medicinal herbs had successively fused, transforming into ten orbs of light circling the vessel.

Yan Kuan adjusted his breathing rhythm at this moment and retrieved the final ingredient—the most difficult one to process: a branch from the Ginseng Fruit Tree, an Undying Divine Tree.

The emerald branch of the Undying Divine Tree emitted a faint, refreshing fragrance, and its incredibly dense life force was so potent that it stirred an urge to devour and refine it immediately.

However, a closer observation would reveal that within this emerald light of life lay strands of black light. The death energy hidden deep within the life force was such that if anyone were to refine it into their body, they would be invaded by this death energy and transformed into an evil entity.

Yan Kuan cast the branch into the Medicine Cauldron, and the power of the Empyrean Flame was instantly pushed to its limit. Yet, even under the shroud of the raging Empyrean Flame, the branch showed no signs of change.

Yan Kuan continuously drove the Empyrean Flame to increase its intensity. Finally, after more than an hour, the branch became more vibrant and emerald, but the deep-seated black light could no longer be concealed.

As the Empyrean Flame continued to scorch it, cracks finally appeared on the surface of the branch, with emerald light and black energy swirling together as they leaked out.

Yan Kuan's soul energy covered every corner of the branch, sensing the strength of the two energies and striving to maintain a delicate balance.

His hand seals suddenly shifted, and with a swift flick of his finger, he sliced off a piece of the emerald essence and stored it in a jade bottle. This was the life-sap he had painstakingly separated and preserved; Yan Kuan did not intend to use it in this particular concoction.

The branch gradually turned to ash, while the emerald life force and the pitch-black death energy became entangled, vaguely forming a swirling black-and-green Taiji image.

Under the control of Yan Kuan's soul power, this fused liquid rotated continuously, while he also manipulated the ten previously extracted medicinal essences to merge into the green and black sides in a specific sequence.

With the main materials essentially refined, Yan Kuan eased his posture slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he took out a jade bottle, tilted it slowly, and a drop of strange, crimson blood dripped down.

The crimson droplet hovered before Yan Kuan; though small in volume, the energy contained within it was immense.

This was the blood essence from the Dao-Slaying King who had served as a guardian of Dragon Tiger Mountain. On that day, Yan Kuan had brought the remains to Outer Dragon Tiger Mountain and used the Empyrean Flame to help refine the death energy from the corpse, allowing it to rest in peace.

During that process, "somehow," not only did he obtain many profound techniques of Dragon Tiger Mountain, but that Dao-Slaying King predecessor had also "gifted" him a cluster of blood essence—presumably to repay the favor of being laid to rest.

The energy contained within the blood essence of a Dao-Slaying King was naturally unimaginable. Using it as a pill primer to refine the Life-Devouring Pill meant that if he succeeded, the quality of the pill would reach an inconceivable level.

Yan Kuan's gaze fixed on the crimson blood essence. A moment later, he flicked his finger, and the blood drifted lightly into the Medicine Cauldron.

The moment the crimson blood fell into the cauldron, the formidable energy it contained immediately stirred up a storm within the vessel.

Yan Kuan did not hesitate; he used his soul power to guide the blood into the coalesced medicinal liquid. In an instant, the winds and clouds shifted, and a heaven-shaking phenomenon erupted.

The thick, crimson Medicine Cauldron trembled violently. Although it did not crack, the bursts of energy were already on the verge of erupting from within.

Yan Kuan's expression remained calm as he watched the swirling liquid inside the cauldron gradually contract, eventually forming a pill embryo that resembled a tiny sea urchin covered in spikes. The violent energy fluctuated incessantly, and Yan Kuan continuously attempted to stabilize it.

Clang! Clang!

Waves of energy continuously slammed against the inner walls of the cauldron, the resonant ringing echoing throughout the entire plaza.

"You had better just behave yourself!"

Yan Kuan's eyes suddenly shot out beams of fire. His right index finger pointed out, and a drop of blood infused with multicolored flames surged into the pill embryo. The Empyrean Flame, already burning at a high temperature, instantly became even more aggressive, forcibly refining all resistance under Yan Kuan's control.

Yan Kuan's own blood, combined with the Empyrean Flame, suppressed the pill embryo, gradually refining and condensing it.

Inside the cauldron, the brilliant multicolored flames enveloped a liquid about the size of half a fist. The liquid was somewhat mottled in color, though crimson remained the dominant hue; yet, within that red, several other energies of different colors seemed to be slowly merging.

As Yan Kuan's soul power sensed the calm within the liquid, he felt a slight sense of relief. After the previous turmoil, the subsequent steps had become much more stable. Once all the medicinal properties within were fully fused, it would be time for the final condensation.

Of course, this was a relatively slow process that would last at least several days, but Yan Kuan could afford to wait.

Yan Kuan slowly closed his eyes, diverting a sliver of his focus to circulate the Burning Art to absorb the surrounding heaven and earth energy, while his soul power continued to hover within the cauldron, controlling the heat and the fusion of the various medicinal properties.

Six days passed slowly. As the dawn of the seventh day arrived, a ray of sunlight broke through the shackles of the earth, shooting from the distant sea of trees to shine into the Medicine Cauldron.

With a flash of intuition, Yan Kuan opened his eyes. Two golden beams of light fell accurately into the cauldron; he knew in his heart that the moment to complete the pill had arrived.

The multicolored Empyrean Flame within the cauldron gradually receded, and a strange pill embryo appeared in his sight. The embryo was about the size of a longan, radiating green, black, and red colors. Its surface was pitted and uneven, looking quite unsightly, yet one could feel the pure medicinal power within.

Yan Kuan changed his hand seals, and the Empyrean Flame emitted a faint warmth that slowly permeated the pill embryo. This final step of gestation did not last long; about ten hours later, within the flames, the pitted embryo was completely transformed into a perfect pill.

A round pill, the size of a longan, with a blood-red surface and emerald and black colors swirling within, appeared before Yan Kuan.

The emerald and black colors looked like a Taiji fish etched inside the pill, appearing as if it possessed a trace of intelligence—it was truly miraculous.

The moment the pill was fully formed, the sky above Ten Thousand Demons Valley suddenly turned gloomy. Layers of dark clouds rapidly gathered overhead, and silver lightning flickered in the distance like silver snakes.

"This is... the descent of Pill Tribulation Lightning!"

Yan Kuan looked up at the silver lightning about to strike. Far from feeling fear, his face was filled with a faint joy. The descent of Pill Tribulation Lightning meant his pill was a success; he only needed to endure the lightning tribulation to collect it.