"Phew, I've finally finished refining the last set of Array Flags."
In the Sanctuary's space, Li Yang gazed at the finished Array Flags before him and let out a long breath.
"Now all that's left is the final Array Formation."
The materials required to set up an Immortal Composite Grand Array weren't particularly demanding. The real challenge was that an immortal had to refine them.
Li Yang's strength lay in refining things like these. He could turn all kinds of materials into sets of Array Flags, Array Plates, and other items used in Array Formation, then set them up.
"Senior Brother, I've finished refining the final component of the grand array."
Li Yang's Avatar outside relayed the good news to his Senior Brother.
"Finally! Looks like I can start refining the Melting Immortal Pill now."
Li Changshou jumped up excitedly and spun in place. "Once the array's set up, perhaps we can ask Martial Uncle Jiu Jiu to test it."
Though Martial Uncle Jiu Jiu hadn't helped set up the grand array as she had in the Original Novel, Li Changshou had kept supplying her with Drunken Immortal, Beauty Charm, and other Knockout Drugs that could pass for alcohol.
After all, Li Changshou was very cautious. It was only natural to have a backup plan.
Li Yang was even sure that his Senior Brother had probably been making other arrangements in secret, too.
He wouldn't pry into that, just as his Senior Brother wouldn't pry into his own plans.
It was an unspoken understanding between two Old Sixes.
"Sure. Martial Uncle Jiu Jiu may not know much about formations, but she'll do for a brute-force test."
This was Li Yang's masterpiece at his current level. Unless someone was a Celestial Immortal with an exceptionally profound understanding of formations, only a Golden Immortal could force their way through it this early on.
For now, he was simply humoring his Senior Brother—or, perhaps, putting his mind at ease.
This Old Sixth actually didn't trust another Old Sixth's abilities. Luckily for his Senior Brother, Li Yang was good-natured. Otherwise, he'd have made him pay for it.
"Right, I'll arrange it."
His Senior Brother replied, then sent a message to Martial Uncle Jiu Jiu.
Li Yang, meanwhile, walked into an elegantly designed little building on the lake.
The building was shaped like a gourd, had two stories, and stood ten zhang tall in the middle of the lake.
The lake was shaped like a fish, with a forest on the other side shaped like another fish. Together, they formed a Taiji Diagram.
The two fish-shaped areas formed a massive feng shui formation, with the building at the yang eye and a well in the forest at the yin eye. It had the power to stabilize fortune and ward off evil.
This little building was Lesser Qiong Peak's alchemy room. The Hall of Hundred Affairs had approved its construction, making it a properly registered building.
Inside stood a massive Purple Gold Furnace, seven zhang tall. It had been gifted by Jiang Jingshan, Youqin Xuanya's master, and was of exceptionally high quality. It could suppress the medicinal properties of most Spiritual Medicines.
Li Yang breathed out Samadhi True Fire to preheat the furnace, then poured in spiritual water to wash it again. Once the furnace had finished preheating, he beckoned. The Jade Boxes on several nearby shelves popped open, and the Spiritual Medicines inside flew into the furnace in order.
He kept a close eye on the changes inside the furnace, occasionally forming hand seals to adjust the flame and sending out seals of restriction.
A day later, the lid floated up, and eighteen faintly glowing pills flew out, landing on the Jade Plate in Li Yang's hand.
"Three pill patterns. A Three-Turn Pill. This is decent quality for an Immortal Pill."
For the past two years, Li Yang had been refining the foundations for the array in the Sanctuary's space and honing his alchemy in this room, making sure he wouldn't make a single mistake when refining the Melting Immortal Pill.
Now, he could easily refine Three-Turn Immortal Pills.
"Too bad I don't have the materials to refine a Golden Pill. Otherwise, a Three-Revolutions Golden Core could help Master replenish his foundation, and perhaps he wouldn't need the Melting Immortal Pill.
"But Master's foundation is too unstable. That tribulation was a false alarm; the real Tribulation Transcendence should be about a year and ten months away. Maybe there's still time."
Li Yang glanced at the pills, shook his head, put them in a Jade Bottle, and tossed it away.
In Lan Ling'e's Sanctuary space, she was lounging on a recliner when a Jade Bottle dropped from the sky and smacked her on the forehead.
"Ow!"
Lan Ling'e clutched her forehead and yelped. The bottle wasn't even big, but it still hurt like hell.
She wanted to see what the heck had hit her. When she looked, it was another bottle of pills.
"Three-Turn Mind Clarifying Pill. If you still can't break through to Return to Dao after this, just you wait!"
Li Yang's voice rang in her ear, accompanied by a cold snort. His threat was unmistakable.
But Lan Ling'e wasn't scared. She'd been led astray long ago. Instead, she hugged the Jade Bottle and fawned at the empty air.
"Hehehe, I knew Senior Brother cared about me most. Do you have a Nine-Turn Golden Pill? Toss one my way!"
Li Yang didn't answer. He simply picked up another bottle from a nearby shelf and tossed it through the window into Lan Ling'e's thatched cottage.
"Ow, ow, ow!"
In the space, Lan Ling'e was tossed around by the spinning bottle until she was dizzy and disoriented.
Clearly, even after two and a half years, Lan Ling'e still hadn't mastered the Pot of Heaven Technique.
Meanwhile, as the Jade Bottle flew into her thatched cottage, a streak of light shot from Lan Ling'e's mouth while she was meditating inside. The bottle vanished instantly.
In a well-hidden space, Lan Ling'e opened the bottle and studied the Mind Clarifying Pill in her hand, carefully considering it.
"Gaining clarity of mind and seeing one's nature—based on what Senior Brother said, it can gather my thoughts and temporarily improve my comprehension. It's a good thing. I'll rely on it to break through to Return to Dao Fourth Stage."
After saying that, Lan Ling'e didn't take the pill. Instead, she looked at the Design Blueprint in front of her: her blueprint for Exploding Pills.
During her last adventure, she'd noticed a problem. The explosives her Senior Brothers had made for her were powerful, but still not powerful enough.
Then, inspiration struck. She could combine the explosives with the Unstable Space she'd opened up. The resulting power would be terrifying.
She'd spent two and a half years planning it and run over a hundred experiments. At last, she'd completed the Design Blueprint.
She stroked her chin, grinning with wild arrogance.
"Ke-ke—cough, cough... Hahahahaha! My cultivation may be low, but my Exploding Pills are incredible! I'll shatter space with one toss. What immortal could stand against that?"
Meanwhile, Fairy Jiujiu was just about ready to explode with rage.
Li Yang had sent her a message saying he'd brewed another kind of Immortal Brew that wasn't alcohol but tasted like it, and that she could have some after testing the formation.
But what happened?
She couldn't break out, no matter how hard she tried, and she couldn't smash her way through, either.
Formations really were the worst.
"Damn you, Li Yang! Just you wait!"
Fairy Jiujiu's furious roar rang across the grand array. Nearby, Li Changshou was carefully gathering information, grinning like a Fox who'd stolen a chicken.
What was this called?
Using his Junior Brother as a shield.
If anything went wrong, what did it have to do with him, Li Changshou?
"Ah-choo!"
Li Yang rubbed his nose and tried to divine the cause, but got nothing.
"Oh no. My Senior Brother set me up!"
Before long, Li Yang smilingly escorted Fairy Jiujiu out of the peak, then fixed his Senior Brother with a murderous glare.
But he didn't directly blame him. Instead, he put on an air of acting in the greater interest.
"Senior Brother, now that we've finished testing the grand array, bring out the Immortal Solace Grass. It's time to refine the Melting Immortal Pill.
"But I'm not very skilled at alchemy and keep blowing up my furnace, so I'll have to trouble you to give me a hand."
Li Changshou's eyes widened in disbelief.
Who would believe that someone who could refine Two-Turn Immortal Pills didn't know how to make pills?
Was he really this petty?
Was he really getting revenge this quickly?
Li Changshou was certain that if he helped out, the furnace would blow up for sure.
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