Break Calamity Pill Forged, Evolution Begins

"Judging by his flame control, his alchemy must be exceptionally profound, yet how is it that I have never heard of this Master Green Fire?"

Even though Gu He was itching with curiosity, he dared not peek at Master Green Fire refining pills.

Spying on another alchemist at work was the greatest taboo in the alchemy world!

"Teacher, are you sure you are alright in this state?"

Xiao Yan looked at Yao Lao's solidified soul form, unable to hide his concern.

"This is a black robe I wore when I roamed the Dou Qi Continent in my youth; it has the effect of masking one's aura and concealing one's figure, so there is no need to worry about them seeing through it."

Yao Lao spoke casually, but seeing Xiao Yan still staring at him, he had to offer some reassurance.

"It won't consume much soul power. The Soul Origin Fruit that kid Yun Li gave me last time replenished all the soul energy I lost, so there will be no issues. Rest easy!"

Yao Lao ignited a bone-chilling white flame in his palm and injected it into the simple, ancient-looking black cauldron before him. The surrounding flame energy gathered and swirled around the cauldron, keeping the furnace warm at all times.

Black Demon, eighth on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking, rumored to have been hidden by some ancient grandmaster of alchemy...

With a flick of his finger, the medicinal herbs required for the Break Calamity Pill dropped into the cauldron like leaping fish. With a slight movement of his fingertips, the bone-chilling white flame transformed into over a dozen fireballs, completely enveloping the herbs.

The refining process proceeded in an orderly fashion!

Xiao Yan watched Yao Lao refine the pills carefully from the side. His own level was still low, and every movement Yao Lao made, along with his application of soul power, provided him with immense inspiration, clearing up many things he had previously failed to understand.

Watching Yao Lao's every gesture exude the demeanor of a grandmaster, Xiao Yan's heart was filled with respect and envy.

"Break Calamity Pill, a Tier 6 medicinal pill. To refine this, one must use a Heavenly Flame as a guide, the great power of heaven and earth as fuel, and supplement it with... When the pill is formed, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathers on its own. It bears three purple patterns, and its effect is to restore the origin and break through calamities!"

Xiao Yan recalled what was written on the Break Calamity Pill formula; no wonder Gu He said that unless one was a Tier 7 alchemy master, they could not guarantee success.

On the Dou Qi Continent, the realm of the soul is divided into four levels: Mortal, Spirit, Heaven, and Emperor.

Born into this world, you and I are all mortals. The Mortal Realm, while a classification for alchemists, is something even an ordinary person unable to cultivate Dou Qi can possess after reaching adulthood, provided they do not overexert their minds; the only difference lies in the strength of the soul.

A Tier 1 alchemist has a weak soul, and the pills they refine are only as effective as those of an ordinary physician. Tier 2 to Tier 3 alchemists possess souls roughly at the early stage of the Mortal Realm, and their pills gradually transcend ordinary medical methods. Tier 4 is the middle stage of the Mortal Realm, Tier 5 is the late stage, and Tier 6 is the peak of the Mortal Realm.

Yet, even upon reaching the peak of the Mortal Realm, the soul remains mortal and cannot borrow the spiritual power of heaven and earth to refine pills, and the efficacy of the pills remains ordinary...

"It is about to form!"

Yao Lao gave a reminder and formed a seal with one hand. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth, usually difficult to absorb, now flowed into the cauldron under the guidance of his soul power.

The Black Demon Cauldron hovered in mid-air. Through the diamond-shaped flame vent, one could vaguely see a purple pill spinning rapidly within the bone-chilling white flame.

As the pill-gathering process continued, tiny ripples of energy gradually leaked out, but they were blocked by an inexplicable energy before they could spread.

"Ding!"

Yao Lao beckoned with his hand, and the surging energy from the final moment was forced back into the cauldron. The pill with three purple patterns flew out and landed precisely into the jade bottle on the table.

"The Break Calamity Pill—though it bears the name of a Tier 6 pill, its refining technique is not particularly profound. It is merely that the conditions for refining it are harsh, and the method of forming the pill involves Tier 7 techniques; otherwise, it would not even be as good as an ordinary Tier 5 pill."

Holding the jade bottle, Yao Lao said with a smile. Judging by his words, the alchemist who developed this Break Calamity Pill was truly a strange one!

Casually putting the remaining medicinal herbs into his storage ring, Yao Lao once again donned his black robe, and he and Xiao Yan walked out of the room.

"Creak~"

"Hmm?"

So fast! Gu He stood up in surprise and suspicion. Not even half a day had passed; could it be that the refining had failed?

"Master Green Fire, this is..."

"I have fulfilled the commission!"

Xiao Yan walked out of the room holding the jade bottle and smiled brightly, while Yao Lao stood quietly by his side like a statue devoid of life.

Gu He took the jade bottle and sensed its contents, then bowed to Yao Lao in admiration and awe.

"Master Green Fire, only today does Gu He realize that there are people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens. Even in such a remote place, there exists someone stronger than Gu He!"

"Master Gu He, you are too kind. It is but a trivial skill, not worthy of such praise."

Yao Lao truly felt that this Break Calamity Pill had no difficulty at all, but to Gu He's ears, these were the humble words of a grandmaster, making him admire Yao Lao even more.

"Master Green Fire, little brother Xiao Yan, please wait a moment. I shall go report to the Hall Master."

Gu He hurried off to find Yun Zimo, while Yao Lao nodded imperceptibly. Alchemists so devout to the art of alchemy were a rare sight these days...

"Master Gu He, did... did Master Green Fire succeed?!"

Hearing Gu He's excited voice from afar, Yun Zimo almost let the secret slip, but fortunately, he did not shout.

"Master Green Fire is a true master. I, Gu He, can no longer bear the title of 'master'."

Gu He shook his head as he approached, feeling inferior when speaking of Yao Lao.

"Can the title of 'master' be determined solely by alchemy skills? Master Gu He, you need not worry."

Yun Zimo smiled, then hurried toward the Divine Temple. Hai Bodong was there, adjusting his state!

By the time Xiao Yan and Yao Lao arrived at the Divine Temple, Hai Bodong had already begun to break the seal and was currently hovering over a lake in the endless depths beneath the temple.

"Ice Spirit Cold Spring!"

Looking at the pool full of Ice Spirit Cold Spring, Xiao Yan remembered the small vial he had exchanged for a bottle of Associated Purple Crystal Source, and he couldn't help but click his tongue at Queen Medusa's extravagance.

"The preparations I made to swallow the Heavenly Flame don't even amount to one-thousandth of what she prepared for her evolution!"

Xiao Yan sighed with emotion.

"The Snake-Person Tribe has accumulated resources for thousands of years; for you, a mere brat, to think you could compare after only a year or two—you truly don't know the immensity of heaven and earth!"

Yao Lao laughed and scolded, that stinky brat.

Xiao Yan chuckled, then focused his attention on observing Hai Bodong's condition.

Purple energy surged across Hai Bodong's body, and the Snake Seal on his forehead had now transformed into the shape of a half-dragon. Clearly, having coexisted with Hai Bodong for so many years, it had stolen the essence of the Ice Dragon to nourish itself!

The phantom of the Ice Dragon and the phantom of the half-dragon were entangled, using Hai Bodong as a battlefield to contend for dominance; the addition of the third-party purple energy instantly shattered the balance between the two.

Under Hai Bodong's conscious manipulation, the half-dragon retreated step by step, eventually being completely forced out from between his brows.

"Roar!"

The Ice Dragon let out a roar toward the sky. Its phantom manifested behind Hai Bodong, swallowing the half-dragon phantom in one gulp before merging back into his body. As the purple energy swirled and fused, Hai Bodong's tattered body healed and recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the aura around him climbed steadily.

Until, at a certain moment, ice-blue wings bloomed, and the aura of a Dou Emperor was revealed in the sky.

The Ice Emperor, who once shook the Jia Ma Empire, had returned!

"Many thanks, Master Green Fire!"

After landing, Hai Bodong cupped his fists. His voice was no longer cold and aged, but instead carried an inexplicable sense of aloof pride.

"If you want to thank someone, thank my disciple. If not for him, I would not have come to this place."

Yao Lao spoke softly. A favor from a Dou Emperor was still quite valuable to the current Xiao Yan.

"Many thanks, Master Green Fire, and many thanks, little brother Xiao Yan!"

Hai Bodong bowed solemnly; being clear about his debts and grudges had always been his principle.

"Since Old Hai has recovered his Dou Emperor status, let us proceed with the matter of Queen Medusa's evolution!"

"Old Hai will control the energy of heaven and earth, trying to suppress the violence of the Heavenly Flame through the environment, while Master Gu He will help control the Green Lotus Core Flame to prevent it from going berserk..."

Once Hai Bodong's aura stabilized, Gu He finally spoke. They had already discussed all the details; they were just waiting for Hai Bodong!

"However, with only Master Gu He alone, I fear he cannot control the Green Lotus Core Flame, so..."

Yun Zimo suddenly spoke up at this moment.

"I will come to help as well."

Yao Lao spoke just as Yun Zimo had hoped, but he paused and looked at Queen Medusa.

"However, I have a trade to propose. I wonder..."

Seeing Yao Lao agree, the corners of Yun Zimo's mouth curled into a smile, and a flash of excitement crossed his eyes.

"Master Green Fire, please speak."

Even though Yun Zimo had told her in advance that Yao Lao might have a request, Queen Medusa could not help but be amazed by Yun Zimo's certainty at the time.

"My disciple has yet to possess a Heavenly Flame. I am willing to trade two Dou Ling Pills and one Dou Emperor Pill for the Green Lotus Core Flame. I wonder what your opinion is on this?"

It really was the Heavenly Flame! Queen Medusa had already pondered this for several days, and this decision had already been settled after consulting with Yun Zimo.

A Heavenly Flame that could not be absorbed versus the favor of a master alchemist and a young genius with infinite future potential—Queen Medusa knew exactly how to choose.

"If the evolution is successful, the Heavenly Flame can be handed over to you. As for the trade, that will not be necessary!"

Following Yun Zimo's previous arrangements, Queen Medusa said sincerely. The Heavenly Flame was found by Yun Zimo and his group anyway; she was merely passing it on.

Without waiting for Yao Lao to speak further, Queen Medusa was already enveloped in purple radiance. A moment later, above the Ice Spirit Cold Spring and before the Green Lotus Core Flame, she transformed into her true form: the Purple Nether Flame Snake!

The evolution had begun!