But to Xiao Dong, a problem like this was no trouble at all!
Earlier, deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, he had forcibly extracted the Azure Flame Demon Fire from that thirty-thousand-year-old Azure Flame Demon Eagle, then refined the Earth Crystal Crimson Flame from that fifty-thousand-year-old Red-Armored Flame Crystal Turtle. Together with his own natal flame-the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, ranked third on the Heavenly Flame Ranking and nestled between his brows-he had smoothly gathered exactly three formidable flames, no more and no less!
"Heaven itself is helping me..."
Without another moment's hesitation, Xiao Dong tapped his toes against the ground, turned into a faint black breeze, and swept straight into a secluded chamber deep in the rear courtyard.
He reached back to lock the heavy stone door, sat cross-legged on a cushion, and swept his sleeve sharply.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Light flickered from the white jade storage ring. More than a dozen rare medicinal herbs brimming with rich energy flew out in neat formation and hovered around Xiao Dong.
Green Spirit Fruit, Earth Core Fire Ganoderma, Spirit-Transforming Herb...
"Fuse!"
Xiao Dong's gaze abruptly sharpened. With a light tap of his fingertip in the air, the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame became an incomparably precise millstone of heaven and earth, instantly crushing and purifying all the ingredients!
Every mottled impurity within the herbs was stripped away and scattered, leaving drops of thick, translucent medicinal liquid that rolled and gathered in midair. In just a few breaths, forcibly compressed and assimilated by his spiritual power, a rough pill embryo giving off a faint medicinal fragrance slowly took shape!
Forming the pill was easy; branding its patterns was hard!
The crucial moment that would truly determine this divine pill's grade had arrived!
"First pattern-azure flame, emerge!"
Xiao Dong's expression remained as calm as still water. At a sudden command of his will, a ball of azure beast flame carrying the cries of a demonic bird surged up from his fingertip!
The Azure Flame Demon Eagle's thirty-thousand-year-old primal beast flame roared forth, becoming a slender azure thread of fire that circled and traveled across the rounded pill's surface with extraordinary precision!
Hiss, hiss!
Under the minute control of Xiao Dong's terrifying spiritual sense, wherever the azure fire passed, an arcane cloud pattern glowing faintly blue was perfectly branded around the pill's lower half!
The first pattern was complete!
"Second pattern-Earth Crystal Crimson Flame!"
Before the pill's heat could dissipate, Xiao Dong swept two fingers through the air again. The dark red magma flame refined from the Red-Armored Flame Crystal Turtle surged out like an enraged fire dragon, carrying the heavy, substantial power of earth and fire as it fiercely coiled around the pill's upper side!
Hum!
Under Xiao Dong's exquisite, divine mastery of fire, the crimson flame moved like ink flowing from a heavenly brush, without the slightest hesitation. Accompanied by a faint tremor in space, a second, deep red pill pattern gleaming with the fiery luster of blood jade was smoothly branded into place!
Two patterns appeared together!
At that moment, the once-unremarkable pill embryo suddenly burst with an astonishingly rich medicinal fragrance. Even the air within the secluded chamber grew several degrees hotter!
"The final pattern, and the most domineering one... Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, brand it!"
Xiao Dong narrowed his eyes, his expression more solemn and cold than ever. The wisp of milky-white flame between his brows, gentle as warm jade, quietly slipped into his palm.
Boom!
The sacred yet uncanny pure-white heavenly flame descended, and at that moment, the temperature throughout the side hall eerily fell into deathly stillness!
Like a divine blade reaching into the heavens, that milky-white tongue of flame slashed ruthlessly down upon the very center of the pill!
Hum, hum, hum!
The third divine pattern, milky-white and as translucent and brilliant as mutton-fat jade, finally blended perfectly with the azure and crimson patterns, searing itself firmly into the pill!
Tempered by three flames, all three patterns were complete!
Boom!
The instant the third pill pattern took shape, a surge of energy exploded from deep within the pill like towering, tumultuous waves!
A rich, extraordinary fragrance soared into the air. One deep breath sent all the soul power in Xiao Dong's body boiling and cheering wildly!
The pinnacle fourth-grade divine pill, the Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pill, was complete!
"Hahaha, what domineering medicinal power!"
Looking at the perfectly rounded, peerless pill hovering in midair, its entire surface wreathed in three-colored divine light, Xiao Dong could not help laughing heartily, his eyes filled with fervor and pride.
Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Dong reached out and drew the scorching divine pill into his hand. He tipped his head back, opened his mouth, and fiercely swallowed it whole!
Rumble!
As the divine pill entered his body, terrifying medicinal power poured forth like the celestial river cascading from the nine heavens, rampaging through Xiao Dong's body almost instantly!
Had this been an ordinary Soul Elder or even a Soul Ancestor, such a savage impact would have torn their meridians and internal organs apart in an instant!
Yet Xiao Dong possessed not only Homelander's body of steel, but also the supreme Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, which resided throughout his meridians!
"Inside my body, even a true dragon has to coil up and behave!"
Xiao Dong sneered. At that moment, the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame and his domineering physique unleashed their power together like an irresistible abyssal black hole. Not only were they not shaken in the slightest, they instead swallowed and refined every bit of that surging energy with overwhelming force, turning it into an endless torrent of pure soul power that swept through his meridians and limbs!
"Whew..."
Exhaling a long breath of scorching white vapor, Xiao Dong slowly closed his deep, dark eyes. Like an old monk settling into meditation, he entered secluded cultivation to make his breakthrough!
The level-sixty Soul Emperor barrier-today, I'm breaking through it, damn it!
A hazy, warm medicinal mist quietly spread through the bathing chamber, carrying wafts of alluring fragrance.
Within the warm white jade pool, three delicate, snow-white bodies that could make any man's blood race soaked in emerald-green spirit liquid. As the water rippled, glimpses of breathtakingly alluring curves appeared and vanished.
Facing one another with nothing concealed, the three girls exchanged glances with their watery eyes. Enticing blushes still lingered on their faces, and their shyness made even their breathing quicken.
Yet amid that distracting embarrassment, the ever-proud Wu Feng felt every pore on her body open and greedily devour the vast vital essence within the warm water. At that instant, a flicker of shock finally crossed the depths of her fiery-red eyes.
"This medicinal power... it's so domineering it's downright unnatural!"
Wu Feng bit her rosy lower lip. Despite all her resentment toward the black-clad youth who had taken every advantage of her, at this moment she had to admit from the bottom of her heart that this so-called Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid was far more miraculous than any known medicinal herb on the Douluo Continent!
"Stop letting your thoughts wander! Circulate your soul power at full strength and absorb the medicinal essence!"
The first to gather her focus was still Ning Tian, the young sect master.
At Ning Tian's crisp command, none of the three girls dared delay. They closed their eyes in the emerald pool and circulated their soul power, holding nothing back as they frantically guided the jade-green energy in the water into every limb and bone.
Of the three girls, the youngest, Xiao Xiao, was still a level-twenty-one Soul Grandmaster. The fiery-tempered Wu Feng was at level twenty-four, while Ning Tian, the young sect master with the deepest and most solid foundation, had long remained at the bottleneck of level-twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster.
Boom!
As three faint glows of martial souls quietly blossomed from the depths of the pool, the emerald spirit liquid throughout the white jade bath began boiling almost instantly!
Strand after strand of jade-like, pure medicinal power entered through the apertures in every inch of the three girls' smooth, snow-white skin. Like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, it flowed into them, cleansing their marrow, tempering their bones, and reshaping their meridians!
In just a few dozen breaths, an unusually alluring flush spread across Ning Tian's exquisitely beautiful, refined face.
Hum!
Without warning, the crisp sound of a shattering bottleneck rang out from within Ning Tian's body!
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