Before long, a rich medicinal fragrance suddenly billowed out from the pill furnace, then vanished without a trace. Zhang Xiaohua knew that the thirteen days of pill nurturing had been thoroughly completed. He immediately rose from the meditation cushion, extended his divine sense into the pill furnace, and reviewed the pill-drawing technique once more in his mind. Only then did he stretch out both hands, his ten fingers moving slightly as he slowly and rhythmically formed hand seals.
In a moment, the hand seal took shape. Zhang Xiaohua did not hesitate. With a flick of his hand, he sent the seal into the pill furnace, then without the slightest pause, formed and sent out the remaining pill-drawing seals in an orderly fashion. Within the furnace, the pill changed from one into two, then two into three... until that enormous pill had been drawn into eight pills. Looking at the remaining medicinal liquid, Zhang Xiaohua knew that although there was still quite a lot left, it could only yield one more pill. It was impossible for even one additional Crimson Flame Pill to emerge.
Yet when he sent out the final hand seal, the ninth Crimson Flame Pill was drawn out smoothly. However, unlike when he had refined pills before, the remaining medicinal liquid did not mysteriously vanish. It continued to float quietly within the pill furnace.
"Eh?" Zhang Xiaohua let out an involuntary cry of surprise. Could refining the Crimson Flame Pill break the limit of "nine pills"?
Naturally, Zhang Xiaohua sent the final pill-drawing hand seal into the pill liquid once again. In an instant, an unbelievable scene unfolded. After his hand seal entered the last of the pill liquid, it initially showed no movement whatsoever. Then it swelled, flashed once, and seemed to fade in and out. Just