A deafening explosion echoed across the square, violently distorting the invisible void. As the energy surged, the sky and earth trembled.
Immediately following, a sharp whooshing sound rang out, and a streak of light flashed past Elder Li Chengxu's sight once more. Then, with a deafening roar, it crashed heavily onto the plaza below. Instantly, dust and mist filled the air, and wide, massive cracks spread across the plaza, accompanied by the sounds of thunderclaps. When the dust settled, everyone's gaze fell upon a giant crater in the plaza, where a figure clad in purple-gold stood majestically, its head held high, its eyes empty yet filled with murderous intent as it stared at the thunderclouds in the sky. With a shudder, the crater beneath its feet caved in again, and its body shot into the sky.
"This is... a puppet?"
Upon seeing the Northern King, Li Chengxu was momentarily stunned. After careful observation, he realized the Northern King's identity. Almost simultaneously, the Northern King once again clashed with the earth-shattering thunder.
"Ahem... Elder, leave things here to me..."
After coughing violently a few times, Xiao Yan raised his head, his face pale, and looked at Li Chengxu in the sky, his voice hoarse.
Upon hearing this, Li Chengxu was taken aback for a moment, still somewhat hesitant. However, when he saw the disciples who had gathered outside the plaza because of the Pill Lightning, his expression changed slightly. He nodded heavily, called to the other elders, and together they withdrew, dispersing all the disciples who had gathered around.
In the sky, the clash between the Northern King and the Pill Lightning continued. Each bolt of Pill Lightning was more powerful than the last, to the point that when the Pill Lightning struck the Northern King, the terrifying force even passed directly through his body. If the Northern King hadn't possessed the ability to absorb lightning, the remaining power of the Pill Lightning would likely have struck Xiao Yan's head below.
After being tempered by the Pill Lightning several times, the Northern King's strength rapidly increased, and he quickly reached the Middle Origin Transformation Realm. Even so, the thunderclouds in the sky were still far from completely dissipating.
On the shattered stone platform below, Xiao Yan steadied himself, ignoring what was happening in the sky. After retrieving the pills from the medicine cauldron in front of him, he used the brief moment to quickly recover the power he had consumed.
Restoring Origin Qi is naturally much simpler; with the power of the pills, a considerable amount can be restored in a short time. However, Spiritual Strength, once depleted, requires a long and slow recovery. If Xiao Yan were to continue refining pills now, although there would still be a chance of success, it would certainly be much lower. If he were to rest for a few more days...
No, Xiao Yan can't wait that long any longer, and neither can Xiao Xuan. They must seize this opportunity to refine the Bone-Restoring Pill in one fell swoop!
With this thought in mind, a burning light suddenly surged in Xiao Yan's eyes. He then flipped his hand, and a section of nearly rotten vine fell into his grasp.
The Purple Heart Jade Orchid Vine also contains Spiritual Strength, but unfortunately, its grade is too low and its energy is mottled. Apart from being able to refine a few special pills, it has almost no other use. Because of its low value, Xiao Yan did not use it on Xiao Xuan. However, now that things have come to this point, this is the only thing Xiao Yan can use.
Refining medicinal herbs directly would unleash a torrent of violent energy, the power of which would be considerable. However, Xiao Yan couldn't worry about that now. The moment he got his hands on the Purple Heart Jade Orchid Vine, a thought flashed through his mind, and a pale blue flame burst into flames in his palm. Almost instantly, the layer of rotten wood on the surface of the herb turned to ashes, and what appeared next was a small section of vine stem emitting a purple glow.
As the Heavenly Flames was refined, a fierce aura emanated from it, but it was able to be suppressed for the time being under the protection of the Heavenly Flames.
At the same time, the momentum of the Pill Lightning in the sky grew stronger and stronger. Just as the last Pill Lightning struck the Northern King, his body turned completely purple-gold. Countless bolts of lightning flashed on the Northern King's body, and his strength had astonishingly reached the Late Origin Transformation Realm. He was only one step away from the Origin Return Realm.
As the Pill Lightning dissipated, the purple vine stem in Xiao Yan's hand below was reduced to less than an inch in length. The rest of its power had been absorbed by Xiao Yan. The mottled Spiritual Strength, after being refined by the Heavenly Flames, merged into Xiao Yan's body. Although the amount was small, it could still make up for some of the damage. However, judging from its current state, it seemed that it would take some more time to refine the vine stem completely...
"Bang!"
Suddenly, Xiao Yan clapped his hands together, and with his domineering power, he actually crushed that small section of vine stem into powder. The Heavenly Flames also rushed up instantly, refining and absorbing all the remaining power within.
After doing all this, Xiao Yan's pale complexion recovered somewhat. He then placed his palm on the medicine cauldron in front of him again. As the Heavenly Flames surged, hundreds of medicinal herbs flew out of his Storage Ring once more.
"This guy... he's already reached his limit, is he really going to keep going?"
Seeing this, Li Chengxu and the others outside the arena couldn't help but show a hint of worry on their faces. It was too far-fetched to face the next refining process in this state. If they were not careful, it would be a small matter if the pill failed to be refined. But if their own foundation was damaged, it would be difficult to make up for it!
On the other side, Xiao Yi Xian was standing on the top of a pavilion, her beautiful eyes filled with worry as she looked at Xiao Yan in the center of the square. Her brows were furrowed, and her hands were clenched tightly together, as if she was afraid that something might happen to Xiao Yan.
This wait lasted for a month.
Beside Xiao Yan, the Northern King stood motionless, like an iron tower, while the pills inside the cauldron in front of Xiao Yan were undergoing final preparation for being collected.
The atmosphere between heaven and earth gradually changed. At a certain moment, thick dark clouds suddenly rolled in the sky. Below, Xiao Yan, whose eyes were bloodshot and face was sallow, suddenly slammed his hand on the medicine cauldron. With the help of the Pill Transformation Ring, he immediately retrieved the pill, squeezed out the last bit of power from his body, and put the pill into his Storage Ring.
At the same time, the heavenly Pill Lightning struck again!
This time, the Pill Lightning came even more fiercely, and the Northern King once again attacked the sky. Xiao Yan's vision went black, and he fainted on the spot. Xiao Xuan immediately appeared at this moment and helped the fallen Xiao Yan up.
In the sky, the earth-shattering battle unfolded once again, while Elder Li Chengxu and the others, as well as Xiao Yi Xian who had arrived at Xiao Yan's side long ago, were all checking on Xiao Yan's physical condition with worried expressions.
Fortunately, after a long period of refining medicine, although Xiao Yan had exhausted all the power in his body and even drained his strength, he had not suffered any fundamental damage or left any aftereffects. This was something to be thankful for. As a result, as long as Xiao Yan rested for a few more days, he should be able to recover to his peak condition.
After this incident, Xiao Yan will likely be more cautious when refining pills in the future; otherwise, if something like this happens again, the consequences could be truly unpredictable.
As for the Northern King, after taking the Pill Lightning this time, his combat power also soared again, reaching the Middle Origin Return Realm. If we take into account the energy still remaining in his body, he will probably be able to enter the Late Origin Return Realm after he finishes absorbing it.