Dainan Fengyu smiled and said sweetly, "I dare not say that, hehe, I dare not say it to your face..."
Chiming hurriedly leaned closer, grinning, and said, "Fairy, you must tell me next time, as long as Old Qian isn't around."
Qian Shanyong glared at him. "Enough with the nonsense, go see Xuan Long!"
Qian Chi'ou looked at Li Qiang, and seeing Li Qiang nod in acknowledgment, he said, "Please, seniors." He took off first, and Li Qiang and the others followed.
After flying over the valley where the Ancient Sword Academy was located, they flew all the way to the back mountain, where they saw a long, narrow platform halfway up the mountain, with a row of earthen-yellow buildings built against the cliff. The group landed one by one, and the disciples guarding the cliff came forward to greet them.
The group walked along the long corridor to the meditation room.
This is a large room with many large pieces of jade scattered on the floor, their surfaces polished very smooth. The room is filled with Spiritual Qi. This is one of the best training grounds in the Ancient Sword Academy.
Although Xuan Long was on the verge of losing his power, he still sat upright on a large purple Ice Crystal, and with the help of the Spiritual Qi of the Ice Crystal, he could still hold on for the time being.
Seeing Li Qiang, Qian Shanyong, Dainan Fengyu, Tianshi, and their group enter, Xuan Long said expressionlessly, "I didn't expect so many old friends to come."
Xuan Long is a remarkable figure in the Immortal Realm. Even though he was seriously injured, Qian Shanyong and the others did not dare to underestimate him.
Qian Shanyong said, "Lord Xuan Long, I apologize for only coming to see you now. How are your injuries?" Dainan Fengyu and Tianshi also stepped forward to pay their respects.
Xuan Long said calmly, "No need to be so polite, everyone please have a seat."
Li Qiang secretly admired Xuan Long's composure. After everyone was seated, he said, "You all chat first, I'll go prepare the spirit medicine and Pill Formula." Then he took his leave.
To get to Xinbo Cape, the Divine Pill is a must, and Xuan Long's injuries can only be treated with it, so he must hurry.
Li Qiang walked outside and saw Chiming following him out, so he asked, "What are you doing here? Go back!"
Chiming said, "Staying in the room is so boring. I don't want to talk to them anyway, so I'd better come out for a walk to clear my head."
Li Qiang whispered, "Listen to what they're saying. I don't have time right now, just listen to it and tell me when you're free."
Chiming was very unhappy, but Li Qiang's eyes were glaring at him, making him feel uneasy, so he had no choice but to grumble and go back.
Li Qiang, led by Qian Chi'ou, returned to the Sword Firmament Hall and instructed his disciples to immediately invite Mei Youbing.
Before long, a large number of people arrived, including Misila, Chen Zhifeng, and Liu Dayue from the Chongxuan Sect, as well as the heads of various departments of the Ancient Sword Academy.
While disciples Mei Youbing, Zhao Hao, Nashan, Paben, and Tange were chatting and laughing with Li Qiang, Mei'er and Ling Baihui arrived.
The Sword Firmament Hall suddenly became lively. Mei'er clung tightly to Li Qiang's arm, overjoyed and not knowing what to do.
Li Qiang patted Mei'er and said with a smile, " Mei'er, Ling'er, you and everyone else sit down, I have something to announce."
As soon as Li Qiang spoke, the entire Sword Firmament Hall fell silent.
Li Qiang said, "I plan to cultivate the Divine Pill with Grandpa Mei and a few other immortals. Everyone is familiar with alchemy; it's a lesson for every cultivator. However, I think none of you here have experience with cultivating the Divine Pill. Therefore, I've decided to invite you all to come and observe. Try to understand as much as you can; this will greatly help your future cultivation." He paused to observe the crowd's reaction.
Li Qiang's actions are unprecedented in the Cultivation Realm; no other sect or master would do what he did.
Everyone showed excited expressions, and Mei Youbing was even more excited. He knew that he should be the one who gained the most from this cultivation of the divine pill.
Every cultivation sect values alchemy highly. There is a distinction between internal and external alchemy. When a cultivator reaches the Nascent Soul Realm, the internal alchemy is initially formed, while the external alchemy is also called the spiritual elixir or immortal elixir. The cultivation of the two is intricately linked. The Cultivation Method of Rejuvenation Valley is based on cultivating the external alchemy to enter the Dao.
The cultivation of internal and external alchemy is a necessary course for cultivators, but the level of skill varies from person to person. Just like weapon crafting, every cultivator can craft weapons, but the quality varies greatly.
Li Qiang continued, " Chi'ou, inform the other sects that if they wish, they can send people to watch. However, each sect is limited to two people; too many people will cause chaos."
Qian Chi'ou didn't understand why Li Qiang was doing this. He paused for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "Is this... appropriate?"
Most of the people in the Sword Firmament Hall were confused. Misila said, "Brother, could the scope be smaller...?"
Nashan shouted, "Boss, why should they see it? What if someone causes trouble?"
Ling Baihui sighed softly to Mei'er, "With elder brother's demeanor and level of attainment, no one here can compare."
Mei'er unconditionally agrees with and supports whatever her brother says or does.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Don't worry, Chi'ou, go and instruct your disciples to notify the various sects. Zhao Hao and Paben, you two are in charge of the alchemy venue. Brother Chen and Brother Mi, please take care of our safety during the alchemy process. Yumin, your Silver Phoenix Sword Academy is in charge of arranging reception." He didn't discuss it with them anymore and directly assigned various tasks. Everyone agreed and immediately got to work.
Just then, a disciple came to report that Hua Meiniang had arrived.
Li Qiang jumped up and asked, "Where is it? I'll come get it!"
Just then, someone outside the Sword Firmament Hall spoke up, "Fifth Brother, what are you all planning to do with so many people gathered together?" Hua Meiniang flew in with Mei Jingjing and Qiao Yuhong.
Mei Jingjing and Qiao Yuhong rushed to Li Qiang's side, calling out in unison, "Brother!"
Ling Baihui whispered to Mei'er, "Hehe, it seems like big brother has a lot of little sisters."
Mei'er smiled and said, "Brother is very popular."
Li Qiang looked at his two younger sisters with satisfaction. One was a good friend he met when he first entered the world of cultivation, and the other was a little sister with whom he had shared hardships in the Black Prison.
He laughed happily, " Niuniu, Sister Hong, when did you arrive at Sealed Fate Planet?"
Mei Jingjing was already a Nascent Soul Realm stage expert, and she appeared much more mature and composed. However, upon seeing Li Qiang, she still couldn't control her emotions. She punched Li Qiang hard, tears streaming down her face, and choked out, "Brother, you're so heartless. You left and never came to see Niuniu again."
Mei'er walked to Mei Jingjing's side, gently put her arm around her shoulder, and said, "Little sister, I've mentioned you before. He's always thought of you."
Mei Jingjing had just started crying, and before she could even finish, Mei'er hugged her. She was a little unhappy and looked up, about to say something, when she suddenly met Mei'er's sincere eyes, and her heart sank for a moment.
"Just kidding, even the demon fairy Ling Baihui couldn't resist Mei'er's charm, let alone Mei Jingjing." She hugged Mei'er tightly and burst into tears.
Li Qiang was most afraid of little girls crying, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Mei'er come over to help.
Although Qiao Yuhong didn't burst into tears like Mei Jingjing, her eyes also reddened.
Hua Meiniang came over and said, "You brat, you've made my two little sisters cry again. Let's see what you're going to do about it!" A sly smile appeared in her eyes.
Li Qiang scratched his head and said seriously, " Elder Sister Hua, thank you for taking care of them. I'll bow to you in gratitude."
Hua Meiniang couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Oh, you little rascal, you're getting more and more cunning! Tell me, how are you going to thank me?" She was a famous Little Demoness, and seeing that Li Qiang was trying to play dumb, she went along with his topic and found a way to provoke him.
Li Qiang chuckled and said, "However Sister Elder Sister Hua wishes to thank me, that's how I will thank you."
Qiao Yuhong was an honest man, and he hurriedly grabbed Hua Meiniang and advised, "Big sister, big sister, don't do this..." As he spoke, tears finally streamed down his face.
Hua Meiniang doted on her two little sisters the most, and quickly comforted them, "You were just joking with your brother, can't you tell? Okay, stop crying."
Li Qiang was secretly moved and took the opportunity to invite her, " Elder Sister Hua, I plan to cultivate divine pills at the Ancient Sword Academy. Why don't you stay and watch with me?"
Hua Meiniang exclaimed in surprise, "A divine pill? Good, we were originally planning to stay at the Ancient Sword Academy anyway."
Soon, Hua Meiniang, Ling Baihui, Mei'er, Mei Jingjing, and Qiao Yuhong were chatting and laughing. Among them, Mei'er was the happiest. With so many sisters all of a sudden, she didn't want to go back to the Spirit Ghost Realm.
Under Mei'er's coercion, Little White was held and played with in turn by everyone. It kept whimpering in protest, but it was so funny that no one was willing to let it go.
The news of Li Qiang and the immortal joining forces to refine pills at the Ancient Sword Academy spread throughout Sealed Fate Planet with the invitation issued by the Ancient Sword Academy, causing a huge sensation in the Cultivation Realm. The seven major sects gladly accepted the invitation, and many other sects and cultivation masters also expressed their desire to enter the Ancient Sword Academy to observe. In a short time, the Ancient Sword Academy became famous throughout Sealed Fate Planet.
Qian Chi'ou was overjoyed, never having imagined that Li Qiang would use such a method to enhance the reputation of the Ancient Sword Academy.
Due to the overwhelming number of people requesting to observe, restrictions had to be imposed: only the leader of each cultivation sect could attend, and individuals had to be experts at the Spirit Severing Realm or above.
Even Li Qiang hadn't expected so many cultivation sects and cultivators to request to participate; this was practically the largest gathering of cultivators in nearly a century.
Many disciples of the Ancient Sword Academy found it strange that distant relatives and friends would often come to them under various pretexts, trying to plead on behalf of someone. Some even bribed disciples with Law Treasure artifacts and crystals to gain access to the Ancient Sword Academy site. Even some highly skilled individuals who had been in seclusion for cultivation would try to find them through various connections... All these bizarre and strange things were simply incomprehensible.
Qian Chi'ou became the most sought-after figure on Sealed Fate Planet, and he was almost overwhelmed by the swarms of cultivators. Not wanting to offend anyone, he had no choice but to consult with Li Qiang.
Li Qiang said with a grin, " Chi'ou, this is your territory. How you treat your guests is your business. Why are you asking me? Go and handle it yourself!"
Hua Meiniang suggested from the side, "Why don't you go and ask Immortal Gan for help? He's the Lord of the Sacred City and also the person directly involved in the alchemy. With disciples of the Sacred City protecting you, you can worry less, right?"
Li Qiang chuckled to himself; he knew what Hua Meiniang meant.
Qian Chi'ou suddenly realized what was going on and thanked her repeatedly, adding that Hua Meiniang could stay at the Ancient Sword Academy as long as she wanted.
Qian Chi'ou excitedly ran off to find Qian Shanyong, but halfway there, she suddenly felt apprehensive. Could she really go to Qian Shanyong herself? This was something her junior uncle should handle; she couldn't even speak properly in front of Qian Shanyong, how could she ask him for help?
He instinctively landed on a mountain peak, looking around blankly, not knowing what to do.
Li Qiang appeared quietly beside him, grinning as he asked, " Chi'ou, weren't you going to the Encircling Sword Pavilion? Why are you standing here?"
Qian Chi'ou suddenly blushed and stammered, "This... Junior Uncle, I... you..."
Li Qiang laughed loudly, "Haha, Chi'ou... what are you afraid of?" He spat out the last four words with his Divine Yi Power.
Qian Chi'ou is excellent in every way, but he's too rigid, Li Qiang couldn't help but joke with him.
What are you afraid of?
These four words exploded in Qian Chi'ou's ears like thunder, causing him to stumble back two steps. He kept repeating to himself, "What am I afraid of? Why should I be afraid? What is there to be afraid of?"
Suddenly, he had a sudden realization, and his mind instantly sank into his Nascent Soul, his body bursting with dazzling light.
He stood there, as if the world was in his grasp, and a tremendous aura naturally emanated from him.
Li Qiang flew away, having had a similar experience before, but he never expected that his unintentional joke would lead Qian Chi'ou into a certain state of mind.
Li Qiang quickly set up a defensive array around him, then teleported back to the Golden Qilin Sword Academy, instructing Zhao Hao to send disciples to protect Qian Chi'ou. A situation like Qian Chi'ou's was extremely rare, and Li Qiang was unwilling to let him miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The training ground for the Divine Pill was newly opened, and the experts who were authorized to participate arrived at the Ancient Sword Academy early on. Hearing that the training ground was short-handed, they all joined in. With the help of these experts, the training ground was quickly built.
The entire venue protruded from the ground, forming a large cylinder fifty meters in diameter and nine meters high, constructed from large blocks of lapis lazuli and thoroughly reinforced with Law Technique. A ring of square jade pillars surrounded the area, on which all the participating masters left their marks. Each sect left a magical artifact and a magical book at the top of the jade pillars as a memento of their participation in this grand event.
This circular jade platform is called the Pill Platform).
Xuan Long, Qian Shanyong, Dainan Fengyu, and Tianshi all gave Li Qiang the spirit medicine they had collected. Li Qiang and his son Mei Youbing hid in a quiet room and sorted out the various spirit medicine one by one.
According to the records in the Beiye Heavenly Scripture, Li Qiang had prepared spirit medicine needed for this alchemy.
Li Qiang has great ambitions. He plans to cultivate the most difficult-to-refine divine pill— the Seven Assemblies Pill —which can produce seven kinds of spiritual pills in one batch.
The most common type of pill is called Xiuxian Pill, which is a byproduct of cultivation. The second type of pill is called Origin Restoration Pill. Only pills with three or more layers can be called divine pills— Withered Green Divine Pill. The fourth type of pill is Jiaye Divine Pill, Five Assemblies Pill is Adversity-Crossing Divine Pill. The first five types of pills are considered top-tier pills in the Immortal Realm.
In addition, there are the Six Assemblies Pill – Wuyun Divine Pill and the Seven Assemblies Pill – Treasure Flame Assembling and Pillaring Divine Pill. These two pills are rarely heard of even in the Immortal Realm and are truly divine pills.
Xuan Long can fully recover with just one Adversity-Crossing Divine Pill, and if Hou Pijing takes one Pill of Origin Restoration Pill, not only will his power be restored, but it will also greatly benefit his ascension.
As for the last two divine pills, Li Qiang didn't know what their effects were, but one thing he was very clear about was that these two divine pills would be very important to him.
While sorting through the spirit medicine in the bracelet, Li Qiang also discovered something else: a thin plate made of gold with strange characters on it. He racked his brains but couldn't recall where he had found it. The characters looked very familiar; they were the so-called divine script from the Beiye Heavenly Scripture, which could only be deciphered by Spirit Transformation sense fluctuations.
Li Qiang quickly figured it out. What was recorded was actually an attack method. This attack method was very rare. He had seen it before when he was in the Illusory God Hall. It was a clone attack method, that is, the so-called supernatural Divine Ability of External Avatar.
Li Qiang dared not be distracted by cultivation now. He put away the golden plate and focused his attention on how to cultivate the Seven Assemblies Pill.
Mei Youbing advised Li Qiang many times to first cultivate the most basic divine pills, and then proceed step by step.
He didn't know that Li Qiang was in such a hurry to save people. He felt that Li Qiang's approach was too risky, as difficult as a person who had just learned to walk trying to fly.
However, once Li Qiang made up his mind, he wouldn't give up easily. No matter how Mei Youbing tried to persuade him, he just smiled and didn't answer. Helpless, Mei Youbing had no choice but to help him organize the spirit medicine as he requested.
Li Qiang carefully packed away the spirit medicine, arranging them in order within the bracelet. Some of the spirit medicine had been prepared by Mei Youbing beforehand; otherwise, the preliminary preparations would have taken even longer.
Even so, the two prepared for a full ten days. During this time Qian Shanyong, Tianshi, Dainan Fengyu, and even Xuan Long came to exchange their alchemy experiences with Li Qiang. Based on the Beiye Heavenly Scripture, Li Qiang felt that he was at least 60% confident. Qian Shanyong and the others also expressed that they would help him when he was cultivating the divine pill.
Time flew by, and all the preparations were largely completed. On this day, Li Qiang officially announced that he would begin cultivating the Divine Pill.
When Li Qiang arrived at the Pill Platform, he discovered that there were over a thousand people around Pill Platform, most of whom were suspended in mid-air, with multicolored sword lights flashing in the sky.
The cultivators who came to observe automatically took on the task of protection, and many disciples from the Sacred City patrolled and guarded the area. The entire Ancient Sword Academy had been sealed off by Qian Shanyong, Dainan Fengyu, and Tianshi. Although there were many people around the Pill Platform, it was not chaotic at all.
Li Qiang chatted with the experts from various sects for a while, and at Mei Youbing's invitation, the two of them ascended the Pill Platform together.
Qian Shanyong, Dainan Fengyu, Tianshi, and Chiming each stood on one side. After Li Qiang nodded in acknowledgment, he raised his hand and threw out the Beiye Pill Cauldron.
A golden light shot into Beiye Pill Cauldron, and a deep rumbling sound gradually rose.
Li Qiang had activated the Pill Cauldron before, and he skillfully exhaled three Divine Yi Power, which activated the Beiye Pill Cauldron.
In an instant, the Pill Cauldron shone with a dazzling golden light, illuminating the surroundings. Against the backdrop of sword light and precious aura, everyone and everything seemed to transform into dazzling lanterns.
The Beiye Pill Cauldron grew larger and larger with a rumbling sound, and soon a cauldron more than seven meters high stood on the Pill Platform. The golden light gradually faded, and red light flashed as waves of heat surged out, enveloping the Pill Platform in a huge heat current.
The cultivators present were all dumbfounded. No one had expected it to be so hot. Fortunately, the area around the Pill Platform was completely sealed off, otherwise this huge heat current could have easily caused a wildfire.
Qian Shanyong, Dainan Fengyu, Tianshi, and Chiming were also witnessing the opening of Beiye Pill Cauldron for the first time, and they were all astonished.
Qian Shanyong had his own Pill Cauldron furnace, the same one used by Linming Planet and Li Qiang during their fight. Compared to Beiye Pill Cauldron Layered Flame Cauldron, his own furnace was far inferior.
Li Qiang had experience using the Beiye Pill Cauldron a type of alchemy cauldron) to refine pills before, and felt that he was much more skilled at operating it this time.
He used the War Soul Saber to protect himself, hovering to the side of the top of the Pill Cauldron, and a large amount of Divine Yi Power surged into the Pill Cauldron.
The Pill Source Divine Fire grew ever stronger, and the intense heat it emitted distorted the people and objects around it.
Mei Youbing couldn't help but step back slightly; even he found the heat unbearable. He transmitted his voice, "Young man, don't rush to turn the Gentle Pill Fire; let it burn a little longer."
The first step of opening the cauldron went smoothly.
Li Qiang dared not be careless, as the power of the Pill Source Divine Fire was being consumed too quickly. He began to carefully change the furnace fire, switching from the Pill Source Divine Fire to the Gentle Pill Fire.
The Beiye Pill Cauldron began to shrink. When it had shrunk to about half its original size, the Gentle Pill Fire stabilized. At this point, only a small amount of Divine Yi Power was needed.
Li Qiang breathed a sigh of relief; he had completely taken control of the primordial fire of the Beiye Pill Cauldron.
Li Qiang laughed, "Goodness, opening the cauldron is indeed strenuous. Old Qian, be careful, I'm going to start cultivating."
Having recovered his strength slightly, Li Qiang reached out and grasped, and the War Soul Saber transformed into seven golden hands, which reached into the Beiye Pill Cauldron and lifted the seven pearl lids on the inner layer of the cauldron.
This was a very difficult hurdle, but fortunately, Li Qiang possessed the divine artifact, the War Soul Saber, which made him immune to the intense heat inside the Pill Cauldron. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to get past this step. If these seven lids couldn't be opened, the Beiye Pill Cauldron could only cultivate ordinary spiritual pills, and wouldn't be able to cultivate divine pills.
There were seven fist-sized, olive-shaped beads, each a different color, divided into seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple. As the War Soul Saber was released, the seven-colored light rose from the Beiye Pill Cauldron like a rainbow, soaring straight into the sky.
Everyone present was witnessing the cultivation of divine pills for the first time. The vast venue was completely silent; no one spoke, no one flew, and everyone stared wide-eyed. Only the Beiye Pill Cauldron occasionally emitted strange whooshing sounds.
As the lid of the Beiye Pill Cauldron opened, it emitted an even more intense and dazzling light, causing cultivators with slightly lower levels of skill to close their eyes. The Pill Platform was like a small sun; if an ordinary person were to glance at it, they would probably go blind.
Li Qiang shouted, "Hold the lid up for me, I need to go down and apply the medicine!"
Qian Shanyong said, "Alright! Tianshi, let's make our move!" He and Tianshi used their immortal swords to hold up the seven pearl covers.
These seven beaded lids are very special; they can be easily supported with Divine Yi Power, but are very difficult to hold up with celestial energy.
Both Qian Shanyong and Tianshi felt that the flying sword was extremely heavy, and there seemed to be a huge suction force in the Beiye Pill Cauldron, trying to pull back the seven bead lids.
Tianshi was extremely surprised. He thought it was nothing special when Li Qiang casually lifted the bead lid, but he never expected it to have such a strong suction force. He urged his immortal sword to hold the bead lid up with all his might.
With the power of the two immortals, there shouldn't be any problem for a while.
Li Qiang transformed into a golden light and flew into Beiye Pill Cauldron.
The most unique aspect of the Beiye Pill Cauldron is the application of medicine. This is a necessary step in cultivating the Seven Assemblies Pill. Once the seven orifices are opened, medicine must be applied; otherwise, the Pill Cauldron cannot be retrieved, and the person who opens the Beiye Pill Cauldron will also be subject to its countermeasures.
Because he had the support of three immortals, Li Qiang thought of cultivating the Seven Assemblies Pill. He knew that it was impossible for him to cultivate the Seven Assemblies Pill on his own.
Inside the Beiye Pill Cauldron, everything was a deep crimson. Even with the Heaven-Pillaring Divine Armor protecting him and the golden light of the War Soul Saber providing further protection, Li Qiang still felt somewhat overwhelmed. The fire here was unlike anything he had ever seen before; it seemed even more intense than Heavenly Fire, and the extreme heat was completely unexpected.
Li Qiang had already gained a basic understanding of the divine array set up inside the Pill Cauldron and learned the corresponding Divine Spirit Instruction. He spiraled down the array layer by layer.
He wanted to find the heart of the Pill Cauldron, but he didn't know what the heart of the elixir looked like.
The core of the divine array is very strange; it is formed by an illusion array. Li Qiang constantly changes his divine techniques, and streams of Divine Yi Power dissolve the power within the array.
After the final burst of Divine Yi Power was unleashed, a massive black hole suddenly appeared within the chaotic divine array. Roaring, scorching gales shot straight out of the hole, accompanied by faint crackling sounds, and the surrounding heat flowed like boiling molten steel.
Li Qiang couldn't help but feel a little nervous; this thing wasn't quite what he had imagined. He knew that Danxin lay beneath that black hole, and it seemed that going down wouldn't be easy.
Sure enough, he was stopped by the surging gale as soon as he approached the entrance of the black hole. He hurriedly expanded the golden light of the War Soul Saber, swayed and landed at the edge of the black hole. In that instant, he seemed to glimpse a bluish-white shadow below the black hole.
Li Qiang was both surprised and delighted. Could this be the thing recorded in the Beiye Heavenly Scripture?