Chapter 140: Pill Completion

The Mind-Focusing Grass obtained by Chen Luo differed from that stolen by the dried-up old ghost and his companions; it lacked a trace of black qi, making it appear much more normal. It was likely not tainted by evil spirits, preserving its medicinal efficacy intact.

After arranging the five main ingredients, including the Mind-Focusing Grass, Chen Luo proceeded to distribute the remaining auxiliary herbs. The process of refining the Foundation Establishment Pill was significantly more complex than the Qi Nourishing Pill, with just the combination of pharmacological elements requiring considerable time. Carefully placing the medicinal herbs on a nearby table, he separated those with conflicting properties and set them aside. Then, he retrieved several auxiliary items such as fire attribute spirit stones to enhance the spirit flame’s temperature and powders to prevent the leakage of herbal essences. These were accumulated over decades by the dried-up old ghost, now conveniently available for use. Since the trio had no knowledge of these intricacies, Chen Luo could simply provide them with any random batch of pills later.

With a wave of his hand towards the pill furnace,

the spinning furnace swiftly lifted off, rotating in mid-air.

Chen Luo sat cross-legged, directing a spiritual incantation at the pill furnace, instantly igniting flames beneath it. In his mind, the knowledge of a Qi Refinement stage alchemist became active, assisting him by monitoring the flame’s temperature.

‘Temperature too high, increasing chance of failure.’

Quickly adjusting the intensity of the spirit flame with his hand, Chen Luo simultaneously utilized the deer monster’s brain to monitor the compatibility of medicinal ingredients. Its wood attribute Foundation Establishment aided him in detecting conflicts among the herbs and determining their order for insertion.

Once the pill furnace was adequately preheated, Chen Luo waved his sleeve, releasing the meticulously arranged medicinal herbs into the furnace in sequence.

‘Incorrect herb order; place Purple Clear Flowers later.’

‘No current pharmacological conflicts. Increasing the temperature for Dragonblood Grass can enhance the medicinal pill quality.’

All the specialized brains sprang into action, focusing on various aspects of pill concoction.

Seated before the pill furnace, Chen Luo acted like a master coordinator, overseeing every step of the process. Each brain had its specific role, concentrating on one task to minimize the chances of failure. His responsibility was to harmonize these distinct functions, maintaining control over the entire operation.

‘Medicinal properties changing - increase temperature!’

‘High heat!’

The brains responsible for pharmacology and spirit flame temperature promptly provided feedback. Chen Luo swiftly adjusted the flames while retrieving fire attribute spirit stones prepared beforehand, inserting them into the pill furnace.

With a ‘whoosh,’ the flames surged to their maximum intensity, causing the pill furnace to visibly turn red within moments.

The medicinal ingredients gradually began to melt within the furnace.

‘Add the primary ingredients and decrease the temperature.’

‘Mild fire!’

With another incantation, the flames transformed, and the pill furnace lid swiftly opened.

Chen Luo waved his hand once more, introducing the five main ingredients.

As he closed the furnace lid, Chen Luo skillfully increased the flame’s temperature. In mere moments, the entire room heated up, waves of scorching heat emanating from the pill furnace.

Inside, the primary ingredients slowly dissolved, aided by the secondary components. The Mind-Focusing Grass and other four main ingredients successfully condensed, gradually taking shape towards their final form as medicinal pills. Chen Luo meticulously controlled the flame temperature, adjusting between heating and cooling based on the properties of the ingredients.

After approximately an hour, the liquid inside the pill furnace coalesced, nearing completion as solid pills.

Chen Luo gradually reduced the flame intensity under his precise control.

Finally, after maintaining mild fire for two hours, the pill furnace descended to the ground. Chen Luo retracted his spiritual energy and promptly retrieved a medicinal pill from his robe, swallowing it to replenish the energy expended during the concoction process. Throughout this, his complexion kept fluctuating, as if an insidious force was coursing through his body, wreaking havoc.

“This curse must be resolved swiftly.”

After some time, Chen Luo managed to recover, but his complexion remained somewhat grim.

During the pill concocting process, he had barely held on.

The remnants of the divine curse clung to him like maggots burrowing into bone, incredibly insidious. He had been continuously consuming Black Dragon Tendril extracts to neutralize the curse, successfully suppressing its power significantly. However, when his spiritual energy dipped dangerously low, the curse seized the opportunity and surged with destructive force, akin to the treacherous strike of a venomous snake.

Once fully recovered and having suppressed the curse again, Chen Luo rose and approached the pill furnace.

With a wave of his hand, he opened the furnace lid.

A plume of white smoke emerged, carrying a potent medicinal fragrance.

Inside the pill furnace, the dark red walls still radiated residual heat. At the center, nestled amidst black residue from auxiliary ingredients, lay a spirit pill, still warm, resting steadily at the base. As the furnace lid opened, the pill’s initial reddish hue gradually faded, revealing its deep brown exterior.

Reaching inside, Chen Luo carefully retrieved the medicinal pill.

The intense heat traveled along his fingers to his palm but was swiftly dissipated by his spiritual energy. Opening his hand, a flawless Foundation Establishment Pill lay within. Approximately the size of a longan fruit, it had a smooth surface with two faint golden patterns at its edges.

A tier-two success!

This was arguably the most perfect medicinal pill Chen Luo had ever concocted, reaching the pinnacle of his current skill level.

“So this is a Foundation Establishment Pill?”

As Chen Luo examined the pill in his hand, an unprecedented sense of achievement swelled within him. If word spread about the pill he now held, solo cultivators outside would surely fight over it ruthlessly, risking their lives.

While Chen Luo was crafting the Foundation Establishment Pill, thousands of miles away…

On the battlefield between the three sects, the years-long stalemate finally broke. The peak lord of Tian Jian Peak, responsible for confronting Nine Poisons Valley and Corpse-Raising Sect, perished in battle, while the peak lord of Wanwu Peak suffered grave injuries and went missing. Among the immortal sect’s disciples who ventured to the front lines, barely one in ten survived; nearly all core disciples were killed, with only a handful of Inner Sect and Outer Sect disciples managing to escape back alive.

The defeat of Divine Lake Immortal Sect sent shockwaves throughout the outside world.

With Nine Poisons Valley and Corpse-Raising Sect’s forces officially entering the region, vast territories of the northernmost Changnan Kingdom fell, leaving barren lands for miles.

At Divine Lake Immortal Sect,

Wu Dao Peak remained as usual, albeit even more desolate now. Few people could be seen across the mountain, and the little junior brother who had joined alongside Chen Luo was now considered his senior. Despite the setbacks, the sect continued to recruit new disciples, maintaining its overall order. However, following the recent upheaval, finding apprentices became increasingly challenging; this year, Wu Dao Peak admitted only two disciples.

One male and one female.

These two newcomers curiously observed their surroundings, occasionally casting awestruck glances at the senior brother leading them, perceiving him as unfathomably deep.

“You two are quite lucky. In my time, securing tasks wasn’t nearly as easy,” said the guide, who happened to be the same youngster Chen Luo had once advised. Two years had passed, and he had reached the fifth layer of Qi Refinement.

However, that’s where it typically ended.

The resources of the immortal sect could swiftly propel disciples with mid-grade spiritual roots from early to middle Qi Refining stages. But beyond that, their progress heavily depended on individual cultivation and external resources. Falling short in either aspect would likely seal their fate for life, ensuring they’d be expelled from the mountain after three years.

“Senior Brother, at Wu Dao Peak…”

Boom!!

Before the two novice disciples could finish their question, they felt an intense tremor shaking both the ground and the entire Divine Lake Immortal Sect. The surrounding Divine Lake surged violently, akin to boiling water.

“S-Senior Brother?”

Terrified, the novices looked towards their Senior Brother, only to find him equally alarmed, as if facing the end of the world.

Following the source of the disturbance, they witnessed a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives:

An intercity flying boat…

Crashing down.

The protective barrier of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect activated, causing the lake water to boil fiercely. Beneath, the Dragonfish emitted powerful roars echoing across the sky. However, upon reaching a certain area, this surge was met by another invisible force, halting its momentum.

Unbeknownst to them, several figures had appeared in the sky above. One of these individuals wore black robes adorned with the emblem of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect - a prominent ‘兽’ character signifying their identity.

This person was none other than Elder Ke, the former peak lord of Beast Taming Peak who defected to Nine Poisons Valley years ago, now a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

“Alright, enough mischief,” declared Elder Ke, raising his hand and gently pressing downward towards the roaring Dragonfish below.

With just a single word, the Dragonfish instantly calmed, its massive eyes flickering with confusion, as if unsure what had transpired.

“Just as expected from beasts, their intelligence is severely lacking compared to true spirit creatures,” commented another individual beside Elder Ke. This person exuded a powerful aura, surrounded by venomous insects, indicating they too were a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

“It’s not bad for what it is, especially considering this time…” The third individual trailed off mid-sentence as two presences in the sky began to stir.

A pitch-black coffin, akin to a cannonball, slammed directly into Tianming Peak, the outermost tenth peak of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect. An immense aura resembling a dark domain instantly enveloped the entire summit.

With a thud, the coffin lid fell open as a silvery-gray hand pushed it aside, and a figure sat upright within.

As this silver-refined corpse arose, the energy on Tianming Peak dramatically shifted. All the Tianming Peak disciples who couldn’t escape in time found themselves kneeling involuntarily, their eyes glazed over as they struggled helplessly.

This was the refined corpse of the Corpse-Raising Sect’s sect leader: the Silver-armored Demon Corpse.

In the Corpse-Raising Sect, refined corpses were categorized into three levels. The lowest tier consisted of ordinary disciple-controlled corpse puppets, known simply as common refined corpses. Their strength was determined by the density of black hair covering them; more black hair indicated stronger malevolent qi, representing greater power. The second level comprised the refined corpses controlled by Foundation Establishment elders, referred to as ‘iron corpses’. Each iron corpse was an exceptional rarity among thousands, possessing unparalleled might comparable to that of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

However, the most terrifying refined corpse belonged to the Corpse-Raising Sect’s sect leader: their sole tier-three corpse, the Silver-Armored Demon Corpse. This supreme creation was comparable to Core Formation itself, its mere presence suffocating Tianming Peak with malevolent energy, leaving no room for resistance.

“Elderly Ghost Zhang, old friend, let’s chat.” The sect leader descended from the sky, his Core Formation magical power sweeping across the entire scene. With each step, Tianming Peak crumbled beneath him as his aura radiated outward, spreading throughout the core region. Everyone fell silent, and several novice disciples on Wu Dao Peak fainted out of sheer terror. They never imagined encountering such calamity upon joining the sect.

Their senior brother didn’t fare much better; seeing a Core Formation patriarch arrive made him wonder if there was any future left for the Divine Lake Immortal Sect.

“Can’t be dead already, right? If you’re gone, I won’t hold back against that old zombie.”

Another figure emerged from the clouds, exuding Core Formation pressure in all directions.

It was none other than the master of Nine Poisons Valley, the third Core Formation cultivator within the regional nations.