Chapter 1054: Turning the Tide

The entire square was quiet. Everyone’s eyes carried incomparable regret as they looked at Grandmaster Huan, who had fainted on the ground. After having endured for ten days, no one expected that it would end up in a failure at the last moment...

Two red-green glows were interacting with each other within the medicinal cauldron. Rich medicinal fragrances spread over the entire square. However, it no longer caused people to feel relaxed as it had earlier. Instead, everyone felt their hearts become extremely heavy.

Tang Zhen’s eyes were dull as he looked at the medicinal cauldron. His defeated expression was unbearable to look at. A giant-like person was revealing such an emotion. It was really heartbreaking.

At the edge of the square, Tang Huo Er’s pretty face had also turned white. A moment later, she let out a grieving smile. Her lovely body staggered a little. The few disciples from the Burning Flame Valley behind her hurriedly stepped forward to support her.

The entire square was completely silent. That solemn atmosphere caused everyone to feel extremely pressured. No one dared to open their mouths to speak at this moment...

The silent and pressurizing atmosphere continued for awhile before a low, deep voice suddenly sounded, breaking the pressurizing silence of the square as it did.

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

“Valley Chief Tang, may I continue the refinement?”

Even though Tang Zhen was in a dispirited state, he involuntarily raised his head in shock when he heard these words. He looked at Xiao Yan’s serious face before slightly widening his mouth. Some hope had suddenly surged from the despair in his heart. “Young friend Xiao Yan, are you able to refine this Fire Bodhisattva Pill alone?”

Xiao Yan slowly shook his head. They really thought too highly of him. Even with his current self, there was likely an extremely low chance of success when refining a tier 7 high grade medicinal pill. Nevertheless, it was at least better than simply sitting and doing nothing.

“If we continue the refinement, there is perhaps still a chance. However, if we give up now, we will have completely failed!”

Xiao Yan’s eyes bore down on Tang Zhen. His eyes possessed the vigor of a young person. His experience during these years had created Xiao Yan’s tough character. He had seldom mentioned the words ‘give up.’ If he had given up midway through these twenty plus years of training, it was likely that he would be unable to escape from being the trash of the Xiao clan, much less reach the stage he was currently at.

Tang Zhen’s heart was slightly shaken when he sensed Xiao Yan’s searing, hot eyes. His gaze turned to the green-red glow that was being emitted from the medicinal cauldron. After a brief moment of hesitation, he finally clenched his teeth and spoke in a deep voice, “Young friend Yan Xiao, since you have put it this way, please proceed. No one will blame you even if it ends up failing!”

A smile surfaced on Xiao Yan’s face when he heard Tang Zhen’s reply. After which, he slightly nodded.

“Valley Chief Tang, please help guard me. Do not allow anyone to interrupt me. I will try my best. Fate will determine whether I end up succeeding!” Xiao Yan spoke in a solemn manner. He immediately shut his eyes slowly and the seals formed by his hands rapidly changed. The Spiritual Strength between his brows swept out without being held back. Immediately, it was just like an endless tide as it surged into the fiery-red medicinal cauldron.

Tang Zhen straightened his body slightly when he saw Xiao Yan begin to act. The defeated expression on his face was swiftly withdrawn. His body gradually rose into the sky while his stern eyes swept around him. Finally, he commanded in a deep voice, “From now on, no one is allowed to enter anywhere within a hundred feet of the stone stage!”

The hearts of the disciples from the Burning Flame Valley coldly shivered when they sensed the sternness within Tang Zhen’s words. Immediately, they cupped their hands together and acknowledged the order. After which, they gradually stepped back without creating even the slightest noise.

All the alchemist grandmaster on the platform were stunned when they saw this scene. Their mouths involuntarily parted after having understood something. That Yan Xiao was actually thinking of refining the Fire Bodhisattva Pill alone? Although only the final pill formation step was left in this pill refinement, it was definitely not something that he would be able to achieve. It should be known that a person who could refine a tier 7 high grade medicinal pill was quite rare even in the Pill Tower...

Although everyone was full of disbelief, they did not dare to randomly open their mouths after seeing the sternness on Tang Zhen’s face in the sky. All they could do was hide their doubt deep in their hearts.

Xiao Yan’s face had a solemness that was never seen before as he stood on the stone stage. His Spiritual Strength controlled every inch of the medicinal cauldron. That was why he was able to sense the frightening aspect of a high grade tier 7 medicinal pill. The medicinal strength contained within it had reached a terrifying degree. It could even cause the natural energy around to fluctuate. If not for this Mountain Melting Cauldron, it was likely that the external natural energy would have become disordered...

Spiritual Strength poured out and completely wrapped the green-red glow within the cauldron. Immediately, it separated into a countless number of energy strings that slowly merged into the two clusters of light...

The Spiritual Strength had just invaded the two clusters of light when Xiao Yan’s body abruptly shook. The green and the red viscous droplets might be small, but they contained the strength of a hundred rare medicinal ingredients. Moreover, all of these medicinal ingredients had grown over a long period of time. Currently, their medicinal strengths had been merged together. This was sufficient to tell just how dense the medicinal strength within these two droplets of viscous liquid were.

Perhaps it was due to the two viscous liquids having made contact, but the medicinal strength within them appeared exceptionally wild and violent. It was extremely difficult for the fusion to proceed. Moreover, the wild and violent medicinal strength was emitting a repulsion that attempted to push away the other party...

Xiao Yan was quiet for a moment before he discovered that the medicinal strength within the two droplet of medicinal liquid did not show any retardation. Instead, they became even more intense. The gap between them was also slowly growing. If this continues, forget about fusion, even getting them to make contact would be an exceptionally difficult task.

This troublesome matter was something that Xiao Yan was meeting for the first time during all these years of medicinal pill refinement. It was not this troublesome even when he was refining a pill back then at the Inner Academy. Of course, that was because Xiao Yan had entered a mysterious condition at that time. Currently, he did not possess such good luck. Thus, he could only rely on his own abilities...

“Continuing in this manner is also not a solution...”

Xiao Yan let out a deep breath as he sensed the intense resistance being transmitted from his Spiritual Strength, which was wrapped around the two droplets of liquid. A thought passed through his mind, and one could sense the Spiritual Strength, that permeated the interior of the medicinal cauldron, surge out. Finally, it crazily suppressed the two droplets of liquid.

“Bang!”

A deep, solemn noise sounded within the medicinal cauldron. Under the full strength of Xiao Yan’s spiritual suppression, the two green-red droplets, that had just parted, were ruthlessly pressed together. However, they did not become calm as a result. Instead, an even fiercer retaliation erupted an instant later!

Wave after wave of unusually fierce energy ripples spread from the two drops. Each time they collided against Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength, they would cause his body to slightly tremble.

“After so many years of having refined pills, I don’t believe that I cannot resolve you two little things today!”

Xiao Yan was also a little angered by the retaliation of the liquid energy. His heart turned fiercer and the majestic Spiritual Strength within the medicinal cauldron immediately agglomerated into a spiral form. It began to wildly spin!

Following the Spiritual Strength transformation into a fast rotating spiral, the pressure from it suddenly soared. The green and red liquids slowly made contact amid this fierce pressure. After which, they were forcefully kneaded together.

A thought passed through Xiao Yan’s mind the moment these two droplets of liquid were kneaded together. The soaring pressure was immediately reduced. At the same time, a jade-green flame appeared from nowhere, swallowing the green-red liquid.

The increase and reduction of the pressure as well as the release of the flame were perfectly controlled by Xiao Yan. If any mistake were to occur during this period of time, it would result in the loss of some medicinal strength, and it would end up reducing the chances of successfully refining the pill.

Although Xiao Yan had kneaded the two droplets of liquid together, it had also exhausted Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength. However, he was currently not considering all this. His Spiritual Strength was continuously inserted into the green-red liquid. After which, he captured all of the slight changes within it. From this, he began to carefully control the pressure and the flame’s temperature.

There was complete silence outside of the stone stage. Tang Zhen’s looked at Xiao Yan’s trembling body. His heart was raised to his throat as a result, especially when he saw Xiao Yan’s expression gradually turn pale. Even with Tang Zhen’s calmness, he could not help but feel his heartbeat increased.

However, it was fortunate that the trembling of Xiao Yan’s body did not continue for long before it gradually calmed. At this time, Tang Zhen sensed a jade-green flame suddenly appear within the medicinal cauldron. His eyes looked over, and he saw the green-red liquid slowly churning within the flames. There was even the vague signs of a liquid solidifying...

This scene was not unfamiliar to Tang Zhen. He knew that this was the precursor to the formation of a pill. His heartbeat suddenly quickened. An excited expression also involuntarily surfaced on his face. He had never expected Xiao Yan to rely on his own abilities to complete the final step...

Tang Zhen might view all of in an easy and relaxing matter from the outside, but Xiao Yan had put in a great amount of effort into it. If his Spiritual Strength did not far exceed those alchemists of the same tier, he would definitely not be able to complete such a difficult task. Even though this was the case, it had also caused his mighty soul to gradually show some signs of weakening...

Xiao Yan inhaled a deep breath of air in his heart. He forcefully suppressed the weak feeling within his soul, and he focused his mind on controlling the fire temperature and spiritual pressure...

Under the repeated grilling of the jade-green flame and the moderate Spiritual Strength suppression, the green-red liquid gradually solidified...

The silence within the square continued for an entire day and night. During this period of time, the place was dead quiet. Not even the slightest sound appeared. However, no one left during this period of time. Everyone’s eyes were focused on the stone stage. Everyone really wanted to know whether this extremely young man would be able to complete this final step or not.

A ray of morning light suddenly scattered from the sky and broke the dark night in the mountain valley...

The natural energy within the enormous Burning Flame Valley suddenly began to fluctuate the instant this ray of morning light appeared!

Tang Zhen, who was seated cross-legged on the stone stage, suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze revealed a wild joy as he looked at the center of the stone stage. A pill fragrance suddenly scattered from the medicinal cauldron.

“Rumble!”

Dark clouds suddenly appeared in the sky without any forewarning the moment Tang Zhen opened his eyes. Lightning rolled within the dark clouds. Silver snakes flowed all over, producing a shocking and mighty sound as they moved.