Chapter 111.1: Divine Strength Grand Pill! (I)

Boom!

Towering waves of water slammed down from above, crushing the surrounding forest. In the blink of an eye, trees spanning hundreds of

zhang

were flattened, as if the land itself was wiped clean.

Lu Changsheng felt a chill crawl up his spine. That had been far too close. He could not even understand where he had found the nerve to help a stranger fight such a terrifying spirit turtle. Was this really something martial skills alone could deal with?

Fortunately, the spirit turtle seemed reluctant to leave Redwater Pool. That devastating strike appeared to be nothing more than an outburst of rage. After venting its anger, it sank back into the pool.

Lu Changsheng watched with his own eyes as the spirit turtle slowly vanished into the dark depths of the water. Now, he finally understood why people had been disappearing near Redwater Pool. They had to have stumbled upon the spirit turtle, or more accurately, they had to have disturbed it somehow.

The martial artist let out a long breath of relief. "

Phew.

Good thing we ran fast. Kid, we really owe this escape to your Nine-Character Mantra."

He glanced down at the porcelain bottle in his hand with a trace of the spirit turtle's blood and smiled with satisfaction. "Otherwise, we never would have managed to deal with that old turtle. Drawing its blood is no easy task."

Lu Changsheng ignored his comment and held out his palm. "My Ice Fruit."

The martial artist paused for a moment. Then, he casually took out the fruit and tossed it over. "Here."

It was only a single Ice Fruit. From his expression, it was clear he did not care in the slightest whether Lu Changsheng took it or not.

After taking away the Ice Fruit, Lu Changsheng spoke up. "Can the spirit turtle blood be used for alchemy?"

The way the martial artist had treasured that blood made Lu Changsheng immediately think of pill refinement.

"

Oh?

You know quite a bit," Zhao Kun raised an eyebrow. "But let me give you a word of advice. Do not provoke that old turtle again. After having its blood drawn this time, it must be holding in a great deal of anger. Your Nine-Character Mantra was effective, but it only worked because you caught it off guard.

"Once that turtle is on alert, the technique will be useless.

"You helped me today, so I owe you a favor. But I can only repay you in the future," he added, preparing to leave. "If you want to find me later, go to the Primal Void Sect. My name is Zhao Kun."

"You..." Before Lu Changsheng could say anything else, Zhao Kun spun around and bolted. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight.

Lu Changsheng was full of questions. However, Zhao Kun had left so fast that it made any attempts of pursuit pointless.

"Primal Void Sect..." Lu Changsheng murmured.

Since Zhao Kun had left behind both a name and a sect, he was clearly not afraid to be found. At the very least, he seemed willing to take responsibility for his actions.

With the Ice Fruit secured, Lu Changsheng did not linger at Redwater Pool. He turned and headed back toward Taoyuan City at once.

After returning to the Tao Clan, Lu Changsheng sought out Yun Haitang.

"Heavenly Maiden, have you heard of Zhao Kun from the Primal Void Sect?"

"Zhao Kun of the Primal Void Sect? Of course. He is considered one of their top geniuses. He is only a little over thirty, yet he has already reached the Divine Fortification Realm. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I just ran into him at Redwater Pool."

Lu Changsheng briefly recounted what had happened there, including the matter of the spirit turtle. The spirit turtle did not seem to be something that needed to be hidden, especially since Zhao Kun himself was already aware of it.

"The spirit turtle..."

Yun Haitang's face turned slightly pale. From Lu Changsheng's description alone, she could already imagine how terrifying the creature had to have been. After all, even Zhao Kun had chosen to flee without hesitation.

"Brother Dao, do not think too much about the spirit turtle at Redwater Pool. That is not something we can afford to provoke. Even cultivators at the Divine Fortification Realm would stay as far away from it as possible."

She shook her head lightly. "But I suppose Zhao Kun truly lives up to his reputation of being fearless of heaven and earth."

Lu Changsheng nodded. "I already have the Ice Fruit, so there is no need to return to that Redwater Pool."

Afterward, Lu Changsheng refined the Ice Fruit. With its help, the Celestial Treasure-Refinement Secret Technique advanced to the fifth layer, and his strength rose to one hundred and thirty cauldrons.

***

A few days later, Yun Haitang came to find Lu Changsheng. "Brother Dao, the Heavenly Maiden Sect has sent word. The materials to refine the Divine Strength Grand Pill have all been gathered."

Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. "Great! Then we'll return to Zhanhai City at once."

The group departed from the Tao Clan shortly afterward and set out for Zhanhai City. The journey was smooth, and they returned to the Heavenly Maiden Sect without running into any trouble.

After inspecting the materials for the Divine Strength Grand Pill, Lu Changsheng nodded in satisfaction. He rested for a day, then personally carried the materials to the Shangyuan Daoist Court on the following day to seek out Immortal Master Shangyuan.

"Immortal Master, the materials for the Divine Strength Grand Pill have been collected."

Immortal Master Shangyuan nodded. "Good. Then let's begin refining the pill."

Inside the furnace chamber of Shangyuan Daoist Court, Immortal Master Shangyuan conjured a Spirit Flame within his palm. One by one, he incinerated the materials until they reached a liquid state before tossing them into the furnace.

Beneath the furnace, another Spirit Flame roared, supported by an alchemy formation that allowed the fire to burn fiercely. Of course, the flame still relied on Immortal Master Shangyuan's own spiritual power to remain stable.

As the refinement continued, Immortal Master Shangyuan repeatedly formed hand seals, sending them into the furnace without pause. Each movement was precise and deliberate.

Lu Changsheng watched in silence. It was obvious that pill refinement was anything but simple. Every step depended on precise control of spiritual power.

This was not something a regular person could learn merely from observing. Without the cultivation and foundation of an Immortal Master, it was impossible to even begin.

Time passed little by little. After roughly six hours, Immortal Master Shangyuan suddenly extinguished the Spirit Flame. With a powerful sweep of his hand, he struck the furnace open.

A strange yet enticing fragrance spilled out at once. Lu Changsheng fixed his gaze on the furnace; there, a single white pill had appeared, radiating that same exotic scent.

Immortal Master Shangyuan lifted his hand and took the pill from the furnace. "The Divine Strength Grand Pill is complete."

He sealed it inside a porcelain bottle and handed it to Lu Changsheng.

"You may consume the Divine Strength Grand Pill within the Daoist Court," he said calmly. "No one would dare cause trouble here."

Lu Changsheng immediately understood what Immortal Master Shangyuan was trying to say.

The Divine Strength Grand Pill was a pill that could instantly grant one hundred cauldrons of strength. To any martial artist at the Hundred Cauldrons Stage, it was something worth risking everything for. If he were to leave the Shangyuan Daoist Court with this pill on his person, trouble would be almost inevitable. Within the Daoist Court, however, there was no such danger.

"Thank you, Immortal Master."

Lu Changsheng accepted the Immortal Master Shangyuan's goodwill. Then, he followed the attendants to a guest room prepared by the Shangyuan Daoist Court.

Once inside, he took out the Divine Strength Grand Pill from the porcelain bottle and swallowed it whole.

The pill melted the instant it entered Lu Changsheng's mouth, and a warm current spread rapidly throughout him. His blood, muscles, and bones all felt as though they were being tempered by that warmth. He could clearly sense his body strengthening at a visible pace, improving in every aspect.

This is marrow transformation and blood replacement!

Even after consuming the Divine Strength Grand Pill, the process itself did not change. It was still marrow transformation and blood replacement. The difference lay in the pill's immense energy. It was sufficient to sustain ten consecutive rounds of marrow transformation and blood replacement in a single burst.

Ten such rounds translated directly into one hundred additional cauldrons of strength. After remaining in the guest room for a full day and night, Lu Changsheng finally opened his eyes. By now, he had completely digested the Divine Strength Grand Pill, and his strength had reached a staggering two hundred thirty cauldrons.

Two hundred thirty cauldrons... both my physique and my mind have reached an unprecedented peak. The Divine Strength Grand Pill truly lives up to its name. Its tempering effect on the body is astonishing. Right now, attempting the fifth ascent through the Dragon Gate should not be a problem.

Lu Changsheng never wasted a moment when it came to cultivation. Since the timing and his physical condition were perfect, he did not hesitate.

Let me begin.

Instantly, Lu Changsheng felt himself transform once more into a massive dragonfish. He lifted his gaze toward the towering Dragon Gate above, longing flashing through his eyes, before leaping upward with all his strength.

Splash!

The dragonfish soared upward and cleared the fifth Dragon Gate in a single leap.

This ascent was smoother than any before it, and it was followed by another round of marrow transformation and blood replacement. Lu Changsheng's strength rose once again, climbing from two hundred thirty cauldrons to two hundred forty cauldrons.

Even though Lu Changsheng's foundation had reached two hundred forty cauldrons of strength, this number did not represent the true extent of the power he could exert.

On top of this foundation, the Third Divine Dragon Transformation doubled his strength. The Threefold Waves permeated every saber strike, sword thrust, and punch, further enhancing his power. When fully unleashed, he could erupt with a terrifying one thousand four hundred forty cauldrons of force.

Lu Changsheng had shattered the thousand cauldron threshold, but this was not all. He also possessed the Starry Sky Waterfall Intent and the Wave Intent. Under the combined amplification of these two Intents, Lu Changsheng's true strength rose to a level that was beyond ordinary measurement.

At this moment, Lu Changsheng thought of Zhao Kun, an expert of the Divine Fortification Realm. Once that layer of divine fortification was formed, even the force of a thousand cauldrons could do no more than stir a faint ripple.

Divine fortification... There are rumors that a person with ten thousand cauldrons of strength could shatter it. I wonder if that is truly possible.

That claim had always been nothing more than legend. For Divine Strength martial artists, the Thousand Cauldrons Stage represented the absolute limit of physical cultivation. Possessing ten thousand cauldrons of strength was not merely difficult; it bordered on the impossible.

Knock, knock, knock.

A series of knocks sounded from outside the door.

Lu Changsheng opened it.

A Daoist attendant stood outside and bowed respectfully. "Martial practitioner, your time here has ended. It is time for you to depart the Daoist Court."

Lu Changsheng glanced toward Immortal Master Shangyuan's residence. He understood at once. Immortal Master Shangyuan knew he had already consumed the Divine Strength Grand Pill, and this was his cue to depart.

"Alright. I will leave immediately."

Lu Changsheng stepped out of the room, left the Daoist Court, and made his way toward the Four Seas Gang.

For the time being, he had no intention of returning to the Heavenly Maiden Sect. What existed between him and Yun Haitang was, at its core, a transaction. Now that the exchange was essentially complete, any further cooperation would have to be discussed separately.