Jia Nan Academy, Underground.
"He really did it."
The Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan stood frozen, staring in disbelief at the shattered gates of the cave dwelling. That was the entrance to a Dou God's mansion—yet someone had just blown it open with a single spear.
He'd been trapped here for tens of thousands of years, and now someone else had broken through in an instant.
"Sigh… so be it."
Letting out a weary sigh, the Dragon Emperor gave up his last thoughts of claiming the place. It was clear now that the Ancient Emperor Tuo She's mansion had nothing to do with him.
Still, after being trapped for so long, simply leaving without stepping inside felt like too great a loss. He decided to take a look before departing.
With a flicker, his form vanished into the depths of the dwelling.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiaoming had already arrived at the Abnormal Flame Plaza—though now, standing before him, was an elderly figure.
"Young man, was it you who broke into my mansion?"
A calm, ancient voice echoed through the space. An aged figure in a plain robe stood with hands behind his back, gazing down at Chen Xiaoming with a look that regarded him as little more than an ant.
"Heh, should I call you the Ancient Emperor Tuo She, or… the embryonic Emperor Pill?"
Faced with such a gaze, Chen Xiaoming chuckled rather than grow angry. It was just a pill, after all. Sooner or later, he'd consume it—there was no need for posturing.
"Hmph. Who are you?"
The old figure's expression shifted, his gaze lingering on Chen Xiaoming for a long moment. Sensing no deceit, his tone grew colder.
Hearing this, Chen Xiaoming gave a helpless smile and shook his head. Why did everyone insist on asking the same question? Didn't they realize he was getting tired of answering it?
Chen Xiaoming's eyes scanned over the embryonic Emperor Pill, sensing its power. He felt slightly disappointed. While it was indeed stronger than a peak Nine-Star Dou Saint, it was still far from reaching Dou God.
His eyes flashed with sharp light. After a moment of contemplation, he made up his mind.
"Who I am doesn't matter. The real question is—are you interested in making a wager?"
With a calm smile, Chen Xiaoming asked lightly. In his eyes, the embryonic Emperor Pill was no threat. He wasn't after a mere proto-pill.
Silver light burst forth from within his body, flooding out and locking down the surrounding space across tens of thousands of miles. The embryonic Emperor Pill instantly sensed the abnormal spatial fluctuations.
The already solid space within the mansion had now become a mire under the silver glow. The embryonic Emperor Pill felt immense resistance.
For a moment, his gaze toward Chen Xiaoming shifted. A bad premonition took root in his heart.
He had sensed the moment the sanctum's gates were shattered. At the time, he'd thought to intimidate the intruder by invoking the name of the Ancient Emperor Tuo She. Yet the man had seen right through him with a glance.
Now, with the surrounding space sealed in silver, even he wasn't confident he could escape.
"Let's hear the wager. I doubt you'd propose something without believing I'd accept."
Seeing the embryonic Emperor Pill silent, Chen Xiaoming remained unbothered, instead calmly laying out his proposal.
"The wager is simple. I'll help you evolve into a true Emperor Pill. Once you succeed, we fight."
"If you win, you walk free. If I win—I take your true form."
His voice was calm, but in the skies above, the Dragon Emperor—having arrived to spectate—couldn't help but feel deeply shaken.
Had he been sealed for too long? Were the strong of this age truly so… unorthodox?
Helping a rival grow stronger before battling them?
If it were him, Zhu Kun, he'd have attacked immediately—taking advantage of the embryonic Pill's weaker state to seize it outright.
After all, that was a embryonic Emperor Pill—an opportunity to ascend to the Dou God realm!
In the void above, Chen Xiaoming and the embryonic Emperor Pill stood opposite each other, each deep in thought.
Chen Xiaoming's motives were simple. He didn't care about the embryonic Pill itself—what he wanted was a true Emperor Pill.
While he could refine pills to the Emperor-grade, this world lacked Origin Qi. Without it, breaking into the Dou God realm was impossible. Even the best alchemist couldn't forge a true Emperor Pill without materials.
"If it were me, I'd take the bet."
"If you gamble, at least you've got a shot. If you don't—you lose for sure."
Chen Xiaoming's aura pressed down on the embryonic Pill once more. He had no patience to waste on a mere pill's indecision.
The embryonic Emperor Pill felt the pressure—Chen Xiaoming's power was certainly above his own. Unless the Ancient Emperor Tuo She returned to life, there was no escape.
After some deliberation, light flickered in the embryonic Pill's eyes. He'd made up his mind.
"Fine. I accept your wager."
Just as Chen Xiaoming had said—gambling offered a chance, however slim. Without it, there was none.
If he was doomed to fall into the opponent's hands, why not seize the opportunity to evolve first—and worry about escaping later?
"A wise choice."
Chen Xiaoming nodded slightly. Elevating a embryonic Emperor Pill was no easy feat. Back in the day, in the original timeline, even the Soul Emperor had committed mass slaughter for the chance.
But for him, it was different.
With a flick of his hand, rows of jade bottles appeared. With a light tap, the bottles all shot toward the embryonic Pill.
Clink... clink... clink...
A series of crisp shatters rang out. The jade bottles exploded in midair. The embryonic Pill remained composed—he had already sensed that they contained pills.
After all, he was a pill himself—and an Emperor-grade one at that.
"Hm? These pills..."
He gave them a casual glance, but when he saw the contents, the embryonic Emperor Pill froze.
Each bottle held a single Ninth-Grade Golden Pill. Nine in total. But it wasn't just the grade that stunned him—it was the nine intricate pill markings engraved on each one.
"Nine-Marked Ninth-Grade Golden Pills!"
He couldn't help exclaiming aloud. To him, it was like witnessing a miracle.
Even the Ancient Emperor Tuo She had never refined something like this. How could such pills even exist?
"Focus. I'm helping you ascend."
Chen Xiaoming's voice rang out coldly. He wasn't here for idle talk.
His right hand moved, and with a light squeeze, one golden pill burst apart. Under the silver light, its refined medicinal essence surged and shot directly into the embryonic Pill's body.
These were the finest pills Chen Xiaoming had ever crafted—potent beyond comparison. They were the perfect supplement for evolving the embryonic Emperor Pill.
As the first pill merged with him, the embryonic Pill's internal power surged. The vast and refined energy coursed through him, igniting his dormant essence. Without delay, he sat cross-legged, beginning to refine the energy—melding it into his own being.
As time trickled by, the Emperor-Grade embryonic Pill rapidly refined the medicinal energy within it. In less than half an hour, it had fully absorbed the first pellet.
Without hesitation, Chen Xiaoming crushed two more Golden Pills, merging their essence into his body.
An hour and a half passed. The embryonic Pill neared completion. The aura within his body surged once more—but it still hadn't broken through to the level of a true Emperor Pill.
Chen Xiaoming's brows knit together in a faint frown. With a decisive motion, he crushed three more Golden Pills, fusing their power into himself. In that instant, the energy within the embryonic Pill surged dramatically.
Chen Xiaoming stood by, waiting patiently. At the very last moment—precisely two hours in—the aura of the embryonic Pill underwent a profound transformation, finally ascending to the level of a fully realized Emperor Pill.
A rich and potent pill fragrance billowed outward, spreading in all directions. The space that had been locked down by the silvery radiance now trembled faintly under the influence of that aromatic wave.
Boom!
The Emperor Pill's eyes cracked open slightly, and a terrifying force erupted from within it, instantly pressing toward Chen Xiaoming with overwhelming might.
"Hahaha, thank you," it said with a chilling laugh. "Thanks to you, I've ascended to the level of an Emperor Pill."
"And to repay your kindness… I'll let you witness the power of an Emperor Pill firsthand."
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