Chapter 67: Pill Complete, Worth a Lick
Inside a cave lined with violet crystals, a pill cauldron sat at the center. Golden flames rose steadily from within, refining a dragon-eye-sized violet pill. As time passed, a faint medicinal fragrance began to spread. With it, the energy fluctuations inside the cauldron grew more intense, even causing the Illusory Gold Flame around it to tremble violently.
It's going to explode... Yao Yan could feel the increasingly unstable energy inside the forming pill—another failure was imminent.
Swish~
Without hesitation, he cut off the pill-condensing process and removed the pill just before detonation. Once separated from the flame, the volatile energy inside gradually calmed, no longer threatening to erupt, instead stabilizing.
He looked at the failed prototype in his hand and casually set it on a tray nearby, where three other malformed pills already rested—each one varying in size.
Including the two that had exploded earlier, this made five failed attempts in total.
But these failures weren't without gains. With each attempt, the color grew deeper, and the scent more potent. He was clearly edging closer to the optimal formula.
Modifying a pill recipe was always a process of trial and error.
Since Yao Yan dared to try it, he had already prepared for failure. As for the ingredients, he had plenty of materials for Tier 5 Miben Guyuan Pills in his storage ring. He could afford to waste a few. This was one of the benefits of being Hun Xuzi's disciple—he never had to worry about running out of materials for practice.
An alchemist required not only powerful soul perception but also relentless experience. No one succeeded in one go.
"This next one should be it," Yao Yan muttered, eyeing the five remaining bottles of Companion Amethyst Source.
Each bottle could support two to three refinements. The five previous failures had all been part of the testing process. Now, he had a strong feeling that the next attempt would succeed.
He took two Qi Recovery Pills, closed his eyes to restore his energy, and didn't begin again until he was back to peak condition. Then, fully focused, he waved his hand and summoned another batch of materials, tossing them into the cauldron and beginning the essence extraction.
…
Time passed, and outside the cave, the Amethyst Winged Lion King was growing increasingly irritable. If not for the increasingly rich fragrance of medicine seeping from within, it would have charged in by now. It had been nearly half a month—surely the pill should be done by now? Was this human toying with it?
Cai Die, who was playing with Ling'er nearby, noticed the lion's restlessness and spoke gently, "There's no need to worry, Lion King. Since Young Master promised, he won't deceive you."
She knew Yao Yan well. If he had intended to trick the lion, he wouldn't have come to the cave to refine the pill, much less hand over his retrieval task. These were clear signs of trust and sincerity—something the beast hadn't realized.
"It better be," the lion growled, clawing at the ground in frustration.
Swish~
Just then, a silver flash streaked across the sky, and a Tier 5 Thunderflame Savage Lion appeared in the valley. Slightly smaller than the Amethyst Winged Lion King, its violet-red scales shimmered with flickering lightning.
It let out a roar upon arrival, then turned its crimson gaze toward Cai Die, its hostility plain. It had witnessed the battle from half a month ago—this very serpent-woman had nearly killed their king.
"He's found the human's cave. You can go now," the Lion King said coldly, glancing at Cai Die.
Her eyes lit up, and she immediately scooped up Ling'er, hugging her tightly to restrain her movements. "Then I'll leave Young Master in your care, Lion King."
Yao Yan had already told her what to retrieve but hadn't explained the map's significance or how he knew about the cave. Sensibly, she didn't pry—especially not while he was refining.
"Don't worry. Until he finishes the pill I need, not even death can take him."
The Lion King snorted sharply.
"Then I suggest you look forward to it. Young Master is the best alchemist I've ever seen," she said with a hint of pride. Then her Dou Qi wings flared open, and she shot into the sky, following the Thunderflame Savage Lion toward the northwest.
The Amethyst Winged Lion King watched them leave before turning its focus back to the cave. It cared only for the pill now—nothing else mattered.
…
Time flowed by. Several hours passed.
Yao Yan's refining was smoother than ever. The previous attempts had helped him refine both his technique and timing. Even the pill fusion process was fluid—everything had gone perfectly. A fist-sized prototype pill now floated in the flame, its surface glimmering with shifting colors. It was formed from the essence of hundreds of ingredients.
But this was just the beginning—the next step was the true challenge.
Yao Yan glanced at the Companion Amethyst Source beside him. With a thought, a bottle floated into the air and tilted, pouring violet liquid through the golden flames like a cooling spring onto the searing pill.
A violet mist rose from the cauldron as the pill shrank. The medicinal essences began to fuse, and a wild surge of energy began to gather.
Sensing the chaotic power, Yao Yan remained calm. Forming seals with his hands, he shaped his soul force into a large spectral hand, which gripped the glowing pill inside the fire. His spiritual energy spread through the pill, guiding its internal fusion.
He needed to stabilize the energy quickly—and that required intimate knowledge of every herb's nature. Only by blending them in perfect harmony could the pill reach its ideal form.
Like solving a complex puzzle, a true alchemist had to align each piece with flawless precision. Even the smallest error would compromise the whole.
Hun Xuzi may not have been a model teacher, but in alchemy, his standards were rigorous beyond belief. As his disciple, Yao Yan had inherited that standard. He would allow no imperfections. Every step had to be perfect.
Buzz~
The pill shrank to the size of a longan fruit, glowing with a purple aura. Thick violet fragrance wafted into the air, spreading like mist.
Outside the cave, the Amethyst Winged Lion King stirred. It could clearly sense how dense the medicinal aroma was—richer than any before. It even felt its own origin flame reacting, giving it the illusion that consuming the pill could evolve it further.
Howl~
The lion cub let out a puppy-like cry, its eyes filled with longing. That craving came from its very core.
"Is it done?!" the Lion King murmured, hope swelling in its voice as it stared toward the cave.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a violent wave of energy burst from the cave—just like a previous explosion. A thunderous crack followed, and the surge blew away the surrounding medicinal mist.
The Lion King's expression froze. Its bright eyes dimmed as it ground its back teeth.
Another failure?!
But just as it slumped in disappointment, a familiar figure stepped out from the cave. The one it'd begun to resent—Yao Yan—wore a calm smile as he lifted a pill bottle and said:
"Mission accomplished. It's done~"
In that moment, the Amethyst Winged Lion King suddenly found Yao Yan incredibly pleasant to look at.
It even had the urge to rush up and lick him a couple of times.
(END CHAPTER)
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