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Elder Tian, whose real name is Tian Yuan, has always had a good relationship with Su Ziqing among the nine elders. His statement was meant to give Su Ziqing some face, but he did not expect the Second Elder to respond in such a manner.
Ten Star Plants! Some of the elders scoffed at the idea; if one had ten Star Plants, would they still be lingering in the Void Alliance Hall?
However, Tian Yuan did not share this view. While he might not know Su Ziqing very well, he had some understanding of the Second Elder from Xuming Hall.
If there wasn't something about that person on stage that caught Su Ziqing's attention, it would never have happened. Cultivators possess a certain pride, and alchemists are even prouder. Their profession shapes their character; an alchemist who relies too much on cunning cannot become a good one.
The Doushuai Palace supports competition among its disciples, but this competition is meant to be healthy. The fate of those who fail is often unfortunate, yet alchemists who can rise from the shadows of failure will continue to be nurtured by the Doushuai Palace.
Xie Furen was taken as a disciple by Elder Seven, and many elders were aware of the underlying motives. Anyone else would have found it hard to remain calm in light of such favoritism. Setting aside Xie Furen's previous performance, this recent behavior had already placed him at a disadvantage. Yet it was the Second Elder's response that puzzled these elders even more.
Young Master Zuo was not inherently a good person, at least not in his own eyes. He couldn't understand why those elders had come out in droves for no apparent reason. Zuo Dao was not someone who shied away from trouble, but he certainly didn't want trouble knocking on his door.
The techniques used by Butterfly Loves Flower had already drawn attention to him, and during the Refining Pill process, he had employed his own modified methods. He knew that these people were now keeping him in mind.
Zuo Dao sighed inwardly and glanced at Xie Furen, who was focused on Alchemy beside him. He initially intended to benefit only the Ninth Elder, but now it seemed he would have to make some sacrifices; fortunately, he wouldn't have to provide the materials for refining the Heart-Resolving Pill himself.
Just as the elders were still trying to comprehend Zuo Dao's enigmatic techniques, they witnessed something unbelievable.
Zuo Dao waved his hand again, and several more spiritual herbs flew into the Dan Furnace.
Now it wasn't just the audience below who were confused; even the elders on stage were baffled.
Inside the Dan Furnace, Zuo Dao had clearly begun refining pills. Any alchemist knows that during the Refining Pill process, one cannot be disturbed in any way; even a slight mistake could ruin the entire batch of pills. Not to mention that Zuo Dao was now adding more herbs.
What was he trying to do? Every cultivator witnessing this scene silently questioned themselves. This moment was also caught by Xie Furen. As a schemer, he wouldn't assume anything positive about his opponent; he viewed Zuo Dao's actions as merely an excuse for his impending failure. He even wondered if a sudden gasp from the audience would provide Zuo Dao with an excellent excuse for failure.
In his mind, he would rather believe that Zuo Dao could not refine the Heart-Resolving Pill than accept that he could succeed. As a fellow Bronze Dan Cultivator, if Zuo Dao could indeed refine the Heart-Resolving Pill, it would indicate exceptional potential in alchemy; another reason being that Zuo Dao was simply too young.
The thought flashed through Young Master Zuo's mind for just a moment before he immersed himself back into his Dan Furnace. He believed that the other party's failure had become a fact. Even if he were to fail, he would still do better than them.
The audience finally gasped in surprise; such a simple mistake occurring with Zuo Dao changed their perception of him entirely.
It was a bid for attention.
Using a well-known error to cover up one's own failure was not just a technical blunder, but also an insult to the Alchemical Path. Many cultivators began to speculate that Zuo Dao had come up with such a method because he couldn't refine the Heart-Resolving Pill.
However, everything that followed completely altered their thoughts on the matter.
To be honest, Young Master Zuo was simply trying to take it easy at that moment. After all, he couldn't repeatedly refine the Heart-Resolving Pill on the Dueling Platform. Since he had decided to "bribe" the elders, he might as well reveal some of his abilities. Su Ziqing was fine, but the other elders didn't know him.
He was currently employing a rather obscure Alchemy technique even in ancient times, known simply as the Drag Dan Technique.
Zuo Dao had previously studied this technique and defined it as one created by a cultivator who must have been extremely bored—indeed, only someone utterly bored would come up with such an initial method.
The advantage of the Drag Dan Technique was that one furnace could produce multiple types of pills—not just several pills, but various kinds. As long as the corresponding spiritual herbs were provided, pills could be formed without issue. Each type of pill had different properties, yet none would lose efficacy.
The downside was that the resulting pills were relatively large; typical pills were about the size of longan fruit, while those made using the Drag Dan Technique were only about the size of soybeans at most.
Zuo Dao chose three types of spiritual herbs to add: Leafless Root, Yellow Lotus, and Shuimu Qiao. He discovered that among the spiritual herbs provided on the Dueling Platform, there were also several types of beast blood, each rich in vitality and beneficial for refining the Heart-Resolving Pill. However, this beast blood couldn't be added carelessly; even a slight deviation could cause a Celestial Immortal to explode.
For Ninth Elder, who had a more yin constitution, Zuo Dao selected beast blood from an Azure Horned Elk. This beast blood contained a trace of Pure Yang Energy and would greatly benefit Ninth Elder.
As for the elder closest to Su Ziqing, although Zuo Dao didn't know who they were, they seemed to have a good relationship with his cheap master. He chose beast blood from a Great Horned Rhinoceros for Elder Tian Yuan.
For the remaining elder, Zuo Dao was quite casual; after all, the final Heart-Resolving Pill produced would benefit him regardless.
In the Dan Furnace, Zuo Dao controlled a nearly formed Heart-Resolving Pill with his Divine Sense, while simultaneously refining the three newly added spiritual herbs into liquid form.
The Inferno split into four, continuing to refine the pills and herbs. The elders could clearly sense the difference. Each of the four divisions of the Inferno had varying intensities, each acting independently under Zuo Dao's immense Divine Sense control.
This display of skill left the elders in awe; what incredible control! Even with their status as elders, they believed they could not achieve such a level. Their gazes towards Su Ziqing shifted significantly.
Su Ziqing was actually the most shocked. Although he suspected that Zuo Dao might be a Golden Alchemist, this level of fire control was enough to surpass over ninety percent of the alchemists in Doushuai Palace Main Hall.
His status dictated his perspective. Despite being low-key in Xuming Hall, where few knew of his background, he realized just how far behind he was compared to Zuo Dao.
Zuo Dao was effortlessly crafting three Heart-Resolving Pills. When he noticed the expressions on the faces of the elders above him, he realized that he had once again drawn everyone's attention without intending to.
Meanwhile, Xie Furen, though focused on Alchemy, still allocated a portion of his Mind to Zuo Dao. He couldn't see the liquid form of the spiritual herbs, but the expected explosion from the furnace had yet to occur. The longer he waited, the greater his anxiety grew.
In a moment of distraction, the flames in the Dan Furnace suddenly flickered, and the temperature lost its balance. Just as the pill was about to take shape, he could no longer afford to hesitate. He quickly gathered his Mind and decisively released a drop of his essence blood into the Dan Furnace.
Forcing out essence blood while refining a Heart-Resolving Pill was quite unique for Xie Furen. If this pill succeeded, its efficacy would only equal half of what he had just lost—definitely not worth it. However, none of the cultivators below would think Xie Furen had made a mistake.
The reason was simple: this was a Dueling Platform, where victory and defeat were the only criteria.
The addition of essence blood stabilized the precariously close-to-failure pill. Xie Furen didn't even have time to wipe away the sweat dripping from his forehead as he hurriedly controlled the Dan Fire and cautiously continued his unfinished work.
In contrast to Xie Furen, Zuo Dao had completely become an anomaly in the eyes of the elders. His endless techniques, calm demeanor, and dazzling methods captivated them deeply.
At the same time, they seized this rare opportunity to validate some thoughts they held in their minds.
The purification of the three elixirs, Leafless Root, Yellow Lotus, and Shuimu Qiao, took very little time for Zuo Dao, which revealed another strength of his to the Elders.
The three purified elixirs were wrapped in Zuo Dao's Divine Sense and set aside as he began to refine the three types of beast blood.
Although the Dueling Platform provided the necessary herbs for the contestants, they were all well-preserved but unprocessed. This was also a form of test.
The beast blood contained a large amount of impurities that needed to be eliminated one by one. Zuo Dao did not need to achieve perfection, but his casual refining left a different impression on the Elders of Xuming Hall. What he considered a very casual process appeared perfect in their eyes.
When three drops of blood radiating a gentle glow appeared in the Dan Furnace, all the Elders let out a sigh of relief.
Another success.
As for why they added the word "another," several Elders were too exhausted to care.
Inside the Dan Furnace, a semi-finished Spiritual Pill was present, along with three batches of medicinal liquid and three drops of beast blood essence, totaling seven types of materials that Zuo Dao had completely processed.
The spectators below could not perceive the changes within the Dan Furnace, but several Elders had certain control over the Dueling Platform, and all these were presented before them like Red Fruit.
The various materials were arranged in a seven-star formation within the Dan Furnace. Everyone knew that the last step was to form the pill. However, they could not comprehend how these materials could possibly blend together to create a new elixir.
At least three of the materials had conflicting pharmacological properties, causing Su Ziqing to furrow his brow. This method of Alchemy was unheard of to him, and he had no idea what would happen in the end.
On the other side, Xie Furen finally began to reap his success after sacrificing a drop of his essence blood. He himself did not expect that this time he would successfully refine the Heart-Resolving Pill. The excitement was overwhelming; for a moment, even his resentment towards Zuo Dao diminished somewhat.
The success of the Heart-Resolving Pill meant he had taken a significant step toward becoming a Silver Dan Master. As long as he was given some time to comprehend what he had gained this time, he had a good chance of stepping into the silver rank. This brought him one step closer to the center of power within Xuming Hall.
However, he did not realize that even though he was close to refining the Heart-Resolving Pill, none of the Elders were paying attention to him because their focus was entirely on Zuo Dao.
It was still the "Butterfly Loves Flower," but this time, Zuo Dao's technique gave several elders a different feeling. It was as if they were dancing in the sea of stars, with the butterfly forever in love with the flower, as various materials fused together with each flutter of the butterfly's wings.
Inside the Dan Furnace, it became a sea of butterflies, the spiritual essence emitted by the medicinal plants. Like butterflies flitting about, they remained in different positions, never overlapping.
Was this going to fail? Su Ziqing watched the situation inside the Dan Furnace.
What is Refining Pill? It is the combination of several medicinal materials. But now, this situation left him unable to see any signs of fusion.
Looking at Zuo Dao's expression, he remained calm and collected, a faint smile on his lips, making it impossible for anyone to detect even a hint of tension from him.
This was also a key point of the Drag Dan Technique. The spiritual essences of various medicinal plants were forced out and trapped within the Dan Furnace, isolated by Zuo Dao using his Divine Sense in a profound manner, and then integrated into the semi-finished pill at different temperatures.
Every step inside required exquisite control.
First, a group of medicinal liquid began to merge with one type of beast blood, followed by the second type. The Dan Furnace was left with only one semi-finished pill and three groups of spiritual liquid floating within.
This was Zuo Dao's first time refining the Heart-Resolving Pill and his first practical use of the Drag Dan Technique. For him, it wasn't a significant challenge, but it did consume some of his mind; mainly because he had a targeted approach. If he were refining casually, he wouldn't need to be so meticulous.
On the other side, Xie Furen had already begun producing pills. At this moment, the alchemists below noticed it too; each one held their breath in silence, afraid to disturb those on stage. Meanwhile, Zuo Dao had been completely overlooked by them. Only a few alchemists sensed that something extraordinary was happening at Zuo Dao's side because several elders' gazes inadvertently fell upon him.
The speed of pill formation was one of the criteria for evaluation on the Dueling Platform, but ultimately it came down to the quality of the pills produced. Sometimes speed did not mean everything; however, at times speed could add significant points.
Xie Furen felt confident that victory was within reach; most importantly, he hoped to break through to Bronze. This was his greatest gain from this Dueling Elixirs event. Compared to victory, he focused more on his breakthrough.
Several elders sensed a disruption within Zuo Dao's Dan Furnace—a unique interpretation of the Alchemical Path. If Zuo Dao succeeded in refining this batch of pills, it would undoubtedly be a significant event for Doushuai Palace.
Xie Furen had already begun producing pills; his performance amazed the cultivators below but appeared rather standard in the eyes of several elders. Some were even prepared; as long as Zuo Dao's batch came out safely—regardless of its quality—they would declare him victorious.
At this moment, the thoughts of what had just happened were cast aside. If nurtured properly, Zuo Dao could undoubtedly become a brilliant existence. Su Ziqing had already gained some understanding of Zuo Dao, and the other elders were not short-sighted individuals. If Xie Furen was the most likely candidate to become a Silver, then in the eyes of the elders, Zuo Dao was already someone who could surpass Gold.
Above Gold was the Star Diamond. If Xuming Hall could cultivate a potential Star Diamond, it would undoubtedly be the foremost existence among Doushuai Palace and the Thirty-Three Halls. Such an achievement would make any elder envious.
Similarly, Refining Pill had become an art form in Zuo Dao's hands. Like the finishing touch on a flower, it brought the entire painting to life.
As three vials of medicinal liquid were injected into the semi-finished pill, all the elders present felt their hearts race. Even those who usually clashed with Su Ziqing were now paying close attention.
At this moment, Zuo Dao did not wave his fingers as before; instead, he raised one hand and used only his five fingers to guide the fusion of the pill. At this stage, he knew that this batch of Heart-Resolving Pill had already succeeded.
Just as the three vials of medicinal liquid were poured into the pill, several elders even heard a loud "crack." This sound resonated from deep within their hearts.
From their perspective, that semi-finished pill had actually developed cracks, which meant something significant that several elders understood all too well.
Unexpectedly, it had failed in the end; the elders felt regretful. Only Second Elder and Su Ziqing still held confidence in Zuo Dao at this moment.
Indeed, just as disappointment washed over the elders, a change occurred in the Dan Furnace before Zuo Dao.
The entire semi-finished pill split into three parts, each nearly identical.
Instead of turning into medicinal residue as usual due to failure, the pill began to spin rapidly within the Dan Furnace, even forming three spiraling whirlwinds inside.
"What is happening?" one elder exclaimed softly in surprise.
"It seems like it's becoming a 'Spinning Pill,'" Tian Yuan said uncertainly.
Spinning Pill—a technique for forming pills.
Not much has survived from the ancient celestial realm, and even fewer things have been preserved within the court. The Spinning Pill is one of those rare treasures.
"We must keep him," an elder said fiercely.
"Conceal Xie Furen and order all disciples present not to disclose anything about this Dueling Elixirs situation."
Zuo Dao had already brought them too many surprises, far beyond what they could bear.
"Devote all the palace's resources to cultivate him, and quickly inform the Palace Master. No, we should also send the Dan Guard to protect him," an elder exclaimed excitedly.
"It would be best if he could reveal the method for creating the Spinning Pill," Su Ziqing remarked coolly from the side.
"Exactly." The elder who had just spoken suddenly realized something and glanced awkwardly at Su Ziqing. It was hard not to feel guilty about plotting against someone's disciple in front of their master.
"Hmph." Su Ziqing merely snorted softly. However, he knew that their intentions were genuine. If it were anyone else, he might have worried, but regarding Zuo Dao, he was now certain that Zuo Dao was a golden-level alchemist. To scheme against a golden-level alchemist was undoubtedly courting disaster.
The Dan Body, divided into three portions, was originally quite irregular. However, under the influence of the Spinning Pill method, each portion transformed into a perfectly rounded shape. The Spinning Pill method not only shapes the elixirs but also enhances their efficacy through better integration. The Spinning Pill can not only mold the elixirs but also perform secondary Refining Pill processes, which is its unique feature.
Looking at the Heart-Resolving Pill suspended before him, Xie Furen felt an overwhelming surge of excitement.
"I did it!" Exhausted yet exhilarated, Xie Furen let out a long howl; no words could express his current feelings.
"What are you yelling about? You're making a racket! If you ruin my elixirs, I'll hold you responsible."
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