Chapter 924: Skypalace Sunspirit Pill
All of the successive failures left the onlookers astonished. However, the tier 7 alchemists were starting to catch on to what Meng Hao was doing.
“Every failure actually represents an exponential increase in the chances for success!”
“He… might really be able to succeed in concocting it!” The tier 7 alchemists were all panting as they exchanged shocked looks.
As for the tier 8 alchemists present, their eyes shone with curious gleams.
Meng Hao now only had a bit more than 1,000,000 merit points left. If he failed for a sixth time, he would be unable to continue with further attempts. He spent the merit points, and then his eyes flashed as the thirteen medicinal plants flew out.
“The first difficult aspect of concocting the Skypalace Sunspirit Pill is that the medicinal plants must be adjusted every two hours according to the weather, time, and strength of the spiritual energy in the area!
“Success requires profound skill with plants and vegetation, as well as significant preparation in terms of grafting techniques.
“The second difficult aspect has to do with the pill itself. Although the role of the thirteen medicinal plants in the pill formula seems fixed, in actuality, there is no true set pill formula. The thirteen medicinal plants cannot be used in a fixed sequence, but rather, must be added according to the time of day in which the pill is being concocted.
“The original pill formula can definitely be used to successfully concoct a Skypalace Sunspirit Pill, but only in a unique place, at a unique time, and under unique conditions of spiritual energy. Under any other circumstances, concocting the pill with the original formula would lead to failure.” Meng Hao eyed the thirteen medicinal plants and took a deep breath.
“A third area of difficulty… is that this pill actually does not require a pill furnace. It requires twelve two-hour periods to concoct, and yet thirteen medicinal plants are provided. One of those medicinal plants… acts as the pill furnace!
“A fourth difficulty is that the concocting must be completed in exactly twelve two-hour periods. Even one breath beyond that amount of time will lead to a high chance of failure.” Meng Hao’s eyes shone with a bright light. He had concocted many pills, and had even concocted something from nothing.
His skill in the Dao of alchemy was unfathomable. And yet, this was his first time encountering a medicinal pill that had so many intrinsic internal variables. He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. Currently, it was midday.
He waited silently. Time passed one breath at a time. Most of the audience looked on, astonished, but the tier 8 alchemists’ eyes were suddenly shining brightly.
Simultaneously, at the center of the inner mountains, Pill Elder rose to his feet and gazed at the Pill Pavilion. A glimmer of excitement could be seen deep in his eyes.
“He’s onto something!” murmured Fang Danyun. “Actually, I can also concoct Skypalace Sunspirit Pills, but only on this mountain, during the middle of the centennial rising of the East Ascension Sun. That is the only day… when I can perfectly concoct it.
“On any other occasion, my success rate of concoction would be only one in ten, and the result wouldn’t be of very high quality.”
Back above the Pill Pavilion, the sky was now shifting into afternoon. Meng Hao’s eyes glittered, and he quickly reached out to grab the Sun Blossom. All of its branches and leaves were stripped off in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only the flower petals themselves, which spread open into the shape of a bowl.
“Refine the Sun Blossom into a pill furnace!”
In the moment that the Sun Blossom was successfully transformed into a pill furnace, Meng Hao’s eyes flickered with the glow of augury as he mentally analyzed all of the twelve medicinal plants. Then, he reached out to grab one of the medicinal plants, at the same time sending the power of his cultivation base out to transform the shape of the plant. Its medicinal properties were neutralized, and he began to mold it according to the current Yang qi and spiritual energy in the area.
A moment later, the entire medicinal plant transformed into a drop of shining, golden liquid, which he dropped into the Sun Blossom.
Beads of sweat dotted his forehead by the time he finished with that first drop. He continued to channel heat into the Sun Blossom, and also meditated to clear his mind. Soon, the second of the two-hour time periods arrived, and his eyes snapped open. He looked up at the sky, felt the sunlight and the spiritual energy, and then selected another medicinal plant. Following the same method as before, he transformed it into a liquid, which he dropped into the Sun Blossom.
The third two-hour period arrived, then the fourth, and the fifth…
Time passed. The sun set, and dusk fell. Two moons rose as Meng Hao refined a black flower. His expression was extremely intent, especially during the final four two-hour periods. He was clearly expending an incredible amount of mental energy, as much as he had when challenging the Medicine Pavilion.
Every two hours, he had to select the appropriate medicinal plant, and then transform it in accordance with the transformations of Heaven and Earth. This required significant consideration and judgement, and was something that even tier 8 alchemists would have difficulty with.
If it wasn’t for the fact that Meng Hao’s skill with plants and vegetation was at an incredible level, and that he also had shocking talent in the Dao of alchemy, he would never have been able to accomplish this.
The ninth two-hour period came, then the tenth and the eleventh….
Noon of the second day arrived as Meng Hao selected the final medicinal plant. He transformed it into a liquid, and then dropped it into the Sun Blossom pill furnace. Eyes bloodshot, face a mask of exhaustion, he extended both hands and pushed down onto the Sun Blossom.
His action caused the Sun Blossom to wrap around itself, transforming into a fist-sized flower bud that slowly floated up into the air.
As of this moment, the eyes of hundreds of thousands of panting spectators were all fixed on the flower bud.
The events of the past six days had left everyone shaken, apprentice alchemists and full alchemists alike. Meng Hao’s pill concocting was something that exceeded the imaginations of everyone present. Despite having witnessed the matter with their own eyes, it was still something that words could not describe. They weren’t even sure exactly what he was doing.
The moment had arrived which would reveal whether this concoction was a success or a failure.
Meng Hao looked up at the floating Sun Blossom bud.
Suddenly, beam after beam of light began to shoot out from inside. They pierced through the petals, shining out for 100,000 meters in all directions, penetrating Heaven and Earth.
More beams of light continued to shoot out, the pinnacle of resplendence. The flower bud slowly began to open, the petals spreading apart one by one to reveal a blinding light.
The light caused the sky to fade and all the land to go quiet. In the blink of an eye, all color everywhere dimmed, despite it being high noon. It was as if these flower petals… contained a sun.
That sun rose up, and just barely visible within was a figure seated cross-legged. It was almost as if this figure had been born inside the sun, and was a sun spirit!
Skypalace Sunspirit Pill!
DONG…. DONG…. DONG….
The ancient Dao bell slowly appeared above the Fang Clan ancestral mansion and began to send out its ancient toll. Nine tolls could be heard, which echoed out in all directions. At the same time, writing became visible on the surface of the bell itself.
Fang Hao – Skypalace Sunspirit Pill Concoction – Success!
The words, along with the sound of the bell, were transmitted into the minds of every clan member on Planet East Victory. As of that moment, everyone knew exactly what had just occurred.
The entire Dao of Alchemy Division was thrown into an uproar. Even people who had not come to watch events unfold at the Pill Pavilion could see the blinding light emanating from that very area, and their faces flickered.
Then the toll of the bell could be heard in their minds, and they flew into the air toward the Pill Pavilion.
At the same time, every Fang Clan member on Planet East Victory felt roaring in their minds, regardless of where they were or what they were doing at the moment.
“Fang Hao again!! He… he actually concocted a Skypalace Sunspirit Pill!!”
“Nobody has been able to concoct that medicinal pill for tens of thousands of years. I can’t believe he succeeded! From today on, his position within the Fang Clan is going to be completely different!!”
All bloodlines were astonished, and countless clan members felt their minds reeling. By now, the name Fang Hao was committed to all of their memories. It could be said that during the past year, Fang Hao… had repeatedly astonished the Fang Clan.
In all of the Fang Clan, he was the one who had caused the Dao Bell to ring the most. Not even Fang Wei could do something like that. Even more important… he caused his name to appear on the Dao Bell itself. To the Fang Clan, that was an inestimable honor!
His name, and the words next to it on the Dao Bell, would last for an eternity. As long as the Fang Clan existed, along with its Dao Bell, those words would remain!
The direct bloodline was thrown into a state of complete excitement. The more Meng Hao rose to prominence, the greater their hope in the revival of the direct bloodline.
“Cousin, it’s clear that Hao’er is a true Chosen of the Fang Clan!” thought 19th Uncle, laughing loudly as he looked in the direction of Planet South Heaven.
Meanwhile, Fang Wei’s father and grandfather sat gloomily in the ancestral mansion. Fang Wei’s father, Fang Xiushan, grabbed a magical jade bottle that rested next to him, and crushed it.
“That damned son of a bitch! I can’t believe his Dao of alchemy is at such a high level!
“He concocted a Skypalace Sunspirit Pill. By rising to prominence in the Dao of Alchemy Division, he has risen to prominence in the clan in general. Nobody will dare to make a move against him now!” Fang Xiushan gritted his teeth, and a vicious expression could be seen on his face.
“Dad, that son of a bitch MUST die, for Wei’er’s sake! We need to open the Fang Clan Immortal World!!”
His father took a long, deep breath, and his eyes flickered with killing intent.
“That’s not something I can do on my own,” he said. After a moment of thought, even stronger killing intent flickered in his eyes.
In the main temple of the ancestral mansion, Grand Elder Fang Tongtian stood at the door, gazing off toward the Dao of Alchemy Division. On his face could be seen rare look of surprise.
“Did I… do the wrong thing?” The Grand Elder suddenly seemed to grow a bit older. “No, I didn’t. It’s all for the clan!”
In another location within the East District of the ancestral mansion was a lake known as Brightmoon Lake. Long ago, an ancient Heavenly Dragon passed away in this location, making the Immortal qi abundant there. In fact, the location was essentially a one-of-a-kind Blessed Land on Planet East Victory.
In the middle of the lake was a beautifully ornamented building. It was very large, and was currently occupied by a few dozen people who were talking and laughing. In the middle of them all was Fang Wei, next to whom as Fang Yunyi and other Fang Clan Chosen such as Fang Hong.
Fang Donghan and Fang Xiangshan were there, as well as Taiyang Zi, Sun Hai, Song Luodan, Wang Mu and Li Ling’er, and Chosen from other clans.
Fan Dong’er was also in the group, with the female corpse floating there behind her. Her expression was calm, and she did not seem out of sorts like she had back in the Ruins of Immortality. Quite the opposite; she now wore a sweet, beautiful smile.
Fang Wei was also smiling softly. He was versed in the ways of etiquette, and was very cultured and refined, causing quite a few of the female cultivators to be in very high spirits.
Currently, the group was discussing the Three Great Daoist Societies’ recent trial by fire. Of course, the name Fang Mu came up; many people believed that Fang Mu… was either not a member of the Fang Clan, or was actually Fang Wei himself.
Fang Wei did nothing to refute the idea that he was Fang Mu; all he did was shake his head and change the topic. Of course, that only confirmed the suspicions of many.
“I’ve heard that the Fang Clan has an Astral Projection magic,” said Taiyang Zi, his eyes glittering. “So in the end, is Fang Mu… really you, Elder Brother Fang?”
Fang Wei smiled, and was about to say something in response when his face suddenly flickered. It wasn’t just him; the faces of all the members of the Fang Clan flickered, and they subconsciously turned to look toward the Dao of Alchemy Division.
