Chapter Seventeen: The Grand Event of Alchemy

After reading the sword technique, Lin Feng forced himself to calm down and carefully considered whether he should abandon the spear for the sword, or persist with his spear training.

The swordsmanship of Senior Ye Kun ranked among the top ten in the entire Divine Continent. To waste such an opportunity was truly unbearable. Yet, starting anew would require years of effort before any progress could be made, and what Lin Feng lacked most at this moment was time.

Weighing his options, Lin Feng finally chose to continue using the spear. The sword technique could be studied further when the opportunity arose. For now, the most important task was to search for a way to repair his dantian and advance to the mid-stage of Qi Refining before the age of eighteen. Otherwise, he would have to leave with nothing.

For three days, Lin Feng locked himself in his room, cultivating the Longevity Technique. The spiritual energy he absorbed from the outside world was transformed by the Manjusha Flower, continuously repairing muscle flaws, strengthening the resilience of his meridians, and fortifying the hardness of his bones, greatly enhancing his physical strength. Although there was no progress in his cultivation, his physique grew ever stronger.

...

On the morning of the fourth day, the square behind Heaven's Gate Peak was crowded with many disciples from the outer sect. Today, several masters from the Creation Hall were going to publicly refine the Three Treasures Sandalwood Powder. Besides nearly ten thousand outer sect disciples, a few strangers stood at the center of the square, each looking energetic and extraordinary.

Such a grand occasion was rare, and no one wanted to miss the chance to witness the refinement of a supreme pill. Three groups, led by Nangong Ke, Luo Shangqing, and Jiang Baifeng, occupied the best viewing spots, while some solitary disciples could only stand at the back or climb trees to watch.

Lin Feng and his two companions were no exception. Seeing the throng of people, they had no choice but to climb a poorly positioned old locust tree and peer intently.

Eight strong men emerged from the rear of the Creation Hall carrying a bronze cauldron. The heavy, double-handled round cauldron bent the wooden beam into a bow shape. Judging by the expressions of the eight men, the pill cauldron was far heavier than average—by a conservative estimate, at least five thousand pounds!

With a loud thud, the cauldron landed, sending up clouds of dust. Those standing in the front row ate mouthfuls of ash, many coughing as they covered their mouths.

“Haha… serves them right!” Du Songsong laughed gleefully, so caught up in his gloating that he nearly slipped from the tree.

“Enough, pay attention!” Lin Feng shot him a glare, focusing intently on the scene below. At that moment, another eight men, grouped in pairs, each carried a smaller cauldron and placed them around the large one.

“Sister, what’s happening? Why are there five cauldrons?” Lin Feng turned to ask Helian Ruxue.

She smiled calmly. “Hehe, the big cauldron is the main furnace, the other four are auxiliary. Pill refining isn’t so simple—watch closely.”

“I see,” Lin Feng nodded.

Once the five cauldrons were in place, a middle-aged man in a moon-white robe stepped out from the six people standing at the center of the square. He scanned the crowd, a smile spreading across his face.

“The sect master!” Lin Feng exclaimed in awe.

This was the outer sect master, Zhuoran. He cleared his throat and spoke aloud, “Fellow disciples, today is a day of great joy for our sect. You are fortunate to witness the refining of the Three Treasures Sandalwood Powder. Now, let me introduce the five seniors who will be refining the pill.”

The crowd burst into enthusiastic applause, everyone eagerly awaiting the moment the cauldrons were opened.

“Outer Sect Creation Hall Elder Xing Ming!” “Guan Shanhe!” “Liu Ding’an!” “Wu Chun!”

With each name called, one of the five lined up stepped forward to stand beside one of the small cauldrons.

“Inner Sect Heaven Pillar Peak Senior Fang Xiaotian!”

At these words, the square fell so silent that one could hear every heartbeat.

Fang Xiaotian smiled faintly and moved to stand beside the largest bronze cauldron, his gaze sweeping over the distant crowd.

“It’s him!” Lin Feng and his companions exclaimed in surprise.

---

“Fellow disciples! After today’s grand event, I will personally present rewards to encourage those outstanding disciples who contribute greatly to the sect,” Zhuoran announced with a cheerful smile. “Now, please await the opening of the cauldrons!”

Zhuoran remained in place, quietly waiting. Soon, four disciples dressed as apothecaries each brought a golden tray and stood beside the four Creation Hall elders.

The contents of the trays were unclear to all, as each held liquids of different colors.

“What you see now is the decoction we prepared in advance. Next, the four elders will refine them into pills,” Zhuoran explained, clearly intent on answering questions throughout the day.

“No wonder they dare to refine pills in public—who could tell the contents of these trays?” Lin Feng mused to himself.

The four elders did not take the trays directly. Instead, each formed a hand seal, drawing the liquid into their cauldrons, then almost simultaneously ignited the fires beneath each.

Scorching flames heated the four cauldrons to a boil, yet not a stick of wood was used. Their fire control techniques were truly exquisite!

The flames blazed beneath the cauldrons, driving the spectators back several yards. Still, sweat beads formed on most faces as the temperature on the square soared.

Seeing this, Zhuoran quickly shifted his hands, laying a restriction around the cauldrons and gradually lowering the heat.

“Who would’ve thought—climbing this tree turned out to be the right move!” Lin Feng winked at his two companions, and the three shared a knowing smile.

Four cauldrons refining simultaneously—the heat near them unbearable for ordinary people. These flames were the “true fire” only cultivators could wield! Yet at the center, Fang Xiaotian, clad in green, remained smiling and composed.

Three hours passed before Elder Wu Chun cried out. A ball of purple flame floated from his cauldron, its fragrance and heat spreading to every corner of the square.

“The pills are done!” Wu Chun declared, forming a hand seal to extract the pills from the cauldron. The pills, wrapped in firelight, were impossible to see clearly.

“Swift!” Fang Xiaotian, who had stood silently all this time, pointed, drawing the pills through the air into the main cauldron, then igniting its blazing flames and closing the lid with a wave. Unlike the elders’ red flames, his alternated between blue and white, even more mysterious.

Soon, the other three finished their own batches, transferring the semi-finished pills to Fang Xiaotian. As the pills accumulated in the main cauldron, the fire grew ever fiercer. Above the cauldron, wisps of colored steam drifted from the seams, sometimes transforming into birds and beasts, sometimes into clouds, captivating the onlookers.

Everyone watched with rapt attention, even Fang Xiaotian appeared slightly nervous, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

“This last round will take several more hours—it’s a hard task,” Lin Feng remarked, growing bored and numb from sitting in the tree for so long.

“Let’s take turns watching. When it’s almost done, we’ll all come back,” Helian Ruxue suggested.

“Good! Let’s do that. You two go rest first,” Lin Feng agreed without hesitation.

There was no argument; after spending so much time together, his companions knew that protesting would be useless.

Lin Feng’s guess was accurate. The final round took twice as long as the previous four. By dusk, the pills had yet to emerge. Some grew impatient and left, while the cauldron continued to blaze, its fire illuminating the entire rear mountain square.

“If I’d known, we could’ve come at night instead. Waiting all day was such a waste,” Lin Feng complained, frowning in the tree. Now it was too late to leave, not knowing when the pills would be ready—the whole point was to witness the moment they emerged.

“You’re right, this childish show is hardly worth mentioning. Refining pills like this—won’t it exhaust everyone?” A voice suddenly sounded overhead. Lin Feng started, looked up, and saw a figure perched atop the branches, arms folded, face obscured, with what seemed to be a bundle on his back.

“You are…”

“Hehe, old man Yao Sansi—do you know my name, boy?” The figure swayed gracefully atop the treetop.

---

“No, I do not,” Lin Feng replied honestly.

“Don’t know? What a pity. Very well, tonight, I’ll let you witness my skills,” the dark figure sighed softly, as if shaking his head.

Lin Feng was deeply puzzled—was this a senior from the inner sect, or an expert from another sect passing by?

Just then, Yao Sansi flicked his finger, sending a tiny point of light streaking through the night sky at a speed almost undetectable by the naked eye. In a flash, it slipped through a seam in the main cauldron.

Fang Xiaotian, fully focused on controlling the “blue fire,” didn’t notice anything amiss, continuing his spell and forging the cauldron. Suddenly, the cauldron began to shake violently, its lid pushed up repeatedly by steam, waves of heat erupting!

“They’re ready! Come up quickly!” Lin Feng shouted down to his companions.

Yao Sansi burst into laughter, as if he had just heard the most amusing thing.

On the square, Fang Xiaotian’s face changed drastically. “No! The cauldron is about to explode!” The others, including Zhuoran, also paled, frantically weaving layers of restrictions around the cauldron. For a moment, golden, white, and myriad lights enveloped the square’s center.

With a deafening roar, the mountains shook, countless startled birds fled across the wilds, and a gigantic pillar of blue and red flame shot skyward, sweeping away the gloom!

Fragments of cauldrons struck the protective arrays, sending up showers of brilliant sparks.

The rear mountain of Heaven’s Gate Peak descended into chaos. Disciples fled in panic, pushing and trampling each other in the confusion.

Lin Feng stared in shock, slowly raising his head and hoarsely asked, “Was this… your doing?”

“Hahaha…” Yao Sansi’s figure flickered and vanished above.

At the center of the square, Fang Xiaotian, covered in thick smoke, looked lost and murmured, “How could this happen, it makes no sense… how could the cauldron explode…”

“Hahaha! Who says it makes no sense? With me here, it will explode if I wish!” In the dark sky, Yao Sansi’s silhouette gradually became visible.

“Who are you! How dare you cause trouble in my Hundred Flowers Sect!” Fang Xiaotian finally realized, his thoughts stirring. A silver-white sword appeared in his hand, its blade gleaming like a rushing spring, or a roaring dragon.

“Dragon Spring!” Yao Sansi's eyes burned with excitement, then he laughed, “To think, after thirty years secluded in the Carefree Cavern, no one recognizes me. Never mind, tonight you youngsters will witness my skills!”

Fang Xiaotian, Zhuoran, and the others’ faces changed dramatically—it was him! The infamous “Carefree Demon Lord” Yao Sansi, who slaughtered without blinking!

His name struck terror among cultivators everywhere. Thirty years ago, the Carefree Demon Lord, wielding the Kalana Blood Blade, rampaged across the seas with ruthless methods—any cultivator he caught was refined into human pills for his wine. Later, at Erhai Lake, eighty thousand miles wide, over ten thousand overseas cultivators joined forces to hunt him down. Cornered, Yao Sansi self-destructed his demon infant body, killing nine Golden Core masters on the spot and injuring countless others.

Thirty years later, the demon lord’s return sent chills through all who knew his history!

(If you enjoy the story, don’t forget to bookmark.)

End of page three.