The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 176 The Elixir is Complete! (4k)

On the ruins of Hansong Temple, many generals looked ashen-faced, as if they had collapsed from exhaustion.

Compared to this moral hurdle we face today, the backstabbing and intrigue in the imperial court of the past seem like mere pleasure.

The intensity of the emotional ups and downs was truly indescribable.

Seeing their expressions, Du Yuan, who was turning to walk towards the alchemy furnace, couldn't help but mutter to herself:
"Although I learned this the hard way back in Qingzhou, you guys are really good at guessing! And your guesses are completely off-track!"

In his view, the current imperial court was already quite commendable.

Every era has its own standards; to demand more is simply asking too much.

Therefore, Du Yuan had no intention of changing the dynasty, but she really did not expect that these people could come up with such a scene out of thin air.

This made him shake his head inwardly. He really didn't know how to describe them. Were they like blind men touching an elephant? Or like frogs in a well with a limited view of the sky?

They all seem to be somewhat related, yet none of them quite fit the description.
Fortunately, the final interpretation right always rests with him.

Whether it's white or black, it's just a matter of a single thought, a single breath.

This feeling is so good!

No wonder people like to create their own rules.

It's no wonder that people gradually lose their way.

Furthermore, this was somewhat of a lucky accident that turned out to be a great success.

Because Du Yuan could clearly see that the commander's seal in his hand and the bright yellow imperial edict were radiating a continuous glow from the inside out, and various patterns were faintly visible on the surface, as if in rhythm.

As he strolled to the alchemy furnace that was spewing forth towering flames, the divine power was so intense that it was dazzling and captivating, causing everyone on the ruins to hold their breath and their gazes to be involuntarily drawn to it.

Du Yuan neither said nor did anything.

After glancing at the towering flames, he threw the two items in his hand into the alchemy furnace.

boom--!
The furnace fire instantly expanded violently, transforming into thousands of purple-gold flames, like ten thousand dragons roaring, tearing through the furnace walls and soaring straight into the sky!

Such a commotion startled the people both on and off the mountain, who all bowed in worship.

The various immortals and gods hidden deep in the wilderness were also shocked and exclaimed in surprise.

Most of them were hidden in the sealed realm, diligently lying dormant, waiting for the great world to unfold. However, with the imminent release of the elixir, even the Heavenly Law was stirred.

Even when they were hiding deep inside, they couldn't help but peek out:

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Holy crap, a magic pill? Right now?!"

"What? Is some old Taoist priest about to kick the bucket, and he absolutely has to defy the heavenly laws to refine a batch of life-extending elixirs?"

"Who is this fellow Daoist, that he is so astonishing?"

"Southwest? Hmm, the world there is shrouded in dust and gray, and the secrets of heaven are hard to explain. Now, it really is the only choice we have."

"Impressive, impressive! Such a commotion suggests the birth of a celestial-grade artifact. In the past, it would have been one thing, I could have crafted it myself, but now..."

The rest of the world was amazed that someone could defy the heavens and create a divine product amidst such a scene.

Meanwhile, those in the southwest region were hurling insults and curses.

"Which damned Taoist priest is it! Didn't the Three Mountain Lords pass away? How come he's the one who's succeeding?"

"What exactly is the Three Mountain Lords doing? The Taoist elixir is almost finished, where are they?"

"I knew those gods and deities were always unreliable!"

"Very well, since that good-for-nothing Lord Sanshan is incompetent, then I will do it myself!"

As the cursing continued, some even went so far as to sacrifice their cultivation levels and shout directly from afar:

"Your Majesty, that Taoist priest has seriously injured you. Now that I am leading the charge, would you be willing to come along?"

"Hmph, we've been laying the groundwork in the southwest for a long time, how can we let this old Taoist priest mess things up! I'll join in too!"

Deep within the earth's veins, King Wu Jingwei seemed oblivious to his allies' cries. His gaze did not linger on the soaring crimson clouds, but instead swept intently over the entire Cold Pine Mountain.

After a moment, finally confirming it, He cried out in alarm:
"The Three Mountain Lords were killed by him?!"

"what?!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked!

Then came a deathly silence.

The voices that had been clamoring to join forces and kill them fell silent in an instant.

Over the long years, countless figures have succumbed to the calamities of heaven and disappeared in obscurity. But the Three Mountain Lords were the very first to be killed by others!
If they remembered correctly, Hansong Mountain was still under the jurisdiction of the Three Mountain Lords, right?

He actually killed this formidable colleague within the territory of a mountain god, and even managed to refine him into an elixir of immortality.
What kind of cultivation level is this?

So after a brief silence, they all spoke up again:

"It seems this is the will of Heaven. How can we cultivators defy it?"

"Let him off this time, but next time, he will be executed without mercy!"

"Forget it, forget it. It's just about refining a pill to nourish myself. These days, it's not easy for anyone."

The immortals and gods who were lying in wait in the wilderness either sighed in surprise or made their own defenses, but they all chose to wait and see.

Countless gazes converged on that cauldron, wondering what kind of tribulation awaited them next.

Alchemy, alchemy, the Great Dao of the Alchemy Cauldron!

Throughout history, alchemy has been considered a noble and righteous path. However, as time passes and the world ages, precious medicines become increasingly scarce, even disappearing altogether. Countless mysterious elixir formulas have become worthless; the legendary elixir that could grant instant ascension to immortality has gradually faded into a distant, ethereal tale.

The path of alchemy also changed accordingly. Many alchemists no longer specialized in alchemy, but instead turned to other paths as supplementary practices, joining hands with like-minded people to explore the Great Dao together.

Even so, alchemy remains the righteous path, and alchemists retain their revered status. Those who can refine "superior elixirs" are especially treated with courtesy wherever they travel to sacred mountains and blessed lands.

Alchemists capable of refining "celestial-grade" pills are renowned figures. If they were to appear in the mortal world, powerful individuals would surely visit them and bestow upon them generous gifts.

You should know that even powerful beings would covet a first-class elixir, let alone those powerful beings who also have descendants and nephews who need the help and guidance of these miraculous elixirs.

However, those who dare to open the furnace and refine elixirs are always few and far between. Besides lacking the skill, it's also because human cultivation requires overcoming tribulations, and the achievement of elixirs also requires overcoming tribulations—this is the "elixir tribulation"!
When the "superior elixir" is successfully refined, the elixir tribulation will occur. This tribulation is mostly caused by illusions that cloud the mind, or by occasional accidents. As long as one takes precautions, there will be little harm.

But once you reach the first level of the Immortal grade, the Pill Tribulation becomes a real tribulation!
Just like cultivators undergoing tribulations to ascend to immortality, the tribulations are usually caused by lightning. However, sometimes, due to the nature of precious medicines or favorable terrain, they may undergo tribulations caused by water, fire, or even the extremely rare metal.

However, in any case, even a first-grade immortal elixir will inevitably suffer a pill tribulation.

Seeing the soaring aura of cinnabar, the dormant immortals and gods speculated that it must be a tribulation of lightning.

It's unclear whether, under the current circumstances, it's the most basic Purification Thunder or the Five Elements Tribulation Thunder, which is a higher level.

Before a giant furnace from which subterranean fire erupts year-round, three white-bearded elders each expressed their opinions:
"Now that the Heavenly Law is obscured and the immortals and gods are not visible, calamity is imminent, so I think it should only be the purification thunder!"

The one who spoke was an old man sitting on the right, wearing a white robe, with white hair and a youthful face.

Before the words were finished, the old man in green robes on the left shook his head in denial:

"No, no! This elixir has an extraordinary aura, and it was further enhanced by the combined power of many when it was opened. At this time when its supernatural powers are not yet manifest, heaven and earth will surely elevate it by one level—it must be the Five Elements Tribulation Lightning! Moreover, this elixir is at the height of its Yang Fire, and the Five Elements are out of balance. The tribulation lightning will definitely be dominated by the Fire element, breaking its balance and destroying the elixir's foundation! The water veins in the southwest are depleted, and he may find it difficult to withstand the force of this clash between water and fire."

His words were incisive and to the point.

Upon hearing this, the white-robed elder was not annoyed at all; instead, he fell into deep thought. After a moment, he nodded and said, "Excellent! It must be the Five Elements Tribulation Lightning, with Fire as the primary element and Water as the secondary element!" "Hehehe."

Just as the two old men finished speaking, the old man in the middle was heard stroking his beard and laughing loudly.

This puzzled the two of them, who asked:

"Senior brother, why are you laughing?"

"Does Senior Brother think we're wrong?"

The old man in the middle nodded and smiled:
"That's right, I'm certain that this pill will definitely attract the Azure Netherworld Cleansing Thunder!"

A clear sky washes away the dust?!
The two were shocked – that was the ultimate realm of Immortal-grade Pill Tribulation!
What is meant by "Qingming Washing Away the Dust"? It means to attract the heavens to move and personally cleanse the dust!

Such elixirs, not to mention now, even before the great calamity, would astound the world every time they appeared.

They still remembered the last time before the great calamity, when the elixir that brought the Azure Sky Cleansing Dust was refined by a nine-tailed fox who had been tricked into becoming stupid by some unknown fool.

It's a pity that the nine-tailed fox was just half a step away from shedding its demonic nature and transforming into a celestial fox. In the end, however, it died under the tribulation of the elixir.

The nine-tailed fox is a great demon, and the nine tails of the celestial fox are the Three Mountain Lords. They can only resort to Confucian rules to appease the people.

They would never even consider going up there to test their skills.

How could such a powerful demon, who couldn't withstand the Tribulation of Pills, appear here?

After examining it carefully, the two old men asked one of them:
"Senior brother, you must be mistaken! This pill doesn't have that kind of aura!"

"Yes, the Azure Cleansing Dust is a privilege reserved for the highest-grade immortal pills. I really can't see that kind of aura in this pill."

The old man in the middle smiled and said:
"That's right, this pill doesn't have that kind of aura. Normally speaking, this pill is at most a Five Elements Tribulation Lightning."

"But you've misjudged one thing!"

The two were greatly surprised:

"What did we miss?"

The old man in the middle said slowly:
"In Confucian lands, propriety and law reign supreme. To kill a righteous god is already a heinous crime, let alone to refine elixirs on his corpse? Such a rebellious act will surely incur the wrath of Heaven!"

"Moreover, this batch of pills is the first batch of immortal pills after the great calamity! As long as something is 'first', you and I both know that it will make a big difference."

Therefore, I assert—

"His alchemy tribulation will definitely be elevated by these layers of cause and effect, transforming into the ultimate immortal-grade alchemy tribulation—namely, the Azure Netherworld Cleansing Tribulation!"

As they were talking, all three of them saw the sky in the distance suddenly change!
The cloudless sky vanished in an instant, thick leaden clouds surged and piled up, and in a moment the color of the clouds turned from gray to dark, and an ominous red glow was faintly visible in the depths of the dark clouds, as if a great change was about to happen!
This made the old man in the middle shake his head repeatedly, saying:

"What use is the cultivation level of such a madman? Confucian etiquette and rules are strict and rigorous. How can we act rashly?"

All the previous incidents were minor skirmishes, partly because people were unwilling to stand out and offend the law, but more importantly because this area was Confucian territory and bound by etiquette and law.

If things go too far, even if one escapes the imperial judgment, one may not escape the Confucian temple.

“My two junior brothers, let’s wait and see together. If this person is smart, he will surely be able to watch helplessly as the elixir he has painstakingly refined is destroyed by the elixir tribulation!”

After saying this, all three of them sighed in unison.

They were all alchemists, and very few in the world today who cultivated only alchemy.

Therefore, they were unwilling to see the rare elixir, which had only appeared once in a lifetime, destroyed by the elixir calamity.

But what can we do?

Who told that person to kill a righteous god? If it weren't for this cause and effect, the three of them might have been willing to lend a helping hand.

After all, they were alchemists themselves, and they all knew that pills were the lifeblood of every alchemist!
Since that's the case, why not form a positive connection between us?

At that moment, everyone heard the rumbling thunder from within the clouds.

coming soon!
At this moment, everyone who was still observing, regardless of their background, held their breath and waited.

The first batch of immortal pills after the great calamity deserves their attention!

Finally, under the watchful eyes of everyone, they all saw bolts of thunder crash down from the sky, which in an instant condensed into an electric net in mid-air and then fell as liquid.

This impressive display is just the beginning!
You can't go wrong.

The azure sky washes away the dust!

"It's actually Azure Dust Cleansing!"

"The ultimate elixir?"

"I am far inferior to him!"

"Who exactly is this master?"

While they were all filled with surprise and doubt.

Du Yuan, standing before the alchemy furnace, turned her back to the countless disaster victims and said:

"Gentlemen, what I am refining today is not actually an elixir, but an elixir formula!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the lightning tribulation instantly changed, turning from purple to gold. Thousands of lightning nets twisted into ropes and fell straight into the alchemy furnace.

Watching the surging lightning suddenly transform into golden light and fall!
The numerous immortals and gods who had just been marveling at how it was actually an extremely high-grade immortal pill were now completely dumbfounded.

Huh? Not a tribulation lightning?

And what kind of calamity is this? It doesn't seem to relate to anything at all.
The three elders in front of the enormous alchemy furnace were also dumbfounded.

What's happening here?
They were disciples of a major alchemy sect, and not only did they have access to various ancient books they had read since childhood, but they had also personally experienced countless alchemy tribulations.

But what exactly is this today?
What about the tribulation? What about the Great Heavenly Tribulation of Azure Dust Cleansing that just happened?

The general and the disaster victims, who had almost been frightened away by the overwhelming spectacle, only belatedly asked Du Yuan after realizing they were unharmed:

"May I ask, Immortal Master, what does it mean that it's not about refining elixirs but rather about elixir formulas?"

As they spoke, they all looked at the alchemy furnace enveloped in a golden pillar of light.

The fire in the furnace had gone out, but inside the furnace, where golden light lingered, something floated, its outline indistinct yet exuding an extraordinary aura—square and long and thin.

Because she had her back turned and was looking in front of her, Du Yuan was the only one among everyone who hadn't seen how exaggerated things had just happened.

He devoted his entire being to the elixir formula he had painstakingly developed over a long period of time.

Whether the people of Southwest China can be saved depends entirely on this.

Therefore, he naturally focused his attention on the 'audience' in front of him.

Only when she heard their question did Du Yuan smile and say:
"You must all be wondering: even if there is a single batch of elixirs, how can it save the millions of people in the vast southwest? The elixirs will eventually run out, so how will they be distributed?"

He turned around, his gaze finally landing on the alchemy furnace bathed in golden light, and raised his hand in a gesture:
"Because what I refined was not an ordinary elixir—"

"Instead, I'm refining a pill formula to present to the heavens!"

As the words fell, the alchemy furnace hummed softly. A scroll forged from metal and stone slowly flew out from the towering golden pillar of light.

Mountain grasses serve as brushes, and mud as ink.
People's clothes are made of paper, the nation's fate is the test!
Danfang—

become!
(End of this chapter)