Pill Duels, as the name implies, are a special method of combat between Alchemy Cultivators. Victory and defeat are determined by a comprehensive assessment of the grade and quantity of the refined pills, with grade being more important than quantity. Alchemy Cultivators are best suited with dual fire-wood attributes.
Fire-attribute cultivators have a violent nature, which can easily damage the medicinal properties of spirit herbs, making it difficult to refine high-grade elixir pills. They often require special wood-attribute alchemy cauldrons as support. However, as one's rank in the Dao of Alchemy rises, the required special alchemy cauldrons also need to be replaced, at a very high cost.
Moreover, fire-attribute spell cultivators possess outstanding strength, so few choose to walk the path of an alchemy cultivator. As for single wood-attribute cultivators, they are even rarer. Fire overcomes wood, and cultivating in an environment with an Earth Fire Forging Furnace can easily lead to a backlash against oneself.
Only by finding a Heavenly Flame can this problem be resolved at its root. Therefore, most alchemy cultivators have dual fire-wood attributes; those with a single attribute are few. For this reason, the cultivation progress of alchemy cultivators is relatively slow.
Furthermore, higher-grade elixir pills require a more profound spiritual power cultivation base. Thus, high-rank alchemists are extremely rare and are deeply respected by cultivators of the same rank. The Alchemical Terrace Sect, with just a single Profound Division Stage, Mystic Grade Tier-3 Alchemist, was able to receive such courteous treatment from the Perceptive Moon Sect.
The preciousness of high-rank alchemists was evident. The cultivators from the various sects at the Core Formation Realm and above had long seen that Liu Xuan was a pure wood-attribute cultivator, and initially, they had not considered her to be an alchemy cultivator. However, the phantom condensed on the platform represented the cultivator's most outstanding Dao.
Liu Xuan's phantom was precisely the Dao of Alchemy! Only Core Formation Stage alchemy cultivators could refine fire with True Essence and engage in a Pill Duel with an alchemy cauldron. Liu Xuan was only at the late Foundation Establishment Stage.
In terms of strength, it was impossible for her to generate True Essence at this realm. Coupled with the fact that she was only a single wood-attribute cultivator, the conclusion was already obvious. She was actually an alchemy cultivator who possessed a Heavenly Flame!
Heavenly Flames are spiritual objects naturally formed between heaven and earth. Compared to the flames in an Earth Fire Forging Furnace, they not only have a higher temperature but also possess greater spirituality. They not only avoid damaging spirit herbs but can also enhance their medicinal properties and guarantee the grade of the resulting pills.
If used for artifact forging, the effect is even more significant. All the famous magical artifacts recorded in the world were refined by Heavenly Flames. Heavenly Flames are divided into Yin and Yang.
Yin Flames are suitable for pill refining, while Yang Flames are suitable for artifact forging. Liu Xuan slightly raised her hands, and a large, square, cloud-patterned cauldron emerged. She then formed another hand seal, summoning a faint blue flame.
The elder from the Alchemical Terrace Sect recognized it at a glance. This was the Baili Woodcore Flame, one of the Yin Flames, and it was most suitable for wood-attribute alchemy cultivators. In the Drifting Clouds World, such a spiritual object had not been discovered for a thousand years.
To witness it today was truly a fortunate event for alchemy cultivators. However, Heavenly Flames were extremely precious. After one acknowledged a master, it was common for other cultivators to covet it, even to the point of killing to seize the treasure.
The Alchemical Terrace Sect elder observed that Liu Xuan was only about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, yet her cultivation realm and alchemy rank were both extraordinary. A great love for her talent arose in his heart, but he also feared she would be harmed by others, and a look of deep worry appeared on his face.
He had such thoughts, and Li Su's were even more intense. This personal disciple of his had concealed so much from him, and today she had revealed another rare treasure. For a moment, he could not figure out what Liu Xuan was thinking to act in such a way, and he sighed repeatedly.
This was also the first time Zhao Chun had seen someone refine pills. Although most elixir pills were not applicable to her, it did not stop her from observing from the side to broaden her horizons. Normally, the sect distributed the elixir pills directly into the disciples' hands.
Once received, they were already condensed into soybean-sized pellets, either pure white as jade or with certain patterns. Yet, she never knew how they transformed from stalks of spirit herbs into such a form. Liu Xuan and the phantom moved at the same time.
The only difference was that the spirit herbs the phantom tossed into its alchemy cauldron were also illusory, while what Liu Xuan took out were real items. She scattered all kinds of rare spirit herbs, placing them into the square alchemy cauldron. The cauldron lid closed with a heavy thud.
She was seen chanting something under her breath, her hands continuously forming seals. The faint blue flame beneath the cauldron leaped and danced, eventually engulfing the entire cauldron. The phantom's movements were identical to hers.
However, when Zhao Chun focused her gaze to look closely, she came to a conclusion, discovering that the spirit herbs the two of them tossed in were not entirely the same. Logically, the phantom would only imitate the techniques and spells that the cultivator had practiced in their optimal state.
The difference between the phantom before Liu Xuan and herself meant that she was attempting to concoct an elixir pill that she had never successfully refined before! If Zhao Chun could figure this out, how could those with a more profound cultivation base than her not know? Among them, the elder from the Alchemical Terrace Sect knew the most.
He recognized all the spirit herbs Liu Xuan had thrown into the cauldron; he was even extremely familiar with them. The primary ingredient, supplementary ingredients, supporting ingredients, and guiding ingredient were all present. This was precisely for refining a Yellow Grade Tier-2 spirit medicine—the Essence Nurturing Pill.
This pill was the advanced version of the Yellow Grade Tier-3 Essence-Concealing Pill. Although both were support-type pills for cultivation, the Essence-Concealing Pill increased True Qi, while the Essence Nurturing Pill increased True Essence. It was one of the most commonly used elixir pills by Core Formation Stage cultivators!
Liu Xuan was originally a Yellow Grade Tier-3 Alchemist. If she could refine this Essence Nurturing Pill today, she would, with her late Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, enter the ranks of Yellow Grade Tier-2. She would be able to concoct pills for Core Formation Stage cultivators, and her value would soar!
Refining this elixir pill was also extremely difficult for her. Her beautiful face was drenched in sweat, her fine brows were knitted together, and the hand forming seals was also trembling slightly. This pill refining session on the platform took a very long time.
The other disciples either lost to their phantoms or were locked in a stalemate where victory and defeat were hard to determine, and left after being judged as a draw. Unconsciously, only Liu Xuan was left on the stage, still concentrating on refining her pill. Suddenly, with a soft sound, an alchemy cauldron spun open.
It was the phantom's cauldron. Three faint yellow pill phantoms floated up. Someone recognized them as the Yellow Grade Tier-3 Flowwind Meridian Repair Pill.
It could be used to repair damaged meridians during the Foundation Establishment Stage and was one of the most precious among Yellow Grade Tier-3 elixir pills. The Alchemical Terrace Sect elder was indeed an expert. He nodded repeatedly.
To form three pills of such a complex elixir in a normal setting showed that this woman's talent in the Dao of Alchemy was likely not inferior to his sect's chief disciple, perhaps even surpassing it. At this moment, Liu Xuan's cauldron also moved. Unlike the phantom's, when her alchemy cauldron spun open, a faint medicinal fragrance wafted out.
This was also normal. Only a supreme-grade elixir pill could be completely flawless, fully locking in its medicinal properties, a rare sight in the Drifting Clouds World. Unless an alchemist was striving for the absolute pinnacle, they generally would not hope for such a result.
Just by smelling this wisp of medicinal fragrance, everyone had the same thought: she had succeeded! Inside the alchemy cauldron, there was only a single, pure white, round pill, without any patterns or indentations, like a finely polished white jade bead. On the field, only the Alchemical Terrace Sect was qualified to evaluate elixir pills.
Therefore, an elder from that sect stood up, waved his hand, and declared, “This is a Yellow Grade Tier-2 Essence Nurturing Pill! The pill formed is of middle-grade!” Only after hearing these words did the others realize that the alchemy cultivator on the high platform was actually a Yellow Grade Tier-2 Alchemist.
Furthermore, the pill she refined was completely different from the one made by the phantom, which showed that she had achieved a breakthrough on the platform, scoring a great victory over the phantom! Without a doubt, Liu Xuan had taken first place in the second trial testing comprehension.
Even that spell cultivator from Glorious Clarity Mountain, who was evenly matched with his phantom, was no match for her. A Yellow Grade Tier-2 Alchemist! Even Core Formation Stage cultivators would have to come to her to request pills.
Liu Xuan's status in the True Spirit Sect would henceforth be comparable to that of an Elder! ~~ In this part of the Hundred Sects Assembly story, the protagonist will appear a bit less, but the characters heavily focused on are all very important, like Senior Sister Liu Xuan (I love her so much, she is a gentle older sister).
(End of this chapter)