The medicinal liquid flows within the Fire Array, and the Spirit Light within the Array Pattern continuously washes over the liquid, stripping away impurities bit by bit, leaving only the most pure medicinal properties, which gradually gather in the sea of fire.
"Condense!"
Chen Sheng's eyes focus, and he raises a hand to cast one hundred and eight Condensing Pill Techniques, each technique transforming into a light-golden Rune, flying into the medicinal liquid within the Fire Array.
Under the guidance of the Rune, the medicinal liquid slowly condenses into a smooth pill, the entire pill taking on a red-gold color, with a subtle gleam on its surface, initially forming a pill shape.
At the same time, the Twelve Celestial Array also accelerates its operation, countless Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi are drawn into the Pill Furnace, pouring into the pill like a tidal wave, infusing it with an endless stream of spirituality.
Two days later, a faint sound suddenly comes from within the Pill Furnace.
Chen Sheng sends his Divine Sense into it and sees the surface of the red-gold pill, where a tiny Spirit Body emerges— the Pill Spirit is born!
At this moment, the pill with newly born spirituality moves around the furnace, sometimes touching the furnace wall, sometimes revolving around the Fire Aspect, filled with liveliness.
Having reached this step, Chen Sheng's gaze becomes incredibly sharp, the aura around him growing intense, as the most crucial "Spiritual Implantation" is about to begin.
Spiritual Implantation requires the cultivator's Divine Sense as fire to ignite the spirituality within the pill, thereby giving rise to the true Primordial Spirit. This step is akin to dancing on the blade's edge, a challenge where countless Alchemists remain stuck, unable to step into Tier Four in their lifetime.
Success or failure hinges on this!
Chen Sheng takes a deep breath, concentrating his Divine Sense to the utmost, like an invisible thread, slowly entering the internal structure of the pill.
He forms hand seals of the Spiritual Implantation Technique, as the Twelve Celestial Array gently operates, the Spirit Light within the Array Pattern enhancing his Divine Sense, making it more refined and gentle.
With Divine Sense as the guide and spirituality as the fuel, the interior of the pill begins intense burning, inducing the birth of the Primordial Spirit!
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...
Time passes slowly amidst the tense spiritual implantation, and in the blink of an eye, a month has flown by.
At this moment, within the Pill Furnace, imbued by the array, the convergence of spiritual qi intensifies, causing the pill to emit radiant brilliance.
Chen Sheng's gaze sharpens further, enabling his Divine Sense to clearly perceive the internal changes of the pill, countless strands of spirituality are guided by his Divine Sense, gathering like fireflies, slowly forming a small core.
Finally, on the thirtieth day of Spiritual Implantation, a light blue glow representing wisdom slowly emerges from the core— a sign of impending birth of the Primordial Spirit!
"Pill births Primordial Spirit, enlightening wisdom!"
Joy fills Chen Sheng's heart, and he quickly performs dozens of Solid Spirit Techniques, which the Runes enclose the core of the pill like a protective shield.
Simultaneously, he manipulates the Twelve Celestial Array, funneling all accumulated spirituality into the pill, with each of the Twelve Celestial phantoms releasing streams of Spirit Light, nourishing the pill's Primordial Spirit akin to spring rain.
Seven days later, the scene inside the Pill Furnace suddenly changes!
The red-gold pill, previously active in the furnace, falls into stillness, immobile, its surface glow dulled, seemingly a useless wasted pill.
Yet, Chen Sheng's heart is filled with immense joy, as under the influence of the Twelve Celestial Array, his Divine Sense clearly perceives the scenario within the pill.
The small core within remains, surrounded by faint Primordial Spirit aura— although this Primordial Spirit is incomplete, merely a "Pseudo-Primordial Spirit," it is enough!
An incomplete Pseudo-Primordial Spirit is quite normal, whether due to insufficient Fire Technique precision, cultivation not reaching Nascent Soul, or refinement methods needing further improvement...
These can be supplemented over time, requiring continuous accumulation to strengthen further.
And now, having successfully completed the "Spiritual Implantation" step, even if it's just a Pseudo-Primordial Spirit, means he has already broken through the most critical bottleneck, with the door to Tier Four Alchemist now wide open for him!
This marks the qualitative leap!
A faint smile graces Chen Sheng's lips, as his Divine Sense delves into the Pill Furnace, clearly sensing the pill's Pseudo-Primordial Spirit faking death— a natural instinct post Primordial Spirit birth, attempting to escape the Alchemist's control upon opening the furnace.
If it truly escapes, relying on the Celestial Yang Realm-Breaking Pill's properties, it might cultivate into a Golden Core Realm Pill Demon in a few hundred years.
"Trying to escape? Not that easy."
Chen Sheng mutters, consecutively casting the Spirit Locking Technique, Spirit Trapping Technique, and Sealing Spirit Technique.
Each technique transforms into a golden Rune, firmly attaching to the pill's surface like three invisible chains, thoroughly restraining the Pseudo-Primordial Spirit within the pill, cutting off its escape possibilities.
As time wears on, two more days pass.
The red-gold pill within the Pill Furnace, its surface shines again brilliantly, and under the restraint of the techniques, the Pseudo-Primordial Spirit gradually fuses with the pill, maximizing the pill's medicinal properties.
"Exit!"
Chen Sheng shouts in a low voice, casting the final Pill Collection Technique.
"Buzz—"
The Myriad Transformations Cauldron trembles fiercely, and a streak of red-gold light bursts from the cauldron's mouth, swirling around once in the air, emitting an alarming spiritual qi fluctuation, eventually landing steadily in a pre-prepared Jade Bottle by Chen Sheng.
The Jade Bottle instantly lights up a Spirit Light, a strong Restriction tightly locking the pill's aura.
Chen Sheng picks up the Jade Bottle, sends in his Divine Sense, and gazes at the pill within— entirely red-gold, its surface suffused with faint Primordial Spirit aura, his face displaying a contented smile:
"Quasi-Tier Four, Celestial Yang Realm-Breaking Pill! After four hundred and twenty years, at last, a foot is set into the threshold of Tier Four Alchemist!"
After a century of painstaking cultivation, progressing from stuck at the Spiritual Implantation bottleneck's Tier Three Top Level to now having successfully refined a Quasi-Tier Four Elixir, he's witnessed a qualitative leap in the Alchemy Dao.
The Earth Fire within the Fire Chamber gradually subsides, and the Myriad Transformations Cauldron reverts to its small and exquisite form, flying into Chen Sheng's Storage Ring.
A smile curling his lips, Chen Sheng tidies up his Magic Robe, turning and heading out of the Fire Chamber.
The day after Chen Sheng refined the elixir pills, he personally brought a jade bottle to the Three Elements Dao Sect's Treasure Vault to submit this Quasi-Tier Four elixir.
Outside the Dao Sect Treasure Vault, a patrolling steward saw Chen Sheng approaching and hurriedly bowed in salute: "Greetings, Hall Master Micro-Imag."
Chen Sheng nodded slightly: "Is Elder De Yu present?"
"Yes!"
Soon after, Chen Sheng was led to a palace where Elder De Yu took the jade bottle. After probing it with his divine sense, his voice trembled slightly:
"The Hall Master can already refine a Quasi-Tier Four elixir?!"
Chen Sheng nodded slightly, calmly saying: "I have only just entered Quasi-Tier Four, and there are still flaws. Please, Elder, proceed with verification and registration."
Currently, the Dao Sect only has one Tier Four Alchemy Grandmaster, Han Lou True Monarch. The highest others reach is Tier Three Top Level. Now, with a Quasi-Tier Four emerging, and so young, how could Elder De Yu dare to neglect?
He hastily took out the sect's merit ledger and recorded under "Micro-Image" the words "submitted one Quasi-Tier Four Celestial Yang Realm-Breaking Pill, awarded three thousand merit points."
At the same time, the message was promptly reported to the sect's highest authorities via communication talisman.
...
Chen Sheng stood outside the Treasure Vault, looking at the Three Elements Main Hall shrouded in mist in the distance, a hint of expectation in his eyes.
He knew clearly that submitting this elixir was both a demonstration of his alchemy prowess to the sect and a signal seeking investment.
Now he was a Quasi-Tier Four Alchemist, just one step away from being a Tier Four Grandmaster. The Dao Sect would undoubtedly favor him with Nascent Soul Spiritual Object support.
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After all, for any sect, an alchemist capable of refining Tier Four elixirs was as valuable as a Nascent Soul True Monarch.
The news spread swiftly to the Three Elements Main Hall as if it grew wings.
The main hall was situated at the peak of the sect's main summit.
Inside the hall, True Monarch Qian Yuan sat at the main seat, flipping through administrative records of the sect.
He wore a purple Daoist robe embroidered with sun, moon, and stars, his aura as deep as the void. Even a slight release of pressure made the Golden Core attendants inside hold their breath.
True Monarch Qian Yuan had just broken through to Nascent Soul over a century ago and was currently serving as the rotating True Monarch, handling the sect's daily affairs.
When he received the message from the Treasure Vault, he was first a little surprised, then took out a jade scroll recording the sect disciples' details from his storage ring. Infusing it with spiritual power, Chen Sheng's record appeared clearly before him.
From Fake Pill to Golden Core Perfection, from Tier Three Alchemist to Quasi-Tier Four... every step of progress, every merit obtained was recorded clearly.
True Monarch Qian Yuan looked at the jade scroll, a smile gradually appearing at the corner of his mouth:
"Not bad, not bad, dual cultivation in pill and array, and able to touch upon Quasi-Tier Four Alchemy by over four hundred years old—looks like our Dao Sect will have another grandmaster."
He felt quite gratified—the Dan Vein's Han Lou True Monarch, though a Tier Four Middle Grade Alchemist, had less than three hundred years of life left. Now with Chen Sheng's sudden emergence, he could take over the Dan Vein's responsibilities.
For Nascent Soul True Monarchs, the importance of a Dan Vein Grandmaster was self-evident—a refiner of Tier Four elixirs.
And Tier Four elixirs, whether for extending life, healing, or breakthrough in realm, were a "just need" for Nascent Soul cultivators.
"Send a message to Micro-Image, have him come to the main hall immediately to see me."
True Monarch Qian Yuan instructed outside the hall, his voice carrying a slight but noticeable expectation.
Half an hour later, Chen Sheng appeared at the entrance of the main hall, wearing his usual white Daoist robe, walking steadily inside, and saluted towards True Monarch Qian Yuan on the main seat:
"Danming Hall Micro-Image, paying respects to True Monarch."
True Monarch Qian Yuan raised his hand, a gentle spiritual power supporting Chen Sheng as he said with a smile: "No need for excessive courtesy, rise."
He looked Chen Sheng up and down with eyes full of appreciation:
"I too heard just this morning of a new Quasi-Tier Four master from the Dan Vein. Out of curiosity, I summoned you. Did you break through via the 'Pill Array Fusion' path?"
Chen Sheng stood up straight, nodding in response:
"The True Monarch has keen insight."
"Indeed, by elevating array cultivation to Tier Three Top Level, and leveraging the 'Gathering Spirit' and 'Spirit Lock' powers of the Twelve Yuan Chen Fire Array, I managed to narrowly break through the 'Spiritual Implantation' bottleneck and refine this Celestial Yang Realm-Breaking Pill."
He hid nothing of his breakthrough method; Pill Array Fusion was the cultivation direction of the 'Three Essence Pill Scripture' after all, and honesty was sufficient.
Upon hearing this, True Monarch Qian Yuan's eyes showed even more appreciation. He flicked his finger, and a light green jade scroll flew from his sleeve, gently falling in front of Chen Sheng:
"These are some insights from my early years on the Array Dao, recording several 'Array Pattern and Fire Technique Fusion' subtle techniques, which might help you perfect your Pill Array path."
This jade scroll emitted a faint spiritual light, clearly hand-inscribed by True Monarch Qian Yuan, containing his unique insights into high-tier arrays.
Before Chen Sheng could express gratitude, True Monarch Qian Yuan continued:
"We Nascent Soul True Monarchs have always had high expectations for the Dan Vein, and now that you've shown such potential, the sect will naturally not treat you poorly."
"The Nascent Soul Spiritual Objects in the Treasure Vault will be unrestricted for you. You should strive diligently and step into Tier Four Alchemist soon, supporting the Dan Vein of our Dao Sect."
Joy surged within Chen Sheng's heart, and he hastily cupped his hands again, with a touch of excitement in his voice:
"Thank you for the favor, True Monarch! I, Micro-Image, will diligently pursue cultivation and not let down the sect's trust!"
True Monarch Qian Yuan lightly chuckled and waved his hand:
"Alright, you may go now. Cultivate with peace of mind, and if you encounter any difficulties, feel free to contact me through the Communication Talisman."
Chen Sheng bowed and took his leave.
Watching his upright figure disappear outside the hall, the smile on True Monarch Qian Yuan's face remained, though his eyes carried a hint of profundity.
He resumed looking at the clerical records, though somewhat absentmindedly—if the Daoist Sect could gain another Tier Four Alchemist and a Nascent Soul True Monarch, his burden would be significantly lighter.
Be aware, after becoming a Nascent Soul True Monarch, pure hard cultivation has long lost its meaning!
Enhancing the Nascent Soul Realm requires not just a vast accumulation of mana, but also a profound understanding of "Void Power." Even after a thousand years of hard cultivation, one may not break through to the mid-stage Nascent Soul.
In the Daoist Sect, aside from the rotating True Monarch who needs to handle affairs, most other True Monarchs travel abroad, either exploring the Great Wilderness or seeking opportunities in the void.
After all, the Nascent Soul can escape into the void, facing almost no risk of demise.
True Monarch Qian Yuan softly murmured, eyes full of anticipation:
"I hope this Micro-Image can grow quickly."
...
Chen Sheng bowed out of the Three Elements Main Hall, the hall doors slowly closing behind him, sealing off the profound pressure belonging to the Nascent Soul True Monarch within.
As he descended the white jade steps in front of the main hall, the jade scroll hanging at his waist suddenly trembled slightly.
This jade scroll serves as the identity token for disciples of the Daoist Sect and a medium for exchanging sect resources. It usually only reacts when receiving sect transmissions or updating the resource list.
A thought rose in Chen Sheng's mind. He lifted the jade scroll from his waist, and with a fingertip gathered a strand of mana, gently injecting it into the jade scroll.
"Buzz——"
The jade scroll suddenly emitted a faint blue halo, which spread swiftly into a half-square-meter light screen in the air.
On the light screen, densely packed text and diagrams flowed like water, listing clearly the spiritual materials, cultivation techniques, magical artifacts, and other resources available in the Daoist Sect Treasure Vault, with merit points required and exchange limits marked beside each resource.
The edges of the light screen were also suffused with faint runes to prevent others from peeping; only the person who injected the spiritual power could see the contents clearly.
Chen Sheng's gaze swiftly scanned the light screen, soon drawn to several lines of golden script—golden script in the Daoist Sect resource list denotes core resources, which ordinary disciples have no right to view.
He focused his eyes and saw the golden script clearly stating:
"Primordial Crystal (Nascent Soul Spiritual Object): Can refine Primordial Heart Demon Pill, assisting cultivators in stabilizing their heart spirit and resisting heart demons, requires 30,000 major merit points, limit of one per exchange."
"Thunder Essence Liquid (Nascent Soul Spiritual Object): Condensed from Nine Heavens' Thunder Power, assists cultivators in shattering pills, requires 35,000 major merit points, limit of one bottle per exchange."
"Celestial Thunder Wood (Nascent Soul Spiritual Object): Contains Thunder Spiritual Rhyme, used for refining Thunder-Resistant Magical Artifacts or setting up a Thunder Resistance Array, requires 31,000 major merit points, same exchange conditions, limited to one section per year."
Gazing at these descriptions of Nascent Soul Spiritual Objects, a faint smile appeared on Chen Sheng's lips.
Previously in the sect's resource list, the Nascent Soul Spiritual Objects he had seen were mostly auxiliary spiritual materials like "Celestial Spirit Green Cloud Reishi" and "Purple Mist Spirit Ginseng," with average effects.
But now, the Primordial Crystal, Thunder Essence Liquid, and Celestial Thunder Wood on the light screen are aimed at the Three Tribulations of Nascent Soul and are of much higher value than the previous spiritual materials, evidently specially opened high-tier resource permissions by True Monarch Qian Yuan for him.
"It seems the effort wasn't in vain after all."
Chen Sheng thought to himself, as he lightly slid his fingers over the light screen, his gaze pausing on the entries for "Primordial Crystal" and "Heart-Breaking Grass."
Heart-Breaking Grass is also a Nascent Soul Spiritual Object, the main ingredient for refining "Heart-Breaking Pill," which can dissolve the negative energy spawned by heart demons and perfectly complements the Primordial Heart Demon Pill refined from the Primordial Crystal.
He frowned slightly, beginning to plan his tribulation-crossing strategy in his heart:
"With my current Five Elements Celestial Grade Spiritual Root and the foundation of Golden Core Perfection, the Pill Shattering Tribulation can be overcome by brute force, with no need for excessive worry."
"But the Heart Demon Tribulation is formless and intangible, spawned from the cultivator's own obsessions and negative emotions. A moment's carelessness may lead to the scattering of the Divine Soul, making it indeed the most arduous hurdle for me."
"I must acquire the Primordial Crystal to refine the Primordial Heart Demon Pill. The Heart-Breaking Grass must also be exchanged quickly. With both means employed, the risk of the Heart Demon Tribulation can be minimized to the greatest extent."
For a cultivator, the Heart Demon Tribulation in the Three Tribulations of Nascent Soul is the most perilous for being unseen and untouchable. Many cultivators have failed at this hurdle.
Chen Sheng, knowing the stakes well, dared not slack off and had already decided to focus on accumulating merit points to exchange for spiritual materials to counter the Heart Demon Tribulation in the coming days.
To him, the more spiritual objects for dealing with heart demons, the better. Only with thorough preparation can all bases be covered.
His gaze landed on the entry for "Celestial Thunder Wood," a composed smile curving his lips:
"As for the Celestial Thunder Tribulation, there's no need for excessive concern. I can refine the Celestial Thunder Wood into Array Banners in advance, using the power of arrays to disperse the thunder's might, then withstand it with my spiritual power, greatly lowering the difficulty of tribulation-crossing."
Previously, he had studied the records in the Daoist Sect's texts, observing the tribulation-crossing experiences of nineteen fellow disciples attempting nascent soul breakthroughs.
Judging from the records, though the Celestial Thunder Tribulation is the most powerful among the Three Tribulations of Nascent Soul, it is also the easiest to deal with using external assistance.
The cultivators of Nascent Soul Grand Sects often have profound foundations, carrying Thunder-Resistant Magical Artifacts or mastering Thunder Resistance Arrays. As long as they can overcome the Heart Demon and Pill Shattering Tribulations, they generally pass the third hurdle, the Celestial Thunder Tribulation, smoothly.
Chen Sheng moved his fingers to withdraw the mana injected into the jade scroll, and the faint blue light screen instantly disappeared.