Chapter 535: True Flame Pill, Scorching Heaven's Seven Rings

Chapter 535: True Flame Pill, Scorching Heaven's Seven Rings

After Luo Chen killed Yan Nantian and subdued the cultivators of the Flying Swans Archipelago, he knew he would have a long period of peaceful cultivation ahead of him.

In such a remote place, unless there was a large-scale beast tide or an extreme natural disaster from the sea, a Golden Core Cultivator would be more than enough to rule over this place.

It was similar to when Pang Ren Xiong arrived and suppressed the Great River Marketplace.

The only difference was that the area and number of cultivators in the Flying Swans Archipelago far exceeded that of the Great River Marketplace, and its overall scale was only slightly inferior to Tianlan Immortal City.

This was precisely why Luo Chen had his eyes on this territory.

A region that was only slightly inferior to Tianlan Immortal City, and with a naturally occurring third-rank inferior spirit vein, was more than enough to support a Golden Core early-stage cultivator.

Even for someone like him, who was comparable to a Gold Devouring Beast!

After the Cheng Family sent the first batch of herbs, Luo Chen immediately began working on refining the True Flame Pill.

This time, he still didn't use the massive amount of achievement points he had accumulated on his attribute panel.

After refining the fourth-rank Transformation Pill, his panel already evaluated him as a "Fourth-Rank Pill Master."

Even though he only mastered one type of fourth-rank pill, his solid foundation in pill refinement made him a true Fourth-Rank Pill Master.

Therefore, refining third-rank pills was not a troublesome task for him.

Once he got the hang of it, everything would be much easier!

From the time he arrived at the Flying Swans Archipelago, killed Yan Nantian, and waited for the herbs, seven months had passed.

During these seven months, Luo Chen spent his free time outside of cultivation on researching the pill formula for the True Flame Pill.

Now that the raw materials had arrived, he could immediately put his knowledge into practice.

"After peeling the Radiant Seed, its medicinal properties don't last long, so it should be refined first."

"This Yanyan Flower, being the main ingredient of the True Flame Pill, should be handled with the Phoenix Burning Hand!"

"The Fire Ginseng is rare, and I can only use the Iron Rock Ginseng as a substitute, but this means I'll have to switch to three different pill techniques."

As Luo Chen processed each herb, his mind would automatically envision the pill technique, timing, and fire control required for its refinement during the pill concoction process.

Even before he started refining, his mind had unknowingly simulated the process hundreds and thousands of times.

By the time he finished processing this batch of herbs, a full month had passed.

Luo Chen was a bit dissatisfied; processing the herbs without any help was quite troublesome! However, for now, this was the only option.

After finishing the herb processing, he immediately began the pill refinement.

One attempt, two attempts, three attempts...

The complexity of refining third-rank pills far exceeded that of ordinary first and second-rank pills.

Therefore, the refinement time was also longer than the usual one or two hours.

To refine a batch of True Flame Pills, Luo Chen estimated that it would take at least a whole day!

This duration was even longer than that of the fourth-rank Transformation Pill.

The reason was simple: to ensure the True Flame Pill possessed immense medicinal power, in addition to the raw materials, after the pills formed, they needed to be 'steeped' in the Essence True Flame within the pill cauldron for three hours!

Only then would the True Flame Pill possess medicinal power far surpassing ordinary third-rank cultivation pills.

Luo Chen had already mentally prepared for this situation.

Pill refinement, like cultivation for cultivators, required more time for each attempt as one's cultivation realm increased. The higher the rank of the pill, the longer the refinement time might be.

According to legends, the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill, known as "One pill, and you'll soar to the azure skies," required a staggering four thousand and nine hundred years to refine a batch!

Of course, these were just mythical tales and couldn't be taken at face value.

After all, what kind of pill could allow an ordinary person to ascend to immortality? Even if it had such power, the medicinal strength contained within would be unbearable for an ordinary person.

However, Luo Chen was well aware that the higher the rank of a pill, the more time it took to refine.

Previously, when he refined the Incarnation Pill in Green Pill Valley, it took him at least three days, and sometimes even five or six days.

And that was without completely refining it successfully.

Being able to refine the True Flame Pill in just one day was already quite impressive.

"No wonder high-rank pill masters always hold such high status."

"Even without considering the effectiveness of the refined pills, the sheer amount of energy and time consumed, delaying one's cultivation, is enough for major powers to grant high-rank pill masters a noble status."

"If this continues, there might be fewer and fewer people who can achieve high cultivation realms in pill refinement."

One day didn't seem like much.

But accumulated over time, who knew how many years and how much lifespan would be wasted?

This was just for third-rank pills; what about Nascent Soul or Divine Transformation realm pills? In the vast sea of the world, only one person in ten thousand years had been called the Pill Saint.

From this, it was clear that this delay significantly impacted high-rank pill masters' progress in cultivation realms.

"Perhaps I should find a way to have others handle the raw material processing, so I don't waste more of my time."

"I need to choose someone trustworthy... Actually, they don't need to be that trustworthy. As long as they stay on Moon Invitation Island, under my constant surveillance, there won't be any issues."

"This way, things will be much easier."

Luo Chen changed his previous idea and decided to organize a team to handle the tedious raw material processing for him.

The choice of leader was simple—Cheng Hairen, who had just reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

This woman had a pure heart, like a blank canvas, allowing Luo Chen to guide her as he wished.

As for the assistants?

That wasn't difficult either. With tens of thousands of cultivators and millions of ordinary people in the Flying Swans Archipelago, selecting some pharmacists, pill masters, or pill apprentices wouldn't be a problem.

Some might be unwilling.

But as long as their work was linked to contributions to Luo Chen, they wouldn't have any complaints.

Perhaps the various families would even eagerly send people.

After all, the more contributions, the earlier they could exchange for the Azure Sun Alchemy Canon on the stone monument.

"Hmm, a failure?"

Luo Chen muttered to himself, not expecting this batch of True Flame Pills to fail.

Previously, everything had been done so perfectly.

As he cleaned up the medicinal residue, he gazed at the scorching Primordial Cauldron, his face revealing a thoughtful expression.

"So that's how it is!"

"The True Flame Pill's refinement has two major challenges. Previously, I only focused on the fusion of medicinal power and neglected the process of simmering the pill."

"It seems like a simple finishing touch, but in reality, it's a gradual process of condensing and concentrating the medicinal power."

"I've understood!"

With a shout of "I've understood," Luo Chen's face broke into a relaxed smile.

He was quite confident that the next time he refined the True Flame Pill, he would have a ninety percent success rate! However, he didn't rush to continue refining pills while the iron was hot.

Another day passed, and his cultivation had been delayed. This wouldn't do.

With his current cultivation speed, every day's delay meant a significant loss, and Luo Chen couldn't bear it.

After all, pills were only an aid; the daily cultivation was the most crucial part of the water-grinding process, and one must not confuse the means with the end.

Aside from Qi condensation meditation, Luo Chen's cultivation schedule was packed.

Body Cultivation!

Refining the Primordial Cauldron.

Developing Fire School Defensive Spells.

One by one, whenever he had free time, Luo Chen never stopped.

Moreover, he genuinely felt a sense of steady progress in each of his endeavors.

His cultivation benefited from the Heavenly Spirit Root speed of the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture.

In terms of body cultivation, after receiving Cheng Hairen's monthly supply of blood, the arduous body cultivation speed finally showed signs of improvement, albeit slowly. Although it was minimal, it was still much better than before.

The refinement of his Lifebound Treasure, the Primordial Cauldron, was becoming increasingly effective!

Especially after he began refining the True Flame Pill in large quantities using the cauldron, the daily burning of the Withering Prosperity True Flame and the absorption of a large amount of pill energy gradually reduced the impurities in the cauldron, deepening its connection with his spiritual consciousness.

This confirmed what Tao Wan from Green Pill Valley had told him years ago—the Primordial Cauldron could be nurtured and refined through pill refinement! For pill refiners, this was undoubtedly the most suitable Lifebound Treasure.

Luo Chen even felt that the day when he could freely control the Primordial Cauldron was not far off.

Lastly, regarding the development of Fire School defensive spells, Luo Chen had made some progress.

Back when he was at the Qi Condensation stage, while researching the Fireball Spell, he had already displayed a series of defensive spells in their embryonic form, such as the Fire Shield Spell and the Fire Ring Spell.

Now, after over a hundred years of accumulation and reading various spell tomes, supplementing and perfecting them wasn't a difficult task.

The only constraint was Luo Chen's desire to integrate the Withering Prosperity True Flame into the spells.

The more Luo Chen cultivated the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture, the more he felt he could develop and utilize the Essence True Flame in various ways.

This flame was not limited to pill refinement, tool refinement, or body cultivation.

It could also be applied to both offense and defense.

Several days later.

On Moon Invitation Island.

The thick white mist suddenly dispersed.

Layer upon layer of firelight spread out like ripples.

Upon closer inspection, they were fire snakes, head to tail, forming circles.

At first glance, there were three giant fire snakes forming three rings.

In the instant the three rings took shape, a bizarre power enveloped the void.

A superior flying sword descended from above and pierced through the fire rings. Before it could pass through the first ring, it melted into a pool of molten iron, flowing onto the ground.

Witnessing this scene, Luo Chen smiled with satisfaction.

This three-ring spell was the defensive spell he had recently researched and partially developed.

The foundation was a variation of the Fireball Spell, which wasn't difficult. He had researched the "Flying Fire Fireflies" years ago, and now he had merely transformed them into the shape of fire snakes.

The key was the pure and domineering spiritual power that composed them.

However, what allowed this spell to directly reach the third-rank core stage during its initial research was the integration of the Withering Prosperity True Flame.

With the Withering Prosperity True Flame, these fire snake rings could devour or neutralize the spiritual power of an enemy's attacks when defending against them.

If the enemy's weapon was of inferior quality, it might even be directly incinerated by these fire snake rings! If that was all, it wouldn't be a problem.

But Luo Chen felt that this spell still had much more potential.

Third-rank?

It didn't seem to be its limit!

Looking at the slowly appearing blurry entry in the spell section of the attribute panel, Luo Chen contemplated for a moment and named it.

"Let's call it Scorching Heaven Seven Rings!"

He chose this name for convenience.

In the cultivation world, there was already a Fire School defensive spell called Scorching Heaven Seven Rings, but its rank was only at the second tier.

In terms of defense, it was far inferior to the Crystal Sky Curtain.

Luo Chen had browsed through the spell manual for Scorching Heaven Seven Rings before, but he had no intention of cultivating it, as he had already mastered the Crystal Sky Curtain and had no reason to seek a more distant goal.

Currently, his self-researched defensive spell had some similarities to Scorching Heaven Seven Rings, so naming it as such was reasonable.

The only abnormality was that Luo Chen could currently only release three Withering Fire Snake Rings!

"I've just started learning it. Perhaps when I increase my proficiency, I can release more defensive fire rings."

"Additionally, this technique can incorporate principles from other spells, and its rank might be elevated to the fourth tier!"

Regarding spells, Luo Chen's confidence surpassed even that of pill refinement! He had always believed that he possessed a powerful talent for spells, and apart from those with ranks far surpassing his own, he had rarely used spells that required achievement points to learn.

If he could, during the Golden Core stage, absorb the strengths of various spells and create a fourth-rank spell, it would be a significant achievement for him.

It would be no less impressive than when he created the Confluence of Ten Thousand Paths and the Dusty Essence Technique.

However, for now, Luo Chen was unable to further enhance his spells.

With his current accumulation, he had barely reached this step, and he needed to study more and practice more.

The third-rank defensive spell was currently insufficient, but if he cultivated to the Great Perfection stage and integrated the Withering Prosperity True Flame, it would be more than enough!

After the panel showed that he had entered the initial stage, Luo Chen didn't rush. He would gradually increase his proficiency later!

Fortunately, it was a defensive spell, so he didn't need to find an open area to practice; he could do it right on Moon Invitation Island.

Turning around, he entered the pill room.

Clang!

The Primordial Cauldron landed on the ground, and the gray cauldron belly was no longer round and plump, slightly shrinking by a third.

Although it was still chubby, it finally had a hint of dignity and solemnity.

The cauldron represented authority!

Solemnity and reverence were its essence, not a silly and cute appearance.

After inspecting the Primordial Cauldron, Luo Chen began his daily pill refinement.

This time, he was determined to succeed!

...

"Seventh Sister, have you finalized the list?"

"Yes, the Xu family has the best relationship with us, so we gave them three spots. The other thirty or so factions only got fifteen spots. But I told them that if the first batch of selected individuals don't perform well, they will be replaced by the backup candidates from other families."

Looking at the graceful woman sorting through the list, Cheng Dou's face showed excitement as he paced back and forth in the flower hall.

He couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"You're doing the right thing. Not only will you avoid offending the major factions, but you'll also be able to perfectly fulfill the requirements of the Azure Sun Demon Lord."

"I was worried about how to gather the contribution value of 6,000 sets of True Flame Pill ingredients without asking other families to pay a higher price. Now, with help in processing herbs, I might be able to greatly shorten the time it takes to exchange for The Azure Sun Alchemy Canon."

"Seventh Sister, when you get there, don't just watch. You succeeded in Foundation Establishment at around thirty years old, and your talent is exceptional, needless to say. But you focused all your energy on cultivation in the past, and now you don't have any special skills."

"As cultivators, once we reach higher realms, we should also cultivate a side skill."

"I never expected that the Azure Sun Demon Lord would be a powerful high-level pill refiner. You can take this opportunity to learn from him. If you can obtain his true teachings, then our Cheng family..."

"If I can't be a concubine, being a disciple is also good. After all, it's better to be close to the master and have the advantage of proximity."

Seeing that her brother's words were getting more and more outrageous, Cheng Hairen's face turned pale, then flushed.

What did he mean by 'if I can't be a concubine, being a disciple is also good'?

Her talent was top-notch even among the Skyward Isles, so why would she need to be a disciple?

"Big brother!"

"Hmm? What is it?" Cheng Dou looked up in confusion.

Cheng Hairen frowned and was about to say something but swallowed her words.

Forget it, why bother arguing with her big brother?

Even if they did argue, it would be the same old story.

She shook her head, stood up, and revealed a pair of long, slender legs.

"I'm going to Moon Invitation Island, and I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of the family from now on."

Cheng Dou waved his hand, "Don't worry, although I'm busy with the merchant team's affairs, Uncle Ji is here to take care of the family. He's getting old, so he won't go out to sea recently."

Cheng Hairen nodded and left the flower hall with her long legs.

Soon after, a beam of Ethereal Light rose and flew towards Moon Invitation Island.

As soon as she landed, more than ten voices sounded in unison.

"Greetings, Sea Heart Fairy!"

"Greetings, Senior Cheng!"

Cheng Hairen looked at the group in front of her. There was a white-haired, elderly man, a dexterous woman, and a young man without a crown.

At this moment, they all bowed respectfully to her.

Cheng Hairen knew that their reverence was not due to a difference in cultivation levels but because she represented the Azure Sun Demon Lord.

A subtle feeling arose in her heart.

The woman pursed her lips and said softly, "Are you all ready? Let's go to the island!"

As she spoke, she flipped her wrist, and a water-splitting thorn appeared in her hand.

After infusing it with spiritual power, the thorn pierced the lake's surface.

The next moment, a blue dragon several dozen feet long emerged, shaking its head and tail.

It was the pair of water-splitting thorns that Luo Chen had given her, containing the killing move of the water-splitting dragon transformation technique.

The woman leaped onto the dragon's head.

At her gesture, the others followed one after another onto the dragon's body.

Then, under Cheng Hairen's control, the water dragon swam across the ten-mile lake and entered the Moon Invitation Island shrouded in white mist.

Leading the group, they arrived at the pharmacy where the herbs were stored.

Before she could take the initiative to pay her respects to Luo Chen, she heard a short, joyful cry coming from the adjacent pill room.

"What's going on?"

Just as everyone was puzzled, Luo Chen, dressed in a loose white robe, walked over from the neighboring pill room with a smile on his face.

"You're here!"

"This servant pays her respects to the senior," Cheng Hairen bowed slightly, looking at Luo Chen's excited face. She asked, "Senior, are you so happy because you succeeded in pill refinement?"

Luo Chen smiled, "Haha, Sea Heart, you have a clear and clever mind. That's right, today I successfully refined the third-rank True Flame Pill. For such a joyous occasion, we should celebrate with a big feast!"

As soon as he said this, before Cheng Hairen could react, the people behind her all showed shock.

A third-rank pill!

This rumored Azure Sun Demon Lord was indeed a third-rank pill refiner!

Cheng Hairen herself didn't have much understanding of pill refinement, so she didn't know the value of such a pill. She simply followed her heart and said, "With good wine, we should have good food to go with it. I'll order people to prepare a feast to celebrate for the senior."

"Haha, Sea Heart, you're thoughtful."

Luo Chen laughed heartily and then waved his sleeve.

"There's no rush. Let me first see how skilled these people are."

As he spoke, he extended his hand.

Instantly, a large pile of herbs flew out from the shelves in the pharmacy.

These herbs seemed to have a spirit of their own as they flew in front of the eighteen individuals.

Luo Chen's smile faded, and he said seriously, "Next, you will process the herbs right here. I've already informed you of the corresponding standards for the results. If anyone fails to meet the standards..."

Luo Chen didn't explicitly state the consequences.

But the others weren't fools either. If they failed to meet the standards, they would most likely be expelled from Moon Invitation Island, losing the opportunity to earn contributions for their families.

For a moment, the pharmacy was bustling with busy activity.

The eighteen individuals were all famous figures in the Skyward Isles, and their skills were generally related to pill refinement.

At this moment, they all took out specialized tools and corresponding auxiliary materials from their Spirit Pouches to process the herbs.

Fortunately, Luo Chen had given them the lowest-grade herbs, which were common and generic, so the processing wasn't too difficult.

Time slowly passed.

Gradually, one by one, people finished their tasks.

Those who completed their tasks stood by anxiously.

The rest, sensing the tension, quickened their pace.

Half a quarter of an hour later, Luo Chen stood in front of the eighteen sets of herbs, inspecting each one.

"The quality is not bad, it meets the standard."

"It meets the standard."

"It's passable."

"The fire control is inadequate, this herb is ruined. You..." Luo Chen glanced at the middle-aged man in luxurious clothing and shook his head.

The man's face turned pale instantly.

"Demon Lord, I'm a first-rank alchemist. I can refine middle-grade Condensing Water Pills, I'm quite skilled."

Luo Chen furrowed his brows. He only needed someone to assist with herb processing.

Alchemist? He didn't bother to argue with him. With a gesture to Cheng Hai Xin, the latter immediately stepped forward to deal with the man.

Luo Chen's footsteps moved, and he continued his inspection.

Most of the herbs were of acceptable quality, except for two failures, and coincidentally, both failures belonged to first-rank alchemists.

"It seems like those minor powers sent alchemists to try and learn from us!"

Luo Chen chuckled.

These family-trained alchemists often started refining pills directly with pre-processed herbs, so they naturally lacked the necessary skills.

Their failure was only to be expected.

Luo Chen's footsteps eventually stopped in front of a young man with red lips and white teeth.

He looked down at the herb, his eyes revealing a peculiar expression.

"This Golden Branch seems to have failed, but there's still some medicinal properties retained. An unusual processing method."

"What's your name?"

The young man's teeth chattered as he replied, "I'm Xu Muchuan, from a collateral branch of the Xu family. I'm proficient in herb processing and can also refine Biku Pills and Wuliang Pills."

Biku Pills and Wuliang Pills were both inferior pills, so it wasn't surprising.

However, considering his age of fifteen or sixteen, and his proficiency in herb processing, it was already quite impressive that he could refine two types of pills.

"Can you tell me the method you used to process this Golden Branch?"

Xu Muchuan hesitated but eventually answered, "I used Red Rock Liquid for soaking, but I misjudged its quality, so it failed."

Red Rock Liquid, a fire attribute spirit liquid, is usually formed by the fusion of magma and spirit liquid in undersea volcanoes.

Using fire to overcome metal, not only understanding the law of the five elements' mutual overcoming, but also daring to apply it boldly.

He's a promising talent.

Luo Chen took a deep look at the young man, "You stay."

Xu Muchuan, who had already given up hope, heard these three words, and his eyes couldn't help but show extreme delight.

Luo Chen walked back to Cheng Hai Xin's side, "Most of them are fine. Just add two more later. You can have this person help with the inspection."

As he spoke, Luo Chen pointed to the elderly man who had finished processing the herbs first.

Cheng Hai Xin nodded, "Senior Qi is indeed very skilled. He's also a famous pharmacist in the Flying Swans Archipelago."

Luo Chen acknowledged with a sound and left the pharmacy on his own.

Cheng Hai Xin instructed the group on their work schedule and then followed Luo Chen.

Watching her leave, the young Xu Muchuan's face showed a look of envy.

As they boarded the small boat and departed from Moonlit Island, Senior Qi suddenly grabbed the young man's arm.

"Senior Qi?"

"Your fortune has arrived. That Demon Lord has taken a special interest in you. Perhaps he'll teach you a thing or two about alchemy."

Xu Muchuan asked, half-believing, "Really?"

Senior Qi smiled kindly, "Of course. We process herbs based on experience, which is the established method. But you, you thought outside the box, and even though you failed, you displayed your spirituality. These big figures sometimes favor those with spirituality."

"But I'm only at the second level of Qi Refinement. Can I really catch the Demon Lord's eye?" Xu Muchuan still lacked confidence.

Senior Qi shook his head, "Don't worry too much. In his eyes, the difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement is insignificant. As long as you work diligently, you'll have your day."

Finally, he added, "If there's anything you don't understand, you can come to me first."

Looking at the young man's bewildered yet delighted expression, Senior Qi couldn't help but feel deeply moved.

Xu Muchuan wasn't well-treated in the Xu family, despite having the talent for alchemy.

He could only make a living by refining the lowest-grade Biku Pills and Wuliang Pills."

Today, let's do a good deed and create a virtuous connection!"

If this young man caught the attention of Azure Sun Demon Lord in the future, then his bet today might bring blessings to the Qi family's descendants.

In the cultivation world, the lives of the powerful and the weak were vastly different.

Luo Chen didn't know how his fleeting thought would change a young man's life.

He only knew that he was feeling very hot!

In the living room, Luo Chen's face was flushed like a well-cooked lobster, and streams of heat emanated from his head.

Within his body, a lower-grade True Flame Pill was being refined, releasing its medicinal power.

The power of the pill was immense, and its nature was domineering.

The sound of flowing water seemed like a rushing river.

Stimulated, even his Qi Sea showed signs of churning.

After a while, Luo Chen slowly opened his eyes, and a stream of heat escaped from his mouth.

"As expected of the True Flame Pill!"

"Such powerful medicinal strength, such an overbearing nature!"

In his eyes, there was not only delight and admiration but also a hint of lingering fear.

The reason for yesterday's poor condition was found!

Turns out it was a cold.

I woke up with a sore throat and a runny nose... No wonder I was so exhausted yesterday.

Now that the cause is known, it's easy to deal with. Take medicine on time, and updates won't be delayed. Thank you for your understanding and support.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end