The flames within the Dragon-Tiger Alchemy Furnace were visibly fiercer than when the previous batch of Green Snake Blood Spirit Pills had been refined.
The massive furnace now resembled a fiery mountain, radiating an astonishing heat. Inside, it was like a world of flames.
Clouds follow the dragon, winds follow the tiger.
Under Xue Jing's control, the flames within the furnace surged and receded like the breaths of dragons and tigers, creating a scene of ever-shifting winds and clouds.
Only now did it truly embody the grand and lofty aura of "alchemy."
Even more bizarrely, Tang Xiaobao sat cross-legged inside the furnace, completely unharmed.
The temperature of these flames would reduce an Inner Breath Realm cultivator to ashes in moments.
Yet, Tang Xiaobao's body emitted a radiant glow.
Moreover, as time passed and the heat intensified, this glow grew brighter and brighter.
"Time to add the materials. I'm ready."
"This old man has also prepared for a long time!"
Xue Jing, a powerhouse of the Inner Landscape Realm, now had beads of sweat faintly glistening on his temples.
After more than four thousand years, $2ang Xiaobao had finally awakened to sentience in his generation, transforming from a pill into a human.
And now, he finally had the chance to be reforged in the furnace, to become a true Nine-Orifice Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill.
Of course, it was merely a chance—a slim hope at best.
Dan Ding Peak hadn't produced an Alchemy Grandmaster in many years, and even he was still far from reaching that level.
Moreover, the Nine-Orifice Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill had once been refined by Great Shang, exhausting their entire national treasury.
The current Dan Ding Peak no longer possessed such resources...
Li Mo couldn't help but hold his breath, feeling a touch of nervousness as well.
On either side, wooden boxes that had been prepared earlier were now opened one by one.
Inside were rare treasures, each exuding a pure and potent aura.
Xue Jing stretched out his hand.
A peculiar herb landed in his palm, and in an instant, the preliminary preparations were complete—purified and refined.
Then came the second, the third...
In mere moments, dozens of rare herbs had been processed and simultaneously tossed into the furnace, swiftly distilled to their essence.
This was a strict timing requirement for refining the Nine-Orifice Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill.
Missing the optimal window would only make the process even more arduous.
"Master, let me help too!"
As Tang Xiaobao spoke—
A strange pulsation echoed, as if originating from a heartbeat deep within his chest.
Li Mo saw it clearly.
He glimpsed what seemed to be a faintly beating "heart" within Tang Xiaobao's chest.
Through the flames, it was hard to make out—only a flickering golden light.
"It's reaching the critical moment."
Li Mo made his judgment based on experience.
Well, his experience in stir-frying, to be precise.
But by sheer coincidence, he was right.
The fusion of medicinal properties was indeed the most difficult and pivotal stage.
Xue Jing had to multitask, meticulously controlling the temperature, resistance, and characteristics of each material, ensuring they merged at the perfect moment.
Alone, he could never accomplish this.
Fortunately, the "pill" being refined inside the furnace was cooperating with him from within.
As the heartbeat grew louder, vast amounts of medicinal essence adhered to Tang Xiaobao's body, slowly merging into him.
The radiance around him intensified further.
An intense, exotic fragrance burst forth.
"So this is Senior Brother Xiaobao's scent."
Li Mo finally understood what had been permeating all of Dan Ding Peak.
A single whiff of this fragrance made one feel years younger.
A glimmer of joy flashed in Xue Jing's eyes.
Li Mo held his breath.
Before the thought could fully form—
The next instant, a violent explosion erupted from Tang Xiaobao's body.
The flames spiraled out of control, and the furnace visibly lifted three feet off the ground before crashing back down.
The ground shattered, instantly caving in.
The furnace lid was blasted skyward by the tremendous pressure, soaring higher and higher.
The furnace had exploded.
"Senior Brother Xiaobao...?"
Li Mo's heart skipped a beat.
With such a massive blast and that small frame at the epicenter—surely nothing serious had happened?
Xue Jing, frantic with worry, immediately dispersed the black smoke with his domain.
A small figure, still trailing a few embers, flew out and landed on the open ground.
Tang Xiaobao lay there, eyes tightly shut, his entire body pitch-black—as if dug out from a coal pile.
Xue Jing called out several times, but there was no response.
"Master Xue, don't panic."
Li Mo prepared to first inspect him with his Heavenly Eye of Fate before deciding which pill to use for treatment.
But the moment he activated it, he froze.
Tang Xiaobao suddenly opened his eyes, grinning to reveal a row of white teeth.
"Gotcha! I was just pretending~"
You absolute numbskull.
Xiaobao, for heaven's sake, grow some sense.
Xue Jing, who had been deeply disheartened, found his gloom dissipating slightly, replaced instead by exasperated amusement.
He shot Tang Xiaobao an unimpressed look before sighing.
"We've given it our all this time, yet we failed again."
"It seems I lack the ability to bring you to perfection in my hands. A pity this old man's skills are insufficient..."
His sigh carried exhaustion, his weariness laid bare.
"Well, what can you do?"
Tang Xiaobao smacked his lips.
When Master observed the Observation Divine Realm, it was him he saw.
If even this couldn’t succeed, what else could be done?
"Maybe... we could try again?"
At this moment, Li Mo, who had been deep in thought, suddenly spoke up.
Both master and disciple turned to look at him simultaneously.
Xue Jing shook his head:
"This old man no longer has enough rare treasures. The resources Xiaobao needs for his cultivation are all..."
From Li Mo’s sleeves, boxes and bottles poured out like a flowing stream—some wooden, some jade—piling up into a small hill.
He said somewhat sheepishly:
"See if any of these are useful?"
"Moonlit Grass... Seven-Hearted Blossom... Earth Vein Spirit Milk... Huh? And it’s ten-thousand-year-old?"
Tang Xiaobao didn’t even need to open them to know what was inside.
He stood frozen for a long moment before taking a deep breath and speaking gravely:
"Li Mo, we mustn’t engage in unlawful activities, you know."
Did you just rob some sect’s treasure vault or something?!
Well, given his time infiltrating the Misty Rain Pavilion, it wasn’t entirely impossible...
"You misunderstand, Elder. You know me."
Li Mo gave a bashful smile:
"I’m such an approachable, gentle, and law-abiding person—how could I ever walk the path of crime?"
"These were just... unexpected gains."
Xue Jing seemed to accept the explanation, stroking his beard, but still shook his head:
"Even with the materials, even if Xiaobao and I tried a thousand, ten thousand more times, the result would be the same."
"Both of us have already given our all just now."
Alchemy has its fluctuations in success rates, but only within the bounds of one’s capability.
"What if... I joined in?"
Li Mo ventured cautiously.
Xue Jing was genuinely puzzled.
"But Junior Brother Li, though your inner breath is formidable, you don’t know alchemy," Tang Xiaobao added, equally confused.
Chef Li cleared his throat solemnly:
"I have a bold idea."
"What if Senior Brother Xiaobao and I both entered the cauldron?"
"Then, my inner breath would merge with the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron, allowing Elder Xue to harness it to refine impurities from the materials."
"And during the process, as long as I absorb the excess medicinal energy leaking from Senior Brother Xiaobao, we can prevent the cauldron from exploding due to instability."
Plus, I’d get to cultivate and advance my own realm—I’ve been worrying about how to refine the Golden Crow blood in my kidneys faster anyway!
This was killing two birds with one stone!
Young Li couldn’t help but think—damn, I’m a freaking genius!!