Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Where Did This Punk Come From

Standing outside the main hall of the Pill Hall, Shen Haoran could already smell the waves of Pill Fragrance drifting out, making him feel refreshed.

Shen Haoran stepped forward and pushed open the great doors of the hall. The interior was vast and empty, with various bottles and jars strewn about haphazardly. It looked a bit like a junkyard!

Not a single soul could be seen inside the hall; it was utterly silent.

’Elder Huo said the master of this Pill Hall has a strange temper and dislikes noise. It really seems that way,’ Shen Haoran thought as he walked. ’How does he manage such a huge Pill Hall all by himself? You’d think he’d at least find a couple of Pill Children to lend a hand!’

After crossing the main hall, Shen Haoran arrived at a back chamber. It was a stone room surrounded by dozens of rows of medicine cabinets. The cabinets were filled to the brim with Jade Bottles containing Elixirs, and waves of Pill Fragrance wafted through the room, so thick that one could even see the mist with the naked eye.

In the center of the stone room stood a massive Pill Furnace. Raging flames surged from within, bathing the chamber in a crimson glow.

"This must be the Alchemy Room!" Shen Haoran’s eyes lit up as he said joyfully.

Just then, the Pill Fragrance also roused Changmao, who leaped out from within Shen Haoran’s body. It stared at the room full of Elixirs, its mouth watering uncontrollably!

"Whoa, we’ve hit the jackpot!" Changmao’s eyes sparkled. It was about to leap into the stone room but was pulled back by Shen Haoran!

"You’d better behave! This is the Sect’s Pill Hall, do you have a death wish?" Shen Haoran chided the gluttonous Changmao. ’The Cultivation Materials for all the Sect’s disciples and Elders are stored in here. If Changmao really plundered it all, my death wouldn’t be far off...’

After restraining Changmao, Shen Haoran stepped inside, wanting to see if the master of the Pill Hall was in the stone room.

However, the moment Shen Haoran’s foot crossed the threshold into the stone room, a cyan figure appeared abruptly before him, its powerful aura forcefully shoving him back out!

Shen Haoran steadied his retreating form, greatly alarmed. ’There’s someone else in the Pill Hall!’

Standing before Shen Haoran now was a giant cyan beast taller than a man! The beast had the head of a ferocious tiger, but its body was covered in cyan scales. A tail like a Spirit Snake’s swayed nimbly, and its four limbs, like Dragon Claws, gripped the stone floor. Its massive pupils were locked onto Shen Haoran, ready to lash out and attack the very next moment if he made any sudden moves.

"A Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger!"

Seeing the giant cyan beast, Shen Haoran cried out in shock!

’The Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger... tiger’s head, dragon’s body. Legend says it’s born from the union of a Flood Dragon and a ferocious tiger, possessing dragon’s blood in its veins. It’s born a Tier Three Spirit Beast, and if given the right opportunities, a Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger can even evolve into a legendary Holy Beast!’

’Judging by its aura, this Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger is a Tier Five Spirit Beast, likely still in its juvenile stage. To think the Pill Hall has such a Spirit Beast guarding it! No wonder I didn’t see a single guard on the way here. With a Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger as a bodyguard, I doubt many people could sneak in!’

Staring at the extremely vigilant Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger, Shen Haoran felt a major headache coming on. ’A Tier Five Spirit Beast... With this guy guarding the place, there’s no way I can get in!’

But just as Shen Haoran was fretting, Changmao flew out and landed on the Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger’s head. It grabbed the beast’s two whiskers with its paws and yelled, "You little brat, how dare you scare this great one!" As it spoke, Changmao yanked on the Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger’s whiskers, making Shen Haoran’s heart clench with anxiety as he watched.

Feeling the pain from its whiskers, the Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger let out an angry roar and began thrashing its head wildly, trying to throw Changmao off!

"Oh? You dare to resist!" Changmao yelped, and a faint, imposing pressure rose from it, enveloping the Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger.

WHIMPER... Sensing the pressure from Changmao, the Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger abruptly stopped moving. It lay prone on the ground and began to whimper softly, its eyes filled with dread as it looked at the creature on its head!

The pressure emanating from Changmao came from the very depths of its soul, a suppression from its bloodline. It made it impossible for the Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger to even think of resisting; it could only lower its head in submission!

Looking at the subservient Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger at its feet, Changmao raised its head and shot Shen Haoran a smug look, as if to say, "How about that? Pretty amazing, right? Praise me!"

However, Shen Haoran paid it no mind at all. Seeing that the Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger was under control, he stepped into the Alchemy Room.

Seeing this, Changmao could only shoot Shen Haoran an indignant glance before dragging the Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger along behind him.

Shen Haoran strolled through the Pill Room, looking at the Elixirs on the medicine cabinets and unexpectedly starting to critique them.

’Hmm... why are these Spirit Revitalizing Pills only of Middle Level quality!’

’This Three Pristine Pill is a bit crudely refined. If it had been nurtured a little longer, the quality could have been higher!’

Shen Haoran continued on, critiquing everything he saw, looking for all the world like an Alchemy Grandmaster!

"Hmm?" As Shen Haoran approached the Pill Furnace, he suddenly noticed a stirring from within.

’Someone is performing Alchemy in this Pill Furnace?’ Shen Haoran wondered. He stepped closer and extended his Spiritual Thought inside, discovering dozens of globules of Essence of Spiritual Medicine suspended within, emitting a faint, clear fragrance.

"Snow Ginseng, World-Edge Grass, Cyan Wood Vine... They’re trying to refine a Fifth Grade Elixir, the Purifying Soul Pill!" Shen Haoran muttered to himself.

However, it seemed something had gone wrong in the refinement process. The dozens of globules of Essence of Spiritual Medicine were repelling one another. If they moved any closer, the entire batch would be ruined. But if they moved any farther apart, the influence of the other essences would cause them to turn into a pool of dregs. The process was forced into an incredibly awkward stalemate, unable to advance or retreat!

"This alchemist’s Alchemy Technique is far too crude!" Shen Haoran muttered. At that moment, he became deeply interested in these globules of Essence of Spiritual Medicine.

Lately, Shen Haoran had been completely engrossed in Alchemy. Seeing these globules of Essence of Spiritual Medicine today, his hands naturally began to itch with the desire to act.

WHOOSH... With a soft sound, the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian rose up, enveloping the dozens of globules of Essence of Spiritual Medicine.

"Spin!" Shen Haoran gave a soft shout, and the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, carrying the Essence of Spiritual Medicine, began to rotate wildly!

WHOOSH WHOOSH... The Fire Spirit Black Obsidian spun faster and faster, creating a powerful gale within the Pill Furnace. And the globules of Essence of Spiritual Medicine, which had been repelling each other, actually began to draw closer together!

TSSS... The dozens of globules of Essence of Spiritual Medicine began to make contact, letting out a sizzling sound. The Fire Spirit Black Obsidian started to become unstable!

In the past, when Shen Haoran performed Alchemy, he had at most only ever fused a dozen or so globules of Essence of Spiritual Medicine. Now, with over thirty types at once, he was instantly starting to lose control!

"Solidify!" Shen Haoran’s brow furrowed. He gave a soft shout, and the Spiritual Power in his body burst forth like a breaking dam, pouring madly into the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian.

With the infusion of immense Spiritual Power, the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian stabilized once more. It scorched the dozens of globules of Essence of Spiritual Medicine, causing them to begin fusing together slowly.

As time passed, the dozens of globules of Essence of Spiritual Medicine slowly solidified into the shape of a pill. A visible wisp of Pill Fragrance floated out, causing Changmao and the Cloud Flood Dragon Tiger to look up, both beasts drooling uncontrollably!

"Whew, it’s finally done!" Shen Haoran looked at the perfectly round Elixir in the Pill Furnace and plopped down onto the ground. ’It’s a Fifth Grade Elixir, after all. The final step of pill solidification completely drained me,’ he thought, waves of dizziness washing over him. ’And I only took over the final step. If I had to refine a Fifth Grade Elixir from start to finish, I doubt even ten of me could have managed it!’

"My cultivation realm is still too low!" Shen Haoran sighed. He then closed his eyes, preparing to recover his depleted Spiritual Power and Spiritual Thought.

But just as he closed his eyes, a furious roar echoed out: "Where did you come from, you stinking brat!"