Chapter 181: Chapter 181: A Vicious Strike

Elder Song also frowned, thinking to himself, ’What is this kid doing? It shouldn’t take this long just to correct a mistake! With his ability, he should have found the problem long ago!’

’He can’t be stalling for time, can he?’ the crowd thought.

But at that moment, Shen Haoran was in a strange state. In his mind, the refinement method for the Three Pure Spirit Pill was breaking down and presenting itself as countless distinct, minute steps.

As he carefully read through these steps, a flicker of enlightenment ignited in Shen Haoran’s mind. A small figure formed of Spiritual Thought appeared and began simulating the Alchemy process according to the steps.

A moment later, Shen Haoran’s eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them. His face was filled with delight.

Now fully aware, Shen Haoran looked down at the residue of the failed medicinal liquid and chuckled. "So that’s how it works!"

With a wave of his hand, Shen Haoran swept the residue out of the Pill Furnace. A black flame surged in his palm, which he then threw back into the furnace, beginning his second attempt at refinement.

Watching Shen Haoran prepare for the refinement, Elder Song suddenly felt that he was different from before. The gravity and caution in Shen Haoran’s eyes were gone, replaced by a much more casual air, as if he weren’t concocting a Fifth Grade Elixir, but just some common pill.

’This kid... he didn’t just have a breakthrough, did he?’ Elder Song thought in astonishment.

He was right. Shen Haoran had indeed achieved a breakthrough during that moment of enlightenment. For other Alchemists, advancing to the next grade required accumulating countless experiences. For Shen Haoran, however, it was simple. He possessed the Alchemy Dao from the Alchemy Inheritance in his mind, so he had no need to accumulate experience. As long as the strength of his Spiritual Thought was sufficient, he could advance without a hitch!

And Shen Haoran’s Spiritual Thought, having undergone all sorts of enhancements, had long since surpassed that of an ordinary Alchemist. Thus, with just a little guidance, a breakthrough was a natural and inevitable outcome.

However, this only applied to ranks below Fifth Grade Alchemist. Starting from the Sixth Grade Alchemist level, one needed more than just experience—one needed personal insight. The experience from the Alchemy Dao could, at best, only serve a supporting role.

Having now achieved his breakthrough, Shen Haoran flicked his fingers, tossing one stalk of Spirit Medicine after another into the Pill Furnace. His speed was much faster than his first attempt.

And this time, Shen Haoran made no mistakes. He successfully completed the Refinement of all forty-odd stalks of Spirit Medicine. Globes of the Essence of Spiritual Medicine floated inside the Pill Furnace, continuously seared by the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian.

Next came the process of Solidifying the Pill, the most difficult step in Alchemy. Shen Haoran took a deep breath as his immense Spiritual Thought surged into the Pill Furnace. He manipulated the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian and began the fusion of the Essence of Spiritual Medicine!

The dozens of different Essences of Spiritual Medicine were fused into eight globes of differently colored medicinal liquid according to their properties. This was a relatively simple step; fusions between essences with similar properties didn’t generate much repulsion, so Shen Haoran completed it quickly. The next step was to condense these eight globes of Essence of Spiritual Medicine into a finished pill!

His Spiritual Thought enveloped the eight globes of Essence of Spiritual Medicine, carefully guiding them closer together.

BOOM! Just as the eight globes of Essence of Spiritual Medicine were about to touch, a formidable energy erupted. A powerful repulsive force stopped them from moving a single step closer.

Seeing this, Shen Haoran frowned. He reached out and made a grasping motion in the air. The Spiritual Thought inside the Pill Furnace immediately began to contract, forcibly compressing the eight globes of Essence of Spiritual Medicine together!

BOOM! The instant the eight globes of Essence of Spiritual Medicine touched, a wave of tangible energy burst forth, instantly obliterating Shen Haoran’s Spiritual Thought. A powerful gale slammed against the inner walls of the Pill Furnace, producing the crisp clang of striking metal!

THUMP... THUMP...

Shen Haoran’s Spiritual Thought was crushed by the force, and his face instantly turned deathly pale. But he had no time to catch his breath. If he lost control, the eight globes of Essence of Spiritual Medicine would be destroyed, and this entire refinement attempt would be a complete failure!

*Whew...* Shen Haoran forced himself to rally. His Spiritual Thought surged out again, suppressing the Essence of Spiritual Medicine once more.

Seeing Shen Haoran’s pale face as he struggled to persevere, the hearts of everyone in the crowd leaped into their throats. From this point on, the slightest mistake would mean all his effort would be for naught.

Guan Zhi let out a cold sneer. "Hmph. He’s overestimating his own strength. How could he possibly withstand the energy of a Fifth Grade Elixir?"

Shen Haoran stared at the relentlessly resisting Essence of Spiritual Medicine. He steeled himself, stomped his feet hard on the ground, and violently clenched his outstretched fist. He used so much force that his knuckles turned white!

At the same time, a torrent of immense Spiritual Thought formed into a giant hand and brutally slammed the eight globes of Essence of Spiritual Medicine together!

BOOM!

Another muffled boom sounded, but this time, before the Essence of Spiritual Medicine could fight back, Shen Haoran bit the tip of his tongue. A drop of his Essence Blood flew into the Pill Furnace, where it was instantly devoured by the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian!

Upon receiving Shen Haoran’s Essence Blood, the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian instantly flared to life. Raging flames enveloped the eight globes of Essence of Spiritual Medicine and began to spin wildly, venting all the energy generated by their resistance!

THUMP... THUMP... A series of muffled thuds echoed from within the Pill Furnace. Watching the furnace tremble violently, the crowd grew increasingly nervous.

Shen Haoran’s eyes were also glued to the Pill Furnace. Even as sweat from his forehead dripped into his eyes, he didn’t dare to blink, letting the stinging sensation spread. This was the final step; he couldn’t afford a single mistake!

*Hooo...* The Fire Spirit Black Obsidian burned relentlessly. The resistance from the eight globes of essence grew weaker and weaker until it nearly dissipated completely. A rough, uneven prototype of an elixir appeared within the Pill Furnace, and a faint Pill Fragrance began to waft through the air.

"He... he succeeded?" Smelling the Pill Fragrance, the crowd’s faces filled with disbelief. Shen Haoran had actually managed to refine a Fifth Grade Elixir!

Guan Zhi’s face was grim. The Pill Fragrance wafting from Shen Haoran’s Pill Furnace proved that his refinement was a success. Even if the final product was flawed, he would at least have a rudimentary elixir. A rudimentary elixir was still a type of elixir; while it couldn’t exert its full Medicinal Power, it was still effective. His own Pill, however, couldn’t even be considered an elixir. At this point, the outcome of the match was clear!

’Damn it! I can’t let him win this match!’ Guan Zhi shot Shen Haoran a venomous glare, then gave a meaningful look to Elder Li, who stood a short distance away.

Upon seeing the signal, Elder Li gave a silent nod. He then stomped his right foot forcefully on the ground, sending an invisible wave of Powerful Qi hurtling toward Shen Haoran’s Pill Furnace!

At that exact moment, Shen Haoran was in the final step of Solidifying the Pill. His entire Heart Spirit was focused on the rough elixir. By the time he sensed the impending danger, it was already too late!

BOOM!

The invisible wave of Powerful Qi slammed into Shen Haoran’s Pill Furnace. The furnace, already made fragile by the violent energy surges of the Fifth Grade Elixir, instantly shattered upon impact. Innumerable black flames erupted, sending shattered Pill Furnace Fragments flying in all directions!

Watching the Pill Furnace suddenly explode, everyone thought the same thing in despair: ’It’s over...’