Chapter 1418: Chapter 1418: What Do You Have to Compare with Me?

"Well, how many times is this?"

In contrast to the unusual thoughts of the onlookers, Yun Xiao, the party involved, couldn’t help but show a helpless wry smile when he discovered the first crack in the medicine cauldron.

Back in the Hidden Dragon Continent, Yun Xiao had experienced cauldron explosions, and with these experiences, coupled with his past life as a Long Xiao Battle God with alchemy experience, he didn’t feel as shocked as the onlookers.

Most of the time, cauldron explosions do indeed ruin the forming elixir, but Yun Xiao, not being an ordinary Meridian Refining Master, had methods that cultivators of the Hidden Dragon Continent had never seen before.

If Yun Xiao were refining a higher rank elixir, such as a Holy Rank Elixir, he certainly wouldn’t be so presumptuous, knowing the risk of a cauldron explosion, yet still using such a low rank medicine tripod.

Since Yun Xiao dared to use this Earth Rank Advanced Medicine Tripod to refine a Heavenly Rank Elixir, he must have considered the result of a cauldron explosion, thus he remained calm and unhurried.

Yun Xiao wanted that old fellow Gu Huashan to see that even using this Earth Rank Advanced Medicine Tripod, and even enduring the nightmare of a cauldron explosion, the elixir he could refine would be far superior to those self-proclaimed Heavenly Rank Low Level Stage Meridian Refiners.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

As Yun Xiao’s hand moved with a seal, the cracks on the Earth Rank Advanced Medicine Tripod in front of him became terrifyingly dense, causing the crowd to break into a cold sweat for him.

After all, when a cauldron explodes, the violent impact not only blasts the elixir into pieces but poses a deadly threat to the Meridian Refining Master who is refining the elixir.

Moreover, this is an explosion caused by a Heavenly Rank Intermediate Pill, whose power may be no less than a strike from a Lingyun Realm expert.

Under such a powerful impact, the elixir would certainly be instantly destroyed, and Yun Xiao, in the Middle Stage of Floating Life Realm, would likely face death and disappearance if careless.

"Better for both the elixir and that kid to be blown to pieces!"

At this moment, Gu Huashan began to mutter curses again, feeling that heaven had helped him when his previous curse "succeeded," and if Yun Xiao really couldn’t dodge, he might have one less threatening enemy.

Bang!

Crash!

Immediately after Gu Huashan’s curse, as if hearing his inner voice, the Earth Rank Advanced Medicine Tripod, covered in dense cracks, suddenly emitted a loud noise, then shattered, with a blaze sweeping out, astonishing in its momentum.

Even the other four Heavenly Rank Low Level Stage Meridian Refiners on the square quickly retreated several feet in a panic, fearing being hit by the scattered medicine tripod shards.

"He actually didn’t dodge?"

Stepping back several feet, Gu Huashan saw the coarse-clothed figure engulfed by energy from the corner of his eye, and his expression became extraordinarily excited, believing his curse had worked again.

Everyone clearly saw that at the moment of the cauldron explosion, Yun Xiao didn’t move at all, and even seemed as if he wanted to reach out and take the elixir under siege.

"Too persistent, isn’t it?"

Seeing this, even Qian Sanyuan and Qingmu Wu couldn’t help but feel exasperated. Although a Heavenly Rank Intermediate Elixir is precious and crucial for the championship of this Meridian Refining Conference, is any elixir more important than one’s own life?

At this special moment, Qian Sanyuan and the others chose to forget that this young man named Yun Xiao never fights battles he can’t win, let alone takes such life-risking gambles.

The explosion of the medicine tripod fragments mixed with Pill Thunder energy engulfed Yun Xiao’s entire body, and at this moment, everyone had reason to believe that the extraordinary coarse-clothed young man might meet his demise.

Thinking of this possibility, many showed a strange expression, as Yun Xiao’s name had grown immensely recently, and if he really died so inexplicably, it would be utterly laughable to the continent’s cultivators.

Yet most of those in the arena were Meridian Refiners, among whom were quite a few Heavenly Rank Low Level Stage Meridian Refiners, who knew very well the power of a Heavenly Rank Elixir explosion, let alone a Heavenly Rank Intermediate Elixir.

Most importantly, Yun Xiao was extremely close to the center of the explosion, and under such circumstances, the Meridian Refiners had reason to believe that even the Earth Rank Middle Level Meridian Refiner Lu Yanji, who had truly reached the Peak of Lingyun Realm, would barely evade it.

But a mere youth at Middle Stage of Qi Seeking Realm didn’t dodge such explosive energy, seeming merely unwilling, unwilling for the precious Heavenly Rank Intermediate Elixir refined with difficulty to be easily destroyed.

This might also be the realm that many Meridian Refining Masters pursue all their lives, the so-called ’if the pill exists, so does the person; if the pill is destroyed, the person perishes’. But when truly faced with such a life-and-death moment, how many can actually achieve it?

At least for people like Gu Huashan, when encountering such a critical moment, the first thought is definitely to save their lives. Sacrificing one’s life for an elixir is just too foolish.

"It’s over. The champion of this Medical Vein path is ultimately mine, Gu Huashan’s!"

As the energy continued to rage, Gu Huashan seemed to have already claimed the final victory, and this voice didn’t disguise anything, making many people agree deeply.

Because they all knew that even if Yun Xiao could defy the heavens and save his life under such an impact, that Heavenly Rank Intermediate Pill would certainly not survive.

So the Heavenly Rank Low Level Pill that Gu Huashan attracted with the Six Paths Pill Thunder became the standout in the field, overpowering Mo Qing, Xiao Shijing, and others, reaching the top in the Meridian Refining Conference’s Medical Pulse path.

"Old fart, isn’t it too early to be happy now?"

However, just as Gu Huashan’s triumphant voice fell, a familiar voice emerged from the space where the cauldron’s explosion energies raged, startling everyone.

They heard clearly; the voice seemed neither moribund nor pained, as if nothing had happened, just calmly conversing with others.

Everyone recognized the voice as Yun Xiao’s, which is why they were so surprised. Could it be that under such energy impacts, a youth at the Floating Life Realm Middle Stage could still act as if nothing had happened?

The answer soon became clear. After Yun Xiao’s voice was heard, the energy that had enveloped him began to dissipate at a speed visible to the naked eye, revealing a boy in coarse clothes.

"Truly... unharmed?"

Only at this moment did everyone see clearly the appearance of the boy in coarse clothes and how his aura wasn’t much different from before, making their shock even greater.

The explosive power of the cauldron’s explosion just now was intensely felt by everyone; even Lu Tianwen, at the peak of the Floating Life Realm, couldn’t guarantee he’d survive such an energy impact.

Yet this youth only at the Floating Life Realm peak was clearly at the center of the explosion, bearing all the energy impacts, and still seemed unperturbed.

What transpired within, perhaps only Yun Xiao knows, as no one else could understand. It wasn’t just the astonishing defensive power of the Earth Burst Stone Lotus Armor; several Devouring Powers also contributed.

The Ancient Dragon Taming Technique Yun Xiao cultivated had the ability to devour all energies. When those explosive energies poured onto him, he simultaneously activated the Earth Burst Stone Lotus Armor and madly operated the Ancient Dragon Taming Technique to reduce the impact he suffered.

But just doing that was obviously far from enough; it was equivalent to the strike of a Lingyun Realm expert. If Yun Xiao could solely withstand it with his energy, it would be too heaven-defying.

At this moment, Golden Snake Worm Xiao Wu, the fledgling Red Feather of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix, and Yun Xiao’s two Thunder Attribute Ancestral Veins were also activated simultaneously.

Xiao Wu devoured everything, while Red Feather was enamored by the Fire Attribute Energy within the medicine tripod. As for the Thunder Dragon’s Wings’ ancestral vein power, it was critical in resolving the Pill Thunder Energy.

With these heaven-defying means, coupled with targeted countermeasures, the cauldron’s explosion not only didn’t harm Yun Xiao at all but even subtly enhanced his Meridian Qi Cultivation, especially those two Thunder Attribute Ancestral Veins.

Regarding the power of the Heavenly Tribulation descended for the Heavenly Rank Intermediate Pill, its magnitude speaks for itself; even if most of it was absorbed by the pill, the remaining portion was enough to greatly enhance Yun Xiao’s Thunder Attribute Ancestral Veins.

Thus, it created Yun Xiao’s current unflustered demeanor. He showed not the slightest sign of having been ravaged by intense energy, even having faint traces of thunderbolt flickering in his eyes.

"Hmph, so what if you survived? Where’s the pill you refined? What will you use to compete with me?"

Now a fact, Gu Huashan quickly suppressed his shock and sneered as he asked. This sequence of questions pulled everyone’s attention back.

As Gu Huashan said, Yun Xiao enduring the cauldron’s energy impact merely shows he had some extraordinary defensive means.

But that fragile pill, under such an impact, likely vanished completely, right? If Yun Xiao couldn’t present the pill he refined, then this alchemy competition would leave him in last place.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on that coarse-clothed youth, though some onlookers friendly with Yun Xiao sighed inwardly.

Because they all knew that Yun Xiao had already reached the limit in protecting himself from significant harm. How could the Heavenly Rank Intermediate Pill, at the explosion’s core, still have survived?