Chapter 924: Skypalace Sunspirit Pill (1/2)
Chapter 924: Skypalace Sunspirit Pill
All of the successive failures left the onlookers astonished. However, the tier 7 alchemists were starting to catch on to what Meng Hao was doing.
“Every failure actually represents an exponential increase in the chances for success!”
“He… might really be able to succeed in concocting it!” The tier 7 alchemists were all panting as they exchanged shocked looks.
As for the tier 8 alchemists present, their eyes shone with curious gleams.
Meng Hao now only had a bit more than 1,000,000 merit points left. If he failed for a sixth time, he would be unable to continue with further attempts. He spent the merit points, and then his eyes flashed as the thirteen medicinal plants flew out.
“The first difficult aspect of concocting the Skypalace Sunspirit Pill is that the medicinal plants must be adjusted every two hours according to the weather, time, and strength of the spiritual energy in the area!
“Success requires profound skill with plants and vegetation, as well as significant preparation in terms of grafting techniques.
“The second difficult aspect has to do with the pill itself. Although the role of the thirteen medicinal plants in the pill formula seems fixed, in actuality, there is no true set pill formula. The thirteen medicinal plants cannot be used in a fixed sequence, but rather, must be added according to the time of day in which the pill is being concocted.
“The original pill formula can definitely be used to successfully concoct a Skypalace Sunspirit Pill, but only in a unique place, at a unique time, and under unique conditions of spiritual energy. Under any other circumstances, concocting the pill with the original formula would lead to failure.” Meng Hao eyed the thirteen medicinal plants and took a deep breath.
“A third area of difficulty… is that this pill actually does not require a pill furnace. It requires twelve two-hour periods to concoct, and yet thirteen medicinal plants are provided. One of those medicinal plants… acts as the pill furnace!
“A fourth difficulty is that the concocting must be completed in exactly twelve two-hour periods. Even one breath beyond that amount of time will lead to a high chance of failure.” Meng Hao’s eyes shone with a bright light. He had concocted many pills, and had even concocted something from nothing.
His skill in the Dao of alchemy was unfathomable. And yet, this was his first time encountering a medicinal pill that had so many intrinsic internal variables. He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. Currently, it was midday.
He waited silently. Time passed one breath at a time. Most of the audience looked on, astonished, but the tier 8 alchemists’ eyes were suddenly shining brightly.
Simultaneously, at the center of the inner mountains, Pill Elder rose to his feet and gazed at the Pill Pavilion. A glimmer of excitement could be seen deep in his eyes.
“He’s onto something!” murmured Fang Danyun. “Actually, I can also concoct Skypalace Sunspirit Pills, but only on this mountain, during the middle of the centennial rising of the East Ascension Sun. That is the only day… when I can perfectly concoct it.
“On any other occasion, my success rate of concoction would be only one in ten, and the result wouldn’t be of very high quality.”
Back above the Pill Pavilion, the sky was now shifting into afternoon. Meng Hao’s eyes glittered, and he quickly reached out to grab the Sun Blossom. All of its branches and leaves were stripped off in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only the flower petals themselves, which spread open into the shape of a bowl.
“Refine the Sun Blossom into a pill furnace!”
In the moment that the Sun Blossom was successfully transformed into a pill furnace, Meng Hao’s eyes flickered with the glow of augury as he mentally analyzed all of the twelve medicinal plants. Then, he reached out to grab one of the medicinal plants, at the same time sending the power of his cultivation base out to transform the shape of the plant. Its medicinal properties were neutralized, and he began to mold it according to the current Yang qi and spiritual energy in the area.
A moment later, the entire medicinal plant transformed into a drop of shining, golden liquid, which he dropped into the Sun Blossom.
Beads of sweat dotted his forehead by the time he finished with that first drop. He continued to channel heat into the Sun Blossom, and also meditated to clear his mind. Soon, the second of the two-hour time periods arrived, and his eyes snapped open. He looked up at the sky, felt the sunlight and the spiritual energy, and then selected another medicinal plant. Following the same method as before, he transformed it into a liquid, which he dropped into the Sun Blossom.
The third two-hour period arrived, then the fourth, and the fifth…
Time passed. The sun set, and dusk fell. Two moons rose as Meng Hao refined a black flower. His expression was extremely intent, especially during the final four two-hour periods. He was clearly expending an incredible amount of mental energy, as much as he had when challenging the Medicine Pavilion.
Every two hours, he had to select the appropriate medicinal plant, and then transform it in accordance with the transformations of Heaven and Earth. This required significant consideration and judgement, and was something that even tier 8 alchemists would have difficulty with.
If it wasn’t for the fact that Meng Hao’s skill with plants and vegetation was at an incredible level, and that he also had shocking talent in the Dao of alchemy, he would never have been able to accomplish this.
The ninth two-hour period came, then the tenth and the eleventh….
Noon of the second day arrived as Meng Hao selected the final medicinal plant. He transformed it into a liquid, and then dropped it into the Sun Blossom pill furnace. Eyes bloodshot, face a mask of exhaustion, he extended both hands and pushed down onto the Sun Blossom.
His action caused the Sun Blossom to wrap around itself, transforming into a fist-sized flower bud that slowly floated up into the air.
As of this moment, the eyes of hundreds of thousands of panting spectators were all fixed on the flower bud.
The events of the past six days had left everyone shaken, apprentice alchemists and full alchemists alike. Meng Hao’s pill concocting was something that exceeded the imaginations of everyone present. Despite having witnessed the matter with their own eyes, it was still something that words could not describe. They weren’t even sure exactly what he was doing.
The moment had arrived which would reveal whether this concoction was a success or a failure.
Meng Hao looked up at the floating Sun Blossom bud.
Suddenly, beam after beam of light began to shoot out from inside. They pierced through the petals, shining out for 100,000 meters in all directions, penetrating Heaven and Earth.
More beams of light continued to shoot out, the pinnacle of resplendence. The flower bud slowly began to open, the petals spreading apart one by one to reveal a blinding light.