Chapter 73: Qi Refining Late Stage

Outside the exclusive pill chamber.

Xin Tong stared at the stone door reeking of alcohol, her heart fluttering like a startled deer.

Last night, Chen Zhao had come stumbling drunk, said nothing, and snatched the Nine Orifices Solid Source Pill prescription.

Declared he would enter seclusion, without rest or sleep.

Xin Tong had vaguely guessed something, but she dared not confirm whether the sound from within was a nightmare or a miracle.

She could only pace back and forth outside, restless and uneasy.

"Chen Alchemist is refining pills, not giving birth—why does he need to guard it every day?"

Every time the He Family Brothers passed by, they saw her wandering near the stone door, her expression anxious.

Until three months later.

Xin Tong's face shifted from joy to sorrow; she sat leaning against the door daily, neglecting food and tea.

The Nine Orifices Solid Source Pill, though a first-rank pill, was rarer than most second-rank pills and far more dangerous to refine.

A single misstep could destroy the pill and kill the alchemist—minor failure ruined the meridians, major failure buried the entire building.

But to her,

the pill was secondary—if Chen Zhao died, she had no wish to live alone.

Five months later.

Liu Chen and others came to visit, all wearing expressions of concern.

Yet the Array had been modified by the sect; even Li Zhiwei shook her head.

Only Su Muqing and Xin Tong could confirm, through Gu Insects and Arrays, that Chen Zhao was still alive.

"Even a third-rank pill wouldn't take this long—what kind of pill is Brother Chen refining? Could it be..."

He Chengde wanted to open the door and find out—he had long coveted the Chief Alchemist title.

But He Chengdao stopped him, whispering secretly:

"Chen Alchemist's skill is exceptional—he's surely unharmed. Do not disturb him under any circumstances."

"I will soon break through to Qi Refining Late Stage and claim the Chief title openly—I won't resort to underhanded tricks."

Outside the stone door.

Xin Tong hugged her knees, spreading out her Communication Talisman only to crumple it again, its spiritual essence slightly damaged.

"Zhao, come out—I'd rather give up immortality..."

Whether from selfishness or fear of disturbing Chen Zhao at a critical moment and endangering him,

these words had brewed in her mouth hundreds of times, yet remained untransmitted.

She glanced at the wooden sign beside her and sighed softly.

"In seclusion refining pills—do not disturb, especially Xin Tong."

At this very moment,

Chen Zhao sat with his back against the wall, only a few feet away from her.

His internal Qi drained rapidly; the furnace flame burned bright without pause, a seven-colored vine stretched across it, yet no medicinal liquid appeared.

He glanced down—still a single character: "Danger." He clenched his lips.

The Nine Orifices Solid Source Pill was exceedingly difficult to refine—the Spirit Medicine resisted fusion for long periods; every second felt like walking a tightrope, not a single moment of slack allowed.

"If I had mastered the Refining Alchemy Chapter, the success rate might rise significantly."

Yet his outwardly released Qi was as dark as ink, still not pure or refined enough—not even close to the level of spiritual liquid.

The stone door had been sealed for ten years.

"Sister Xin, waiting idly is no solution."

He Chengdao shook his head with a faint sigh, his tone tinged with weariness.

He had reached Qi Refining Ninth Layer and now served as Acting Chief Alchemist, his status second only to the sect and Liu Chen.

"Moreover, Chen Zhao occupies the finest Pill Furnace—the Elders have already pressed me; the Pavilion Master and I cannot delay much longer. In ten days, we must force the door open."

He Chengdao's expression was complex.

Since taking over, he had struggled to manage the workload, realizing Chen Zhao's alchemical skill surpassed his own.

And Chen Zhao had refined pills for ten years—his goal was immense.

If this man emerged safely, the Chief Alchemist title would surely change hands—he truly did not want to let go.

Yet he also felt injustice for Chen Zhao.

Time passed; the new generation knew only He Chief, who remembered Chen Alchemist?

His sword-slaying of the Inner Sect had become ancient history; only his reputation as a thief of affection still echoed.

Such a gifted talent, if he achieved nothing great before death, would become nothing but a laughingstock over tea—truly heartbreaking.

"I'll go find Zhang Sifan—have his father suppress this matter."

"I already tried—he can't interfere; breaking the door is a Dan Tang order."

Su Muqing froze, her foot hovering uncertainly.

In the end, the relationship simply wasn't strong enough.

Three years without visiting—even kinship fades; how much more so after ten?

"No need. Open the door now."

Li Zhiwei drifted in, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Everyone was stunned—she had a decent relationship with Chen Zhao; why not help delay, but instead demand early opening?

Had something happened?

Xin Tong's mind suddenly went blank; she sat there in a daze, unable to react for a moment.

She instinctively wanted to argue, but Senior Sister Li was now at mid Foundation Establishment and could already see through the situation in the pill chamber—there was no way she was wrong.

Only Su Muqing was overjoyed in her heart.

But because of the Gu Insect, she could not lay everything bare.

Boom!

Li Zhiwei flicked a finger, and the Array dissolved at once; the stone door crumbled into flying ash, dust swirling into the air.

All around was a grey haze, yet inside the furnace three points of red light were gradually fading, emitting a sizzling sound.

Suddenly.

Three seven-colored vortices of Qi appeared out of thin air; the Pill Furnace shook violently and then exploded with a roar!

The furnace blew up?

Li Zhiwei formed a hand seal, conjuring an ice-blue barrier to shield everyone within it.

Seeing the gravity in her eyes, Xin Tong, Liu Chen, and the others' hearts sank to the bottom.

But when the crowd searched all around, there was still no sign of Chen Zhao.

Only three seven-colored pills floated in the air.

Just at this moment.

Three pillars of light pierced through the roof, shooting straight into the clouds, drawing rolling thunder and flashing lightning.

"Which senior is undergoing tribulation here?"

"One alone would be deadly enough—yet there are three!"

The disciples' faces were all stamped with terror; they swarmed out, afraid that one step too late would mean being caught in the heavenly thunder.

Only Li Zhiwei remained, face tilted skyward, murmuring to herself.

"Pill Tribulation... and three of them at that!"

Heaven envies the wondrous thing, and sends down thunder as punishment.

Though she had long practiced Alchemy, this was her first time witnessing a Pill Tribulation for first-grade pills—and three at once!

The precious materials certainly accounted for the greater part of the reason, but Chen Zhao's skill in Alchemy was also indispensable.

"If they withstand the Pill Tribulation, they might just break through to second grade!"

If that were truly so.

Chen Zhao would already have one foot in the realm of second grade, far surpassing many an Inner Sect Disciple!

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

The pool of thunder suddenly burst forth, and the night sky blazed bright as day.

Though Liu Chen and the others were within the barrier, they were still forced to the ground by the pressure.

Xin Tong struggled to lift her gaze and saw three bolts of heavenly thunder crash down; the great Array of Juxian Pavilion had barely activated before it was wiped out in an instant.

Crack, crack, crack.

The thunder shattered the entire fourth floor and struck squarely onto the pills.

The aftershock leveled the pill chamber, and the ice-blue barrier trembled violently!

Yet before one wave had even settled, another rose; the lightning poured down like a great river, surging without end.

For half an incense stick's time, the thunder showed not the slightest pause!

"The Pill Tribulation is already at Foundation Establishment level—how can these pills possibly withstand it?"

Li Zhiwei watched with keen interest.

She trusted that Chen Zhao would not do something without confidence of success.

Use a treasure, an Array, or a specialized tribulation-crossing tool?

Yet Chen Zhao made no move at all!

The pills swayed on the brink of falling, and even she began to hesitate over whether to lend a hand.

Until the very last bolt of heavenly thunder came crashing down.

Nine-Orifice Solid-Source Pills—three successfully formed, perfectly intact!

A figure slowly stepped out from the shadows, yet did not block the heavenly thunder.

He let it strike the pills; the matchless pressure caused Juxian Pavilion to collapse outright!

In an instant, a gale rose fierce and wild, trees were uprooted and swept back, and the dust between heaven and earth was swept clean in a flash.

The clouds parted, and the moon shone bright!

The pure moonlight traced out a side face that carried a scholarly air.

His long hair was bound up, his white robe fluttered sharply, his bearing transcended the worldly dust; he stepped leisurely into the lingering waves of the thunder tribulation and pinched the three pills between his fingers.

And at the instant his left foot came down.

Spiritual pressure suddenly spread outward—clearly already at the ninth layer of Qi Refining!