Chapter 598: Bodhi Hundred-Turn Pill Formation

Even the Grand Elder's eyes contracted—this smile could mean only one thing!

Success!

"No way!"

"Are we witnessing the birth of a Ji Pin Dan Yao?!"

"This can't be real—how could anyone refine a Ji Pin Dan Yao so fast? It hasn't even been a month!"

Xiao Yan, as Champion of the Pill Gathering, should never be questioned—his words and actions were beyond doubt. Yet now, despite knowing Xiao Yan was Champion and would never speak without cause or deceive, many still could not help but doubt and suspect.

It was simply too fast!

It's almost faster than Hou the Weirdo's refinement of Nine Color Pill Thunder! So many now suspect Xiao Yan's pill might not even be Ji Pin.

After all, Ji Pin requires several times to dozens of times the Medicinal Material of an Eight-Pillar pill—this terrifying quantity demands not only sharper focus but far more time.

Dan Chen's eyes flickered with a unique Spiritual Soul fluctuation, saying: "There's an immensely powerful energy inside Xiao Yan's Alchemy Furnace—stronger than Hou Elder's pill by more than tenfold!"

Though Cao Ying lacked Dan Chen's special constitution, she too sensed something, nodding in agreement: "Xiao Yan has never failed before, so he saved immense time. And he may not be refining a Ji Pin Dan Yao for the first time."

Fast? No reason but mastery.

Before all eyes, Xiao Yan slowly rose to his feet—and as he stood, Cao Ying and all others who had witnessed his Pill Gathering refinement felt as if they'd returned to that moment: he remained as confident as ever!

That confidence in Pill Alchemy had never changed!

He was Xiao Yan—and Champion. Even within Xiao Dan Ta, he was Champion!

"Bodhi Heart Pill Formation."

Whirr!! As Xiao Yan gently pressed his palm against the Alchemy Furnace, a brilliant emerald light erupted from within—seen from afar, it resembled the shadow of a Bodhi Tree. Whoosh! A deep-white Strange Fire surged skyward, coalescing into a swirling vortex around Xiao Yan, like a wheel of reincarnation.

Yao Chen's Pill Refining Method was no longer suited to Xiao Yan's current level. His journey to Xiao Dan Ta was not merely to obtain Pill Formulas—he also intended to deeply study and refine Pill Refining Methods.

Boom! A yellow pill shot out from the Black Demon, drawn by invisible force, beginning to spin along the Strange Fire vortex—while simultaneously, an astonishing energy fluctuation spread outward.

"What kind of Pill Refining Method is this?!"

"What an astonishing Pill Formation!"

Feeling this fluctuation, many Alchemists' faces flushed with shock—this energy had been utterly undetectable just days ago!

"Is that… the Bodhi Ancient Tree?" The Grand Elder's eyes narrowed slightly—he had seen this massive emerald tree-shadow in Ancient Texts, identical to the descriptions of the Bodhi Ancient Tree.

"Xiao Yan obtained the Bodhi Heart!"

"Is this the Hundred-Turn Bodhi Pill Formation?!"

Sure enough, Xiao Yan rapidly formed hand seals—the Nine Yin Yellow Spring Pill spun with the Strange Fire vortex, polished by Bone Spirit Cold Fire, transforming its once rough, uneven surface into a smooth, flawless sphere.

"Th-this pill's quality… is incredibly high!" Hou the Weirdo's eyes widened in shock—he couldn't even grasp the barest hint of this Pill Formation!

Elder Xuan Kongzi and the others opened their mouths, but could only grimace and shake their heads—this Hundred-Turn Pill Formation demanded extreme mastery over Fire Control and Soul Power. Even they, as Elders of Xiao Dan Ta, could only perceive its surface—its inner core remained utterly incomprehensible.

Other onlookers were even more lost—in their eyes, they merely saw a giant emerald tree-shadow enveloping Xiao Yan, a deep-white Strange Fire vortex swirling around him, and the pill circling him—utterly clueless as to why this was done.

Far away from Xiao Dan Ta, an old woman with white hair silently watched Xiao Yan refine, her gaze softening as she smiled: "Yao Chen, your disciple has far surpassed you."

Boom!!

As the pill spun faster and its fluctuation intensified, a deafening roar suddenly split the Sky—then, all present felt the world plunge into darkness as clouds rapidly gathered from every direction.

This time, the gathering clouds were not colorful—but an extreme, profound darkness.

Black Cloud blanketed the Sky, silent—no thunder echoed. Yet when one gazed into that abyssal darkness, so deep it seemed to swallow vision itself, even the Spiritual Soul trembled slightly.

Amid the spreading Black Cloud, many pupils contracted—a chilling thought surged into their hearts.

"Damn it! Xiao Yan really refined a Ji Pin Dan Yao—and succeeded!"

"My god! He refined a Ji Pin Dan Yao in less than a month?!"

"Even the Grand Elder is afraid…"

At this moment, even these veteran Pill Masters wore expressions of bewildered awe—some were outright terrified.

For Xiao Yan's speed and pill quality had surpassed even the Grand Elder's!

When facing the unknown, fear is always the first reaction.

Now, everyone's gaze at Xiao Yan had shifted from confusion to reverence—and finally to terror—because they could not comprehend him; he was an unknown monster, shattering their every assumption.

"Black Demon Thunder—and this Black Demon Thunder is incredibly strong!"

The Grand Elder, clad in hemp robes, now lifted his head, gazing at the eerie Black Cloud above with a flicker of astonishment.

Black Demon Thunder naturally had ranks—the greater its power, the higher the pill's quality. From the weakest Half-Sage level to the late Three-Star Dou Saint level, each represented a different rank.

Far above, the black clouds writhed endlessly. The entire world fell utterly silent—not a single thunderclap echoed. Yet it was this deathly silence that made the moment feel terrifying.

As the black clouds continued to writhe, roughly ten minutes later, a circular void slowly split open at the center—still pitch-black, like the deepest black hole, its scale grotesquely vast.

Seeing this colossal void, all Elders of Xiao Dan Ta's pupils contracted—they had never seen a Black Demon Thunder this large!

Yet as the circular void appeared, Xiao Yan shook his head slightly, dissatisfied, muttering: "Just barely reached Three-Star Dou Saint strength. I thought it might reach peak."

The instant he finished speaking, Xiao Yan's overwhelming aura erupted without restraint from his body.

As the Nine Yin Yellow Spring Pill completed its ninety-ninth rotation, a strange sound finally echoed from within the void—then a massive black dragon, like a waterfall, plunged toward Xiao Yan. Seeing this colossal Black Demon Thunder, the surrounding Pill Masters recoiled in horror, retreating swiftly.

Xiao Yan smiled faintly, fixing his gaze on the black lightning that even the Grand Elder found dangerous. Whoosh—he drew the Xuan Heavy Ruler. Zzzz—the Xiao Clan's Clan Mark glowed forth, a Seven-Colored Divine Light shattering the darkness of the Black Demon Thunder.

"The Xiao Clan's Divine-Class Clan Mark?!" The Grand Elder was stunned—given his age and experience, he naturally knew the Xiao Clan's mark, for Xiao Xuan's era was only a millennium past.

Xiao Yan leapt high into the air, his entire body engulfed in Strange Fire, Fused Strange Fire merging into the Flame-Splitting Wave Ruler as he charged the Black Demon Thunder, roaring inwardly: "Flame-Splitting Wave Ruler!"

"Break!"

Boom!! The Strange Fire clashed with the Black Demon Thunder. Though Xiao Yan wielded only an Earth-Rank Low-Level Dou Technique, with the Divine-Class Clan Mark's enhancement, his Cultivation Realm reached the peak of Three-Star Dou Saint—far surpassing the Black Demon Thunder.

As the two collided, a terrifying Destruction Storm erupted from the center of man and lightning, spreading across the heavens and earth—the very space of this realm shattered like broken glass, cracking and exploding in a cacophony.

Above, the violent Energy Storm raged wildly—within a thousand zhang, all space turned pitch-black, utterly collapsed under the terror of that collision.

Gazing at the blackened void above, most faces were filled with terror—even after living so long, they had rarely witnessed such a clash. All knew: if caught in that Energy Storm, their strength would not last two breaths—they'd be obliterated, even their Spiritual Souls shattered.

Above, the raging Energy Storm finally faded after more than ten minutes. As the storm dispersed, the collapsed space gradually repaired itself, and warm sunlight once again poured down from the horizon, bathing the mountaintop in light.

As the storm dispersed, countless gazes instantly turned to the sky, where a young figure stood atop the air, utterly unharmed by the immensely powerful Black Demon Thunder.

"Xiao Yan brother is amazing—he actually crafted a Rank Nine Pill!"

"Yes, he's truly incredible."

After securing the Yin Nine Yellow Spring Pill, Xiao Yan descended from midair. Seeing him, Old Ghost Hou sighed and shook his head: "You're even more monstrous than your master."

Xiao Yan bowed slightly and said: "Elder Hou, you're too kind."

Old Ghost Hou accepted defeat gracefully; losing to Xiao Yan was no shame. Across the entire Xiao Dan Ta, perhaps even the whole Dou Qi Continent, fewer than five people could outmatch Xiao Yan in Pill Alchemy.

"I accept my loss—this seat on the Xiao Dan Ta Elder Council is yours," Old Ghost Hou waved his hand, losing with dignity.

Hearing Old Ghost Hou's words, Cao Ying, draped in black gauze, walked forward slowly. Her beautiful eyes curved slightly as she covered her mouth and giggled: "Hehe, Elder Xiao, I'll need your guidance in Pill Alchemy from now on."

Cao Ying's voice was soft and alluring, her eyes glistening like water, casting a seductive glance at Xiao Yan—her tone and cadence seemed to imply something deeper.

Xiao Yan had naturally heard the outcome of Cao Ying and Dan Chen's contest.

Hearing Cao Ying's words, Xiao Yan glanced at the excited Cao Ying, then smiled slightly and bowed to the Grand Elder: "Grand Elder, the Xiao Dan Ta Pill Apprentices are assigned to assist me with Spirit Refining, gathering Medicinal Materials, and other tasks, correct?"

The Grand Elder paused, then nodded. Pill Apprentices, in essence, were little more than servants; during Pill Alchemy, preparing Medicinal Materials fell to them—trimming, drying, removing insect damage, even cleaning the Spirit Refining Furnace—all their duties.

They weren't even disciples. The Xiao Dan Ta Elders spent every day immersed in Pill Alchemy—how could they spare time to teach? Apprentices could only watch silently.

Yet this seemingly menial work was coveted by countless others; after all, as an apprentice, one could observe Xiao Yan's Spirit Refining up close. Even without his guidance, merely witnessing his recent Pill formation would bring boundless benefit.

"Then I choose Dan Chen," Xiao Yan said, smiling at Dan Chen, who stood beside him, her expression downcast and pitiful.

"Me?" Dan Chen gasped in shock, her large, watery eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Xiao Yan—she had lost the contest, after all.

"Yes. And you also produced a Seven Colored Pill Thunder Pill, didn't you? I think yours was better. What, are you unwilling?"

"I'm willing!" Dan Chen nodded frantically.

Hearing Xiao Yan's choice, the surrounding Elders wore expressions of utter astonishment. Normally, one would select the apprentice with the greatest Pill Alchemy talent—otherwise, they wouldn't even understand basic instructions.

Many had also noticed Cao Ying's subtle intentions—only to be utterly thwarted by Xiao Yan!

Naturally, some rejoiced while others grieved. Hearing Xiao Yan's indirect refusal, Cao Ying froze like a statue, struck dumb by shock.

Drip. A tear, the size of a soybean, slipped from Cao Ying's beautiful eyes, then poured like rain. Overwhelmed with grievance, she whimpered: "Wah… I won, why… wah…"

Seeing the enchanting Cao Ying suddenly burst into tears, even Xiao Yan was startled—he hadn't expected to make her cry. It was hard to imagine someone like Cao Ying would be so heartbroken she wept!

"Ahem," the Grand Elder cleared his throat. "With your Pill Alchemy, Elder Xiao, having more people follow and learn from you would be a blessing to the entire Dou Qi Continent."

The Grand Elder, a seasoned old fox, instantly elevated Xiao Yan to the status of a blessing for the Dou Qi Continent—not only granting him immense face, but also offering Cao Ying a lifeline.

Hearing the Grand Elder's clear hint, Cao Ying slowly lifted her head, her beautiful eyes filled with hopeful longing as she gazed at Xiao Yan. Her usual seductive allure, now softened by tears, carried a different charm—one that made Xiao Yan feel slightly embarrassed.

"Since the Grand Elder says so…"

Seeing Xiao Yan nod, Cao Ying's eyes brightened instantly—then she realized how transparent she'd been, her cheeks flushing faintly as she turned her head away, unable to meet his gaze.

Clearly, before Xiao Yan, Cao Ying's coy tactics were utterly useless—she had played herself completely.