Chapter 146: Breaking Through to the Nascent Soul Stage

In a flash of insight experienced by Liu Junhuai, Mo Sitong had already stepped out of the array formation, cradling several jade bottles in her hands.

The old butler's eyes lit up with excitement as he eagerly stepped forward to receive the bottles.

Mo Sitong wore an expression of guilt, looking at Liu Junhuai with a mist of tears veiling her eyes. "Junhuai, I only managed to refine seven pills of the Profound Genesis Nine-Bundle pill. So many precious Scarlet Spirit Ganoderma and Profound Pearl Grass were wasted by me. Am I just that clumsy?"

Just as Liu Junhuai was about to comfort her, the old butler smiled and said, "My lady is mistaken. Those two stalks of Scarlet Spirit Ganoderma and Profound Pearl Grass are only ever expected to yield between six and eight Profound Genesis Nine-Bundle pills. Because both the Scarlet Spirit Ganoderma and Profound Pearl Grass grow exclusively in twin pairs, ancient texts record that all four spiritual herbs must be used simultaneously in the cauldron to yield twelve pills divided into eighteen paths. For my lady to successfully refine seven is already a supreme achievement."

Mo Sitong gasped in pleasant surprise. "Is that so? I thought, just like other pills, it required a full yield of twelve! That's wonderful, simply wonderful!" She repeatedly patted her chest, looking as though her heart was still fluttering with lingering fright.

Liu Junhuai chuckled. "Relieved now, are you? In truth, even if you hadn't produced a single successful pill, it wouldn't have mattered. Everything is governed by destiny. Pill refinement, much like a cultivator's journey, is an act that defies the heavens; encountering such tribulations is entirely inescapable!"

The old butler, who had been lowering his head to inspect the finished pills, continued, "The Spiritual Pupil pills yielded a total of twelve, comprising three of lower grade and three of middle grade. My lady's refinement technique has advanced yet another step—truly a cause for celebration! As for the seven Profound Genesis Nine-Bundle pills—one lower grade, two middle grade, and four upper grade—this is an extraordinary performance. After refining a few more cauldrons, prime-grade pills are bound to appear."

Mo Sitong widened her eyes in astonishment. "There is such a thing as a prime grade? How does it differ from upper-grade pills?"

"When prime-grade pills are successfully formed, they trigger a phenomenon where the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth resonates in harmony," the old butler explained eloquently. "Such pills need not be refined internally before being absorbed; their efficacy is several multiples that of upper-grade pills, and they possess a trace of sentience. In the case of immortal pills, upon formation, they will autonomously fly out of the cauldron's mouth to escape." Both Mo Sitong and Liu Junhuai listened with rapt fascination.

"The reason I say the master's wife possesses a natural talent for alchemy is that an alchemist's success rate for a single cauldron rarely exceeds eighty percent. Yet, ever since my lady began her practice, her success rate has consistently been near one hundred percent, and her alchemic rank has been soaring at a breathtaking pace." The old butler glanced at Liu Junhuai. "I once thought the master was already a prodigy in pill refinement, but compared to her, the gap remains quite vast. In truth, whether in the realm of cultivators or the immortal world, high-tier alchemists are the true vanguard and trendsetters. Behind every high-tier alchemist, there will forever trail a massive host of followers."

Liu Junhuai curled the corner of his lips, his tone tinged with a faint sourness. "Isn't the butler exaggerating somewhat? This is an era where the mighty are supreme; by your logic, shouldn't all powerful experts bend the knee to alchemists?"

The old butler chuckled heartily. "Ordinary pills can be consumed by everyday mortals to gather vitality, replenish Qi, and prolong life with truly miraculous effects. But items like the Profound Genesis Nine-Bundle pill—though low in rank, they are exceptionally scarce upon formation and may well be termed peerless treasures. In the mortal world, they are exceedingly rare and exorbitantly expensive.

"Even almighty immortal sects are incapable of mass-producing them, and each single pill possesses intense sentience. The sheer magnitude of its medicinal power far surpasses ordinary immortal herbs, let alone the pills of the cultivation world. The value of such a single pill is absolutely no less than a spiritual treasure or a semi-divine artifact; one might even call it priceless. After all, no matter how powerful a divine artifact may be, it remains merely an external object, ultimately falling short of achieving one's own ascension to immortality and attaining untethered longevity.

"The temptation of pills is simply too immense, especially those capable of augmenting one's cultivation base. They are quite literally the ultimate embodiment of the doctrine of wresting life from the heavens!

"Such pills often yield only a handful per cauldron, making them exceedingly precious. Ordinary worldly wealth cannot possibly procure them; one must rely on other pills, magical treasures, spirit stones, and all manner of rare earthly treasures to conduct transactions. The moment one appears, it is invariably treated as a priceless treasure and an essential foundation of a sect's inheritance. Unless one is a sect master, elder, or core disciple, such a pill is completely beyond reach.

"Then there is the Sun-Soul Pill, which allows one to break through from the middle realm to the upper realm—specifically from the Mahayana stage to the Tribulation stage. It is even more miraculous, frequently requiring the combined might of an entire sect, the resources of an entire nation, endless heavenly treasures, and the painstaking efforts of generations to forge. Once successfully refined, it is bound to shake the heavens and earth. The moment one is ingested, it may immediately invite the heavenly tribulation, paving the way to complete merit and ascending to the clouds in broad daylight. Without the guidance of the Sun-Soul Pill, one might languish for hundreds or thousands of years more. Tell me, Master, are alchemists important or not?"

Liu Junhuai let out a dry, self-deprecating laugh, while Mo Sitong giggled beside him. "Butler, actually, he agrees with everything you've said. It's just that my alchemic talent has completely overshadowed him, and he feels rather unreconciled. This is merely a case of bruised pride, nothing to do with his character! Junhuai, isn't that right?"

Liu Junhuai feigned a strike, and Mo Sitong giggled as she scampered away.

Watching the playful banter between the two young masters, a wave of warmth washed over the old butler's heart. Both of their capabilities far exceeded ordinary mortals, and he felt deeply consoled by his own good fortune.

Once the playful antics of the two had subsided, the old butler turned serious. "Since the Profound Genesis Nine-Bundle pills have been successfully refined, the Master should head to the Scarlet Flame Valley to ingest them and strive to break through to the Nascent Soul stage in one go! Before doing so, you must first completely exhaust all your True Essence Qi. When you enter the cavern to recover your True Essence, remember to absorb the Frigid Crystal and the Gold Essence Stone in alternating turns; only thus can the five elemental attributes within your body achieve balance. Upon reaching the Nascent Soul stage, ingest the Spiritual Pupil pill; its medicinal efficacy will manifest far more thoroughly when refined then."

With that, he turned his gaze to Mo Sitong. "My lady, accompany me to the storage chamber to retrieve some spiritual herbs and materials. The Dual-Color Blood-Replenishing Grass has been sitting there for some time; the Blood-Replenishing pills must also be refined as soon as possible."

As the old butler's tasks were assigned, Liu Junhuai recalled a critical issue.

"Butler, I anticipate that a heavenly tribulation will arrive during my breakthrough. The cavern in Scarlet Flame Valley is hardly a suitable venue; shouldn't I head outside?" Liu Junhuai asked.

Hearing this, the old butler couldn't help rolling his eyes. "That cavern is merely for you to absorb the five elemental spiritual Qi; once replenished, naturally you must come out. How about this—return to the Chaos Space. With Ah Jiu assisting by your side, should any mishap occur, it can lend you a hand." Seeing Liu Junhuai lingering as if he wanted to say more, the old butler continued, "Heavenly tribulations ignore all barriers and restrictions between heaven and earth. The Master's Mountain and River Gourd cannot block the path of heavenly lightning!"

Liu Junhuai chuckled softly and flashed into the Scarlet Flame Valley.

The scorching, piercing gales at the mouth of the Scarlet Flame Valley remained as biting as ever.

Depleting one's True Essence Qi was a remarkably straightforward task. Liu Junhuai merely channeled his True Essence to form a protective barrier and stepped down along the winding stone path, pace by pace.

With his late-stage Golden Core cultivation, it was only upon passing the mid-slope cave entrance that he truly began to feel the invasion of the blistering heat and air pressure. Ignoring the opening, Liu Junhuai continued downward.

After descending several hundred steps in this manner, he had no choice but to rely on iron chains for leverage, moving forward with arduous difficulty. The consumption of his True Essence Qi also grew drastically acute.

Before reaching the valley floor, his entire reserve of True Essence was thoroughly exhausted, forcing him to retreat to the cavern halfway up the slope.

Having arranged the array formation, he circulated the Nine-Transform Heart Sutra, withdrew the Frigid Crystal and the Gold Essence Stone, and absorbed and refined them in succession.

Two hours passed within the time-dilation array, and his True Essence Qi was now overflowing throughout his body. Only then did Liu Junhuai step into the Chaos Space.

Catching sight of his long-awaited master's return, Ah Jiu approached with an expression of boundless grievance, nuzzling affectionately against Liu Junhuai.

Liu Junhuai laughed. "Ah Jiu, has no one been keeping you company here? Were you terribly bored?"

Ah Jiu nodded powerlessly, and Liu Junhuai said, "Right now, the outside world is precisely in need of people. Once this wave of busyness passes, they will all return. Just bear with it for a few days longer!"

Following this, Liu Junhuai explained the purpose of his entry, informing the beast that a heavenly tribulation was imminent. Knowing that Liu Junhuai was about to elevate his cultivation realm, Ah Jiu happily thrashed its massive body about in delight.

Having set up the array formation by the shores of Azure Cloud Lake, Liu Junhuai let out a deep breath and slowly stepped into the formation.

Ah Jiu also recognized that a critical moment had arrived, and a trace of human-like anxiety flickered within its eyes.

As the Nine-Transform Heart Sutra began to spin, a powerful wave of energy erupted from Liu Junhuai's cross-legged form. Immediately afterward, the surrounding spiritual Qi of heaven and earth converged toward the array and was continuously drawn into Liu Junhuai's body.

The fluctuations of heaven and earth's spiritual Qi grew increasingly violent. At this moment, the cross-legged Liu Junhuai seemed to have transformed into a vortex, ceaselessly devouring the spiritual energy of the universe. The aura emanating from him steadily grew stronger, while the acupoints within his body boiled like a rolling cauldron, frantically competing to absorb the incoming spiritual Qi.

"The time has come." Liu Junhuai produced a Meridian-Clearing Pill and swallowed it. Instantly, a soul-rending, excruciating pain surged over him, driving him to the brink of fainting in that very fraction of a second.

His continuously expanding meridians stretched wider and wider through wave after wave of impact, and each successive surge of agony grew ever more intense.

Even as Liu Junhuai gritted his teeth against the agonizing pain to maintain control over the spiritual Qi and his willpower, the Meridian-Clearing Pill compressed the expansion phase into a remarkably brief window. A torrential flood of spiritual energy poured into his meridians, expanding them multiple times over once more, and the piercing, heart-piercing pain abruptly vanished.

Swiftly retrieving an Infant-Nurturing Pill, he swallowed it. The ferocious impact brought by the Infant-Nurturing Pill began violently battering against the barrier of the Transformation stage. As the cracks in the barrier widened, the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth rushed into his Dantian with even greater frenzy.

With his Dantian suddenly receiving such a colossal surge of energy, a powerful wave of spiritual fluctuation radiated from within his body. Multi-colored radiances surfaced within his Dantian—they were highly compressed spiritual energies of heaven and earth, utterly devoid of any external conversion.

The spiritual Qi rapidly converged within Jun Junhuai's Dantian until he felt a distended, aching sensation erupting from the region. At that, he hardened his heart and desperately drove that densely compressed spiritual Qi to slam against the soybean-sized Golden Core resting in his Dantian.

The very instant the spiritual Qi made contact with the Golden Core, Liu Junhuai felt a scorching, destructive, and overwhelmingly massive energy surge into his Golden Core. This energy shattered his True Essence and his Golden Core, mingling with the dispersed True Essence as it rapidly scattered throughout his entire body before vanishing without a trace, while the core of this external energy seamlessly merged into the shattered fragments of his Golden Core.