The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

"Vice President Lin, my friend, you felt that, didn’t you?"

The Ancient King’s expression was grim as he stared at the rapidly shrinking Cloud Sea.

"Of course," Yur Piaoyun said, his expression a mixture of shock and uncertainty. "A presence like this... it feels like it transcends all profound mysteries. It’s like... the will of the world itself."

To the Ancient King, the power gathering over the Cloud Sea was immense, but not enough to truly horrify him. The will it contained, however, was a terror he had never encountered in his four-hundred-plus years of practicing the Martial Arts.

On the surface of the sea, the Celestial Human Realm Martial Artists who had been hiding in the shadows could no longer remain still after sensing this power. They rushed out one after another, staring toward Liubo Island. Though they normally betrayed no emotion, their faces were now masks of utter astonishment.

"What is this feeling?"

"A will that transcends all else... I’ve never seen anything like it!"

"Is this Heaven? Could the heavens themselves be enraged?"

A will that transcended all else—this was no mere description. It was a thought that surfaced naturally the moment they sensed it. It sounded absurd, yet, strangely enough, none of them doubted it for a second.

It was as if this was how things were always meant to be.

If even the Celestial Human Realm Martial Artists were so affected, there was no hope for the Sky-Controlling Martial Artists. Even from dozens of miles away, they could still feel the irresistible nature of this will.

Some discovered to their horror that the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, usually so docile and obedient, had become as still as stagnant water, refusing to stir in the slightest.

In the face of this will, the Primordial Qi itself bowed in submission, daring not to act out of turn!

BOOM!!

The distant Cloud Sea contracted violently, condensing into a single, pitch-black thundercloud. The cloud covered an area hundreds of yards across, rumbling with muffled thunder as bolts of purple-blue lightning flashed within. A few vicious birds, too slow to escape, were instantly incinerated into ash by the flashes of light.

As the thundercloud took shape, the immense will gradually faded away.

"The legends are true," Yur Piaoyun murmured.

"What legends?" the Ancient King and Lin Yuan asked, their curiosity piqued.

Yur Piaoyun took a deep breath. He looked at the white-robed youth nearby, his eyes filled with incomparable shock. He did his best to keep his voice steady as he explained, "According to the legends, when a Spirit Pill or a Spiritual Artifact is created, Heaven and Earth will send down a trial. Only by withstanding it can the creation truly gain a spirit!"

"’But if it fails,’ Yur Piaoyun continued, ’then all the Alchemist’s or Artifact Refiner’s painstaking effort will have been for nothing.’ He couldn’t believe it. ’Qin Ya actually managed to refine a Spirit Pill and trigger a heavenly trial... It’s inconceivable!’"

The Ancient King and Lin Yuan were rendered speechless.

’A teenager... refining a Spirit Pill?’

’Is this a joke? Or are we dreaming?’

’Oh, heavens! A Pill King! Could it be that the Southern Domain is about to produce a Pill King?’

’And this Pill King is a boy of only sixteen or seventeen!’

Beyond Liubo Island, high above the sea, six Celestial Human Martial Artists stood in the void as if on solid ground. They stared at the oppressive, dark thundercloud, their expressions grim.

As it happened, one among them had heard the legends of the heavenly trial and had even confirmed them in ancient texts. When he explained, the other Celestial Human Realm masters fell silent, a thousand different thoughts racing through their minds.

’A Pill King... The Southern Domain is about to be thrown into turmoil.’

At that moment, they were all thinking the same thing: they had to go back, prepare a generous gift, and return to Liubo Island to visit Master Yur and build a good relationship. ’Yes, it must be Master Yur.’ In their minds, the only person on Liubo Island with that level of skill in the Alchemy Dao was Master Yur.

As for Qin Ya, the thought hadn’t even crossed their minds.

He was merely prey, easily captured in their eyes.

At that moment, the corners of Qin Ya’s mouth lifted into a slight smile. ’This Spirit Pill Refining has gone even more smoothly than I imagined,’ he thought. ’The result is even a bit better than in my past life.’

’It makes sense, I suppose. In my past life, I was only at the Celestial Essence Realm.’

’But in this life, I’m already an Extraordinary Martial Artist. The boost from my higher Cultivation means I don’t have to worry about exhausting my True Essence or suffering a backlash from the Pill Qi during Alchemy.’

’It makes the entire Alchemy process so much more effortless.’

He formed a spell with his hands, and his True Essence surged, coalescing into an invisible hand that lifted the lid of the Pill Furnace. SWOOSH! A fist-sized, golden elixir suddenly shot toward the heavens, radiating a dazzling brilliance. For an instant, it seemed to be the only source of light in the world, so bright that it even eclipsed the Sun.

Immediately, a rich, clear fragrance, many times more potent than before, wafted out. A look of captivation spread across everyone’s faces. Even the Ancient King couldn’t help but take a few deep breaths. His Divine Thought stirred with excitement; the old injury that had plagued him for years actually showed signs of being suppressed.

"What a magnificent Spirit Pill."

The Ancient King exclaimed in admiration, a fervent light burning in his eyes. He was certain that with this Spirit Pill, the injury to his Divine Thought could absolutely be healed.

But Yur Piaoyun, standing beside them, felt no joy at all. On the contrary, his face was a complex mask of worry, tension, and unease. Seeing this, the Ancient King asked, "My friend, what’s wrong? Could there be a problem with the Spirit Pill?"

Yur Piaoyun said grimly, "It isn’t a Spirit Pill yet. Don’t forget, it still hasn’t passed the heavenly trial. Only after it endures the trial will it become a true Spirit Pill."

No one could understand Yur Piaoyun’s current state of mind. As a Ninth-Grade Alchemist, he was indescribably excited to witness the birth of a Spirit Pill—especially one that could heal his dear friend’s injury. If this pill were to be destroyed by the heavenly trial, he would, without a doubt, absolutely lose his mind.

Hearing this, the Ancient King and Lin Yuan also turned to stare intently at the Golden Core in the sky.

The Spirit Pill’s glow grew ever more brilliant. As if provoked, the thundercloud in the sky roared with an increasingly deafening clamor. Suddenly, a thick pillar of lightning, like a great python, twisted and writhed as it descended upon the Spirit Pill.

The hearts of the Ancient King and his companions leaped into their throats. The pillar of lightning instantly slammed into the Spirit Pill with a deafening roar, sending shockwaves rippling through the upper atmosphere. When the light faded, the Spirit Pill was still spinning in the air, a few wisps of residual electricity arcing across its surface, but it was completely unharmed.

"It’s alright! The Spirit Pill is alright!"

"That’s wonderful! The Spirit Pill passed the trial!"

Yur Piaoyun wiped the nervous sweat from his brow, a look of joy spreading across his face. But his celebration was cut short by Qin Ya’s cool voice from nearby.

"You’re celebrating too soon. This Thunder Tribulation isn’t over yet."

The words had barely left his mouth when another crack of thunder echoed. A second, even thicker pillar of lightning slammed down on the Spirit Pill. This bolt was significantly more powerful than the last, causing everyone’s hearts to leap back into their throats.

In contrast, Qin Ya, the Refiner himself, remained perfectly calm. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

He knew the Spirit Pill he had refined better than anyone.

BOOM, BOOM...

One bolt fell, then another. An unending barrage of lightning pillars hammered the Spirit Pill, each bolt more powerful than the last. Even the Celestial Human Realm Martial Artists watching from afar over the sea were secretly stunned.

’The power of this Thunder Tribulation is already enough to obliterate an ordinary Celestial Human Martial Artist.’

’For a single Elixir to withstand it... It’s inconceivable!’

Under the relentless bombardment of thunder, the Spirit Pill shrank at a rate visible to the naked eye, soon condensing from the size of an adult’s fist to that of a baby’s.

However, its Medicinal Power wasn’t leaking away. On the contrary, it was growing more and more pure, and the fragrance it emanated became even more soul-refreshing.