RPAGF Chapter 178 Twists and Turns in Alchemy
Chapter 178 Twists and Turns in Alchemy
Inside the alchemy furnace, the eerie blue flames, like lively sprites, burned fiercely, their leaping embers illuminating Xuan Fengzi's focused face. His eyes were fixed on the changes within the furnace, his hands moving like precise instruments, meticulously controlling the heat. Each medicinal herb seemed to come alive in his hands, methodically being added to the furnace one by one.
When the first thousand-year-old snow lotus was placed into the furnace, its icy spiritual energy instantly collided with the blazing flames, producing a soft sizzling sound. A thin layer of icy mist immediately filled the furnace, creating a dreamlike scene. Next, Xuan Fengzi added a Crimson Sun Fruit radiating golden light. In an instant, the icy mist was dyed a magnificent orange-red, and the two spiritual energies began to merge, emitting a strange and captivating glow. As more medicinal herbs were added, the spiritual energy fluctuations within the furnace grew increasingly intense, with various spiritual energies intertwining and fusing to form a wondrous and complex spiritual energy field.
Zhang Yifan stood to the side, like a statue, barely daring to breathe, his eyes fixed intently on the alchemy furnace. His hands unconsciously clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms, yet he remained oblivious. As time slowly passed, the elixir within the furnace gradually took shape, and the medicinal fragrance in the air grew increasingly rich and mellow. That aroma seemed to possess a magical power, gently stirring Zhang Yifan's heartstrings and igniting a spark of hope within him.
However, fate seems to love playing tricks. Just as the elixir was about to enter the final, crucial stage of condensation, an unexpected change occurred. An unimaginably powerful surge of spiritual energy, like a raging tsunami, swept in from outside the alchemy room. This surge of spiritual energy was extremely chaotic, like a pack of mad beasts that had lost their minds, carrying a violent and unrestrained aura, instantly breaking through the alchemy room's defenses and violently disrupting the balance of spiritual energy within the alchemy furnace.
Xuan Fengzi's face instantly turned deathly pale, as if shrouded in frost. As an experienced ninth-grade alchemist, he immediately realized that an extremely powerful and malicious external force was deliberately interfering with the alchemy process. "Not good!" He instinctively exclaimed, his voice filled with undisguised anxiety and shock.
Immediately, his hands moved with incredible speed, like phantoms, spiritual energy flashing between his fingers as he attempted to stabilize the chaotic spiritual energy within the alchemy furnace using his profound spiritual foundation. However, the external force was too powerful, like a tidal wave, impossible to resist. Under this powerful impact, the alchemy furnace began to shake violently, its body colliding with the ground with a dull, alarming sound. The flames within the furnace also became extremely unstable, sometimes blazing like a raging torrent, almost bursting through the furnace roof; at other times, flickering like a candle in the wind, seemingly on the verge of being extinguished.
Seeing this, Zhang Yifan's heart clenched, filled with extreme anxiety. He knew very well that if the situation inside the alchemy furnace got completely out of control, not only would the refining of the Seven Treasures Rejuvenation Pill, which embodied countless efforts and hopes, inevitably fail, but even more terrifyingly, the powerful spiritual energy contained within the furnace could very well trigger a massive explosion. At that time, the entire alchemy room and even the surrounding buildings would be razed to the ground, with unimaginable consequences.
At this critical moment, without the slightest hesitation, he instantly activated the Chaos Technique within his body. In an instant, a layer of multicolored light emanated from his body, and the nine nascent souls within him began to spin rapidly, each releasing powerful spiritual energy that merged and converged with the others. A mighty and boundless spiritual energy, like a flood bursting its banks, surged forth from his body, rushing towards the alchemy furnace with all its might.
"Senior, let me help you!" Zhang Yifan shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing in the violently shaking alchemy room. With the assistance of Zhang Yifan's spiritual power, Xuan Fengzi felt that the chaotic spiritual power within the alchemy furnace had shown signs of easing, and the situation was slightly brought under control.
But that external force clearly wasn't going to let them off easily. Like an enraged beast, it pounded even more fiercely against the alchemy room. Wave after wave of powerful spiritual energy surged against the walls, causing the runes on them to flicker erratically, seemingly on the verge of shattering. Xuan Fengzi's forehead was covered in a dense layer of sweat, large beads rolling down his cheeks and evaporating instantly upon hitting the ground. He clenched his teeth, his jaw trembling slightly from the effort, his eyes revealing an unwavering determination as he continuously adjusted the spiritual energy and heat within the alchemy furnace. "This pill cannot fail!" he roared silently in his heart again and again, the voice echoing like a vow he held fast.
Just when the situation reached a stalemate, as if trapped in an endless abyss of darkness with no hope in sight, Zhang Yifan suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of a solution. He quickly took out a mysterious stone he had obtained from the stone gate from his storage ring. This stone emitted a soft and stable light and contained powerful and pure spiritual energy.
"Senior, try this stone!" he shouted, handing the stone to Xuan Fengzi. The moment Xuan Fengzi took the stone, a glimmer of surprise flashed in his eyes, a light like dawn in the darkness, illuminating the hope in his heart. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately integrated the stone into the spiritual energy system of the alchemy furnace.
A miraculous thing happened: the spiritual power of the stone acted like a stabilizing force, instantly exerting its powerful effect. The previously chaotic and erratic fluctuations of spiritual power gradually stabilized and began to circulate orderly around the embryonic core. The flames inside the furnace, like a pacified beast, resumed their normal pulse, the blue flames swaying merrily, as if cheering that the crisis had been temporarily alleviated.
However, the test of fate seemed far from over. Just as everyone thought the crisis was completely over and breathed a sigh of relief, a strange hissing sound suddenly came from the alchemy furnace, followed by a pungent black smoke billowing out. Xuan Fengzi's face instantly turned ashen. He knew all too well what this meant; it was a sign that the pill had encountered a serious problem. If it wasn't resolved in time, all previous efforts would be in vain, and the pill would still fail to be refined.
Xuan Fengzi couldn't afford to worry about anything else at this moment. He knew that time was of the essence, and every second wasted increased the risk of the pill failing. He directly and without reservation probed his spiritual power into the alchemy furnace, trying to find the root cause of the problem with his rich experience and keen perception.
With his spiritual perception, the situation inside the furnace was clearly presented in his mind. After careful examination, he discovered that a medicinal herb called "Lingxi Grass" had been severely affected by the chaos, losing some of its medicinal effects. This seemingly minor change, like the butterfly effect, caused a deviation in the overall fusion of the pill, and the structure of the pill embryo became unstable.
Xuan Fengzi acted decisively, quickly turning and rushing to the medicine cabinet beside him. His hands rummaged rapidly through the numerous medicinal herbs, his eyes filled with anxiety and focus. Finally, he found a spare "Lingxi Grass." He carefully picked up the Lingxi Grass and, with exquisite skill, quickly processed it. He gently enveloped the Lingxi Grass with his spiritual energy, removing impurities from its surface one by one, while simultaneously activating its potential medicinal effects.
After finishing, he returned to the alchemy furnace and carefully placed the Spirit Rhinoceros Grass into it. Then, he took a deep breath, adjusted his state, and once again devoted himself to adjusting the heat and spiritual energy. His hands quickly formed hand seals, and he chanted incantations. Streams of spiritual energy runes flew from his hands and merged into the alchemy furnace.
This time, Lady Luck seemed to be on their side. Xuan Fengzi's operation was a success. The black smoke inside the alchemy furnace gradually dissipated, replaced by the familiar and reassuring aroma of herbs. A faint, refreshing scent mingled with the aroma, like a glimmer of new hope. Zhang Yifan and Xuan Fengzi both breathed a long sigh of relief, their faces showing tired yet gratified smiles. They knew the most difficult moment was over; now they only needed to wait patiently for the pill to be successfully refined—that would be the best reward for their hard work and perseverance.