Chapter 237 – Creation Alchemy Formula, Using Heaven and Earth as Furnace, Refining All into Pills

The massive Projection of Xing Tian mirrored Xing Li’s movements, swinging down an astonishing axe strike that seemed capable of cleaving the heavens.

In response, the Bone Buddha behind Lu Chen answered with the Gluttonous Fiend Weapon in its hand.

Axe and sword collided, erupting in violent shockwaves.

In that instant, the Sea of Learning churned and the clouds roiled.

A terrifying ripple spread from the Sword Domain, causing Ye Hao and Zhao Liuhuo outside the domain to suddenly feel an intense palpitation.

The sensation was like having one’s heart seized, with half a foot already stepping through the gates of the underworld.

“W-what happened?”

Ye Hao, who had just shaken off two Martial God Mountain cultivators, turned to look at the distant clouds, his face pale.

Zhao Liuhuo beside him was in the same state.

Exchanging glances, they both saw profound relief in each other’s eyes.

Had they been inside those clouds, their fate would have been certain death without doubt.

Fortunately, the Azure Cloud Sect disciple truly lived up to his reputation of “upright integrity,” saving their lives.

Otherwise, even if they fought with all their might, the outcome would likely have been burial at sea.

Remembering this, they both committed Lu Chen’s appearance to memory before flying toward Penglai Island without looking back.

They owed Lu Chen their lives.

Within the Myriad Phenomena Cloud Disk, Xing Li’s Xing Tian projection had now completely shattered.

His right arm that had been gripping the Nine Refinements Battle Axe lay quietly at his feet, while copious blood flowed from the wound at his right shoulder, soaking half his garments.

On the other side, Lu Chen slightly lowered his head.

Visible on his chest was a faint scratch mark.

Though the mark had torn through his clothing, it hadn’t caused the slightest damage to his body.

Yet even so, this marked the first time Lu Chen had been “injured” in combat with a cultivator of his generation.

After all, before this, others his age couldn’t even touch his garments.

In truth, if comparing only Divine Ability power, Xing Li’s Xing Tian projection—forged through the Third Realm Spiritual Treasure, Immortality Art, and Ancient Desolate Body—slightly surpassed his own Underworld Star Phase.

The primary reason was the exceptionally high rank of the Xing Tian projection.

So high that Xing Li’s Divine Ability power could somewhat bridge the gap created by Lu Chen’s Dao Integration Realm Sword Domain.

Even though Lu Chen had used only one swordsmanship technique, even though Lu Chen was merely a Heretical Avatar.

But being able to injure Lu Chen was sufficient proof of Xing Li’s strength.

“The Longevity Clans are truly no ordinary existences. I will no longer interfere in your affairs.”

As these words fell, the Sword Domain enveloping him and Xing Li gradually dissipated.

Lu Chen’s Heretical Avatar then transformed into scattered lotus fragments, vanishing before him.

Witnessing this scene, Xing Li fell completely silent.

Though he had suspected that the one fighting him wasn’t Lu Chen’s true form,

when the truth stood plainly before him, his feelings couldn’t help but grow complex.

This visibly immense gap dealt a heavy blow to his proud nature.

In this moment, Xing Li began to doubt everything about himself—his Double Pupils, his Desolate Bone, his Immortality Art, and even his entire past.He didn’t know whether he was too weak or Lu Chen was too strong.

Though they were nearly the same age, the distance between them was like that between a mountain peak and its base.

At the same age and cultivation level, he couldn’t even defeat one of Lu Chen’s incarnations.

Could someone like him truly live up to his Family’s expectations and achieve Immortal Ascension through the Dao?

For a moment, Xing Li felt inexplicably lost.

But just as the light in his eyes was fading, he seemed to sense countless hopeful gazes behind him, and not far away, a colossal Immortal phantom whose face was unclear but whose stature reached the heavens.

The next second, the desolation in his eyes gradually vanished, replaced by an indescribable determination.

“Yes, I cannot fall here, for what I carry on my shoulders does not permit me to fall…”

Having resolved this, Xing Li looked down at the severed arm by his Foot.

He bent down, picked up the severed arm, and crushed it forcefully.

In an instant, the arm turned into a cloud of powder, leaving only a battle axe hovering before him.

Xing Li grasped the battle axe with one hand and said calmly, “In this life, I, Xing Li, owe no one. When I repay this life to you, then I shall reattach this severed arm. Only by knowing shame… can one find courage.”

As his words fell, not only was the confusion gone from Xing Li’s eyes, but a unique Aura also emanated from him.

Despite having lost an arm, Xing Li’s presence now seemed deeper than before, as if he had undergone some kind of transformation.

This transformation had nothing to do with his cultivation or Realm; it was a purely mental shift.

For a Cultivator, this was the Dao Heart.

“Quite interesting.”

Gu Yue True Immortal couldn’t help but smile as he watched Xing Li choose not to restore his severed arm, using it instead to remember the ‘favor’ he owed Lu Chen.

Only now did Xing Li finally show a glimpse of what it takes to achieve Immortal Ascension in his eyes.

Before this, he was merely a fine piece of uncut jade at best.

But now, after being ‘polished’ by Lu Chen, he had begun to resemble a piece of refined jade.

As for why Lu Chen had spared Xing Li in the end, only cutting off his right arm, Gu Yue True Immortal had an inkling of the answer.

If he wasn’t mistaken, Lu Chen likely intended to use Xing Li as a pawn in the Profound Yuan World.

Every gift from fate comes with a price tag hidden in the shadows.

By sparing Xing Li today, Lu Chen ensured that Xing Li would have to repay him manifold in the future.

In fact, it wasn’t just Xing Li; the same applied to Ye Hao, who had fled earlier.

Thinking of this, Gu Yue True Immortal grew even more expectant.

He had a feeling that Lu Chen was playing a grand game of chess.

But what the direction of this Chessboard was, or what its outcome would be, he had no idea.

After all, he didn’t even know whom Lu Chen was playing against.

Without seeing the Chessboard, one cannot know the game.

On Penglai Island.

Those who had appeared on the island at this moment were all individuals who had crossed the ‘Boundless Sea of Learning’ and reached the ‘other shore.’

Unlike the initial hundred or so people, only seventy-two had passed through the Sea of Learning this time, qualifying to enter White Deer Academy.

Among them, over two-thirds were prodigies from the Central Province of the outside world.

Upon reflection, this made sense. The Central Province Cultivators who had reached the second layer of the True Immortal Trial were all exceptional talents from various Schools.

If even they couldn’t pass White Deer Academy’s assessment, then no one could.At this moment, the crowd present upon seeing Lu Chen’s arrival, made way for him one after another.

Although they hadn’t clearly seen what transpired between Lu Chen and Xing Li moments earlier,

they had witnessed every detail of Lu Chen severing the sea with a single sword strike.

For Lu Chen, they had only two words: Prodigy.

Beyond this, they couldn’t think of any other term to describe the Lu Chen before them.

“Many thanks for your assistance, Fellow Daoist. Such great kindness need not be spoken, but if there is ever anything Ye can do for you in the future, I would go through fire and water without hesitation.”

Lu Chen turned his head and saw Ye Hao and Zhao Liuhuo approaching him.

He looked at Ye Hao with a faint, ambiguous smile, making Ye Hao feel somewhat guilty.

Because Ye Hao understood that Lu Chen was implying he didn’t believe Ye Hao would truly go through fire and water for him—some words were merely spoken without genuine intent.

But Ye Hao was thick-skinned and didn’t feel embarrassed by this, maintaining his composure unchanged.

After observing Ye Hao for a moment, Lu Chen spoke: “Hmm, I hope you can remember your words today.”

Having said this, Lu Chen directly headed towards an Academy not far away.

And the place this Academy symbolized was none other than the White Deer Academy.

When Lu Chen arrived before the main hall of the Academy, Cloud Deer, who hadn’t appeared for a long time, emerged.

He first surveyed the surroundings, then fixed his gaze on Lu Chen.

The complexity in his eyes was beyond description.

Cloud Deer seemed to hesitate, wanting to speak but ultimately choosing to remain silent.

Then he looked at the assembled crowd and announced: “Congratulations to all for passing our Academy’s examination. From today onward, you are all students of the White Deer Academy.”

“Unlike ordinary academies, our Academy will neither examine your studies nor restrict your freedom. Whether you stay or leave is entirely your own decision.”

“However, there is one point everyone must note: once you leave this Academy, whatever you do has no connection to the Academy. That is all.”

“I’ve said about all that needs to be said. As for other matters, I believe you all have found your own answers after experiencing the ‘Book Mountain Sea of Learning’.”

“Whether to cultivate alone or to become disciples of the masters within the Academy is entirely up to you.”

After speaking, Cloud Deer approached Lu Chen.

Then a Jade Slip flew out from between his brows and hovered before Lu Chen.

“The Honored One said this item is what you need. Consider it your reward for passing the Academy examination as the top ranker.”

Hearing this, Lu Chen curiously reached out and took the Jade Slip.

When he saw its contents clearly, Lu Chen was stunned.

Because this was unmistakably a special alchemy technique.

[Name: Creation Pill Art]

[Upper Limit: Transformation Dao Realm]

[Effect: Use heaven and earth as the cauldron, refine all things into pills, enter the Dao through pills, enter pills through the Dao, capable of integrating the Heavenly Dao into pills]

[Cultivation Requirements: Basic Alchemy (Major Achievement), ten million Spiritual Power cultivation, third-grade or higher Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, special fire-element Divine Ability]

[Note: Cultivation conditions met. Can spend one million experience points to learn Creation Pill Art.]

Lu Chen looked at this Creation Pill Art with deeply complex emotions.

Because everything was just as Cloud Deer had said—he truly needed this pill art very much.

It wasn’t that Lu Chen particularly needed to improve his alchemy skills.

After all, as his cultivation grew higher and his Innate Divine Abilities increased, ordinary elixirs had become largely ineffective for him.However, the assistance this Creation Pill Art provided Lu Chen was not in alchemy itself, but rather in its unique method of integrating the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth into the pills.

After all, the most pressing issue before Lu Chen now was Core Formation.

And his Core Formation was different from ordinary people—he intended to integrate four Dao Integration Realm Sword Domains into his Golden Core, totaling twelve Dao Patterns.

Although Lu Chen had a thorough plan and was confident he could achieve this, nothing in the world was absolute, and he dared not guarantee his ultimate success.

After all, the path he was taking was one without predecessors or followers.

The emergence of the Creation Pill Art just happened to offer Lu Chen an opportunity to verify his ideas.

Integrating Dao essence into pills and integrating Dao essence into a cultivator’s Golden Core were similar in principle.

The difference lay in the former being within an Alchemy Furnace, while the latter was within the cultivator’s own body.

Moreover, the upper limit of this Creation Pill Art was quite remarkable—a special skill that could be cultivated up to the Transformation Dao Realm.

It could be said that merely revealing this Creation Pill Art would surely drive countless alchemists into a frenzy.

“The methods of Immortals are truly beyond ordinary imagination. First, the True Immortal Blood Essence, and now this Creation Pill Art… this gift is too heavy.”

Lu Chen understood that Gu Yue True Immortal hadn’t given him these things for nothing.

Although Gu Yue True Immortal hadn’t made any demands yet, Lu Chen had an intuition that someday in the future, he would have to repay today’s Karma.

He wasn’t particularly resistant to this idea.

Equivalent exchange had always been the eternal truth of the world.

There was no love without reason, nor hate without reason.

All things in existence required a cause to produce an effect.

Today, he had received the cause from Gu Yue True Immortal; someday, he must bear the corresponding effect.

This was similar to what he had done to Ye Hao and Xing Li.

Someday in the future, they would have to repay the ’cause’ he had created today.

After reflecting for a moment, Lu Chen immediately headed toward the back hills of Water Deer Academy.

He planned to master this Creation Pill Art in the shortest time possible and accumulate sufficient ‘Dao integration’ experience.

Only then could he lay a solid foundation for his upcoming Core Formation.

Before long, Lu Chen found an uninhabited Blessed Land.

It was at this moment that Lu Chen learned that White Deer Academy was divided into ‘Inner Courtyard’ and ‘Outer Courtyard’.

The Outer Courtyard was the academy he had seen back in the Great Ying Dynasty, where those who studied under the academy masters attended classes during the day.

The Inner Courtyard was the academy currently located on Penglai Island, serving as the place for teachers and students to conduct closed-door cultivation.

Not only was it relatively secluded, but the concentration of Spiritual Power here far exceeded that of the outside world, making it an excellent cultivation site.

With numerous cave residences available in the academy, Lu Chen chose a relatively remote spot to temporarily reside.

Upon entering the cave residence, Lu Chen immediately released his Severing Heaven Sword.

The sword hovered at the cave entrance, cutting off all possible detection spells and Divine Abilities targeting Lu Chen.

Moreover, Lu Chen quietly transformed his three Heretical Avatars into shadows, concealing them around the cave residence.

He also set up numerous other Talismans and Formations within the cave.

Thus, unless attacked by cultivators at Nascent Soul Stage or above, Golden Core Stage cultivators posed no threat whatsoever to Lu Chen within his cave residence.After completing all this, Lu Chen immediately took out the Creation Pill Art.

[You have consumed 1,000,000 experience points and learned a new skill… Creation Pill Art]

[Creation Pill Art: Dao Entry Realm (Cannot be upgraded)]

[Effect: Can refine Dao Entry Realm insights and integrate them into pills, producing special effects]

[Note: Master at least nine ‘Dao Entry Spirit Pills’ to unlock skill upgrade conditions]

[Currently mastered Dao Entry Pill Formulas: 0]

(End of Chapter)