Nine Star Hegemon Body Art c1-2048
Page 450
Long Chen also pushed his merged flame to its peak. Multicolored flames danced over his pill furnace. At the same time, a powerful pressure descended.
“Heavens, Long San has gone insane! He’s already feeding his Spiritual Strength to his flame!”
Refining the Overflowing Sea Expanding Pill was a battle of attrition. It was extremely exhausting to a person’s Spiritual Strength. Most people would conserve their Spiritual Strength until the end. That moment was the most taxing to a person’s soul energy.
To begin feeding extra Spiritual Strength to his flame right at the beginning, was he not afraid of running out of soul energy in the middle? Even if his Spiritual Strength was extremely powerful, it couldn’t possibly have reached that level, right?
“Long San has no other choice. His merged flame is actually weaker than the Earth Dragon Golden Blaze, and the power of the flame is extremely crucial to the Overflowing Sea Expanding Pill. If Long San wants to defeat Huo Wufang, he has to go all-out. But this action of his is still completely crazy,” sighed one highly experienced senior alchemist.
An ordinary Pill Emperor wouldn’t even be able to endure an hour at the rate Long San was using his Spiritual Strength. But this final part of the refinement would require at least twelve hours. Did he really think he could keep up with this exhaustion for twelve hours?
Furthermore, at the final moment, the temperature of the flame had to constantly change in order to seal the medicinal energy inside the pills. That was the truly exhausting part.
According to people’s understanding of Long San, although he liked to show off, his true strength was something to admire. According to reason, he wouldn’t show off to the point of being an idiot. But his current action was completely incomprehensible.
At this time, the others also sealed their furnaces. However, two of them had to leave dejectedly. Due to their nervousness, they had failed during the process of sealing their furnaces.
Time passed. Even the spectators were extremely tense. The winner of the centennial Pill Emperor Competition would soon be decided.
One hour… two hours… three hours…
One alchemist suddenly collapsed from his stage. He had exhausted all his soul energy and fallen unconscious.
Thump.
Another alchemist collapsed. They were all people with strong perseverance. They had endured all the way until they had truly run out of strength and fainted.
People couldn’t help but sigh. These alchemists were all amazing Pill Emperors, but here, they were still eliminated despite bitterly persevering until the end.
The sky once more darkened and then slowly brightened. There were still two hours until the time was up.
Bang!
Suddenly, someone finished their refinement and opened their furnace. Everyone hastily looked, but then they couldn’t help sighing.
There was no pill inside the furnace. There was only a pile of dregs. Obviously, in the end, that person hadn’t had enough soul energy and had been unable to condense the pill.
Bang! Another furnace opened. This furnace belonged to Fang Chang. As a result, startled cries rang out. Within a pile of pill dregs, there was actually a medicinal pill.
Although there was no pill halo, and the medicinal fragrance was extremely light, it could still barely count as a low grade pill. That was actually not bad. At the very least, he had condensed the pill.
Following Fang Chang, others also began to open their furnaces. As a result, many of them had only created pill dregs. But some succeeded. Chai Liehuo had actually refined a middle grade pill. He was indescribably excited.
But that excitement quickly faded. Three others had also refined middle grade pills. They would have to use special tools to measure the medicinal energy in the pills to determine which one of them was better.
“Heavens, it’s a high grade pill!”
Duan Tianqiao’s furnace caused shocked cries. She had actually refined a ringed high grade pill.
“Yes!” She couldn’t help but let out a cheer. But as soon as she did, her expression immediately changed. She had broken the rules of the competition.
“It’s fine. The competition has already reached its end. You can speak, as long as you don’t intentionally try to affect other people’s refining,” said the Tower Ancestor with an amicable smile. Duan Tianqiao was incomparably grateful that he didn’t punish her.
“Hahahaha, we can speak? Then good, Long San, I’ve already said that the first place is mine!” laughed Huo Wufang.
Chapter 690 Blood Soul Upgrade Art
“Did you not take your medicine, or did you take too much? Or do you just like to spout nonsense? I really want to know just where your confidence comes from,” said Long Chen indifferently.
His divine sense had been constantly paying attention to Huo Wufang. Although his Pill Flame blocked Long Chen’s divine sense so that he couldn’t see the situation inside the furnace, Long Chen could tell from the fluctuations that at best, the final pill would only have three rings. That would be the absolute limit.
Long Chen turned his nose up in disdain toward a three-ring pill. Although he hadn’t reached the final step, he was confident his pill would have at least five rings, and perhaps even six.
So Huo Wufang’s crazy laughter made him extremely curious.
“Long San, I admit that my Spiritual Strength is weaker than yours. In terms of alchemy skill, you also might be a level higher than me. Even in terms of Pill Flame, you can rely on your Spiritual Strength to just barely stand on the same level as me.
“In that kind of situation, it really might be difficult for us to say who would win. But, you’re looking down on me too much. I will show you all a divine alchemy art that you’ve never seen before! Nine Revolution Blood Soul Upgrade Art!”
Following Huo Wufang’s shout, people were startled to see his eyes turn scarlet. His forehead split open, and blood slowly trickled out.
That line of blood seemed to possess its own life. It crawled down according to a set pattern, creating a strange mark.
“What?! He’s actually willing to do this?!”
Long Chen was startled. He hadn’t expected Huo Wufang to use this move. This Nine Revolution Blood Soul Upgrade Art was something that came at a steep price. It was something that exhausted a person’s lifespan and essence blood in order to forcibly increase the quality of a pill.
This was something not transmitted in the outside world. The main reason was that this technique was not advocated by alchemists. Using this technique posed a great deal of harm to a person’s soul, and that damage was permanent. There was no way to heal it.
“How vicious!” Fang Mingyuan and Chai Gaoyang’s hearts pounded. Looking at Huo Changsheng, they sighed emotionally.
This kind of secret art was something they didn’t know how to use, but it was something they had heard of. They hadn’t expected the Huo family to be so vicious. This was basically forfeiting Huo Wufang’s life.
“Huo Wufang, once you use the Nine Revolution Blood Soul Upgrade Art, you’ll also be crippled. Your Spiritual Strength will never advance again, and you’ll never be able to reach the Sea Expansion realm,” said Long Chen.
“Hahaha, Long San, you’re just a mountain bumpkin! I’ll not only take the first place, but I also won’t take any damage!” sneered Huo Wufang.
As the blood mark on his forehead brightened, people could sense a strange energy surging within his furnace. His pill furnace was trembling incessantly.
Long Chen’s expression finally changed because he sensed a pill in Huo Wufang’s furnace rapidly absorbing energy.
He had truly underestimated Huo Wufang. He had never expected him to have this move, and he also sensed that when he used the Blood Soul Upgrade Art, the Spiritual Strength he was using was not his own. It was an extremely odd feeling. Could it be…?
BOOM!
The golden flames scattered, revealing Huo Wufang’s arrogant smile. He opened the furnace, displaying a
medicinal pill shining with light. Even in the daylight, it was still so dazzling.
“Heavens, a nine-ring pill!” Startled cries rang out. It was actually the peak of high grade pills.
But Long Chen wasn’t looking at the pill. Instead, he was looking at Huo Wufang. He suddenly said, “It’s no wonder you dare to use this move. The blood was yours, but the soul energy was someone else’s. How vicious!”
Long Chen’s words startled everyone. If his words were true, then wouldn’t that mean Huo Wufang’s body contained two souls, and one of them had been the sacrifice?
“Long San, it doesn’t matter what you say. I didn’t break any rules. Now you should believe that the first place is mine, right? Hahahaha!” laughed Huo Wufang.
Chai Liehuo and Fang Chang couldn’t help but sigh. They already had no further hopes for Long Chen to win. Originally, it would have been difficult to say which one of them would win. But now, the ending was set in stone.
“Tower Ancestor, what exactly are we using to determine the rankings?” asked Long Chen.
“The medicinal pill’s effect,” answered the Tower Ancestor.
Long Chen suddenly smiled. “Hehe, many thanks, Tower Ancestor. Then I still have a chance.”
“A chance? Keep dreaming. You’ve already begun to condense the pill, and its effect is essentially set. What can you possibly bring out to defeat me?” sneered Huo Wufang.
He didn’t believe Long Chen would use the same move as him. Even if he knew how to use it, he wouldn’t dare to mutilate himself like that. If he did, then even if he took first place, Pill Valley wouldn’t take in someone who would never advance again.
Suddenly, cracking sounds came from Long Chen’s furnace. Those sounds were very light, but in the silent arena, everyone heard it clearly.
“What?! He destroyed the pills that had just been about to form?”
Everyone was shocked. What was Long San doing? Had he completely given up and no longer even wanted second place?”
The tower administrator’s pupils shrunk. “Is he actually…?”
The Tower Ancestor nodded in praise. “It really is nice to be young. You dare to do anything you want, without being so overcautious about the consequences.”
BOOM!
Space trembled intensely and the ground also shivered. A huge whirlpool dozens of miles wide formed in the sky, completely covering the arena.
“How… how… how is this possible?!” Looking at that huge whirlpool, everyone’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
“How could someone possess such terrifying soul energy here?” Even the always calm Tower Ancestor was finally moved.
That huge whirlpool was something condensed from Long Chen’s soul energy. Its scope was truly too shocking.
An ordinary Pill Emperor would at most be able to condense some fluctuations that stretched out a few meters.
Even Huo Wufang—once he had used the Nine Revolution Blood Soul Upgrade Art—had only had fluctuations that had spread three hundred meters. But Long Chen’s Spiritual Strength was covering a range of dozens of miles.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a huge pillar of flames soared out from Long Chen. The flame pillar was thirty meters thick and soared straight into the clouds.
A terrifying pressure spread. The competitors around him were unable to bear the heat and had to retreat.
It was fortunate that they had sent their completed pills up to the judges already. This was to prevent cheating. Otherwise, it really would be easy to cheat in this chaotic scene.
“Heavens, is he really human?!” People’s jaws could not drop any lower. This scene was too shocking.
Only the Tower Ancestor didn’t reveal any expression at the immense flame pillar. Instead, his originally turbid eyes began to glow, looking as if they could see through space.
“As expected.” He smiled, and then his eyes returned to their normal state.
Long Chen had summoned this flame pillar only to mask his true actions. Because Huo Wufang had sacrificed a soul in order to use the Nine Revolution Blood Soul Upgrade Art, his calculations had gone astray.
Now, if he wanted to defeat Huo Wufang, he had to rely on the Earth Flame. But he couldn’t expose the Earth Flame, so he had to hide it within this pillar of flames.
Long Chen had crushed the pills that had just been about to form, turning them to powder. Then he began a crazy refinement with the Earth Flame.
“Time’s almost up!”
BOOM!
Heaven and earth trembled. The flame pillar scattered, revealing Long Chen. At this moment, he was clearly a bit exhausted. One hand was pressed tightly onto his pill furnace.
“Was it a failure?” Everyone saw that Long Chen’s furnace was covered in spiderweb cracks. It was clear that his furnace had been just a bit away from exploding.
During the final moments of refinement, the furnace had to be tightly sealed. Otherwise, if the energy inside leaked, the pills inside would essentially become trash.
“Time is up!” When the final grain of sand fell, the person in charge of the time shouted.
“Hahaha, Long San, you made such a ruckus, but in the end, wasn’t it just a monkey show?” laughed Huo Wufang.
Crack.
Long Chen’s furnace suddenly began to fall apart. Piece by piece, it fell to the ground.
“Hahaha, Long San, first place is… what?!”
Huo Wufang’s smile suddenly stopped as if his throat was being clutched. He was filled with shock.
Long Chen’s shattering pill furnace revealed a certain thing. That was a pill with no rings, only a faint halo. According to pill grades, it could only count as a regular high grade pill.
However, this pill caused everyone but the Tower Ancestor to be shocked. Fang Chang and Chai Liehuo were filled with crazy delight.
“Giant… giant pill?!”
The pill halo was very simple, but the pill itself was the size of a baby’s fist. This was an extremely rare giant pill.
Giant pills were something alchemists might never refine even in their entire lives. Refining a giant pill was dozens of times more exhausting on the soul than ordinary pills, and the chances of failure were over a hundred times greater.
That was why giant pills were things many people had heard of, but most people had never seen.
Giant pills had condensed all the essence of nine pills into one. But the giant pills’ energy would be over ten times greater than the original nine pills combined.
As for the giant pill in Long Chen’s hand, it had even reached the high grade. Its medicinal effect would be equivalent to at least two nine-ring pills.
“Bastard, this is impossible! Long San, you definitely cheated!” roared Huo Wufang. His expression was twisted with fury as he charged straight at Long Chen.
Chapter 691 First Place
Seeing Huo Wufang rushing over, Long Chen immediately rolled up his sleeve and sent out a vicious slap.
But what Long Chen didn’t expect was that his slap would miss. Before Huo Wufang could get close, he was sent flying back by a powerful force.
“It is forbidden to fight within the arena!” shouted the Tower Ancestor, his expression dark.
Only now did Huo Wufang wake up from his fury. With a terrified expression, he hastily bowed. “Tower Ancestor, please punish me! Disciple was impetuous!”
Only now did Huo Wufang become aware again that this was the Pill Emperor Competition. The Tower Ancestor represented Pill Valley. This was not somewhere where his Huo family could control everything.
“Because it’s your first offense, I will spare you this once. Bring up everyone’s pills!” The Tower Ancestor’s last sentence was toward those experts in charge of maintaining order. Someone immediately came up and carefully took out Long Chen’s pill.
“What, they’re not even punishing him? At the very least, they should let me slap him a hundred times.” Long Chen was a bit displeased. Just now, hadn’t Huo Wufang maliciously attacked
him?
This Tower Ancestor was truly too nice. But there was nothing Long Chen could do about that. He could only walk over to stand with Fang Chang and the others.
“Long San, nice job. You really won us face.” Chai Liehuo gave him a thumbs-up.
Although they were the future leaders of their families, it was their first time personally seeing a giant pill being refined in front of them.
There was no way around that. Perhaps in this world, only Long Chen possessed the qualifications to refine a giant pill. Even if a hundred people gathered up their Spiritual Strength, they wouldn’t be able to refine a giant pill.
At this time, all the completed pills were being passed along to the old alchemy elders. One reason was for them to determine the pill’s quality, while the other reason was to see if anyone had cheated.
But if anyone dared to cheat here, then they really had to have been looking to die. There was no one who dared to act like that. These old fellows had refined more pills than they had ever even seen.
“The results are in. I’ll now announce the top five. Fifth place is Zhao Guanghui!” announced the Tower Ancestor as he read off a piece of paper.
One man immediately became so excited that he cried tears of joys. By getting in the top five, he had earned the right to join Pill Valley, becoming a formal Pill Valley disciple. That was something that brought honor to his ancestors.
That person was part of the Huo family’s camp. He had been pulled in by Huo Wufang. That made Fang Chang and the others a bit irritated.
“Fourth place: Qi Dejiang.”
This was another person from the Huo family’s side. That made Fang Chang and Chai Liehuo’s hearts sink. They looked at each other helplessly.
Now, only the top three remained. The results were obvious. They definitely hadn’t made it.
“Third place: Duan Tianqiao.”
Duan Tianqiao cried tears of excitement. Now, three of the top five had come from the Huo family’s side.
“Second place is…”
Everyone’s hearts tightened, especially the people from the Huo, Fang, and Chai families. They all stopped breathing. This was something that related to the future of their families.