69novels 709. The fragrance of medicine wafts through the air.
709. The fragrance of medicine wafts through the air.
Huo Zhi's shoulders convulsed violently, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, dripping onto her dress. "But I can't do anything but run for my life, Xiao Yan, do you know how much I hate myself? I hate myself for being so weak?"
"I couldn't protect Uncle Di back then, and this time I can't protect my clansmen."
Looking at Huo Zhi, who was sobbing uncontrollably and on the verge of collapse, Xiao Yan felt both heartache and helplessness. The annihilation of an entire clan was a devastating blow, enough to break anyone; it was something no one could easily accept.
Huo Zhi's current situation cannot be resolved by Xiao Yan with just a few words. All Xiao Yan can do now is stay by her side and offer a few words of comfort.
"This isn't your fault," Xiao Yan said in a low voice. "Faced with power of that level... we're all still too young..."
After all, they were powerless to stop what happened; they were young. This was an asset, meaning they had unlimited potential. But youth also meant they weren't qualified enough. Once it came to the struggle for top-tier combat power, they couldn't participate, and often it was a blessing if they didn't become a burden.
Yan Chao, who was standing to the side, heard all of this as well. His eyes became complicated, showing both grief for the destruction of the Yan Clan and pity for Huo Zhi himself.
The destruction of the Yan Clan has already happened, and for these people, their future may be forever changed. The carefree and comfortable life they once enjoyed under the protection of their clan will never return. Now, all those who have survived must strive to revitalize the Yan Clan.
……
"Twenty-three days have passed, and Elder Huo Zhen still shows no sign of stopping." Huo Zhi stood a little distance away, her hands unconsciously clenched in front of her, looking at Huo Zhen who was still immersed in alchemy, her words tinged with anxiety.
She had been escorted here by the elders of the Yan Clan from the beginning, so she was well aware of the crucial importance of this pill. If it couldn't be successfully refined, those who needed it would face even greater danger.
The enormous, dark blue Guiyuan Cauldron resembled a strange beast that breathed in and out battle qi, constantly absorbing the energy of heaven and earth.
"After all, it's a ninth-grade pill, so the process takes longer than usual," Yan Chao comforted him at the right moment, but the look in his eyes still betrayed his true feelings. He was only outwardly better at maintaining a facade than Huo Zhi; his heart was just as tense.
Xiao Yan was still here at this time. Since he arrived at the Yan Clan, he had never left this small courtyard.
Experience was extremely important to him, and he would never want to miss a real ninth-grade pill refining process. Even now that the pill refining process had reached the final stage of condensation, Xiao Yan's attention was still entirely focused on Huo Zhen, afraid of missing any important details.
Xiao Yan remained silent at this moment, because he had something more important to him than speed.
Looking at Huo Zhen beside the medicine cauldron, who hadn't stopped moving for a moment, Xiao Yan whispered in a voice only he could hear, "I hope it's just my imagination."
In this tense atmosphere, another three days passed. Xiao Yan's worries did not disappear; on the contrary, Huo Zhen's behavior made Huo Zhi and Yan Chao realize something was amiss.
"Did Elder Huo Zhen really overexert himself recently?"
"It's not just that the consumption is too great, but also that ninth-grade pills are too special. The medicinal power they contain is too strong, and the requirements for alchemists are too high."
Yan Chao watched all this with even more helplessness in his heart.
Huo Zhen had also been in a fierce battle that day, and since arriving in this small space, he had been busy with various tasks. Now, refining a ninth-grade pill at full power, his own energy consumption was naturally extremely high. Judging from Huo Zhen's personality, he would never have bothered refining that pill to restore his condition in the first place unless there was absolutely no other way.
Yan Chao, of course, saw through everything, but he chose not to stop it. Because at this moment, all the Yan clan members knew that the Yan clan needed this ninth-grade elixir.
Even if the probability is extremely low, you still have to try and take the plunge.
Now, the Yan Clan cannot afford to lose; so much material and time have been invested. Failure could be the final blow to the already precarious Yan Clan.
The current situation is that the elixir has not yet been fully refined, but the true aura of the fire is already wavering.
At this moment, the one who can empathize with Huo Zhen the most is Xiao Yan, because he knows all too well the burden Huo Zhen is under.
It contains the core energy of over a hundred types of seventh-grade or higher elixirs. Even for a Heavenly Realm soul, controlling so much energy simultaneously and precisely fusing it together is nearing its limit. If it weren't for the extreme difficulty, how could a single ninth-grade elixir have stopped so many people?
Just as the three of them were staring intently, the Guiyuan Cauldron used by Huo Zhen suddenly emitted a deafening roar, and the ground of the bamboo building shook violently.
Immediately afterwards, a medicinal fragrance ten times stronger than before leaked out from the cauldron. This fragrance, carrying a vast amount of vital energy, instantly filled the entire bamboo building!
Standing on the periphery, Xiao Yan and his two companions felt a powerful surge of energy flow into their bodies. With just a shallow breath, the medicinal effects took hold, sending an unprecedented sense of comfort through their entire bodies. Even their dormant Dou Qi instantly surged. The mere release of medicinal fragrance before the pill's formation had such an effect—truly deserving of the ninth-grade title!
"Just a fragrance, yet it has such function. This ninth-grade pill truly deserves to be called a spiritual object that seizes the creation of heaven and earth." If it weren't for the special circumstances, Xiao Yan would have even wanted to directly enter a state of cultivation to digest the medicinal power that had entered his body.
With the release of the elixir's fragrance, Xiao Yan knew that the fusion of the pills had entered its final stage.
The process is not that complicated, but it is still a huge test for alchemists. If they are not careful, the nascent pill could be destroyed at any time.
Such an outcome would be a devastating blow to any alchemist. This only further tests their meticulousness, ensuring they can make no mistakes. Whether Huo Zhen could achieve that now, Xiao Yan truly had no idea.
Huo Zhen, standing beside the cauldron, was soaked in sweat countless times, his hempen clothes clinging to his back, only to be dried countless times by the intense heat emanating from his body. His face seemed to have lost its luster, but his deep-set eyes burned with an almost manic focus as he stared intently at the cauldron.
His body, which sat cross-legged, trembled almost imperceptibly, while his soul power surged continuously, controlling the medicinal energy within the cauldron in every aspect.