Inside the warship, Yang Kai had repeated this process so many times he had lost count. Every step was etched into his mind.
He considered his control over the fire and the timing of adding ingredients to be virtually flawless, yet for reasons he couldn't fathom, he had never been able to successfully refine a Void King grade spirit pill.
Now, however, he had arrived at an incredibly bold hypothesis. Whether it could actually work remained to be seen, which was why he exercised extreme caution, not daring to be the slightest bit careless.
One Void King grade herb after another was fed into the Purple Void Cauldron. Under the tempering of his Divine Sense fire and the assistance of various spirit formations, those herbs dissolved into medicinal liquid, merging and converging, undergoing wondrous and profound transformations.
Yang Kai's expression grew ever more focused, and his movements as he added ingredients became increasingly delicate. Spirit formation after spirit formation took shape under the brush of his Divine Sense fire, imprinting themselves upon the Purple Void Cauldron to aid in the refinement of the medicinal liquid.
Everything proceeded in perfect order, without a single error.
Time trickled by, and fine beads of sweat appeared on Yang Kai's forehead.
Refining Void King grade pills was an enormous test for him, demanding not only precise control of his Divine Sense but also immense psychological fortitude.
The pressure was crushing.
A faint fragrance drifted out from the Purple Void Cauldron—the medicinal liquid was fusing perfectly, changing in a favorable direction. But Yang Kai did not let his guard down in the slightest.
During two years inside the warship, he had smelled that medicinal fragrance wafting from the Purple Void Cauldron countless times. Not once had he succeeded in producing a spirit pill; every attempt had ended in a scorched, blackened ruin.
Now he had reached the most critical stage of the process.
The last stretch of a journey is the hardest. Yang Kai's nostrils flared gently as he sensed the subtle shifts in the fragrance, searching for the precise moment to act.
The aroma grew steadily stronger. Soon, the scent seemed to saturate everything within a hundred-zhang radius, refreshing the spirit and easing the mind.
Then, at the instant that fragrance reached its peak, a sharp gleam burst from Yang Kai's eyes.
Now!
He extended one hand, cupping the air above it. A sphere of intertwined gold and red light materialized in his palm, and within the sphere, the faint silhouette of a miniature demon beast could be seen bouncing around.
A Blood Beast!
It was precisely the Blood Beast he had just forged from his Golden Blood Thread.
He lifted the lid of the Purple Void Cauldron. Without hesitation, he flipped his hand and cast the Blood Beast into the cauldron.
Silently, under the overwhelming power of his Divine Sense fire, the Blood Beast dissipated in an instant, dissolving completely into the medicinal liquid within.
A faint hint of blood mingled with the medicinal fragrance as it drifted outward. Far from feeling out of place, the presence of that bloody note actually intensified the aroma by another degree.
Yang Kai's eyes lit up. He had a vague sense that he had grasped the crucial piece of the puzzle. Not daring to delay, he immediately drove his Divine Sense fire onward, continuing to temper the medicinal liquid.
The insights he had gained from comprehending the True Understanding of the Alchemic Dao now transformed into the capital for his pill refinement. His movements flowed like clouds and water, without the slightest hesitation.
The Blood Beast, condensed from Golden Blood Thread and the essence of demon beast flesh and blood, dissolved entirely, becoming one with the medicinal liquid.
The Purple Void Cauldron suddenly trembled, as though some unknown transformation was occurring within. Yang Kai's expression sharpened, and he quickly suppressed it with his Divine Sense fire.
A hissing sound erupted from within the Purple Void Cauldron, as though something alive was struggling and fighting, slamming against the inner walls in a desperate bid to escape.
Yang Kai remained unmoved.
A full half a cup of tea's worth of time passed before the commotion inside the cauldron gradually subsided.
Yang Kai withdrew his Divine Sense fire and drew a deep breath, his gaze heavy and uncertain as he stared at the Purple Void Cauldron.
Success or failure—the answer would come now. He didn't know whether this attempt at pill refinement had succeeded, but at the very least, there was no scorched odor like before. That was a start.
After a long moment of hesitation, Yang Kai finally reached toward the Purple Void Cauldron.
Face the blade or shrink from it—the blade falls all the same. Better to just get it over with.
He lifted the lid of the Purple Void Cauldron. In that very instant, a streak of flowing light shot out from within, spiraled once, and bolted toward the distance.
"Where do you think you're going!" Yang Kai roared, his hand lashing out toward the streak of light with lightning speed. He caught it in his palm.
It felt warm and smooth as jade, and he could feel the resistance and struggle pressing against his skin, though it quickly subsided—whatever was in his palm seemed to have resigned itself to its fate.
Yang Kai finally relaxed his grip and examined it carefully.
A pill the size of a longan, its entire body a pale silver, came into view. The fragrance was far subtler than during the refinement process—even with his nose right up to it, Yang Kai could only detect a faint, clean scent. But the sensation it evoked was entirely different from before.
Even more refreshing to the spirit.
A Void King grade spirit pill! Under the probing of his Divine Sense, the medicinal power emanating from this pill was unmistakably that of a Void King grade spirit pill. Although it was only a low-grade pill, its quality was remarkably high.
A look of delight spread across Yang Kai's face. He studied it closely for a good while before finally breaking into hearty laughter.
He finally understood what the saying "only when a pill possesses spirit can it be called a spirit pill" truly meant.
The Void King grade spirit pill before him was the best proof.
The Golden Blood Thread was imbued with spiritual nature, and the Blood Beast transformed from it was likewise endowed with spirit. Using a Blood Beast as the catalyst to refine a Void King grade spirit pill had not let Yang Kai down.