Chapter 13: Successful Refinement, Branding Poison

“Boom—!”

A scorching emerald flame erupted at the center of the square, intensifying the already sweltering midday heat.

“An extraordinary fire! No doubt about it—only a flame born from natural essence and tempered by heaven and earth could possess such a fierce and uncontrollable aura.”

A handsome middle-aged man sat beside Fama, the six radiant silver stripes on the emblem over his chest marking his status.

He was Gu He, the Dan King. Upon hearing that Su Yun intended to refine a Sect-Breaking Pill, he couldn’t resist coming to witness it.

The ghostly poisonous fire in Su Yun’s palm suddenly split, transforming into six streams of flame that surged into the six outlets of the refining cauldron without a single leak. Even this level of precise fire control made Gu He feel inferior.

“All pill refinement roughly follows two steps: extracting the medicinal liquid and condensing it into a pill. No matter the variations, this is the fundamental principle, and the Sect-Breaking Pill is no exception...” Su Yun spoke aloud, his hands moving without hesitation as he placed twenty different herbs into the cauldron, intending to extract them all at once.

“Watch closely.”

He formed hand seals; the previously surging firepower abruptly contracted, the violent aura dissipating entirely, turning calm and gentle as it enveloped the twenty herbs, slowly refining them.

The crowd was awestruck, praising Su Yun’s superb skill.

Yet Gu He and Fama made no sound, their gaze unblinking, eagerly absorbing Su Yun’s pill-refining technique as if starving for knowledge.

The medicinal liquid extraction was soon completed, sinking into the cauldron, shimmering with seven colors.

Su Yun repeated the process to extract a second batch of medicinal liquid, his movements fluid and graceful, a pleasing sight to behold.

“The Nine-Heart Ganoderma must be refined by igniting from its branches and leaves, gradually intensifying the flame at the trunk to preserve its efficacy.

The Blazing Sunwood Essence requires fierce fire, but one must be especially careful: as the medicinal liquid nears formation, the flame must rapidly decrease, for while the wood essence is resilient, the liquid is fragile and could easily turn to ash in a raging fire...” Su Yun pointed out the refining essentials for each herb.

“No wonder... so that’s how it’s done!”

Gu He clapped in admiration, his face alight with excitement, looking every bit the novice pill refiner rather than a Dan King.

He had tried refining the Sect-Breaking Pill before.

When the old Sect Master of Yunshan had gone into seclusion, the Yunlan Sect had gone to great lengths, preparing six full sets of herbs for Gu He to attempt refining the Sect-Breaking Pill.

They hoped he could succeed, but sadly, Gu He never managed to produce even one.

Now, if he had a set of herbs before him, Gu He wouldn’t claim he could succeed in a single attempt, but he would feel at least fifty percent more confident!

Gaining half a step in certainty was remarkable—it came from just one explanation by Su Yun.

The extraction of medicinal liquid continued for most of the day before finally concluding. Night had fallen, yet not a single pill refiner left.

Su Yun’s teaching progressed from simple to complex. Even low-grade pill refiners could grasp the basics, and those basics alone benefited them greatly.

“The condensation is about to begin...”

Gu He’s throat felt dry; the terrifying heat of the extraordinary fire made him feel its blaze keenly.

Fama couldn’t help but ask, “How much does your pill-refining skill differ from his?”

Gu He gave a bitter smile. “Please don’t laugh at me, Chairman. With my ability, to refine a sixth-grade pill, I must adjust my state perfectly, sit in a quiet room for over ten days without the slightest disturbance, only then might I succeed.

But this man before us refined a Sect-Breaking Pill with ease, reaching the condensation stage in just over half a day, even taking time to teach us... How could I compare?

In my opinion, he is not far from becoming a seventh-grade pill refiner.”

“Condense!”

Su Yun commanded softly. The medicinal liquid within the cauldron churned violently, coalescing into a pill the size of a longan, glowing a deep green, its rich fragrance filling the air.

“The pill is complete!”

A trace of intoxication flickered across Gu He’s face as he lost himself in the artistry of Su Yun’s pill refinement.

“It really succeeded!”

“Unbelievable!”

“...”

The crowd burst into praise for Su Yun’s profound pill-refining skill. A few eyed the pill greedily, tempted to seize it—after all, this was a peak-level sixth-grade pill, priceless and rare within the Gamma Empire!

Yet none dared act on such thoughts. Su Yun was not only a master pill refiner but also a terrifying warrior capable of easily defeating Jia Xingtian.

“Though rusty in technique, the result is still good.”

Su Yun grasped the Sect-Breaking Pill, then summoned the power of heaven and earth to lift the cauldron before Fama.

“Here you go.”

Fama hurried forward to inspect the cauldron.

Faint cracks appeared on the bottom surface; though still usable now, after hundreds or thousands of such intense burns, the outcome would be different.

“The might of the extraordinary fire is truly terrifying...”

Fama’s heart ached.

Jia Xingtian clenched his fists, gazing at the Sect-Breaking Pill in Su Yun’s hand, filled with regret.

Su Yun’s generosity in sharing his pill-refining skills showed he was no villain. Perhaps he truly only sought a resting place back then...

“If I hadn’t fallen out with him, maybe I could have asked him to refine a Sect-Breaking Pill, to try breaking through before the deadline...”

Alas, it was too late for regrets.

At the center of the venue, an elder and a silver-haired middle-aged man approached Su Yun.

“Congratulations on your success, sir.”

“Who might you be?”

Mittel Tengshan introduced them, “These two are Nalan Jie and Mu Chen, heads of the other two great families of the imperial capital.”

Su Yun nodded. “I have some impression; I believe you were mentioned earlier.”

Nalan Jie smiled, “It is our honor to be remembered by you.

The three great families of the capital often exchange resources. This time, we jointly host a banquet. Might you grace us with your presence?”

Su Yun shook his head, “My sect temporarily resides within the Mittel family but I am not a member.”

Nalan Jie caught the refusal in his tone and had no choice but to say, “Sorry for the intrusion.”

“Mm.”

Su Yun’s expression remained indifferent as he turned to leave, but just before departing, he seemed to sense something, turning back toward Nalan Jie with a puzzled look.

“You seem to be afflicted with Brand Poison?”

Nalan Jie’s body stiffened abruptly, awkwardly replying, “Your insight is remarkable, sir.”

Mittel Tengshan and Mu Chen’s gazes hardened instantly. Many present had been watching their interaction closely and had overheard this revelation.

Fama frowned. “Several years ago, Nalan Jie fought a fifth-rank Brand Iron Poison Python to the death and survived. We believed he was unharmed.

Unexpectedly, he still carries this lingering affliction.”

Had Su Yun not casually pointed this out, this secret might have remained hidden for a long time.