Primordial Era: Reborn as the Ink Qilin, I Become the Great Emperor of Fengdu

Chapter 39 Refining a Third-Stage Golden Elixir

The alchemical texts detail the method of refining the Three-Stage Golden Elixir: the first stage is to gather the form, the second stage is to imbue the spirit, and the third stage is to transcend tribulations. The most difficult stage is the second stage, which requires to draw upon the energies of Heaven, Earth, and Man to give the elixir its divine essence.

Mo Yuan spent a vast amount of resources and hundreds of years refining the mid-grade acquired spiritual treasure, the Purple Extreme Kun Thunder Cauldron, in order to more easily attract the Qi of Heaven, Earth, and Man during the second stage of Divine Infusion, thus helping him increase the success rate of refining the third-stage Golden Elixir.

The time has come; it's time to set out and refine the elixir.

Mo Yuan's mind stirred slightly, and he appeared at Qiming Peak, one of the Nine Sacred Mountains.

Qiming Peak is shrouded in the cool morning light and pure white rosy clouds before dawn all year round. It is like a blade of heaven and earth that cuts through the chaos and divides the day and night. The mountain is surrounded by absolutely vertical cliffs on all four sides, and the rocks are as smooth and hard as a mirror.

Standing atop Qiming Peak, Mo Yuan felt his mind and Dao heart being purified.

Before him, a white lotus, evolved from pure air and the vitality of creation, took root among the rocks, exuding the warmth of jade and the coolness of moonlight.

This is the Primordial Pure Lotus, born after thousands of years of nurturing and gathering the rules and order of Qiming Peak. Its grade is still some distance from that of a low-grade acquired spiritual root, but it is mainly for growth and purification, and has the effect of cleansing the primordial spirit and enlightening the mind and nature.

More importantly, the pure Daoist aura it exudes will actively attract the Qi of Heaven, Earth, and Man, which can improve Mo Yuan's efficiency in the second transformation of divine empowerment.

If it can become a low-grade acquired spiritual root, it will condense the energy of heaven, earth, and man into the lotus seed.

At that time, as long as the lotus seeds are incorporated into the refined pill embryo, the second-stage spirit-infusing step can be skipped, allowing Mo Yuan to refine several third-stage golden pills in a short period of time.

"The right time, the right place, and the right people have all come together. If I still cannot successfully refine the third-stage golden pill, then it is because I am dull-witted and my own abilities are insufficient."

"The Purple Extreme Thunder Cauldron, emerge!"

Mo Yuan's gaze hardened, and he murmured to himself.

The mid-grade acquired spiritual treasure, the Purple Extreme Kunlei Cauldron, landed on the summit of Qiming Peak. It immediately transformed into a size of several zhang (approximately 33 meters), with lifelike images carved on all four sides of the cauldron, as if it were about to come to life.

Mo Yuan had been preparing for nearly a thousand years to refine the Three-Turn Golden Elixir.

He collected the most perfect jade marrow cinnabar fruit, earth vein spiritual ginseng, nine-aperture stone infant fruit, and many other immortal herbs and spiritual flowers.

Jade marrow fruit cleanses the meridians and strengthens the physical body; earth vein ginseng increases magical power and stabilizes the foundation; nine-aperture stone infant fruit contains boundless vitality and can heal injuries.

Using these three low-grade acquired spiritual fruits as the main ingredients for refining the third-stage golden pill was something Mo Yuan had planned long ago.

"Qilin True Fire, go!"

Mo Yuan's Qilin True Fire at the tip of the Wind and Cloud Horn moved slightly and instantly landed in the Purple Extreme Kun Thunder Cauldron, enveloping this mid-grade acquired spiritual treasure.

The next instant, he threw all the alchemy materials into the Purple Extreme Thunder Cauldron.

The Sage Taiqing was tranquil and inactive, and acted according to his own will. Therefore, the alchemy methods he recorded also conformed to the principle of the unity of heaven and man, and reached a state of purity, simplicity and returning to one's true nature.

Mo Yuan spent nearly a thousand years honing his mental state in order to imitate the Taiqing Sage and strive for perfection, rather than having the seven steps of purification, ignition, incorporation, tempering, fusion, warming, and completion of the elixir, as he had when he first started refining elixirs.

Mo Yuan merged his divine sense into the Qilin True Fire, meticulously analyzing the medicinal properties of the numerous alchemy ingredients, and using his supreme magical power to condense them into a pill.

Perhaps it was the experience he had accumulated when refining the Tongxuan Pill, Huiyuan Pill, and Longxiang Pill that made it possible for Mo Yuan to condense the pill form in just nine years, whereas it would normally take decades.

The next step, the second stage of divine empowerment, is the main event in refining the third-stage golden elixir.

The way of Heaven is Yin and Yang; the way of Earth is softness and hardness; the way of Humanity is benevolence and righteousness.

This is the understanding of the three elements of Heaven, Earth, and Man that Mo Yuan comprehended, each with its own operating principles.

However, in the alchemical texts, the sage Taiqing pointed out that man follows the earth, the earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature.

The three elements follow each other at each level, operating in harmony.

This statement will also appear in the Tao Te Ching, the work of Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, in the future.

The specific symbols of the three powers of Heaven, Earth, and Man in the universe are numerous. For example, the symbols of Heaven are the Milky Way, thunder, and pure air, and its laws are manifested in time, space, destiny, and so on.

Mo Yuan activated the Earth Dao Ancestral Qi Scripture and, with the help of the Nine Mountains Returning to Origin and Chaolin Grand Formation, connected his own Qi with the Primordial Pure Lotus, while simultaneously unleashing the power of the Purple Extreme Kun Thunder Cauldron.

In a daze, a Taoist voice boomed, and the heavens and earth trembled.

A mysterious and cold divine light descended from the heavens and the depths of the Milky Way, and then pure and clear energy from the top of the sky merged with it, surging towards the embryo in the Purple Extreme Thunder Cauldron.

Countless mountains within the Qilin Cliff area emitted a mysterious yellow light, thick and warm, seemingly capable of bearing all living things, and the illusory images of mountains and rivers fell upon the summit of Qiming Peak.

At the same time, specks of light appeared from the void, intertwining to form a hazy mist that covered the Purple Extreme Thunder Cauldron.

In that instant, the energies of Heaven, Earth, and Man converged.

Mo Yuan never expected that after possessing the Purple Extreme Thunder Cauldron and the Primordial Pure Lotus, it would become so easy to draw upon the energies of Heaven, Earth, and Man. This was completely beyond his expectations.

This further solidified Mo Yuan's belief that to do something well, one must first have the right tools. He believed that preparations must be made for everything in order to ensure success and prevent any potential problems.

Mo Yuan's magical power and divine sense were being rapidly depleted. He used the Qilin True Fire to continuously condense the three elements of Heaven, Earth, and Man into the dantian embryo, and he also had to make them operate in balance.

Only in this way can the embryo be endowed with divinity and undergo the final three tribulations.

At the mountaintop, the breeze remains unchanged, having blown for a hundred years.

The Primordial Lotus gained many benefits from helping Mo Yuan connect with the energies of Heaven, Earth, and Man. Its lotus leaves and lotus flowers became even more sacred and pure, and its origin became even more profound. Perhaps it could become a low-grade acquired spiritual root in a few thousand years.

Inside the Purple Extreme Thunder Cauldron, the embryonic pill had already undergone a transformation.

It is simple on the outside but magnificent on the inside, with divine light hidden within. It is surrounded by layers of five-colored light, while at its core, it flickers like a fetus, as if divine nature is being born.

"The first transformation forms the physical body, the second transforms the spirit, and now only the third transformation, the tribulation, remains."

Mo Yuan concealed his aura and withdrew the Qilin True Fire.

Whether it can survive the tribulation depends entirely on the three-stage golden pill itself; Mo Yuan will not forcibly intervene to help it pass the tribulation.

The difference between a three-stage golden elixir and an ordinary immortal elixir lies not only in the alchemy materials and refining techniques, but also in whether or not the energies of heaven, earth, and humanity converge.

The third-stage Golden Elixir, in the second stage of the Divine Infusion, is actually about seizing the creation of heaven and earth and using supreme means to condense the Qi of heaven, earth, and man into the elixir embryo. In Mo Yuan's view, this method is detrimental to the origin of heaven and earth.

Therefore, the Three Transformations Tribulation came into being.

If one can overcome the tribulation, the three-stage golden core will be tempered by the lightning tribulation, and cloud patterns will appear on it. Conversely, if one fails, the three-stage golden core will turn into primordial energy and return it to heaven and earth.

In an instant.

Dark clouds surged in the sky, and bolts of lightning were brewing within them. Some strange rule locked onto the elixir embryo in the Purple Extreme Thunder Cauldron, and the violent energy caused the wind and clouds to change drastically.

Mo Yuan's magical power shifted slightly, causing a change in the Nine Mountains Returning to Origin and Chaolin Grand Array that enveloped the Qilin Cliff area, and a crack appeared above Qiming Peak.

The Nine Peaks Returning to Origin and Facing the Unicorn Formation is incredibly profound. Even the Pill Tribulation could not break through the formation's barrier. Therefore, Mo Yuan took the initiative to remove the formation's restrictions above Qiming Peak, allowing the Pill Tribulation to fall smoothly.

"Is this the Triple Tribulation of Wind, Fire, and Thunder?"

Mo Yuan's eyes were bright, and he clearly perceived that deep within the tribulation clouds, there were still fierce winds evolving and yin fires raging.

The tribulations encountered in refining three-stage, six-stage, and nine-stage Golden Elixir are naturally different. They are, in order, the three tribulations of wind, fire, and thunder, the six tribulations of karmic fire and divine evil, and the nine tribulations of purple heaven divine thunder.

Just as Mo Yuan was pondering, the Pill Tribulation began to descend.

Above the nine heavens, countless blades transformed from the Xun wind converged into a long river, which fell vertically onto the Purple Extreme Kun Thunder Cauldron. The immense corrosive power attempted to destroy the elixir body. If it could not withstand the attack, the elixir embryo would turn into dust and return to the world.

Fortunately.

This elixir embryo was made primarily from Jade Marrow Vermilion Fruit, Earth Vein Spirit Ginseng, and Nine Aperture Stone Infant Fruit. It possesses the characteristics of being as solid as a rock and as immovable as a mountain, and can easily resist the Xun Wind Tribulation.

A moment later, the Xun winds that had evolved within the tribulation clouds disappeared completely, and the first tribulation of the Xun winds was finally over. The area covered by the tribulation clouds also shrank considerably.

The second level is the Yin Fire Calamity.

Suddenly, a surging, turbulent fire poison appeared out of nowhere in the sky, carrying terrifying Yin energy, attempting to refine the elixir embryo back into its original turbid energy.

Right now.

The five-colored light inside the pill embryo entwined together, carrying the Qilin True Fire remaining in the Purple Extreme Kunlei Cauldron, and launched a resistance. The pill embryo even took the initiative to appear and floated above the Purple Extreme Kunlei Cauldron.

Unsurprisingly, the Yin Fire Tribulation had no effect on the elixir embryo.

The final and most terrifying tribulation is called the Azure Thunder Tribulation.

This tribulation will bring down thirty-six bolts of azure Yi wood divine lightning, which seem to contain boundless vitality, but in reality, they can shatter the indestructible divinity at the core of the elixir embryo. Only by overcoming this tribulation can the elixir embryo be tempered.

"Boom!"

The thunder was deafening and soul-stirring.

Mo Yuan looked up at the tribulation clouds and discovered that the tribulation clouds, which stretched for hundreds of thousands of miles, had transformed into a sea of ​​lightning. Streams of dragon-shaped azure Yi Wood divine lightning suddenly appeared and descended upon Qiming Peak with lightning speed.

Mo Yuan was not too worried about this.

Previously, the Purple Extreme Kun Thunder Cauldron was forged using that Thunder Pool as one of the main materials in order to resist the Azure Wood Divine Thunder. Moreover, the piece of bark, which was several feet long, was taken from the Vine Demon King's body and also had the effect of absorbing the Azure Wood Divine Thunder.

Therefore, with the help of the power of the Purple Extreme Thunder Cauldron, the embryo will successfully pass through the Azure Thunder Tribulation.

Strands of azure Yi Wood divine lightning engulfed the elixir embryo, which began to drift like a rootless duckweed. But at this moment, the Purple Extreme Kun Thunder Cauldron emitted a resounding Dao sound and began to refine the azure Yi Wood divine lightning.

The violent thunderous power was refined by the Purple Extreme Thunder Cauldron, leaving only pure life force to nourish the wisp of divinity within the elixir embryo. The elixir embryo finally transformed into a three-stage golden elixir, and a cloud pattern suddenly appeared.

"Not enough!"

"According to the records of alchemical texts, a three-stage golden elixir can produce three cloud patterns. Only when each cloud pattern is clearly visible and exhibits a phenomenon of autonomous breathing and exhalation as if it were alive can it be considered a perfect three-stage golden elixir."

"This cloud pattern is clear and stable, with an inner spiritual light, but it does not exhibit the unusual phenomenon of a vortex of spiritual energy in the three realms."

Mo Yuan frowned slightly and muttered to himself.

Depending on the alchemical materials used, and the different processes of the first transformation (forming the physical form), the second transformation (imbuing the spirit), and the third transformation (crossing the tribulation), the quality of the third-stage golden elixir will vary. The most perfect ones are those extraordinary phenomena that Mo Yuan just mentioned.

Legend has it that the Sage Taiqing could easily refine three-stage golden pills, each pill with three cloud patterns that radiated light and flowed endlessly, reaching the limit that a three-stage golden pill could achieve.

The azure Yi Wood Divine Lightning was still bombarding the third-stage Golden Core, but soon Mo Yuan's face lit up with joy. He discovered that the first cloud pattern had finally shown signs of breathing and the continuous generation of spiritual energy from the three realms.

Then came the second cloud pattern, which was also flawless.

Having reached this point, Mo Yuan was already content.

Being able to refine a three-stage golden pill with two perfect cloud patterns using three low-grade acquired spiritual roots as the main ingredients—jade marrow vermilion fruit, earth vein spiritual ginseng, and nine-aperture stone infant fruit—is, to him, a blessing from the heavens and an auspicious sign from his ancestors.

After a few breaths, all the azure Yi Wood Divine Lightning completely fell, and the tribulation clouds disappeared in an instant. On the three-turn golden pill, a faint, blurry cloud pattern appeared again.

This was an unexpected surprise for Mo Yuan.