Two Realms: I Will Become the Immortal Emperor

Chapter 404: Chapter 375: Forward! Black Tortoise Calm Sea

In the blink of an eye, another half-month passed. It was now September, just in time for the start of the semester on Earth Element Star. Zhurong Academy’s official website published the list of five students from the class of ’19 who were accepted into the graduate program, with Chen Che and Ye Zhihan among them.

For the next few years, they would be grouped with the upperclassmen from the class of ’18, in a class of no more than forty students.

In addition to general Cultivation courses, they would also have specialized classes for their respective majors.

However, the schedule was not as packed as it had been in their undergraduate years, with often only one or two classes per week. This was because graduate courses emphasized in-depth, extensive learning and practical application.

If they performed well, they could even choose to remain at the academy and join their professors’ research projects.

Of course.

Chen Che also got what he wanted, obtaining the ’Water’ and ’Wood’ sections of the Celestial Derivation Five Elements Skill. With only the ’Earth’ and ’Metal’ parts remaining, he would soon master the complete Cultivation Technique.

...

However.

Before he even had a chance to study these two parts of the Cultivation Technique, the batch of pills was finally about to be completed. It was a joint effort by five people—Chen Che, Meng Qianxun, Meng Changtu, Chen Xi, and Lu Qinglian—and had taken over three months of refining.

Throughout the process, a supply of True Essence from at least three people had been maintained at all times.

In fact.

When the furnace fire had weakened, they had even used large quantities of Taibai Jade Bamboo and Spirit Stones to sustain it.

The process had finally entered its final stages a few days prior.

Therefore, for the past few days, Chen Che had focused solely on alchemy, barely taking a step away from the back mountain. He even postponed his scheduled trip to the Black Tortoise Calm Sea by several days.

If this batch of pills was successfully refined, it would immediately replenish their depleted stores of Pill Liquid. At the very least, it would ensure their Cultivation progressed at a rapid pace for the next several years.

Thus, everyone had been working tirelessly for the past few days.

When their True Essence ran out, they would take a sip of Spirit Liquid and continue to fuel the furnace fire.

In the blink of an eye, several more days passed.

BANG!

Just then, the Chixia True Cauldron suddenly shook. The lid, in particular, rattled like that of a boiling kettle, as if the immense Pill Qi within was about to burst out at any moment.

Startled, Meng Qianxun, who was beside him, couldn’t help but cry out:

”Che’er!”

”The pills are ready!”

With a grave expression, Chen Che snapped his eyes open. The True Qi in his body surged wildly, causing his sleeves to billow and his long hair to whip about like frantic pythons. He pressed his hands downward, as if holding down a giant beast.

”Hold down the Furnace Cauldron! The Pill Qi is surging. If even a sliver escapes, the pills will lose some of their potency.”

Hearing this, the others didn’t dare to hesitate.

After three long months, none of them wanted any mistakes at this final stage.

RUMBLE!

The Chixia True Cauldron, pinned down by the group, vibrated wildly.

It was as if some entity was imprisoned within the Furnace Cauldron, trying to smash its way out and escape.

”This...”

The others watched from the side, dumbfounded.

If they didn’t already know the Wangxian Monarch was dead, they would have thought the Ancient Fierce Beast had come back to life.

”This is what high-tier elixirs are like.”

Chen Che explained casually, forming a spell sign with one hand while pressing down on the Pill Furnace with the other:

”It’s not just pills. High-tier Spiritual Artifacts and Magical Artifacts are the same. It’s a bit complex, but in reality, it’s just like our own Cultivation—trying to ascend to a new grade is like breaking through a bottleneck.”

”What we call alchemy is just the process of extracting Spiritual Qi from various combinations of Celestial and Earthly Treasures. It’s a process equivalent to a cultivator undergoing Core Formation.”

”Oh!”

Meng Qianxun and the others nodded furiously.

There’s a saying that every trade is a world of its own, but Chen Che’s words immediately clarified the principles of alchemy for them. Still, understanding the principles was one thing; without mastering all the intricate variations and the true essence of the craft, one could never become a qualified Pill Master.

”Of course, the higher the grade of the pill, the more complex the process becomes, especially when you get to the levels of Nascent Soul Formation or Divinity Transformation. That’s why it’s typically much harder for a cultivator at a lower realm to refine a high-tier elixir. The same logic applies to most of the other crafts.”

Chen Che continued.

BOOM!

Just then, the Chixia True Cauldron shook violently, and a vast wave of Pill Qi forcefully broke through their blockade. The lid, several times larger than a door, was sent flying as a brilliant, rosy glow appeared above the Pill Furnace.

”Array Spirit, seal the back mountain!”

Chen Che shouted the command at almost the exact same moment.

Instantly, the air trembled. Outside Jinyun Valley, nothing seemed amiss. Even the disciples within the valley, despite being so close, were completely unaware that the pills had been successfully refined.

”So many pills... Why are there so many...”

Chen Xi’s eyes widened. She was the only Divine Dao Cultivator in the group with any real proficiency in alchemy, but even she was stunned by the sight. Hundreds of pills were floating above the Chixia True Cauldron.

She quickly turned to look at Chen Che.

Chen Che scratched his head.

The final step of alchemy was supposed to condense all the medicinal potency into a single pill. This outcome meant their cultivation was not high enough to fuse all the power together, which was why they ended up with a massive yield, like a cluster of grapes.

”So that’s why,” Chen Xi said, understanding now. ”I wonder how potent they are.”

Understanding now, Chen Xi beckoned, and a pill flew into her palm. She carefully scraped off a sliver of powder, which turned into a wisp of smoke that she inhaled. After a moment, her eyes lit up. ”The effect of this pill is about seven or eight times stronger than True Master Chixia’s Pill Liquid...”

”Really!?”

Hearing this, the group was both delighted and filled with a sense of regret.

They were delighted that their three months of hard work hadn’t been for naught. They were regretful because if their cultivation had been higher, or if they had used some supplementary ingredients, they might have actually been able to refine Tier Four pills, or perhaps even ones of higher quality.

Moreover, this pill’s effects were more comprehensive than the Pill Liquid’s. Not only could it raise one’s cultivation, but it could also rapidly restore True Essence when consumed during an intense battle. Thanks to the Wangxian Monarch’s bloodline, it even had the ability to strengthen the physical body.

”What should we call these pills?”

”Wangxian Pill.”

Chen Che replied offhandedly.

Pills of this type, refined purely from the flesh of a Demon Beast, didn’t have specific names. They all fell under the broad category of Spirit Gathering Pills, and their names were usually based on the primary alchemy materials used.

”Let’s divide the pills. Oh, and we should set aside a few extra from this batch for Xiao Chan. After this, it’s time to get down to business!”

The trip to the Black Tortoise Calm Sea had already been delayed for several days.

It was time to depart. If they delayed any longer, they would likely give Duobao some new leverage to use against them.

Today.

The cultivators of Jinyun Valley were headed straight for the Black Tortoise Calm Sea.

Everyone had already gathered; only their small group was missing.

...

「Black Tortoise Calm Sea.」

「The Estuary.」

Dozens of groups of cultivators stood silently on two separate islands, the tense atmosphere thick with confrontation as they faced off from a distance.

The collapse of the Undersea Palace had startled countless members of the Aquatic Race, causing them to flee in all directions and gather in large numbers along the coastline. This, in turn, attracted many cultivators who sought to profit by hunting them.

But wherever there is profit, conflict is sure to follow.

「During this time.」

The cultivators had clashed multiple times over territory and prey. As they formed factions, the fighting escalated. Just half an hour ago, a battle over a single Cyan Nether Turtle had resulted in dozens of casualties on both sides.

This incident finally ignited the anger that both sides had been suppressing for days, and now, the number of cultivators on both sides was swelling.

”Xu Ping, the Black Tortoise Calm Sea isn’t your personal property to do with as you please! We found that Cyan Nether Turtle first! What right do you have to steal it?”

Fei Li stomped his foot, his eyes flashing with fury.

Behind him stood a crowd of Loose Cultivators, all of whom had come here in search of treasure and had banded together after being bullied by the local cultivators.

”You didn’t have the strength to capture it, so why shouldn’t we have taken it?”

The cultivator named Xu Ping clenched his fists, his expression sour. He was the chosen representative of the local cultivators. ”If you don’t like it, then get out of the Black Tortoise Calm Sea...”

”Get out!?”

Fei Li nearly ground his teeth to dust, so furious that he began to laugh. ”Fine. Good! We’ll see just what gives you people the right to monopolize the Black Tortoise Calm Sea.”

”So what if we have? What are you going to do about it?”

Xu Ping’s expression grew cold.

At his words, the visiting cultivators erupted in fury. Some, no longer able to contain their rage, gripped the hilts of the weapons at their waists.

Seeing this, the local cultivators also went on high alert.

The tension thickened, so much so that even the shouting died down. Both sides were on a hair trigger, a battle seemingly moments away.

WHOOSH—

Suddenly, a fierce wind tore through the air.

Everyone looked up in astonishment to see a massive silhouette break through the clouds and descend from the sky. It was an enormous Spiritual Boat, several hundred meters in length, that blotted out the sun as it passed, like a soaring Kun-Peng.

At the prow stood several cultivators. Among them, a man in cyan robes stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the distance.