Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 415: Chapter 411: Pill Thunder Tribulation, Do or Die

In a secluded mountain cave.

A Pill Cauldron rested on the ground, a roaring fire blazing beneath it. The flames burned the cauldron red-hot, maintaining a terrifying temperature within.

With a wave of his hand, Ning Jiang sent a streak of light flying into the Pill Cauldron.

’The third ingredient, the Divine Essence Fruit.’

A full day had passed since he killed the red-robed elder.

Ning Jiang had not wasted a moment of it. He immediately found a quiet spot and began the process of Alchemy.

The elixir was called the Annihilation Pill.

This Elixir was the key to his breakthrough into the Immortal Realm.

’If not for the Underground Palace Realm, it would be difficult to find these ten Spirit Medicines in the outside world.’

The ten Spirit Medicines collected by Young Master Yanluo were all over a thousand years old and exceptionally precious. In the outside world, they would have been discovered and harvested long ago.

Once refined into an Elixir, these ten Spirit Medicines would have been enough for Young Master Yanluo to break through to the Earth Martial Realm.

For Ning Jiang, however, these ingredients would only allow him to reach the Immortal Realm.

The Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill was simply too powerful. The Energy required for each advancement was immense.

As he reached higher Realms in the future, it would only become more difficult.

Two hours later, the Divine Essence Fruit had completely melted inside the Pill Cauldron. Ning Jiang tossed in the fourth Spirit Medicine: a ginseng as translucent as jade. It was a Jade Glaze Ginseng, a staggering two thousand years old.

Once the Jade Glaze Ginseng had also liquefied into Spiritual Liquid within the Pill Cauldron, Ning Jiang added the fifth ingredient.

’Time is short. I hope I can finish refining this Elixir before the Celestial Pill appears.’

Ning Jiang murmured. There were now less than three days remaining until the Celestial Pill’s appearance.

And refining the Annihilation Pill was not a task that could be completed in a short time.

The terrifying fluctuations that had erupted back in the Yan Tribe had made him realize that his current strength was far from sufficient to snatch the Celestial Pill from the Seven Great Super Sects.

His only hope was to break through to the Immortal Realm!

Slowly, another day passed.

The refinement of the Annihilation Pill reached a critical stage. Ning Jiang had already placed the eighth Spirit Medicine into the Pill Cauldron.

A thick, fragrant aroma wafted out from the Pill Cauldron.

By the time he added the ninth ingredient, even Ning Jiang’s expression had turned grave.

At this stage, the slightest error in controlling the heat would cause the refinement of the Annihilation Pill to end in failure.

Countless Alchemists had failed at the final moment, all their efforts wasted due to a single, tiny mistake. Even with his experience as a Venerable, Ning Jiang had no desire to fail because of a moment of carelessness.

Besides, the Annihilation Pill was extraordinarily difficult to refine.

He had obtained the recipe one hundred thousand years ago from a Great Sect of Alchemy. The Elixir’s success rate was a mere one percent. Even the Alchemist who created the Annihilation Pill couldn’t guarantee success every time.

’The final Spirit Medicine!’

As the final Spirit Medicine was placed into the Pill Cauldron, the refinement of the Annihilation Pill entered its concluding phase!

Vast waves of Energy began to brew within the Pill Cauldron.

Just then, a crackling sound erupted from the void in all directions as streaks of Thunderbolt began to form.

’A Pill Thunder Tribulation.’

Ning Jiang’s gaze narrowed, but he wasn’t surprised.

Martial Artists faced Celestial Tribulations, and so did Elixirs. When some powerful Elixirs were nearing completion, they would also trigger a Thunder Tribulation. This was known as a Pill Thunder Tribulation.

However, this particular Pill Thunder Tribulation wasn’t very fearsome. Not even thunderclouds had formed; it was merely lightning arcing through the empty air.

A truly terrifying Pill Thunder Tribulation, on the other hand, possessed world-destroying power. It could unleash a hundred thousand bolts of Thunderbolt at once, enough to wipe an entire city off the map in an instant.

’I’ll devour it all.’

Naturally, Ning Jiang wouldn’t allow the Pill Thunder Tribulation to affect his Annihilation Pill. With a grasping motion of his hand, he activated the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill and absorbed the bolts of Thunderbolt into his body.

As a cultivator of the Nine Tribulations Celestial Thunder Body, these Thunderbolts actually had a nourishing effect on him.

Of course, that was only because this Pill Thunder Tribulation was weak. Had it been a more powerful one, he would have had to deal with it cautiously.

Thunderbolts continued to form in the void. Eventually, they grew as thick as Thunder Pythons, swarming him from all directions. A Pill Thunder Tribulation of this magnitude could now severely injure an ordinary Immortal Realm expert.

After about an hour, the Thunderbolts gradually dissipated.

’It’s done.’

The very moment the Thunderbolts vanished, a sharp light flared in Ning Jiang’s eyes. Inside the Pill Cauldron, the vast, churning Energy finally condensed into a single, perfect point.

”Annihilation Pill, rise.”

With a beckoning motion of his hand, a cyan-colored Elixir flew out from within the Pill Cauldron.

The Elixir was a wondrous thing. It radiated a brilliant light and its surface was covered in Pill Patterns. A fragrance wafted from it, and a single sniff was enough to make one feel their Cultivation advance.

’With this Elixir, I am completely certain I can break through to the Immortal Realm.’

Without further hesitation, Ning Jiang opened his mouth and swallowed the Annihilation Pill.

The Elixir had barely entered his body—less than three breaths later—when a colossal wave of Energy erupted like a volcano. The vast Energy instantly flooded his meridians, nearly bursting his body apart.

After all, the Energy contained within this one Annihilation Pill was enough for a cultivator to attempt a breakthrough to the Earth Martial Realm.

’Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill, refine and absorb!’

Ning Jiang remained calm. He circulated the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill, and the three Primordial Mansions within him unleashed a tremendous Devouring Power, frantically absorbing the pure Energy.

Immediately, the painful, swelling sensation in his meridians vanished.

His aura began to climb at a terrifying speed, surging toward the Immortal Realm.

One hour, two hours, three hours passed...

After a full day and night, the Energy from the Annihilation Pill was completely absorbed, and his aura reached its absolute peak.

He was like a bottle filled to the brim, unable to hold another drop.

’Break!’

Deep within himself, Ning Jiang sensed an invisible barrier: the bottleneck to the Immortal Realm.

With a great surge of effort, he gathered all his Power, condensed it into a single point, and charged.

BOOM.

A dull thud echoed from the invisible barrier, but it did not break.

’Again!’

Ning Jiang’s aura flared as he charged again, shaking the bottleneck.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

He charged nine consecutive times, and all nine attempts failed.

’As expected of the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill... even breaking through a Realm is this difficult.’

After nine failures, Ning Jiang’s expression grew grim. Each attempt consumed a portion of his Energy. If the tenth attempt also failed, he would have to remain in the God-Seizing Realm and wait for another opportunity.

This was a situation he absolutely could not accept.

’Do or die!’

This time, Ning Jiang held nothing back. An indomitable aura erupted from him. He mobilized all his Cultivation, twisting his Essence, Qi, and Spirit into a single cord for one final, desperate struggle.

The majestic aura emanating from his body was like a peerless blade that could cleave the heavens, piercing through the endless sky above.

CRACK.

The sound of shattering rang out.