Chapter 355: "The Dan Dragon Phenomenon!"
As her eyes focused in on the Blood Cauldron, Ye Ling Yue likewise made sure to open up her ears to take in the gossiping voice of the alchemists here.
"Isn't that right, nothing but a measly six cauldron alchemist, based on what can she order us around?"
"In my opinion she wouldn't even be able to refine a fifth level Dan pill, let alone control the Blood Cauldron."
This translation is only hosted on bcatranslation
"Who knows, she might have used some sort of elicit means to get to where she is today. After all, that face and body would rouse quite the following."
Judgemental dogs! She cursed at them as she brought her focus back to the container. She's not going to make any mistake, not after how insulting their words are.
This translation is only hosted on bcatranslation
It's no wonder no one in the Alchemist Hall can step up to the task. According to her speculation, the lid alone for this thing should weigh in at several hundred pounds, imagine what the body must weight at!
"If Chief Yue is scared then it's fine if you don't go up. However, that would mean the royal decree is invalid though." Pushing from the back, Alchemist Wang continues to add fuel to the fire.
This kind of little lass is only good for flattery. To ask her to really work will only show how laughable she really is.
"Alright, I will give it a try," the quick confirmation from Ling Yue greatly startled the elder.
What! She's really going to use the Blood Cauldron?
Not dilly dallying around, she immediately ordered the servants to acquire the necessary portions for five hundred Illumination Dan pills mentioned in the story of old. While it's enough for her to work with, in the eyes of others, the amount she asked for was far from enough because they are taking into account for failures.
Fifth Grade Illumination Dan pills are similar to the Reincarnation Dan pills in use. The only difference being was that the former can help a Dan realm master make a breakthrough into the reincarnation realm. Nevertheless, it's still a difficult pill to create even for a seven cauldron alchemist - taking more than a month on average.
"One hundred illumination pills, is this lass delusional? With only that ability and she wants to create five hundred pills at the same time?"
The other alchemists were all shaking their head at the girl with only one thought in mind, What a pipe dream. This girl really don't know her limits. Very well, just let her be gobbled up by the Blood Cauldron then.
Despite his heart condemning the girl in every way, Alchemist Wang showed none of contempt his peers portrayed. Instead, his actions were very cooperative and even helped in the task of reading the ingredients. Before long, Ling Yue had come before the Blood Cauldron ready to begin her work.
"Ignorant fool, I bet she won't even know how to open the lid," some of the attendees were starting to openly mock her due to how small her stature was compared to the thing.
She was half the size of the damn container.
Ignoring the gossip, Ling Yue clears her mind and activates her spirit force to swarm around the cauldron. She knew this would be a difficult task so extra precautions must be had here.
Following two consecutive explosions of her will, a blast of fire was then ignited under the metallic device. Since there were still a short period of time before the metal reaches the right temperature, this would be the optimal time to refine the herbs.
Batch by batch, she worked quickly by using her fingers as guide to extract the essences.
"This lass can simultaneously extract the essences and control the fire?" Now no one was laughing anymore because Ling Yue had used her actions to personally slap them in the face.
The main reason why these illumination pills would take so long to refine was due to the long list of ingredients involved - around fifty or so. For the average alchemist, this step would've taken them somewhere between five to six days, not to mention she's dual wielding the fire along with it.
In actual truth, such a feat was nothing for Ling Yue even if it was something most practitioners could only dream of mastering. She's able to control thirteen needles at once so this was a piece of cake.
By the third hour or so, all of the ingredients had been processed and ready for use. Without hesitation, she poured it all into the Blood Cauldron to the astonishment of the crowd.
"Not enough, that number is far from enough. That's not going to yield a hundred pills because she didn't take into account for failures!"
While everyone were mostly astonished and surprised by how adacious the young lass was, Alchemist Wang on the other hand wasn't so well off. He nearly popped his eyes to the point where even his hands were quivering from nervousness. The only thing he can do now was to comfort himself by telling himself it's a fluke.
Yes a fluke, nothing but a fluke....
Naturally, the murmuring words from the elder wouldn't be missed by Ling Yue. Grinning at her foes unease, there's no way she will miss this chance to make a point.
Flapping open her arms like a butterfly wing, her spirit force starts spewing out like spider silks in all directions from her fingertips. In accordance with this move, the burning flame under the Blood Cauldron abruptly died down like it's about to extinguish at any moment.
"Her spirit force isn't enough so the fire is going out! As long as the fire is out then the pills inside will be ruined." Alchemist Wang was practically jumping at the scene.
Unfortunately for this white haired elder, the joy on his face didn't last. In fact, it didn't even have time to settle in before it was shattered by what came next.
As if suddenly being injected with a blast of energy, the near-dying flame under the container abruptly exploded into a raging inferno. Dividing into numerous sparks, the clusters were then thrown into the air at a flick of a finger before landing back down to ignite the furnaces here in the field.
In a flash, hundreds of alchemic cauldrons were activated with this move.
Not going to miss the timing, Ling Yue immediately popped open the cap to the Blood Cauldron for further manipulation. Using her hands as a divider, she settles a smaller portion of the concentrated syrup into the various cauldrons, turning this into a full on festival.
Despite the complexity involved with managing a hundred cauldrons at once, not a pang of sweat could be seen on the girl's face. In fact, her demeanor was very relaxed and calm.
As the sun slowly set for the day and darkness overtook the sky for the night, none of the alchemists here could bring themselves to ridicule the girl anymore. Their legs were plastered there, unable to move an inch because of how mesmerizing and incredible the scene was.
Of course, there's no way Ling Yue would be without fault. Halfway into completion, her normal energy reserve was already coming to its limit. Fortunately for the girl, she had the Black Cauldron to help her rejuvenate that depleted body.
Before anyone had realized it, the night too had transpired, ushering in a new morning for those still awake. There were nothing worthy of note up until this point, but that soon changed when the sun reached noon, the hottest point of the day.
It was a plume of reddish smoke spewing out of the cauldrons that signaled the start of the phenomenon. But unlike the stuff that's perennially above the city here, this wasn't in the cloud shape form that everyone expected, its long and mystical almost like an aurora borealis!
Following the rumbling howl of this strange existence breaking through the heavens, its true form was then finally revealed. It's a dragon, an Illumination Dragon was hovering above the Alchemist Hall!
Note: according to Chinese mythology, illumination (torch) dragons had a human head and a dragon's body. Their use is like a guiding light in the darkness if I'm not mistaken.
Now that's a marvel to behold indeed. Unlike a true dragon, this phenomenon would only occur when an alchemist refines a Dan pill to its upper limit, meaning Ling Yue had achieved something great today.
For those like Alchemist Wang who only want to see ill will here, he could hardly keep his posture together.
Retreating several steps, he kept muttering to himself, How-how can this be? A Dan dragon! How many years has it been? Aside from those legends of old, there hasn't been a phenomenon like this in Da Xia for years!
A six cauldron alchemist actually roused a Dan dragon to appear, a Dan dragon!