In the Dragon Palace of the Ancestral Dragon, at this moment, Shen Long sat cross-legged on a mat in the main hall, with nine large cauldrons, each measuring three feet and three inches in both length and width, placed before him. These cauldrons were the nine fragments of the Chaos Cauldron, an unexpected byproduct of an incident.
At that time, Shen Long had been entangled in a passionate moment with Ao Kun when suddenly, their bodies became uncontrollable. A surge of energy bound them together and pulled them into a starry domain, where all the celestial bodies glimmered in shades of purple. When Shen Long next laid eyes on Ao Kun, he found her seated within a large purple cauldron.
He rushed to investigate, but as he prepared to take a step forward, he found himself drawn into the cauldron. In that starry realm, the stars began to deviate from their usual paths, revolving around the purple cauldron. The entire domain resembled a purple funnel, channeling energy into the cauldron, while a Taiji diagram in the form of a purple Yin-Yang fish formed between Shen Long and Ao Kun.
Both were immersed in the profound trajectories of the Dao, comprehending the principles of the Thunder Dao in the void.
Thunder, the embodiment of justice, the avatar of judgment—judgment thunder, the punishing thunder of evil gods, the thunder of creation, the divine purple thunder, the chaotic thunder, the multicolored calamity thunder...
Previously, Shen Long had harbored a deep aversion to thunder, but at this moment, he began to understand its varieties and virtues, developing an unexpected fondness for the divine thunder.
Gradually awakening from this mystical experience, they found themselves unwittingly advancing to the early stages of quasi-saintship, with Ao Kun's progress being especially remarkable, as she transitioned directly from a newly-minted Da Luo True Immortal to a Da Luo Xuan Immortal.
...
A sudden sound of footsteps roused Shen Long from his intense focus on the nine cauldrons. Without needing to look back, he knew who it was; in this Dragon Palace, only she could enter without announcement.
"Kun'er, how did it go? Did you bring it?" Shen Long opened his arms.
Ao Kun gracefully settled into his embrace, her small nose scrunching slightly. "Still tinkering with your precious treasure? After all those failures, do you really think this method will work?"
"Dare you say I can't do it? Shall we give it another shot? Heh heh." Shen Long mischievously pressed his hand against Ao Kun's chest, smirking.
"Besides, this is our joint creation; I can’t let it be wasted." These nine cauldrons were the result of their accidental dual cultivation when the purple cauldron shattered, and the fragments of the Chaos Cauldron absorbed the resulting anomalies.
Recalling that wild day with Shen Long, Ao Kun's face flushed crimson, her cherry lips slightly parted, her eyes sparkling with emotion. Noticing her alluring expression, Shen Long recognized that she was aroused.
Having recently tasted the pleasures of intimacy, Shen Long felt a rising desire and grinned, "Indeed, this is a top-tier artifact; it only took a moment for you to be captivated."
Ao Kun shot him an exasperated glance.
Disregarding her annoyance, Shen Long chuckled heartily, scooping her up as they retreated to the inner hall for another round of passionate encounters.
...
In the Xuan Dragon Palace, another day found Shen Long seated before the nine cauldrons with his eyes closed, while Ao Kun sat beside him, quietly observing and occasionally offering him medicinal herbs.
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"Kun'er, quickly place a Zhu fruit in front of me." Suddenly, Shen Long opened his eyes, calling urgently.
Ao Kun hurriedly placed a Zhu fruit into one of the cauldrons before him. Shen Long formed hand seals as if a lotus were blooming, channeling his magic to draw down Dao runes from the void and into the cauldron.
Thus, this ritual repeated daily at the same hour, with Shen Long continually summoning these Dao runes from the void into the cauldrons.
Nine days later, after another round of these actions, Shen Long did not stop immediately. Instead, he called out to Ao Kun:
"Kun'er, bring me some rootless water and place it before me."
After a while, Ao Kun summoned a large droplet of water with her magical power. This rootless water, derived from the Celestial River, could not support any objects and floated lightly, never falling, thus earning its name.
Shen Long sought this rootless water to condense pills because of its clarity; even the laws of heaven and earth could not penetrate it, ensuring it wouldn't interfere with his alchemical success.
Gazing at the rootless water floating in the void, Shen Long's expression turned grave as he exerted his magic to press the water into the cauldron, swiftly infusing his magical decree within. With a resounding "bang," both faces fell into disappointment. They had heard that sound countless times over the past two days, and without needing to look, they knew it was another failure.
A wave of sorrow washed over Shen Long as he thought: Must I truly be the one to pioneer this alchemical art? Is it truly beyond my reach?
At that moment, another "bang" resonated from the cauldron.
Shen Long felt a surge of excitement; just as he was about to investigate, a chorus of dragon roars erupted from within.
"Roar—", "Roar—", "Roar—", "Roar—", "Roar—", "Roar—", "Roar—", "Roar—", "Roar—".
Shen Long clearly heard the echoes; he intended to use nine Zhu fruits, aged ninety thousand years, to concoct the "Sky-Filling Fire Dragon Pill," a potion capable of granting the consumer the ability known as Sky-Filling Fire Dragon. The nine dragon roars suggested that the alchemical process had succeeded.
As he approached the cauldron, he beheld nine fire dragons frolicking within, each dragon's mouth cradling a dragon pearl, the fruits of Shen Long's nearly five centuries of research.
Suddenly, a clap of thunder resonated across the sky, followed by dark clouds enveloping the heavens. Shen Long gasped in shock, then seemed to grasp the situation, relaxing and bursting into laughter.
Seeing Shen Long's expression, Ao Kun hurriedly asked, "What happened?"
"It worked, hahaha... I told you it would succeed, hahaha..." Shen Long unabashedly displayed his excitement, elated that he was now the progenitor of alchemical elixirs...
"What I meant to ask was about these ominous clouds."
"They are both a calamity and a blessing. As I refine these nine pills, I have drawn upon the runes of the Dao, which has caught the attention of the Heavenly Dao, summoning divine punishment. However, if I can endure this, then what awaits us is truly the elixir."
"And if we cannot endure it?"
"Then destruction is the only fate," Shen Long replied calmly.
"Ah? So why are you so cheerful?" Ao Kun exclaimed in surprise.
"My joy isn't solely for the successful refinement of this batch of pills; it stems from the fact that my alchemical method is correct. Can you understand?" At that moment, Shen Long resembled a mad scientist from his past life, shaking Ao Kun by the shoulders in fervor.
Just then, the boundless thunder rained down from the sky, striking the cauldron and hitting the nine pills, while the nine fire dragons displayed a spirited defense, roaring defiantly at the divine thunder and retaliating with their own techniques—one dragon raising its head while another executed a tail whip, embodying the essence of the divine dragon.
The thunder continued to strike down in waves, a total of nine times, before the ominous clouds began to dissipate. By that point, only five pills and some medicinal residue remained within the cauldron.
...
Meanwhile, in the Dragon Palace, a gathering of dragons witnessed the ominous clouds and came to investigate. Before they could approach, they were drawn in by a captivating aroma, causing them to flock towards Shen Long.
As he observed the approaching dragon clan, Shen Long made a decision: he would pass on the art of alchemy to the Dragon Race. Since becoming a part of the dragon lineage, he had benefited from their resources, yet he had never contributed anything in return. While the dragonfolk considered this their due, Shen Long felt a sense of guilt.
Thus, he settled down, disregarding whether the dragonfolk listened, and openly began to explain the principles of alchemical creation.
Releasing his aura, Shen Long activated his magic, summoning a cloud of radiant mist to elevate himself above the assembled dragons as he commenced his discourse.
Though his explanation remained relatively simplistic, it triggered a whirlwind of energy around him, manifesting as golden lotuses springing from the earth, celestial maidens scattering flowers, and more...