The temperature inside the alchemical furnace continued to rise, rapidly transforming into a fiery-red hell.
Shu Han, having refined pills for many years, was well aware that at the start of the pill-making process, the flame's temperature needed to be rapidly elevated to liquefy and refine the spiritual herbs within the furnace.
With the temperature soaring inside, numerous spiritual herbs began to melt into a chaotic mixture. Even with Shu Han's Heavenly Cold Body, he was struggling against the intense heat of the flames.
At this moment, he felt trapped in utter despair. His cultivation was sealed, his magical treasures taken away. Apart from his newly accepted disciple, no one knew of his predicament.
Gradually, Shu Han felt intense tearing sensations throughout his body, as if countless small snakes were gnawing at his flesh, trying to rip him apart alive.
Fear enveloped Shu Han, as he couldn't think of any way to prevent this. He knew very well that if things continued, he would soon be dissolved by the Earth Dragon Fire, and his life would be over.
Regret filled him. Why had he been so greedy for the Earth Essence Pill?
Even though he thought he had taken every precaution, his limited experience meant he couldn't account for everything.
Oh, how he wished he could turn back time!
As the heat continued to mount, Shu Han's consciousness began to blur. Memories of his life flashed before his eyes – from his childhood days at the Shu Village to the ten arduous years of cultivation at the Mystical Dragon Sect, to his first encounter with Shangguan Ruolin in the mineshaft.
Smack!
He slapped himself hard, rebuking, "I'm not dead yet! And here I am, thinking of giving up! Calm down! Calm down!"
Shu Han forced himself to stay composed. Bearing the pain that engulfed his body, he began to brainstorm for a solution.
He soon realized that as his body neared its breaking point, the formation Elder Lu used to seal his cultivation within him was also weakening. It couldn't withstand the intense heat of the divine flames!
Shu Han immediately began to harness the essence of his being. Through the crumbling formation, he slowly drew upon the sealed spiritual power.
In a short while, Shu Han managed to recover barely a tenth of his usual spiritual power. Without hesitation, he began to recite the Golden Light Divine Incantation, enveloping himself in a golden light to protect his physical form.
The Golden Light Divine Incantation indeed worked wonders. Protected by the golden glow, he felt a rare coolness enveloping him.
However, Elder Lu's Earth Dragon Fire was too terrifying. The Golden Light Divine Incantation consumed the barely gathered spiritual power at an alarming rate. In the blink of an eye, the scant spiritual power he had managed to muster was depleted.
The scorching heat assaulted him again. In a state of urgency, Shu Han hastily drew a little more spiritual power and awakened the Heavenly Feather White Phoenix Armor imprinted on his shoulder.
Pure white feathers flew out from the imprint on his shoulder, interlocking with each other, encapsulating Shu Han in a shell formed entirely of white feathers.
In an instant, the intense heat from the Earth Dragon Fire was entirely blocked by the White Phoenix Armor.
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The Heavenly Feather White Phoenix Armor truly lived up to its reputation as a treasure of the Core Formation stage; the Earth Dragon Fire couldn't penetrate it.
Moreover, the spiritual power consumed by the White Phoenix Armor was much less than the Golden Light Divine Incantation, allowing Shu Han a brief respite.
The armor emanated a faint scent of Shangguan Ruolin. Inhaling it, Shu Han clenched his fists, resolute in his thoughts: "I cannot die here! I absolutely cannot!"
His mind raced. He knew that the White Phoenix Armor wouldn't be able to hold off the raging Earth Dragon Fire indefinitely. Sooner or later, it would be breached.
He had to find a way to save himself and escape before that happened. But now, bereft of all his belongings, how could he survive inside a Core Formation stage alchemical furnace? And even if he did survive, how would he contend with the Core Formation stage elder outside?
It felt like being trapped between two closing walls, forcing Shu Han into a corner. Despite racking his brain, a solution remained elusive. At this crucial juncture, the formation of ice pillars under the Fiery Cloud Onsen suddenly surfaced in Shu Han's mind, and an idea began to take shape.
The twelve Pure Ice Jade Pillars had been constantly subjected to the intense heat of the Earth Dragon Fire's origin, yet they remained intact!
If the flames could melt everything, why couldn't they melt the ice pillar, which was its counter?
Suddenly, the tiny Earth Dragon Fire origin sealed within the Pure Ice Jade Pillar appeared in Shu Han's mind.
"Because the Pure Ice Jade Pillar is no longer just a simple pillar of ice. It has merged with the Earth Dragon Fire's origin. It not only possesses the extreme cold of the pure ice but also the intense heat of the flames, preventing it from melting under the fire!"
To counteract the flames, one needed the flames themselves!
Shu Han theorized that only by refining himself into a Pure Ice Jade Pillar could he ensure his survival inside the Earth Dragon Fire furnace.
In a flash, the intricate patterns he had observed on the Pure Ice Jade Pillar that day came to mind. These complex patterns were beyond his understanding, but in his heightened state, Shu Han started to deduce the mysteries of these patterns using the recently learned "Heavenly Fire Manipulation Art."
All the fire-controlling techniques of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect originated from the "Heavenly Fire Manipulation Art."
Shu Han took a deep breath, realizing that his body, having been reformed with Yin Water and Profound Ice, emitted coldness comparable to the Pure Ice Jade Pillar. Moreover, the Black Abyssal Fire origin existed within him, making him the epitome of Yin-Yang balance, an ideal material for refining.
If he could understand the patterns of the Pure Ice Jade Pillar and inscribe them on himself, his body could naturally absorb and convert the Earth Dragon Fire from the furnace.
He would not only remain unscathed by the Earth Dragon Fire but also transform it into heavenly fire essence to nourish the Black Abyssal Fire within him.
However, a mere conception couldn't guarantee success. Implementing this strategy would require time and adjustments, and its feasibility remained uncertain.
Concentrating deeply, Shu Han began to decode the patterns of the Pure Ice Jade Pillar using the Heavenly Fire Manipulation Art. He cut his finger and used his essence blood as an engraving tool, inscribing the patterns onto his body.
Without the luxury of time to verify each pattern's accuracy, the fastest method was to expose himself to the Earth Dragon Fire. Wherever the fire burned through, the inscriptions were flawed and required modification.
Whoosh!
With the last stroke drawn, Shu Han gradually released the Heavenly Feather White Phoenix Armor, letting the furnace's Earth Dragon Fire scorch him.
Instantly, pain consumed him; his flesh was burnt and blurred.
"Damn! It's all wrong!"
He quickly summoned the Phoenix Armor again, gazing at his charred body. In desperation, he scooped up a handful of the purifying spiritual medicine liquid.
Using the dominant medicinal properties of the liquid, he mended his body and continued refining the inscriptions.
After making adjustments, Shu Han exposed himself to the fire once more.
"Holy hell! It hurts so much!"
"Damn! Wrong again!"
"This! It must be like this!"
Despite his cries of pain, Shu Han didn't waste a second, consuming the spiritual medicine liquid voraciously, refining his formations bit by bit.
Outside the furnace, Elder Lu, sensing Shu Han gulping down the spiritual medicine liquid, laughed gleefully, "Young man, that's what you should be doing! You're indeed fortunate, every single spiritual medicine inside the furnace is priceless. Moreover, they're diverse and encompass all five elements. The more you consume, the higher the quality of my Heaven-Stealing Pill!"
However, the turmoil inside the furnace steadily subsided. Startled, Elder Lu cursed, "You stubborn kid! Let's see how long you can hold out!"
Suddenly, with a flick of his sleeve, a fire dragon, formed from the Earth Dragon Fire's origin, crawled onto the furnace, instantly turning the entire alchemy furnace a glowing red.