The Tier-9 Spirit Vein Core lay deep within the Heavenly Sword Mountain, shielded by layers of ancient formations. This core was a subterranean cavern where spiritual energy was so dense it materialized as a shimmering, viscous liquid. The entire atmosphere vibrated with pure, life-giving Qi.
Ling Tian entered the cavern, accompanied only by his arrogance. Sect Master Gu had personally opened the final formation, his face a mix of dread and anticipation.
In the center of the chamber, the Nascent Dragon Heartgrass—a magnificent, scale-like herb that pulsed with the faint power of a divine dragon—grew in solitude.
"One week, Disciple Ling Tian," Sect Master Gu warned one last time. "Failure will damage the entire mountain's Spirit Vein."
Ling Tian ignored him, walking straight to the herb. He used a delicate touch to harvest the main root and immediately placed it in his Violet Thunder Cauldron.
This was not ordinary alchemy. This was refining a Tier-9 pill—a level that transcended the Seven-Heaven Realm's capabilities.
Ling Tian didn't use the Violet Thunder Cauldron's spiritual fire. Instead, he forced a massive amount of his Primordial Chaos Energy into the cauldron, turning it into a hyper-condensed furnace.
"The Heavenly Tribulation Pill requires the fusion of chaos and order. The Nascent Dragon Heartgrass is order; my energy is chaos," Ling Tian mused, reciting the true, uncorrupted formula from the Absolute Immortal Lineage.
The refinement began.
The Cataclysm in the Cauldron
The Nascent Dragon Heartgrass immediately struggled against the Primordial Chaos Energy, releasing bursts of dragonic spiritual power that threatened to crack the Violet Thunder Cauldron.
BOOM! CRACKLE!
The sounds of internal collision echoed throughout the cavern.
For three days and three nights, Ling Tian maintained a perfect equilibrium. He fed the cauldron his own Primordial Chaos Energy and the liquid Qi from the Tier-9 Spirit Vein, forcing the two supreme energies to merge under impossible pressure.
Outside the cavern, the entire Heavenly Sword Mountain began to register the strain. The sky darkened, and swirling clouds gathered rapidly above the Sect.
"The Heavenly Tribulation!" cried Grand Elder Xi from the summit. "He is inviting the Tribulation just by refining the pill! He must stop!"
But Sect Master Gu shook his head. "We cannot stop him now. The pill is too close to forming. If we interfere, the backlash will destroy the entire mountain."
The Pill Formation
Inside the cavern, Ling Tian was bathed in sweat, his energy severely depleted, but his eyes burned with fierce determination.
"Condense!" he roared.
He poured the last of his usable Primordial Chaos Qi into the cauldron.
The chaotic energies finally submitted. They condensed into a single, flawless, violet-gold pill.
RUMBLE!
The cavern was filled with a blinding Nine-Colored Pill Light—the ultimate sign of a Tier-9 pill.
At the same instant, the sky above the mountain split open, and the first bolt of Heavenly Lightning—thick, golden, and destructive—slammed down directly onto the cavern entrance!
Ling Tian swiftly grabbed the Heavenly Tribulation Pill. The pill was scorching hot, pulsating with the power of both creation and destruction.
"The Pill Tribulation is here," Ling Tian stated calmly. If I take this pill now, my Golden Core Tribulation will fuse with the Pill Tribulation. I will face the ultimate test!
He ignored the deafening sound of the Heavenly Lightning shattering the outer formations. With no time to waste, and with his innate arrogance driving him, Ling Tian raised the pill to his lips.
He did not hesitate.
He swallowed the Heavenly Tribulation Pill whole.
A massive surge of destructive and constructive energy exploded inside his Dantian. His Golden Chaos Foundation began to swell, crack, and then heal instantaneously, preparing for the final, perfect condensation.
The true test was about to begin. The Sect Master and the Grand Elders outside watched in horror as the second, even thicker bolt of golden lightning struck the mountain. They knew: Ling Tian had just started his Golden Core Tribulation.