Page 6

The Gathering Hall had transformed from a place of celebration to an arena of tension. Conversations had ceased entirely, replaced by a heavy silence broken only by the occasional whisper as guests jostled for better positions to witness the unprecedented event unfolding before them.

 The wager between Shen Yang and the mysterious Wudi Egun had captured the complete attention of everyone present—from the youngest servants to the most distinguished elders.

After what seemed an eternity of anticipation, servants returned bearing wooden boxes of varying sizes, each crafted from rare woods specifically designed to preserve the spiritual properties of the contents within. The boxes were placed carefully on a table that had been cleared for this purpose, their presence drawing all eyes in the hall.

Wudi Egun approached the table with unhurried steps, his expression betraying nothing of his thoughts. He moved with the calm assurance of one performing a routine task rather than attempting a feat that most considered beyond the capabilities of all but the most accomplished alchemists.

"Those ingredients are worth more than most people earn in a lifetime," someone whispered from the crowd. "The Heartsoul Ginseng alone could purchase a small estate."

Wudi Egun seemed oblivious to the commentary as he methodically opened each box, examining the contents with a practiced eye. His fingers moved with surprising dexterity for their somewhat plump appearance, testing the flexibility of the Moonshadow Vine, assessing the weight of the Nine-Spiked Flame Fruits, and inhaling the subtle fragrance of the Silent Wind Grass.

When he reached the box containing the Crimson Spirit Lotus, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd. The lotus glowed with an inner fire, its petals the deep red of heart's blood, veined with golden lines that pulsed with spiritual energy. Even those without alchemical knowledge could sense the power contained within the rare flower.

Having completed his inspection, Wudi Egun nodded once, apparently satisfied with the quality of the materials provided. He then reached into his pocket and withdrew several Spiritual Jades—crystalline stones that glowed with a soft, ethereal light. 

With precise movements, he began placing them on the floor in a perfect circle, each jade positioned at what appeared to be exact intervals.

Shen Yang, who had been watching with growing unease, forced a derisive laugh. "What childish display is this? Any first-year apprentice knows that Spiritual Jades are used for basic energy storage, not serious alchemy. Is this the extent of your legendary Heart Alchemy?"

His mockery rang hollow in the silent hall, the tremor in his voice betraying his mounting anxiety. For despite his words, there was something in Wudi Egun's methodical preparations that spoke of absolute confidence—the kind that comes only from complete mastery.

Ignoring the interruption entirely, Wudi Egun removed a brush and ink from his leather pouch. Kneeling at the edge of the jade circle, he began to draw intricate inscriptions on the polished floor. His brushstrokes flowed with practiced precision, creating patterns of stunning complexity that seemed to shimmer slightly in the lantern light.

"Those are ancient formation characters," Li Haoran murmured, his scholarly interest overriding his earlier concerns. "Some I recognize from historical texts, but others..." He shook his head in wonder. "I've never seen them like this before."

As the formation took shape, a subtle change came over the atmosphere in the hall. The air seemed to grow thinner, charged with an energy that raised the fine hairs on the arms of those watching. The lantern flames flickered despite the absence of any breeze, casting dancing shadows across the walls.

Shen Yang's mockery grew more desperate as the formation neared completion. "A fancy light show proves nothing! Any street performer can create illusions to impress the gullible. Where is your cauldron? Where is your spiritual flame? You claim to be an alchemist, yet you lack the most basic tools of the trade!"

His voice had risen to an almost shrill pitch, his earlier confidence completely evaporated. Those nearest to him could see the sheen of sweat on his forehead, the slight trembling of his hands as he gestured dismissively.

Wudi Egun completed the final stroke of the formation—a complex sigil that seemed to bind the entire pattern together. As his brush lifted from the floor, the inscriptions began to glow with a soft blue light, illuminating his features from below and casting strange shadows across his face.

"The Starlight Dew Formation is complete," he announced, his voice carrying easily through the hushed hall despite its measured tone.

From his leather pouch, he withdrew a crystal orb, perfectly spherical and completely empty. This he placed at the precise center of the glowing formation, where it began to hover slightly above the floor, rotating slowly in place.

"Now," Wudi Egun said, straightening to his full height, "we begin."

He closed his eyes, his expression one of perfect concentration. For several heartbeats, nothing happened, and murmurs of skepticism began to ripple through the crowd.

Then, without warning, the air before him shimmered and distorted. A transparent vessel materialized—not the traditional metal cauldron used by conventional alchemists, but a furnace-like structure that seemed to be composed of pure energy. It was colossal compared to standard alchemical equipment, nearly as tall as a man and twice as wide, its surface rippling like water while maintaining its distinct shape.

Most striking of all were the flames that surrounded it—not the red-gold of normal fire, nor even the distinctive colors of various spiritual flames, but a deep, consuming black that somehow radiated light rather than absorbing it. These Soul Flames, the manifestation of Wudi Egun's Willpower, danced around the Heart Furnace with hypnotic intensity, their movements suggesting an almost sentient awareness.

The collective intake of breath from the assembled guests was audible. Even those with no knowledge of alchemy could sense the extraordinary nature of what they were witnessing. The Heart Furnace pulsed with alchemical power, each beat sending waves of energy rippling through the hall that could be felt rather than seen.

"Impossible," someone whispered, the word echoed by others throughout the crowd.

Li Meixia's eyes widened, her composed expression giving way to genuine wonder. The Li Family siblings exchanged glances of amazement, while the elders leaned forward, their skepticism transformed into rapt attention.

Shen Yang's reaction was the most dramatic of all. His face drained of color, his legs visibly trembling as the full implications of what he was seeing struck him. This was no trick, no illusion designed to deceive the ignorant. This was genuine Heart Alchemy—a technique so rare and powerful that most had dismissed it as mere legend.

"No," he whispered, the word barely audible even to those standing nearest to him. "This cannot be..."

But the evidence before his eyes could not be denied. Wudi Egun stood calmly at the center of a phenomenon that defied conventional understanding of alchemical principles. His expression remained serene, almost detached, as if manifesting a legendary technique was nothing more remarkable than brewing a pot of tea.

With a subtle gesture of his hand, Wudi Egun caused the formation beneath the Heart Furnace to pulse more brightly. The blue glow intensified, then shot upward in nine distinct beams that pierced the ceiling of the Gathering Hall and continued into the night sky beyond.

Outside, guests who had stepped away from the drama found themselves staring upward in astonishment as nine columns of light erupted from the Li Family compound, stretching toward the stars like luminous bridges between earth and heaven.

Within the hall, those columns of light began to draw something downward—pure starlight, distilled and concentrated, flowing like liquid silver into the formation. The Spiritual Jades placed around the circle began to absorb this celestial energy, glowing more intensely with each passing moment.

"He's drawing power directly from the stars," Li Ruoxue breathed, her intellectual fascination overcoming her usual reserve. "The ancient texts mentioned this technique, but I never imagined..."

The divine brilliance illuminated the hall with an otherworldly glow, casting no shadows yet revealing every detail with perfect clarity. In this light, Wudi Egun's ordinary features seemed transformed, taking on an almost mythic quality that commanded respect despite his unimpressive physical appearance.

Li Meixia could not tear her gaze away from him. The mysterious traveler she had encountered on a forest path was revealing himself to be far more extraordinary than even she had suspected. There was something magnetic about his absolute control, his unwavering confidence in the face of what should have been impossible odds.

With the formation fully activated and the Heart Furnace stabilized, Wudi Egun began the actual process of pill refinement. He moved with the practiced efficiency of one who had performed these actions countless times before, his hands flowing through complex patterns that directed the energies swirling around him.

First came the purification stage. The ingredients floated from their containers into the Heart Furnace, bathed in the starlight drawn down by the formation. Impurities visibly separated from the spiritual essences, dissolving into motes of light that were consumed by the black flames.

Next, Wudi Egun began the precise temperature control required for the Nine-Revolution Heart Pill. The black flames surrounding the Heart Furnace changed in intensity, pulsing in distinct cycles that corresponded exactly to the requirements Shen Yang had specified. Each cycle was executed with perfect precision, the transitions between temperature states so smooth they appeared almost fluid.

During the fusion stage, the assembled guests watched in awe as the Crimson Spirit Lotus was introduced first, followed by threads of Moonshadow Vine that spiraled into the mixture with impossible delicacy. The three drops of Liquefied Golden Sand Essence were added next, each drop suspended momentarily before being absorbed into the swirling mixture.

Though Wudi Egun spoke no audible mantra, his lips moved slightly, suggesting the silent recitation of the Heart-Root Stabilizing Mantra required for this stage. The mixture within the Heart Furnace began to swirl counterclockwise, maintaining this rotation for exactly seven full breaths before reversing direction to swirl clockwise for precisely two more.

The revolution drew gasps of wonder from even the most skeptical observers. As the first Nine-Spiked Flame Fruit was ignited within the mixture, the entire Heart Furnace shook slightly, exactly as Shen Yang had described in his detailed explanation. With each subsequent revolution, another spike of Yang Qi activated, visible as golden sparks that compressed the forming pill further.

At the seventh revolution, Wudi Egun added the Powdered Black-Root Orchid with such precise timing that several experienced alchemists in the audience nodded in grudging approval. The powder dispersed evenly throughout the mixture, preventing the backlash that would have ruined a less skillfully managed refinement.

The ninth revolution brought the most critical moment—the introduction of the Heartsoul Ginseng. The timing had to be perfect; too early, and the precious ingredient would burn out prematurely; too late, and it would fail to integrate properly with the other components.

Wudi Egun's timing was flawless. The Heartsoul Ginseng entered the mixture at the exact moment the ninth revolution reached its peak, its blood-red veins pulsing once before dissolving completely into the forming pill.

For the final stage—compression and condensation—Wudi Egun gestured once more, causing the black flames to recede slightly as a misty, cold energy enveloped the Heart Furnace. This Yin Mist Array cooled the mixture gradually, allowing the pill to stabilize and solidify without cracking.

Throughout the entire process, not once did Wudi Egun's concentration waver. Not once did his hands tremble or his expression change from that serene focus. He moved through the complex procedure as if it were the most natural thing in the world, each action flowing seamlessly into the next with a grace that belied the extraordinary difficulty of what he was accomplishing.

Finally, after what seemed both an eternity and an instant, the process was complete. The Heart Furnace pulsed one final time, then began to fade from view. The black flames receded, diminishing until they were merely a dark aura around Wudi Egun's hands.

In the center of the formation, hovering above the crystal orb he had placed there at the beginning, was a single pill. It was perfectly formed—smooth and ruby-red, with golden threads spiraling across its surface exactly as described. Most remarkable of all, it emitted a faint, rhythmic pulse that mimicked the beating of a heart, sending waves of medicinal aura throughout the hall that even the most spiritually insensitive guests could perceive.

A Nine-Revolution Heart Pill, flawlessly executed.

The silence that followed was absolute. No one spoke, no one moved—all stood transfixed by the miracle they had just witnessed. Even the servants had abandoned their duties to stare in wonder at the floating pill that represented a feat most had believed impossible.

Wudi Egun opened his eyes, his expression unchanged as he regarded his creation. With a small gesture, he caused the pill to float gently into his palm, where it continued to pulse with that heartbeat rhythm.

Only then did he turn to face Shen Yang, whose expression had transformed from mockery to terror as the full implications of his situation became clear. The wager had been decided—decisively, undeniably, and completely in Wudi Egun's favor.

And the price of loss was his right hand.