Chapter 361: Pill Tribulation

At this moment, in a gray underground space unknown millions of miles from Han Li's cave dwelling, a figure in gray robes sat cross-legged, wearing a crimson dragon-headed mask with the character 'Three' written on it.

This person was none other than Jiao San, who had just traded with Han Li in the Wuchang Alliance.

After staying in place for a moment, he suddenly stood up, turned, and walked toward one of several passages connected to the space.

After walking for an unknown distance along a pitch-black underground tunnel, the space before him suddenly opened up, revealing a cavern dozens of zhang in size. At the end of the space was a gray stone door covered by a faint silver light screen.

Jiao San did not hesitate. He formed hand seals and chanted incantations, and the silver light screen trembled and split apart from the middle.

Only then did he push the door open and enter.

Beyond the door was a circular secret chamber about twenty zhang in size, empty except for a stone table and a stone chair.

On the stone chair sat an old man in a black cloak, sipping a cup of spirit tea.

The tea was strikingly blood-red in color, and its fragrance carried a strong bloody smell.

The old man had white eyebrows, a vulture-like face, and a slightly curved nose that resembled an eagle's beak at first glance. His pale golden eyes flickered with a cold light.

Jiao San glanced at the teacup in the white-browed old man's hand, a trace of disgust flashing in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

"How did it go?" Seeing Jiao San appear, the white-browed old man set down his teacup and asked.

The man's voice was somewhat hoarse, like two pieces of metal rubbing together, and it inexplicably made one's heart race.

"It was obtained near Red Moon Island," Jiao San said, sitting down beside the white-browed old man.

"Red Moon Island? Didn't you go there once to search before?" The white-browed old man's brows moved slightly, as if somewhat surprised.

"Although my actions back then were disguised under the name of the Wuchang Alliance, it's hard to guarantee that they weren't discovered in advance and deliberately arranged to mislead us," Jiao San said coldly.

Hearing this, the white-browed old man said nothing, lightly tapping the table with his index finger, lost in thought.

The old man did not speak, and Jiao San also remained silent.

"What do you think of this matter? Is it another maze formation set by Black Wind Island?" After a while, the white-browed old man asked.

"Probably not. If Black Wind Island had arranged this, they wouldn't have chosen Red Moon Island again," Jiao San said after a moment's deliberation.

"That makes sense. In that case, we'll re-inspect the entire area within a million li around Red Moon Island and then proceed as originally planned," the white-browed old man said.

Jiao San nodded.

The white-browed old man stood up and quickly walked outside.

After watching his figure disappear, Jiao San slowly stood up, took off his mask, and walked outside.

His silhouette flickered, emitting a hazy light, then quickly became clear again, transforming into a graceful figure. His gray robes also turned into a long red dress.

As she walked, she resembled a red flame swaying in the wind.

Jiao San's figure gradually faded away, soon merging into the gray darkness outside.

...

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, more than ten years had gone by.

Inside the medicine garden, Han Li emitted a stream of green light, carefully uprooted a chi-tall Dew Condensing Herb, and placed it in a jade box.

This was the third Dew Condensing Herb he had accelerated to maturity.

Han Li put away the jade box with a wave of his hand, turned, and left the medicine garden. Instead of heading to the secret chamber, he quickly exited the cave dwelling.

With a flash of green light, his figure appeared in mid-air above the island.

Han Li flipped his hand and took out several array plates of different colors. He chanted incantations and pointed with his hand seals.

The array plates immediately emitted various colored lights, then turned into several beams of light shooting downward.

Boom!

Suddenly, spiritual light flickered in the void around the cave dwelling, revealing a thick yellow light curtain. Countless yellow mists churned within, engulfing the cave dwelling.

A loud dull sound came from the outer edge of the island. Countless blue lights emerged from the sea, forming a blue hemispherical light curtain. Runes of varying sizes flickered on its surface, enveloping the entire island.

Han Li chanted incantations, pointed with his hand seals, and several blue beams shot down, disappearing into the light curtain.

Immediately, a layer of watery iridescence appeared on the blue light curtain, rippling.

The light curtain, along with the island below, suddenly vanished without a trace, leaving only the vast expanse of blue sea.

Seeing this, Han Li nodded with satisfaction.

He had personally modified these several restrictions over the years. Now, even a late-stage True Immortal cultivator would find it difficult to break them in a short time.

The outermost concealment restriction, which he had learned from a scripture in Tao Yu's storage device, was even more profound. Even an early-stage Golden Immortal using divine sense to probe might not be able to discover this hidden island.

After doing all this, Han Li turned into a green rainbow and shot into the distance.

A few days later, his figure halted above a sea area with raging waves.

This place was also a desolate and remote area, similar to the temporary cave dwelling he had chosen before.

However, his cave dwelling was located in the northwest of the Black Wind Sea, while this place was in the southwest direction.

He spread his divine sense, flickered his figure, and flew in one direction. After a few breaths, he landed on an island.

The island was not large, less than a hundred li in area. It had a gray mountain peak, covered entirely with gray rocks and soil, with few plants, making it appear very desolate.

After a quick scan, Han Li flicked his fingers repeatedly.

Streams of sword qi shot out, striking the mountainside of the gray peak.

Rocks fell like rain, and in just a moment, a crude cave dwelling emerged.

Han Li flew into the cave dwelling, then waved his sleeve, releasing hundreds of hazy array flags.

He chanted incantations and pointed at these array flags.

With a whoosh, the array flags turned into beams of various colors, shooting out and disappearing into the vicinity of the cave dwelling.

Several layers of restriction light curtains alternately appeared, enveloping the cave dwelling and protecting it tightly. With a few flashes, they merged into the void and vanished.

After doing this, he sat down cross-legged, shook his sleeve, and a golden lightning flashed out, transforming into the figure of Crab Daoist.

"Fellow Daoist Crab, although it's unlikely that outsiders will appear here, just in case, please help me guard during my seclusion. If anyone does come, try to hold them off as much as possible," Han Li said solemnly.

"Rest assured, unless a being far beyond the Golden Immortal stage appears, I will stop them," Crab Daoist nodded. A layer of golden lightning appeared on his body, and then his figure merged into the void and disappeared.

Seeing this, Han Li's expression remained unchanged, but he was slightly startled inwardly.

Because his divine sense suddenly could no longer sense Crab Daoist's position.

After a moment's thought, he secretly activated the Spirit Refining Art, releasing a vast divine sense. Only then did he faintly perceive a trace of elusive lightning fluctuations in the nearby void.

This trace of lightning fluctuation was extremely weak. If not for his immense divine sense and the activation of the Spirit Refining Art, he would never have detected it.

Han Li was secretly surprised, but soon shook his head and put the matter aside for the moment.

The reason he was so cautious—choosing a temporary cave dwelling and setting up layers of restrictions—was that he was about to refine the Dao Pill.

According to ancient texts, when a Dao Pill takes shape, a legendary pill tribulation might occur.

The so-called pill tribulation, according to records, occurs because each Dao Pill contains its corresponding purest law power. Some may touch upon or even transcend the laws of this realm, and are thus repelled by the realm's power, causing a pill tribulation to descend to prevent the formation of the Dao Pill.

Once a pill tribulation forms, it creates a tremendous commotion, said to surpass even some lightning tribulations.

Although this place was remote, it was hard to guarantee that it wouldn't attract some people.

His original cave dwelling had no other issues, but moving the medicine garden was quite troublesome. That's why he decided to refine the pill here. Even if discovered, the buffer time provided by Crab Daoist would be enough for him to leave calmly.

Han Li exhaled lightly, closed his eyes, and sat motionless.

Time passed slowly. After a full three days and three nights, he opened his eyes and waved his hand, producing a silver alchemy furnace.

Then a silver light flew from his hand, landing at the bottom of the furnace, turning into a silver flame. Within the flame, a tiny silver figure was faintly visible.

He then waved his arms repeatedly, and various materials appeared, nearly filling the secret chamber.

At the same time, in his mind, he reviewed the refining process of the Dao Pill, which he had recalled countless times, several more times.

After confirming there were no errors, he waved his hand and cast a spell.

Boom!

The silver flame at the bottom of the furnace suddenly blazed, and the furnace quickly became hot.

Han Li moved his hand, and a white crystal grain appeared—a Time Crystal Grain—which flew into the furnace.

Roasted by the flame at the bottom, the surface of the white crystal grain seemed to begin melting, becoming smoother.

The golden threads within the crystal grain brightened, emitting waves of time law power.

He waved his hand and summoned a jade box containing a white spirit ginseng—the Heaven Creation Ginseng.

With his other hand, he emitted a stream of green light, enveloping the Heaven Creation Ginseng.

As Han Li's hand seals changed slightly, the green light transformed into two large hands, gently squeezing the spirit ginseng.

Although the Heaven Creation Ginseng was a rare spiritual object, it was not hard. It was immediately flattened, releasing a large amount of white liquid.

He moved his fingers slightly, and a green light appeared, catching the liquid, and carefully placed it into the furnace.

The liquid immediately boiled, and white smoke emerged from it.

Han Li's expression was solemn as he formed hand seals to control the flame at the bottom.

In a few breaths, the white liquid turned into a small lump of white gelatinous substance, wrapping the Time Crystal Grain inside.

Seeing this, after a moment's deliberation, he summoned another material—a small box of silver powder, which seemed to be bone powder ground from some kind of bone.

He raised his hand, and a green light emitted from his palm, enveloping the bone powder, and threw it into the furnace.

At the same time, his other hand continuously formed hand seals, manipulating the flame under the furnace.

The silver bone powder also quickly melted, turning into a mass of silver liquid, merging with the white gelatinous substance.

Han Li did not pause for long. He raised his hand again, took another material, and threw it into the furnace.

Thus, time passed bit by bit, and in the blink of an eye, half a day had gone by.

Most of the materials in the secret chamber had been put into the furnace. Inside the furnace was now a white pill the size of a dragon's eye, its surface still somewhat uneven.

Roasted by the flame at the bottom, the white pill gently rotated, emitting waves of white spiritual energy.