Only after the pressure within the blood was driven away did the medicinal powers of the herbs—such as Long-Xue-Zhi—begin to slowly unfold, gradually merging with the immense vitality within the blood, initiating a slow and steady fusion. With the aid of Ziyan's strength, Xiao Yan managed to endure this ordeal, though it was quite perilous—far from without gains. The energy now contained within this concoction is exceptionally potent, not only due to the single drop of monster blood, but also because of Ziyan's own drop of refined blood. Although the nature of Ziyan's original being remains unknown, her ability to withstand and suppress that formidable pressure clearly indicates she is no ordinary creature. Should this elixir of fused soul and blood be successfully crafted, it would likely become the highest-ranked secret technique ever employed by the Serpent People. After helping Xiao Yan overcome the pressure, Ziyan did not linger, merely glanced with eager interest at the swirling liquid within the cauldron before settling down, then moved swiftly, stepping out of the stone platform's range. Su Qian and the others, upon seeing Zi Yan emerge, felt a slight relief. They could clearly see that the young lady had done a great deal of help for Xiao Yan earlier. "With the current issue resolved, the remaining process of refining should merely be a matter of time, shouldn't it? Hehe. If this young man manages to successfully produce a seventh-rank pill in a single attempt, that would indeed be no ordinary feat. As I know, even some seventh-rank pill artisans often face a considerable failure rate when attempting to refine seventh-rank pills." Su Qian stroked his beard, gazing at Xiao Yan, whose expression had grown increasingly serious once again, and smiled. Hearing Su Qian's words, the numerous elders around also nodded in agreement with a warm smile. For them, seventh-rank pills were nearly legendary—so rare that even among their own generation, few had ever witnessed one, let alone consumed it. In the Black Horn Domain, capable alchemists who could produce seventh-rank pills had not appeared in many years; even back then, Han Feng had never successfully crafted a single one. As everyone breathed a sigh of relief, Xiao Yan once again focused his spirit within the cauldron, channeling his soul energy to fully absorb the flame's intensity and the various reactions generated when the medicinal liquids were blended. Within the cauldron, a vibrant green flame enveloped a liquid mass roughly the size of a clenched fist. The liquid displayed a slightly varied hue, with a predominantly deep crimson tone, yet within that crimson, several other colors of energy seemed to slowly and steadily merge and blend with one another. Feeling the calm within the liquid, Xiao Yan exhaled gently, his breath easing as the series of recent upheavals had stabilized the situation. From the current appearance, it seemed that once all the medicinal energies fully integrated, the liquid would gradually coalesce into the form of a nascent pill. Of course, this was a rather slow process—Xiao Yan anticipated that this phase of fusion would take at least five days. Taking a deep, steady breath, Xiao Yan closed his eyes, sending a thread of his consciousness to circulate the *Burned Scripture*, drawing in surrounding celestial energies. His spiritual awareness remained suspended within the cauldron, carefully regulating the flame and overseeing the ongoing integration of the various medicinal forces. For now, all he needed to do was remain still and patient. And that alone took exactly six days. During these six days, the gathering crowds within the inner courtyard gradually dispersed, yet almost every person, each day when they stepped out, instinctively turned their gaze toward the stone platform in the sky, watching the figure there—unwavering, as solid as a mountain—filled with admiration. Over the course of these six days, nearly everyone had grown accustomed to the scene on the platform. While they didn’t know precisely how long it would take for Xiao Yan to complete his alchemical process, having witnessed it firsthand, they could hardly help but be awed—how precious the seventh-rank pills were, indeed! Who would have thought the process of crafting them was so intricate and demanding? Throughout these six days, Su Qian and the young physician, along with others, would often stay on the sky platform for a while, only slowly departing when they saw Xiao Yan still motionless. In recent days, Xiao Yan's aura has grown increasingly faint, his breath now so delicate it seems as though he were a monk on the verge of transitioning into a state of stillness—his energy ethereal and unstable. Without the exceptional insight of Su Qian, who recognizes that Xiao Yan is currently in a particularly profound and mysterious state, one might worry that something unforeseen had gone wrong during the alchemical process. Though Xiao Yan appears to have entered a state of deep stillness akin to a meditating monk, within the cauldron before him, the scene is nothing short of dramatic—roarings like thunder stirring the earth's fire continue unceasingly. A powerful, almost overwhelming soul force surges and whirls throughout the cauldron, so potent that even the delicate Lüli Lotus Heart Flame can only obey its will. Should any high-level alchemist witness this scene, they would undoubtedly be struck speechless. For Xiao Yan's current condition is known in the alchemical world as the "Dan Hún State"—a rare and extraordinary condition in which his soul force is infinitely amplified. Though this state is fleeting, its intensity is truly formidable. Under such a soul force, the success rate of producing pills is virtually guaranteed. Thus, Yet, such a state is rare and hard to come by—it depends entirely on fortune. Clearly, Xiao Yan has been favored by heaven this time. Six days passed slowly. When the seventh morning arrived, a beam of sunlight broke free from the earth's embrace, radiating from the distant forest sea and falling upon the stone platform, enveloping the young man in his black robe. Under the warm sunlight, Xiao Yan, whose eyes had remained closed for six days, stirred slightly and slowly opened them. His dark eyes, under the sunlight, shimmered with a dazzling radiance. At this moment, the previously still aura within him surged forth like that of a sleeping lion finally awakened—more refined than it had been six days prior. If previously Xiang Yan had stood at the early stage of the sixth star tier, now he stood at the pinnacle of that tier, mere steps away from achieving the seventh star. This alchemical process had evidently bestowed upon him immense benefits. Feeling the aura radiating from within himself, Xiang Yan paused slightly, his eyes flickering with thoughtful intensity. Over the past few days, he had indeed been in a particularly subtle and profound state. In this state, his soul energy had been maximally activated. The intricate integration of medicinal forces within the cauldron had not only been fully coalesced by him, but had done so without a single trace of wasted energy. By normal standards, the success rate of this batch of Tianhun Rongxue Dan should not be very high, as not only does it incorporate an additional Lingxue Zhi herb, but it also includes a drop of Ziyan’s refined blood—something entirely unaccounted for in the original formula. Indeed, even the absence of a single unremarkable ingredient could lead to the failure of the elixir, since every formula has been refined through countless prior trials. To expect later generations to simply alter it at will is no small feat. Should he not have been fortunate enough to enter that rare, extraordinary state where the soul’s energy expands infinitely over several days, even if he managed to form a preliminary shape of the pill, it would inevitably fail at the final stage. Yet, he has indeed been remarkably fortunate. His gaze slowly shifted toward the cauldron, where the deep purple-red, flame-wrapped form of the pill now rested. A sense of relief spread across Xiao Yan’s face. The pill's initial shape was roughly the size of a dragon eye, uniformly deep red, with a rough, uneven surface that looked quite unattractive. Yet Xiao Yan could clearly sense a magnificent, pure medicinal energy within it—a force capable of astonishingly enhancing a person's cultivation potential. It is well known that innate cultivation potential is born with one, and enhancing it is extremely difficult. Yet this Tianhun-Rongxue Pill achieves precisely that—making it truly worthy of its seventh-rank reputation. The pill's basic form has now taken shape, and the final stage—maturation—is now underway. This final step, having been refined through Xiao Yan's attainment of the "Pill Soul State," has now become risk-free. During that state, all medicinal energies within the pill's form have been perfectly integrated. Indeed, even without this final stage, the resulting pill would still perform exceptionally well. Of course, as a master alchemist, one naturally strives for perfection. Thus, Xiao Yan did not omit this final step. The emerald flame gradually dimmed and then emitted a gentle warmth, which slowly seeped into the pill's form. The maturation process lasted only about ten hours. By then, the once uneven, rough pill had fully transformed into a smooth, round pill of thumb-sized, displaying a clear red and purple hue. A dual-toned purple hue, resembling a yin-yang symbol, outlines the surface of the pill, giving it an appearance as if imbued with some spiritual intelligence—remarkably magical. At the very moment this pill takes its final shape, the sky above the inner courtyard suddenly darkens rapidly, thick clouds gathering swiftly overhead. Within these clouds, silver lightning can be seen, flowing like silver serpents. This sudden transformation in the sky immediately halts everyone in the academy, who stare in open wonder at the layered clouds, their eyes instantly converging on the stone platform. There, a figure in black stands motionless, arms folded, calmly observing the unfolding sky spectacle. "Seventh-rank pill... is it finally coming into being? Brother Xiao Yan... he truly has succeeded!" At a courtyard within Panmen, Xinlan lifted her head, gazing at the dark clouds in the sky, a quiet, trembling excitement stirring within her.