Thick clouds gathered above the valley, blocking out the faint morning light that had just begun to appear on the horizon. For a moment, the entire valley appeared dark and somber, illuminated only when a silver lightning bolt pierced through the clouds, casting light upon the valley below. As the clouds condensed in the sky, the fragrance of the elixir on the stone platform reached its peak intensity, even drawing subtle tremors from the surrounding celestial energies. Inside the medicinal cauldron, emerald flames burned vigorously. Suspended above the flames, a round pill of jade and crimson rotated smoothly, releasing a powerful energy that continuously radiated outward and struck the cauldron’s inner walls with a resonant, metallic clink. Xiao Yan gazed at the swirling pills within the cauldron, a gentle smile spreading across his pale face. His eyelids slowly drooped as a profound fatigue seeped out from the depths of his soul, making him feel drowsy. The process of forming the pills had drained an immense amount of his energy—had it not been for the unwavering determination within him, success would have been impossible. The thunder that pierced through the clouds above illuminated his pale face, casting a particularly frail and weakened aura. Anyone could see that he had truly given everything he had. "Heard this, Tang Zhen was momentarily stunned, then quickly said, 'Young friend Yan Xiao, don't worry—this Dan Lightning won't be able to harm me. How could you possibly withstand it in your current condition?' 'Of course I know you can handle the Dan Lightning,' thought Xiao Yan, rolling his eyes. 'But my Earth Demon Puppet still needs this Dan Lightning to refine and strengthen its body...' With a wave of his hand, the shimmering silver Earth Demon Puppet materialized before him. He glanced at Tang Zhen and smiled lightly, 'Master Tang, the Dan Lightning does serve me well. So, please, don't compete with me for it.' The Earth Demon Puppet from last time, having undergone the Dan Lightning's refinement, had undoubtedly grown stronger. If it were to undergo this process again, its power would likely improve even further. This puppet is indeed Xiao Yan's top asset—strengthening it is absolutely ideal. Seeing the Earth Demon Puppet suddenly appear, Tang Zhen was also taken aback, his eyes flashing with surprise, and exclaimed, 'A puppet?'" With Tang Zhen's keen eye, he naturally could immediately discern the true nature of the earth spirit puppet—something to which Xiao Yan was not at all surprised. He glanced up at the sky, where the dark clouds were growing ever denser, and nodded. "Since Rock Jiao has insisted, then let it be your puppet. Should anything happen later, simply let me know." Though he didn't fully understand why Xiao Yan had such confidence in his puppet, the thunderstone had been summoned by Xiao Yan, so he couldn't object. Moreover, Xiao Yan's successful refinement of the Fire Bud Pill had already been a significant favor. This small matter, therefore, he felt no need to dwell upon. Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, his gaze fixed on the sky. Then, with a slightly weakened gesture, he raised his hand gently and said, "Go." As soon as the command was issued, the Earth Spirit Puppet firmly stomped the ground with its foot, rising into the sky like a rocket. It then instantly halted mid-air, with dense, thunderous clouds radiating a strong electrical presence hovering dozens of zhang above its head. Seeing that the Earth Spirit Puppet could hover like a Douzong-level powerhouse, Tang Zhen's astonishment deepened. He murmured his admiration under his breath, realizing that he was growing increasingly unable to grasp the young man's true nature. Not only did he possess a rare kind of fire, but he also demonstrated such exceptional mastery in alchemy—now, he had even produced a puppet comparable to that of a Douzong cultivator. All these achievements only deepened the mystery surrounding Xiao Yan's identity. "The seventh-rank premium elixir-generated elixir thunder wasn't something to be taken lightly—even top-tier, five-star or above, Douzong强者 had a hard time enduring it. Could the puppet possibly withstand it?" Everyone present was deeply puzzled by Xiao Yan's bold move. However, having witnessed Xiao Yan's remarkable performances earlier, they had grown more cautious, no longer daring to offer random criticisms. Now, everyone recognized that this young man, who appeared significantly younger than them, had achieved far greater mastery in the art of alchemy than they could possibly match. Though this may be cruel to these alchemy masters, it is undeniable fact—no matter how difficult it is to accept, it cannot be avoided. And once it's clear that avoidance is impossible, one must simply accept it forcibly... Of course, those with such thoughts are not limited to the alchemy masters themselves. The disciples from Burned Flame Valley surrounding the plaza are equally puzzled as to the intent behind Xiao Yan's actions. If Xiao Yan were at his peak strength, they might have believed him to some extent when he stepped forward to absorb the Dan Thunder. But now, he is clearly in his final stages—so weakened that even a single disciple from Burned Flame Valley could defeat him at this very moment. … Regarding the stream of puzzled glances from around the plaza, Xiao Yan paid no attention, nor did he have the time to attend to them, as the clouds above had, after a period of酝酿, begun to stir with growing intensity, resonating with deep, resonant thunder that rolled continuously. "I wonder if absorbing these Dan Lightning will enable the Earth Spirit Puppet to advance in rank..." Xiao Yan murmured to himself. The Earth Spirit Puppet was originally rated at the lowest level—Human Rank—when first crafted, but after its exposure to the Dan Lightning, it had leapt directly into the Earth Rank. An Earth Rank Earth Spirit Puppet alone could now contend with strong Earth-Elm cultivators of five or six stars. As for the highest-tier Heaven Spirit Puppet, it might even stand a chance against a cultivator of the Supreme Rank. "A puppet at the Sovereign Rank..." As soon as the thought reached him, Xiao Yan's heart warmed up, then gradually calmed down. To reach the Celestial Rank wasn't something that could be accomplished easily—it would have to be done step by step. "Boom!" As Xiao Yan's thoughts shifted, a sudden thunderbolt erupted in the sky. A silver lightning bolt, thick as a human thigh, surged forth like a massive silver serpent, tearing through the dark clouds and swiftly darting toward the cauldron on the stone platform. At the very moment the silver lightning emerged, Xiao Yan felt a surge of awareness. The terrestrial spirit puppet instantly darted downward and landed first on the platform, spreading out his arms to directly absorb the full force of the silver bolt. "Boom!" The impact of the lightning on the puppet's body produced a deep, resonant sound, causing everyone present to feel their hearts leap in surprise. The figure of the Earth Spirit Puppet was directly struck by the silver lightning, crashing down nearly fifty meters before finally stabilizing. Across his body, countless silver currents flashed, continuously seeping inward and eroding into his form. If it were a normal human, the skin and flesh would have been torn and splintered by now, yet the Earth Spirit Puppet felt absolutely nothing. On the contrary, as the lightning eroded his dry frame, it gradually strengthened him. "Is he absorbing the power of the Dan Lightning?" Tang Zhen stared at the Earth Spirit Puppet, who had been struck by the silver bolt yet remained unharmed, even continuously drawing in and integrating the lightning's energy, his eyes widening in astonishment. Boom! Boom! Boom! The Earth Spirit Puppet easily intercepted one silver lightning bolt, causing the clouds above to surge violently. Moments later, three even thicker lightning bolts erupted from the clouds, roaring with thunderous crashes. Thud! Thud! Thud! Faced with three silver lightning bolts, the terrestrial spirit automaton, under Xiao Yan's control, showed no hesitation, acting like a lightning conductor, directly channeling the three bolts onto itself. Under the fierce impact of the three lightning strikes, the automaton's body continuously descended, and on its final strike, it was even slammed to the ground, its feet deeply embedded into the hard stone plates. Yet, after the lightning faded, it immediately rose again, floating skyward, radiating brilliant silver light, majestic and imposing—like an invincible war god forever standing unshaken. Faced with this provocation from the Earth Spirit Puppet, the Dan Lightning seemed to grow increasingly furious, continuously spewing out massive streaks of thunder from the clouds, then firing them off like a machine gun, striking the Earth Spirit Puppet's body with relentless precision. The scene was so magnificent that it left onlookers feeling as though their breath had momentarily stalled.