Chapter 95 - 81: Refining the Bright God Pill, Eerie Altar and Half-Step Sensing Profound

Xu Guang stood by the edge of the swamp once again, a nostalgic look in his eyes as he let out a sharp, strange call. Following this, the swamp churned with turbulent waves. An impossibly massive, terrifying monster thrashed about in the muddy waters before surfacing its head, which resembled a piece of broken wood. Seeing Xu Guang again, the giant crocodile appeared exceptionally excited.

Xu Guang burst into hearty laughter. Unbothered, he sliced open a wound and squeezed out dozens of drops of Essence Blood. He noticed that the crocodile’s aura had grown stronger. Once it crawled onto the shore, its body even seemed a bit longer. It had grown.

Nowadays, his cultivation relied on the Essence of Life from Ji Xiaolu. Although his Essence Blood wasn’t abundant, his consumption of it had also decreased. Most of it was now used to nurture Alien Species and Exotic Beasts. Ghostly Roar, in particular, required a massive amount of food every day. He could sense that some incredible transformation had already occurred within Ghostly Roar; he estimated that after another period of feeding, it would be ready for a breakthrough.

After sending the giant crocodile away, Xu Guang cast a wary glance toward the depths of the swamp. He wondered if the Divine Temple hidden within had undergone any changes. However, he was not the type to stir up trouble, so he simply turned and left.

With the map in hand, finding the volcanic crater wasn’t difficult. After a journey of about ten miles, Xu Guang arrived at the surprisingly low-lying volcano. It was undoubtedly a dormant volcano. Using the map, Xu Guang quickly located the entrance. The cave opening was extremely narrow, but just standing there, he could feel waves of heat surging out, as if a central heating system were installed inside.

Drawing his short blade from his waist and activating his Celestial Eye, Xu Guang cautiously ventured inside. Even though Song Tao’s information stated there were no dangers within, Xu Guang was accustomed to being cautious. In deserted, desolate mountains like this, the lack of human presence often meant greater peril.

As he made his way through, it was exactly as Song Tao had said—there were no hidden dangers. After walking about a hundred paces, the tunnel narrowed so much that he had to crouch down to squeeze through. Once past that bottleneck, the path opened up, becoming spacious once again.

He found himself in a cavern as vast as a grand hall. It was sweltering inside, thick with the pungent scent of sulfur. The sheer heat almost forced Xu Guang to take a step back instantly. He circulated his Viscera Strength to fend off the scorching temperatures. Only then did he take in the cavern’s layout. Half of it was solid ground, while the other half was a pool of crimson magma that stretched deep into the endless subterranean depths. Visible waves of heat rolled upward, distorting the air inside the cave. Within moments, the oppressive atmosphere made breathing uncomfortable.

Oxygen was far too scarce down here.

Having already reached the Refining Viscera stage, Xu Guang’s lungs had long been strengthened, allowing him to endure the environment. He unslung his pack and took out the various Treasure Medicines needed to concoct the Bright God Pill. The two most crucial ingredients among them were the blood of a Refining Viscera Alien Species and the Crescent Heart.

The Crescent Heart was an ancient herb, yet it was as hard as stone. If struck with Barbaric Power, it would shatter. It could only be melted when enveloped in the blood of an Alien Species and subjected to extreme heat.

Xu Guang looked around for a suitable place to perform Alchemy. Finding a raised stone platform in the cave, he took out the pre-prepared Cold Iron Furnace, which was capable of withstanding the magma’s heat. He placed the various medicinal ingredients inside and began the process. This was his very first time performing Alchemy. Fortunately, the Bright God Pill wasn’t a particularly difficult elixir to brew. Its true challenge lay in the preparatory work. The pill recipe detailed all the necessary manipulation techniques, making the actual process relatively straightforward.

About half an hour later, Xu Guang sensed through his Power that the Crescent Heart was slowly melting, gradually fusing with the Blood of the Dark Fiend. He quickly retrieved the Cold Iron Furnace, added the remaining medicinal materials, and focused all his attention on the final stage of refinement. Roughly fifteen minutes later, the liquid within the Cold Iron Furnace turned viscous and took on a pale, moonlit hue.

Joy appeared on Xu Guang’s face. He used his Power to mold the thick liquid into Elixir Pills. This was the most critical step, serving as the ultimate test of one’s control over their Power. The slightest misstep would cause the pills to explode.

After three consecutive failures where the pills burst, Xu Guang finally grasped the trick to it and successfully completed the subsequent refinements. In the end, the furnace yielded four finished Elixir Pills. All those materials hadn’t been wasted after all. Xu Guang panted heavily. Alchemy was truly a torturous chore; the mental exhaustion it demanded was simply too immense.

Just as he prepared to look at the surrounding scenery to alleviate his mental fatigue, his gaze suddenly shifted.

Inside the cave! There were traces left behind by a person!

On a platform deep within the cavern, he actually spotted signs of human activity. An object resembling an altar had been set up. Suspended above it was a hideous, green-faced, fanged demon sculpture. It had four faces and eight arms, its entire body covered in bizarre, blood-red scales. Each of its eight hands gripped different Weapons. Beneath the sculpture lay a platter holding the heart of some unknown creature. It was beating rhythmically on its own, as if... it were still alive!

This bizarre, cult-like altar radiated an extraordinarily sinister and dangerous feeling. Xu Guang’s expression turned grim.

A weird altar and a beating heart. The short blade reappeared in Xu Guang’s hand, his eyes filled with grave caution. These desolate mountains were full of strange people and bizarre occurrences. Could this volcanic cave be the secluded retreat of some formidable expert? At this thought, he didn’t have time to ponder further and prepared to leave immediately.

But suddenly, he noticed that the THUMP-THUMPING heart seemed to undergo a mutation. The heart wasn’t the bright crimson one might expect; instead, a wisp of black energy lingered at its base. Had that black energy grown thicker than it was a moment ago? Could it be that the person offering the heart did so specifically to turn it black?

Xu Guang speculated internally, but he had no desire to invite unnecessary trouble. He turned around and meticulously erased all the traces he had left behind. Only then did he carefully make his way out.

He walked the entire way on pins and needles, terrified of running into whoever owned the altar.

Half an hour later, he finally emerged. Xu Guang slowly let out a sigh of relief, then cautiously made his way down the mountain path. Out of caution, he used his Painted Skin Bloodline Power to disguise his appearance, making himself look like an honest, unsophisticated Hunter carrying a battered axe.