Chapter 7455
Prohibition
Chen Shouzhou's fingertips trembled slightly as he carefully operated the control panel, opening the isolation shield of the pill-forming chamber, afraid of disturbing the pills inside the furnace.
Ten perfectly round pills, each the size of a longan, lay quietly on a pristine, cooled jade plate. Their color was a warm, lustrous bluish-green, and their surfaces were smooth as a mirror, without a single flaw or defect.
The 100% success rate and perfect quality of the pills alone are enough to make most alchemists in the Dragon Kingdom look up to them in the dust.
Chen Shouzhou trembled as he picked up the specially made soft jade clips, took out one of the pills, and examined it closely under the bright light.
When he saw the eight naturally formed, clearly defined ring-shaped cloud patterns on the surface of the pill, his brain went "buzz," as if struck by lightning. He froze on the spot, his pupils contracted sharply, and his breathing stopped instantly!
"A...a second-grade, eight-pattern...a second-grade, eight-pattern Spirit-Nourishing Pill!" His voice was hoarse and dry, as if he were talking in his sleep, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Such quality, such speed, even the chief alchemist of the Pill Sect could never achieve this!"
Seeing is believing, and he has no room for doubt.
If the Dan Sect could obtain the assistance of such a master of alchemy, not only would it be easy to solidify its position as the hegemon of alchemy in the Northwest, but it would also be easy to reach the top of alchemy in the Dragon Kingdom!
Little did Chen Shouzhou know that Xiao Chen could easily refine even a ninth-grade, nine-patterned spirit pill, let alone a second-grade, eight-patterned one. The strength he was displaying now was merely the tip of the iceberg, deliberately concealed. For dealing with Chen Shouzhou, a second-grade, eight-patterned one was more than enough.
"Do we need any further verification?" Xiao Chen's voice pulled him back from his daze.
He remained standing in the same spot, exuding the aura of a master, his voice firmly established in this alchemy workshop where true talent and skill were tested.
"No! Absolutely not!" Chen Shouzhou turned around abruptly, bowed deeply to Xiao Chen, his attitude extremely humble, and even changed his form of address completely, "Grandmaster Xiao! I was foolish and short-sighted before, and offended you greatly. I hope you will forgive me!"
Strength reigns supreme, an unchanging truth throughout history. Xiao Chen's mastery of alchemy completely won him over.
Xiao Chen wasted no more time and cut straight to the point, his tone cold and direct: "I came here for only one thing: tell me the exact spatial coordinates of 'Imperial Biomedical Company'."
Upon hearing the words "Imperial Biopharmaceutical Company," Chen Shouzhou's excitement and respect instantly froze, replaced by extreme complexity and a deep-seated fear.
He moved his lips a few times before finally managing to say:
"Grandmaster Xiao... It's not that I, Chen, intend to break my promise... It's just that... Apart from this matter, I, Chen, am willing to serve you with utmost loyalty for anything else, even the core pill formula of the Pill Sect!"
"boom!"
A dull, loud thud suddenly rang out as Xiao Chen slammed his hand heavily onto the sturdy alloy material platform beside him.
Centered on his palm, a clear palm print was clearly dented into the alloy surface, and spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly along the palm print, revealing terrifying power.
"Chen Shouzhou." Xiao Chen's voice suddenly turned cold, his eyes flashing with cold light, and his murderous aura rushed over like a blade. "My patience is limited. Since you have agreed, you should keep your promise and not force me to take action."
The chilling aura sent shivers down Chen Shouzhou's spine, and cold sweat streamed down his face. He hurriedly waved his hands to explain:
"Master Xiao, please calm down! Let me explain! The background of that 'Imperial Biomedical Company' is unfathomable. All those who were allowed to contact its periphery and were aware of it have been placed with a vicious soul restriction!"
"This restriction is tightly bound to my soul. If I try to reveal the coordinates in any way, even if it's just a clear thought, the restriction will be triggered immediately, and I'll end up with my soul and body destroyed!"
His voice was filled with despair and fear, and it was no exaggeration.
Xiao Chen's eyes sharpened. Without moving, he flicked his index finger, sending an extremely subtle and sharp wisp of divine sense piercing straight into Chen Shouzhou's brow. In an instant, he probed into Chen Shouzhou's sea of consciousness and, sure enough, found a strange, pitch-black rune wrapped around the core of his soul, emanating an ominous aura of confinement.
When Xiao Chen's divine sense attempted to touch and analyze the talisman, the talisman suddenly contracted, unleashing a cold and vicious backlash that surged directly at Xiao Chen's divine sense.
At the same time, it caused Chen Shouzhou to suffer excruciating pain in his soul. He couldn't help but let out a miserable groan, his face instantly turned ashen, and his body swayed precariously.
Xiao Chen frowned almost imperceptibly, his fingertips twitched slightly, and he withdrew his divine sense.
This restriction could not have been created by modern superpowers or ordinary ancient methods. The rune structure exuded an ancient and sinister aura, quite similar to the forbidden techniques of the legendary Hell Clan.
However, for him, this restriction... wasn't exactly troublesome.
Xiao Chen scoffed, his tone laced with undisguised mockery, his eyes sweeping over the room with utter disdain:
"The Soul-Eating Heart-Locking Curse? I never thought that such a vicious curse, which should have been extinct long ago, could still be seen in the mortal world. It is not difficult to remove; one only needs to use a spiritual power far exceeding that of the caster to slowly dissolve it through a process of peeling away layers. However, it is quite mentally taxing."
"If we forcibly break the spell, it will alert the caster and cause trouble instead."
Chen Shouzhou was overjoyed, his previous fear instantly replaced by ecstasy. His body trembled slightly, and he subconsciously leaned forward to ask:
"Is there another way? One that can completely eradicate the restriction while also confusing the issue, making it impossible for the caster to trace the source?"
“There is a method.” Xiao Chen paused, then lightly tapped the air with his fingertip, and a barely perceptible wisp of divine thought rippled out.
"Although this curse is evil, it has a fatal flaw. Its foundation is entirely dependent on a 'curse guide,' which is usually bound to the core magical artifact in the hands of the caster."
“I can use the ‘Mirror Flower Water Moon’ technique, using the restrictions within your body as a mirror, to trace back to the source of the curse, and then use my divine sense to conjure up a chaotic array of flowers, which will then in turn corrupt that curse.”
His tone was calm, yet it conveyed absolute control:
"At that time, the restrictions within your body will melt away like ice and snow, and all the restriction carriers connected to the same incantation will receive chaotic and contradictory false trigger signals, and under mutual interference, they will all collapse."
"The caster would only assume that the core artifact was old and in disrepair or damaged by an unknown energy impact, and would find it extremely difficult to trace back to this place."
Chen Shouzhou was deeply shaken and could no longer contain himself. He bowed deeply, his tone extremely respectful: "I implore you, senior, to help! If you can lift the restriction, I am willing to do everything in my power to repay you!"
“Using this technique consumes a great deal of energy.” Xiao Chen’s voice was deep and solemn as he looked at Chen Shouzhou with a meaningful gaze. “I can help you, but I hope you can keep your promise and not disappoint me.”
As he finished speaking, his originally deep eyes suddenly changed, as if endless nebulae were being created and flowing within them, indifferent and distant, penetrating the laws of heaven and earth.
An indescribable, ancient aura quietly permeated the air, not violent, but like a mountain pressing down, instantly freezing and weighing down the entire alchemy workshop, making even breathing difficult. (End of Chapter)