The Annihilator: Killer Of Gods

With Morris standing guard, Karsha felt at ease and began heating the cauldron. His new pill flame was connected to his soul, so he didn't need to familiarize himself with it before using it. The connection between them was strong enough to let him control the pill flame precisely.

Once the cauldron was adequately heated, he selected all the ingredients except the Qilin fruit. Master Artemis raised an eyebrow, surprised at how effortlessly and carelessly Karsha was refining the herbs.

At his own level, Artemis could only manage two ingredients at a time, and even then, only for low-tier pills. But Karsha was tossing them in without concern for the quality of the ingredients or the risk of burning them to ash.

Drawing on his recent insights from his master's teachings, Karsha began extracting the medicinal essence from the ingredients. There were twelve different ingredients in the cauldron, and he was extracting each one while burning away impurities. He didn't want to waste time, so he was purifying them simultaneously.

After condensing, his target was Tier 3; from there, he would apply various refining techniques to increase the quality. With the Qilin fruit among his ingredients, surpassing Tier 6 was even more likely.

'I can add it now.' Within twenty minutes, Karsha had extracted all the medicinal essence from the herbs and removed 90% of impurities. Though he could have removed all impurities, he wanted to proceed all at once. He added the Qilin fruit and began extracting its essence.
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It took him less than ten minutes to extract the full essence from the Qilin fruit and start purifying it using the Zero Impurity Control Art. This process decomposed the essence and burned away impurities with ease before condensing it.

'Genius. He extracted 98% of impurities within a minute.' As everyone continued watching Karsha concoct the pill, Master Artemis admired Karsha's precise control over the flame and his refined technique.

'Good thing I'm on his good side. With him joining the guild, our rise is just on the horizon.' Despite being several hundred years old, his happiness could rival that of a child.

"You can take the pills now. I will be condensing the pill soon, so be ready to start absorbing the essence as it refines into your core and meridians," Karsha's voice rang out. The elders and others began taking their pills.

"Morris, make sure no one disturbs them during the process." After giving his instructions, Karsha increased the flame's strength and began condensing the pill, burning away the last 2% of impurities.

Whoosh!

A wave of sweet-scented, impurity-free energy burst from the pill the moment the Heaven Absorption Pill condensed. The fragrance was so soothing that the elders and others entered a meditative state instantly. Their bodies relaxed, their minds stilled, and their cores began absorbing the concentrated energy.

Even Lady Yi Ran and Li Nan, who weren't part of the process, drifted into a meditative state. The only people unaffected were Karsha and Morris—Karsha because he was refining the pill and had to stay in control, and Morris, who had assumed his shadow form to avoid being affected.

"Time to start refining," Karsha thought as his fire control shifted. Using the Rizz Refining Art, he raised the pill from Tier 3 to Tier 4 within minutes. The sweet-scented energy intensified, spreading two miles and traveling rapidly.

Within moments, the disciples noticed the potent fragrance, took meditative postures, and began absorbing the energy. Thousands of disciples entered cultivation and started breaking through within minutes. The fragrance was too potent.

'Tier 5.' Karsha smiled as clouds began forming slowly on the horizon when the pill ascended to Tier 5. In alchemy, any pill at Tier 5 or above receives heavenly judgment and blessing. This is not heavenly tribulation but a unique form of judgment and blessing.

The judgment occurs when heaven evaluates the pill's quality. This process assesses the pill, and if it meets the standard, it receives a heavenly blessing. This blessing can enhance the pill's effectiveness and sometimes even elevate it to the next Tier or grade. However, if it falls short, the pill may be destroyed or lose its quality.

In some cases, the alchemist might also receive rewards, such as recipes, ingredients, or even Pill Blessings that further advance their mastery of the craft.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Another intensified wave of energy burst from the pill, spreading far and wide. Karsha estimated a five-mile radius, but even at Tier 5, the energy had already covered twelve miles and continued expanding.

In a cave-like abode filled with spiritual energy, a short, dark-haired young man felt the wave wash over him. Instantly, a bottleneck he had struggled with for six months shattered, and waves of energy flooded into his core. His body entered a deep meditative state as he advanced toward Level 5 Sage.

In another cave, a handsome young man with a round face, long dark hair, and shadowed eyes felt the same surge. Instead of entering a meditative state, his spear shot upward, spinning as energy poured into it at an astonishing rate.

BOOM!

A burst of energy erupted from the spear, and the once silver-scaled spear transformed into gold.

"Hahaha, I did it! I've finally refined a heaven-grade spear. Wait for me, Fairy Mei; I'm coming for you." His aura expanded, and more energy poured into his body.

Inside another cave, a maiden with a fairy-like presence also broke through to the 4th Level Sage, eagerly absorbing the energy as if starved. This scene was repeated in over ten caves. This secluded area was a retreat where Core disciples could confront their bottlenecks.

The caves were outfitted with formations that gathered dense spiritual energy, providing those struggling with minor realms a valuable boost to overcome their obstacles.

Outside the caves, bursts of energy erupted everywhere as most disciples continued advancing in levels. Some Inner disciples even broke through from the Saint Stage to the Sage Stage, now eligible to take the Core Disciple test.

Typically, after fulfilling the requirements to become Core Disciples, the sect would aid them in breaking through to the Sage Stage. However, with so many managing breakthroughs on their own, the sect now faced the task of designing a test to induct them as Core Disciples.

Though it would be a considerable effort for the elders, it was ultimately beneficial. Higher ranks in the upcoming sect tournament meant greater resources for the sect.

'Almost there,' Karsha thought, smiling as he sensed the pill rising to the 6th Tier.

BOOM!

Lady Li Jing was the first to break through. Thanks to the Foundation Building Pill Karsha had given her, her aura at the Grandmaster Stage was potent despite her previously subpar cultivation methods.

A few minutes after her breakthrough, Xian followed suit. What surprised Karsha was that, upon breaking through to the Semi-Saint Stage, Xian immediately entered enlightenment. A halo of spiritual energy shaped like a star appeared above Xian's head and slowly merged into his forehead, leaving behind a star-shaped tattoo.

The third to follow was Li Fei. She broke through flawlessly, and though she only reached the Grandmaster Stage without any body-tempering pills, her beauty radiated even more brightly.

Her charm grew, her physique became fitter, and, most remarkably, grass and flowers began to sprout within a one-meter radius around her. Soon, she was surrounded by a small, flawless garden, with a beautiful maiden at its center, immersed in enlightenment.

Karsha had no time to admire anyone else's breakthroughs. The only person he saw advance was Xian, who was directly in front of him. His focus remained on the Tier 6 pill he had refined.

'It's almost done refining,' he thought as the pill reached Tier 6. Around this time, Mei Lin broke through as well. Fortunately for the others, she was far enough away that her ice-cold aura didn't affect them too much. The elders followed suit, weakening their bottlenecks and taking the pill to hold their cultivation bases at this weakened point.

When they were ready to advance, all they'd need to do was urge it, and they would break through flawlessly. Now, however, they had to prepare for the heavenly tribulation. From the Great Sage stage onward, each advancement required them to face a heavenly tribulation.

While the tribulations at the Great Sage level weren't typically dangerous, most prepared extensively, especially those without an affinity for the lightning element.

As more clouds gathered, Karsha knew the pill was nearing completion. He began using a recently discovered technique, the Golden Judgment-Enhancing Art. This technique allowed an alchemist to prepare a pill for judgment, increasing its chances of receiving a positive judgment and a potent blessing.

Two hours later, the elders and others, except for Xian and his sister, remained in their enlightened states.

"Is that heavenly tribulation forming?" Sect Master Xu asked.

"No, it's the Judgment Cloud," Master Artemis replied.

"In alchemy, when a pill reaches Tier 5 and beyond, it undergoes heavenly judgment and blessing. It's a critical moment in pill refining."

"Heavens, does that mean Karsha has concocted Tier 5 pills?" June asked, astonished.

"Little girl, this young man exceeds your imagination. He not only concocted a Tier 6 Earth-grade pill, but it's also 100% pure, making it flawless. This pill is invaluable and could destabilize the economy if it went to auction."

Bang!

Karsha struck the cauldron, causing the lid to open halfway. The pill shot out from the cauldron, rising ten meters into the air. The heavens rumbled, and a beam of light descended, enveloping the pill, marking the beginning of its judgment.