Chapter One Hundred: Absorption, the Supreme Emperor Pill!

"What, what kind of power is this?" Lu Zhe’s consciousness watched the spiritual energy that had suddenly intervened, and he murmured in confusion.

This force contained a staggering amount of power. It did not damage Lu Zhe’s meridians or internal organs in the slightest; instead, it surged through his meridians, giving chase to the savage spiritual energy spawned by the "Imperial Extreme Pill."

The energy from the "Imperial Extreme Pill" had not initially noticed this newcomer, continuing its wanton rampaging. It was only when the intruding force began to collide and merge with it that it took note of the presence. Upon discovery, the "Imperial Extreme Pill's" energy paused, seemingly bewildered as to why such a powerful force existed within Lu Zhe’s body. But as it sensed the newcomer’s tendency to surround it, it realized the intruder meant harm. It immediately launched a counter-offensive, intending to drive the force out and assert its dominion.

The "Imperial Extreme Pill" was no ordinary medicine, and the energy it contained was extraordinary. Understanding the intruder's intent, it unleashed a colossal counter-attack, surging forward like a crashing tide, aiming to crush the new energy in one blow and leave it no room to breathe.

The new energy, seeing the aggressive and overwhelming force, paused in apparent shock. But a moment later, it launched its own assault, with momentum no less formidable than that of the pill’s energy—even showing signs of suppressing it. It seemed this newcomer was not to be trifled with, either.

*Boom.*

A soft sound echoed from Lu Zhe’s meridians. The two peerlessly powerful forces collided, and a stalemate ensued, neither side willing to yield.

*Puff.*

A mouthful of blood sprayed from Lu Zhe’s lips, dispersing into a fine mist. The ripples of spiritual energy generated by the collision and deadlock had been enough to force the blood from his body.

The two forces remained locked in a stalemate within Lu Zhe, pushing and pulling, advancing and retreating. Neither gave an inch, both aware that to falter even slightly would mean being swallowed and annihilated by the other.

Time ticked away, and the deadlock continued for a short while. The scene remained unchanged, but as both sides grasped the other's intent, they began to increase their output! This nearly cost Lu Zhe his life; had he not poured every ounce of his remaining strength into protecting his heart and meridians, he likely would have been shattered from within. Like a test of strength, the two forces remained locked, neither daring to relax for a second, fearing that to do so would lead to their own demise.

***

A moment later, the newly arrived energy seemed to have discovered something. It suddenly surged, an endless, river-like torrent of power pouring in from an unknown source, bearing down on the pill’s energy.

The arrival of this "army" of energy clearly caught the "Imperial Extreme Pill's" power off guard. Under the relentless pressure of this massive force, the pill's energy was forced into a steady retreat. Though it wished to resist, all its strength was already committed to the struggle, leaving no reserves. Faced with the ocean-like onslaught, it had no choice but to give ground.

Under the coercion of the new force, the energy from the "Imperial Extreme Pill" began to scurry like a stray dog. Yet, they had not gone far before they were horrified to find that all their paths were sealed off. Cornered, they were forced to submit to the newcomer’s will.

Seeing that the pill’s energy had ceased its struggle, the new force clearly heaved a sigh of relief. It slowly encircled the medicinal energy, guiding it along Lu Zhe’s meridians toward the spiritual core in his abdomen, driving it all inside. Once all the energy had been absorbed by Lu Zhe’s core, the new force began to recede, eventually vanishing from within his body.

"Hah!"

Lu Zhe let out a low shout, his tightly shut eyes snapping open. A sharp glint flashed across them, and a truly磅礴 (vast) amount of spiritual energy radiated from his body, surging in all directions. The sheer momentum caused the rock walls of the cave to tremble.

Elder Yi watched Lu Zhe, a smile touching his lips. He signaled for calm, taking a light breath before exhaling slowly. "Good. You now possess the strength of the Spirit Emperor rank. Go quickly. Remember, you only have one quarter of an hour." He emphasized "one quarter of an hour" specifically, fearing Lu Zhe might become intoxicated by his newfound power and lose his head.

Lu Zhe took a soft breath, retracting his aura back into his body. He looked at Elder Yi, and seeing the old man’s nod, he nodded in return. "I am off." He stood up, looked toward the cave entrance with a smile, and tapped his right foot lightly. His body transformed into a dark blur, and amidst the explosion of rocks sealing the entrance, Lu Zhe rushed out with lightning speed.

Looking at the cave entrance, Elder Yi offered a bitter smile and muttered to himself, "Cocky brat."

Outside the cave, the group of people dressed in white were overjoyed to see the two individuals emerge from the lava holding a jar. Upon seeing the red plant inside, they were ecstatic. As the two landed, the others rushed toward the jar like falling stars to gaze upon the legendary, rare treasure: the "Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower."

"Is this truly the 'Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower,' one of the twenty-four miraculous medicines?" a man in his twenties asked curiously as he inspected the fire-red plant.

"Yes, that is correct. This is indeed the legendary 'Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower,'" a man in his forties said with certainty after a close inspection.

"You've never seen it before, so how would you know?" another young man interjected.

"If I haven't eaten pork, haven't I at least seen a pig run?" The older man retorted indignantly. He pointed his index finger at the plant soaking in the lava and said with an air of seniority, "Medicines as famous as the 'Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower,' though rarely recorded, were described in a book I once read. The description matches this plant perfectly. It must be it."

"Pfft, how can you be sure the book was accurate? Maybe it was lying to you," the young man said with a curl of his lip and a disdainful look.

"Hey, why are you so argumentative?" The older man, clearly riled up, raised his voice.

"What of it? Want to fight? If you're not happy, let's step outside and settle this," the younger man retorted, matching his volume and gesturing with his thumb toward the distance.

"Let's go then, who's afraid of you?" The older man, taking the bait, stepped forward, chin tilted high.

Before they could step away to settle their dispute, a loud explosion erupted from their right. The sound startled everyone, and they all turned to look toward the source.

Before they could identify the cause of the blast, a dark shadow flashed in front of the younger man, stopping only three feet away. Then, it revealed the face of Lu Zhe, filled with murderous intent.

***

(The author has recently had some personal issues but has now resumed updates. The update schedule has changed from three chapters to two. The author will notify you of the specific details later.)