Chapter 336: Ancient Formulas

Chapter 336: Ancient Formulas

Rather than a page of scripture, it resembled an ancient alchemical formula, recording a method of refining medicine with profound secrets of altering the natural order.

This was no ordinary recipe; it required using divine creatures from the Fire Domain as the main ingredient for concoction, to gather divine essence, reveal runic fragments, and nourish oneself.

In summary, this ancient formula could transform the Fire Domain into a treasure ground, allowing one to achieve metamorphosis and sublimation, making the most of this land.

The Fire Domain is a peculiar place, where all life forms are imbued with divine essence, enabling breakthroughs and enlightenment rarely seen elsewhere.

This is also why some powerful forces from outside the domain sought out the Fire Clan—they wanted to uncover the secrets hidden here and understand the cause of such phenomena.

As for Shi Hao, he was not concerned with these matters. His sole focus was to enhance his own strength. Only by reaching a certain level could he have the confidence and power to investigate further.

The ancient formula emphasized a particular creature with the most divine essence. Capturing it effectively would be very beneficial for enlightenment and overcoming obstacles.

However, this creature was extremely difficult to capture and was rarely seen. Fortunately, the scripture provided some methods for capturing it.

“I have no other goal but to break through. I need to keep advancing, and for this period, I must focus on grounding myself here,” Shi Hao said with determination.

The Fire Domain was currently complex, with powerful outsiders, various princes and nobles of the Fire Clan, and hidden figures in contact with the Fire Emperor.

Shi Hao did not wish to clash with them; it was better to concentrate on cultivation. Nothing was more important than increasing his strength in this harsh world. Only by becoming powerful could he stand firm.

He searched for the creature described on the bronze paper but found nothing.

Unknowingly, he ventured deeper into the ancestral lands of the Fire Clan. This area was no longer a vast desert but featured various massive mountains and flowing lava.

This was a highly dangerous area where one could encounter perils like volcanic eruptions or surging lava tides. It was a world of fire.

“Roar!”

Suddenly, a deafening roar shook the ground as a distant stone mountain collapsed, with chaos ensuing and many people fleeing.

It was a giant black bull emerging from the lava, incredibly fierce, with flames swirling around its hooves and a powerful aura.

It was awe-inspiring. It resided in the mountain, and when disturbed, the mountain collapsed, and it surged out with rolling lava.

Initially, some people attacked, trying to subdue the powerful creature, but they quickly found it overwhelming. The bull demon was too strong, almost reaching the prince level.

There were casualties. A dozen people were crushed under the bull’s hooves, and after a burst of flames, another six or seven turned to ash. The disparity in strength was too great.

Shi Hao watched with interest. This bull was one of the creatures he sought and would be very useful.

He immediately went forward to confront the bull. At this moment, a group of people fled, and upon seeing a fool rushing to his death, they were overjoyed.

Some of them anxiously shouted at him, “Aren’t you always bragging about how strong you are? Now there really is a bull demon. Hurry and kill it.”

“Friend, help quickly and save the Spirit Phoenix!”

These were a few young people, anxious and helpless. Seeing Shi Hao, they shouted desperately, begging for help to rescue the girl being chased by the bull.

Shi Hao smiled at their words. What a coincidence; he encountered the big-eyed girl in distress. Since these people had connections with Fire Spirit, he naturally would not stand by.

The bull was enormous, entirely black with a sleek, satin-like fur, and surrounded by surging lava. It was mad with rage and extremely fierce.

Worried about unforeseen circumstances, Shi Hao acted quickly, drawing out the Thunder Wind Serpent Bow. He released an arrow that flew out with a golden light, aiming for the bull’s right eye.

“Roar!”

Sensing the threat, the bull shook its head to avoid the arrow, its eyes flashing with fire, focusing on Shi Hao.

Shi Hao charged forward, continuously drawing and shooting arrows at the bull, with rays of light flying, dazzling as many rainbows across the sky.

“Spirit Phoenix, retreat!” the young people shouted, feeling somewhat embarrassed that the youth they looked down upon was saving them at this critical moment.

The big-eyed girl narrowly escaped being consumed by lava, shaken, and stared at Shi Hao’s back in astonishment. After a while, she murmured, “Could he really be Princess Ling’er’s friend?”

The bull was formidable. Shi Hao decided to merge with the Indestructible Golden Body and donned a layer of black-gold armor, fearing that delays might bring unexpected changes.

In the next moment, when he drew the bowstring again, the arrows were entirely different. With the howling wind and wailing spirits, the arrows transformed into a dragon, coiled with thunder and lightning, and made a deafening noise.

“Puff!” The bull was struck by the arrow and let out an angry roar, spraying a large amount of blood. Its eyes turned red, spewing fire, and glaring at Shi Hao.

“This bow is indeed peculiar. No matter how strong I am, it always keeps pace. It works perfectly even at the prince level,” Shi Hao whispered.

“Roar!” The bull roared furiously, its two horns falling off and transforming into black curved blades that slashed through the air at high speed.

Shi Hao was surprised. The bull was very powerful, nearly reaching the prince level. Without merging with the Indestructible Golden Body, it would have been very challenging to handle it.

He quickly dodged and drew the bow again, using all his strength to shoot an arrow. Amidst the whistling sound, a giant dragon lunged at the bull.

“Puff!”

This time, the bull suffered severe injuries. Its two horns could not block the attack and shattered, causing it to continuously cough up blood.

Having been the one killing others for days, it was now severely wounded, causing its rage to explode. Its entire body glowed with runes as it crazily charged at Shi Hao.

“Retreat!” the big-eyed girl and the young people screamed.

The bull was desperate. At such close range, there was no time to draw the bow again, and it seemed ready to crash into Shi Hao.

In their view, such a beast nearing the prince level could not be handled by a mere youth. Only long-range attacks were feasible.

However, the outcome surprised them. Shi Hao put away his long bow and slapped the bull on the head with a powerful blow, halting its advance.

“Puff!”

Then, Shi Hao swiftly turned and delivered a chopping blow with his palm, decapitating the furious beast with a single strike.

The group was stunned, seeing such a formidable bull demon being slain so easily.

In fact, with Shi Hao merged with the Indestructible Golden Body, he could battle princes, let alone this bull.

“Are you really Princess Ling’er’s friend?” the big-eyed girl asked softly.

“Yes,” Shi Hao affirmed.

He then began to process the bull. Indeed, to him, the bull was a treasure.

“Please, have a feast,” Shi Hao invited.

Eventually, the giant bull was roasted. The remaining meat was as huge as a small mountain. They ate heartily and enjoyed the feast.

The group wanted to ask about Shi Hao’s background, but he merely smiled and did not respond. He then proceeded to refine the bull’s marrow and carefully stored it.

Afterward, he placed the entire bull into the Alchemy Bowl and, according to the ancient formula, began controlling the heat for the refinement process.

The formula required various medicinal materials, but he had none, so he could only refine this main ingredient.

The giant bull, which was as big as a small mountain, shrank to a few inches long after being placed into the Alchemy Bowl. After a period of refinement, it quickly dried up and eventually turned to ash, leaving behind a tiny drop of golden liquid.

During this process, Shi Hao was sweating profusely. He used his own Dao Fire, carefully controlling it and following the formula, which was mentally exhausting.

The small bowl tilted, and ashes fell away. In the end, only that single drop of golden liquid remained, shining brightly and emitting a fragrant aroma.

“This is divine material,” Shi Hao was astonished. He knew there were impurities left. To thoroughly purify it, he estimated only about one-tenth of it would remain.

Shi Hao did not continue and drank it directly.

In an instant, golden light radiated from his body, dazzling and bright. His aura increased slightly.

“It’s immediate and effective,” he was greatly surprised.

The others nearby saw clearly that this was a bull nearing the prince level, and refining even a tiny drop of liquid was incredibly precious.

“Do you know where there are other creatures of this level?” Shi Hao asked.

The young people were stunned. This guy had tasted the benefits and wanted to hunt such powerful creatures.

“Deep in the ancestral lands, there should be many, and even some truly prince-level existences. It’s extremely dangerous,” the big-eyed girl answered.

“Let’s go. Show me around,” Shi Hao said.

The young people looked at each other and then showed excitement.

Two days later, Shi Hao killed another creature, a silver lion, which was entirely snow-white and strong. It also produced a small drop of divine liquid after refinement.

“Why are you keeping the marrow?” the big-eyed girl asked, puzzled.

“It has its uses,” Shi Hao smiled.

The formula mentioned that the creatures with the most divine essence were very hard to capture and needed fragrant bait to attract them.

The bull and the silver lion were strong but not what Shi Hao most desired. The divine essence contained in these creatures was inferior to that of the one described in the formula.

According to the bronze paper, the more powerful the creature, the more effective the bait made from its marrow.

He dried and ground the marrow from the two creatures into powder and then asked the young people, “Where is a large lake?”

Of course, he was referring to a magma lake, not a typical water lake, as there was none here, only intense heat.

“What do you want to do?” they asked.

“Cultivation,” Shi Hao replied. This was crucial for his breakthrough. With good luck, capturing enough of that type of creature might allow him to break through directly.

Half an hour later, they arrived at a large lake, the temperature frighteningly high, with surging magma and a red expanse that seemed endless.

“Good, this lake will do,” Shi Hao carefully tossed the marrow powder into the lake.

This marrow, from a beast nearing the prince level and refined by Shi Hao, was very crystalline. When it fell into the magma, it shimmered and did not turn to ash. Instead, a pleasant aroma spread.

“What could possibly be in the magma?” the young people murmured, not believing there were any spiritual creatures.

They waited for half an hour. Shi Hao was patient, and eventually, he threw the remaining marrow powder into the depths of the lake.

After waiting another half hour, Shi Hao frowned, feeling worried. Could that type of creature be extinct and no longer present?

Suddenly, he felt a disturbance and sensed spiritual energy. He saw golden flashes as a group of creatures moved through the magma, rapidly consuming the marrow powder.

“Ah, that’s a school of fish!”

The young people were stunned, their jaws nearly dropping. They had never heard of fish surviving in magma.