Chapter 626: The Dragon Flame Cauldron

Marcus set the resurrection skill from the Phoenix Feather to activate before the Ring of Resurrection, whose effect would grant him three seconds of complete invulnerability, then turned his attention to the other item he had received: the Century Life Grass.

—

Century Life Grass: Divine-grade herb, extremely rare and exceptionally valuable as a healing ingredient. Ordinary herbs that took only a year to mature were merely Intermediate-grade. When cultivated in an environment rich in energy, a ten-year-old specimen would become High-grade, a fifty-year-old specimen would reach Mythic-grade, and a herb that had grown for a full century would become Divine-grade.

Effect: Can be easily refined into various healing potions.

—

What a stroke of luck. Princess Phoenix had truly gone out of her way to give him something this valuable. Once they began their alchemy, he would add the Divine-grade Century Life Grass to the ingredients.

Soon, they arrived at the Dragon Flame Cauldron chamber within the Dragon’s Peak Imperial Palace. The alchemy room was built with an imposing solidity that made it seem almost indestructible, its walls and furnishings carrying the cold, heavy feel of forged steel. Above the enormous iron doors, three pitch-black words had been carved into the stone: Dragon Flame Pavilion.

Inside the alchemy chamber was a spotless circular space, with various alchemical vessels and precious herbs neatly arranged around the perimeter. At its center stood a pitch-black cauldron roughly half a person’s height. It was heavy and imposing, radiating an unmistakably arrogant presence, and carved into its surface was a crimson dragon wreathed in flames. Even while completely motionless, the creature seemed alive, its body pulsing with an immense and oppressive fire energy.

This was none other than the famous Divine Artifact of the Dragon Dynasty, the Dragon Flame Cauldron.

There was no time to waste. Following the instructions Alana had given them on the way here, and relying on his extraordinary Luck stat, Marcus took the position of primary alchemist while Alana, Princess Phoenix, and Princess Celeste assisted him.

Once everyone had taken their positions, Marcus stood directly above the Dragon Flame Cauldron, with Alana opposite him on the lower side and the two princesses standing to his left and right. The four of them formed a complete alchemy formation around the cauldron.

They exchanged glances, then began casting their various buff skills one after another, pushing their abilities to their absolute limits in an effort to achieve the highest possible success rate.

Marcus, however, hesitated.

He watched as the two princesses released their buffs from either side of the cauldron, and for a moment, he found himself caught between caution and determination. He had always kept a considerable portion of his strength hidden, and revealing too much in front of the two princesses could potentially create unnecessary complications.

But after a brief hesitation, Marcus made his decision.

With a series of swift movements, he summoned his pets.

His buffs were not limited to the skills he possessed himself. His pets also had a variety of powerful auxiliary abilities. Wyvern Saint Knight Lyanna and the Vixen Queen Camillo could both provide valuable buffs, while the Seven-Colored Divine Eagle possessed a passive ability capable of greatly enhancing his attributes.

For a Saint-tier eluxir, he had to perform at his absolute peak. If he wanted the highest possible chance of success, holding back now would only be foolish.

Besides, the princesses would eventually discover the extent of his abilities anyway. There was little point in concealing his strength forever, especially when these two were system NPCs who would not casually reveal his secrets to others.

The moment Lyanna appeared, both princesses were stunned.

"Wyvern Saint Knight Lyanna!"

As princesses of the Dragon Dynasty, neither of them could possibly mistake Lyanna for someone else. Unlike the ordinary residents of Dragon’s Roar Town, who might have been easily fooled by appearances or rumors, the two princesses knew exactly who she was.

The sight before them was impossible to ignore. Lyanna sat astride the majestic Divine Beast, the Glacier Ice Dragon, while wielding the Divine Artifact Wyvern Flame Spear. Her beauty and bearing were so extraordinary that even the two princesses could not help but feel a trace of envy.

For a moment, they were so shocked that they actually forgot to continue casting their buffs.

Marcus, however, failed to notice the subtle change in Princess Phoenix’s expression.

The moment her eyes fell upon Lyanna, Princess Phoenix instinctively glanced toward Marcus. Perhaps it was the sight of him standing there with his powerful and imposing presence, or perhaps it was the unexpected sharpness in his demeanor now that he had revealed a greater portion of his strength. Whatever the reason, a faint blush quietly spread across her proud, noble features, adding an unexpected touch of warmth to her otherwise regal beauty.

Princess Celeste was still staring at Lyanna in disbelief. Then, as though she had suddenly remembered something important, she stammered, "Sister, the prophecy... your hidden quest... the prophecy about your..."

Princess Phoenix’s expression immediately changed.

She had recovered from her brief embarrassment, but the faint panic in her eyes had not completely disappeared. Clearly unwilling to let Celeste continue, she quickly interrupted her.

"Celeste, don’t get distracted. Focus on the alchemy!"

"Mm!"

Celeste obediently stopped speaking, though she still couldn’t resist stealing a quick glance at Marcus. Then she gave him a small wink.

Marcus blinked, completely puzzled. What was going on between these two sisters?

He had no idea what prophecy they were talking about, nor why Princess Phoenix had suddenly become so flustered. Still, since the two princesses had already resumed casting their buffs, he decided not to dwell on it. He immediately had his pets release their own auxiliary abilities, adding another layer of enhancement to the group.

When every buff was finally in place, all four of them had pushed their abilities to their maximum potential.

Alana raised her Divine Artifact, the Asclepius’ Herbal Staff, and began chanting.

"Asclepius’ Herbal Classic, Create Alchemical Fate!"

This was one of the secret techniques passed down to Alana by her father, Saint Doctor Silas Vance. It was a technique from the Asclepius’ Herbal Classic, and one that could only be used once every month.

Create Alchemical Fate.

The skill allowed an alchemist to create a completely new and unknown medicine without relying on an established recipe. By analyzing the properties and affinities of the ingredients, the technique could determine a possible combination and refine it into a new medicinal product.

Its greatest advantage, however, was that it could bypass the normal limitations imposed by the alchemist’s skill level, allowing the alchemist to create medicines that would ordinarily be completely beyond their capabilities based on the nature of the ingredients, their effects, their compatibility, and the alchemist’s Luck.

Normally, Marcus’s Intermediate Alchemy could only produce High-grade potions. Even Alana, despite being a Grandmaster-level alchemist, would ordinarily be limited to Divine-grade medicines.

To refine a Saint-tier medicine, an alchemist would normally need at least Divine-level Alchemy.

Create Alchemical Fate was precisely what allowed them to break through that restriction. By relying on the unique properties and effects of the ingredients, their combinations, and the alchemist’s Luck, it could produce medicines that would otherwise be impossible to create under ordinary circumstances.

The moment Alana activated her ultimate skill, a brilliant white light enveloped the entire group.

The preparatory buffs were complete. There was no longer any reason to hesitate.

The alchemy began immediately.

"Super Health Potion!"

Following Alana’s instructions, they first produced several Super Health Potions and poured the healing liquid into the Dragon Flame Cauldron before them.

As soon as the ingredients entered the cauldron, Alana began channeling her alchemy skill. The Asclepius’ Herbal Staff in her hand erupted with brilliant light, and its power resonated with the Dragon Flame Cauldron, activating the Divine Artifact’s extraordinary alchemical properties.

The effect was immediate.

The crimson dragon carved into the surface of the cauldron suddenly trembled. A moment later, it seemed to awaken from a deep slumber.

With a thunderous roar, flames erupted from the cauldron. The carved dragon broke free from the surface as though it had suddenly been given physical form, its fiery body circling the black cauldron while waves of scorching heat spread through the chamber.

The red medicinal liquid inside the cauldron immediately began to boil, and under the dragon’s flames, it almost seemed as though the entire liquid was about to ignite.

Alana continued controlling the crimson dragon, directing its flames to heat and refine the contents of the cauldron. At the same time, Marcus, Princess Phoenix, and Princess Celeste followed the sequence of steps they had agreed upon beforehand, carefully coordinating their movements and abilities with Alana as the alchemy proceeded.