“Excellent. Once you become a Heaven-tier Alchemist, you will surely earn the Yao Family Old Ancestor's recognition. Then, you and your mother can finally reunite.”
Hearing this, Ye Chen clenched his fists. In his mind's eye, the image of an exquisitely beautiful woman flickered—the portrait his father had shown him. A woman of unparalleled grace, yet imprisoned within the Yao Family's Sin Valley for seventeen long years!
With that thought, Ye Chen's will stirred. The Bone-Chilling Ghost Flame flickered into existence, its frigid tendrils wrapping around the Heaven-Devouring Cauldron, warming it for the task ahead. It was time to refine pills!
To become a Heaven-tier Alchemist, one needed to seamlessly integrate their own ‘Dao Rhyme’ into the elixir. Now that he had stepped into the Emperor Realm, he possessed his own unique Dao Rhyme. Achieving the rank of Heaven-tier Alchemist was simply a matter of diligent practice.
This time, he aimed to refine the Heaven-tier Overlord Blood Pill! This formidable elixir demanded hundreds of High-tier Spirit Herbs and an incredibly intricate technique, requiring constant, meticulous attention to the herbs' reactions and the spirit fire's temperature. Once successfully refined and consumed, it could dramatically boost one's Blood Essence Power within a short duration, causing battle power to soar severalfold! And if he infused his own Martial Dao Rhyme into it, the pill's potency would undoubtedly be even more ferocious!
Soon, the pill cauldron was perfectly warmed. Ye Chen's intricate hand seals danced, unleashing endless, brilliant divine light that played over the cauldron as he meticulously dropped in various Spirit Herbs. His alchemy technique was a masterful fusion, drawing from the Yao Family's profound methods, the insights of a Five-star Pill Dao Great Emperor, and the ancient inheritance of the Yundan Sect! He extracted the very essence of each. Beside him, Yao Yan offered quiet guidance.
Several days later, the pill cauldron opened, and a delicate wisp of pill fragrance drifted into the air. Ye Chen lifted the lid, revealing three blood-red pills nestled quietly within. Each glowed with three distinct pill halos, radiating both ‘Dao’ and ‘Rhyme’—a testament to their profound purity and power.
Yao Yan's face was a mask of utter shock. Ye Chen's alchemy talent was simply unparalleled! This was his very first attempt at refining a Heaven-tier pill! The chasm between Earth-tier and Heaven-tier was an insurmountable gulf for most, yet Ye Chen had leaped across it in a single bound. Yao Yan himself had spent decades refining Heaven-tier pills before finally achieving success!
But at this moment, Ye Chen merely shook his head, a faint frown on his face. “My alchemy skill… still needs work!” He was far from satisfied. Yao Yan, utterly speechless, could only swallow his words.
Ye Chen resumed his alchemy, knowing full well that to enter the Yao Family and earn their recognition, he needed to leave them utterly speechless with his skill! He wasn't competing with the likes of Yao Huanhuan; he aimed to surpass even the veteran Heaven-tier Alchemists! From this day forward, the Southern Wilds would know three categories of pills: the Yao Family's, Ye Chen's, and all the rest. Ye Chen refined with intense focus, constantly summarizing his experiences and honing his craft. If he ever felt a hint of fatigue, he would simply sit cross-legged on the ground and begin cultivating the Desolate Heaven Art and Star-Plucking Hand. Dual Cultivation of Alchemy and Martial Arts, a path he walked with unwavering determination!
Yao Yan couldn't help but sigh with emotion in his heart. “Liuli, you truly bore a magnificent son!”
***
Meanwhile, within the Qianhuan Sect's inheritance.
In an ancient celestial pond, steam rose thick and heavy, shrouding the area in a dense mist. Only a peerlessly beautiful figure bathed within—it was Liu Xuan. She seemed to have stepped straight out of a painting, her voluptuous figure captivating, her perfect curves vaguely appearing through the ethereal mist. She wore no clothes, only her cascading green hair casually covering vital areas, yet it remained tantalizingly visible, hinting at depths one one yearned to explore.
Her slender jade hands moved gracefully, stirring the clear, profound liquid in the celestial pond. Slowly, droplets trickled onto her snowy neck, then slid down her fragrant shoulders, finally coming to rest upon her two perfect curves.
A charming, subtle smile played on her lips. In these past few days, they had successfully obtained the Qianhuan Sect's ultimate inheritance. The Qianhuan Sect truly lived up to its name, renowned for its myriad illusions and transformations; a single thought could evolve all things in heaven and earth. This very ancient celestial pond was one she had conjured herself using her illusionary arts! Now, she had already stepped into the Half-Emperor Realm.
Not long after, Liu Xuan's jade feet danced elegantly as she emerged from the celestial pond, still unclothed. Brilliant, ethereal petals condensed beneath her feet, and a faint, sweet fragrance emanated from her body. She murmured, her voice soft yet profound, “When the false is taken for true, the true becomes false; when the true is taken for false, the false becomes true.” She knew that as long as she fully comprehended this profound truth, she would be able to step into the Emperor Realm. She sat cross-legged, a light, flowing gown settling casually around her, and fell into a deep, transformative state of enlightenment.
***
At the Panshi Sect's inheritance.
Here, mountain ranges stretched endlessly, the terrain rugged and uneven, with massive boulders scattered everywhere. Countless cave dwellings and ancient stone halls, seemingly eternal and indestructible, were built amidst the chaotic rocks. Fang Yan was in seclusion here.
The moment he stepped into this place, he felt an undeniable, profound connection to it! Fang Yan looked around, his gaze taking in the fragmented ‘Dao’ and ‘Rhyme’ that constantly intertwined, vast and magnificent, radiating an aura of absolute, unyielding resilience, as if forged to be indestructible.
Half a day later, Fang Yan stepped into a solemn forest of stone tablets—the Panshi Sect's tomb forest, where countless powerhouses of old were interred! Fang Yan looked at the first tombstone. Its inscription read: “As the Stone Mother said, I am just a stone, I understand nothing. I did it, I protected the sect.” Fang Yan frowned, “Stone Mother?” In the past half-day, he had seen many ancient imprints of the Stone Mother along his path. It was said that the entire Panshi Sect's cultivation methods were comprehended directly from this mysterious Stone Mother.
On the second stone tablet, a single, powerful sentence was inscribed: “The Panshi Sect was born to protect! But if enemies invade, we shall fight to the last, perishing together!” Fang Yan's expression grew solemn as he continued deeper into the tomb forest. Finally, he reached the inner sanctum and saw a revered stone enshrined by the Panshi Sect Branch. This was the legendary Stone Mother. Ancient characters etched upon it explained its origin: the Stone Mother came from an unknown, mysterious place in the Fallen Star Sea, utterly indestructible, an innate object, perhaps even originating from the primordial chaos itself. The entire Panshi Sect's profound inheritance, it declared, came directly from the Stone Mother!
Another half-day passed, and Fang Yan successfully passed the Panshi Sect's rigorous assessment, obtaining the branch sect's full inheritance. Fang Yan descended into a vast stone hall, his upper body bare, radiating a brilliant golden light. Incredibly mysterious, ancient patterns flowed across his skin as he began cultivating the Immovable Stone Scripture. With every single breath, as he circulated his Blood Essence Power, the very ground beneath him would tremble and quake. Not only that, but his internal world resonated with the sound of crashing waves, a powerful, internal roar.
The Immovable Stone Scripture contained numerous formidable offensive techniques. Fang Yan began to examine them one by one.
“Petrified Starfall! Transform the physical body into an immovable rock, directly smashing enemies!” Fang Yan muttered, “This sounds like a double-edged sword, a move that comes at a significant cost to the user.”
He looked at the next technique.
“Earth-Rending Strike! With a mere thought, the physical body merges with the earth, and massive fragments of the earth bombard enemies!” Fang Yan began to activate it. With a thunderous roar, a colossal stone condensed from the surrounding stone forest and rolled with immense force towards the distance!
“Impressive, truly impressive,” Fang Yan murmured, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.
***
At the Heavenly Sword Sect Branch.
This expanse of heaven and earth was vast and boundless. On a towering mountain peak, a colossal spirit sword was plunged deep into the spirit peak itself, condensing an awe-inspiring, terrifying sword aura that dominated the entire landscape! Luo Lingkong, clad in a long, flowing robe, stepped gracefully into the air. To his surprise, the spirit sword at his waist actually flew up on its own, drawn by this overwhelming sword aura, and directly soared towards that colossal spirit sword embedded in the peak.
“Hm?” Luo Lingkong frowned, his sword-like brows furrowing in concentration, as he flew directly towards the colossal sword's location. The next instant, he found himself stepping into an illusory, towering giant tower.
“Heavenly Sword Sect Branch assessment begins!” A resonant voice boomed, echoing through the ethereal space.
Countless sword energy phantoms materialized, slashing and weaving, attacking Luo Lingkong from all directions. Luo Lingkong, without hesitation, summoned his own spirit sword, and with a single, decisive strike, unleashed his ultimate technique.
“Instant Void Sword!”