“This is the Dao of Fire Principle my Master bestowed upon me!”

The mention of a Dao Principle left Qing Yan and Wang Man utterly dumbfounded. They knew exactly what that implied! Integrating and refining a Dao of Fire Principle meant a guaranteed path to Attain Emperor status through the Path of Spirit Fire! Legends claimed that all Dao Principles in the Southern Wilds had long since been seized by supreme powerhouses. Yet, here was Lu Xuan, casually holding a Dao of Fire Principle, and gifting it to Empress Fuyao!

Wang Man exclaimed, still reeling from the shock, “Peak Master Lu is truly a divine being!” Qing Yan’s chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. “In the entire Southern Wilds, perhaps only Peak Master Lu treats Emperor-tier treasures as trifles.” They had, after all, witnessed Lu Xuan bestow numerous Emperor-tier treasures upon Ye Chen back at the Ye Family. The sheer extravagance was mind-boggling!

Soon, Qing Yan and the others understood why Empress Fuyao had declared she would reach Profound Saint realm within two months. With the Dao of Fire Principle integrated, achieving Profound Saint would be as easy as flipping a hand! More importantly, with so many supreme treasures in this life, once Empress Fuyao Attains Emperor status, she would undoubtedly surpass her previous incarnation by leaps and bounds! There was even a chance she could reach the ultimate peak of the Emperor Realm, becoming a true magnate, a taboo figure, in the Southern Wilds!

At this thought, Wang Man and Qing Yan, along with the others, immediately prostrated themselves before Empress Fuyao. Thump! Thump! “We pledge our eternal loyalty to Your Majesty, the Empress!” they declared.

Empress Fuyao nodded. “Rise. In the future, I will surely rebuild the Fuyao Dynasty, and you will all undoubtedly take another step forward!”

Wang Man and the others were ecstatic. “Another step forward” meant reaching the Great Emperor realm! They had absolute faith in Ji Fuyao's words, especially knowing that Peak Master Lu stood firmly behind her! Peak Master Lu’s power and reserves were unfathomably vast, boundless and deep. If he were to casually bestow some fortuitous encounter for the Empress's sake, they could Attain Emperor status in a single step! Instantly, everyone felt their future was bright, their hearts burning with ambition!

Ji Fuyao then asked, “Is there a place of intense spirit fire within the Blackflame Mountain Range?” Qing Yan pondered for a moment. “Your Majesty, in the eastern part of the Blackflame Mountain Range, there is indeed such a place, called Li Fire Valley.”

Ji Fuyao inquired, “What is the rank of its spirit fire?” “It doesn’t reach Saint King-tier!” Qing Yan replied.

Ji Fuyao nodded. “It suits me well. Lead the way.” Swiftly, Wang Man, Qing Yan, and Ji Fuyao soared into the sky, flying towards Li Fire Valley.

Qing Yan cautioned, “Your Majesty, there are some Profound Saint Fire Beasts in Li Fire Valley. You should be careful.” Ji Fuyao casually dismissed the warning. “It’s fine. Mere Profound Saint Fire Beasts pose no threat to me anymore.”

Several hours later, Ji Fuyao and her loyalists arrived above Li Fire Valley. The valley stretched endlessly, like an immense chasm ripped open in the earth. Blazing flames soared skyward, transforming the entire area into a colossal furnace where spirit fire burned eternally. An ancient, primordial aura washed over them. Boom! Towering pillars of spirit fire shot into the heavens, incinerating nearby spiritual trees into dust. In the depths of Li Fire Valley, countless Fire Beasts roamed wildly, appearing exceptionally ferocious!

Ji Fuyao looked at Qing Yan and the others. “You may all retreat now.” Qing Yan and Wang Man still harbored some worry. Ji Fuyao waved her slender hand, and eventually, they withdrew several miles, concealing their aura to secretly guard her.

The next instant, Ji Fuyao, her fiery red gown fluttering, shot directly into Li Fire Valley. Immediately, a horde of Fire Beasts roared and charged towards her. A Nine-star Profound Saint Fire Beast snarled, “Human, how dare you trespass into my Li Fire Valley?! Die!”

As its voice fell, the Profound Saint Fire Beast directly condensed the spirit fire of Li Fire Valley. Terrifying, destructive power manifested into eerie shapes, exploding with immense might, and surged towards Ji Fuyao.

Ji Fuyao wore an expression of calm detachment. From her slender hand, a long spear suddenly materialized. It was an Emperor Weapon, Heaven-Rending! Crack! Whoosh! With a thought from Ji Fuyao, the first seal on the Heaven-Rending Emperor Weapon instantly unfurled. The spear immediately blazed with crimson spirit fire lightning, swirling and intertwining like coiling dragons.

Ji Fuyao and the Heaven-Rending Emperor Weapon resonated perfectly. She swept the spear horizontally downwards. The spear-light, like a dragon, carried the power of spirit fire capable of scorching the heavens and boiling the seas, directly impacting Li Fire Valley. Its supreme destructive force, like a flash of lightning, instantly annihilated the Profound Saint Fire Beast’s attack!

The Profound Saint Fire Beast’s face twisted into an expression of utter horror. It immediately channeled the power of Li Fire Valley to defend itself. But it was useless! Completely useless! The Heaven-Rending Emperor Weapon, living up to its name, could rend heaven and earth with a single strike. Boom! The Profound Saint Fire Beast’s body directly exploded, blood splattering everywhere. Its furious voice echoed through the air. “What the actual hell?! That’s an Emperor Weapon! An Emperor Weapon!” Its resentment soared to the heavens. It was merely a Nine-star Profound Saint, what right did it have to face an Emperor Weapon?! This human woman didn’t play fair!

In an instant, the strongest Fire Beast of Li Fire Valley perished, its body reduced to dust. Ji Fuyao retrieved the Heaven-Rending Emperor Weapon and landed directly in the depths of the valley. The surrounding Fire Beasts scattered like a retreating tide. A great terror! The strongest Fire Beast in Li Fire Valley had been instantly killed by this woman! How could they possibly remain here?! In a flash, countless Fire Beasts scattered like cornered rats, vanishing in moments.

Witnessing this scene, Qing Yan and the others were utterly stunned. An Emperor Weapon spear! And a high-star one at that! They knew this was definitely not Empress Fuyao’s original Emperor Weapon. Wang Man’s voice trembled. “This Emperor Weapon must have been gifted by Peak Master Lu to Her Majesty the Empress!” Everyone nodded. Their hearts were filled with overwhelming shock. Just how many supreme treasures did Lu Xuan possess? This was simply too extravagant!

At this moment, Ji Fuyao sat cross-legged, her fiery red gown fluttering around her, unable to conceal her perfectly sculpted, alluring figure. Graceful curves flowed around her. She extended her slender hand, and the Dao of Fire Principle appeared in her palm. Ji Fuyao focused her mind, merging with the Dao, and began to integrate and refine the Dao of Fire Principle! On her delicate, exquisite face, fragrant sweat began to trickle down, a mesmerizing sight.

One day. Two days. Ten days. Ji Fuyao had entered a meditative trance, continuously integrating the Dao Principle while absorbing its immense power. Her cultivation surged relentlessly. Third-stage Profound Venerate! Fourth-stage Profound Venerate! Fifth-stage Profound Venerate!

On Azure Mystery Peak of the Grand Dao Sect, Lu Xuan lay casually in his cave dwelling, idly sketching abstract drawings. The System’s voice echoed in his ears. Ding! Ji Fuyao's cultivation is increasing, synchronizing now! Ding! Ji Fuyao's mastery of spirit fire is increasing, synchronizing now! Ding! Ye Chen's alchemy mastery is increasing...

As the notifications ceased, pure cultivation power surged into his meridians, finally converging in his Dantian. The tingling sensation, like an electric current, filled Lu Xuan with immense comfort. Over a month had passed. Lu Xuan had already reached One-star Profound Saint realm! Without a single bottleneck! Other cultivators striving for Profound Saint realm not only needed massive cultivation foundations and breakthrough pills, but also had to forge their own ‘Dao’. But Lu Xuan required none of that. All he needed was for his disciples’ cultivation essence to pour into him. Comprehension? His disciples’ insights were his insights!

Now, Lu Xuan had cultivated three Great Daos: the Pill Dao, the Path of Spirit Fire, and the Martial Dao! Ji Fuyao had already integrated more than half of the Dao of Fire Principle, reaching Eighth-stage Profound Venerate. Once she fully integrated it, she would undoubtedly step into the Profound Saint realm!

As for Ye Chen, under Elder Yao’s guidance, he was already capable of refining King-tier pills. His martial arts realm hadn’t lagged either! Lu Xuan had casually handed him the remaining five million high-grade Spirit Stones, allowing Ye Chen to directly advance to Mid-stage Profound Sovereign! During this period, Ye Chen did nothing but eat, refine pills, or cultivate. He lived a two-point-one-line existence between his thatched hut and cave dwelling. No days off, ever! Even Lu Xuan couldn’t bear to watch. Even a production team’s donkey didn’t work as hard as Ye Chen!

But Ye Chen reveled in it; eating was his only form of rest. Cultivators and mortals possessed different physiques. Lu Xuan was a special case; even as a Profound Saint, he still needed more than four hours of sleep every day. Meanwhile, the Sect Master was preoccupied with the Pill Refining Exchange Conference, and hadn’t set foot on Azure Mystery Peak. Lu Xuan was content with his leisure, occasionally composing doggerel, sketching abstract art, reading stories, or simply gazing at the scenery. This was the life Lu Xuan had dreamed of on Blue Star. Now, it was a reality. There was no need to put too much pressure on himself. After all, all the pressure was on his disciples.

Soon, only a few days remained until the Pill Refining Exchange Conference. Ji Fuyao successfully broke through to the Profound Saint realm! Lu Xuan checked the System, confirming Ji Fuyao had fully integrated the Dao of Fire Principle. From this day forward, Ji Fuyao’s cultivation speed would directly increase by several fold! Lu Xuan felt utterly delighted. If the cultivation feedback within him had previously been a gentle trickle, it was now a great river. Spiritual power surged through his limbs and bones, pouring into his Dantian, leaving Lu Xuan feeling incredibly refreshed and comfortable!

In these past few days, the Grand Dao Sect had noticeably livened up. Several overlord-level powers from the Southern Wilds, possessing rich alchemy inheritances, had already arrived. This time, the Supreme Profound Sect, Pill Fragrance Sect, Cangmu Academy, and the Yao Family, among others, would be present. All those who arrived were Heaven-tier Alchemists! This was a group of alchemists who had reached the pinnacle of alchemy in the Southern Wilds. While their individual cultivation realms might not be exceptionally high—at most Half-Emperors—the status of a Heaven-tier Alchemist was transcendent. Even Great Emperors would treat them with respect. Such was the standing of alchemists in the Southern Wilds!

The centennial Pill Refining Exchange Conference was undoubtedly the premier gathering for alchemists in the Southern Wilds. Not only would these Heaven-tier Alchemists discuss the Dao of alchemy, but their most talented disciples would also engage in a pill refining competition! The Grand Dao Sect had already announced the conference schedule. It would last for ten days. The first three days would feature lectures and demonstrations by the Heaven-tier Alchemists from these overlord-level powers. The following seven days would be the eagerly anticipated genius alchemist competition!

Invited overlord-level powers could directly descend upon the Grand Dao Sect. However, other factions or rogue cultivators wishing to observe had to pay a significant price. For this event, the Grand Dao Sect offered limited public viewing spots, each requiring a Saint Soldier or cultivation resources of equivalent value. Trading a Saint Soldier for ten days of observing the Pill Refining Exchange Conference was a steep price, yet numerous forces in the Southern Wilds still flocked to it! The spots were limited, but absolutely worth it! For if one gained even a single insight, a mere Saint Soldier was nothing; for an alchemist, it was just a few more batches of pills.

In these recent days, across the Grand Dao Sect’s vast territory spanning thousands of miles, divine radiance flowed over countless spiritual peaks. Brilliant Dao patterns shimmered like starlight, and an ancient aura emanated in all directions, showcasing the profound heritage of an overlord-level power that had stood in the Southern Wilds for ages. Many auspicious beasts soared through the void, emitting melodious calls. Spirit boats and flying artifacts filled the sky, radiating brilliant divine light, gleaming as they shuttled between different spiritual peaks. All the peaks of the Grand Dao Sect were coordinating with Pill Peak. Many Peak Masters flew through the air within the Grand Dao Sect, creating streaks of divine light that painted the sky in magnificent hues. The atmosphere of a grand event was steadily brewing!

Lu Xuan lay in front of his thatched hut, gazing up at the sky. He had to admit, the spectacle before him was quite impressive. Just then, the Transmission Jade Slip in his robe vibrated slightly. He took out the slip and injected spiritual power into it. The Sect Master’s voice emerged. “Lu Xuan, I need to discuss something with you.”

“Sect Master, speak your mind,” Lu Xuan said. The Sect Master replied, “The Pill Refining Exchange Conference is in a few days. Could you please try your best to stay on Azure Mystery Peak, don’t wander around, and please don’t stir up any trouble? How about it?”