The stone room was dead silent, leaving behind the simmering heat that blew out from fine cracks in the floor. In the center of the room, a giant black furnace stood erect like a king that had long fallen into a deep sleep.Its surface was filled with old cracks, while iron chains as thick as an adult's arm wrapped around its body time and time again. Ancient symbols carved on those chains still emitted a faint light, serving as a silent witness that the seal on its body had never truly been released.Everyone's gaze was fixed intently on the furnace.The Great Elder stepped slowly until he stood a few meters in front of it. "This is the Ancestral Furnace of the South Cloud Sword Sect," he stated with a tone far more solemn than before."No one knows who made it," Elder Gu Yan continued with a serious face. "This furnace has been in the sect since before the first generation of founders."Elder Shen Luo nodded in agreement. "According to ancient records, in the past this furnace was o

Zilong paused his sentence for a second, letting the silence creep in. "However... that is merely a new designation used in the eras that followed."Everyone fell silent, listening intently, none daring to interrupt. They were extremely curious about what Zilong was going to say."Not long after the original recipe vanished from civilization," Zilong continued, his gaze looking far away piercing through the stone wall. "Inside an ancient manual left behind by my master... I once read that the pill actually possesses a much older name."The three elders finally nodded slightly at each other.So that was it...No wonder this youth knew many things not recorded in the outside world.Apparently all of that originated from his master's heritage.Elder Gu Yan held his breath, staring at Zilong with full curiosity. "What is its original name?"Zilong answered calmly, "The Primordial Qi Ocean Pill."That name echoed in every corner of the room, like an unseen hammer striking the eardrums.No

The golden-red fire inside the belly of the Ancestral Furnace continued to spin slowly.The four main ingredients had vanished, swallowed by the blaze of the Spirit Fire. The stone room was once again enveloped in a tense silence. Not a single person dared to make a sound, because every pair of eyes was now fixed intently on the mouth of the furnace, which emitted a reddish glow.One breath of time passed. Two breaths of time. Three breaths... Yet, nothing whatsoever happened within.Han Wei blinked his eyes a few times, confused. "That... is it finished?"No one answered his question. Elder Gu Yan furrowed his brow deeply. Throughout decades of dealing in the realm of alchemy, whenever a medicinal ingredient entered the combustion chamber, the first reaction usually appeared instantly, whether it was the scent of medicine wafting out, a change in the flame's color, or a violent surge of spiritual energy.Yet this time... Not a single one of those usual symptoms was visible. The Spiri

The golden-red fire inside the belly of the Ancestral Furnace continued to spin endlessly.At the center of the vortex, the Lightning Rock Powder emitted purple flashes that grew closer together and more ferocious. Every time those electrical particles birthed a new spark, the walls of the stone room around it vibrated softly in unison.No one there was able to look away.Elder Gu Yan stared intently with breaths that began to race. "How is it possible... that ingredient isn't melted at all like usual..."Elder Shen Luo unconsciously took half a step forward, his eyes narrowing sharply. "In that case... by what method is the refinement process running?"Elder Bai He, standing beside him, could no longer contain his surging curiosity. "Could it...?""Silence."Qin Zilong's voice cut off that utterance instantly.His voice did not sound loud. Nor did it contain an exploding, wrathful tone. Yet, his cold, flat tone made the entire temperature in the room suddenly freeze.Qin Zilong's gaz

His laugh was soft, barely audible amidst the noise of other disciples' training. Yet, there was dense poison tucked inside it. Full of mockery."Training?"He shook his head slowly, the corners of his lips lifting in a cynical smile. "A person whose meridians have been completely destroyed still dreams of chasing geniuses?"His tone was filled with overflowing contempt. "What a ridiculous joke."He sheathed his sword back with a rough movement. "The difference in our strength now is no longer a matter of talent or hard work."He stared straight ahead with a frozen gaze. "Rather, two different worlds.""Even if I give him ten years...""...he still won't be able to touch the tip of my back's shadow."The two disciples beside him immediately nodded obediently, parroting the genius's opinion. To them, the name Qing Zilong was now merely the ash of an old story that was worn out and had ended tragically.In a different place, inside a luxurious pavilion standing at the highest point of t