A god-level alchemist, starting by manually crafting forbidden pills.

The moonlight was hazy.

Li Qiantang and his two companions landed at the foot of the mountain and scanned their surroundings.

The terrain here is rugged, with jagged rocks and sparse trees, making it a good place to hide.

"Could that kid be hiding in this cave?"

One of the middle-aged monks pointed to several naturally formed caves not far away.

The entrances to those caves were small, but the interiors were deep and dark, and it was unknown where they led.

The other person frowned.

"These caves are too obvious; hiding inside would be too foolish. That kid doesn't seem brainless."

He spread his divine sense to explore those caves.

After a moment, he shook his head. "There's no one inside."

Li Qiantang's gaze was cold as he scanned his surroundings.

"He couldn't have gone far; he must be somewhere nearby. He's just using some method to conceal his presence."

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Let's split up and search."

"Chen Hu, you go east; Zhao Long, you go west; I'll provide support from the center."

"If you spot any trace, send a message immediately. Do not act alone!"

"yes!"

Chen Hu and Zhao Long responded in unison.

The three immediately split up and each chose a direction to search carefully.

Little did they know that the person they were looking for was both far away and right before their eyes.

Luo Fan chose this place because he was certain they wouldn't come in.

Deep inside the cave.

Noticing that everyone had gone far away, Luo Fan sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.

The white jade bamboo floated in front of him, enveloped by the power of the five elements emanating from his palm.

hum! !

As the jade bamboo trembled slightly, specks of white dew transformed into pure wood-attribute energy.

Following the power of the five elements, the energy returned to his body, surging through Luo Fan's meridians.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the Great Dao Furnace roared into operation, devouring and refining the surging wood-attribute energy.

The Nether Spring Cold Fire and the Millennium Cold Jade Marrow also vibrated simultaneously, resonating and merging with this wood-attribute energy.

Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth.

At this moment, the power of the five elements reached a delicate balance.

Luo Fan's aura rose steadily.

Mid-stage of Foundation Establishment Level 7!

Late stage of Foundation Establishment Level 7!

Peak of the seventh level of Foundation Establishment!

Click!

A soft sound came from inside him, as if some kind of shackle had been broken.

Foundation Building Level 8!

Luo Fan's aura suddenly surged, his spiritual power surging, and his clothes fluttered even without wind.

But he did not stop.

The wood-elemental energy contained in the White Dew Jade Bamboo has not yet been fully absorbed.

He continued to practice his technique, guiding the energy to circulate repeatedly within his body.

Time passed little by little.

Outside the cave, the sky was beginning to lighten, almost reaching dawn.

Luo Fan opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and restrained, his aura deep and profound.

It has reached the middle stage of the eighth level of foundation building.

Moreover, the fundamental element of wood among the five elements has already begun to coalesce.

With a thought, a ball of emerald green light appeared in his palm.

Within the cluster of light, life was vibrant, containing boundless vitality.

With the essence of wood, his power of the five elements became even more perfect.

In the future, practicing the Five Elements-related techniques and refining Five Elements-attribute pills will be twice as effective.

Of course, that's not enough. Only by finding the origin of metal and the origin of earth can he condense the power of the five elements.

Having the power of the Five Elements innately is equivalent to opening up a small world within his body.

This small world can enrich his cultivation foundation, making him invincible among those of the same level.

Luo Fan got up and walked to the cave entrance, spreading his divine sense to capture a trace of aura.

"It's time for the hunter and the prey to switch places."

A lazy smile appeared on his lips, and his figure disappeared from the spot.

In the mountains and forests.

Chen Hu was searching carefully.

He released his divine sense to carefully explore every possible hiding place.

However, nothing was found.

"Damn it! Where did that kid hide?"

Chen Hu frowned, feeling somewhat irritated.

The three of them searched all night but didn't see a single person.

That kid just vanished into thin air.

"Have they already escaped?"

He was thinking about it.

Suddenly, a chill ran through me, and a coldness crept up from behind.

"not good!"

Without a second thought, Chen Hu lunged forward.

It's too late.

"Pfft!"

A long sword pierced his back and emerged from his chest.

The tip of the sword was still covered in hot blood.

"Well…!"

Chen Hu's eyes widened, and he turned his head with difficulty, only to see a handsome face.

It's that kid!

"you…!"

He wanted to say something, but blood rushed to his throat, silencing all his words.

Luo Fan remained expressionless, flipping his wrist and stirring the longsword.

Chen Hu's body trembled violently, and his eyes quickly dimmed.

Life was cut off.

Luo Fan drew his longsword, flicked the blood off the blade, and searched Chen Hu's body for a moment.

His storage bag contained many spirit stones and pills, as well as several magical artifacts for detonation.

"A good harvest."

Luo Fan put the items into his storage ring, flicked his finger, and a wisp of flame landed on Chen Hu's body.

On the other side, Zhao Long was also searching carefully.

He was not far from Chen Hu, and he seemed to have just heard a short, muffled groan.

"Chen Hu?"

Zhao Long became wary and moved closer to that direction, but he stopped after only a few steps.

Suddenly, a figure appeared on the huge rock in front of them.

The man, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, stood tall and straight, his back to him, gazing at the rising sun.

"It's you!"

Zhao Long recognized Luo Fan instantly.

It's this brat who made them search all night. Not only did he not run away, but he also dared to come out!

What's even more outrageous is that it just stood right in front of him, so blatantly obvious.

Is this a sign of disrespect?

"No need to look anymore, I'm here."

Luo Fan turned around, a faint smile on his face. "Surprised? Unexpected?"

Zhao Long felt a pang of unease and subconsciously took a step back, scanning his surroundings with his divine sense.

No trace of Chen Hu was found.

There was also no movement from Li Qiantang.

"What did you do to my senior brother?!"

Zhao Long shouted sternly.

Luo Fan smiled and pointed to a pile of ashes on the ground. "He's over there."

Zhao Long looked in the direction he was pointing, and his expression changed drastically.

Not far away, there were fragments of Chen Hu's clothes, a burnt smell, and human-shaped ashes!

"You're asking for it!"

With Zhao Long's roar, he unleashed three talismans.

Each one transformed into a fireball, sealing off all of Luo Fan's escape routes.

Luo Fan raised his hand, and the power of the five elements formed an invisible barrier in front of him.

Puff puff!

The fireball struck the barrier, but instead of causing a ripple, it was extinguished entirely.

"What?!"

Zhao Long was horrified.

These three talismans are low-grade Xuan-level Explosive Flame Talismans, which even a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't dare to directly withstand.

The other party resolved the issue so easily!

"It's my turn."

Luo Fan appeared in front of Zhao Long like a ghost and threw a punch!

This punch had no fancy moves, only pure power.

boom!

Zhao Long hastily raised his arm to block, but was instead blasted backward, crashing into several large trees and breaking them.

He coughed up blood, his face was deathly pale, and the bones in his arm were broken inch by inch.

"Who...who are you?!"

Zhao Long's eyes were filled with terror.

This kid is getting more and more incomprehensible!

"The one who killed you."

Without wasting any more words, Luo Fan moved again, pointing a finger at Zhao Long's brow.

Zhao Long's pupils contracted; Luo Fan's speed was so fast that he could only see afterimages.

It can be said to arrive in the blink of an eye.

puff!

The light from his fingertips pierced through his protective barrier, and the energy surged through his brow, shattering his soul.

The light in Zhao Long's eyes vanished quickly, and his body fell straight backward.

Luo Fan took his storage bag and released a wisp of cold spring fire to burn the corpse.

After doing all that, he looked up and gazed in a certain direction.

"There's one left."

"Chen Hu! Zhao Long!"

Li Qiantang's roar came from afar.

He sensed that Chen Hu's aura suddenly disappeared, followed by Zhao Long's aura rapidly weakening.

Sensing something was wrong, they rushed over immediately, but it was too late.

He happened to see Luo Fan burn Zhao Long's body to ashes.

"You little bastard! I'll make you pay with your life!"

Li Qiantang's eyes were bloodshot, and his murderous aura was palpable.

Chen Hu and Zhao Long were both his trusted confidants whom he had personally trained, but now they were dead in front of him.

How could he not be furious?

"So you're the traitor to the Five Elements Alchemy Sect?"

Luo Fan slowly turned around and looked at Li Qiantang.

Eyes facing each other.

The air froze instantly.

Li Qiantang's gaze grew increasingly cold. "Who exactly are you, and what is your connection to the Five Elements Alchemy Sect?"

"It seems I was right."

Luo Fan smiled and said to himself, "Your cultivation level before should have been at the third level of the Golden Core stage."

"It's just that your golden core was shattered, and your cultivation level dropped."

"You came to Tianyang City for two reasons: to recuperate from your injuries and to find the people of the Five Elements Pill Sect. It's just a pity..."

At this point, Luo Fan clicked his tongue, "At your peak, you were probably an inner sect elder, right?"

"They were abandoned by the Zhengyang Sect just like that. How tragic and lamentable. This is the fate of being a pawn."

His smile grew even more sinister. "Once they lose their usefulness, they can't escape being discarded."

After a moment's thought, Luo Fan had already guessed that Li Qiantang was not the mastermind behind the destruction of the Five Elements Pill Sect.

If it were only Li Qiantang who did it, Su Qingyuan wouldn't have needed to form an alliance with him; she would have already drawn her sword and attacked.

Therefore, it can be concluded that the mastermind behind the scenes is very likely the sect leader of the Zhengyang Sect.

—Sikong Jue!

Their goal was to obtain the Five Elements Elixir Formula, thereby enhancing their overall strength.

"I am here today because I have received human inheritance and am subject to human karma."

Snapped!

Seeing Li Qiantang's expression change repeatedly, Luo Fan snapped his fingers.

"Oh, by the way, I wiped out your underlings, those scum from the Black Dragon Gang, while I was at it."