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

Nine dragon-carved pillars stand around the palace.

Each pillar is inlaid with a fist-sized spirit stone, radiating a rich spiritual energy.

In the center of the palace is a high platform.

On the high platform, there is a three-legged bronze furnace.

Beneath the alchemy furnace, a raging fire was drawn from the earth's veins.

Beside the alchemy furnace, a skeleton sat cross-legged.

The skeleton, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, remained in a meditative posture despite having turned into bones.

In front of the skeleton lay a jade slip and a storage ring.

Storage rings are different from storage bags; they are true space storage treasures.

"This must be the master of the secret realm."

Luo Fan stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the skeleton.

"This junior, Luo Fan, accompanied by my Daoist companion Bai Jie, has mistakenly entered your cave dwelling. Please forgive us if we have caused any disturbance."

Bai Jie blushed slightly upon hearing the words "Daoist partner," but she still bowed in return.

After the ceremony, Luo Fan looked at the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense. Inside was a last message.

"I am the last sect leader of the Five Elements Pill Sect, with the Daoist name Qingxuan. When the sect was annihilated, I took the inheritance and fled into this secret realm, sealing it with a secret technique, waiting for someone with the right destiny."

"However, his injuries were too severe, and he was nearing death. Therefore, he set up three tests to select a successor."

"The outer layer tests fundamental alchemy skills, the middle layer tests practical combat adaptability, and the inner layer..."

"The key to unlocking this place lies in the true understanding of the Five Elements Alchemy, and in order to obtain my inheritance."

"In the alchemy furnace lies the elixir I have refined with all my heart and soul; it is the Five Elements Nirvana Elixir."

This elixir can help cultivators reshape their spiritual roots and undergo a complete transformation; however, those who take it must endure the pain of the Five Elements burning within their bodies, and it is not something that can be done by those without great willpower.

"The storage ring contains some of the sect's few remaining resources, as well as the complete Five Elements Elixir Scripture. I hope whoever obtains it will make good use of it."

"If the opportunity arises, I hope to rebuild the Five Elements Alchemy School. I will be gratified even in the afterlife."

"Qingxuan, my final words."

That concludes my last words.

Luo Fan remained silent for a moment, then bowed to the skeleton again, "Senior, rest assured, I will live up to your expectations."

He probed the storage ring with his divine sense; unlike a storage bag, it had a vast interior space.

It was piled with spirit stones, spirit herbs, and refining materials.

And dozens of jade bottles, each containing rare elixirs.

One of the jade slips was the Five Elements Elixir Classic.

Luo Fan glanced at it and was shocked. It contained everything, including alchemy methods.

It also includes miscellaneous disciplines such as weapon crafting, formations, and talismans, representing the complete lineage of the Five Elements Alchemy School.

"Xiao Fan, are you really going to accept this inheritance?"

Bai Jie asked.

Clearly, she also examined the contents of the jade slip.

"We risked our lives to get here; wouldn't it be a waste to give up now?"

Luo Fan smiled, knowing what Bai Jie was worried about. "Although inheriting someone's legacy means bearing their karma, if conditions permit, I will do my best. Otherwise, I don't need to force anything."

"That's good."

Bai Jie nodded.

She was genuinely worried that Luo Fan might act impulsively and rebuild the Five Elements Pill Sect for someone else.

This sect was once a renowned existence in ancient times, but it eventually declined and its destruction was only a matter of time.

However, the branch of the Soul Killing Hall became the final straw that broke their back.

If she hadn't ventured deep into the Black Wind Mountains this time, she would never have imagined that this long-vanished sect was hiding here.

Luo Fan walked to the alchemy furnace and saw that the lid was tightly closed, while the words "Blazing Sun" were engraved on the furnace body.

The Blazing Sun Furnace is an artifact passed down through generations of the Five Elements Alchemy Sect, comparable to the token of the current sect leader.

Luo Fan opened the furnace lid, and inside was only one pill, which was five-colored and shimmered with the light of the five elements.

It is indeed the Five Elements Nirvana Elixir!

Luo Fan took out the pill, glanced at Bai Jie, and before he could speak, he saw her smile.

"You can keep it for now."

A jade bottle appeared in her palm, and she put the pill inside before tucking it into Luo Fan's arms. "Give me one later when you've figured it out."

Luo Fan didn't act coy.

He looked at the skeleton. "Let's give the elder a proper burial."

He dug a pit in a corner of the palace and carefully buried the remains of Qingxuan Daoist.

After Luo Fan finished, Bai Jie asked, "Did you find the Profound Yin Netherworld Grass?"

After all, that was the purpose of their trip.

Luo Fan frowned slightly and shook his head. "This mountain range is filled with yin and evil energy, making it a natural habitat for the Xuan Yin You Ming Grass. We will find it eventually."

He looked up at another exit in the palace, where there was a portal of light, which should be a teleportation array to leave the secret realm.

"Senior sister, we should go."

"Um."

The two walked hand in hand through the portal.

When I opened my eyes again, I was still in the valley, but I was not back in the same place.

It is certain that they are still in the Blackwind Mountains, but they have come to a deeper part of them.

By this time, dusk was approaching.

The two of them unknowingly spent an entire day in the secret realm.

"Senior sister, let's go over there."

Luo Fan activated his Eye of Truth and pointed to the northeast, "That place is filled with evil energy; it's very likely we can find the Profound Yin Netherworld Grass there."

The two flew low on their swords, and the deeper they went, the more eerie the surroundings became.

Towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, and a gray-black mist filled the forest, reducing visibility to less than ten feet.

Strange howls occasionally emanated from the fog, sending chills down one's spine.

"Be careful, there's something strange about this fog."

Bai Jie cautiously surveyed her surroundings, the ice crystal longsword already in her hand.

Luo Fan also sensed that the mist not only shielded his divine sense, but also seemed to be slowly eroding his spiritual power.

He took out a Pure Heart Lotus, refined it with Netherworld Cold Fire to make a medicinal liquid, swallowed one drop himself, and put the other drop into Bai Jie's mouth.

The medicine entered my stomach, and a cooling sensation spread throughout my body, temporarily resisting the corrosive effects of the fog.

"The depths of this Black Wind Mountain Range are indeed dangerous."

Luo Fan frowned slightly, and activated his Eye of Truth at full power, trying to see through the fog.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed.

A hundred feet ahead, there was a small swamp. In the center of the swamp, there grew a spiritual herb with a dark blue body and leaves like ghost claws.

Surrounding the spiritual herb was a dense aura of yin and evil, which was the Xuan Yin You Ming Grass.

"Found it!"

Before Luo Fan could even feel joy, his face darkened.

The surrounding fog grew thicker, and through it he seemed to see something incredible.

From the mist on the left, a group of figures dressed in white emerged.

Their faces were deathly pale, their eyes vacant, and they carried a pitch-black coffin.

Paper money fluttered in the wind, accompanied by mournful cries.

From the fog on the right, a group of figures in red appeared.

They carried a large red wedding sedan chair, the shrill, joyful suona horns mingling with the cries of weeping.

One in white and one in red, one crying and one happy, they hopped and skipped toward the two people in the thick fog.

"Xiao Fan..."

Bai Jie instinctively gripped Luo Fan's arm, her voice trembling, "Am I hallucinating?"

Her hands were cold.

"It's not an illusion, they are all wronged spirits."

Luo Fan grasped her soft hand in return, "But it seems she's being controlled by something."

He stared at the two groups of ghosts, activating his all-powerful Eye of Truth, and saw a black thread extending into the depths of the swamp from within their bodies.

Hold your breath and control your breathing.

Luo Fan said quickly, "They attract people by getting angry, so don't let them see us."

The two immediately held their breath and concentrated, suppressing their aura to the extreme.

The two groups of ghosts remained perfectly still, stopping three steps in front of them.

Bai Jie quietly clenched her fist.

Luo Fan frowned.

The surroundings were so quiet that only the mist was flowing.

next moment!

The coffin lid and the curtain of the bridal sedan chair were silently lifted, accompanied by an extremely cold suction force.

The suction force wasn't directed at the body, but rather penetrated directly into the soul.

Before Bai Jie could even cry out in alarm, she felt her soul tremble and her vision blur before she was sucked into the bridal sedan chair.

Luo Fan felt the same suction force, and everything went black as he was sucked into the coffin.

The coffin lid is closed!

"Senior Sister!"

The cold flames of the ghostly spring ignited in his palm, illuminating the surroundings.

The inside of the coffin was engraved with runes that could imprison spiritual energy.

Outside came the sounds of suona horns and wailing, and then the coffin was lifted and carried forward, swaying precariously.

Meanwhile, inside the bridal sedan chair.

The interior of the sedan chair was entirely blood red, and the walls were embroidered with mandarin duck patterns, making it particularly eerie in the dim light.

Bai Jie slumped down, gripping her longsword, and bit her lip as she unleashed a rather fierce sword strike.

clang!

The sedan chair wall remained completely still, leaving only a faint white mark.

"Is this sedan chair a ritual implement?"

Her pretty face darkened slightly as she channeled ice-elemental spiritual energy into her sword and unleashed another strike.

This time, a layer of frost formed on the sedan chair walls, but it remained unbroken.

On the other side, Luo Fan was also trying to break open the coffin.

But the wood, of unknown origin, was able to withstand the burning of the cold fire of the dark spring.

"Normally, wood is afraid of fire. If it is yin wood, it needs to be countered by something extremely yang."

Luo Fan took out a small pinch of Crimson Yang Sand from his storage ring. This substance is extremely yang and strong, and is specifically designed to counteract yin and evil things.

When the Crimson Sun Sand is mixed with the Cold Fire of the Nether Spring, the flames rise and turn into a crimson gold color.

"Open it!"

He slammed his palm on the coffin lid, and the crimson flames instantly burned away all the runes on it.

Click!

A crack appeared in the center of the coffin lid.

Almost at the same time, a crisp sound of ice crystals shattering came from inside the bridal sedan chair.

boom!

boom!

The coffin and the bridal sedan chair exploded at the same time.

After they escaped, the two landed back to back.

"Are you alright?"

"fine."

Two simple sentences, yet they speak volumes.

However, the two groups of ghosts had already surrounded them, blocking their escape route.