The Eternal Saint of Alchemy

Xiao Fan stood at the edge of the Great Rift Valley, his gaze fixed on the large red-glowing object below, then on the mountain wall on the other side.

Beneath the rift, there was indeed a surging spiritual energy fluctuation constantly flowing. It was an ancient and profound aura, somewhat similar to the underground space where the two-colored bronze furnaces were located in the basin, but much larger.

"Didn't you just say you were going to activate the Flame of Creation? Where's the entrance?"

The veiled man stood up and pointed his iron staff at the eastern side of the Great Rift Valley. There stood a circular platform, about ten feet in diameter, smooth as a mirror, which stood out conspicuously among the surrounding rocks.

"There was nothing there. With the infusion of spiritual energy, the explosive talismans, magma, and the raging yin fire were all repelled. Only when I approached that stone wall once and sensed the fire of creation did I feel anything."

Xiao Fan didn't say anything more. He took a deep breath, then found a slightly sloping rock at the edge of the rift and started climbing up the cliff.

The temperature inside the rift valley was rising higher and higher, and he had to use his spiritual power to protect himself in order to barely withstand the high temperature.

The man in black and a straw hat followed closely behind him. Although he was old, he moved quickly, his cane tapping loudly on the stone wall.

Upon reaching the bottom of the valley, the heatwave almost solidified. The surface of the rocks beneath our feet faintly glowed with a reddish light.

Xiao Fan stepped forward and extended his right hand toward the stone.

As the flames of creation appeared, the entire stone wall lit up.

The smooth surface spreads outward from the center of the red gold, as if a drop of scalding gold liquid had fallen into ice, with cracks spreading outward from the center of the palm.

The entire valley trembled. The red light beneath his feet grew stronger, and the air hissed softly.

Just as the entire stone wall was covered with cracks, a muffled sound came, and the stone door slowly slid open to both sides, revealing a wide passage.

A scorching aura emanated from the depths of the passage, even hotter than when they were at the bottom of the valley. It was also mixed with an extremely pure and ancient spiritual energy, causing one's meridians to tremble slightly.

The man in the black veil and conical hat stood not far behind Xiao Fan, gripping the iron rod tightly in one hand. He didn't go in, but simply said, "Take what's inside yourself. I can't go in; this door only recognizes the Creation Fire."

Xiao Fan didn't even turn his head, and walked straight ahead.

The passage wasn't very long, only about thirty or forty steps. At the end of the passage was a huge circular stone chamber with a diameter of over twenty zhang, its walls towering high and emitting a soft, dark golden light.

The light came from a huge circular furnace in the center of the stone chamber, which was made of a translucent mineral with golden patterns on its surface.

It was a strange flame, unlike any other. It slowly rotated, like a small sun, around the furnace.

As soon as Xiao Fan stepped into the stone chamber, the array base in his dantian resonated with the Creation Fire within his body. The wisp of dark golden flame also seemed to resonate in some way, producing a strange reaction.

He stepped forward and touched it with his hand.

The moment his fingertips touched the translucent ore, a surge of intense, rich energy flowed from his fingertips into his meridians, powerful yet not violent, like a rushing river that circulated within his body before returning.

The walls of the stone chamber are covered with densely packed characters and patterns.

Xiao Fan walked around the wall, becoming increasingly alarmed. The contents recorded there were far more detailed than the notebook he had seen at the bottom of the basin, covering almost the entire cultivation system.

From the most basic circulation of Qi and blood to the more advanced transformation of spiritual energy, and finally the cultivation methods after the Tribulation Transcending stage, there are detailed records.

The Supreme Pill Saint left behind the core insights of his lifelong cultivation in this stone chamber.

Xiao Fan stepped forward and sat cross-legged. The dark golden flame inside the furnace seemed to sense something and began to rotate faster.

He closed his eyes, and with a thought, the Creation Fire entered the alchemy furnace, establishing a connection with the dark golden flame.

The spiritual energy contained within the flames flowed slowly through his meridians, pausing briefly at each point as if helping to remove minor obstacles. The entire process was gentle and profound, painless, as comfortable as soaking in a hot spring.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting in front of the furnace. When he opened his eyes again, the barrier to the second-grade Tribulation Realm had completely dissipated, and his cultivation had finally entered the third-grade Tribulation Realm.

Moreover, this time, he clearly felt that the meridians in his body seemed to have changed. The three colors of gold, silver, and gold intertwined, forming a more powerful and solid energy.

He stretched his limbs and stepped out of the stone chamber.

As he reached the doorway, he turned back, gazing at the enormous furnace and its dark golden flames, and memorized the location of the stone chamber.

Emerging from the passage, they reappeared beneath the rift, where the man in the straw hat was still waiting.

Xiao Fan walked out from inside. Although his face was not visible, it seemed that something was wrong with Xiao Fan's aura, and the iron rod in his hand stopped moving.

"It really is a Creation Furnace."

Xiao Fan stepped forward, blocking his way. "You're not waiting here for me to open the door just so I can get something, are you? What do you want?"

The person with the black veil hesitated for a moment, then slowly took off the bamboo hat from their head.

Beneath the straw hat, an old face was visible, his skin bearing many scorch marks, as if burned. However, his eyes were remarkably clear.

"Give me the cultivation technique." He pointed to the depths of the passage: "Back then, the Grandmaster of the Void Pill Sect created a method of using fire to replenish fire three years before he went into seclusion in the Burning Bone Abyss. This method can repair damaged meridians. Back then, I destroyed half of my meridians for something."

Xiao Fan looked at his face, which was burned beyond recognition, and seemed to be deep in thought.

"Behind the third stone slab on the left lies this cultivation technique. Go and retrieve it yourself. The Flame of Creation has already opened a door for you; once you enter, you will no longer be repelled."

The man in the black veil and conical hat trembled slightly, his staff pausing briefly on the ground before he regained his balance. He glared at Xiao Fan, his voice hoarse, as if he were about to cry.

"Thank you," he said. "Okay."

Holding an iron rod, he slowly walked into the passage. Xiao Fan stood at the bottom of the valley, watching his hunched body gradually disappear into the red light, then turned and crawled towards the edge of the rift.

Standing on high ground overlooking the rift valley, the setting sun cast a warm orange glow over the entire gray, rocky mountain.