The Eternal Saint of Alchemy

"What do you want?" Xiao Fan asked in a hoarse voice.

Yin Tianyuan said, "I want the inheritance of the Grandmaster of Pill Refining. Only in this way can I possibly break through to the Celestial Realm. Your father paved the way for me with his own life, and the remaining half is entrusted to you."

"Rest assured, I have prepared the offerings for you. Open the gate, and we can share the legacy. At that time, I will return your father's remnant soul to you."

Xiao Fan remained silent for a long time.

"Where is my father's soul pearl?"

Yin Tianyuan took out a round bead the size of a pigeon egg from his sleeve. It was crystal clear and had a faint golden light flowing through it.

The light was faint, yet warm, like a candle flame in the wind.

Xiao Fan took the Soul Pearl and held it in his palm.

A faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation emanated from the Soul Pearl. This was a connection of blood, a connection that transcended life and death, time and space.

"Father," he called softly.

As if sensing something, the golden light within the Soul Pearl flickered slightly.

Xiao Fan took a deep breath, carefully put away the soul pearl, and then looked up at Yin Tianyuan, asking, "Where is the sacrificer?"

Yin Tianyuan clapped his hands lightly, and an ice wall in one corner of the passage slowly parted to reveal a secret chamber inside.

Inside the secret chamber, a man whose entire body was bound by chains of spiritual energy had his eyes closed and his face was deathly pale. He was none other than a silver-robed disciple of the North Sea Pill Palace.

Yin Tianyuan said, "I have already administered Soul-Devouring Powder to him, and his soul has fallen into a deep slumber, unable to feel pain. Once the door opens, his remnant soul will disappear along with the restriction, and everything your father did back then will have been rewarded."

Xiao Fan's gaze fell upon the disciple.

"What's your name?"

"unimportant."

"It's important," Xiao Fan replied. "I need to know his name."

Yin Tianyuan stared at him for a long while before saying, "Aqi. I found an orphan in Beifeng Town and raised him there for twelve years. He was an orphan."

Xiao Fan walked towards Ah Qi, squatted down, and gazed at the sleeping face. She wasn't old, a few years younger than him.

"Palace Master Yin," Xiao Fan stood up and said, "besides performing sacrifices, what else can we do?"

"Yes," Yin Tianyuan said. "If six alchemy masters joined forces, they could completely overcome skill with brute force. However, if they failed, the backlash would severely injure everyone."

Xiao Fan turned his head and looked at Liu Ruyan and the other two.

Realizing what was happening, Liu Ruyan gritted her teeth and said, "I can give it a try! If I fail, I will bear the consequences myself."

Granny Miao laughed and said, "I've lived for so many years, what kind of formation haven't I seen? I can go crazy with you."

Tie Yan touched his bald head and said in a deep voice, "I've already been bombed once, what difference does it make if I get bombed again?"

Xiao Fan glanced at Yin Tianyuan and said, "Palace Master, what do you mean?"

Yin Tianyuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

"Xiao Yuanshan once said that he believes in karma and retribution. I think you're much more stubborn than him. But let me make this clear: if we fail, I'll change the priest."

Xiao Fan nodded and headed south.

The six people stood at the core of each of the six formations.

"Do as I say." Xiao Fan closed his eyes and activated the Qiankun Refining God Technique. His divine soul power surged forth like a tide, enveloping the entire bronze door. "One, two, three..."

The power of the six streams of elixir fire poured into the array's core at the same time.

The runes on the bronze gate began to flash wildly and buzz, the sound so loud it hurt the eardrums. The entire passageway trembled, and the ice on the ceiling began to crack.

Xiao Fan gritted his teeth and poured all his true essence and spiritual power into the core of the formation.

With the Qiankun Refining God Technique running at full power, he could even "see" the dense runes inside the bronze gate, which resembled a large net being torn apart from six different directions by six different forces.

"Give it your all!" Yin Tianyuan's voice rang out amidst the thunderous roar.

Xiao Fan suddenly activated the illusory image of the Creation Cauldron deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, and an extremely pure golden light surged forth from his sea of ​​consciousness, disappearing into the core of the formation.

Click!

A crack appeared on the bronze door.

Golden light burst forth from the crack, like the rising sun, warm and vast.

With a thunderous roar, the bronze gate slowly opened to both sides, illuminating the entire passageway with golden light.

The scene inside the door left everyone speechless.

As far as the eye could see, there was an endless void, with no earth or walls, only clusters of light like nebulae.

A small house is suspended in mid-air.

The thatched hut was excessively simple, forming a stark contrast with the dazzling nebula around it.

There was a stone table and two stone chairs in front of the house, with a pot of tea and two teacups on it. It seemed that the owner had just entertained guests.

Xiao Fan stepped into the void, and a beam of light automatically formed from the nebula beneath his feet, lifting him up. The others followed suit, their faces filled with surprise and uncertainty.

Yin Tianyuan was the last to enter. The bronze door behind him made a dull thud and slowly closed.

Xiao Fan walked towards the thatched hut, but the door was not fully open. He gently pushed open the wooden door.

Besides a bamboo bed and a futon, there was a bookshelf on one wall in the room.

There were no books on the bookshelf, only a bamboo scroll. Below the bamboo scroll was a white jade seal with the two large characters "Tai Xu" written on it.

Xiao Fan picked up the bamboo slip, unfolded it, and saw a few sentences written on it:

"After cultivating the Dao of Alchemy for ten thousand years, I have finally attained the Dao of Heaven and Man. But the Great Dao has been achieved, and the mortal body can hardly bear it. I will merge my soul into the world and leave my legacy to future generations."

If future generations can see this jade slip, it means you have passed the test of this formation. Now that you have entered this door, you are my successor.

All the alchemical formulas, experiences, and cultivation methods I've learned in my lifetime are sealed within the nebula, accessible through divine sense. There's only one sentence: Above the celestial beings, there lies a Great Dao. My understanding is but a drop in the ocean. I hope those who follow will not stop there.

Xiao Fan glanced at it and then handed the bamboo slip to Yin Tianyuan.

Yin Tianyuan took the bamboo slip, turning it over and over in his mind, remaining silent for a long time. His expression gradually shifted from excitement to complexity, finally settling on a hint of unspeakable disappointment.

"That's it?" he whispered. "Is there really no way to directly break through to the Celestial Realm?"

Xiao Fan was silent for a moment before saying, "The Grandmaster of Alchemy explained it very clearly. What he inherited is the Dao of Alchemy. How to break through depends on yourself."

Yin Tianyuan's hands trembled as he held the bamboo slips. Hundreds of years of waiting, countless efforts, all for a book that would guide him.

"To figure it out on your own..." He gave a wry smile. "For hundreds of years, I haven't been able to understand it."