The Eternal Saint of Alchemy

Below the sphere of light was a skeleton.

The skull was tilted slightly, as if looking at the doorway. These skeletons were entirely black, as if they had been repeatedly tempered by fire, and emitted a strange luster.

Xiao Fan immediately tensed up.

Something seemed to be throbbing slightly in the skull's chest.

It's not the heart.

The flame was weak, flickering like a candle flame in the wind, yet it was filled with a terrifying vitality.

Xiao Fan's intuition told him that this skeleton had been waiting for tens of thousands of years, waiting for someone to open the door of this tower.

He dared not look any longer and quickly withdrew his divine sense, instead searching for the array nodes corresponding to the runes on the tower.

Tie Yan was already standing on the west side, his palms as red as iron. Xiao Fan shouted, "Brother Tie, go west, one foot and two feet away from the pagoda, and pour the power of the earth fire into the sand!"

Without saying a word, Tie Yan struck out with his palm.

Crimson flames erupted from his palm and disappeared into the black sand.

The black sofa made a hissing sound, and the next moment, a dark red light pattern extended from the sand, went up along the base of the tower, and slowly disappeared into the corroded runes.

Xiao Fan shouted, "Alright! Second floor on the north side! Use the talisman brush dipped in spiritual liquid to patch up these three cracks!"

Although Gu Yuan said that, he didn't hesitate at all. He took out a talisman brush, dipped it in spiritual liquid, and quickly started drawing.

Yun Ruoxi stood beside him and helped him up.

Yin Beishan used the spiritual power of his silver robe to protect the southern base of the tower, preventing it from tilting due to the reverse flow of the earth fire.

Xiao Fan himself stood in front of the tower gate, his hands on either side of the gate, using his true essence to guide the power of the flames, slowly directing the magic array inside the tower.

"Buzz—"

The entire black tower trembled slightly, and the black tower body slowly faded away, revealing the gray rocks below.

The runes that had been burned to ashes regained their brightness under the restoration of the Eye of the Ancient Abyss, emitting a faint golden light.

The subterranean fires returned, and the heatwave subsided.

Xiao Fan felt the scorching heat emanating from the crack in the door slowly dissipating.

He took a deep breath, withdrew his hand, and stepped back.

The Black Tower finally returned to its original form—a gray-white stone tower, standing quietly amidst the black sand, its runes flowing silently without any scorching aura.

"It's done." Xiao Fan wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Tie Yan stopped, dusted the sand off his hands, and said, "I'm exhausted."

Master Gu Yuan sat down on the ground, threw down the talisman brush in his hand, and said, "I almost died here."

Yun Ruoxi walked over and wiped the sweat from Xiao Fan's forehead. She didn't say anything, but her gaze shifted from his shoulder to the tower's main entrance.

The door was still open.

Two fingers can still be inserted.

Xiao Fan also noticed her gaze. Although the seal had been strengthened, it wasn't completely closed. The slit was like a pair of eyes, silently watching them.

He said, "Let's go out first. Once we get back, we must find the next tower as soon as possible."

The group packed their belongings and left the Black Sand Sea overnight.

Xiao Fan walked behind, but couldn't help turning around.

Under the moonlight, the gray stone tower stood silently amidst the black sand, a faint wisp of black flame flashing through the crack in the tower's doorway.

He turned around and quickly chased after him.

Three days later, he finally returned to Camel Bell Pass.

Tie Yan set up three tables at the best tavern in town, saying he wanted to treat everyone to a good meal.

After three bowls of wine, Master Gu Yuan lay down on the table and fell fast asleep. Tie Yan pulled Yin Beishan to drink, while Han Fei sat in the corner, telling A Duo and A Cai about his and Xiao Fan's "glory".

Xiao Fan sat by the window, holding a cup of warm tea in his hands, lost in thought.

Yun Ruoxi sat down opposite him and poured herself a cup of tea.

Xiao Fan nodded: "Logically speaking, the tower's door should automatically close after the runes are completed, but the gap still exists."

Yun Ruoxi pondered for a moment and said, "Could this door also be part of the seal? The gap left by the Grandmaster of the Void was not for people to enter, but for sealing."

Xiao Fan paused for a moment, put down his teacup, and looked at her.

"I've read the books in the Pill Tower's collection. They record some ancient seals. Some formations cannot be completely sealed off, otherwise, too much spiritual energy will accumulate and cause an explosion. Leaving yourself a way out is the only way to make your position more secure."

Xiao Fan glanced at her and suddenly remembered what Granny Miao had said: "Her natural talent is extraordinary."

Yun Ruoxi picked up her teacup and took a sip: "In that case, you did the right thing with the seal. But next time you encounter a tower like this, you must pay attention to the gaps. If the gaps are getting bigger and bigger, it means that someone has been trying to break the seal."

Xiao Fan nodded without saying anything.

Just then, Tie Yan walked over with a jar of wine and sat down next to Xiao Fan: "Now that things are settled in the Western Regions, let's strike while the iron is hot and do it again!"

Xiao Fan smiled wryly, "I don't know exactly where they are either. The jade slip doesn't directly record the location of these nine pagodas; we'll have to search through the archives of various sects."

Tie Yan took a sip of wine and waved his hand: "I'll go through all the records of the Refining Sect to see if there's anything strange or unusual. I know every strange place in the Western Regions!"

The woman sent by Granny Miao, A'duo, spoke in a broken official tone: "Young Master Xiao, before Grandma left, she said that there were three places in the Southern Frontier where black lotus roots could be found. She had them sorted out and sent to Danta."

Xiao Fan cupped his hands in thanks. Yin Beishan put down his wine cup and said, "I will continue to keep an eye on the movements in the Northern Region."

The crowd's expressions of support warmed Xiao Fan's heart.

Late at night, the banquet ended. Xiao Fan sat alone on the roof of the inn, holding the bluish-gray jade slip in his hand, and once again probed it with his divine sense.

This time, he no longer looked at the magnificent scenery, but focused his attention on the few words spoken by the Grandmaster of the Void. At the end of the jade slip, there was a line of small characters, which seemed to have been added by the Grandmaster of the Void many years after the seal ended.

"Once the nine pagodas are completed, I will record their locations on a jade slip. However, as the world changes, the energy channels will also change, and the locations of the pagodas will change over time. If anyone wants to find all nine pagodas, they can look at this map."

A line of fine lines, like a simple star map.

Nine locations are marked on the map, but most are blurred, with only two dots of light, one east of the North Sea and the other in the far west of the Western Regions. The other seven locations are indistinct shadows.