Shaken Soul!

Cao Yan walked up to the ordinary alchemy cauldron and lightly brushed his hand against it. With his eyes half-closed, he sensed every nuance of the cauldron, a faint smile curling on his lips. Sitting down cross-legged across from the vessel, he raised a hand and summoned the earth flame, which surged upward with a roar. The fire swept along the bottom of the cauldron and plunged straight inside. Every gesture of his was as fluid as drifting clouds and flowing water. That summoning of the flame alone sent a jolt of shock through Sun Miao's heart. Sitting with a straight back and an unruffled expression, Cao Yan looked completely serene. His movements were wholly natural, without a single wasted motion. The flames danced within the cauldron before him, perfectly obedient. When Cao Yan's formidable divine sense surged forth, every disciple of the Great Xia Sword Sect present felt as though the young man before them were a primordial beast. That immense divine sense nearly crushed them all under its weight! And that was merely a sliver of the oppressive aura leaking from him! In Cao Yan's hands, the Six-Revolution Li Fire Method was executed to utter perfection. Standing to the side, Sun Miao narrowed his eyes at Cao Yan, a sharp glint flickering within them. When the flames died down, Cao Yan rose with a faint smile, clearly left wanting more. It had been many years since he last refined pills, living day in and day out under the dread of being hunted down. He had long set aside the craft he loved most, and wandering here today had only been the result of being drawn in by that wafting pill fragrance. Eyes gleaming, Sun Miao rushed to Cao Yan's side, grabbed his hand, and declared excitedly, "Boy, do you want to take me as your master? Your talent in the Dao of Alchemy is extraordinary! As long as you nod and agree, I will teach you everything I've learned in my entire life!" Though he did not know Cao Yan's identity, he could feel the faint yet immense aura lingering around him. Sun Miao was inwardly stunned. This young man, who did not seem very old at all, was actually far stronger than he was! Hearing the old man's offer, Cao Yan was taken aback. His father had originally been an exceptional alchemist, though Cao Yan himself had slacked off on alchemy over the past years. Cao Yan rose with a smile and politely declined, "Thank you for your kind intentions, Senior. Exchanging pointers from time to time is fine, but as for becoming your apprentice, let us drop the idea." Hearing this, Sun Miao flared his beard and glared in fury, planting his hands on his hips. "Don't think that just because your cultivation realm is higher, this old man wouldn't dare scold you! If you ask me, you may have some talent, but don't get too arrogant! I may only be a fifth-rank alchemist, but that's merely because of my realm. Once I break through to Void Refinement, I will surely step into the realm of a sixth-rank grand alchemist!" Cao Yan didn't quite know what to say. He shrugged and said, "Though I haven't refined pills for years, while you may have broader experience in the Dao of Alchemy, when it comes to depth of foundation and accumulation... you might not match me." The disciples gathered below chimed in one after another. "Is he a disciple of Tianlei Peak?! How dare he speak with such brazen arrogance?!" "Hmph, if you ask me, he's just letting a bit of talent go to his head!" Cao Yan merely cast an indifferent glance down below, then flicked his sleeve to produce a cauldron. The Blue Crystal Glazed Cauldron! It was the very cauldron Li Guanqi had spent a fortune in spirit stones to win for him at the auction. Though weathered by the years, one could tell it had produced at least several hundred batches of pills! Cao Yan paid no mind to the whispers about the cauldron's grade. Gesturing toward the spot opposite him, Cao Yan sat back down cross-legged and said softly, "Since Senior wishes for me to take you as my master, let us engage in a debate on the Dao today. If I lose, I will gladly become your apprentice. If you lose... just don't let wounded pride get in the way of us sparring in the future." Sun Miao also noticed the shift in Cao Yan's demeanor and took a slow step forward. Shedding his soiled robe, he donned a radiant robe befitting a fifth-rank alchemist and sat cross-legged facing Cao Yan. Gathering the hems of his robe, he sat opposite Cao Yan with a solemn expression, his eyes filled with gravity. There was not the slightest trace of contempt left in him. All the disciples noticed the shift in their peak master's expression as well. Only now did they realize in hindsight... It seemed this refined young man who had suddenly appeared was far from simple! What followed was a debate on the Dao of Alchemy that would leave the onlookers thoroughly astounded! Meanwhile, Li Guanqi remained in the Sect Cemetery, offering wine and speaking words before the headstones one by one. He placed fresh flowers before each grave. Finally, he leaned against Lin Dong's gravestone, talking and laughing as he recounted everything that had happened over the past few years. As he spoke, the primal energy inside Li Guanqi's body suddenly began surging uncontrollably! *Buzz—!* In an instant, an overwhelming pressure enveloped the entire back mountain! Atop Tianzhu Peak, the old man outside the Scripture Pavilion sprang to his feet! With a single step, he vanished and reappeared in the back mountain, yet the oppressive aura was so terrifying that no matter how hard he tried, he could not tear through it. Space twisted violently as horrifying bolts of lightning bled into the void! *Rumble—!* Across a hundred-li radius surrounding the Great Xia Sword Sect, dark clouds abruptly gathered. Lightning snaked through the roiling storm clouds without striking downward. Lu Kangnian snapped his head up toward the heavens, muttering in shock, "Who is breaking through to the Void Refining Realm? Could it be that timid little fellow?" With a teleportation, Lu Kangnian arrived at the back mountain, where Meng Wanshu had already appeared. Facing that terrifying spatial shearing force, she merely raised her foot and walked forward at an unhurried pace. Beside her, Ling Daoyan hastily warned, "Be careful, young lady! This spatial force is extraordinarily terrifying!" Qin Xian, Li Nanting, and the others all arrived, staring inside with worried expressions. Ye Feng tore through space and landed, his brow furrowed as he peered into the depths. Meng Wanshu nodded with a smile and said softly, "It's fine. Don't worry, everyone. I'll go take a look." With that, frost blossoms suddenly bloomed in the void before her, followed by a mad cascade of freezing power. Before everyone's eyes, the twisting space was instantly frozen solid by that icy force! A wall of ice a hundred zhang tall stood erect in the void. Meng Wanshu extended a jade finger and tapped lightly against the void. *Bang!* The ice wall shattered, tearing a massive breach through the distorted spatial power, and her figure vanished from the spot. Inside the Sect Cemetery, Li Guanqi sat cross-legged in midair, his silhouette growing increasingly blurred. His soul trembled violently, and his origin spirit felt on the verge of splitting apart! Seeing this, Meng Wanshu actually breathed a sigh of relief. She had feared something terrible had befallen him. "Sister-in-law, do you need help?" Ye Feng called out worriedly toward the cemetery. Beside him, Xiao Chen had also arrived early on. Meng Wanshu walked up to Li Guanqi, leaned down, and tapped her finger lightly against the center of his brow. The freezing power instantly suppressed the turbulent, rampaging energies within his body! His soul settled back into place, and his origin spirit regained clarity. Meng Wanshu exhaled softly and sent a voice transmission: "Rest easy, it's nothing serious now." Li Guanqi slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with shock. "It seems... I can't delay this any longer!" Meng Wanshu nodded, her expression turning solemn. "Indeed. You've already suppressed it to the absolute limit. You can't put it off any more!" Li Guanqi let out a long breath and whispered, "It seems returning to the Void... the matter of my void avatar has become an urgent necessity..."