They walked toward the gate. One by one, people stepped forward and vanished as the teleportation array activated.
"Hey—I can't… I can't get in!" someone shouted.
The boy slammed face-first into the gate and was violently repelled, sent flying backwards.
"Tch, stop wasting our time," someone scoffed. "Can't you see you only have four stars? Remember the rules—only those with all five stars can pass."
They shoved the boy aside and continued entering the gate.
Finally, it was Shéyǎn and Lian's turn.
Shéyǎn stepped through first, waving back. "See you on the other side," he said before disappearing.
"Huu… I wonder what kind of trail this is going to be," Lian exhaled and followed.
Just as his body began to dissolve into the light, his gaze caught something that made his heart skip.
The demonic figure was moving toward the gate.
Before he could think further, his world twisted violently. He was pulled up, spun down, and dragged through space as everything blurred into chaos.
Thud!
He slammed into the ground.
"Ahh… these teleportation arrays are really starting to make me sick," Lian groaned as he opened his eyes.
"What is this place… It's so dark," he murmured.
He reached out instinctively—his hand struck something solid.
A wall.
Then, one by one, torches embedded in the stone ignited on their own, flames flaring to life and illuminating the passage.
Lian found himself inside a narrow tunnel. The walls were close, the air heavy, and the road stretched forward into darkness.
He followed the tunnel as it twisted and wound endlessly, until finally, he reached a door.
It was made of old wood, nothing impressive to look at—but the moment Lian placed his hand on it, a crushing downward pressure slammed into him, forcing his knees to bend.
"Ahhhhh—no way I'm getting defeated by a door!" he roared, pushing forward with all his strength.
Slowly but surely, a narrow gap formed.
Lian didn't hesitate. He rushed through the opening as fast as he could.
Bang!
The door slammed shut behind him on its own. The entire chamber shook violently, debris raining from the ceiling. Something struck his head, sending him staggering forward.
"What the hell was that door made of…?" he muttered, rubbing his forehead.
His gaze lifted and froze.
The room was mostly empty, vast and silent, except for a single cauldron resting at its centre. To the side of it lay piles upon piles of herbs, rare ones, valuable ones, stacked so densely they nearly covered the floor.
Lian's mouth began to drool.
"Oh… finally," he thought, eyes shining.
"Fortune has truly smiled on me."
He hurried toward the cauldron.
It was cold and rusted; it clearly hadn't seen use in countless years.
"No… this can't be it, can it?" Lian muttered.
He extended his Will Qi toward it.
The cauldron trembled, then pulsed as a blinding golden light burst forth, filling the chamber. Ancient words seeped out of the metal itself, hovering in the air before his eyes.
They read:
"To walk the path of immortality, one must first let go of mortal desire, cultivating a single path until its very end."
"I, Ge Hong, devoted my entire life to the alchemic way."
"I refined pills, weapons, and arrays. I mastered them all. My achievements earned me the title of Pill Saint."
"My greatest accomplishment was the Body Reconstruction Pill—a pill capable of allowing one to transform their body while breaking through two major realms without any backlash or flaws."
"Yet even this brought me no satisfaction."
"For beyond achievement, there was still more to the alchemic path."
"I spent millennia upon millennia cultivating, walking only this road."
"Then, one day, as I stood upon the threshold of ascension, I heard it—the Alchemic Tone."
"It was beautiful."
"But no matter how I tried to grasp it, there was nothing."
"And in that moment, I realised the truth."
"I had grown too old."
"And my talent… was mediocre."
""Right then and there, I made a decision."
"All of my knowledge shall be passed on to the next generation."
"I refined myself into a Spiritual Book, and have waited here ever since for my successor."
"If you can successfully create a Rank Five Gang Essence Pill, I will take you as my disciple."
"I will grant you the Body Reconstruction Pill, and everything I once owned shall become yours."
"However—should you fail…"
"When all the ingredients in this chamber are exhausted, you will die."
"Your dantian will be nourished into my Spiritual Book, giving birth to new herbs… for the next candidate."
"Choose wisely."
"If you begin this trial, there will be no turning back."
"Or you may leave through the next door and attempt my elder brother's trial instead."
The golden text slowly faded.
In its place, intricate refining instructions appeared in the air above the cauldron, each symbol complex and profound, radiating ancient intent.
Lian paused.
Silence filled the chamber.
Then—
"This opportunity…" he murmured, his eyes burning with resolve,
"…I will take it."
"You can't seize a lion cub without entering the den."
"And I intended to walk the alchemic path eventually anyway. This will be a great chance for me."
Without hesitation, Lian sat down before the cauldron.
He steadied his breath.
And began to learn.