The heavy stone door closed slowly.
At last, with a dull boom, it sealed shut completely, cutting off the steadily rising heatwave, the faint fluctuations of energy, and the breathing of several powerful experts within.
Chen Yi stood outside the door and let out a long breath. The tension in his shoulders finally eased, and unmistakable relief surfaced on his face.
Now that the refining had begun, the most crucial step had been taken. And the Sect Master's unexpected decision to personally enter the chamber had added a massive layer of assurance to this alchemy.
Staring at the sealed stone door, Chen Yi thought to himself, This won't end quickly.
He recalled the original story from ten thousand years later—Huo Yuhao had refined the Heaven-and-Earth Creation Pill, and it had taken more than four months.
Of course, Huo Yuhao had been a layman on the path of alchemy back then, so the difficulty of fusing immortal herbs had been real.
But even now, with the joint support of two peak experts—Sect Master Chu Shanhe and the Grand Elder, both among the world's top three alchemists—perfectly stimulating the medicinal efficacy of every immortal ingredient and condensing it into a pill would still require a long time.
"One or two months…" Chen Yi sighed inwardly. "That's the minimum."
After a moment, he turned his head and looked at Ye Lingling beside him.
The girl was still wearing her lilac dress, standing quietly as if she were an orchid blooming alone in an empty valley. Her clear eyes were fixed on the sealed door of the pill chamber, but there was a faint helplessness in them.
Ye Cien had explained things before going in, yet in this moment, Ye Lingling still couldn't help feeling hollow and dazed at the thought that she would have to wait here alone in this unfamiliar sect for a long time.
Seeing through her mood, Chen Yi stepped forward with a gentle smile.
"Lingling, alchemy doesn't finish in a day. Waiting is boring."
"Our Body Sect is in the north, surrounded by mountains. The scenery is unique—worth seeing. If you don't mind, I can show you around."
He paused, noticing her eyes shift slightly, as if she were tempted, and continued, "Also, our sect's library has collected countless customs and anecdotes from across the continent—even stories of ancient secrets. If you're interested, you might find something to pass the time."
"Library? Ancient secrets?" Ye Lingling's eyes lit up.
The Ye Clan of the Nine-Hearted Begonia had an extraordinary heritage, but most of it focused on the healing-type martial soul and medical arts. She was deeply curious about the Body Sect's mysterious top-tier collection—especially anything that might record unknown aspects of the continent.
As a soul master, curiosity was in her nature.
"Then… I'll have to trouble you, Brother Chen," Ye Lingling nodded slightly.
Her voice was still soft, but the earlier helplessness had already been replaced by expectation.
Just then, two figures approached from nearby.
They were the Second Elder and Third Elder, who handled the sect's daily affairs—clearly just finished arranging the supervision for the refining.
The Second Elder's gaze was sharp as lightning as it landed on Chen Yi. He looked Chen Yi up and down, approval flashing in his eyes.
"Xiao Yi, your aura is steady, your soul power is full, and your spirit is restrained. You're about to step into the fortieth rank, aren't you?"
Chen Yi wasn't surprised.
He hadn't deliberately concealed the changes in his cultivation. With the Second Elder's level—he was a titled Douluo—seeing through his condition was only natural.
Chen Yi nodded respectfully. "Second Elder's insight is sharp. This disciple has indeed reached the peak of Rank Thirty-Nine. I can feel the bottleneck loosening. At fastest, ten days or so—at slowest, one month—I should be able to break through."
He had obtained two top-tier immortal treasures: the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Fire Apricot.
They had tempered his body greatly, making him immune to extremes of ice and fire. He had also gained the external soul bone, the Frost-Ending Heavenly Wings.
His soul power level hadn't skyrocketed from this alone, but his physique, spiritual strength, and affinity with the world's energy had improved drastically. His foundation was already as stable as bedrock. Breaking through to Rank Forty was inevitable.
Ye Lingling, standing at the side, heard Chen Yi calmly state that he was about to break through to Rank Forty.
Her slender body trembled faintly. A shock she couldn't hide flashed through her beautiful eyes.
She remembered clearly: more than a year ago, after her grandfather Ye Cien first met Chen Yi, he had sighed in private that Chen Yi's talent shook the past and present—already exceeding Rank Twenty-Five at a young age, something worthy of being called a monstrous genius.
Back then, Ye Lingling had already found it unbelievable. After all, Chen Yi had only just awakened his martial soul, yet it hadn't taken him long to reach Rank Twenty—unprecedented from ancient times to the present.
But now… less than two years had passed, and he was already about to cross into the Soul Ancestor realm?
I went to hunt my second soul ring almost at the same time as him… Ye Lingling's heart filled with bitterness and helplessness.
She had worked hard to reach Rank Twenty-Four, hoping to cross the threshold of Rank Thirty as soon as possible…
Yet Chen Yi was already about to reach Rank Forty.
The gap was like a deep ravine. It made her truly understand what a "real genius" meant—and what it meant for there to be "heavens beyond heavens."
Her gaze lingered on Chen Yi, and feelings of complexity and incomprehension surged uncontrollably.
The Second Elder wasn't particularly shocked by Chen Yi's speed. To him, it felt only natural.
But there was something else on his mind. His expression turned solemn.
"If you're about to take this step, then the choice of your fourth soul ring becomes the top priority. It concerns the foundation of your future."
"Your current physique and spiritual power have been tempered by immortal treasures and an external soul bone. You're no longer comparable to ordinary soul masters."
"The sect originally prepared a soul beast of around twenty thousand years. Its soul ring quality may no longer be able to match your needs. We must search for something more suitable."
Chen Yi's cultivation speed had been too fast.
The Body Sect had spent years searching for a top-tier soul beast to match him. The fourth soul ring they had initially prepared for him was a Thunder Mad Lion with a cultivation of twenty thousand years.
But now, if Chen Yi still absorbed it, it would be wasting his talent.
After speaking, the Second Elder fell into thought for a moment, as if searching his memory. Then he said slowly, "According to an anecdotal record passed down at the sect's entrance, about a thousand miles north from here there is an inaccessible forbidden land."
"It seems a very special and powerful lightning-attribute soul beast lurks there. Its aura has been terrifying since ancient times."
"Our seniors sensed it from afar. Its age may be around fifty thousand years, but they judged its true combat power and the quality of its soul ring to far exceed ordinary fifty-thousand-year soul beasts."
The Second Elder looked straight at Chen Yi, his eyes deep.
"That soul beast was originally reserved for you to hunt after you reached the Soul King or Soul Emperor realm—your fifth or sixth soul ring."
"But your progress is faster than expected, and your physique may be strong enough now…"
"We can consider trying to use it in advance as your fourth soul ring."
"If it succeeds, its soul skill and the further tempering of your body may surpass ordinary soul rings by far—and truly meet your current potential needs."
"A forbidden land? A special lightning soul beast around fifty thousand years?" Hearing this, strong doubt appeared in Chen Yi's eyes.
He had lived in the Body Sect for many years and had read classics about soul beast distributions and geographical records in the sect's library. He believed he had a decent understanding of famous dangerous places and high-aged soul beast territories across the continent.
Yet he had never seen any clear record about such a forbidden land—or such a special soul beast.
The Third Elder, hearing this for the first time, also looked momentarily confused. But then it was as if he remembered a secret known only to a handful of top officials within the sect.
Shock flashed through his eyes—followed by a trace of worry.
He couldn't help speaking up. "You mean that place, that mysterious soul beast…"
"According to the seniors' speculation, it may be extraordinarily unusual. Even if Xiao Yi's physique surpasses those at the same level by far, if he tries to leap levels to absorb such a soul ring, isn't the risk too great?"
"Wouldn't it be safer to leave it as his fifth soul ring?"
The Second Elder slowly shook his head, speaking with a hesitant tone.
"I understand your concerns. For Xiao Yi, using it as the fifth soul ring would indeed be much safer."
"But unfortunately…" He paused. "It still wouldn't be enough to fully unleash his potential. It would feel… lacking."
The Third Elder opened his mouth, wanting to argue further. After all, Chen Yi was the sect's future hope—they couldn't afford to lose him.
But the Second Elder raised a hand to stop him and continued.
"Besides, I suggested it only as a possibility because that soul beast is extremely mysterious. It sleeps deep within that forbidden land year-round. It's difficult to find its traces, and it's powerful."
"Capturing it alive—or killing it precisely within its territory—is not easy."
"In my judgment, at minimum, the Sect Master or the Grand Elder must personally act before we can be confident."
"And now, both of them have entered the pill chamber to refine the medicine. It is absolutely impossible for them to come out in the short term."
"Therefore, whether we hunt that soul beast can only be considered long-term—at least after they end their seclusion."
"When the time comes, we'll decide based on Xiao Yi's specific condition and the opinions of the Sect Master and Grand Elder."
Hearing this, the tension on the Third Elder's face eased. He nodded.
If the Sect Master and Grand Elder personally protected the process, the safety would indeed increase greatly.
But Chen Yi and Ye Lingling, standing to the side, felt stormy waves rise within their hearts. Their curiosity surged to the peak.
What kind of soul beast is it?
To require two peak powerhouses—Sect Master Chu Shanhe and the Grand Elder—to personally act to be confident…
It had to be terrifying.
After all, both the Second Elder and Third Elder were titled Douluo. Even if they were slightly inferior to the first two, they were still pinnacle existences on the Douluo Continent.
Even they weren't fully confident—and had to invite those two…
How dreadful could that soul beast be?
But since the Second and Third Elders clearly had no intention of explaining the sect's deep secrets, Chen Yi wisely didn't ask.
He suppressed his curiosity and saluted the two elders. "Second Elder, Third Elder, since this matter requires long-term discussion, this disciple will first take Miss Lingling to the library so she can learn the paths and get familiar with the environment."
Ye Lingling obediently followed.
The two elders smiled kindly. The Second Elder nodded. "Go."
"Besides cultivation, relax your mind and take Miss Ye out for a walk. The library's miscellaneous books are fine."
…
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