Chapter Sixty-Two: The Beginning

“Hmm,” the old Mu replied, “An alchemist, that’s not a bad path. If you can achieve it, you’ll be able to refine your own elixirs in the future, aiding your cultivation. But in the end, this is something you must decide for yourself—I wouldn’t dare make this choice on your behalf.”

Hearing this, Ye Cheng could only offer a wry smile. He admitted to himself that the allure of becoming an alchemist was truly immense, leaving him conflicted. If he succeeded, he would join the ranks of potion masters and possess the potential to refine pills. But if he failed, he would vanish from this world entirely. On one side stood the boundless prospects of the alchemical arts; on the other, the bottomless abyss of death. It was a difficult choice indeed.

“Young one, are you interested in inheriting my legacy? My time grows short. If we delay any further, I can only take it with me to the grave,” the refined man said with a gentle smile, though within it lingered a trace of hope.

At these words, Ye Cheng looked towards him, noticing that the man’s figure was now far fainter than before; clearly, as time passed, the man’s remaining spiritual sense was gradually dissipating. After all, what remained was nothing more than a wisp of spiritual will left behind in bygone years—not a primordial spirit. His true spirit had long since been obliterated the moment he failed to ignite the flame within himself, destroyed by the intrusion of fire elemental energy.

Ye Cheng’s expression grew grave. Then, with a sudden clench of his jaw, a look of resolve flashed across his face, and he said loudly, “Very well, I will give it a try.”

“Haha!” The refined man laughed heartily, looking approvingly at Ye Cheng. “Well said, young man. Don’t worry, I will do my best to help you withstand some of the pain of the transformation. What you must do is hold on to your consciousness—should you lose it, you will be erased from this world.”

His hand clenched slightly within his sleeve. Ye Cheng nodded. Since he had made up his mind to attempt this, he would give it his all. If he could nurture a flame within himself, he would qualify as an alchemist. One must know that wherever an ordinary alchemist traveled, they would be respected by any power. Moreover, his own devouring constitution would complement this new path—together, they would surely make his future journey smoother.

Floating in midair, the refined man looked at Ye Cheng with a faint smile, then shifted his gaze to Nangong Xue, who stood nearby, clutching the soul grass tightly in her hand. He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Since you do not wish to accept this challenge, I will grant you a spiritual martial art as a token of our fateful encounter.”

“A spiritual martial art?” Nangong Xue’s beautiful eyes went blank for a moment, but then joy immediately bloomed across her usually cold countenance. She cupped her hands respectfully toward the figure in the air. “Thank you for your generous gift, Senior.”

Watching the exchange, Ye Cheng felt a twinge of envy. Spiritual martial arts no longer belonged to the mundane classifications of worldly techniques, but far surpassed the so-called third-tier, ninth-grade arts of the secular world. A single top-tier technique could become a clan’s treasured heirloom, enough to make countless warriors covet it. If one such martial art were to circulate, it would incite a bloody struggle among thousands upon thousands of martial practitioners.

As for spiritual martial arts, which stood above all mundane arts, their value was beyond price. Even Origin Realm powerhouses—let alone those of the Ancient Pill Realm—would fight desperately for such a treasure.

Yet at this moment, such a martial art was given away with a mere word—a simple gift to one who happened to cross his path. Only a figure of such power could display such generosity.

Without further ado, the refined man extended his palm and swept it through the air. A beam of light shot out, streaking across the sky like a meteor before burrowing directly into the crown of Nangong Xue’s head.

“This technique is called the ‘Nine Heavens Profound Sword Art.’”

As soon as the beam entered her head, Nangong Xue immediately sat down cross-legged. At first, a look of pain twisted her delicate features, but soon that pain faded as she quietly began to comprehend the spiritual martial art.

With Nangong Xue entering her cultivation state, the refined man turned to Ye Cheng. Seeing the envy in his eyes, he smiled and said, “Young one, there’s no need to envy her. As my successor, the gift I give you is far greater than any martial art.”

Ye Cheng glanced at the refined man, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. Indeed, this gift was of tremendous value—using the Primordial Spirit Flame of a spirit-realm expert to transform his body. Yet the gift was also a perilous one; if anything went amiss, he would lose both his life and the treasure.

“It’s time to begin.” Feeling his own image growing ever more insubstantial, the refined man smiled at Ye Cheng. “Are you ready? My time is almost up. While I still have some energy left, I can help you.”

Ye Cheng took a deep breath and nodded solemnly. “Let’s begin!”

“But first, we must change locations—this is not the right place.” With a wave of his sleeve, the refined man caused a black curtain to fall around Ye Cheng, cloaking everything in darkness as if they had entered a void.

“To stand above the Ancient Pill Realm—such power is truly terrifying!” Ye Cheng’s heart quaked as he took in the sudden darkness, but he quickly steadied himself, realizing that such means were beyond his understanding.

“Young one, remember: if you cannot endure, what awaits you is endless darkness. Seize this chance well!”

As soon as his words fell, a fist-sized azure flame—the Primordial Spirit Flame—slowly emerged from within the refined man’s fading image, completely separating itself and floating in the air.

As soon as the flame was exposed to the air, Ye Cheng sensed the surrounding temperature rising at a frightening rate. Within a few breaths, the heat had reached a terrifying intensity; wisps of blue smoke even began to curl up from the ground.

At that moment, Ye Cheng felt as though he stood beside a volcano, the searing heat threatening to engulf him. And the source of it all was that fist-sized flame hovering in the air. Its color was subdued, appearing almost cold, yet that only made it more fearsome.

Staring at the Primordial Spirit Flame, Ye Cheng’s eyes narrowed. The sight of such a terrifying flame would make anyone’s scalp tingle with dread.

With a wave of the refined man’s hand, the azure flame howled through the air and, before Ye Cheng’s eyes, drilled straight into his dantian.