Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Cao Yan approached the ordinary-looking pill cauldron and touched it gently. He closed his eyes, feeling everything about it.

His lips curved upward. He sat before the cauldron and raised one hand. A flame burst to life in his palm and leaped into the cauldron. His movements were smooth and graceful, and just the act of conjuring the flame shocked Sun Miao.

Cao Yan sat with a straight back and a mild expression, every gesture precise, nothing wasted. The flame danced obediently inside the cauldron.

His divine consciousness surged outward, and all the disciples felt as though the youth had transformed into a fierce beast, his aura pressing down on them with staggering weight. And that was only a sliver of the power radiating from him.

Cao Yan used the Six Flames Pill-Refining Technique masterfully. Sun Miao watched him through narrowed eyes, a gleam of interest in his gaze.

Once the flame died, Cao Yan smiled and stood. He wished it could have lasted longer. He hadn’t refined pills in ages; his life had been consumed by the terror of being hunted, leaving his favorite pastime neglected.

Sun Miao’s eyes were bright. He jogged up to Cao Yan and tugged on his arm. “Kid, do you want to take me as your master? You’re extremely talented at pill refining! Agree, and I’ll teach you everything I know.”

Sun Miao didn’t know who Cao Yan was, but he could sense the subtly powerful aura radiating off him. He was shocked to realize Cao Yan was far stronger than him.

Cao Yan froze. His father had also been a successful alchemist, though he hadn’t focused much on the craft during his last years.

He smiled and declined. “Thank you for the kind offer. We could exchange ideas when we have time, but I won’t be taking you as my master.”Sun Miao’s eyes widened. He blew on his beard in a rage, hands on his hips, and snapped, “Don’t think I won’t scold you just because you have a high cultivation level! You have some talent, but don’t get arrogant! I may only be a tier-five alchemist, but that’s because of my cultivation level. The moment I break through to the Illusory Refinement Realm, I’ll be tier six for certain!”

Cao Yan did not know what to say. He shrugged, “I haven’t refined pills in many years, and you may have vast experience in the Dao of pill-refining. But in terms of raw ability… you’re still lacking compared to me.”

The disciples gasped. “Is he a disciple from the Heavenly Lightning Peak? How dare he be so rude?”

“Hmph! He’s being arrogant just because he has a little talent!”

Cao Yan glanced at the disciples below, then tossed out a pill cauldron of his own, one made of blue crystal. Li Guanqi had spent a fortune on it at auction. The cauldron had been through plenty of hardship the past few years, but it had clearly refined hundreds of batches of pills.

Ignoring the murmurs about his cauldron’s quality, Cao Yan gestured to the space opposite him and sat cross-legged. “Since you want me to take you as my master, let’s have a debate[1] on alchemy.”

Sun Miao noticed the shift in Cao Yan’s aura and stepped forward slowly. He removed his dirty robes, changed into his tier-five alchemist robes covered in flowing lights, and sat opposite Cao Yan.

He met Cao Yan’s gaze without a hint of contempt. The disciples noticed the change in Sun Miao’s expression. Finally, they realized that Cao Yan was not as simple as they’d thought.

What followed was a shocking debate on alchemy.

***

Meanwhile, Li Guanqi was raising his cup of wine to each tombstone in the graveyard, talking to himself. He replaced the flowers with fresh ones and placed them in front of each tombstone. In the end, he sat in front of Lin Dong’s tombstone, laughing as he recounted everything that had happened over the past few years.

As he spoke, the vital force in his body surged beyond his control. The aura enveloped the entire back mountain.

Buzz!

The elder guarding the Scripture Pavilion on Heavenly Pillar Peak, Ling Daoyan, sprang to his feet. He reached the back mountain in an instant, but the aura was so powerful he couldn’t push through. The surrounding space warped, and terrifying blasts of lightning tore through the air.

Rumble!

Dark clouds blanketed the sect grounds for over a hundred li. Lightning writhed within the churning mass, yet never struck the earth.

Lu Kangnian looked up at the sky in shock. He murmured, “Who’s about to break through to the Illusory Refinement Realm? Is it that shy kid?”

He appeared on the back mountain. Meng Wanshu had arrived as well. Despite the violent spatial forces, she walked toward the mountain at an unhurried pace.

Ling Daoyan tried to stop her. “Be careful, girl! The spatial force is powerful there!”

Qin Xian and Li Nanting were already there, peering worriedly inside. Ye Feng arrived through a spatial tear, frowning deeply.

Meng Wanshu smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll take a look.”

A single snowflake materialized before her. A wave of ice power surged, freezing the distorted space solid. In the air, a hundred-zhang-long ice wall took shape. She tapped the space before her.

Boom!

The ice wall exploded, blasting a hole through the spatial force. She stepped inside and vanished.

In the graveyard, Li Guanqi sat cross-legged in mid-air. His silhouette had gone blurry. His divine soul trembled, and his primordial soul was on the verge of breaking.

Meng Wanshu sighed in relief. She had thought something bad had happened to him.

Ye Feng and Xiao Chen arrived right behind her.

“Sister-in-Law, do you need a hand?” Ye Feng asked.

Meng Wanshu approached Li Guanqi and gently tapped his third eye. An ice seal suppressed the violent, agitated energies coursing through his body. His divine soul returned to its original position, and his primordial soul settled down.

Meng Wanshu sighed and spoke to the others through voice transmission. “Don’t worry. He’s fine now.”

Li Guanqi slowly opened his eyes, shock written across his face. “I think… I can’t delay my breakthrough any longer.”

Meng Wanshu nodded, her expression solemn. “That’s right. You’ve suppressed it to your limit. You can’t wait any longer.”

Li Guanqi let out a deep sigh. “It looks like I need to form an illusory body already.”

1. In cultivation, a “debate” on a discipline (such as alchemy or the sword) refers to a formal exchange where both parties demonstrate their knowledge and skill, not merely a verbal argument. ☜