Within the furnace, the flames raged fiercely, causing the temperature in the entire room to climb. Yet, the aged Daoist Xie Zhien and the two young apothecaries seemed completely accustomed to it, feeling no discomfort whatsoever.

Xie Mingjin, however, was drenched in sweat. He had already downed two large pots of clear water, but it offered no relief.

In contrast, He Yiming watched the old Daoist and his attendants with intense concentration, as if trying to commit every single movement to memory.

In truth, He Yiming was quite excited at this moment. Before starting the furnace, Xie Zhien had told him that to become an outstanding Alchemist, one required exceptional talent. This talent, besides knowledge of medicinal properties, absolutely necessitated having both Fire and Wood inner-force attributes.

Of course, possessing three attributes was exceedingly rare even among Alchemists, earning one the title of a Heaven-Gifted Talent in the Dao of Elixirs.

Whether in the Great Shen Kingdom or the Northwestern Barbarian States, all the renowned Innate Alchemists possessed at least the dual attributes of Fire and Wood. The most celebrated among them even boasted three attributes. Their success rate in alchemy far surpassed that of their peers.

This explanation naturally resonated deeply with He Yiming.

Suddenly, Xie Mingjin leaned close to He Yiming and whispered, "Brother He, do you understand any of this?"

He Yiming shook his head blankly and honestly replied, "No."

Xie Mingjin was greatly surprised. "Didn't the few books I found for you contain detailed procedural descriptions? Haven't you read them?"

He Yiming softly murmured, "I have read them, but I cannot comprehend them."

Indeed, the Way of Alchemy was a unique field of study. While He Yiming recognized every character if they were separated, once they formed words, phrases, and sentences, it became as indecipherable as an alien tongue.

After transcribing the material, He Yiming pored over it repeatedly for a long time but found no clue; he had no choice but to set it aside.

Xie Mingjin paused, then smiled. "I see. Bring out what you have; I will teach you."

He Yiming was overjoyed and quickly produced the copied materials. When transcribing, he had deliberately separated the refining process from the recipes, so he held only a few pages in his hands.

Xie Mingjin, having been born into the Xie family, had dealt with such matters since childhood. Although his alchemy skills were far inferior to his Seventh Uncle’s, his foundational knowledge was solid.

Only after receiving the on-the-spot instruction from Xie Mingjin did He Yiming experience a sense of sudden enlightenment—to think that these characters, when combined, held such complex learning!

The two whispered secrets to each other, while the old Daoist and the two apothecaries acted as if they were invisible, utterly ignoring them.

A full seven days passed. Suddenly, a rich, heavy fragrance permeated the Pill Chamber. By now, He Yiming was no longer completely ignorant of alchemy; he immediately understood that the Golden Elixir was about to be born.

Xie Zhien’s movements were lightning-fast. It was unclear how many elixirs he had refined in his lifetime, but he had reached a state where he knew the conditions within the crucible purely by instinct.

The moment he finally opened the furnace, his expression was one of profound solemnity, as if the object he was lifting was not the lid of the crucible, but the entire world itself. This deeply impressed He Yiming; it was an expression achievable only when every fiber of one’s spirit was poured into a single endeavor.

With a loud shout from the old Daoist, the lid of the crucible was finally lifted.

He Yiming remained seated motionlessly, but Xie Mingjin became uncontrollably nervous. He peered over, glanced around, and then his face burst into unconcealed joy.

Xie Zhien laughed several times heartily. "Young man, this old one has not failed my trust; five Golden Elixirs have been successfully refined."

He Yiming bowed deeply to him. "Elder, may I ask how many times you have refined Golden Elixirs in total?"

Xie Zhien pondered for a moment, then sighed. "Including this time, this old man has refined Golden Elixirs only three times in a century."

"Since you have only refined them three times, how could you have an eight-tenths certainty of success?"

Xie Zhien smiled faintly. "Young man, the Way of Alchemy is the way of accumulated experience. If you can successfully refine ten thousand batches of ordinary pills, then when you refine low-grade Golden Elixirs, you too will have an eight-tenths certainty."

He Yiming was inwardly stunned—ten thousand times...

He bowed deeply to the old Daoist again. Though he spoke no words, his actions fully conveyed the reverence in his heart.

Refining ordinary pills would certainly not take seven days, but even one batch per day, with every attempt succeeding, would require nearly thirty years to open the furnace ten thousand times.

Such perseverance, such patience, such willpower—He Yiming could only feel profound admiration, with no other thought allowed.

Xie Zhien was very pleased with He Yiming’s demeanor. His gaze suddenly flicked towards the few thin sheets of paper in Xie Mingjin's hands.

Xie Mingjin’s face instantly became extremely awkward. He hastily tucked his hands behind his back, a foolish, transparent smile plastered on his face.

He Yiming’s face also flushed slightly; being caught red-handed was an unpleasant sensation.

Xie Zhien shook his head with a wry smile, sighed softly, and muttered as if to himself, "The formulas in the Golden Elixir Room should have been made public long ago."

He Yiming and Xie Mingjin immediately relaxed, realizing the old man intended to turn a blind eye and pretend he saw nothing.

Indeed, Xie Zhien turned his head, and said to He Yiming in a gentle voice, "I heard Nuan Yi say you wish to hunt the inner cores of spiritual beasts five hundred years old or more?"

He Yiming answered seriously, "Yes."

"You are young, yet you have already cultivated to the peak of the Tenth Level of the Post-Heaven ultimate realm; it is human nature to seek a breakthrough. However, relying solely on your own strength, facing a five-hundred-year spiritual beast, I fear you might not prevail," the old Daoist sighed lightly. "A five-hundred-year spiritual beast represents a critical threshold. If it crosses it, its inner core gains the marvelous function of converting the Qi of Heaven and Earth. Refining this core allows one to draw the Qi of Heaven and Earth into the body, which is the simplest method to advance to the Innate realm. However, after five hundred years, spiritual beasts can also mobilize the Qi of Heaven and Earth. Their power becomes immense, truly leading to a complete transformation; only a master of the Innate realm can kill them."

He Yiming’s expression changed slightly. He certainly knew this elder would not deceive him. So, a five-hundred-year spiritual beast was equivalent to an Innate realm expert. He realized he had underestimated such beasts.

The old Daoist hesitated for a moment, then sighed heavily. "It is a pity you are not a dual-attribute cultivator; otherwise, perhaps you could enter the Innate realm directly without relying on the Golden Elixir."

A sharp glint flashed in He Yiming’s eyes. He respectfully said, "Please guide me, Senior."

The old Daoist stroked his long beard. "According to historical records, the earliest human cultivators did not rely on Golden Elixirs for breakthrough. Although the Tenth Level peak was the final achievement for the vast majority, there were still some Post-Heaven experts who mastered dual, mutually reinforcing cultivation methods. By practicing the highest-grade Post-Heaven methods, they succeeded in breaking through to the Innate realm."

"Post-Heaven mutually reinforcing methods?" A thought suddenly flashed through He Yiming's mind.

"Exactly—methods like my Fire and Wood combination, or Gold and Water. If a genius cultivator simultaneously possessed the talent for these two mutually reinforcing attributes, and practiced the two most top-tier Post-Heaven Inner Force cultivation methods, once both methods reached the Tenth Level, they could attempt to forcibly convert the might of one method into the other reinforcing method. If the conversion succeeded, the reinforcing method would automatically break through its original realm, draw the Innate Qi into the body, and ultimately achieve promotion."

He Yiming’s heart pounded fiercely. If others were not present, he would have been shouting in ecstatic excitement long ago.

But then he reconsidered and asked with suspicion, "Thank you for your guidance, Elder, but if this is so, why haven't you attempted it yourself?"

A trace of regret immediately appeared on Xie Zhien’s face. "When I was young, I was completely immersed in alchemy. Although my alchemy succeeded, it delayed my Inner Force cultivation. It wasn't until I was eighty that I managed to cultivate both my Fire and Wood methods to the Tenth Level. But by then, my age was advanced, my meridians hardened, and my vitality faded. If I were to attempt breakthrough using this method now, the moment the Qi of Heaven and Earth entered my body, I would likely explode and perish."

He Yiming’s face changed slightly. "Is there no solution?"

"There is," Xie Zhien said expressionlessly. "Unless an existing Innate realm master of the same Fire-Wood dual attributes expends their Innate True Qi to reinforce my meridians, or I have specialized Golden Elixirs refined from two spiritual beast cores of five hundred years or more for body protection, there is no further possibility of entering the Innate realm."

Though his expression was calm, his words carried an inexpressible regret. He had clearly regretted this deeply.

He Yiming nodded secretly. While the old Daoist’s alchemy was truly divine, the price he paid was the loss of the chance to advance to the Innate realm. In other words, he had abandoned the main goal to pursue the trivial—losing the water melon to pick up a sesame seed.

This was a stark lesson, one He Yiming vowed to engrave in his heart: before entering the Innate realm, he must never let his attention wander elsewhere.

The old Daoist shook his head slightly, retrieved the five Golden Elixirs from the furnace, placed them into a jade vial, and handed it to He Yiming. Perhaps recalling painful memories, he waved his large sleeve and departed swiftly.

He Yiming carefully stored the Golden Elixirs, but his mind was still consumed by the old Daoist’s words.

Xie Mingjin waved a hand in front of his eyes. "Brother He, what is wrong?"

He Yiming smiled as if waking from a dream. "Brother Xie, I wish to borrow a secluded room in your estate. Would that be possible?"

"Of course," Xie Mingjin replied without hesitation. "What do you intend to do?"

"I wish to enter seclusion for a period to properly contemplate the insights gained during this time," He Yiming stated seriously.

Xie Mingjin himself could fully approve this request. Under his arrangements, He Yiming was led to a quiet courtyard. This courtyard was originally Xie Mingjin’s residence, and he had already dismissed all the servants and laborers, leaving He Yiming alone there.

Closing the door, He Yiming settled into a quiet meditation room. The words of the old Daoist Xie Zhien were like a sudden awakening, opening a heavenly path towards the Innate realm before him.

If the old Daoist knew his lamentations would lead to this outcome, He Yiming wondered if he would still have mentioned the matter.

In the forest, He Yiming had only displayed his Gold attribute cultivation method.

Even the strongest single-attribute cultivation method, without the aid of a Golden Elixir, could not break through to the Innate realm.

But He Yiming was different; he was not a practitioner of a single attribute but a super-cultivator possessing all Five Elements. If there was a single flaw, it was that only two of his Five Element Inner Force methods were top-tier main cultivation methods. Yet, fortunately, these two happened to be mutually reinforcing methods.

They were the Blazing Fire Art and the Withering Wood Art originating from the Xu Family Fort.

At this moment, he was immensely grateful for his impulsive decision back then to go to the Xu Family Fort—how far-sighted it had been!

Without the Withering Wood Art, even with his complete possession of the Five Elements, he would have been unable to use this method for breakthrough.

The Inner Force within his body surged again. Supported by this immense power, his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth became acutely sensitive. In the next moment, he confirmed that not only was there no one else in the courtyard, but within a fifty-meter radius centered on his building, it was an absolute forbidden zone.

Though the Xie Estate was vast, carving out such a zone couldn't be done casually. This demonstrated that Xie Mingjin was truly a thoughtful person. Although their acquaintance was not long, and He Yiming knew well that Xie Mingjin's association with him carried a degree of utility, there was no denying that he had successfully earned his goodwill. Moreover, if he could successfully break through to the Innate realm this time, it would be entirely thanks to the old Daoist’s guidance; this debt of gratitude was immeasurable and would ultimately be attributed to Xie Mingjin as well.

He shook his head slightly, putting aside his rather emotional state.

First, he took out all the items on his person and placed them in an inconspicuous corner, especially the newly transcribed pill recipes and the jade vial containing the Golden Elixirs.

Subsequently, he immersed his body and spirit into the circulation of his Inner Force.

The Withering Wood Art, this powerful, top-tier Wood attribute main Inner Force cultivation method, began to slowly circulate within his body.

He did not instantly push the Withering Wood Art to the Tenth Level; instead, he began increasing it gradually, starting from the First Level. However, as the powerful Inner Force flowed through his meridians, corresponding changes occurred on the surface of his body.

The full muscles on his body began to wither strangely, as if all the moisture had been sucked away by some force. As the Inner Force continuously strengthened, this phenomenon deepened. Even the muscles in his face were affected.

If he stood next to Elder Xu Yinjie of the Xu family right now, anyone would mistake these two figures, resembling withered wood, as two comrades who had already one foot in the grave.

As the Withering Wood Art circulated, the vitality in He Yiming’s body seemed to recede, as if his body was nurturing a new power, and the retracted vitality was providing abundant nourishment for this force.

When the Withering Wood Art reached the Tenth Level, He Yiming did not stop. He began slowly circulating the Blazing Fire Art.

The Five Elements methods cycled through his body—this was not the first time, but He Yiming had never before attempted to push the might of one method to its limit before circulating the next.

This was a matter of control. Once a cultivation method reached its peak, the difficulty of instantly switching to another method became unimaginably high. Forcing the switch might instantly damage the meridians, and in severe cases, it could lead to immediate bodily explosion.

But at this moment, He Yiming charged headlong into the difficulty. Not only did the Withering Wood Art show no sign of stopping, but the Blazing Fire Art was also slowly running.

Dividing the Inner Force in his body into two distinct forces had always been his pursuit.

But this time was different. He Yiming was not dividing the two forces equally; he was fully maintaining the Tenth Level of the Withering Wood Art. As for the Blazing Fire Art, although it was reluctantly circulating, it was like a faint, weak flame that seemed ready to be extinguished by any slight breeze.

However, slowly, the Blazing Fire Art moved through He Yiming’s meridians at an incredibly slow pace—a speed comparable to a tortoise crawling. Despite being extremely slow, it was relentlessly advancing.

Marvelous changes began to appear on He Yiming’s body again. A certain part of his emaciated body slowly began to turn red.

This change was exceptionally conspicuous, especially the skin, which became as bright red as fresh blood.

Initially, the blood-red patch of skin was small, but slowly, this color began to spread across He Yiming’s body.

The spread of the red color was initially extremely slow, as if extending the boundary by even a fraction required immense effort.

But once the area covered by red expanded to one-tenth of his body, it began to spread rapidly, like a prairie fire consuming everything in its path.

In just a few breaths, this color had spread over his entire body. His entire being seemed to transform into a scorching furnace, emitting an unbelievable wave of heat.

His clothes turned yellow and curled up. The heat emanating from him had surpassed the limits bearable for the human body, as if he himself were burning.

Yet, He Yiming seemed completely unaware. The Blazing Fire Art within him had successfully advanced to the Tenth Level and was continuously devouring the potent vitality collected by the Withering Wood Art. Under the burning flames that seemed to engulf his entire body, He Yiming's body finally underwent a magical transformation.

Just like the legendary phoenix, he was reawakening with vigorous life force amidst the raging flames.

Phoenix Nirvana—there was nothing more to it...

Ps: Finally broke through. He Yiming broke through, and so did I ^_^ I have fulfilled the promise of 15,000 characters in three days this week. Starting tomorrow until Sunday, updates will be 20,000 characters across two chapters; please bear with me! Also, do not listen to Vice-Moderator Xiao Tian’s words in yesterday’s post; he was joking. My rate is 5,000 characters per chapter; if I adhered to that promise, even skinning White Crane wouldn't be enough to keep up...

Recommendation for a friend's new book, "Dragon Rises to the Heavens" (《》) by Cupbearer Feather (), Book ID 1477926. Synopsis: Inadvertently, I walked the path to the peak, gazing down at the masses, brimming with vitality. (Everyone must go support it!)