Hao Tong's skin had not turned extensively red; only the hand gripping the furnace had flushed a vibrant crimson. Observing his current state, it was clear he still possessed ample reserve energy.

Yet, even so, He Yiming could sense the immense and unbelievable magnitude of the old man's Fire Power just from the scorching aura permeating the air.

This was a true powerhouse, a super-expert who inspired dread.

Although this elder shared the Venerable rank with Gao Weiliang and others, He Yiming keenly perceived that even among the Venerables, there seemed to be distinctions, much like the subtle yet crucial differences within the Innate Realm.

As the old man circulated his True Qi, the temperature within the furnace gradually ascended.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Several heavy whooshing sounds emerged from the furnace. These sounds were deep and powerful, reminiscent of the breath of some ancient ferocious beast, instilling a bone-chilling sensation.

He Yiming eyed the furnace suspiciously. He was certain the sound originated from within, but he simply could not fathom why such a terrifying noise would emanate from it.

Although the majority of Hao Tong's focus was concentrated on the alchemy process, he smiled faintly at this moment. "Yiming, the origins of this furnace are extraordinary. It was crafted to imitate the ancient divine artifact, the Nine Dragons Furnace. While its divine efficacy falls far short of the true Nine Dragons Furnace, in comparison, among the current top-tier cauldrons, only the foundational treasures of Dongtian Fudi, the Great Shen Imperial Family, Wan Yao Valley, and the Southern Border Glazed Cave can be considered comparable."

He Yiming nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on this replica of the Nine Dragons Furnace. Suddenly, a thought sparked in his mind. "Senior, how does the Nine Dragons Furnace compare to the Five Elements Ring?"

Hao Tong paused, realizing that no one had ever posed such a question before. He pondered for a moment. "Both are legendary artifacts of the Divine Path, far beyond comparison with the divine weapons forged in the current world. Even their replicas possess immense power, so I cannot say for certain which one is mightier."

Jin Zhanyi laughed heartily. "Brother He, Divine Path weapons are treasures possessing heaven-shaking might, but they vanished from the world long ago with the disappearance of Divine Path masters. Take the Nine Dragons Furnace, for instance—it's hailed as the foremost divine weapon of the Fire element in the world, capable of manifesting nine fire dragons, its power unparalleled." He paused, seemingly hesitating for a moment, before finally adding, "Legend says the eight hundred li of volcanoes were the result of a Divine Path master clashing with the divine beast Blazing Qilin using the Nine Dragons Furnace."

This time, He Yiming was genuinely moved. He had visited the eight hundred li of volcanoes himself; it was there that he had condensed the Flower of Fire. He hadn't ventured deep, only exploring a cave on the outskirts with Suoge.

However, that volcanic region had left an exceptionally profound impression on him. If such a vast, fiery mountain range was indeed the aftermath of a confrontation between a Divine Path expert and a divine beast, just how powerful and incredible were their abilities?

For a moment, He Yiming drifted into a daze.

Hao Tong’s voice suddenly sounded beside his ear. "Concentrate your spirit and calm your breath; do not be distracted."

He Yiming's weathered face flushed slightly, and he quickly responded, gathering his senses and pushing thoughts of legendary treasures from his mind.

"Extend your hand, join me," Hao Tong instructed quietly, lightly touching the opposite side of the furnace with his free hand.

He Yiming looked over in astonishment, his heart immediately beginning to pound violently.

During an alchemist's refining process, absolute concentration is mandatory, and this specific method required control over True Qi of the utmost finesse. Although they were just beginning, and given Hao Tong's cultivation, he could afford some distraction, but as the process neared its critical final stage, even a slight anomaly in the furnace's internal energies could cause the entire endeavor to fail.

He truly couldn't understand why the old man required him to be fully involved.

Seeming to grasp the reason for his hesitation, Hao Tong snorted softly. "The probability of succeeding in refining the Youth Preserving Elixir on the first attempt is minuscule. Letting you experience the process firsthand will benefit you in the future."

He Yiming opened his mouth, looked deeply at the elder, then raised one hand and placed it where the old man had indicated, softly murmuring a single word: "Thank you."

Neither Hao Tong nor Jin Zhanyi seemed to register those two words. The alchemy chamber fell silent, leaving only the sounds emanating from the cauldron, resembling the roars of colossal beasts.

He Yiming knew the preciousness of this opportunity. Observing beside the furnace was an entirely different concept from actively participating.

Hao Tong's action clearly indicated a willingness to sacrifice this first batch, turning it into dross, just to impart the refining techniques to him.

It was no wonder the elder had given such solemn instructions at the beginning: how much one could comprehend depended entirely on oneself.

A faint, almost imperceptible thread of Fire Power entered the furnace.

Though thin, this strand of Fire Power branched out into countless tendrils, forming a dense, web-like network of fire energy that monitored everything inside the cauldron.

Naturally, during this process, He Yiming carefully avoided the massive torrent of Fire Power descending from the top of the furnace.

Compared to that overwhelming surge of fire energy, the minute net He Yiming emitted was like a spider's web beside an elephant's leg—utterly insignificant.

However, the elephant clearly paid no mind to the trespass into its territory, or perhaps the disparity in strength was so vast that it simply couldn't be bothered to notice.

An elephant is hostile toward another elephant invading its domain, but it won't even glance at an ant near its feet.

Inside the furnace, powerful heat waves rolled and churned. The medicinal herbs within rose and fell amidst these waves, as if being grasped and moved by an invisible, massive hand.

He Yiming observed for a long while before finally gaining some insight.

The heat waves were naturally generated by Hao Tong, transforming formless energy into tangible fire, yet the control over this heat was precise. As the herbs were being baked, every minute aspect received perfectly uniform thermal energy, without the slightest deviation.

This level of control was absolutely unattainable if using common fuel or Earth Fire as a heat source.

In a flash of realization, He Yiming began to understand why the pinnacle alchemists had to reach the Venerable Realm.

It was because only these old monsters possessing boundless power could execute this seemingly mythical method of alchemy.

He sighed deeply, and an intense urge suddenly surged within He Yiming to try it himself. But he immediately suppressed this impulse, knowing that if he tried to unleash the intensity of Fire Power Hao Tong was currently exhibiting, he wouldn't be able to sustain it for long.

This was the gap—the most apparent disparity between himself and a Venerable.

Perhaps in a brief exchange of one or two moves, this gap wouldn't be apparent, but once a protracted battle ensued, this disparity would be infinitely magnified, becoming a fatal flaw.

Casting aside all notions of reaching too high too soon, he focused on sensing the techniques governing the turbulent Fire Power.

Slowly, within He Yiming's mind, a pair of hands formed entirely of flame took shape. These hands evolved continuously, seeming to weave complex and profound Fire Element hand seals.

He Yiming was certain this was a specialized method of manipulation; it was under the governance of this set of techniques that the Fire Power could be controlled with such miraculous precision.

His heart soared, and he devoted his entire being to sensing this fire-seal cultivation method.

Hao Tong glanced at He Yiming, intentionally or not, his eyes reflecting undisguised appreciation. The words he had spoken earlier were deliberately vague, yet He Yiming had quickly grasped the most critical point.

This Fire Element hand seal method was also inherited from one of the peak Fire Element techniques of the Divine Path era, specifically designed for controlling the Nine Dragons Furnace.

It was said that after the founding ancestor managed to forge a replica of the Nine Dragons Furnace, he expended an enormous price to obtain this very technique.

But precisely because he possessed this method, he could unleash the maximum potential of this replicated Nine Dragons Furnace.

While the direct combat application of this technique wasn't particularly effective, it was the supreme choice for controlling artifacts, especially a heaven-defying treasure like the Nine Dragons Furnace.

Of course, this technique wasn't solely for offense; it allowed for complete dominion over everything within the cauldron, enabling the herbs to agitate and receive heat precisely according to the user's will, thus ensuring the successful condensation of the elixir.

Within the current Ling Xiao Precious Hall, only he mastered this method.

The other Venerables kept their distance from the art of alchemy and certainly wouldn't bother learning this technique.

Hao Tong sometimes worried that when his final years arrived, his centuries of immersion in this technique would be completely lost. That was why, upon seeing He Yiming's interest in the Dao of Elixirs, he chose this subtle method to pass the teaching on.

He himself was scarcely aware of these nuanced psychological shifts.

He Yiming naturally understood none of this; he merely poured all his focus into perceiving everything. His eyes were tightly shut, his lips occasionally touching in a soft, continuous murmur.

His expression shifted between joy and furrowed contemplation, completely immersed in a magical world belonging only to him.

Jin Zhanyi, watching from the side, frowned slightly. In truth, he didn't approve of He Yiming learning anything about alchemy at this time.

Given He Yiming's exceptional martial talent, failing to devote himself entirely to the Martial Dao would be a true waste.

However, facing the renowned Hao Tong of the Ling Xiao Precious Hall, Jin Zhanyi could only swallow his reservations, daring not to utter a single word.

Watching the increasingly joyous expression on He Yiming's face, the frequency of his head shaking increased correspondingly.