When this thought occurred to them, the many alchemists were struck with astonishment.
What kind of figure was Yao Niming? In his entire life, he had only taken one disciple—Medicine Destiny—and that was only because of their special relationship.
Countless individuals had once sought to become disciples of the Alchemy Emperor, yet all were rejected.
Now, the Alchemy Emperor actually wanted to take Yun Xiao as his disciple?
Could this merely be their own misconception?
Though doubts arose in their hearts, they did not dwell on it, as the pressing matter at hand was dealing with the mysterious pearl.
Yun Xiao had never expected that the Alchemy Emperor’s invitation was solely for the sake of this single pearl.
Even more surprising was that not only had the Alchemy Emperor failed, but so had all these top-tier alchemists?
Staring at the pearl inside the alchemy furnace, Yun Xiao couldn’t help but frown—wasn’t this just an ordinary pearl?
"May I ask, Senior, if I could hold this object and examine it for a moment?" Yun Xiao asked respectfully.
"You may."
"Thank you."
After Yao Niming withdrew the Eternal Spirit Flame from the alchemy furnace, Yun Xiao picked up the pearl directly.
After carefully scrutinizing it for a while, he came to a conclusion.
"Senior, this object… seems to be nothing more than an ordinary pearl, albeit an exceptionally hard one."
The moment these words were spoken, the expressions of the other alchemists darkened, and they all turned their gazes toward Yun Xiao.
"Are you suggesting that so many of us, including the Alchemy Emperor, have misjudged this?"
"Or do you believe your own knowledge surpasses ours?"
"If you claim this pearl is ordinary, then answer me—what kind of ‘ordinary’ pearl can endure a thousand years of spirit flame tempering without the slightest change?"
"Does such an ‘ordinary’ pearl exist in this world?"
"Truly the ignorance of youth. Young man, your talent is commendable, but you sorely lack experience."
Yun Xiao’s words had provoked their displeasure, yet he seemed unbothered by their criticism, steadfast in his own judgment.
"Perhaps it is indeed my youthful ignorance, but I still believe this is nothing more than a simple pearl."
Yao Niming himself had entertained similar thoughts, but he couldn’t accept that an ordinary pearl could possess such unyielding hardness.
Taking the pearl back from Yun Xiao, he studied it intently before speaking.
"Could it be… that this object does not originate from the Tai Xuan Realm?"
This statement stunned everyone. If it wasn’t from the Tai Xuan Realm, could it be an artifact from the Upper Realm?
Perhaps that was indeed the case—only an object from the Upper Realm could possess such an indestructible nature, leaving them all helpless.
"Alchemy Emperor, are you implying that ordinary spirit flames are insufficient to refine this and that a higher-grade flame is required?"
"I believe the Alchemy Emperor’s reasoning is sound. Objects from the Upper Realm are naturally beyond the comprehension of our Tai Xuan Realm."
"Compared to Yun Xiao’s claim, I place greater trust in the Alchemy Emperor’s deduction."
As the Alchemy Emperor, his words carried significant weight, and the others found his theory far more plausible than Yun Xiao’s assessment.
Yun Xiao himself was taken aback, staring at the pearl in Yao Niming’s hand as he pondered—had he truly misjudged it? Was this object extraordinary, a relic from the Upper Realm?
"Since this object proves so difficult to refine, perhaps we should let it be."
"You’ve all gathered here with great effort. My Alchemy Emperor Manor can accommodate you for a few more days—consider it an opportunity to exchange insights on alchemy."
The Alchemy Emperor Manor was offering them lodging?
Such an opportunity, once missed, might never come again in their lifetimes.
"Many thanks, Alchemy Emperor. However, we would still like to make another attempt."
"Indeed. We’ve just conceived a method—if one spirit flame isn’t enough, perhaps combining our efforts might yield unexpected results."
A joint effort?
Yao Niming nodded before tossing the pearl back into the alchemy furnace.
BOOM!
Moments later, a deafening explosion erupted from the Alchemy Emperor Manor, startling the onlookers outside.
The commotion was immense—what exactly was happening inside? Had a battle broken out?
Those outside were clueless, but those inside now stood in awkward silence, exchanging bewildered glances.
Merging spirit flames was no simple feat, especially when multiple flames clashed—an explosion was inevitable.
Had Yao Niming not intervened, those outside would have heard far more than just an explosion.
"Thank you, Alchemy Emperor, for saving us. Had you not acted, we might have…"
"Indeed. Who would have thought the fusion of spirit flames could unleash such terrifying force? Our plan has failed."
"Alas, is there truly no way to handle this pearl?"
A profound sense of powerlessness weighed upon them. They had exhausted every idea and method, only to meet with failure—an outcome so stifling it felt suffocating.
"Do not despair. This pearl is no ordinary object—even I could not refine it. Failure was inevitable."
"Enough. It seems this treasure is not meant for me. Perhaps only its destined master will succeed in refining it."
Yao Niming had already prepared for the worst. Gathering these alchemists had been a final, desperate attempt.
"Then… allow me to try."
Taking a deep breath, Yun Xiao stepped toward the alchemy furnace.
His words stunned the crowd. You? If we couldn’t do it, how could a mere Divine Ability Realm alchemist like you succeed?
"Young man, you—"
Before one alchemist could finish his mocking remark, his eyes widened in shock as Yun Xiao extended his hands—revealing two distinct spirit flames.
This kid… had actually subdued two Heavenly Spirit Flames simultaneously?
"He’s only at the Divine Ability Realm—how could he have tamed two Heavenly Spirit Flames?"
"And unless I’m mistaken, one is the Ghost Nether Spirit Flame, while the other… is the Wrathful Buddha Spirit Flame."
"These two flames not only rank highly but are also mutually opposing. How could they coexist within one person?"
The sheer impossibility of this sight left them all dumbfounded.
Even Yao Niming’s gaze toward Yun Xiao shifted. For someone so young to wield such formidable means—there must be an extraordinary master behind him.
Yet why had no one ever heard of Yun Xiao’s mentor?
Could there be other secrets hidden within this youth?
Once an unknown, Yun Xiao had risen to prominence within the past year—likely due to some grand opportunity.
Amidst their shock, Yun Xiao’s next move sent their hearts leaping into their throats.
"Damn it, kid! Are you trying to get yourself killed? STOP!"
"He's insane! This kid is downright crazy—didn’t you see what just happened?"
"You actually want to fuse these two spirit flames? You’re absolutely..."
"Holy shit, it worked? Ghost Nether Spirit Flame and Raging Buddha Spirit Flame actually merged?"
"Unbelievable. This is utterly unbelievable."
"Is this kid even human? This is terrifying!"
Yun Xiao successfully merged the two spirit flames into one, creating a new form of spiritual fire.
"By sheer chance, I managed to fuse these two flames. The power is immense, but I can barely control it."
"Everyone, please step back. If something goes wrong, I don’t want you getting hurt."
Hearing this, the crowd only chuckled. Though the fused spirit flames were indeed fearsome, Yun Xiao’s cultivation was merely at the Divine Ability Realm. Even if things went south, harming them would still be difficult.
Still, they were eager to see whether this newly fused flame could refine the enigmatic orb.
Yun Xiao focused entirely, pouring all his energy into the refinement process.
Meanwhile, Chen Chang'an and his group arrived at Alchemy Emperor City.
They headed straight for Alchemy Emperor Manor, only to find it already surrounded by layers of onlookers.
"So many people? They can’t even get inside—what are they waiting for?" Kuang Zhongtang asked, puzzled.
"Just here for the show. If any news leaks out, they’ll be the first to know."
"Don’t mind them. Let’s go straight to Alchemy Emperor Manor."
"There are too many people. Should we clear a path?"
"Sure!"
Without a second thought, Kuang Zhongtang nodded and began barging through the crowd like a wild beast.
"See? This is why bringing him along is useful. Unleash him, and he’s like a rabid dog."
"But... why don’t we just fly over?"
"Huh. Good point. Let’s fly. He can keep charging!"
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
