The Supreme Powerhouse, Nearing the End of Life

The crowd had yet to recover from Yun Xiao's resolution when Yao Niming's next words sent a shock through everyone's entire being.

All eyes turned to Yao Niming in stunned disbelief, each person wondering whether the usually stern and unsmiling Immortal Alchemy Emperor had just made the most outrageous joke of all time.

Immortal Alchemy Emperor!

You are the Immortal Alchemy Emperor!

After overcoming countless trials and tribulations, now that you’ve reached the Emperor Realm, how could you say such a thing?

Nearing the end of your life?

How could you possibly be nearing the end?

"Master, this… this isn’t true, right?"

"You’ve attained the Emperor Realm—how could you have reached the end of your life?"

"This can’t be real, can it?"

Medicine Destiny trembled uncontrollably in panic. No wonder his master had been acting strangely lately. No wonder he had been seeking someone to inherit his legacy.

Could it truly be because his master’s time was running out?

Medicine Destiny had grown up alongside Yao Niming, relying on each other for survival. To Medicine Destiny, Yao Niming was his entire world. If Yao Niming were to die, he wouldn’t know how to go on living.

"Foolish child, all men must die."

"To have lived this long is already a rare fortune." Yao Niming smiled fondly at Medicine Destiny. Life and death—he had long since grown indifferent to them.

After all, his entire existence had been a journey walked step by step between life and death.

"But Master, you’re in the Emperor Realm—why is this happening?" Medicine Destiny couldn’t bring himself to believe it, yet knowing Yao Niming as he did, the man never lied.

The other alchemists stared at Yao Niming in shock. This was a legend of the alchemy world. None had ever imagined he would fall so soon.

And… so abruptly, without warning. Why?

Chen Chang'an took a deep breath. Though he had already glimpsed a trace of deathly aura around Yao Niming earlier, hearing the man confirm it still left him sighing in lament.

Such a tumultuous life—was it truly impossible for him to live peacefully until the end?

"What exactly is wrong with your body?" Chen Chang'an asked with a frown.

Yao Niming chuckled. "Truthfully, I should have died long ago."

"My first life was given to me by my parents. They bore me, raised me, and spent their entire lives trying to prolong mine."

"My second life, Chen Chang'an, was given by you. Back then, reckless and ignorant, I ventured into the Forbidden Forest. Had it not been for you, I would have perished. So you granted me my second life."

"And my third life—I gave to myself. I refused to bow to heaven or fate. I believed I could defy destiny."

"I succeeded… but also failed."

Huh?

Succeeded, yet also failed?

No one quite understood. Success was success, failure was failure—how could the two coexist?

"Back then, I thought breaking through to the Emperor Realm would mean I had truly defied fate. But I was gravely mistaken."

"To act against heaven’s will always demands a price."

"For others, breaking through brings heavenly tribulation. For me… it was heavenly punishment."

"When I broke through the Immortal Realm, I already realized my actions had provoked the wrath of the Heavenly Dao. Fortunately, I succeeded."

"But I knew the heavenly punishment wouldn’t vanish. So when I neared the Emperor Realm, I prepared thoroughly."

"The heavenly punishment descended, fraught with peril. I exhausted every means at my disposal and barely survived."

"But my body… suffered irreversible damage. The wounds inflicted by the heavenly punishment refused to heal. With time, my body continued to deteriorate."

"Now, my end draws near. And I sense it—the heavenly punishment is coming again."

Over the past six months, Yao Niming’s condition had worsened daily. And faintly, he could feel it—the heavenly punishment was about to strike once more.

It truly was a case of kicking a man while he was down. Even the Heavenly Dao seemed to believe Yao Niming had lived long enough—it was time to collect the debt.

Hearing Yao Niming’s words, the crowd sighed in sorrow. Who could have imagined that the legendary Alchemy Emperor would meet such an end?

A life that should have been immortalized in legend… yet in the end, even he had fallen to the will of heaven.

Was it truly impossible for anyone to defy fate?

Was the Mandate of Heaven truly unbreakable?

"Ah, the fall of a legend… Will the alchemy world never rise again?"

"If the Alchemy Emperor perishes, who will carry the banner in his stead?"

"There are so many of us—surely we can think of something, right? There must be a way!"

"Think of what? What can we do? Even the Alchemy Emperor is powerless—are we more capable than him?"

No alchemist in the world wished to see Yao Niming fall. He was the golden standard of their craft, the god in every alchemist’s heart.

Now, their god was about to perish—how could they accept it?

The fall of the Immortal Alchemy Emperor would send tremors through the entire Profound Realm!

"Is there truly no hope?"

"Let me examine your condition."

Chen Chang'an frowned and stepped forward to inspect Yao Niming’s body.

Yao Niming merely shook his head with a faint smile, not refusing, but knowing full well his situation was beyond saving.

Even if his deterioration could be slowed, the impending heavenly punishment was something he could never withstand.

"How could it be this dire?"

Even Chen Chang'an hadn’t expected Yao Niming’s body to be in such a critical state.

Were it not for Yao Niming’s Emperor Realm cultivation, he would have long since perished. An ordinary person would have died a hundred times over.

Yao Niming’s organs were practically in a state of decay, his meridians a chaotic mess, some even severed.

The only reason he had lasted this long was because, as the Alchemy Emperor, he had lived a low-profile life, never provoking enemies. A single battle might have been enough to end him.

All these years, he had been clinging to life through sheer willpower and profound cultivation. Otherwise, Chen Chang'an might not have even had the chance to see him one last time.

Seeing Chen Chang'an’s deep frown, Yao Niming smiled. "I know what you’re thinking. But as you can see, my condition is beyond repair."

"My body was ravaged by heavenly punishment—it cannot recover. I’ve tried everything, but nothing works."

"I can only watch helplessly as my body wastes away."

Yao Niming was never one to submit to fate. Of course he had fought—but all his efforts had ultimately amounted to nothing.

"Esteemed senior… is there anything you can do?" Medicine Destiny pleaded, his eyes filled with desperation.

"Uncertain. But I can try."

Try?

Hearing these words, everyone present was stunned. Could he really have a solution?

Even Yao Niming was surprised. Could it be that Chen Chang'an actually had a method?

"You… have a way?" Yao Niming asked nervously.

Even in the face of death, Yao Niming had remained composed, but at this moment, he found his emotions slipping beyond his control—because he truly did not want to die.

Chen Chang'an looked at Yao Niming with a faint smile, then reached out with his left hand and grasped Yao Niming's wrist.

In the next instant, Yao Niming felt a surge of vitality-infused energy rush into his body.

Under the influence of this energy, he could sense his condition actually improving.

Not only that, but the injuries inflicted by the heavenly punishment, which had left his body severely damaged, also showed the slightest signs of recovery. Though it was just a trace, the sensation was unmistakable.

To the others, the change in Yao Niming's complexion was visibly apparent.

"It's true… he really has a way!"

"Incredible, this is absolutely incredible! Just who is this Chen Chang'an? Even the Immortal Alchemy Emperor was powerless, yet he can treat it?"

"These are wounds left by heavenly punishment—this is beyond belief!"

Chen Chang'an's methods weren’t just astonishing to the onlookers; even Da Huang, who had been by his side all this time, was left dumbfounded.

Just how many secrets was this guy still hiding? How did he have so many abilities that even Da Huang knew nothing about?

"That's it, the love is gone!"

"Now he’s keeping things from me."

"Fine, Chen Chang'an, you’re something else!"