Chương 42: Chapter 43: The Gambit

Reyn pushed the heavy doors open. Dominating the center of the chamber was a colossal alchemy furnace, forged from an obsidian-like material that seemed to swallow the light. It stood exactly thirteen feet and three inches tall, resting upon three thick, clawed legs. Its surface was a chaotic map of etched runes and swirling patterns; a single glance was enough to make Reyn's head spin with vertigo. Feeling a chill in his heart, he averted his gaze and scanned the rest of the room.

He moved toward a wooden rack lined with jade vials. Selecting one at random, he waved his hand to dispel the sealing ward. Instantly, a thick, medicinal fragrance flooded his senses. With just one breath of the potent aroma, Reyn felt his very soul expand, humming with sudden vitality.

"A Grade 4 pill... the Demon Dragon Pill!" Reyn's eyes ignited with a brilliant light as he stared at the pill, which was nearly the size of a child's fist. He proceeded to unseal all seven jade bottles, and the sheer magnitude of the haul left him breathless. One bottle, one pill—seven in total. In the hierarchy of the cultivation world, pills were categorized into eight grades. The Demon Dragon Pill was a legendary concoction from the ancient era, its recipe long since lost to time.

Its primary purpose was to assist those at the Great Circle of the Golden Core Realm in their transition to the Nascent Soul stage. By shielding the cultivator from the interference of Yin-Devils, it could increase the success rate of Nascent Soul formation by a full ten percent. While ten percent seemed small, its effect was nothing short of heaven-defying. In the current cultivation world, such a treasure was a rarity beyond measure.

Obtaining seven at once was a feat that, if word got out, would incite a bloodbath among Golden Core experts and even draw the attention of Nascent Soul old monsters. Reyn took a deep breath to steady his racing heart, quickly placing fresh seals on the bottles to prevent the medicinal potency from leaking before tucking them securely into his storage bag. Beside the rack stood a simple wooden desk holding two jade slips. Reyn swept them with his Divine Sense before tucking them away with equal reverence.

These slips contained the alchemy insights of an ancient master. While they were of secondary use to Reyn's immediate combat needs, they would be more precious than any magic treasure to a dedicated alchemist. What truly excited him, however, were the recipes. A cursory glance revealed dozens of ancient pill formulas designed to accelerate cultivation across various realms. Once he gathered the necessary ingredients, his progression speed would skyrocket.

"This place isn't some ancient cultivator's grotto-heaven; it feels more like a specialized seal," Reyn muttered, his brow furrowing.

"That mysterious woman possesses unfathomable power and a cryptic origin. I need to leave this place immediately." Just as he made his decision, a violent explosion rocked the earth. The ground beneath his feet shuddered as a massive shockwave rolled through the mountain. Reyn's expression darkened instantly. Though he couldn't see the source, the sheer intensity of the spiritual fluctuations made his blood run cold.

With a Divine Sense comparable to a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, the fact that he felt like the sky was collapsing meant the combatants were on an entirely different level.

"Golden Core cultivators!" Reyn's mouth felt dry, a look of deep concern clouding his face. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"I have to move. Any further delay will be fatal!" A flash of decisiveness crossed his eyes. He turned to leave, but paused for a heartbeat. With a flick of his wrist, he produced an empty storage bag and performed a series of rapid mudras, sucking the massive alchemy furnace inside before sprinting toward the exit.

"It's mine! The Demon Sovereign's inheritance is mine!" The chubby Daoist's eyes were bloodshot with excitement, his face flushed a deep crimson. He moved like a man possessed, his fingers blurring as he cast one breaking-incantation after another. Whenever his spiritual energy dipped, he would swallow a pill, meditate for a fleeting moment to refine the power, and then throw himself back at the restrictions.

"Mirage Array, break!" he roared. The hellish, ghost-infested landscape before him dissolved, revealing the interior of the grand hall. He had only moved a single step forward, but he showed no surprise. He downed two more Qi-restoring pills and sat cross-legged to recover.

"Hmph! Daoist Liu, since you refuse to aid me, I shall claim these benefits for myself," the gloomy-faced old woman sneered. She stood at the base of a precipitous peak that seemed to pierce the heavens, thousands of miles high. The mountain winds howled like banshees, lashing at her face like frozen blades. Her eyes remained cautious; even though she knew this was an illusion manifested by the ancient restrictions, the craftsmanship was so high it nearly fooled her Divine Sense.

She closed her eyes for a long moment, then snapped them open, stepping forward. Her hands moved in a rhythmic dance, sending ripples of energy into the mountainside.

"As I thought. Though the power is immense, the passage of countless eons has riddled these wards with flaws. They cannot stop me!" As she intensified her efforts, the towering mountain before her began to turn translucent and ethereal.

"The Master's calculations are truly flawless," Chu Dian said, bowing low with profound respect. He looked at the woman sitting cross-legged within the jade platter, a flicker of hidden heat in his eyes.

"By planting those jade slips for them to find, you made them believe this was the inheritance grounds of the Venerable Scattered Demon. They are working themselves to death to break your seals for you. Once the outer perimeter is shattered, you will be free to roam the world once more!"

"They are merely blinded by their own greed," the mysterious woman replied, her eyes cracking open slightly. Her voice was cold and detached. Chu Dian frowned slightly.

"But the guardian beast has already broken through most of the restrictions on the severed path. It will be here soon. Those two outside are only at the Golden Core stage; they are likely no match for that monstrosity."

"I have made my arrangements. You need not worry," the woman said, closing her eyes again. Her body began to emit a soft, ethereal glow. In response, the blood-red patterns etched into the jade platter began to recede and fade. Chu Dian's eyes flickered with a strange light before he bowed and retreated to the shadows. A faint, mocking smile played on the woman's lips—a mix of derision and cold triumph. Boom! Boom! Boom! In the courtyard, dozens of fireballs slammed into the shimmering barrier.

Reyn's brow was knit tight. Individually, these fireballs were weak, but forty of them together carried the weight of a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment strike. Yet, the barrier didn't even ripple.

"Earth-Shaking Finger!" Seeing that his talismans were ineffective, Reyn didn't hesitate to use his most potent technique. By channeling his full power, he could briefly manifest the destructive force of a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment expert. Spiritual energy surged through his meridians, spiraling down his arm with violent velocity. A heavy, suffocating pressure began to radiate from his body. A beam of light shot from his fingertip, condensing into a spectral, translucent finger.

The surrounding atmospheric Qi grew turbulent, forcibly sucked into the construct. As it grew more solid, intricate whorls and fingerprints appeared on the spectral digit, making it look terrifyingly real.

"First Finger—Earth-Shaker! Swallow them!" Reyn's face went pale as he released the roar, thrusting his hand forward.