C11 Strange

"Mr. Ye, I've broken through to the Fifth Level of Qi Refining. I'll be heading to the Royal Absolute Sect tomorrow. Please take good care of yourself."

Ye Chen tidied up a little before making his way to the Pill Refining Pavilion. The Third Elder was currently employing a pure Dao fire. This type of flame did consume one's cultivation, but it offered precise control over temperature and intensity, making it an excellent choice for a tool refiner.

Inside the copper furnace, most of the metals had melted into liquid, ready to be shaped soon. This step was crucial.

It was a true test of the cultivator's stamina and mental fortitude. A moment's inattention could ruin weeks of meticulous smelting.

Taking over for the Third Elder, Ye Chen continued to channel the Dao fire, sitting cross-legged before the furnace, his demeanor as steady as the flames before him. The Third Elder looked on with satisfaction.

"Very impressive. The lad has truly mastered my teachings. And the Void Returning Divine Arts are remarkable, enabling him to wield such Dao fire at the Fourth Level."

Clearly, the Third Elder hadn't perceived the full extent of Ye Chen's concealed strength, attributing it all to the potency of the Void Returning Divine Arts.

Ye Chen remained seated for over ten hours. With his previous experience in smelting, he had become adept at the process, though he still felt a bit constrained in the presence of his master.

His ability to sustain such intense Dao fire output for an extended period was a testament to the robust mana within him.

"Is Ye Chen really still at the Fourth Level? This is quite astounding."

Finally, amidst the Third Elder's bemused gaze, two beams of spiritual light burst forth from the furnace, revealing a heart-protecting mirror and a green longsword. Upon closer inspection, the Third Elder was utterly astonished.

"A top-grade magical weapon? Impossible!"

Had he not been overseeing the process himself, and had the Third Elder not personally handled the materials, he might have suspected Ye Chen of surreptitiously cheating.

But even if that were the case, it seemed unlikely. After all, in the solitude of the valley, who else could possibly assist him?

Ye Chen, clutching the Golden Wyrm Sword and donning the heart-protecting mirror, inquired, "Master, have I passed the assessment?"

Could this youngster have been misjudged all those years ago? How else could he have achieved the pinnacle of Qi Refining in just a decade?

The Third Elder was acutely aware that to craft a top-grade magical instrument, one must first attain the peak of the Qi Refining realm for success.

"I am deeply grateful for your teachings, Master. Having made some progress in my cultivation, I wonder if I may now leave this valley."

"The Sect Master has decreed that anyone reaching the fifth level of Qi Refining may proceed to the Absolute Monarch Sect. As it happens, my companion has also achieved this, so I wish to join them in cultivation there. I seek your blessing, Master!"

Upon hearing the initial part of Ye Chen's request, the Third Elder's face took on a complex expression, uncertain of what to say. But at the latter part, his demeanor darkened instantly, "No, absolutely not!"

The abrupt shift was startling; the Third Elder seemed as if a raw nerve had been struck, his anger erupting as he berated Ye Chen.

"So you think you can just fly away now that you've grown strong? I'll have you know, as long as I draw breath, you will never leave this valley!"

Yet Ye Chen remained calm, his years of companionship with his master reassuring him of the affection between them. He responded, "Master, you once mentioned that if I could lift the ban you placed, I would be free to go. That ban poses no issue now."

At these words, the Third Elder appeared utterly deflated, staggering back as if he'd lost his soul, nearly collapsing. Ye Chen rushed to his aid, "Master, what's happened to you?"

"That old man must have been mistaken; you are undoubtedly the prophesied Heavenly Spirit Root."

"You may leave, and do so swiftly. Find a more formidable sect. Your talents should not be squandered here, but whatever you do, avoid the so-called Absolute Monarch Sect at all costs!"

The Third Elder's outburst was a stark departure from his usual composure, revealing a rare loss of control.

"Because there has never been an Absolute Monarch Sect, right?" Ye Chen's voice was steady, betraying no surprise, as if he had anticipated this revelation all along.

"You knew already?" The Third Elder asked, his face a picture of astonishment.

Without missing a beat, Ye Chen produced a fragment he had kept on his person.

"This is the Pill I intended for Liu Ao. I planned to give it to my parents, but then I discovered this fragment, along with the Golden Fire Talisman. Could it be that the forbidden area of the Void Returning Sect is actually the so-called Absolute Monarch Sect?"

Hearing this, the Third Elder collapsed to the ground, overcome with anguish. "This is the sin I have wrought. Had I known this day would come, I should have perished on Chaos Origin Mountain rather than succumb to the threats of that old scoundrel from Void Returning..."

Ye Chen gently assisted his master to his feet and eased him into a chair. The Third Elder appeared utterly defeated, a mere shadow of his former self, filled with regret.

"Master, take your time. There's no need to rush," Ye Chen urged.

By now, Ye Chen could clearly perceive that the truth which had eluded him for years was finally coming to light.

The Third Elder exhaled deeply, "Ye Chen, you've been with me for ten years, yet you never knew my true name. It's not that I wished to keep it from you, but I simply couldn't bear to carry on the name of my family."

"My birthplace is the Xiao family of Pinghe, and my name is Xiao Nanbin. The spiritual energy there is incredibly rich, home to many prestigious sects. Our family's ancestor was a peak Foundation Establishment Stage expert. After failing to advance to the Core Formation Stage, he devoted himself to the craft of pills and weaponry, achieving modest success."

"He bequeathed the Treasure Refining Art to us, which brought a time of glory to the Xiao family. Yet inexplicably, for three generations, no one of note emerged from our line."

An innocent man bears no guilt, but possession of a treasure makes him a target. The Treasure Refining Art became the object of envy, and thieves repeatedly targeted the Xiao family. I fled for my life, but ultimately, my adversaries caught up with me on Chaos Origin Mountain."

At that time, Void Returning, the notorious thief, happened to be on Mount Chaos Origin, so I earnestly requested his assistance. Of course, he wouldn't lend a hand without a reason. It was only after I promised to aid him in concocting the Forbidden Pill that he was persuaded to eliminate all of his enemies. Subsequently, he ventured to Northern Chu and founded the Void Returning Sect.

"The Forbidden Pill? What's that?" Ye Chen had never heard his master mention it before.

"The Void Returning Divine Arts you're practicing actually have a flaw. Though I'm still in the dark about where Void Returning managed to obtain it from, it's certain he didn't create it himself."

"Practitioners of this art who fail to achieve a breakthrough and remain at a bottleneck for an extended period risk having their bodies violently ruptured by the overwhelming mana."

"Void Returning's talent was mediocre at best, leaving him stranded in the early stages of the Foundation Period for decades. He was on the brink of death when, fortuitously, I was able to refine the Qi Shou Pill for him, thereby extending his life and sparing him from the ravages of the Void Returning Divine Arts."

"The Qi Shou Pill... That must be a demonic pill, right?" Ye Chen inquired, sensing that the name didn't align with the practices of the righteous sects.

"Exactly. In essence, the Qi Shou Pill requires individuals under twenty who practice the same Divine Arts as the consumer to serve as the primary ingredient."

"Additionally, a child under ten years old is used as a catalyst to temporarily enhance the consumer's talent, thus preventing a fatal end from the Void Returning Divine Arts."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen's face turned pale with horror. The thought of the seven major sects trafficking children in recent years suddenly made sense—they were all for the cultivation needs of the Void Returning Taoist.

"How many Qi Shou Pills has that old thief Void Returning concocted over the years? How many young lives has he devoured? The blame for this atrocity lies with me!"

It's no wonder that my master would sink into a deep depression every time the pill was due, drowning his sorrows in alcohol. The true cause of his distress was this very secret.

"Master, you needn't be consumed by regret. All these misdeeds are the work of Void Returning. It seems that even you have been affected by his actions."

Ye Chen took a deep breath, steadying his emotions with effort. He could handle the pressure now, but had it been five years earlier, his mental defenses might have crumbled completely.

"If I return safely today, I will surely repay your teaching and kindness," he said.

Turning to leave, Ye Chen was stopped by the Third Elder's urgent plea. The Elder could not stand idly by and watch his carefully nurtured disciple march towards certain death.

"You must not challenge Void Returning. He has reached the peak of the Foundation Stage Early Period. It would be suicide," the Third Elder implored.

"Master, the journey to immortality is boundless. We should not let the life or death of others shake our convictions. That's what you taught me," Ye Chen replied, his voice tinged with a fierce determination.

He had never imagined the truth to be so harsh. Over the years, he had his suspicions, but the reality was far more brutal. In his heart, he made a resolute decision.

"Liu Ao is my brother. I cannot allow him to perish at the hands of Void Returning, nor can I stand by as Hsu Qi descends into darkness."

Meanwhile, Hsu Qi waited near the sect's gate, his expression filled with longing and anticipation.

"I wonder how Liu Ao has fared in the Absolute Monarch Sect over the years. With his talent, he's surely advanced even further in his cultivation," he mused with a sigh.