Translator: 549690339 |

In the center of the main hall sat a massive cauldron. Surrounding it were six cultivators, dressed in azure robes, each sitting facing a different direction.

In a corner of the great hall, a couple dozen children of various ages stood motionless in exhaustion. Including the new ones who had just been brought in, there were about a hundred in total.

Beside them stood four men and women in grey robes, ensuring the children wouldn’t run around. The somber woman who had escorted them in took her place by their side.

Everyone waited with grand anticipation, as if expecting someone.

Before long, a flamboyantly dressed man entered, wearing a colossal crimson robe with a bizarre demeanor.

“Is everything ready?”

“Honorable Lord, a hundred boys and girls are ready!”

Among the six azure-robed cultivators, one replied with a fawning grin.

“Very well, let us begin! Should we succeed in creating the Blood Essence Pill, you shall each have your share!” the man in the crimson robe declared.

“Thankyou, Honorable Lord!”

One by one, they each bowed in gratitude, and their breathing grew heavier.

The crimson-robed man took his place at the main seat. The preparation for alchemy commenced, and afterwards, his gaze turned to those watching the children.

“Insert one every thirty breaths, boys and girls separately. If mistakes are made, I will not let you off the hook!”

“Yes!”

The five obliged and bowed their heads. Their eyes shifted toward the children, figuring out whom to choose first.

The children, scared and crawling over each other, resembled freshly hatched chicks. Among them, a boy named Xu Da, stood still, unmoved.

Xing Wei reached out and pulled him, but did not budge him.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down!

Seeing Xu Da’s notable stand, they didn’t cut him any slack. They grabbed him and threw him into the pill furnace. The other children held their breaths in horror.

As Xu Da was tossed into the furnace, the fire, which initially just covered the base, fiercely soared, nearly encompassing the entire pill furnace. It was so hot that one could feel their skin blistering even from yards away, let alone inside the furnace itself.

Xing Wei covered her mouth, staring at the pill furnace with fear, worry, and most of all, despair.

However, what baffled everyone was that there was no sign of life from the child in the furnace.

Did he die when he was thrown in there?

Thirty breaths passed very quickly, and during that time, the man in the crimson robe had thrown in a lot of medicinal herbs.

Just as the four grey-robed cultivators forced another child to be tossed in, the crimson-robed man abruptly halted them.

“Wait, the previous one hasn’t been fully digested. Wait a few more breaths!”

A few breaths later, the crimson-robed man halted them again, this time with a furrowed brow.

“What’s going on? How can I still sense a life force inside after all this time? Is this kid made of iron?”

He channeled more power onto his spell to intensify the fire. The six azure- robed cultivators followed his cue and did the same, dramatically increasing the potency of the fire to the point where it started to transform into a spiritual flame.

Another thirty breaths passed, and not only did the life force not diminish, it seemed to have grown stronger.

“Damn it! What is going on?!”

The man in the crimson robe was now visibly dismayed. He had meticulously prepared for this, and he didn’t expect things to go awry from the start.

“Add some spiritual wood to the furnace. Let’s see if this kid really is made of iron!”

Although he could sense something was amiss, the man in the crimson robe did not retreat.

According to his speculation, the kid might have some life-saving mechanism that got triggered during the crisis.

These children had been abducted from the marketplace. Their parents were cultivators, so possessing a life-saving measure was quite normal.

Only his underlings were at fault for failing to discover it.

However, no matter the life-saving mechanism, none could withstand the endless high temperatures.

If he were to take the kid out now, all the previous efforts would be in vain. Might as well let it digest completely.

With the passage of time, a quarter of an hour, half an hour, one full hour, even the children began to sense something unusual.

Even if the kid tossed into the furnace was as tough as iron, it should have melted by now. How could there still be a life force inside?

The six azure-robed cultivators assisting in the alchemy now had beads of sweat on their foreheads, having consumed more than half of their spiritual energy.

The man in the crimson robe was greatly troubled inside. He knew that something was wrong, but he also dared not stop.

“Is this the extent of your abilities? How boring.”

A childlike voice echoed from inside the furnace. Then, the massively heavy lid of the furnace was lifted by a small, tender hand. As if stepping on a staircase, Xu Da, the kid they had tossed inside, climbed out and hovered on the air.

“Xu Da?!”

Unable to contain herself, Xing Wei cried out in shock.

The other kids also gazed at him, as though they were witnessing a monster.

Even a fool could see that this kid was far from ordinary.

“Activate the formation!”

At the order of the crimson-robed man, the six azure-robed cultivators joined him in pressing their hands against the ground. Instantly, dense redtings lit up, transforming into bloody, flying swords which flew towards the boy.

“A lowly tier two formation dares to show off in my presence!”

The boy’s hand unfurled, pulling the furnace’s flame with it. It quickly condensed around him, forming layers of defense that blocked all the incoming bloody swords. No matter how much the cultivators tried, they couldn’t penetrate the defense even slightly.

“A fire-controlling skill? How can it be this powerful?” The crimson-robed man exclaimed.

Although his cultivation rivaled Qi Cultivation Perfection, he was one-step away from reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage. Add to this, the assistance of six mid-stage Qj Cultivation cultivators. Altogether, even a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage couldn’t block their attacks. Yet, the boy had deflected their assault with a simple fire-controlling skill.