Some shook their heads, saying, “Standing alongside the Imperial Clans, the Gu Clan is transcendent, but they are not an Imperial Clan.”
A few believed that while calling them the Six Young Emperors was acceptable, including the Gu Clan seemed somewhat odd.
Boom!
The Stone Valley trembled, the flames surging even more fiercely, blazing wildly as they nearly engulfed the Yin-Yang Furnace. Divine radiance illuminated the surroundings, and the temperature was terrifying.
This was not a flame artificially conjured by cultivation. The valley itself harbored these fires, and with the slightest provocation, they erupted violently.
There were many theories about the origins of these flames.
Some claimed this was a sacred land for enlightenment, where traces of tangible Dao had fused with subterranean magma, forming Dao flames.
Others said that the ancient ancestor of the Gu Clan—the one who had once battled the True Dragon—had refined medicines and attained enlightenment here for years. The valley bore the imprints of his Dao, containing the most supreme Dao flames.
The Yin-Yang Furnace floated up and down as if submerged in water.
In truth, it hovered in mid-air, suspended above the ground, enduring the scorching Dao flames as it refined the myriad precious medicines and essences within.
This furnace was profoundly mysterious and extraordinarily powerful, brought over from the other side of the Imperial Pass and revered as a treasure of the Gu Clan.
Even across the entire foreign realm, this furnace ranked among the most coveted treasures, stirring the desires of Immortal Kings. Had the Gu Clan not been accepted, they would have long been raided for it.
At the valley’s entrance, many watched intently, hoping to glimpse the furnace clearly.
Alas, it remained indistinct, shrouded in Dao principles and entwined with order, hazy yet exuding an ancient and majestic aura.
Having endured the trials of countless epochs, weathered the baptism of innumerable experts’ Dao, it remained unbroken through endless tribulations, a silent witness to countless great battles.
Though it could refine medicines, none dared label it merely a medicine cauldron—it was far too formidable.
Yet, for over half an era, the furnace had remained unmoved, confined to this valley, for it was tied to the rise and fall of the Gu Clan.
Legend held that their ancient ancestor still lived but required the furnace to suppress himself. Some whispered that he was buried right here.
At the valley’s entrance, discussions buzzed as many spoke of this supreme treasure.
Upon witnessing it firsthand, the crowd erupted in fervor, dredging up long-hidden secrets.
“Rumor has it that the Gu Clan’s ancestor was just one step away from becoming a peerless Immortal King, but was interfered with at the critical moment. To this day, his very life hangs in the balance.”
“By whom? Surely not someone from our realm…” someone murmured, their expression shifting uneasily before trailing off.
“No, the injury dates back to the Immortal Ancient Era. There are deeper secrets—otherwise, the Gu Clan might never have joined our side.”
The face of the Gu Clan elder, Gu Yi, darkened instantly. This was the Gu Clan’s deepest pain—a peerless king’s path obstructed, with consequences too profound to measure.
Though years had passed, the clan still loathed to be reminded of it.
“Silence!” Gu Yi’s voice was icy, murderous intent thick in the air. Even the Imperial Clans would not dare provoke him now, let alone the others.
Thus, the valley fell briefly silent, and the matter was dropped.
Inside the furnace, Shi Hao regained consciousness. Had he remained unaware, he would have been reduced to medicinal gruel by the refining process.
During this time, he not only discovered other beings within the furnace but also overheard discussions from the valley’s entrance.
Shi Hao was astonished. The Gu Clan’s betrayal of the Nine Heavens seemed to have a hidden story—who had blocked their ancestor’s path to kingship?
He had no time to ponder further, for he too was in grave peril, struggling against the suffocating Yin-Yang energies within the furnace.
The Yin-Yang Furnace, its walls ancient, emanated a strange force that sought to dissolve him entirely!
Moreover, two opposing energies surged within, enveloping all inside.
Shi Hao’s situation was dire. Had it not been for the seals placed by Imperial Clan experts, his body would have shattered long ago, his spirit extinguished.
He bore the remnants of a shattered complete Dao—fragmented chains of order that could erase him entirely.
Fortunately, the seals left by the Supreme experts remained intact. Once placed inside the furnace, the Yin-Yang Furnace began refining him.
Boom!
The next moment, Shi Hao felt an overwhelming heat, a pure Yang energy threatening to incinerate him as Dao flames engulfed his form.
The Yin-Yang Furnace was divided into two inner chambers—Yang and Yin—and their effects were now fully manifest.
Shi Hao found himself alone on one side, while the others crowded the opposite end, none daring to cross over.
He was in the Yang Furnace; the others, in the Yin Furnace!
Clearly, the other side was not as scorching as his—though “scorching” hardly described the heat capable of reducing even a Severing World expert to ashes. The Yin Furnace, shielded by Yin energy, was bearable.
Shi Hao bore the brunt of the refining, trapped in the Yang Furnace!
For when the Yin-Yang rotation began, it started from his side.
Moreover, the Dao flames first nurtured Yang energy, activating his position.
As his body burned, Shi Hao’s eyes gleamed with divine light. While enduring the Yang furnace’s torment, he observed the others.
Wu Kun, Yu Yu, and Mo Kun—he recognized these three. As for Chi Meng Hong, descendant of Chi King, he had seen him at Immortal Platform Mountain.
Additionally, the Gu Clan’s young elite, Gu Hong, was no stranger—he had once pursued Shi Hao alongside the Fearless Lion and another Imperial Clan youth in the Divine Medicine Mountain Range.
The other Imperial Clan youth, named Suo Gu, a descendant of Yu Tuo, was also present inside the Yin-Yang Furnace!
Wu Kun, Yu Yu, Kun Mo, Chi Meng Hong, Suo Gu, and Gu Hong—all familiar faces. Only one girl among them was unknown to Shi Hao: one of the Six Young Emperors.
Clang!
Suddenly, the Yin-Yang Furnace shuddered as if struck, emitting a resonant toll unlike any cauldron—more akin to a sacred bell, awakening all within.
Dao rhythms spread with the sound, plunging those inside into a state of enlightenment.
This treasure was truly extraordinary!
Crack!
Simultaneously, Shi Hao heard a sound within his body—a barrier tearing open. The Supreme seals were breaking, unleashed by the furnace’s power.
The Yin-Yang Furnace was drawing out the hidden forces within him.
Boom!
The aura of the Great Dao permeated the air. The fragmented traces of the complete Dao within him now surfaced fully.
The Yin-Yang Furnace could decompose all things into Yin and Yang energies, interpreting everything. Now, it was refining Shi Hao entirely, using these energies to harmonize and analyze those Dao fragments.
A mysterious transformation ensued. Shi Hao’s form grew hazy, enveloped in a swirling mist.
“This is the opportunity those children sought,” remarked Gu Yi, the Gu Clan elder, at the valley’s entrance.
Some nodded knowingly, understanding the furnace’s current state.
The Yin-Yang Furnace could stabilize heaven and earth, using Yin and Yang energies to commune with the Great Dao. Now, it was fully deciphering the fragmented chains of order within Shi Hao.
The shattered complete Dao had left behind the truest traces of the Great Dao!
All of this was carried by Shi Hao—no small feat, for under normal circumstances, he should have perished instantly. Only the swift intervention of several Supreme experts had sealed him in time.
These rare Dao traces, nearly impossible to find in the real world, were now being refined and fully comprehended by the ancient furnace.
Opposite him, the Six Young Emperors opened their eyes, fixed unblinkingly on Shi Hao, awaiting the “nourishment” of Yin and Yang energies.
For the traces within Shi Hao were being deciphered by the treasure, allowing them to share in the gains!
The foreign realm possessed complete Dao principles, and they had tempered their bodies accordingly. Yet, each individual’s comprehension varied, and none could master it entirely.
Now, they had the chance to glimpse the secrets hidden within these Dao traces through the treasure.
It was akin to listening to a supreme being expound the scriptures, or touching the Great Dao of heaven and earth with their own hands.
This was nothing short of a heaven-defying opportunity!
Thus, their elders had seized the chance, sending them into the furnace.
“Focus! Absorb this as if the Heavenly Dao itself were lecturing. Comprehend it deeply!” an Imperial Clan Supreme roared from the valley’s entrance.
Inside the furnace, divine medicines decomposed, and king-blood stones melted, their essences nourishing everyone present.
Boom!
The Yin and Yang energies rotated, the twin furnaces resonating, forging a mysterious connection. The Six Young Emperors and Gu Hong trembled violently, immersed in the words of the Great Dao, their insights profound.
Beyond this, they harbored another expectation—to witness Shi Hao’s own Dao, to have the Yin-Yang Furnace interpret the laws and principles of “the Desolate,” seizing his fortune.
Undoubtedly, the Yin-Yang Furnace was heaven-defying. If it resonated fully, using Yin and Yang energies as a bridge, it might truly unveil Shi Hao’s path.
This was the hope of the Supremes at the valley’s entrance. They had sent their descendants in precisely for this reason—to walk Shi Hao’s path, not to imitate, but to refine their own, achieving even greater glory.
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