There were streaks of fire bursting out from the gaps in the golden beads. The several-ton weight of gold was being burned by an immense heat, turning red from the inside out before melting into liquid form.
The entire mountain, with tens of thousands of golden beads, had melted into a rolling torrent of molten gold within just a few minutes, seeping into the ground.
“Yang Hao!” X13 shouted in shock.
It saw a figure rise from the molten gold. His clothes had been completely burned away, his skin glowing a deep red, like freshly forged iron. It was his body that had emitted the intense heat, melting the golden mountain into liquid.
Just moments before, when Yang Hao had been buried beneath the golden mountain, X13 had completed refining the core pill—Heijin Huansui Dan (Black Gold Marrow Replacement Pill)—and shot it into the golden mountain for Yang Hao to swallow.
It was truly a timely salvation. As Yang Hao swallowed the legendary pill said to elevate one’s cultivation by an entire stage, his body underwent a tremendous transformation.
To Hunyuanzi, the Heijin Huansui Dan was merely five simple words, but in the Dual Cultivation School of Alchemy and Spirit and among all the cultivation sects, it was a groundbreaking, epoch-defining holy treasure.
The Heijin Huansui Dan had a history spanning nearly ten thousand years. It was said that ancient deities had left behind a batch of pills for future cultivators. When cultivators discovered that these rare pills had miraculous effects—purifying the marrow and strengthening the tendons—they realized these pills could completely transform a mortal’s constitution, enabling the body to withstand greater energy and better adapt to the needs of cultivation.
Since then, tens of thousands of cultivators had studied these pills, hoping to find shortcuts in cultivation. However, due to the complexity of the ingredients, progress was minimal. It wasn’t until five thousand years ago that a swordsman from the Shushan Sect fully understood the pill’s composition and formulated a recipe known as the Marrow-Washing Decoction.
This Marrow-Washing Decoction sparked fierce competition among all cultivation sects across the continent. The Shushan Sect was torn apart, with every faction—whether orthodox or heretical—priding themselves on obtaining the recipe. Yet, in the end, few were known to have successfully brewed it.
For a thousand years afterward, the practice of alchemical cultivation fell into obscurity. Then suddenly, the Alchemical Cauldron Sect re-emerged as a rising power in the cultivation world. The key reason for the sect’s rise was the Heijin Huansui Dan, evolved from the Marrow-Washing Decoction. This celestial pill combined the wisdom of ancient gods and cultivators, gathering various divine herbs from across the world to completely transform a person’s physical form. If Foundation Building was the first step into the path of cultivation, then only after undergoing the marrow transformation via this pill could Yang Hao be considered a true cultivator.
Thousands of years ago, even the Heijin Huansui Dan was not so easily refined. However, because Laimeng Star was a planet dominated by plant life, rare medicinal herbs were abundant. Plus, by sheer coincidence, Yang Hao had also acquired the core of a Black Magical Beast, allowing him to advance rapidly.
“Finally done! Finally done!” Hunyuanzi was nearly in tears of excitement. “My worthy disciple, you truly have celestial fortune. You’ve already reached the Lingxu stage so quickly!”
“Is it really that hard?” Yang Hao was still stunned by the melted gold. When the Heijin Huansui Dan had flown into his mouth, he had felt as if his entire body was being turned inside out—his meridians as though blasted clean by high-pressure water jets. All the previous qi had been washed away, replaced by a new, scorching, and overwhelmingly powerful energy.
The golden beads had nearly crushed him, but this new qi had reacted instinctively, erupting from his skin in waves of flame. These flames were unlike any ordinary fire; they carried unimaginable energy, like nuclear fire or the breath of a mighty dragon.
Under the eruption of these flames, the golden beads melted away, and Yang Hao emerged like a human torch, surviving within the golden mountain.
Hunyuanzi noticed Yang Hao’s nonchalance toward the Heijin Huansui Dan and indignantly replied, “Do you know how hard it was for me to take this pill back in my time? It took my seniors ten whole years to gather the medicinal herbs. If I hadn’t been a standout among my peers, how could I have ever had the chance to take it? You’re just lucky to be born in this cosmic age, where everything you need can be found.”
“You just want to say you were born in the wrong time, right?” Yang Hao, now somewhat understanding his condition, wasn’t so shocked anymore. “Why don’t you say I’m a genius?”
“If it weren’t for me teaching you, you wouldn’t be a genius at all!”
“Master? You can even call yourself a master?” Yang Hao recalled what had happened and grew angry. “You always use this ‘crisis teaching’ method. I think you’re trying to kill me!”
Before Hunyuanzi could argue, X13, who had been silent all along, asked, “Yang Hao, how did your body catch fire? How could you melt gold so quickly? That defies all known physics!”
X13’s words reminded Yang Hao. He asked anxiously, “Hey, old man, did I mess something up during cultivation? Why am I spewing fire instead of qi now?”
“Fire looks cooler!” Hunyuanzi, still sulking, snapped back.
Scratching his head, Yang Hao thought his physical condition was more important. If something was really wrong, he might end up dead with no place to be buried. He finally swallowed his pride and said, “Haha, I was just kidding, of course. Your crisis teaching is amazing, brilliant, and absolutely top-notch! Every time you teach, I learn something new. With how well we work together, we’ll definitely bring the Alchemical Cauldron Sect to new heights.”
“Less flattery!” Hunyuanzi said, though secretly delighted. “From the moment one begins cultivation to the moment of ascension, there are ten major stages: Foundation Building, Lingxu, Hehe, Yuanying, Kongming, Hanji, Lushuang, Duojie, Huimie, and Feisheng. Foundation Building can be achieved through direct energy transmission from a master, but the other nine stages require the Nine Core Pills. For example, after taking the Heijin Huansui Dan, you leaped directly to the Lingxu stage. Each time you advance a stage, your body changes, and your qi nature transforms. Each stage grants you new abilities and allows you to refine better, purer pills.”
“But what does that have to do with me bursting into flames?” Yang Hao still didn’t get it.
“You idiot disciple,” Hunyuanzi impatiently explained, “this is your new ability! You can now emit qi externally in the form of true fire! Do you even know what true fire is? It’s the legendary Samadhi Fire, you fool!!”
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