A few days later.
BOOOOOOM!
The doors to Qin Chen's residence swung open as a panting disciple staggered inside, clutching a jade box containing the Sunfire Dragon Marrow. His face was flushed with disbelief, as if he had just survived a battlefield.
"Senior Brother Qin… they… they went insane!"
Qin Chen raised an eyebrow, reclining lazily in his chair. "Oh?"
The messenger swallowed hard, still processing what he had just witnessed.
"When I presented the Perfect-Grade Tier 4 Pill to the Celestial Flame Pavilion, the alchemists there lost their minds. At first, they thought I was joking. But the moment they inspected the pill—" He shuddered. "They almost started fighting each other over who would handle the trade!"
Qin Chen smirked. Just as expected.
"They practically threw the Sunfire Dragon Marrow at me, terrified that I would change my mind." The messenger hesitated. "They… also wanted to know who refined it."
Qin Chen chuckled. "And?"
The disciple gulped. "They… they offered to host a personal audience with their Pavilion Master if you were willing to meet. They want to… study your alchemy."
The air went still.
Qin Chen tapped his fingers against his armrest. The Celestial Flame Pavilion was no weak force—they were the Northern Wilderness's premier alchemy sect. And yet, with one perfect-grade pill, they were already desperate to know who he was.
"Interesting," Qin Chen mused, before standing. "For now, they can wait. I have something more important to handle."
His gaze flickered toward the jade box containing the Sunfire Dragon Marrow.
It was time.
Qin Chen entered his secluded alchemy chamber, activating the protective formations as golden flames flickered into existence.
Seated at the side, Elder Mu, the Azure Sky Sect's highest-ranking alchemist, observed silently. Though Qin Chen had long surpassed him in alchemy, he couldn't miss witnessing something of this level.
Qin Chen waved his hand.
Four rare ingredients floated into the air, each radiating overwhelming power:
-Sunfire Dragon Marrow – The essence of a fire-attribute divine beast, capable of purifying and strengthening a bloodline.
-Phoenix Spirit Lotus – A celestial flower that resonates with ancient beast bloodlines, enhancing awakening potential.
-Heavenly Soul Essence – A rare elixir that protects the mind during transformations.
-Vermillion Phoenix Essence Blood – The true catalyst. Blood so pure that even a single drop carried the will of an ancient phoenix.
The moment Qin Chen took out the Vermillion Phoenix Essence Blood, an invisible pressure seemed to spread throughout the alchemy chamber.
Elder Mu's breath hitched. The moment he saw the blood, his knees nearly buckled.
"This… this isn't normal Phoenix blood… This is something beyond worldly rankings!" His voice was hoarse.
Qin Chen didn't respond. His focus was on the pill.
BOOOOOOOM!
His Sovereign Flames surged, forming a vortex of golden-purple fire that enveloped the cauldron. The temperature within the chamber skyrocketed.
One by one, the ingredients entered the cauldron.
-The Sunfire Dragon Marrow melted into molten gold.
-The Phoenix Spirit Lotus burned into crimson mist.
-The Heavenly Soul Essence fused with the mix, creating a glowing whirlpool of power.
Then—
Qin Chen flicked his finger.
The Vermillion Phoenix Essence Blood dropped into the cauldron.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The entire Azure Sky Sect trembled. A deafening phoenix cry erupted from the cauldron as a fiery projection of a Vermillion Bird materialized, spreading its wings wide.
Elder Mu stumbled back, his pupils contracting. "This… this pill… it's transcendent!"
The cauldron shuddered violently, unable to contain the terrifying energy.
Qin Chen's golden eyes flickered. He had reached the final step.
BOOOOOM!
His Sovereign Flames exploded, compressing the pill's power into its final form. The entire chamber lit up with golden-red radiance as a single pill slowly floated out of the cauldron.
The Vermillion Ascension Pill.
A gradeless, essentially divine pill.
It glowed with a resplendent crimson hue, looking as if it was sent down from the immortal realm.
Qin Chen caught it, his lips curling in satisfaction. "Perfect."
Elder Mu could barely breathe. He had just witnessed a miracle.
Qin Chen arrived at Liu Qingcheng's residence, stepping through the entrance to find her standing near a spirit lake, bathed in soft moonlight.
The moment he entered, her gaze immediately snapped to the pill in his hand.
Her breathing hitched.
Something inside her bloodline roared to life.
Her hands clenched. An almost uncontrollable hunger surged through her.
"That pill…" Her voice was hoarse. "What… is that?"
Qin Chen smirked, tossing it to her.
"A gift. It will awaken your bloodline."
Liu Qingcheng's fingers trembled as she caught it. Her entire body was reacting violently—as if every fiber of her being was demanding her to consume it.
She staggered back, eyes wide. "Why… would you do this for me?"
Qin Chen shrugged. "It's useless to me."
Her breath trembled. Her fingers tightened around the pill.
Then—she swallowed it.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
A pillar of crimson-gold flames erupted from her body.
Her spiritual energy surged uncontrollably, setting fire to the air itself. Her robes burned away, replaced by shimmering feathers of golden-red light.
Her aura rose madly—her cultivation skyrocketing without resistance.
BOOOOOOM!
Her Golden Core shattered.
Her Nascent Soul was forming.
A massive Vermillion Phoenix projection appeared behind her, screeching toward the heavens.
Liu Qingcheng's body transformed, her crimson hair darkening into a deeper red with golden streaks, her pupils turning into phoenix-like slits.
At this moment, even Qin Chen was slightly captivated by her appearance. She resembled a phoenix fairy flying down from the heavens. Her face looked as if it had been carved from the finest jade.
She gasped—her hands gripping the air, feeling the endless flames coursing through her veins.
"I… I…"
She looked at Qin Chen, her voice filled with emotion.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOM!
Another surge of spiritual energy erupted from the sect's depths.
Zhao Yan—who had been secluded—was breaking through as well.
Nascent Soul…
Two monstrous disciples had ascended at the same time.
The Azure Sky Sect was changing.