59: Dahao Dandian

Deep within the cave, the candlelight flickered, stretching Lin Jingyu's shadow, making it twist and project onto the uneven stone walls.

The air was thick with a mixture of the earthy, fishy smell of mud and the heavy body odor left behind by a black bear, making it stifling and hard to breathe.

Time seemed to have stretched out, with every breath appearing exceptionally long. Lin Jingyu sat cross-legged on the cold, rocky ground, fully focused, mobilizing the wisp of pure, gentle cyan Spirit Power he had cultivated through the Evergreen Art within his body.

Like the most patient craftsman, he repeatedly and continuously washed over the invisible barrier at the mouth of the cyan Storage Pouch in his hand—the final trace of Spirit Power left behind by Lin Jingxie.

Under the persistent impact of his Spirit Power, that mark was like a candle in the wind; its light grew increasingly dim, teetering on the edge of collapse. Every contact of his Spirit Power, in Lin Jingyu's dense and continuous onslaught, was like water dripping on a stone, minutely yet firmly wearing down its Foundation.

"Pop!"

An extremely faint, crisp sound, like a bubble bursting, was as clear as a thunderclap in the silent cave.

It worked!

Lin Jingyu's heart tightened abruptly, and then, like a wild horse breaking free from its reins, it began to pound frantically in his chest, making a "thump, thump, thump" sound.

An indescribable feeling of excitement surged through his entire body like an electric current, making his fingertips tingle slightly.

"Heaven bless me, ancestors bless me, Amitabha, Hallelujah, Three Pure Ones above! Please don't let anything go wrong..." His throat bobbed as he struggled to swallow a mouthful of saliva that tasted like rust, his voice as dry as sandpaper rubbing together.

Although the intelligence firmly stated that the Legacy had been obtained by Lin Jingxie.

But what if that bastard had a brain fart, played a trick of being hidden in plain sight, and hid the real treasure in some obscure corner?

This possibility was minuscule, but if he really ran into such shitty luck, he felt he could cough up three liters of old blood on the spot and ascend to heaven right there.

Forcibly suppressing his churning emotions, he took a deep breath. The turbid air in the cave, mixed with a foul stench, surged into his lungs, which actually helped him calm down a little.

He carefully separated a wisp of Spirit Power, like the most dexterous probe, and gently yet firmly probed into the now wide-open cyan Storage Pouch.

"Whoa!"

This space was simply worlds apart from the dusty, rag-like Storage Pouch at his waist!

It was a "luxury apartment" that was five feet square, filled with all of Lin Jingxie's belongings.

His "gaze" swept over it quickly like a radar. A pile of neatly stacked Low-Grade Spirit Stones emitting a soft white light!

Two arm-length, smooth-textured Jade Boxes, and a dozen or so Jade Bottles and porcelain jars of various sizes with labels.

There was also a pile of miscellaneous items like clothes, Ore, and Jade Slips, as well as two Magical Artifacts with flowing spiritual light.

However, all of these paled in comparison to the "brick" that lay quietly in the corner.

Lin Jingyu's "gaze" was instantly and firmly drawn to it. The object was entirely an abyssal, iron-gray color, as if it had been weathered by the passage of time; it was neither gold nor jade, and it was exceptionally heavy.

Its surface was engraved with five mysterious and ancient characters, with strokes as vigorous as coiled dragons. Each character seemed to contain some kind of indescribable Dao charm.

It lay there quietly, inconspicuous, even a bit clumsy, yet it exuded an indescribable heavy and desolate Aura, standing out from the crowd like a peerless divine weapon covered in dust.

Although its brilliance was restrained, it possessed an air of looking down upon the world, making the surrounding sparkling Spirit Stones and Magical Artifacts seem like mere grains of sand in comparison.

"Holy... holy crap... it's... it's really here!"

Lin Jingyu's eyes widened, his breathing instantly became heavy, and a massive wave of ecstasy erupted from the depths of his heart like magma, almost drowning him.

He felt his fingertips trembling slightly and uncontrollably, his mouth was extremely dry, and he subconsciously stuck out his tongue to lick his somewhat chapped lips.

Almost holding his breath, he used his hand, which trembled with a trace of imperceptible agitation, to carefully "take" that heavy "brick Jade Slip" out of the Storage Pouch.

It felt heavy in his hand; good heavens, this weight was definitely over thirty pounds!

It would be quite a struggle for an ordinary person to pick this thing up.

A cold, rough sensation came from his palm; this was no smooth Jade Slip, it was clearly a genuine piece of iron!

He could no longer hold back, nor did he care about whether his posture was graceful, and impatiently pressed the thick, rough side of the "brick" firmly against the center of his brow.

If an outsider saw this, it would look exactly like a desperate person trying to commit suicide with a brick.

The moment it made contact!

"Boom—!"

A torrent of information, vast and unimaginable, like the Nine Heavens Milky Way bursting its banks, or an ancient primordial beast waking from an eternal slumber, surged with an unstoppable, crushing Aura, instantly shattering all the defenses of his consciousness and forcefully pouring into his mind!

"Taihao Elixir Canon—Volume One"!

The moment these five ancient characters appeared in his consciousness, a vast and immense Aura, originating from the ancient primordial era, rushed toward him, as if it wanted to crush and assimilate his Divine Soul!

Immediately after, his consciousness seemed to be forcibly dragged into an boundless Universe of stars. In his field of vision, it was no longer the narrow cave, but the endless dark Void Realm.

Countless dazzling "stars" of various sizes hung high above the dark canopy, each emitting a massive Aura that was either scorching, cold, vibrant with life, or dead and destructive.

They moved slowly along some mysterious and unpredictable trajectories, forming a grand and Soul-trembling star map.

Each "star" represented a portion of vast Alchemy knowledge! Pill Formula, pharmacology, fire control, pill condensation, Formation, and even the cultivation and collection of heaven and earth spiritual objects... all-encompassing, as vast as the sea!

Lin Jingyu felt that he was as small as a speck of dust, drifting in this Universe of Alchemy knowledge.

With his meager cultivation of the Qi Refining Third Layer and his weak Divine Sense, what he could barely "see clearly" was nothing more than the most superficial and blurry information on the star closest to him, which was also the outermost one.

Even so, the torrent of information was so vast that it made him dizzy.

"The essence of Alchemy is to seize the creation of heaven and earth, defy the principles of Yin and Yang, and transform the essence of plants and trees for one's own use..."

"The origin of Alchemy can be traced back to the ancient primordial era; at the beginning of the Human Race's ignorance, a sage tasted a hundred herbs, determined their properties, and pioneered the path of Alchemy..."

"An Alchemist is not a mere craftsman, but a thief of heavenly secrets, a fire-stealer who grasps creation; one should be filled with awe and maintain integrity..."

"Those who wish to learn Alchemy must first value their Foundation, must understand pharmacology, distinguish Yin and Yang, know the Five Elements' generation and restriction, and master the Meridians and Qi and blood..."

"Ninety-nine things you must know before becoming an Alchemist..."