Within the Mingcang Sect, although Zhang Yan had apprenticed under Zhou Chongju, Zhou Chongju had originally been a direct lineage disciple of the Zhou Family. The condensation thods handed down by the Zhou Family over thousands of years were utterly distinct from the cultivation techniques practiced by Zhang Yan. As such, even if Zhou Chongju were to disclose everything, it would be of no use to Zhang Yan.
Zhang Yan pondered to himself—if given only one chance, he might be able to form an elixir of fourth grade or higher, but to achieve a first-grade elixir seed nearly impossible.
Yet he did not feel concerned; instead, a faint smile graced his face.
Reaching into his sleeve, he gently retrieved a piece of smooth, lustrous jade.
With this fragnt of Broken Jade, used for deducing techniques, in hand, he could reverse Qiankun and refine dicine into elixirs. Even if he was ignorant of essential spells, what cause for fear could he have?
He took out the Inner Three Elixirs from his sleeve bag, then pointed his finger. Four-Season Water, Que Jue Thunder, and Hidden Marrow Refining all rose into the air.
Four-Season Water transford into a stream of clear water that seeped into the apertures of his body, ultimately settling in his Lower Mansion.
The Hidden Marrow Refining was swallowed into his abdon, stored in the Central Mansion, while the Que Jue Thunder descended from the top of his head to reside in the Upper Mansion.
Once the Inner Three Elixirs were ready, he closed his eyes, steadied his heart and spirit, and imrsed himself into the Broken Jade with bold determination.
In an instant, a replica within the jade identical to him opened its eyes, sat cross-legged, and started moving through the spell techniques with precision.
Not long after, Zhang Yan withdrew from the jade and murmured, "A third-grade elixir—it may pass as noteworthy, but it still falls short of my expectations. I must try again."
Regaining his composure, his heart and spirit once more dove into the jade.
By the ti this attempt was over, a full day had passed outside.
As he exited his ditative state again, his face showed a glimr of contemplation, and he thought to himself, "Out of ten attempts, I succeeded in producing Celestial Essence five or six tis. This must be due to the fact that my Inner Three Elixirs are all high grade. As for the No-leak Wind, it only appeared once—but that matters little. I rely need to conduct a few more deductions. However, the Heart Fire remains elusive; I have never glimpsed it even once."
Still, he did not allow worry to cloud his mind. Whenever the Upper Three Elixirs occasionally appeared during his deductions, he would carefully morize the steps and minute details of the process, then repeatedly practice until he fully mastered the technique. Perfection would ultimately follow after countless trials.
In the ensuing days, he conducted deduction after deduction within the Broken Jade, enduring countless attempts. At last, he grasped the intricacies behind the No-leak Wind and the Celestial Essence.
By this point, Zhang Yan had fully understood the thods to form a second-grade elixir. If his ambitions stopped here, he could already refine dicine into elixirs without difficulty.
But his goal was to attain immortality soday—how could he ever be satisfied with rely this step?
The path of forming elixirs was akin to the Heavenly Ladder upon which cultivators climbed toward the Great Dao. A ladder that is not high—how can one ascend to the Heavenly Vault?
Zhang Yan furrowed his brow slightly. The only obstacle remaining before him was the elusive Heart Fire. Despite conducting thousands of deductions within the Broken Jade, he still had not encountered it.
Strictly speaking, there was no need for him to rush. He could simply continue deducing; if he failed in a hundred attempts, then he could try a thousand. If a thousand attempts proved fruitless, then ten thousand would eventually lead to success. However, there was now a pressing urgency to contend with.
Twelve days had passed since Zhang Yan had departed Shendu Peak.
Although his other inner elixirs remained stable, the Que Jue Thunder stored in his Upper Mansion could only be held for another three days. Beyond this deadline, it would dissipate entirely. Thus, he had to uncover the thod for obtaining Heart Fire within these remaining three days, which would allow him to form a first-grade elixir fruit.
Zhang Yan found this curious. The three elixirs ought to stand equal, yet why did the other two repeatedly manifest, while the Heart Fire remained stubbornly absent?
He ruminated deeply, contemplating over and over. Then he began muttering aloud, "Heart Fire, Heart Fire..."
Suddenly, his brow twitched as he recalled the breakthrough mont when he transcended the Xuan Guang Realm. In that instant, inspiration struck like lightning.
This fire, could it not be the fire of his own heart?
Without possessing a resolute heart to face hardships, defying calamities with unwavering determination, and advancing boldly without hesitation, one would rely cling to life and dread death. Such a person would be little more than a slave to their corpse—what Great Dao could they possibly achieve?
Within the Broken Jade, he could deduce techniques to gain Celestial Essence and No-leak Wind, but it lacked the heart realm needed to pursue the Great Dao unflinchingly without turning back.
Now, the only path forward was to abandon the Broken Jade, discard his retreat entirely, and act with absolute resolve to uncover the truth!
"If that’s the case..." His eyes glinted sharply. He stopped operating his energy, choosing instead to sit motionless and wait for the remaining days to pass.
His plan was to wait until the final day to condense his elixir, leaving himself no escape route whatsoever.
Two days passed in a flash, and the fifteenth day arrived in the blink of an eye. Within Zhang Yan’s gaze, an unwavering and unyielding determination began to shine.
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