As the seal was lifted, Xie Shuci’s senses began to gradually return, and he faintly caught snippets of the surrounding conversations.

He opened his eyes, looking somewhat dazed.

Xie An quickly checked his pulse, and Chu Wenfeng and the others gathered around.

“Shuci, how do you feel?”

“Xie Shuci, you’ve truly kept your talents hidden!”

“My friend, are you alright?”

Bombarded by their rapid-fire questions, Xie Shuci was momentarily stunned. He instinctively leaned closer to Little Blind for comfort.

Observing this, Chu Guiyi waved the others away, stating, “Shuci has just activated the bronze cauldron for the first time. He’s probably not fully acclimated yet.”

Leaning on Xie An’s shoulder, Xie Shuci took trembling breaths. He looked over at the half-human-tall bronze cauldron, strangely sensing a connection between them. It felt as though the cauldron had become a part of him, akin to a limb he could command at will. Xie Shuci tried to control it, and in response, the bronze cauldron emitted a humming sound, seemingly acknowledging his intentions.

As Xie An monitored Xie Shuci’s pulse, probing for any abnormalities, his expression remained somber throughout.

A pact—it was an intensely intimate bond.

Forming a pact would thoroughly bind two entities together. To break such a connection required a tremendous amount of effort.

Not only did Xie Shuci share a spiritual connection with others, but he also formed a pact with a cold, lifeless object.

“Hiss…”

Xie An’s fingers suddenly exerted more force, causing Xie Shuci to wince in pain. Hurriedly, he withdrew his hand. “Ouch! What are you doing?”

Xie An kept a stoic face, his jaw tightening in response.

Xie Shuci cast him a puzzled look, fully awakened by the sudden jolt of pain. Rubbing his wrist, he reassured the others, “I’m not affected.”

Chu Guiyi let out a sigh of relief, “That’s good.”

Xie Shuci nodded and inquired, “Shall I refine that artifact now?”

Xie Shuci was brimming with confidence. How hard could refining something be? Wasn’t he adept at such tasks?

However, Chu Guiyi shook his head, advising, “Shuci, alchemy isn’t as simple as you think. You lack experience, and I’m concerned…”

“Senior Brother,” Chu Wenfeng interjected with a hint of exasperation, cutting off Chu Guiyi. He felt that Chu Guiyi was being a tad indecisive today. Given their circumstances, only Xie Shuci could refine the Subduing Dragon artifact to lead them out. There really wasn’t any other choice.

Xie Shuci added, “What’s there to worry about? The worst that can happen is I lose myself to madness. We can’t just sit here waiting to die, can we?”

Chu Guiyi cast a glance at him, and after a brief moment of silence, he pressed his lips together and nodded.

“Friend, do you know how to refine it?”

Xie Shuci pondered for a bit, “Put it inside this, then refine it.”

“…” The alchemist paused, realizing that the approach did sound quite straightforward.

The two most crucial elements in alchemy were the alchemy cauldron and spiritual energy. The better the cauldron, the more potent the spiritual energy, and the purer the heart, the higher the quality of the elixir produced.

To refine an object, the demands on these two elements were even greater.

With a grand wave of his hand, Xie Shuci sent the bronze cauldron soaring into the air, its four legs suspending it in mid-air as it radiated a brilliant cyan light.

Xie Shuci closed his eyes, and the silhouette of the bronze cauldron appeared vividly in his mind. As he channeled his spiritual energy into it, the cauldron seemed to grasp his intentions. Its glow intensified, and a wisp of blue smoke gracefully rose, lingering high above in the sky.

Xie Shuci didn’t possess specific knowledge about refining the Subduing Dragon artifact; he merely followed the subtle guidance of the bronze cauldron. He continuously channeled his spiritual energy into it, and it seemed to understand his wishes. That wisp of blue smoke separated out a fist-sized artifact wrapped in golden light from the sky.

Drawn by the blue smoke, it gradually descended, hovering above the bronze cauldron.

When two artifacts, both originating from different mystical realms yet equally powerful, collided, a dull thud echoed through the sky. The sound wasn’t jarring; it felt ancient, as if from times long past. Yet, it seemed to make the surrounding air vibrate and compress.

The very space seemed to distort. Souls and bodies were almost torn apart by two opposing forces. Waves of sound assailed their eardrums, causing sharp pain. Everyone covered their ears, releasing cries of agony.

Xie Shuci felt as if something had stabbed his eardrums. The voices around him suddenly grew distant. Two streams of blood trickled down from his ears. A heart-wrenching pain made him want to hop around, but his body wouldn’t obey him. Unable to utter a sound, he could only cry out silently in his mind.

It hurts so much…

I won’t refine anymore! I’ll never refine again!

The two artifacts confronted each other in the sky, neither yielding to the other.

Xie Shuci’s mind was a chaotic mess, his spiritual energy rampantly coursing throughout his body, rushing out impatiently.

Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, staining his lips, and dangled precariously on his pallid face like beads.

Just then, a hand reached out to him. The lukewarm fingertips gently wiped away the blood from his lips, unintentionally grazing the corner, giving it a faint, fleeting caress.

Immediately after, that hand reached into his bosom, taking out a bottle of elixir from his pouch. Pouring out one pill, the blood-stained finger held the snow-white medicine, staining it red, before pushing it into Xie Shuci’s mouth.

The icy sweetness of the elixir lingered on his tongue for a moment before sliding down his throat. The tumultuous spiritual energy within Xie Shuci began to calm, and the discomfort throughout his body began to wane.

The figure stood before Xie Shuci, eyes fixated on the crimson liquid staining the corner of his mouth. Almost as if possessed, he brought his blood-streaked fingertip to his lips, letting his tongue gently sweep over, savoring the metallic sweetness.

It wasn’t enough.

He yearned to possess this man, severing anything and everything connecting him to others.

While the crowd was too dazed by the artifact’s power to even open their eyes or look after themselves, Xie An leaned in. One hand grasped Xie Shuci’s chin, forcing him to lift his head.

Blood trailed from the corner of his mouth, dripping down to his chin.

Xie An pressed his lips there, following the path of the blood from the chin to the mouth. He then assertively parted Xie Shuci’s lips, allowing the metallic scent to engulf them.

Just as the pain in Xie Shuci’s body began to subside, his mouth was invaded by something warm and moist, stealing his breath, and making him feel as if he were drowning, on the brink of suffocation.

At that moment, a flying sword shot out from a corner, aimed straight for Xie Shuci.

The silvery edge of the blade swept through the air, like the finest thread of silk, flashing briefly before silently nearing Xie Shuci.

The blade, sharp and threadlike, aimed directly at Xie Shuci’s slightly exposed neck. In the blink of an eye, it could sever his head from his body.

Yet, the young man, who was holding Xie Shuci’s chin aloft, remained unflinching. His eyes, however, instantly turned to the direction of the approaching blade. The icy, piercing gaze, reminiscent of a venomous needle, locked onto Deng Fengming, who was hiding not far away, his face drained of color.

That gaze was like an evil-eye opening from the depths of a pitch-black abyss.

Deng Fengming felt his blood run cold, a tremor emanating from the very core of his soul. Coupled with the resonance from the colliding artifacts, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.

Those eyes, filled with murderous intent, were utterly terrifying!

Never before had he witnessed such a menacing gaze…

Was this the Path of Slaughter? Or to be precise… the pinnacle of the Path of Slaughter?

Could it be… Could it be… Xiao Xun had already achieved its mastery?!

How could that be possible!

In the span of a breath, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

On the other side, Xie An’s long arm moved to block the oncoming blade. The sword edge scraped his entire forearm before, with a ‘whoosh’, it was sent flying into a rocky wall.

The force of the blade was intense, cutting deep into his forearm and causing blood to spurt out immediately.

The fresh blood splattered onto both their clothes, like a mountainside of red wildflowers blossoming amidst what couldn’t be called a tender kiss.

Xie An seemed to feel no pain at all, not even furrowing his brow, his expression indifferent. However, the way he pressed down on Xie Shuci’s lips carried an indescribable ferocity.

A soft whimper escaped from between Xie Shuci’s lips, prompting Xie An to momentarily pause. He slowly lifted his head, parting from the kiss.

The standoff in mid-air seemed to have reached its conclusion. The golden glow from the Subduing Dragon artifact was gradually consumed by the bronze cauldron. The deafening noise finally ceased, and the crowd, feeling as if they had narrowly escaped death, slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.

“That was terrifying…”

“I now understand why the Helian Patriarch, in his craziness to enter the Floating Tower realm, would sacrifice his own sect’s disciples. The powers within this secret realm are just too overwhelmingly terrifying!”

“Yes, it felt as though we took a stroll at death’s door.”

The moment the bronze cauldron fully engulfed the Subduing Dragon artifact, the sky suddenly developed numerous cracks. Sunlight streamed through these fissures, illuminating the interior of the dome, and bringing with it fresh air. Moments later, the dome shattered completely with a deafening “boom,” breaking into fragments and vanishing into thin air.

“He did it!”

“Fellow Daoist has truly refined the Subduing Dragon artifact!”

“Amazing! Truly worthy of someone from the Floating Monastery realm!”

Xie Shuci’s body went limp, and he began to fall sideways.

Xie An reacted swiftly, catching Xie Shuci by the shoulder and pulling him into his embrace.

After the bronze cauldron had swallowed the Subduing Dragon artifact, it began to shrink continuously. Eventually, it reverted to its original palm-sized form, flying back of its own accord to Xie Shuci’s side.

Having observed this, Chu Guiyi commented, “The bronze cauldron hasn’t fully refined it yet; it may take some time. But the dome has disappeared, and Shuci has succeeded.”

Chu Wenfeng, having witnessed the earlier events, looked somewhat pale. He put the wheelchair beside Chu Guiyi, then immediately strode over to the pair of Xie Shuci and Xie An.

Exhausted to the point of being unable to muster any strength, and riddled with pain and fatigue, Xie Shuci, recalling the near-death suffocating experience, burst into tears upon seeing the familiar face of Xie An. 

Holding onto Xie An’s clothes tightly, tears streaming down his face, he complained in a soft voice, “Little blind… I feel so awful…”

Recalling the feeling of suffocation, his crying intensified, struggling to catch his breath, “Something was obstructing my mouth, preventing me from breathing… I nearly died…”

Xie An silently listened, occasionally nodding in response.

“Alchemy is so hard… I regret it…”

Xie An’s hand rested gently on Xie Shuci’s temple, caressing it softly. His movements were filled with patience and tenderness.

Finally, looking up at the pristine sky, Xie Shuci murmured dreamily, “Did I succeed?”

Xie An nodded gently.

Warm tears dampened his fingertips, akin to raindrops.

They were Xie Shuci’s tears.

This time, Xie An understood the true meaning behind them.

There was a mix of grievance and pain, but also a hint of elation.