"Heaven and earth are born with spiritual essence. No matter how profound the creations of man may be, they are still bound by laws and cannot advance any further."
Ye Xiu stared at the black-robed old man before him.
The other man's face was aged, and his entire body exuded the weathered air of one who had endured the years. Yet in his words and actions, Ye Xiu sensed something of a childlike youthfulness. That strange feeling gave him a few vague suspicions.
"Oh?"
For some reason, a peculiar smile suddenly appeared on the old man's face as he listened to Ye Xiu.
All things were born with spirit, yet individual consciousness could only be bestowed by heaven and earth. Cultivators could use immense spiritual power to create all manner of puppets, but their every action was still carried out strictly according to the prearranged commands that had been entered into them.
The self seemed like the most fundamental thing for every living being, but to break through that layer was no less than a defiant ascent against the heavens.
Hearing those words, Ye Xiu, who had still harbored some uncertainty, immediately became certain of his guess.
"The spirit of the Heaven-Earth Furnace?"
Ye Xiu looked at the old man and asked.
"So, I still couldn't hide it from you."
The old man gave a derisive laugh. Ye Xiu only felt the winds and clouds shift before him, and the surrounding scenery changed in an instant.
The wooden house beneath his feet vanished in an instant. Crimson flames ignited from below, extracting vast amounts of spiritual power from spiritual materials before rapidly expelling it outward.
"Even after making so many arrangements outside, if someone observant came close enough to inspect it, they could still spot the clues?"
The spirit of