On Yiluo Upper Continent, peach blossoms dotted the mountains, staining them red like ink. At a broad lodge somewhere on the mountainside, a small path wound alongside a mountain stream all the way down to the foot of the mountain.
Tao Dingfu sat upon a meditation cushion. Before him stood a crimson-red pill furnace, within which something could be seen bobbing and sinking. Wisps of white smoke rose from inside. It was an object shaped like a metallic round egg.
Ever since Zhang Yu's last visit, Tao Dingfu had stopped forging Perceptive True Spirits for others. This place had gradually lost its former bustle, leaving only one disciple attending at his side.
Yet at this moment, he was forging a Perceptive True Spirit for himself.
He had put the finest treasure materials in his possession into it. Some had been exchanged from fellow cultivators, while others had been borrowed from Zhang Yu. All were rare or one-of-a-kind items. If he failed this time, it would be impossible to repeat the attempt. Thus, he had poured his entire heart and soul into it.
The process had now reached its final stage. Because of the unusual treasure materials, he had employed many methods he had never used before. He could not be sure whether he had truly succeeded until he opened the furnace.
He steadied his emotions. With a trace of anticipation, he swept his sleeve and removed the furnace lid. A burst of radiant vapor flashed through the lodge, then swiftly drew back in.
His gaze fell upon it. Reaching out, he took the metallic egg into his hand. Though it had just been removed from the blazing-red furnace, it felt icy cold to the touch.
He tapped it with his hand, producing a dull sound. Other than that, there was