No one present was a fool.
Before Chen Shuangbai entered, they had already collected some of the ancient books that were not available to the outside world.
However, Chen Shuangbai returned quickly, and they only managed to identify and take in a small number of them.
Chen Shuangbai glanced at them, but didn't force them to hand over the items. Instead, she rolled up all the ancient books and put them away, leaving only empty bookshelves.
The three of them were furious, but there was nothing they could do.
Why can't I beat Chen Shuangbai?
After all that was done, all that remained was the quiet room that seemed to contain the Pill Formula, and the enormous Pill Furnace in the very center.
The group's gazes fell upon the Pill Furnace.
This Pill Furnace has three legs and two handles. The outer layer is openwork, carved with many auspicious cloud patterns, flame patterns, and other ancient patterns that are now rarely seen, giving it an antique feel.
The inner layer gleamed with a dark gold color, impenetrable to Divine Sense, making it impossible to discern whether it harbored any spirituality.
Liu Wenyan stepped forward and said, "We tried to probe inside with our Divine Sense, but we couldn't, and we also couldn't open the lid of the cauldron. However, the medicinal fragrance emanating from inside cannot be faked."
The aroma of the medicine is still there, which suggests one possibility... the pills refined here have survived the test of time.
Although we don't know how many pills are left, or what kind of pills they are... they were refined a long time ago, so they must be ancient pills, and they must be of great value!
What about elixirs that prolong life?
Or perhaps it's a elixir to increase cultivation level?
Or... to be even bolder, could it be some kind of ancient elixir that guarantees a breakthrough to the Golden Core stage after consumption?
Despite their best efforts to conceal it, the gazes of everyone present toward the Pill Furnace carried a faint, burning greed that they themselves could hardly perceive.
Chen Shuangbai did not deny that she also had greedy thoughts.
He took the lead, flying to the top of the cauldron lid. He looked down and observed the lid, trying to move it with his Law Power. He found that it didn't budge at all. Even when his Law Power entered the lid, it was like a mud ox entering the sea, quickly disappearing without a trace.
The Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Painstaking Heart Sect spoke up, "Fellow Daoist, you'd better not waste your energy. Our methods won't work."
Liu Wenyan also said, "It can't be opened; it might require the power of Golden Core."
The power of the Golden Core!
That's very likely.
However... Chen Shuangbai thought about it carefully, then suddenly looked at Liu Wenyan and said, "Before you came in, did your grandmaster tell you about some things that happened before the five of them came in?"
Liu Wenyan was not stupid, and he quickly understood Chen Shuangbai's meaning.
Back then, Gongye Chun and his four companions ventured into this blessed land and explored it, surely gaining something from it.
This blessed land didn't appear out of nowhere; it must have been left behind by some powerful force or some great predecessor from ancient times. Therefore, some things within this blessed land must at least have something in common.
He thought about it carefully.
After a long pause, he said, "I remember now. My master gave me some things and asked me to bring them in, including a picture."
As Liu Wenyan spoke, he took out a picture from his Storage Bag.
It was not the original drawing, but a sketch that Gongye Chun had made from his memory. When unfolded, it depicted wisps of clouds, ancient temples and green pines, and a Daoist priest whose Jianzhen lying on a cloud bed, seemingly dozing. A palm-leaf fan gently stirred up gusts of cool breeze, which went straight into the huge Pill Furnace standing in the raging fire.
And this enormous Pill Furnace is almost identical to the one they are standing on.
"This was discovered by our grandmaster in another temple in this blessed land, and he specially made a copy of it, probably for today's situation."
Chen Shuangbai nodded and carefully examined the entire picture.
The Daoist's true face is not visible... Is it because the painter who created the original painting never saw his true face either, or... is the Daoist's status and Divine Ability too high, thus unable to be depicted in the painting?
Chen Shuangbai continued looking, eventually focusing on the lid of the Pill Furnace.
The lid of the Pill Furnace in the painting is clearly inlaid with a precious pearl, which is bright red and emits a crimson glow. However, the lid of the Pill Furnace beneath it does not have a pearl in the center; instead, there is a recessed area.
Following Chen Shuangbai's gaze, Liu Wenyan also realized something.
He was about to say something when he saw Chen Shuangbai suddenly move, taking out a dusty gray bead from her sleeve. It looked like stone and was quite inconspicuous.
All eyes turned to them.
Among the two Foundation Establishment from the Setting Sun Sect, one of them suddenly asked, "Where did you obtain this bead, fellow Daoist?"
"It was found in some ruins when we came in."
Chen Shuangbai casually agreed, and then, with the idea of trying anything, attempted to inlay the gray bead. But at that moment, the Foundation Establishment Painstaking Heart Sect from the Kuxin Sect, who looked a little older, suddenly interrupted.
"Wait!"
Everyone looked at him, and he said with a solemn expression, "The situation inside is unknown, and this Pill Furnace doesn't look like an ordinary object. What if the triggering method is wrong and causes other reactions?"
That is a problem.
only...
Chen Shuangbai countered with, "Does fellow Daoist have any good ideas?"
He fell silent.
The [ Foot-Long Silk ] emitted a clear buzzing sound, making the other party feel utterly humiliated.
With a soft click.
Chen Shuangbai placed the gray bead into the recessed area. At first, there was no reaction, but then it gradually lit up. A red light suddenly emanated from the center of the bead, and then it shone brightly, turning into a red bead exactly the same as the one in the picture.
"That's really true!"
Liu Wenyan exclaimed in surprise.
Before the words were even finished, the crimson pearl embedded in the center of the cauldron lid shone brightly!
The crimson light emanating from the precious pearl flowed down, instantly covering the entire lid of the cauldron and spreading down along the intricate auspicious cloud and flame patterns, covering the entire Pill Furnace in the blink of an eye.
The five people immediately moved away, and saw that the huge, tranquil Pill Furnace that had been standing in the center was now covered by a soft and bright red halo.
With a click, the originally sealed lid of the cauldron suddenly trembled slightly and actually moved open a crack.
In an instant.
A fragrance of elixir, a hundred times stronger, spread out and instantly filled the entire alchemy room.
Moreover, the fragrance of this elixir was different from the previous one. The group only took a slight sniff and felt their spirits lifted. Their internal Law Power seemed to become more active, and their bottlenecks showed signs of loosening.
"Buzz!"
Fine spiritual light began to flow from the edge of the crevice, and all five people's eyes were fixed on it, staring intently at the Pill Furnace without blinking.