The Extreme Alchemist of the Mighty Cauldron

When Fang Lin came to after a bout of disorientation, he found himself lying in a dimly lit cave surrounded by cold, hard rocks. The space was cramped and slightly oppressive.

Fang Lin felt as though every organ in his body had been rearranged. Pain coursed through him from head to toe, yet there seemed to be no actual injuries.

After lying on the ground for quite some time, Fang Lin slowly staggered to his feet, his face filled with caution.

“You are the fifth one to come here,” a voice said suddenly.

Startled by the dreadful voice that abruptly filled the air, Fang Lin quickly turned around.

“Who are you? Where am I?” Fang Lin asked the shadowy figure he could barely make out behind him, concealed, it seemed, by a layer of mist.

“Before I answer your questions, I would like to ask you some of my own, ” the voice replied. It was a woman’s voice, Fang Lin now realized after listening more carefully.

Fang Lin’s mind was full of confusion, the rapid succession of events leaving him disoriented and bewildered.

“I am curious, who exactly are you?” The woman’s voice echoed, vaguely astonished.

Fang Lin felt somewhat relieved. There seemed to be no malice in the woman’s voice. If she wanted to harm him, she could have done so while he was unconscious. There was no need to wait for him to awake and then make small talk.

Moreover, from her initial statement, he was the fifth person to come here.

Could the previous four have been the so-called Four Saints of the Pill Sect?

“I am just an ordinary disciple of the Pill Sect. I am not a person of great importance. However, your mysterious presence indeed arouses my curiosity,” Fang Lin replied.

As he spoke, Fang Lin discreetly employed his Micro Gold Pupil, hoping to penetrate the darkness and get a glimpse of this enigmatic woman.

However, his Micro Gold Pupil seemed to have failed him this time. Despite the golden light flickering in his eyes, he could not discern the appearance of the figure hidden in the dark.

“No need to waste your energy. You can’t see me. No one can,” the woman said with a hint of self-mockery and melancholy in her voice.

Fang Lin retracted the golden light in his eyes and ceased wasting his energy.

“You mentioned that I’m the fifth to enter here. Were the previous four by any chance the Four Saints of the Pill Sect?” Fang Lin asked.

“Those four… That was a very long time ago,” the woman replied. “Is that what you call them these days, the Four Saints?”

“The Four Saints were the most exceptional Pill Refiners of the Pill Sect, earning the admiration of countless disciples of the Purple Mist Sect,” Fang Lin replied, hiding his own distaste. After all, he himself was a Pill Sovereign, so what would the so-called Four Saints of the Pill Sect amount to?

The woman was silent for a moment before replying, “The four of them were open books to me, but you… You I can’t see through.”

Fang Lin muttered to himself sarcastically, “If you could see through me, I wouldn’t have a chance at life, now would I?”

“There is something different about you. I can feel it. You are incredibly powerful, intimidatingly so, and you possess some kind of force within you,” the woman’s voice heightened, sounding both terrified and excited. Fang Lin’s expression hardened, and he rose silently, a chill taking over his demeanor.

“You’ve seen it then?” His voice was colder than it had ever been since his rebirth, marking the first time he had spoken with such frigidity.

“I can merely feel the presence of a powerful entity within you, but I’m unable to discern what it is,” the woman replied, her voice wavering slightly.

Fang Lin’s eyes held an ominous glint as he retorted, “Knowing this, yet you still dared to bring me here forcibly. Are you not afraid I might harm you?”

As he spoke, a bitter smile grew within. Right now, he felt like a fish out of water – weak in all respects. The only thing strong about him perhaps was his soul.

After all, in his previous life, he had been a Pill Sovereign, with unbridled cultivation. The only thing left of his past life since his rebirth was his soul.

“You must know I bear no ill will towards you. I brought you here out of curiosity, and I hope to make a trade with you,” the woman said. A cold laugh spilled out of Fang Lin. “Why should I trade with you?”

The woman fell silent, seemingly caught off guard by Fang Lin’s reply.

Shouldn’t you be asking me about the nature of the trade first?

Fang Lin did not care about the details of the proposed deal. He had always been wary of this figure concealed in darkness. He wasn’t so naive as to blindly accept her assurance of no harm intended.

Considering that the woman had been hiding in this strange place without revealing her identity, she couldn’t possibly be common. He had to stay on guard.

“I can offer you a rare treasure or bestow a unique skill upon you. In return, I want you to promise me that one day, you will destroy this ancient cave and release me,” the woman said.

At her words, Fang Lin furrowed his brows. It seemed this woman was imprisoned here and had been so for a considerable length of time. At least ever since the Four Saints of the Pill Sect rose to fame, the woman had been suppressed here.

“Who exactly are you?” Fang Lin asked, his tone icy.

The woman sighed deeply but did not reply.

Frustrated, Fang Lin retorted, “Since you are imprisoned here, you must be some sort of malevolent spirit. Releasing you could result in a widespread calamity.”

“Agree or not, the moment you came here, you’ve been under my control. I’ve left my mark in you which allows me to monitor your every move, even in the outside world. Likewise, your life is at my whim,” the woman stated nonchalantly.

The comment infuriated Fang Lin. This abominable entity was certainly no good.

“What if I kill you right now?” Fang Lin said through clenched teeth.

The woman chuckled. “If you can kill me, it would indeed be a relief. But can you? Aren’t you even clueless about my whereabouts?”

Fang Lin fell silent. He was indeed nothing but a paper tiger, with no means to handle the situation at hand.

“I suppose we could discuss the deal further,” Fang Lin said, putting on a playful smile.

Inwardly, however, he felt truly helpless. Such was the plight of the weak; unable to fight back and even at the mercy of others. This scenario really proved that under someone’s roof, one had to bow their head.

“Have you ever heard of— the Pill Saint Palace?” the woman asked suddenly.

The question made Fang Lin’s scalp tingle and he found himself staring intently at the darkness in front of him..