Rebirth of the Supreme Immortal Emperor

Li Chen summoned the Qingzhou Tripod, placing it atop the burning Pocket Volcano.

Next, he wrapped the Mystic Iron Greatsword in a bundle of flames, tossing it into the mix.

As the temperature inside slowly rose to three thousand degrees Celsius, numerous refining materials began to melt and flow into the Mystic Iron Heavy Sword, being devoured by it.

On the seventh day, aside from a piece of top-grade Meteorite Iron, the other refining materials had mostly been consumed by the Mystic Iron Heavy Sword.

By the ninth day, the Mystic Iron Heavy Sword and the top-grade Meteorite Iron, initially incompatible, began attempting to merge with each other.

On the fourteenth day, the two had already fused. By this point, the task was essentially accomplished.

What followed was the nourishment of the Divine Weapon with Li Chen's Essence Blood, allowing it to recognize its master.

...

On this day, the Artifact Refining Workshop of East Origin County welcomed a group of distinguished guests.

Two Elders from the Earth-level Dongji Sect, both Golden Core Late Stage Cultivators. Among them, one was a Quasi-Nascent Soul Strong Person.

Apart from these two, there were also nine Disciples under their command: six at Late-stage Foundation Establishment, two at Golden Core Early Stage, and one at Golden Core Middle Stage.

Not long ago, they hunted a Fourth-level Late Stage Peak Demon Beast in the deep mountains. Yet, to their utter surprise, the beast self-detonated at the very last moment, causing their plans to fall through.

Not only did they fail to obtain the Demon Beast's Crystal Core, but they also lost the lives of two Disciples as well as many Magical Treasures. This left the entire party in extremely low spirits, each wearing a grief-stricken expression as if mourning the loss of a family member.

Suddenly, an Elder named Dai Song noticed that atop Huo Yun Mountain not far away, there was a glimmer of star-like red lights, suggesting the emergence of a rare treasure.

"Elder Xu, look quickly!"

Elder Xu's pupils narrowed slightly, looking in the direction Dai Song was pointing.

Immediately, his turbid eyes blazed with an intense glow of fervor.

"A rare treasure has appeared!"

"Manager, may I ask what place that is?"

The manager of the Artifact Refining Workshop glanced over and said, "That is Huo Yun Mountain, the lair of the Fire Cloud Ancestor!"

"The Fire Cloud Ancestor?"

Upon learning that the place had an owner, the expressions on Dai Song and Xu Yang's faces turned somewhat ugly.

If the treasure already had an owner, then things could get a bit tricky.

The manager nodded and replied, "Yes, Fire Cloud Ancestor is a well-known Artifact Refining Master within a thousand miles. Not long ago, he even came here to inquire about some high-quality refining materials, seemingly intending to craft a Divine Weapon!"

Dai Song and Xu Yang looked at each other and asked, "Dare we ask, manager, what realm has the Fire Cloud Ancestor reached? Has he already condensed his Nascent Soul?"

The manager shook his head and said, "I don't think so. I'm not entirely sure. I only know that when he came here thirty years ago, he was at the Golden Core Late Stage."

Upon hearing the manager's response, Xu Yang and Dai Song both fell into deep thought.

Thirty years ago, he was at the Golden Core Late Stage. By now, he is very likely at the Golden Core Late Stage Peak, but the possibility of advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm is next to none.

After all, both of them had been in the Golden Core Late Stage for twenty to thirty years. The elder among them, Dai Song, had stayed in this realm for a full sixty years.

Moreover, this was a generally common situation in the Cultivation World.

One must know that out of a hundred Golden Core Late Stage Cultivators, only one or two lucky individuals might be able to break through the bottleneck and enter the Nascent Soul Realm. The vast majority spend their entire lives, toiling away for a hundred years without breaking these shackles.

"To break through, besides reaching the necessary strength oneself, one also needs a certain opportunity."

"And this opportunity is mysterious, belonging to the kind that can be encountered but not sought."

"In the eyes of Dai Song and Xu Yang, this so-called Fire Cloud Ancestor must have obtained some great opportunity. This time, he must be aiming to break through the bottleneck and condense a Nascent Soul."

"Thinking of this, intense flames of desire couldn't help but flicker in their eyes."

"If one can advance to the Nascent Soul Realm, it would be like joining the ranks of the most formidable great powers in the entire Cultivation World. How could they not be tempted?"

"Moreover, this so-called Fire Cloud Ancestor was nothing but a Loose Cultivator without a sect. He only had a group of disorganized followers, hardly worth worrying about. Even if they were to kill him and steal his fortunes, it would just be his fate not having the luck to keep it, no one else could be blamed."

"Thinking thus, Dai Song and Xu Yang quickly discussed and decided. Time was of the essence; they set off overnight for Fire Cloud Mountain. To slay the Fire Cloud Ancestor and seize his fortunes."

"Even on the way there, they couldn't wait to discuss how they would divide the spoils if they really obtained the opportunity."

"At the same time;"

"The Fire Cloud Ancestor was with his apprentices and disciples, enforcing martial law on the Outer Mountain."

"For the sake of safety, Li Chen had laid down two layers of defenses, both inside and out."

"Inside were Lian Hongshang and Jiao Long, whom Li Chen trusted implicitly."

"The outside was the responsibility of the Fire Cloud Ancestor, the local authority, to prevent others from coming to Fire Cloud Mountain to steal treasures."

"One of the Fire Cloud Ancestor's disciples, looking up in the direction of the mountain peak, asked with full curiosity, "Ancestor, what kind of divine weapon is the Immortal Master refining that it even emits divine light?""

"'You ask me, who shall I ask? Don't pry into matters you shouldn't. Otherwise, you might not even know how you die.'"

"The Fire Cloud Ancestor glared angrily, harshly scolding these apprentices and disciples."

"The apprentices and disciples, having been sternly rebuked for no reason, all nodded like pecking chickens in agreement."

"The Fire Cloud Ancestor's pupils narrowed slightly, and he looked towards the top of the mountain. Even with his Golden Core Late Stage cultivation, he could not make out any clues."

"He had also thought of taking advantage by going to kill Li Chen and taking away the wondrous treasure. Perhaps, this could even offer an opportunity to break through the bottleneck and advance to the Nascent Soul Realm."

"However, just as this thought formed in his mind, he felt an inexplicable burning sensation in his Dantian, extremely painful."

"At first, the Fire Cloud Ancestor thought he had simply made a mistake in his practice. But after careful reflection, he felt something was amiss."

"It was highly possible that his own Immortal Master had left some kind of fire imprint on him, preventing him from harboring any ill intentions."

"With this thought, the Fire Cloud Ancestor couldn't help but feel chilled. Fortunately, it was just a passing thought, and he didn't act on it. Otherwise, he would probably have already been burned to ashes by now."

"Moreover, Li Chen was only at the Foundation Establishment Cultivation, and yet he was able to leave a mark on him unnoticed. It was clear that his talent far surpassed his own."

"Not to mention, the other party is the disciple of Master Sanchi, a Great Power at the pinnacle of the Cultivation Realm. His future achievements were bound to be limitless, perhaps becoming the second Master Sanchi."

"As long as he held tightly to his coattails, breaking through the bottleneck and advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm was just a matter of time."

"Thinking of this, the Fire Cloud Ancestor motioned to his disciples with a wave and began to give strict orders."

"'The fluctuations of Spiritual Power at the top of the mountain are getting fiercer. The Immortal Master may be at a critical moment. You all better keep your eyes wide open, stay alert, and patrol properly. Not even a fly should be let in, do you understand? If anything goes wrong, be careful with your heads on your necks!'"

"The disciples, in one voice, affirmed in unison. They divided into several groups to carry out a carpet-style patrol of the surrounding thirty miles of Fire Cloud Mountain."

"In the dead of night, eleven silhouettes ghosted their way stealthily forward."

"The owners of these ghostly shadows were none other than Dai Song and Xu Yang, among others."

"The closer they got, the stronger Dai Song's sense of the extraordinary treasure atop the mountain became. At that moment, he couldn't wait to rush over and seize that once-in-a-lifetime fortune."