When will you perform a return to emptiness so I can test it out?

However...

One breath, two breaths, three breaths... no movement!

The Sword Pagoda exit remained silent; no figure appeared.

"Hmm? What's going on?"

Chun Ziliu frowned slightly: "He cleared it but hasn't come out? Is he receiving a Legacy inside?"

Just then.

Buzz—!

The nearby Pill Pagoda, which had been silent, suddenly lit up on the first floor without warning!

"This..."

Yin An and Yin Muyu were stunned for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Joy appeared on their faces!

"Great! Our benefactor hasn't come out!"

"After passing the Sword Pagoda, he must have chosen to teleport directly into the Pill Pagoda to continue his challenge!"

A weight was lifted from Yin Muyu's heart, and she felt secretly relieved.

"Good! This is wonderful!"

"Although our benefactor's speed in clearing the Sword Pagoda was terrifyingly fast, the Pill Pagoda is different!"

"Our benefactor is a Sword Cultivator with profound attainments in the Dao of the Sword, so it's understandable he cleared the Sword Pagoda quickly."

"But the Dao of Alchemy and the Dao of the Sword are two completely different fields! As the saying goes, 'different trades are like different worlds'!"

"Our benefactor surely doesn't have such high attainments in Alchemy; his speed in clearing the Pill Pagoda will definitely slow down!"

"Maybe... he'll be stuck inside for half a year or even a year!"

Yin Muyu prayed silently in her heart:

"Benefactor, oh benefactor, you must stay in the Pill Pagoda for a bit longer!"

"The slower the better! It would be best if you stayed for three to five years before coming out!"

"By then, Chun Ziliu will have lost his patience and will surely leave on his own! Then you'll be safe!"

Meanwhile, Chun Ziliu.

Seeing the Pill Pagoda light up, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

Then, he was somewhat disappointed.

"Tsk, he actually didn't come out..."

He sat back down in his rocking chair.

He mused:

"It seems this Qin Mingyue is quite confident. Not satisfied with clearing one Legacy pagoda, he actually wants to take the Legacy of the second one as well?"

"Heh, quite an appetite!"

"Fine, then I'll wait a bit longer."

Although he was disappointed, he didn't care too much.

After all, in his view, with 'Qin Mingyue's' talent, since he could clear the first Legacy pagoda so quickly...

Clearing the second one shouldn't take much time either.

It was just a matter of waiting a bit longer.

Then he said casually:

"How about it? Did you see? This is the strength of a top-tier Prodigy!"

"Clearing a Legacy pagoda in less than a day!"

"Speaking of which, the difficulty of this so-called Great Cultivator's Legacy here seems very ordinary!"

"Moreover... I was actually misled by you before!"

He shook his head, finding it somewhat amusing, and said:

"You said it would take two years, and I actually believed it, so I estimated it would take two months."

"Now it seems... haha!"

"These two pagodas can probably be cleared in less than two days!"

"Of course, I don't blame you for being short-sighted; after all, you've never encountered a true top-tier Prodigy."

"How can a frog at the bottom of a well know the vastness of the sky?"

"And now, I will tell you..."

Chun Ziliu said as he opened his arms, his chest full of confidence and his spirits high.

He said proudly:

"What is a top-tier Prodigy?"

"Crushing everything! Shattering all impossibilities! Like the sun of the Nine Heavens, brilliantly matchless! One can only look up to them, unable to catch up!"

"This is a true top-tier Prodigy!"

"This is the style of people like us!"

Yin An and Yin Muyu looked at each other upon hearing this.

Looking at Chun Ziliu, who was so full of himself and bursting with confidence.

Both of them were speechless.

If they hadn't been unable to beat him, they would have wanted to rush up, point at his nose, and shout:

"Big brother! Wake up!"

"That so-called top-tier Prodigy Qin Mingyue you speak of was long ago slapped into a meat paste by our benefactor Ye Qing!"

"Not even a speck of dust is left!"

"If it weren't for the overpowered treasure like the Talisman Artifact in your hand, you'd probably be slapped to death by Ye Qing in a single encounter too!"

"This look of yours, acting so impressive and invincible..."

"It's really quite embarrassing to watch!"

The two of them silently turned their heads, ignoring Chun Ziliu, and looked at the Pill Pagoda.

Praying silently in their hearts:

"Benefactor, slow down... even slower..."

"Please don't be as fast as you were in the Sword Pagoda!"

Meanwhile, inside the Pill Pagoda.

Completely different from the sharp, killing intent and crisscrossing Sword Qi in the Sword Pagoda.

This place was filled with a dense medicinal fragrance, and every floor had a Pill Furnace with spiritual fire jumping around it, emitting a scorching heat.

Ye Qing looked calm as he stepped through the Pill Pagoda.

The previous Sword Pagoda was just a casual effort for him, requiring no real strength at all.

The eighteen floors of the Sword Pagoda tested the challenger's attainments in the Dao of the Sword.

He had advanced irresistibly and cleared it easily.

Afterward, he obtained the ultimate sword Legacy left by that human Great Cultivator—an Earth Rank High Grade sword technique called "Yuan-Nurturing Heart Sword"!

Earth Rank High Grade can also be called Sixth Rank High Grade.

A sword technique of this grade.

If placed in the relatively resource-poor Eastern Region, it would definitely be a treasure manual capable of triggering a bloodbath.

It might make all Cultivators in the Eastern Region turn red with envy.

Even in the Central Region, an Earth Rank High Grade sword technique is also valuable and not something easily obtained.

However, for Ye Qing.

Although this "Yuan-Nurturing Heart Sword" was exquisite, it only served as a reference for him to gain insights through analogy.

And now, the core of the test in the Pill Pagoda Ye Qing was in was Alchemy attainments.

The rules for each floor were simple:

First, a series of Spiritual Plants were provided for the challenger to identify their medicinal properties and age.

Then, a Pill Formula was given, requiring the challenger to refine the Medicinal Pill within a limited time using the Pill Furnace and Earth Fire provided in the pagoda.

Only if the quality of the refined Medicinal Pill reached High Grade or above could they pass to the next floor.

Ye Qing had once learned a Sixth Rank Low Grade "Red Flame Pill Formula" from Dan Yangzi in Star Cloud City.

Although he hadn't spent as much time in Alchemy as he had in the Dao of the Sword, and his attainments weren't as deep.

Ye Qing's own Comprehension Ability was astonishing.

Plus, he had picked up the "Red Flame Pill Formula" very quickly, making refining Fourth and Fifth Rank Medicinal Pills a breeze.

It was easy and effortless.

Therefore, the first ten floors of the Pill Pagoda held almost no difficulty for him.

It was as if he were taking a stroll in his own backyard, refining pills and clearing floors along the way with incredible speed.

Soon, Ye Qing had cleared ten floors of the Pill Pagoda.

Ye Qing stepped into the eleventh floor.

"Hmm?"

After entering the eleventh floor, Ye Qing noticed that the test for this floor was somewhat different from the previous ten.

The Pill Formula given for this floor was called "Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill."

It was a precious Medicinal Pill used to help Cultivators break through Bottlenecks.

But Ye Qing only glanced at the ingredient proportions and refining steps on the Pill Formula, and his brow furrowed slightly.

"This Pill Formula... there seems to be a problem with it."

Ye Qing mused.

According to Ye Qing's judgment, based on the records on the Pill Formula.

One of the auxiliary herbs called "Cold Star Grass" had a cold nature.

If fused directly with the main herb "Blazing Sun Flower," it would not only fail to neutralize the medicinal properties.

Instead, it might cause the furnace to explode!

"Perhaps I understand."

"It seems the test for this floor is not just about refining techniques, but also about the challenger's understanding of pharmacology and their ability to adapt."

Ye Qing thought about it carefully and understood the true meaning of the test on this floor.

To pass the eleventh floor.

The challenger needed to use their own understanding of Alchemy.

First, adjust the proportions of the unreasonable spiritual materials on the Pill Formula to correct the errors.

Only then could they refine the correct Medicinal Pill.

Thus, the difficulty factor suddenly spiked!

But—

"Interesting."

A faint smile appeared on Ye Qing's face.

This kind of slightly difficult test was more likely to pique his interest.

Ye Qing stared at the Pill Formula while rapidly deducing in his mind; in just a few moments, he had a plan.

The next moment.

"Go!"

With a wave of his hand, Ye Qing discarded the "Cold Star Grass."

Instead, he chose a "Dew-Condensing Grass" with a milder nature as a replacement.

Then, he skillfully opened the furnace, lit the fire, added the herbs, and controlled the fire... a series of movements as smooth as flowing water, pleasing to the eye.

Buzz!

After some time, the Pill Furnace vibrated, and a refreshing medicinal fragrance filled the air.

Then the furnace lid opened, and three round, full Medicinal Pills emitting a purple glow lay quietly at the bottom.

Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill! Refinement complete!

Quality: High Grade!

"Conditions met, permission to pass granted!"

A mechanical voice echoed in the pagoda, and then the light gate to the twelfth floor swung open.

Ye Qing looked calm as he stepped inside.

On the next few floors, the variety of tests was endless.

Besides identifying errors in Pill Formulas.

Some required controlling multiple different flames for refinement simultaneously.

Some required maintaining a stable Pill Fire under extremely harsh environments.

Others involved providing a pile of incomplete Pill Formulas that the challenger had to complete and combine into one... but for Ye Qing, although some were troublesome, they weren't major obstacles.

So—

Twelfth floor, passed!

Thirteenth floor, passed!

Fourteenth floor, passed!

Fifteenth floor, passed!

Ye Qing advanced irresistibly and soon reached the sixteenth floor.

However, on this floor, Ye Qing didn't rush to start the challenge; instead, his heart stirred, and he stopped.

Because within the space of the sixteenth floor.

A very special Spiritual Qi permeated the air, extremely pure and biting cold.

For a Cultivator, it was a great supplement.

Ye Qing suddenly felt inspired, and an idea flashed in his mind.

"This Spiritual Qi... if it could be condensed and used in Alchemy, with some spiritual herbs added... it might have a good effect."

At this moment, Ye Qing's mind was bursting with inspiration.

He ignored the test for this floor and simply sat down cross-legged.

Countless pharmacological knowledge points rapidly collided and combined in his mind.

After some time, a brand new Pill Formula that had never appeared before gradually took shape in Ye Qing's mind.

"Let's call it... Snow Spirit Origin Pill."

A sharp light flashed in Ye Qing's eyes.

This was a Medicinal Pill he had specifically created based on his own Physique and the special environment here!

The Pill Formula was likely fine and could produce a pill, but he didn't know how effective it would be... Then, Ye Qing didn't hesitate at all.

He immediately took out some High Grade spiritual herbs from his storage ring and combined them with the special Spiritual Qi here.

Using the Pill Furnace, he began refining.

Boom!

Earth Fire rose, and under the guidance of the Pill Formula, Spiritual Qi gathered.

Ye Qing was fully focused, every hand seal perfectly precise, and every bit of heat controlled as much as possible.

After some time.

"Condense!"

With a low shout from Ye Qing, the furnace lid was suddenly flipped open!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three streaks of snow-white light shot into the air, spinning rapidly.

They emitted a startling cold air, while a majestic energy fluctuation faintly flickered within.

Ye Qing reached out and grabbed the three pills.

He looked at them closely.

These three pills were snow-white, as if made of ice and snow.

On them were five clearly visible, shimmering pill veins, emitting powerful energy fluctuations.

These were... Fifth Rank Peak Grade pills!

And most importantly.

Each of these pills contained extremely abundant and violent energy!

If an ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivator dared to rashly take one, they would probably be hit by that massive energy, causing their magic power to dissipate and their Meridians to snap!

Even a Spirit Transformation Cultivator would need a lot of time and energy to slowly refine and polish one.

But for Ye Qing, who possessed the special Prison Suppressing Immortal Body and an Immortal Rank Cultivation Method... the energy in these pills was perfectly tailored for him!

"Not bad."

Ye Qing looked at the pills in his hand and smiled with satisfaction.

Once refined, these three pills could save him a lot of cultivation time!

Then, without hesitation, he tilted his head back and swallowed all three Snow Spirit Origin Pills at once!

Boom!!!

The pills melted instantly, turning into three torrent-like streams of terrifying energy that exploded within Ye Qing's body!

If it were anyone else, they would have likely exploded and died by now.

But Ye Qing only gave a muffled groan.

Then he frantically operated his Cultivation Technique, and his Prison Suppressing Immortal Body even emitted a clanging sound, like divine chains in a divine prison crossing and clashing!

He firmly suppressed this violent energy, then swallowed, refined, and absorbed it all!

Time passed bit by bit.

After a while, Ye Qing slowly opened his eyes.

Buzz!

Two beams of substantial light shot from Ye Qing's eyes, sizzling as they pierced the void!

At the same time, the aura on Ye Qing's body was more solid than before!

He had already reached Nascent Soul Eighth Layer!

With the help of the medicinal power of these three Snow Spirit Origin Pills, his cultivation had broken through repeatedly, entering the Nascent Soul Late Stage!

Standing up, Ye Qing clenched his fist.

Feeling the magic power surging like a sea within him, and the terrifying physical strength that felt as if it could shatter a Treasure Artifact with one punch.

He silently estimated in his heart.

"With my current strength, to be conservative..."

"My combat power should have already stepped into the Void Return level!"

Of course, whether he had truly reached the combat power of the Void Return Realm.

Ye Qing himself couldn't be entirely sure.

After all, until now, he had never truly fought a Void Returning Realm Cultivator.

He hadn't even seen a Void Returning Realm Cultivator.

He didn't have a direct understanding of the power of that Realm.

But thinking about it... to be humble, even if there was a gap, it shouldn't be much.

"Phew..."

At this thought, Ye Qing exhaled a long breath of turbid air, in a great mood.

Then he muttered in his heart: I wonder when a Void Return will pop up for me to test my combat power... Then, he glanced casually and refined the Medicinal Pill required to pass the sixteenth floor.

The light gate opened again.

Ye Qing stepped inside.

Seventeenth floor... passed!

Entering the eighteenth floor!