Han Li listened attentively to the elder's explanation, his expression unchanged, as though he were unable to commit to the words. After hearing it all, he simply nodded gently, said nothing, and reached out to take the replicated jade cylinder, then turned to walk toward the passage. "Young friend, since you're planning to refine elixirs, would you like to purchase some elixir furnaces as well? I can offer you a discount," the elder quickly pitched his goods as Han Li seemed about to leave. "No, I don't need them for now!" Han Li did not turn around, merely waved his hand and spoke calmly. "That's a pity. The furnaces I have here can withstand the intense heat of earthfire!" Seeing that the sale had not materialized, the elder expressed his regret. "Earthfire?" Han Li paused, having already reached the entrance of the passage. "I mean the earthfire, which is slightly stronger than the primordial true fire," the elder said casually. "Isn't it said that refining elixirs requires primordial true fire? Can earthfire replace it in the refining process?" Han Li tried his best to keep his voice calm, though his heart was pounding vigorously. He knew that a solution to his dilemma in refining the Foundation Pill might have finally been found. "Ah, it seems you're unaware of the fact that the land and fire elements have largely replaced the innate true fire in alchemical refining within the immortal realm," the elder remarked. "But that's not really a big deal—basically, anyone who's refined pills a couple of times would know this. Then again, I'll gladly take the time to explain it to you at no cost!" The elder seemed particularly interested, his spirit brightened, yet he deliberately emphasized the word "free" with special weight. Han Li couldn't miss the subtle meaning behind the elder's words—he clearly understood that while the elder claimed it was free, saying it once was free, saying it seven or eight times would still be free, and the difference in value was quite significant. Yet, given the importance of this matter, Han Li had no choice but to move forward without further hesitation. Thus, he simply walked back without hesitation and said, "As long as what Master Xu has mentioned about the earth-fire is true, then I'll select another pill furnace right here!" "Ha ha! My furnaces here are absolutely top-notch—guaranteed to leave your young friend fully satisfied!" Master Xu, seeing his purpose successfully achieved, smiled warmly with his eyes half-closed. In fact, using the primordial true fire for pill-making has long since become a thing of the past! Nowadays, in the realm of cultivation, pill-making typically relies on the earth's lung fire—drawn from the yang-essence lands. For a long time ago, our ancestors discovered that earth-fire is not only purer and hotter than the cultivators' true fire, but also remarkably enduring and stable, significantly improving the success rate of pill-making compared to the traditional true-fire methods. Moreover, this earth-fire is equally effective for crafting artifacts. Therefore, any cultivation sect or larger family with the means now maintains their own dedicated yang-essence fire lands, specifically for their disciples to use in both pill-making and artifact crafting. "Only those wild cultivators who are isolated and truly unable to draw upon the earth-fire still resort to this method of refining pills using true fire, which has a notably high rate of failed pills," the elder said, shaking his head and speaking with a measured tone. "Does our sect now have access to earth-fire? Do you know where it can be obtained, Master Xu?" Han Li's heart leaped with excitement, though he managed to suppress his enthusiasm and asked the crucial question with clear structure. "Haha!... Upon hearing Han Li's question, the elder could not help but burst into laughter, laughing so much that Han Li had to keep blinking, growing puzzled. "When you first entered the Yue Lu Hall, didn't you notice a corridor without any markings? That corridor leads directly to the Xuan Yang Earth-Fire Chamber. Simply pay a few spirit stones, and you can borrow the earth-fire there!" After a moment of lively laughter, the elder finally revealed the truth. "Indeed true?" Han Li could not help but brighten up, his lips slightly curling into a smile. "Master Xu, at my age, could I possibly deceive a young disciple like you?" the elder said, a touch of mild displeasure "It's my fault! Please forgive me!" Han Li also felt that even if the elder were greedy, he couldn't possibly deceive him on such a matter, so he sincerely apologized. "Hmph. Considering your youth, I'll forgive you this time!" The elder's expression softened, but then he straightened up again and said, "However, I won't be giving you any further discounts on the purchase of the alchemical furnaces." Han Li heard this and immediately found himself chuckling helplessly—this man truly never forgot to take advantage! "Are these the furnaces you're referring to?" Han Li pointed to the various large and small furnaces displayed on the elder's shelves. "Of course not," the elder replied, regaining his merchant's demeanor with a cheerful smile, "those are merely ordinary items—suitable only for producing inferior pills. How could they withstand the intense heat of the earth's fire? The genuine premium furnaces are all right here!" He tapped lightly on a plain gray cloth bag at his waist. To his sight, the elder lifted the cloth bag and gently tapped it against the empty ground beside him. Instantly, a ripple of emerald light surged, revealing an array of ancient, uniquely styled dan-dings arranged neatly on the ground. "By now, you should be satisfied," the elder said, with pride, as he picked up one of the latest dan-dings and lightly tapped it. "These are all top-tier dan-furnaces from my personal collection—each one a masterpiece, far beyond ordinary." "Indeed, quite impressive!" As the dan-dings appeared, Han Li immediately sensed the subtle spiritual essence radiating from them, and couldn't help but softly exclaim, "Hm." Yet what truly captured his attention was the seemingly unremarkable cloth bag—the very one the elder had used. This was no ordinary storage bag; it was clearly a high-grade storage vessel with storage capacity exceeding tenfold. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to hold so many substantial items. "Ah, don't think I'm boasting," the elder chuckled. "Xu here is a master of crafting dan-furnaces and magical instruments. Most of the lower-level disciples' furnaces in our sect are crafted by me, and these Seeing that Han Li was visibly moved, the elder grew even more delighted and spoke enthusiastically. Han Li smiled slightly, said nothing to object, and slowly walked over to the array of cauldrons, bending down to begin selecting. "This is the Luo Hua Cauldron—it can absorb high flame temperatures, increase the success rate of pill formation, and furthermore…" Xu, upon seeing Han Li select the smallest of the items, was slightly surprised, yet quickly composed himself, praising the silver cauldron as if it were a flower, overflowing with compliments. "How is this related to his judgment? I merely considered that the storage space in my bag was limited and could only accommodate this cauldron!" Han Li thought with mild impatience as he listened to the elder's incessant praise. After a series of negotiations with the elder, Han Li finally acquired the item for thirty-two low-tier spiritual stones and then left without hesitation. During his brief interaction with the elder, Han Li had already spent over fifty spiritual stones—quite a strain, even considering his otherwise solid financial standing. Thus, he had no desire to linger any longer, despite the elder's continued, enthusiastic efforts to keep him. After stepping out of the elder's room, Han Li returned to the hall where the teleportation array was located, but instead of immediately activating the array, he paused for a moment and then proceeded down the unmarked corridor. As a result, a massive stone gate stood at the end of the corridor, blocking the way. The gate shimmered with vibrant, ever-flowing colors, clearly protected by an exceptionally powerful spell, making everyone hesitate and unwilling to move. Beside the gate stood a small stone cottage, where a plain-looking man with a rugged face and numerous freckles resided. Though this man had only reached the peak of his foundational cultivation techniques, he treated Han Li with an air of cold indifference and condescension, which deeply annoyed Han Li. Yet, Han Li, though displeased, maintained a composed demeanor. Even after asking three questions, the man only responded reluctantly with a single sentence each—enough for Han Li to gain a clear understanding of the situation and feel fully informed. Then, Han Li, seemingly unconcerned with the man's rudeness, politely bid him farewell and departed. But before he had taken just a few steps, he heard the man murmuring to himself. "A poor low-ranking disciple, thinking he's worthy enough to learn the art of alchemy from others?" "Is my brain finally worn out from all this talk without action? Isn't it a waste of my time and effort!" Upon hearing the man's words, Han Li showed no outward change in his demeanor, yet the frost on his back faced the ugly man was so intense it could have been scraped off. A flash of murderous intent passed briefly through his eyes.