This change wasn't obvious, yet Ye Zhong and the others always felt a peculiar sense that the Xuanyin before them now seemed more radiant than before he had gone into seclusion. The young physician and Tianhuo Master were also momentarily stunned by this scene—while the former remained composed, the latter looked deeply thoughtful. As Xuanyin stepped out of the alchemy chamber and looked at the crowd gathered at the door, he was somewhat astonished, shaking his head with a sigh and saying, "Master Ye, doesn't this seem overly formal?" "Ah, yes," replied Master Ye, quickly regaining his composure and smiling. He waved his hand to send away several members of the clan, then approached, smiling warmly, "Master Xuanyin, we're setting off for the City of Sacred Dan tomorrow. Are you ready?" Xuanyin nodded. He hadn't realized that time had passed so swiftly during his seclusion—just a moment ago, it had been nearly a month. "Master Xuanyin," Ye Zhong continued, "do you have any plans or concerns?" Ye Zhong glanced at Xiao Yan. Getting so close to him in such a personal way, he often felt a subtle pressure—an almost insurmountable weight that seemed to emanate from the very depths of Xiao Yan's soul. As for Ye Zhong's question, Xiao Yan appeared genuinely puzzled, furrowing his brow and asking, "What could I possibly have done?" His expression suggested he wasn't aware of the subtle changes taking place within himself. Seeing Xiao Yan equally bewildered, Ye Zhong himself was taken aback, wondering if perhaps it was just his own perception. "It's not just your imagination. There's clearly been an enhancement in Xiao Yan's spiritual power during his period of seclusion," the Heavenly Fire Sovereign finally said, shifting his gaze from Xiao Yan with a smile. "Spiritual power?" "Heard this, Xiao Yan was momentarily startled, then stroked his chin thoughtfully, murmuring, 'Speaking of this, I indeed suddenly feel that during alchemy, I'm finding it much easier than before—my control over the flame has also grown more refined. Yet isn't it true that spiritual power only strengthens when one advances to a higher level?'” My strength is still at the four-star Dao Sect level—only more solid now than when I first entered, really...” Tian Huo Master glanced at Xiao Yan with a slightly puzzled expression, then raised an eyebrow after a moment, saying, “It seems your teacher hasn't told you much about matters relating to spiritual power. That makes sense—spiritual power is something so subtle and profound that ordinary people can only adapt to it, never truly master it. Even back when you were younger, you merely knew how to harness it, not deeply understand it.” Upon hearing Tian Huo Master’s words, both Xiao Yan and Ye Zhong fell into thoughtful silence. Xiao Yan was completely bewildered, while Ye Zhong slightly furrowed his brows—this very argument seemed familiar, as if he had encountered it in some of the ancient family texts. "The power of the soul has no hierarchy in terms of rank, yet it still possesses distinct levels..." Tian Huo Master smiled gently. "Of course, this notion is now rarely heard. Many strong practitioners throughout their lives never manage to reach these soul realms—this is precisely why so many alchemists remain stagnant at the seventh rank for their entire careers." "Soul realms..." Xiao Yan furrowed his brows. Though he had never heard of this concept before, he knew that the soul was the very essence of life—without it, there would be nothing; and with it enduring, there remained a chance of survival. Thus, anyone would naturally hold a certain reverence for such an esoteric phenomenon. Xiao Yan only knew that his spiritual power was strong, but he understood it only vaguely. When the Yao Elder was captured, Xiao Yan had barely reached the fifth rank of alchemical master and was simply not qualified to even touch the realm of spirit. Precisely because of this, he had missed out on the Elder's teachings over the years, and remained completely unaware of many developments related to the top-tier alchemical masters—this very spiritual realm being one of them. "What I've described here, aside from a few alchemical masters now at the eighth rank, may only be found in ancient texts," the Tian Huo Sovereign said slowly. If he weren't from a different era, he probably wouldn't have been able to offer Xiao Yan such explanations. "The realm of the soul is divided into four levels: the Common Realm, the Spiritual Realm, the Celestial Realm, and the Imperial Realm. The vast majority of people—even those at the rank of Eighth Grade or below as alchemists—remain stagnant at the Common Realm, differing only in the strength of their soul power. You used to be no exception, though you were significantly stronger than the average person. "But this realm—how many have never reached it...?" As the words trailed off, a note of regret lingered in Tianhuo's voice. Yet by the time they reached him, Xiao Yan and the others could no longer sense that regret. Each of them had been so profoundly struck by Tianhuo's words that they felt dizzy, as though the world had spun. The so-called soul realms—besides Ye Zhong, who had a faint memory of them—were entirely unfamiliar to the others. Even Xiao Yi, who had only recently ascended to the Battle Sovereign rank, found herself at a loss, her understanding far falling short of that of Tianhuo, a seasoned elder. "This... I've seen these arguments mentioned in some ancient texts as well, though not as detailed as Master Yao's explanations. When I first encountered them, I thought they were mere misconceptions and didn't pay much attention to them." After a pause, Ye Zhong finally regained his composure, somewhat regretful, saying, "My ancestors from the Ye family were also eighth-rank alchemists, yet there's no record of any connection to this spiritual realm." "Can the soul be cultivated?" Xiao Yan exclaimed, his face filled with disbelief. On the current Continent of Qi, the soul could only advance as one's strength grew, or through the consumption of special natural treasures—cultivation of the soul independently had never been heard of before. "I've already mentioned it's from the ancient times," the Heavenly Fire Patriarch sighed, rolling his eyes. Seeing this, Xiao Yan shook his head with a weary smile. The idea of cultivating one's soul was simply astonishing. As for the so-called Spiritual Realm, he didn't feel particularly impressed. During his prolonged periods of seclusion, he had been obsessively refining pills, and his mind had remained mostly foggy throughout—so much so that despite several opportunities, he had failed to successfully produce the seventh-tier high-grade pills at the very last moment. Yet now, reflecting on it, he felt a subtle sense of something was off: when refining those seventh-tier high-grade pills, he clearly sensed that his process had become smoother and more natural than in the past. "However, if we could obtain a soul cultivation technique—something that enhances soul refinement—that would be ideal. With such a technique, ascending to the soul realm should become much smoother. Unfortunately... it has been lost to history... Thoughts of this, Xiao Yan felt deeply regretful. Perhaps it is precisely these lost soul techniques that have made it so difficult for alchemists today to reach the eighth rank. "I wonder if the Dan Tower still possesses such soul techniques? As a sanctuary revered by countless alchemists, it surely cannot be an ordinary place. Ah, I hope that my journey to the Sacred Dan City will yield some information about these soul techniques. Who knows when the strange touch phenomenon might reappear..." After a deep breath, Xiao Yan resolved firmly—this soul technique would undoubtedly be a top priority on his journey to the Sacred Dan City!