"What is this prenatal spirit dust used for?" Inside the room, Xiao Yan stared intently at the five tiny pale yellow dust particles floating within the flame, gently licking his lips as he asked. The Heavenly Fire Patriarch stroked his beard, paused thoughtfully, then slowly replied, "This prenatal spirit dust was quite renowned even in ancient times. Not only is it an essential ingredient in crafting eighth-rank and higher medicinal pills, but when infused into the soul, it can nurture and cultivate the soul, gradually enhancing the spiritual qi within it, thus enabling the soul to reach the so-called spiritual realm." Hearing this, Xiao Yan's eyes instantly lit up with surprise—this seemingly unremarkable little thing apparently possessed such great capabilities? "In ancient times, some alchemists, after touching the spiritual realm, would strive tirelessly to gather this spirit-dust—much like a magnet that attracts spiritual essence. Once absorbed into the soul, it naturally enriches the spiritual energy within, gradually and imperceptibly, and also serves as an excellent catalyst for deepening one's spiritual insights." Tian Huo Master smiled and said so. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his delight hard to conceal. The deal had indeed proven profitable—the value of the Fertilizing Spirit Dust was truly far beyond that of ordinary heart-essence medicines. What truly amazed him most was that this dust also enhanced the spiritual qi within the soul. The concept of a spiritual realm required the soul to possess the properties of medicinal essence; this property, however, depended entirely on the soul being filled with sufficient spiritual qi. Yet, without specific soul cultivation techniques, such spiritual qi remained entirely imperceptible. And this method of soul cultivation, after countless years of historical interruptions, has long since faded away. Thus, to further enhance the spiritual qi within the soul, one can only rely on external aids or rare opportunities, entering certain profound states—much like Xiao Yan experienced during his first two instances. However, unfortunately, such states are neither common nor easily attainable; they are truly hard to achieve simply by wishing for them. Consequently, such rare substances capable of enriching the spiritual qi within the soul have become especially precious in today's era. "This spirit-nourishing dust is known only to a small number of eighth-rank alchemists who have mastered the technique for its preparation. I believe, however, that the method for crafting this spirit-nourishing dust has now been lost to history..." The Heavenly Fire Patriarch's gaze remained curious, fixed upon the shimmering dust within the flame. Though he had seen references to this substance in ancient texts, he had never actually witnessed it in person. "Should you ever wish to refine eighth-rank pills in the future, incorporating this Fertilizing-Spirit dust will significantly improve your success rate, and the resulting pills will also be more refined and pure than other eighth-rank pills." Hearing this, Xiao Yan's face brightened with astonishment—he had never before heard of such a requirement for refining eighth-rank pills. "Ah, well, the secret has now been unveiled. I've fulfilled my task, and thus no longer need to hear you complain about losing the formula to me," smiled Tianhuo Master, observing Xiao Yan's expression. Then standing up, he said, "It's not early yet, so you should rest well. Tomorrow marks the day of the so-called Five Great Families' evaluations—don't delay. Master Ye has placed all his hopes squarely on you." With that, he turned and walked toward the door. After a brief hesitation, Xiao Yixian also paused to offer a gentle reminder to Xiao Yan before slowly stepping out. Watching the two depart the room, Xiao Yan smiled and turned his gaze to the five pale yellow dust particles floating within the flames before him. After a moment's contemplation, he couldn't help but reach out, and one of the particles detached itself, gently hovering before him. Fixing his eyes tightly on this particle of embryonic spirit dust, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes. As he did so, a sudden suction emerged, drawing the pale yellow, shimmering dust into a slender beam of light that shot directly into the top of his forehead, vanishing instantly. Xiao Yan frowned, suppressing the subtle ache that had been building within him. In his perception, the grain of prenatal spirit dust had struck his soul like a bullet, penetrating through with force. Fortunately, this pain did not last long—it gradually subsided. As the pain faded, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief. Yet just as he relaxed, he suddenly sensed an unusual ripple spreading throughout the surrounding realm. Delicate, faint currents of anomalous airflow seeped through the spatial disturbances and slowly infiltrated his forehead. With these unusual currents entering his body, Xiao Yan immediately felt an overwhelming sense of joy—he realized that the spirit energy contained within his soul was now beginning to grow, albeit at a very slow pace. "Spirit energy?" The spiritual qi within his soul, which Xiao Yan had nearly exhausted every possible method to enhance, still failed to show any significant improvement—until now, under the influence of the nurturing dust. The spiritual qi that had previously been utterly inaccessible through ordinary means was suddenly drawn out and seamlessly integrated into his soul. As Xiao Yan felt an overwhelming joy at the steadily strengthening spiritual qi within his soul, he gradually calmed his mind. With his composure restored, a faint, glowing yellow particle began to emerge subtly in his mind. A peculiar suction force radiated from this particle—though not particularly strong, it possessed an eerie power, drawing forth the spiritual qi that even the mightiest cultivators had long struggled to harness, from the very heavens and earth. This qi, resembling the essence of chaos, slowly seeped through the space and continuously flowed into the center of his forehead. This absorption of spiritual essence lasted nearly three hours, after which the glow and suction of the pale yellow light particles gradually weakened—clearly, such pregnant dust could not sustain itself for long. As the light of the particles dimmed further, a subtle crackling sound suddenly resonated within Xiao Yan's mind. When the dust particles finally shattered, the unusual suction ceased abruptly, and the surrounding spiritual energy dispersed instantly, no matter how hard Xiao Yan tried to retain it. Observing this scene, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle in resignation. Just as he was about to step out of this state, the last remaining particle of pregnant dust within his mind suddenly burst forth with a brilliant flash—so intense that even his very soul felt a sharp, piercing pain. The intense pain gradually faded. As Xuanyin grew somewhat alarmed, a faint, indistinct voice of a elderly man began to echo from the point of light emission— "Extreme soul essence... seal the heavenly spirit center... absorb spirit to forge the soul..." The voice of the elderly man, soft and lingering, resonated within Xuanyin's mind, echoing like a sacred chant, creating a sense of dizziness and bewilderment. Despite this sense of dizziness, Xuanyin did not lose focus. Though the voice was somewhat hazy, he managed to recall much of it. After mentally replaying it three times, the voice completely faded away. In the room, Xuanyin slowly opened his tightly closed eyes, his face now marked with thoughtful expression. "It's said that some powerful beings can leave imprints of their souls upon certain objects. If my guess is correct, the elderly voice I heard earlier was left by a primordial master, though after enduring such a long span of time, it has grown somewhat blurred..." Xiao Yan murmured softly to himself. "Extremity of the soul... seal the celestial dawning... absorb the spirit to forge the soul..." Xiao Yan murmured softly, his brows slightly furrowed. After a while, he seemed to ponder thoughtfully: "It appears to be a set of incantations, though clearly incomplete. I'm not sure what its purpose is..." After further contemplation without success, Xiao Yan could only shake his head in resignation, placing the remaining four grains of embryonic spirit dust into his storage talisman. While the dust's ability to absorb spiritual energy was of utmost importance to him, its brief duration made it impossible to waste—thus, it had to be used sparingly, as it might also be needed later when preparing medicinal pills. Whoosh! At the very instant the subtle ripple of energy surged within the room, Xiao Yan's tightly closed eyes snapped open, his face filled with astonishment. He realized that, in that fleeting moment, he had truly sensed the presence of the earth's spiritual energy! This phenomenon had only occurred when Xiao Yan had entered a peculiar, unusual state twice before—yet, just moments prior, he was certain he had not entered such a state at all. With a furrowed brow, Xiao Yan clenched his hands suddenly, and a brilliant, sharp glow erupted from his dark eyes. "Was it due to that incantation?"