lord of heaven

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"A furnace that breathes… yet no heart beats within."

The morning sun cast long golden rays across the Valley of Harmonious Fire. Birds with flame-tipped feathers flew lazily between charred trees, and the lava stream behind Su Yang's courtyard shimmered like a river of light.

Inside his chamber, Su Yang sat quietly with the two semi-formed Soul-Fused Fire Nourishment Pills placed carefully in a sealed jade vial. Though they were incomplete, they still pulsed gently with soul-qi resonance—a sign the method worked.

But that wasn't enough.

> "A true refinement must reach harmony. My soul thread is still unstable midway. I need a more refined furnace. Something that responds to spirit, not just fire."

He stood up.

Zi Shu was still asleep on a warmed fire-stone, curled into a glowing ring. Max looked up as Su Yang grabbed his robe.

> "Stay here. This next refinement might draw attention."

With a sweep of his sleeve, Su Yang left the courtyard and flew down the narrow pathway toward the Inner Alchemy Hall.

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The Inner Alchemy Hall was massive, shaped like a five-pointed flame and built around a soul-attuned leyline. Hundreds of mid-tier and advanced furnaces were stored in its central vault, but there was one lesser-known chamber… a forgotten relic of the sect's past.

Elder Yao had once mentioned it casually.

> "Old Furnace Chamber Nine. It was built to test spiritual synchronization, but no one uses it now. Too unstable, too dangerous."

That was exactly why Su Yang went there.

A few disciples watched him curiously as he passed through the open gates, but no one stopped him. He had the Elder's authorization to borrow from the Profound-level shelves. He now used that privilege to access Chamber Nine.

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The moment the stone doors opened, a heavy, stale breath of air greeted him.

The chamber was dim, lit only by glowing runes carved into the walls. At the center was an ancient pill furnace—massive and cracked, its edges worn, and its bronze sides etched with unfamiliar scripts.

Su Yang approached slowly.

> "So this is the soul-attuned furnace... You've been asleep for decades, haven't you?"

He placed his hand on its cold surface.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

A low hum rumbled from deep within the metal.

Su Yang's eyes widened. His Karma Fire Body pulsed once. The petals of his flame responded involuntarily.

> "It resonates…"

The furnace was alive. Not conscious like a beast, but aware. A faint trace of an alchemist's soul—long decayed, but not yet gone—still lingered within. It had refined tens of thousands of pills in its lifetime. And now, it stirred again.

> "Let's see if I'm worthy to use you."

Su Yang sat down and laid out the seven herbs again—this time slightly improved using a cleansing method Elder Yao had taught him. One by one, he arranged them inside the furnace, leaving the Molten Spirit Leaf for last. Its volatility could trigger rejection if used too early.

He closed his eyes. Then summoned his Soul Flame Thread, now stronger and more elastic.

He activated the furnace with a single command.

> Boom…

A muted thud echoed. The soul-attuned furnace flared with dim red light, and runes around the base ignited.

Instantly, Su Yang felt it—

A hand brushing his spirit. Not hostile. Not welcoming. Merely… testing.

> "This is the soul imprint of the old alchemist… It's testing my intent."

He let his soul thread unfurl slowly, not to dominate, but to guide. Then, he summoned his Heavenly True Fire, letting the Karma Fire bloom faintly—only one petal.

The temperature inside the furnace rose gently. The herbs began to melt, but this time, the spiritual essence didn't rebel. It cooperated.

> "It's working…"

Just as the Dark Marrow Petal released its soul-qi, the furnace breathed—literally exhaled a puff of ancient soul heat. Su Yang flinched.

> "What…?"

The heat carried old memories—not his own, but from the alchemist who once used this furnace.

Visions of a battlefield. Rows of wounded cultivators. An alchemist surrounded by flame and death, refining soul-pills faster than thought.

Su Yang gasped and steadied himself.

> "Your final wish… was to pass this knowledge on."

He grasped the lid with both hands, holding his focus.

The fusion phase was beginning.

Inside the furnace, the fire and soul-qi twisted, and Su Yang had to divide his attention between controlling the heat, guiding the soul, and resonating with the furnace—a triple discipline no ordinary alchemist could endure.

> "Hold… focus…"

Sweat streamed down his brow. His soul thread began to quiver. The furnace, sensing instability, released a sharp wave of rejection.

> "No! Not yet!"

In desperation, Su Yang bit his lip and pushed his Karma Fire harder—revealing two full petals. A bloom of deep crimson surged, stabilizing the furnace just enough.

Then, silence.

> Pling…

A soft chime.

The furnace opened with a hiss.

Three pills lay within.

Su Yang stared.

Perfectly round. Glistening with red-gold shine. A fine mist of soul essence curled around them like threads of silk.

He picked one up.

A faint warmth spread through his mind—like a gentle hand soothing his soul.

> "I… succeeded."

He slumped back, completely exhausted, but smiling.

> "This pill… it doesn't just nourish. It anchors. If someone were breaking through to marrow Tempering… this would protect their soul flame."

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed from behind the door.

> "So you really dared to use that furnace…"

It was Elder Yao, standing at the doorway, stroking his beard.

> "Most would've burned out halfway. But you… you made it resonate."

He stepped closer, eyes narrowing at the pills.

> "Su Yang… what exactly are you?"

Su Yang smiled faintly, still panting. "Just a disciple. And a curious alchemist."

Elder Yao didn't press. He simply looked at the furnace with eyes full of memory.

> "That furnace once belonged to my master. No one's been able to use it properly for years."

Su Yang nodded respectfully.

> "It guided me."

Elder Yao looked at him for a long moment, then finally spoke.

> "Come see me tomorrow. I think it's time we talk about... True Soul Alchemy."

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