Soul Emperor Martial God

"Please, Great Elder, tell me the truth," Xiao Yi said respectfully with a bow.

The Eight Dragons Burning Fire Furnace was, according to Elder Yi who once gave it to him, a Sixth-grade Refining Furnace.

But from his previous conversation with Elder Duan Yun, he learned it was a rare Eighth-grade Refining Furnace.

Even more powerful than the Medicine Tower by a margin.

And the Eight Dragons Burning Fire Furnace, something that Bai Mohan had been dreaming of acquiring and was even one of the reasons why he broke with Elder Yi.

Even Elder Duan Yun knew of its existence.

The Great Elder could not possibly be ignorant.

After all, back then, Elder Yi and the Great Elder were the only two disciples from the Northern Mountain County's Sky-splitting Sword Sect who had entered the Sword Sect.

The Great Elder pondered upon hearing this.

"What exactly do you want me to tell you?" the Great Elder finally said slowly after a while.

Xiao Yi frowned slightly and said, "Everything the Great Elder knows."

"Everything?" the Great Elder suddenly let out a bitter laugh.

"All I know is that it was the most formidable Alchemy Furnace in Shiyi's possession."

"It was something he obtained during his youth while training in a dangerous place."

"Afterward, it became one of the reasons he and Bai Mohan broke apart."

"That's all I know."

"That's it?" Xiao Yi was taken aback.

"That's it," said the Great Elder with an awkward smile.

"Back in those days, I was merely a notably talented disciple in the Outer Sect of the Sword Sect."

"And Shiyi was the unanimously acknowledged number one prodigy of the Sword Sect at the time."

"Although we had a great relationship, the things and people we were in contact with were simply not on the same level."

"I only had a rough idea of many things and did not understand them in detail."

"Speaking of which, I was genuinely shocked when I heard about your exploits in the Royal Capital a few days ago."

"You now, and Shiyi back then, are almost like two of a kind."

"Both of you became famous at a young age, both of you wandered the lands while still youthful."

"Both of you, before even reaching the age of twenty, had already managed to defeat many well-established seniors of the martial world under your sword."

"One feat after another, earth-shattering."

Xiao Yi gave a knowing smile, Elder Yi was undoubtedly a peerless prodigy of his time.

The name of a genius, causing astonishment.

Xiao Yi fell silent for a long while.

He had come here today wanting to inquire about the Eight Dragons Burning Fire Furnace, never expecting that the Great Elder would know next to nothing about it.

On the table, the Eight Dragons Burning Fire Furnace stood quietly.

Xiao Yi looked at it a few times but didn't notice anything unusual.

Just as he was about to give up thinking and was going to put it away.

His palm touched the body of the furnace, and suddenly he was startled.

Upon purposely sensing it, he clearly felt an extremely powerful prohibition within the body of the furnace.

"What a hidden, powerful prohibition," Xiao Yi's face showed shock.

Even with his current strength, he had to physically touch the furnace and deliberately sense it.

Before he could faintly detect that layer of prohibition.

"Break," Xiao Yi whispered loudly, slamming a palm down.

A humming sound like a giant bell rang out.

The furnace body remained motionless, unchanged.

Xiao Yi frowned, his Primordial Power inside his body was mobilized in an instant.

He struck again with his palm, this time with all his might.

Hum...hum...hum...

A series of tremendous sounds caused the entire Council Hall to tremble nonstop.

His Palm Power, transmitted through the body of the furnace, onto the prohibition.

That layer of prohibition, however, was unaffected.

"Break... break... break..." Xiao Yi shouted a few times, already at full strength.

His inner Primordial Power was being mobilized to its maximum limit, continuously striking against that layer of prohibition.

Minutes later, with a pop like a bursting balloon.

The prohibition within the Eight Dragons Burning Fire Furnace shattered with a violent crash.

"Such a strong prohibition, it actually withstood several minutes of my full-force Primordial Power impact," Xiao Yi was somewhat surprised.

At this moment, the prohibition was broken.

On the Eight Dragons Burning Fire Furnace, a surge of energy burst forth, and the body of the furnace soared into the sky.

A formidable aura stirred up the Spiritual Energy within the entire Sky-splitting Sword Sect causing the sect's gates to shake incessantly.

The aura was filled with ancientness and immensity.

The body of the furnace, too, underwent subtle changes at the same time.

"So that's how it is," Xiao Yi suddenly realized.

The Eight Dragons Burning Fire Furnace was indeed ranked as an Eighth-grade Refining Furnace.

However, it had been sealed by that layer of prohibition, concealing its true aura and even slightly altering its appearance.

"Is this Shiyi's Eight Dragons Burning Furnace?" The Great Elder beside him wore a look of astonishment.

"Such a terrifying aura on a treasured artifact, no wonder it once made countless strong beings covet it."

"Seal." Xiao Yi uttered softly.

A surging wave of Spiritual Energy barely suppressed the violent aura of the Eight Dragons Burning Furnace.

With a sweep of his hand, he retracted the Eight Dragons Burning Furnace back into his grasp.

At this time, the Great Elder's face became extremely grave.

"Xiao Yi, since you mentioned the Eight Dragons Burning Furnace,"

"It proves you've been investigating Shiyi's matter for a long time and quite thoroughly."

"Listen to me, don't investigate any further."

"Why?" Xiao Yi furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean 'why?'" The Great Elder's tone grew heavier.

"You face oppression and ostracization at every turn in the Royal Capital; do you think I'm unaware?"

"In fact, many matters have already been communicated back to Northern Mountain County, they were merely suppressed by the Northern Mountain County King and me."

"I've said it before, if you're unwilling to compromise in the Royal Capital and insist on meddling, you will find it difficult to move even an inch."

"The taste of being utterly constrained, you know it now."

"Now, even major forces are plotting against you, as well as your family."

"Haven't you suffered enough?"

The Great Elder scolded.

"So what?" Xiao Yi's face was somewhat indifferent.

"What do you mean 'so what?'" The Great Elder's tone became even more serious.

"It's only one force now, but if you continue to investigate, more and more forces will be involved."

"Back then, with Shiyi's talent, he grew up only to be forced to leave disheartened."

"As for now, let's not even speak of whether your talent compares to Shiyi's."

"Talking about your growth, how are you going to cope?"

"Do you really have to be undeterred until you reach the Netherworld?"

The Great Elder, undoubtedly worried about Xiao Yi, also didn't want Xiao Yi to face those overwhelming crises.

But for Xiao Yi, some things, once he was determined, he would not change.

"Heh." Xiao Yi chuckled lightly.

"Many have sought my life."

"But so far, none have succeeded, there's no need to worry."

"You..." The Great Elder was momentarily speechless.

Xiao Yi's nonchalant attitude made him angry.

Angry that Xiao Yi, clearly so young, always plunged headfirst into danger.

Always meddling, always taking on responsibilities that shouldn't belong to him.

"In fact, you really don't have to do this." The Great Elder sighed.

"With your talent, if you were willing to compromise, I believe many important people would extend an olive branch to you."

"If I recall correctly, you're barely 20 years old this year, like other prodigies, growing up under the care of your elders."

"Acquiring a brilliant future that belongs to you, wouldn't that be good?"

Xiao Yi smiled and quietly mused, "Brilliant?"

"I prefer to think the real brilliance is at the end of the Martial Arts Dao."

"This kind of brilliance cannot be given by others; it must be obtained through one's own hands."

"The path of Martial Arts Dao is fraught with thorns, it can never be smooth sailing."

"The matters now are thorns, they are obstacles."

"I don't dare say how far I can walk on this path of Martial Arts Dao."

"But if I can't even overcome this, how can I speak of reaching the end?"

"And where would the brilliance come from?"

The Great Elder still wanted to say something.

Xiao Yi interrupted, "My mind is made up, Great Elder need not say more."

"I still have pressing matters, so I won't stay any longer. Before I go, I have one more question."

"What's the matter?" The Great Elder asked.

"Is Elder Yi really in the Royal Capital?" Xiao Yi asked earnestly.

"Yes." The Great Elder was very certain.

"Good, then I take my leave." Xiao Yi bowed.

"Where are you going?" The Great Elder asked.

"Back to the Xiao Family for a while, then I'll return to the Royal Capital after a few days." Xiao Yi replied.

Then, he soared away, controlling the air.

On the spot, the Great Elder watched Xiao Yi's retreating figure, unable to calm down for a long time.

After a while, he slowly muttered to himself, "Shiyi, perhaps your disciple will truly be an even more extraordinary... Martial Artist."

The word 'Martial Artist' he articulated with great emphasis.

...

Second update.