Cloud Region, Black Iron City.
"Qi Refining Level 7..." Darius whispered, taking a deep breath as a faint smile curled on his lips.
He had successfully broken through. Now, he is a genuine Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator.
At only sixteen years old, Darius had already achieved a level of cultivation that many could only dream of. It was all thanks to his exceptional talent—and his good background.
Darius was fortunate—born with a high-grade spiritual root and into the prestigious Blackwood Family, a clan strong enough to produce a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
As a core disciple of the clan, he had never lacked resources. From rare heaven-and-earth treasures to pills, spirit fruits, and even demonic beast meat—everything needed for rapid cultivation was readily provided.
Thanks to this unparalleled support, reaching Qi Refining Level 7 at just sixteen had been smooth, almost effortless.
If he continued on this path, he might even form his foundation before the age of thirty—a feat that would place him on par with the genius of major cultivation sects.
"Hmm?" Darius frowned as he sorted through his storage bag—something had suddenly caught his attention.
It was a bronze furnace.
He had bought it on a whim at the market, convinced it might be a hidden treasure. But after testing it in every way he could think of, it turned out to be nothing more than a mortal object. Disappointed, Darius had tossed it into a corner of his storage bag and forgotten about it.
But now...
The furnace was emitting a strange purple light, faint but unmistakably unnatural.
His eyes narrowed. "This thing… what's going on with it now?"
After a moment of hesitation, Darius reached into the storage bag and carefully took out the bronze furnace.
The instant it left the bag, the purple light flared violently, engulfing the furnace in a blinding glow.
A low hum vibrated through the air, and the furnace began to tremble in his hands—not with instability, but as if something inside it had awakened.
Then, without warning, an unseen force rushed into his body through his palm, and the furnace dissolved into a stream of radiant energy.
"W-What?!" Darius staggered back, eyes wide. He could feel it—the furnace was no longer in his hands. It was inside him.
Darius's breath quickened as the strange energy surged through him. His heart pounded—he had no idea what just happened.
Was it possession? A curse? Some kind of soul invasion?
Just as panic began to grip him, a mechanical message echoed in his mind. It wasn't a voice, but more like information being transmitted directly into his consciousness:
[Bound Item: Bronze Heaven-Refining Furnace]
Function: Enhances the quality of spiritual items. Compatible with pills, weapons, tools, herbs, and treasures.
Note: The process need lust energy to increase the grade of spiritual items.
Darius blinked, stunned.
"It really is a treasure…" he muttered in shock.
The same furnace he had tossed aside as useless—a mortal object—was actually a mystical tool that could increase the quality of any spiritual item?
"With this treasure, I can definitely become a high-ranked cultivator in the future!" Darius exclaimed, eyes gleaming with excitement.
He could already envision a brilliant future—wealth, power, and prestige, standing above all like a sovereign overlooking the world.
But as quickly as the excitement came, a chill ran down his spine.
"I must never reveal this treasure," Darius warned himself grimly. "Even family would betray me for something like this."
This wasn't just a useful tool—it was a heaven-defying artifact. Something that could turn the tides of fate. And Darius knew all too well:
Even a Divine Transformation Ancestor would lower themselves to kill a ant like him to obtain his treasure.
"Fortunately, it's hidden within me. Unless someone carefully probes my soul, they'll never discover it." Darius thought with a hint of relief.
So, without further hesitation, Darius decided to put the furnace's power to the test.
From his storage bag, he retrieved a Glowpeach—a low-grade spiritual fruit with a faint shimmer, known to slightly boost spiritual energy when consumed. Its aura was mild, its fragrance soft, and though useful, it was far from rare.
He held the fruit in his palm and focused his mind.
Almost instinctively, the bronze furnace within his soul stirred, and a faint purple light pulsed from deep within his body.
Suddenly, a beam of ethereal purple light emerged from his chest, wrapping around the Glowpeach like a cocoon of energy. The fruit hovered in mid-air, trembling as if resisting the transformation, but the light only grew stronger.
In a heartbeat, the Glowpeach was pulled into his body, vanishing without a trace.
Darius held his breath.
Moments later, the purple light flickered again—this time ejecting the fruit back into his hand. But it had changed.
The once dull fruit now glowed with a radiant golden sheen, its spiritual aura several times more potent. The fragrance was richer, and the spiritual energy it emitted made the very air around it feel charged.
A high-grade Glowpeach.
Darius's eyes widened in awe.
"It really works…"
He could feel the power contained in the upgraded fruit—it was no longer a mere supplement, but a rare treasure for any Qi Refining cultivators.