"You've done very well!" Chen Zheng said appreciatively, then walked to the side and sat down.

His Endless Defense skill was just as its name suggested: flawless. He was confident that he could remain unscathed even against the firearms of ten thousand, or even a hundred thousand, men. The only condition was that his True Qi regeneration could offset the consumption.

Hearing Chen Zheng's words, Kuang Nie and his son were pleased.

"Father, brother!"

Suddenly, a melodious voice came drifting through the air, causing the panting Kuang Nie and his son to stop, hold their breath, and turn to look.

Their eyes widened.

Under the moonlight, a woman of breathtaking beauty stood quietly before the room, a single, glistening teardrop clinging to the corner of her eye. Her figure slowly emerged in their minds, overlapping with the woman they saw before them.

"Daughter!"

"Sister!"

Kuang Nie and Kuang Hu shot to their feet, walking excitedly toward Kuang Yuanyuan with their eyes full of anticipation and joy.

"Daughter!"

Kuang Nie's trembling hand reached for Kuang Yuanyuan's cheek. The touch was incredibly real. He was certain. This is not a dream. It's all real!

The next moment, Kuang Nie could hold back no longer and hugged Kuang Yuanyuan tightly, his heart overflowing with gratitude and relief.

"Daughter! You're finally well!"

"Sister!"

Kuang Hu also hurried forward, embracing Kuang Yuanyuan with one arm and Kuang Nie with the other. Their hearts swelled with joy and emotion.

"Father, brother! I've been given a new life. I'm sorry for making you worry," Kuang Yuanyuan said with a tearful smile.

After a few minutes, their emotions gradually subsided, and the three of them stepped back. They exchanged a knowing glance, then walked toward Chen Zheng in unison.

Upon reaching him, they knelt without hesitation, bowing deeply. "We are grateful to you, Lord Chen Zheng!"

This was their family's most revered ritual, normally reserved for worshipping deities. However, at this moment, they offered it to Chen Zheng. This was proof enough that, in their hearts, he had transcended mere humanity to become a true god.

"Thank you, Brother Zheng!" Kuang Yuanyuan also knelt, but her form of address was different—clearly a clever arrangement by Huang Hua.

"Please, rise." Chen Zheng waved his hand gently, and an invisible force immediately lifted them from the ground.

Once they steadied themselves, their gazes toward Chen Zheng remained as fervent as fire.

"Ah Hu, go slaughter that sheep and prepare a delicious feast for us!" Kuang Nie ordered urgently, struck by a flash of inspiration.

"At once, Father!" Kuang Hu departed swiftly.

"Lord Chen Zheng, you've given Nanhai Stockade a new lease on life," Kuang Nie said with utter seriousness. "Whatever medicinal herbs you require, please just tell me, and I will have them prepared for you immediately!"

"As it happens, I was about to bring that up." Hearing this, Chen Zheng took his phone from his pocket and listed the herbs required for the Yuan Pei Pill in his notes app. He gently handed the phone to Kuang Nie, and the list of ingredients flashed on the screen. Kuang Nie scanned it once and committed all the names to memory.

"The more, the better," Chen Zheng said, his voice low and resolute.

Kuang Nie pledged to prepare them as quickly as possible, until Chen Zheng was satisfied.

Huang Hua watched Chen Zheng with a grateful look, but he simply waved his hand, indicating there was no need for such formality.

Time flew, and evening soon arrived.

Chen Zheng and Huang Hua decided to stay the night at Nanhai Stockade to enjoy the rare tranquility.

Kuang Nie brought a full load of medicinal herbs to Chen Zheng, who had chosen a secluded courtyard to be away from the hustle and bustle. Afterward, he took out the Yuan Pei Pill recipe again and immersed himself in his research.

It was not until night fell that Chen Zheng put away the recipe.

"Fire!" he uttered softly, and a roaring flame appeared in his hand.

The Fire Control Technique was the refinement method recorded within the Yuan Pei Pill's instructions.

The flame materialized in the air, intense and mysterious, like a phoenix reborn. This was the mystical power of the Heaven Merging Realm, but to command it, one needed the ancient skill hidden within the Yuan Pei Pill's secret recipe—the Fire Control Technique.

At this moment, a flame burned in Chen Zheng's palm, its temperature astonishingly high, like the inferno of the sun itself.

His gaze fell on the herbs. With a gentle wave of his hand, one of them floated into his grasp.

Following the secret recipe, the flame in his hand suddenly expanded like a blazing star. He then tossed the herb into the fire, which immediately enveloped it like a planet embraced by the sun.

Like snow under a scorching sun, the herb instantly turned into a clump of charred residue, emitting a suffocating, burnt stench.

Chen Zheng's expression clouded over. He had learned from sensational web novels that the mystical art of alchemy had an astonishingly high failure rate. Only now, however, did he realize how naively he had underestimated its difficulty. This isn't a matter of failure rates; it's a hellish trial that pushes the very limits of a person!

He shook his head helplessly, dispelling the chaotic thoughts from his mind. He then picked up another herb and cast it into the roaring flames.

SIZZLE!

The mockery of fate repeated itself.

Staring at the charred herb in his hand, Chen Zheng extinguished the flame and fell into deep contemplation. He decided to first hone his Fire Control Technique rather than rushing to continue the refinement.

Half an hour later, he gathered his focus and attempted the refinement again.

Compared to his previous attempts, the herb lasted much longer in the flame, looking as if it might dissolve at any moment. Although it eventually turned to ash, Chen Zheng did not lose heart. On the contrary, his resolve only hardened.

Time flew, and three days passed in a flash.

After countless attempts and failures, Chen Zheng finally mastered the essence of the flame, successfully refining a medicinal herb into a fine powder.

The following process became relatively easy. Like a skilled craftsman, Chen Zheng refined one herb after another into powder. When he began to refine the Luohuangti, however, he faced an unprecedented challenge.

Despite trying more than ten times, he failed every single time.

In the end, the ten-plus pieces of 20-year-old Luohuangti that Kuang Nie had brought were all gone, yet Chen Zheng still hadn't successfully produced any powder.

"This is just too hard!" Chen Zheng couldn't help but complain.

Frustrated, he stood up and walked out of the courtyard.

As soon as he stepped over the threshold, Kuang Hu came to meet him. For the past few days, he had been standing guard outside the courtyard. The moment Chen Zheng appeared, he would immediately ask what he needed and prepare it.

"The Luohuangti is gone. Do you have any more?" Chen Zheng asked directly.

Kuang Hu was silent for a moment before answering, "Father went to gather more. He should be back around now."

"Lord Chen Zheng, Ah Hu!"

Before Kuang Hu's words had even faded, Kuang Nie's eager voice cut in.

They turned their heads and saw Kuang Nie hurrying toward them, clutching a parcel. A weary smile was on his face.

Kuang Hu immediately went to greet him.

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