In the world of cultivation, there exists a rare lineage: individuals whose blood flows with that of an ancient celestial being. Such people possess unparalleled, transcendent talent, surpassing all others throughout history. Therefore, Heaven, in its jealousy, bestows an incomparable seal upon them at birth, preventing them from cultivating for the rest of their lives.

Ling Xian was this kind of person.

The heavens had placed four restrictions within his body: Sealing the Heavens, Locking the Earth, Imprisoning Immortals, and Trapping Gods. These four supreme formations were fused together, making his desire to become a cultivator an impossible delusion.

"So that's how it is... so that's how it is," Ling Xian murmured, a self-deprecating laugh escaping his lips. "I was sealed by the heavens. No wonder I couldn't cultivate. How can a mere mortal fight against the will of Heaven?"

Moments ago, he had received this message from the old man who claimed to be an immortal, finally learning the reason why he could not cultivate since childhood. He also learned that he was currently in the inner world of the Nine Immortals Diagram. This place was vast and boundless, rich in spiritual energy, with exotic flowers, rare herbs, and cascading waterfalls everywhere—a true fairyland.

Normally, upon arriving in such a spiritually rich place, he would have immediately sat down to cultivate. But now, his dream of cultivation lay shattered, and his fleeting hope had turned into crushing despair.

"Who says you can't?"

The old man, who claimed to be an immortal, was dressed in flowing white robes, with white hair and a youthful face. He floated in mid-air, exuding an otherworldly and ethereal aura.

Ling Xian suddenly snapped his head up, staring intently at the mysterious old man. He asked urgently, "Do you have a way?"

"If not, why would I have dragged you into the Nine Immortals Diagram?" The old man stroked his beard with a knowing smile. "The four supreme formations are indeed powerful, but they are not invincible. Do not forget, I am an immortal."

"Please help me, Senior," Ling Xian pleaded, his expression brightening instantly. Cultivation was the foundation of his dream, and regardless of whether the old man was telling the truth or not, he would not let go of any opportunity to change his destiny.

As for the old man's claim of being an immortal, he remained skeptical. Although the old man appeared ethereal and unfathomable, and the Nine Immortals Diagram was a legendary magic treasure, no one in the entire cultivation world had ascended for thirty thousand years. Moreover, true immortals who had ascended to the Immortal Realm could not possibly appear in the mortal cultivation world.

"I can certainly help you, but if you wish to gain something, you must always give something in return," the old man said calmly.

Ling Xian was taken aback. A terrifying legend suddenly flashed through his mind, and he blurted out, "Could it be that you want to possess my body?"

The old man was stunned for a moment, then roared in indignation, "How could you even think of that? I am a man whose name is recorded in history! How could I do such a despicable thing?"

"This... I was being presumptuous." Ling Xian thought about it carefully and realized that a possession attempt was unlikely. He was currently deep within the other party's territory, and the old man's cultivation was unfathomable. If he wanted to harm him, he would have done so long ago.

The old man gave a disgruntled snort, his deep eyes gazing skyward, a hint of something indescribable flashing across his face. After a long silence, he sighed, "My name is Lian Cangqiong. Have you ever heard of this name?"

Ling Xian pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered seeing a famous title in an ancient book. His eyes widened in shock.

"You... you are the legendary alchemist, Lian Cangqiong, who is said to be able to refine the sun, moon, and stars!"

The old man sighed softly, his expression complex. "Time flies, and the world changes. I never thought anyone in the Nine Provinces would still remember this name."

Throughout the long history of cultivation, the story of "The Immortal Pill Refines the Heavens" is an absolutely undeniable legend. Lian Cangqiong was obsessed with alchemy his entire life, reaching the Ninth Rank at thirteen and the First Rank at one hundred and two. He created countless pill formulas that benefited cultivators, and finally, he opened his furnace atop Mount Tianshan to refine an Immortal Pill, successfully ascending to the Immortal Realm.

Later generations used this sentence to describe him: "If Heaven had not created the heavens, the Dao of alchemy would have remained in eternal darkness!" It was clear that Lian Cangqiong made immense contributions to the cultivation world and the art of alchemy.

Ling Xian was utterly shocked, never expecting that the already ascended Pill Immortal would appear before him. However, he now felt certain that an immortal could break the seal within his body.

He couldn't help but ask, "Senior Pill Immortal, what do you require of me in exchange for helping me break the Heavenly Restriction?"

"Inherit my mantle. I do not want my alchemy skills to be lost when my soul dissipates," Lian Cangqiong said with a sad expression.

"The soul dissipates?" Ling Xian was taken aback, only now noticing that the Pill Immortal's form looked very illusory, not like a flesh-and-blood body.

"That's right. What you see now is only my soul. Within this Nine Immortals Diagram, the souls of eight other True Immortals also slumber," Lian Cangqiong said softly.

What happened? How could the legendary ascended immortals be reduced to mere souls? And how could nine of them perish together?

Ling Xian felt his brain was overwhelmed; everything that had happened today was simply too miraculous.

"Alright, these matters are too far removed from your current life. Now, I ask you: would you be willing to become my disciple?" Lian Cangqiong's expression grew serious.

"Why me?" Ling Xian hesitated. Being accepted as a disciple by the Pill Immortal was an immense honor, but his inexplicable arrival at the Nine Immortals Map and his encounter with the legendary Lian Cangqiong all felt too much like a dream, leaving him with a sense of unreality.

"How could the disciples of my Lian Cangqiong be mere mortals? Only those who possess the Heavenly Restriction can do so. Besides, I just awoke from my slumber and met you; this is fate," the Pill Immortal smiled faintly, his white robes fluttering, his immortal bearing unparalleled.

"I never imagined that a useless person like me would actually receive the favor of Senior Pill Immortal," Ling Xian murmured with emotion, feeling a sense of joy after all his suffering.

From a young age, he had endured endless ridicule and humiliation because he was unable to cultivate. But now, because of his special physique, he was valued by the Immortal Alchemist Lian Cangqiong. It had to be said that fate was truly unpredictable.

"Then become my disciple. From now on, you will be my last disciple," Lian Cangqiong looked at Ling Xian with affection, his eyes filled with reminiscence.

Ling Xian's expression turned solemn, and he knelt on the ground, earnestly saying, "Master, please accept my three kowtows."

"Thump!"

He kowtowed three times in succession, each impact against the ground resounding clearly.

"Good, good, good. Get up quickly, my good disciple," Lian Cangqiong smiled and waved his sleeve, a gentle breeze lifting Ling Xian's body.

"I beg Master to help me break the seal of Heaven and embark on the path of cultivation," Ling Xian said, bowing.

"Fortunately, I recovered some of my abilities during my 30,000-year slumber; otherwise, I really wouldn't have been confident in breaking this seal." Lian Cangqiong pointed a finger at Ling Xian's brow, and the entire small world suddenly trembled violently. Streams of chaotic energy surged out along with the rising and setting of the sun and moon, as if the world was being newly created.

Pain!

The pain was excruciating!

Ling Xian felt as if his brow was about to split open as a terrifying force forcefully rushed into his body. Yet, his mind remained perfectly clear. The endless torment was agonizing.

"Aah!"

With a roar, Ling Xian's eyes turned bloodshot, and his entire body seemed to be torn apart by a thousand knives. Blood splattered and stained his hemp clothes red, turning him into a blood-soaked figure from head to toe.

"Hold on!" Lian Cangqiong shouted, and pointed his finger at Ling Xian's chest again. In an instant, the sky darkened, the sun and moon lost their light, and the inner world of the Nine Immortals Diagram seemed to be on the verge of destruction, falling into eternal silence.

"Click-clack!"

A cracking sound came from Ling Xian's body, and a huge, illusory array slowly emerged above his head, exuding a chilling, absolute killing intent.

The God-Trapping Formation!

Lian Cangqiong frowned, not expecting the very first formation to be so troublesome. However, he was not worried. He pointed one finger to the sky and formed a mysterious hand seal with the other hand, coldly shouting, "Heaven-Opening Seal, break!"

A gigantic palm print, accompanied by a chillingly powerful aura, struck the illusory image of the God-Trapping Array, unleashing a dazzling burst of light.

The God-Trapping Array glowed brightly, and wisps of energy spread out, forming an invisible barrier that blocked the Heaven-Opening Seal.

"It's just a phantom of the true God-Trapping Array, yet you dare to act so arrogantly? If I only had the power of my soul now, I would have broken you with a single finger," the Pill Immortal snorted coldly, and his majestic aura swept out, soaring straight into the sky and stirring up the winds and clouds in all directions.

"The Daoist Technique, the Immortal-Slaying Divine Sword!"

A massive sword shadow appeared, possessing a sharpness capable of cleaving heaven and earth and severing mountains and rivers, and slashed directly above the God-Trapping Array!

Sword energy radiated outwards, sharp and incomparable. The God-Trapping Formation crumbled instantly, vanishing into nothingness. However, just as it dissipated, a sword energy reflected back, piercing through Lian Cangqiong's chest.

The sword light whistled past without leaving a trace of blood, but Lian Cangqiong's face paled, and he appeared even more ethereal. The Immortal-Slaying Divine Sword, unleashed from his soul power, could naturally also injure his own soul.

"The seal within his body is so powerful. I thought I could break through all four formations, but I didn't expect that just one formation would leave me in such a sorry state," the Pill Immortal breathed heavily, relying on the soul-nourishing power of the Nine Immortals Diagram to recover a trace of his soul. After this battle, he was noticeably weaker.

"Boom!" A deafening roar.

Ling Xian, with disheveled hair and blood-stained hemp clothes, slowly straightened up, as if a celestial being had descended to earth, a supreme being descended to the world, exuding an aura of supreme authority that made him the only one worthy of respect in heaven and earth!

His injuries healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. The Heavenly Venerable Blood that had been dormant for fourteen years finally awakened. Although most of it was still sealed, he could clearly feel that the potential within him was like a volcano. If it did not erupt, it would surely burn the entire world!

With a thought, wisps of spiritual energy swirled around him, flowing into his internal organs, limbs, and bones, finally converging in his dantian. He progressed through the first, second, and third levels of Qi Refining before the surrounding spiritual energy gradually faded, no longer being absorbed by him.

"This feeling is wonderful." Ling Xian felt the surging magical power within his body, the corners of his mouth slowly turning up, until he finally couldn't help but burst into unrestrained laughter.

But raising his cultivation to the third level of Qi Refining in one go was not his greatest gain; his greatest gain was those eyes.

His left eye was as black as ink, and his right eye was as white as snow.

It was the World-Destroying Eye, which ranks fourth on the Heavenly Eye list.