C26 Azure Flame Pill King.

Qin Ming couldn't help but chuckle. "No need!" he said with a smile.

"Yay! No more lugging around that dumb rock," Qin Qing exclaimed with glee. "I've got to tell Mom the great news!"

Qin Ming, holding back an excited Qin Qing, suggested, "Hold off on telling Mom. Wait until you reach the Martial Warrior Realm, then surprise her. Wouldn't that be more fun?"

"You're right!" Qin Qing pondered, tugging at her clothes, and realized it was indeed a brilliant idea.

"And keep it a secret that I can refine pills. Tomorrow, after I bring my master home, we'll share the news and really shock them," Qin Ming whispered conspiratorially.

It felt like a playful scheme. Qin Qing nodded vigorously, her excitement palpable. "Brother, that's an excellent plan. They'll be totally surprised!"

"Come on, let's go have dinner. Tomorrow, we'll spring the surprise on them." With that, Qin Ming led Qin Qing toward the dining hall.

Later that night, in Qin Ming's bedroom, he sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, surrounded by swirling Spiritual Energy, his presence growing stronger.

Releasing a breath of stale air, his aura shone vibrantly, rattling the paper on the windows with its force.

Eventually, Qin Ming's energy steadied, clearly reaching the fifth level of the Martial Warrior Realm. "Forty Qi Refining Pills later, and I've attained the fifth level of the Martial Warrior Realm. The Mixed Yuan Exercise is truly not for the faint-hearted," he mused.

"But the sheer power of this technique is remarkable," he said, clenching his fists, feeling the potent energy coursing through him. The Mixed Yuan Exercise was challenging, but its strength was in direct proportion to its difficulty—it was formidable indeed.

To progress from the first to the fifth level of the Martial Warrior Realm, Qin Ming had used sixty Perfect Qi Refining Pills. These weren't just any pills; they could propel an ordinary Martial Cultivator to the Ninth Layer of Martial Master. The significance of these Perfect Qi Refining Pills couldn't be overstated, and the resources required for the Mixed Yuan Exercise were beyond the reach of most Martial Cultivators.

Realizing the hour was late, Qin Ming thought, "It's time to find my master." He leapt to his feet and dashed off toward the location etched in his memory.

Soon, he arrived at a dilapidated temple just outside Liu City. The sight of it brought a smile to his face; it was here, in his past life, that he had encountered the Azure Flame Pill King.

Fleeing from the Zhao Family, he had stumbled upon this place in desperation. His master, too, had sought refuge here. Their shared plight had earned Qin Ming his master's sympathy and an invitation to become his disciple. Together, they left the Qian Continent for the Yuan Continent.

His master had unlocked his Hidden Spiritual Root and taught him the ways of cultivation and pill refining. Sadly, his master had sustained grave injuries and ultimately passed away in an inn.

Now, Qin Ming waited for his master, determined to bring him back to the Qin Family and settle their scores.

As he stood there lost in thought, an elderly figure approached from a distance. The man, clad in black, wore an expression of weariness. As he drew nearer, Qin Ming recognized him: the man's white hair was unkempt, his long beard flowing, and his eyes held a steadfast gaze.

It was the Azure Flame Pill King, his revered master from a former life.

"Who's there? Who's out there?!" bellowed the Azure Flame Pill King, peering into the dilapidated temple.

With a resigned sigh, Qin Ming touched his nose and stepped forward into view.