Chapter 648: Life Refinement

"You can just leave everything to me?"

In the sky, the gods, each with a sacred face and surrounded by a holy white light, were momentarily stunned by these words. Only then did they begin to seriously observe the handsome and dignified young man. Upon closer inspection, they saw his long hair flowing over his shoulders, his eyes sharp as blades. He wore simple clothing, yet exuded an understated humility and gentleness that inspired trust, even a desire to follow him. Such a person, with such charismatic charm, was indeed extraordinary.

However, they all perceived that he was only at the Heavenly Emperor realm. In this era, how many Heavenly Emperors were there? They were as numerous as ants. And how powerful was Ermin? She was currently the oldest and strongest deity of the entire era after the departure of the Dao Sovereign. They secretly shook their heads. Even the Dao Sovereign could not withstand the torrent of time; he had to depart, his life and path ending, which led to drastic changes in the demon realm. Ermin was also about to follow suit. Even the deities couldn't solve these problems, so what could a mere Heavenly Emperor before them do? No one in their right mind would utter such words. It was laughable, speechless, truly absurd. They feared he didn't understand the current state of the era, merely trying to show off his personal bravery in front of his former disciple.

Yet at this moment, Ermin, surprisingly, showed curiosity. "Teacher, you've gained so much. Where have you been all these years?" The gods in the sky involuntarily perked up their ears. Although they found it incredibly amusing, as if listening to a primitive aboriginal from thousands of years ago, they still wanted to hear.

"Over these years, I went to a special place, which allowed me to become the Door of Alchemy, transforming myself into a unique existence." His body was slender and filled with powerful confidence. His alchemical body was perfectly proportioned and symmetrical, exuding a harmonious golden ratio as he stood quietly on the beach, gazing at the nearby ocean.

The minds of the surrounding deities reeled in shock! He went to a mysterious place? Where could that be? He became the Door of Alchemy himself? They had seen the symbol of the Door of Alchemy—the emblem of the ancient Alchemist Dynasty from seven thousand years ago: a gateway adorned with mysterious carvings, featuring an alchemical hourglass symbolizing equivalent exchange. And now, he claimed to *be* the Door of Alchemy himself? They absolutely could not believe it, yet their curiosity grew stronger. Previously, they would have scoffed and ridiculed him. But ever since the mysterious Creator descended, they had realized that this world was merely one of myriad realms, and they were but frogs in a well, like cicadas buried underground, living in a small corner. Now, they were filled with all kinds of curiosity about the wider world, desperate to investigate and understand it through any means possible!

However, just as all the deities looked eager, the Alchemist Emperor suddenly changed the subject and fell silent about it. "By the way, these past years, you and Medusa established the Underworld, deep in the sea? On the other side of Oceanus, in the Land of Night—the very sea where I once suppressed Medusa? The Underworld is indeed breathtakingly beautiful."

Ermin also stood at the edge of the coast, looking up towards the entrance of the Underworld. Indeed, the entire gate of the Underworld was fully visible. "Yes, it is, but it's a pity Medusa is no longer here."

Although mortals could not perceive it truly, for them, they could see faint, sparkling, multicolored wisps of wandering souls rising from the sea surface, being drawn into a single entrance. It was as if countless summer stars were flowing towards a full moon. "The origin of the Underworld was to provide a resting place for the deceased, to prevent them from becoming solitary wandering souls."

Ermin answered earnestly, "All things in the world have spirits, and spirits all have vessels. Therefore, when living beings die, their souls separate from their bodies. If the body dies but the soul remains, the departed soul can enter my Underworld, becoming a part of the soul world and living out the remainder of its soul's existence there. At this point, the souls of the deceased from all six realms enter the Underworld to live out their soul's lifespan; this has already become a rule of this world."

The Alchemist Emperor nodded and chuckled, "Indeed, everything in the world follows patterns, do you know? When people die, they enter the Underworld. When I died, I entered a peculiar place related to origins. That place was extremely mysterious, and it was there that my alchemy made a leap forward, allowing me to comprehend all possibilities and finally understand the alchemy that Hermes spoke of."

The expressions of the deities softened, as he finally spoke again about the mysterious place. But to their surprise, the Alchemist Emperor then said, "Yes, I have understood alchemy. Now, I shall test you: what is alchemy?"

"What is alchemy?" Ermin also smiled. In that moment, she felt as if she had returned to the very beginning, to that dreamlike era when she was a student of alchemy, seeking guidance from her teacher.

To the utter astonishment of all the Heavenly Gods, she, the strongest deity, began to seek guidance from this seemingly weaker Heavenly Emperor, as if facing her most revered mentor. Her eyes filled with emotion as she said, "What is alchemy? This was the very question I once asked you, Teacher. In truth, at that time, even you didn't have the correct answer and were perplexed yourself. So, your reply to me then was a direct quote from Hermes, a teaching for the mortals on the ground: 'Alchemy is the mystic art of creating unknown life, a path to pry open the door of truth. If one can master this knowledge, they will obtain the true glory of the entire world, and all obscurity in the world will vanish from their side.'"

Indeed. At that time, for the innate gods, the words of mortals on the ground were too profound. The surrounding deities also silently frowned, pondering the deep meaning of that sentence. Even today, they found it very mysterious, almost impossible to fully comprehend.

At that time, Hermes conveyed only two sayings about "alchemy." This first saying was the general essence of "alchemy" before them. The other saying, which they understood, was the path to the Door of Alchemy: "All things under heaven coexist and counteract each other, mutually exchanging one quality to please another, one quality to overcome another." The "quality" within the Trinity Formula was the key to the Door of Alchemy.

"And today," he said, "I have understood the true meaning of that saying."

"Indeed, Teacher, have you finally...?" Ermin was overjoyed. "After all these years, have you finally found the Door of Alchemy you so painstakingly sought? Have you extracted that specific quality using alchemy?"

*Boom!* As Ermin's emotions shifted, another peal of thunder ripped across the sky, as if piercing the firmament. Countless demonic beings from the realms beyond the ocean, even Heavenly Emperors, simultaneously looked up at the sky. There was thunder again, and falling rain. How had the weather become so extraordinary? Even the Heavenly Emperors could not detect any traces of artificial magic. They simply assumed it was a unique natural phenomenon, one that was entirely spontaneous, resonating with heaven and earth, invisibly interfering with them—a miraculous sight that perfectly aligned with the laws of nature.

"Yes, alchemy is the mystic art of creating unknown life." He extended his hand and produced a glass hourglass. Inside, tiny glass beads swirled, and wisps of colorful ribbons spiraled, creating a breathtakingly beautiful and awe-inspiring sight. The aura emanating from it made one's breath heavy. He extended his hand and caught the falling rain. Tiny, crystal-clear, perfectly round water droplets swirled in his palm. "Watch," he said.

At this moment, all the deities witnessed an unforgettable sight! He gently tilted the hourglass. One by one, the tiny transparent beads from the hourglass silently merged into the water droplets. That mysterious substance instantly and perfectly blended, as if it would dissolve upon contact with anything in the world and could not be preserved naturally. And this pool of water droplets seemed to come alive. The water droplets seemed to possess a faint trace of intelligence, as if a tender new sprout of life had emerged from barren soil; a soul was born in an instant!

With a gurgle, that single water droplet, like the weakest ant, possessed the faintest consciousness. It actually radiated excited and happy emotions, joyfully tumbling and splashing in his hand.

Countless deities stared dumbfounded, their eyes filled with disbelief. Was this the power of a Heavenly Emperor? Bestowing life—was this still a human's power?

Suddenly, Baixiaosheng spoke, "No, the domain of alchemy research can transcend realms, allowing one to master and discover the rules of the world. The application of alchemy has already surpassed the limitations of realms."

Everyone fell completely silent. For a moment, no one dared to refute him. The ancient alchemists had been a mysterious and terrifyingly powerful profession, belonging to an ancient mythical dynasty that had reached its pinnacle.

"It's alive? Is this true alchemy?" Ermin exclaimed with delight. "Teacher, you've actually taken that final step and found the legendary primal essence of life?"

"This is the true alchemy of an alchemist," he said, opening his palm and pouring the wriggling water into Ermin's hand. He chuckled, "You can call it a water elemental. In the future, it will grow into a true water giant, capable of taking Medusa's place and guarding the gates of this Underworld."