"Where am I?"

    Xu Nian woke up from unconsciousness and found himself lying inside a giant bronze tripod.

    The tripod was about two meters in diameter, filled with water, and various herbs and some rare beast bones floated on the surface.

    At that moment, the medicinal soup was boiling hot, the intense heat almost made Xu Nian pass out again.

    "What''s going on? Could it be that I''ve been captured by some demons planning to cook me?"

    Xu Nian suddenly remembered that some elders of the Qin Family had mentioned that some demons eat humans to enhance their cultivation.

    Could it be his misfortune to encounter such a thing?

    "No, I must escape, my mother is still waiting for me to save her."

    Thinking this, Xu Nian hurriedly tried to crawl out of the tripod.

    "Humph, stay put!"

    Just then, a whirlwind suddenly burst open the door.

    A figure appeared in front of Xu Nian as a fading shadow, and with a single palm strike, he knocked Xu Nian back into the tripod.

    Xu Nian was startled.

    Such terrifying speed, perhaps even Qin Yuanshan couldn''t match it.

    It was over, it was over, he had fallen into the hands of such a terrifying entity.

    A sense of despair arose in Xu Nian''s heart. He had planned to escape while the demon was not paying attention, but this demon was terrifyingly strong.

    "Humph, boy, you know the medicine I prepared took a full ten years to gather. If you waste it, I''ll flay your skin," the newcomer threatened.

    Xu Nian''s body trembled as he looked toward the newcomer.

    He saw a middle-aged man in a white robe glaring at him, his facial features sharp and distinct, his eyebrows like drawn swords, cold and resolute.

    Especially, standing there, he gave Xu Nian the feeling of facing a primordial beast, absolutely terrifying.

    Xu Nian knew that facing such a terrifying existence, there was absolutely no escape. The only way was to beg for mercy,

    perhaps a moment of soft-heartedness from the other party might spare him.

    "Senior, don''t kill me. My mother is still waiting for me to save her; I haven''t avenged my great enmity yet, I don''t want to die," Xu Nian pleaded hastily.

    "Kill you? Who said I was going to kill you?" the middle-aged man asked, puzzled.

    "Eh? Not kill me? Then what are you preparing this pot of medicine for, even boiling me in it?" Xu Nian was baffled and asked.

    "Ha ha!"

    The middle-aged man laughed heartily, leaving Xu Nian totally confused.

    A great joy filled Xu Nian''s heart.

    "Could all of this really be due to the medicinal bath?" Xu Nian looked incredulously at Bai Tianhan who indeed wore a joyful grin.

    This only confirmed Xu Nian''s suspicion about the medicinal bath''s efficacy.

    At the same time, a surge of excitement overcame him. Previously, with his Dantian destroyed, he had been so desperate he no longer wanted to live, which led to his provocation of Qin Yuanshan and Qin Hen back at the Qin Family.

    Later, the thought of his mother gave him a sliver of desire to survive.

    Even so, infiltrating the Qin Family, brimming with masters, to rescue his mother seemed as difficult as reaching the heavens.

    But now, things were different. His Dantian was restored, and he had taken a Xuantian-level Battle General as his mentor; as long as he didn''t die, there would always be a day when he could rescue his mother.

    Determination sparked in Xu Nian''s eyes, his heart aflame with passion.

    "Hmph, Qin Hen, you all just wait, the next time I appear before you, I will make you see me in a new light," Xu Nian clenched his fists till they cricked, his eyes full of fighting spirit.

    At this moment, Bai Tianhan''s voice sounded again.

    "I''ve collected medicinal herbs for ten years, and it wasn''t just to repair your Dantian, oh no!"

    Xu Nian turned to his master with confusion.

    Just then, Bai Tianhan moved.

    His black hair danced, and his white robe billowed, standing there like a War God, radiating an incredibly powerful aura.

    "How powerful, truly worthy of the Xuan Tian level!" Xu Nian praised internally, nearly overwhelmed by the mere force of the aura.

    Bai Tianhan''s eyes shimmered as he struck the giant bronze tripod, and the nearly ten-thousand-pound tripod suddenly shot into the air.

    Then, Bai Tianhan''s hands moved like lightning, imprinting mysterious seals all over the bronze tripod.

    In no time, the giant bronze tripod was covered with black mystical patterns.

    Inside, Xu Nian only felt the temperature of the medicinal soup skyrocketing.

    In just a breath''s time, the temperature became dozens of times what it was.

    "Aah, it hurts so much..."

    Xu Nian screamed like he was being slaughtered, his veins bulging and skin splitting open as intense pain knocked him unconscious.

    Bai Tianhan stood by, nodding in satisfaction.

    "My disciple, this is all I can do for you. The awakening of the Divine Demon is up to you, and to what extent you can awaken depends on your own destiny."

    With those words, Bai Tianhan turned into a shadow again and disappeared from the room.

    In the room, the giant bronze tripod hung in mid-air, covered with chain-like black patterns, utterly mysterious.

    Xu Nian lay inside, unconscious, unaware that his body was undergoing earth-shattering changes. Potent energy emanated from the medicinal herbs and beast bones, furiously surging towards Xu Nian''s limbs and bones.

    Gradually, a faint blood glow enveloped Xu Nian''s entire body, growing increasingly intense.