"Who are you?"
Zhang Ergou cautiously surveyed his surroundings, yet found nothing.
The area was still a vast expanse of white.
Even the ground beneath his feet was white, the ruggedness of moments ago gone.
"Little one, look up, I'm above your head!" the voice spoke again.
Zhang Ergou looked up and saw a white-haired old man seated in the void.
Bony and gaunt, if the old man hadn't spoken,
Zhang Ergou would have thought he was dead!
Upon closer inspection, Zhang Ergou noticed something amiss.
Eight thick iron chains, as thick as arms, pierced through the old man's waist.
The other ends of the chains were nailed to the distant stone walls.
The old man was forcibly confined in the void.
Yet, the old man's expression was serene.
"Senior, what is this?" Zhang Ergou asked cautiously.
He tightened his grip on the sword.
"Little one, fear not!" the old man said.
"Centuries have passed! It is my and your fate to see a living person."
Centuries! Zhang Ergou's heart grew more tense, but he dared not show it.
The old man above was an ancient monster; his small thoughts would likely be discovered in an instant.
"Little one, would you like to hear a story?"
The old man sought Zhang Ergou's consent.
Do I have a choice? Zhang Ergou inwardly scoffed.
Seeing Zhang Ergou's silence, the old man slowly began to speak.
"I was once the previous Sect Master of the Misty Sect, but I was persecuted by my ambitious junior brother."
"He was obsessed with becoming the Sect Master of the Misty Sect. During one of my closed-door cultivation sessions,"
"He suddenly broke into my cultivation place." A lonely smile appeared on the old man's face.
"He severely injured me! And imprisoned me here..."
After so many years, the old man seemed to have long since come to terms with the past.
Zhang Ergou stood at a distance, "Senior, wouldn't it have been better if he killed you? Why imprison you?"
"It's all because that beast coveted the Dan Fire within me!"
The old man suddenly became enraged, his face contorting savagely.
Zhang Ergou was startled by the old man's transformation.
"Elder, are you alright?" Zhang Ergou looked at the old man in the air cautiously.
The old man quickly regained his composure, "Little one, I didn't frighten you, did I? I lost my composure just now."
Zhang Ergou gathered his courage and shook his head.
"That beast coveted my Dan Fire, which is why he didn't kill me, but instead imprisoned me here, tormenting me every moment."
"What is Dan Fire, Senior Elder!" Zhang Ergou slowly shuffled his feet, moving a bit closer to the old man.
He noticed that the old man was pierced by eight iron chains and seemed unable to move.
This put him somewhat at ease.
"See! This is the Dan Fire!" The old man spat out a small flame from his mouth, which slowly landed on his hand.
The flame seemed sentient, dancing in the old man's palm like a carefree child.
Zhang Ergou watched the flame, finding it more and more captivating.
He couldn't resist inching closer to the old man.
Zhang Ergou reached out to playfully prod the flame, and this simple action had an unexpected consequence.
The flame instantly transformed into a golden light and shot into his body.
The old man burst into laughter, "Hahaha! It's destiny, destiny. Chi Chen, the Dan Fire you coveted for centuries has now willingly submitted to this little fellow, it's all fate! Hahaha..."
Zhang Ergou's face changed drastically; he had no time to react.
The flame circled within his body for a moment before zipping towards his Dantian.
Soon, Zhang Ergou felt a burning sensation in his lower abdomen.
He frantically performed an internal scan of his body.
He discovered an astonishing sight: his Dantian, where he stored his Qi, was undergoing a transformation.
Zhang Ergou also felt a warmth spread through his entire body, as if in the dead of winter, he was bathing in hot water.
"This is..." Zhang Ergou opened his mouth.
But it wasn't over yet. The flame leaped and bounded within his Dantian, as if finding his Dantian too small.
The flame's body rapidly grew, emitting a dazzling radiance until it became a golden sea of fire.
As the flame transformed into a sea of fire, Zhang Ergou's Dantian expanded more than tenfold.
Ah...
Zhang Ergou cried out and fell to the ground, a gut-wrenching pain spreading from his lower abdomen to his entire body.
*Pop!*
A crisp sound echoed in the void, and Zhang Ergou's Dantian actually burst open!
His Dantian became a vast expanse of white, as if it had become its own world, with white mist swirling above and golden light blazing below.
At this point, the sea of fire slowly receded, gradually returning to its original flame form.
Then it floated and drifted within Zhang Ergou's Dantian, as if exploring the new world it had created.
However, the flame acted as if nothing had happened.
Zhang Ergou, on the other hand, was in a miserable state. He lay on the ground, gasping for breath.
His body was drenched in sweat, and the extreme pain caused veins to bulge on his forehead.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was horribly contorted.
After a long while, Zhang Ergou felt the intense pain gradually subside.
Then, a warmth spread through his body, and Zhang Ergou's consciousness slowly cleared.
He then focused his gaze on his Dantian.
He opened his mouth, his throat dry, "What is this?"
"Little one, you're awake?" the old man's voice came from the void.
"Has the Dan Fire opened up a Dan Sea within your Dantian?"
The old man asked with a smile.
Zhang Ergou looked up at the old man, "Senior, what is a Dan Sea?"
The old man hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time, so his patience was exceptional.
"Cultivators are divided into nine realms: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Void Refinement, Body Integration, Mahayana, and True Immortal."
"Ordinary cultivators have limited Dantian capacity and can only hold a certain amount of spiritual energy."
"But a Dan Sea is different; it is countless times more advanced than a Dantian."
"It can hold a thousand to ten thousand times more spiritual energy than an ordinary cultivator."
"Now, sit down and slowly try circulating your cultivation technique," the old man said slowly.
Zhang Ergou obeyed and sat down, beginning to circulate his cultivation technique, the 《Heaven and Earth Chaotic Art》.
Soon, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged towards Zhang Ergou, forming a vortex of spiritual energy centered around him.
It entered his body through his acupoints and then flowed into his Dan Sea. Zhang Ergou's body was like a bottomless pit, devouring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
At the same time, the flame became active again.
All the spiritual energy that flowed into the Dan Sea was refined by it into pure golden true qi. The Dan Sea, which had been empty and white moments ago,
Suddenly became a dazzling golden hue, with the true qi appearing like a golden ocean.
Staring blankly at the Dan Sea, Zhang Ergou felt a sense of confusion.
Is this the Dan Sea?
The old man looked at the awakened Zhang Ergou, his face showing a sense of relief and satisfaction.
"Little one, you have been recognized by the Dan Fire, and you are now its master. What is your name?"
Zhang Ergou came back to his senses, looking at the old man in the air with a complex expression, "This junior is Zhang Ergou. May I know your name, Senior?"
"I am Ye Wushuang, the former Sect Master of the Misty Sect. When you leave here, do not reveal the Dan Fire to others, as it will bring you a fatal disaster!"
The old man cautioned him sternly.
"Ergou, I have a request to make of you. Will you agree?"
Ye Wushuang looked intently at Zhang Ergou, afraid that he might refuse.
Zhang Ergou pondered for a long time. The matter Ye Wushuang was about to request was certainly not a simple one.
"Please tell me, Senior!"