The unmistakably familiar voice shattered Luo Chen's uplifted mood. Until that moment, he had believed the voice that guided him through the five trials of the Alchemy Realm was merely something left behind by the creator of this place Hearing it again now, however, he realized that it did not belong to a lingering soul fragment, an automatic message, or anything like that. There was a real, living being in this hall.

He looked around warily. "Who's there?"

No one answered, and nothing stirred in the silence. After a brief pause, he narrowed his eyes at the black cauldron. "Is it you?"

"It is." 

The reply came from inside the cauldron. The voice was so weak that it seemed to have gathered every scrap of its remaining strength simply to utter those two words.

Then, it spoke again. "Successor, tell me your name."

Luo Chen hesitated only briefly before answering honestly, "Luo Chen."

Now that the voice had clearly come from the cauldron, its identity became obvious—it was the artifact spirit!

According to legend, only spirit treasures could give...