Peach Blossom Flame

"The big guy has finally been taken down!"

After the Kuimu Beast was knocked down, Yan Qingshan slowly landed on the ground. Though the Kuimu Beast had fallen, it had not completely lost its fighting strength. Seeing Yan Qingshan land, it still tried to attack again.

But the moment it opened its mouth, the Fire Spirit Snake slithered over and swept its long tail. The Kuimu Beast was sent flying once more. After this happened several times, the Wood Attribute fifth-rank magical beast finally obediently admitted defeat, sprawling on its back with all four limbs limp.

It could also tell that Yan Qingshan and the Fire Spirit Snake did not seem intent on taking its life. If they truly wanted it dead, it would have fought to the bitter end or looked for a chance to escape. Yet although the Fire Spirit Snake had injured it, it had merely exhausted its strength; its injuries were not particularly serious.

Wood Attribute magical beasts were naturally rather gentle in temperament, and this Kuimu Beast was much the same. However, to be safe, Yan Qingshan chose force before courtesy. He first beat the fellow into submission, then discussed business with it.

After an extremely "harmonious" conversation, Yan Qingshan, Qingling, and the Fire Spirit Snake bid the Kuimu Beast a reluctant farewell. Before leaving, they also took a large pile of specialties from the peach grove—along with the most important thing of all: the fifth-rank Beast Flame, Peach Blossom Flame.

"This is Peach Blossom Flame!"

Within a valley of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Yan Qingshan and the others, having returned from the peach grove, sorted through their harvest. Besides a large pile of Peach Fruits, two peach fruits glowing with pink flames were exceptionally beautiful.

After the Kuimu Beast separated the Fire Seed of Peach Blossom Flame, it was stored within the two Peach Fruits Yan Qingshan had picked. They already contained pure Peach Blossom Flame energy, making the Fire Seed formed this way far more precious than ordinary Fire Seeds.

The pink Peach Blossom Flame gently churned within the two Peach Fruits, carrying a faint peach-like aura as a light, unusual fragrance spread through the surrounding air.

Looking at the Fire Seed in his hand, Yan Qingshan thought to himself, Heavenly Flame energy is violent. Even though I absorbed Green Lotus energy and gave my body some degree of adaptation and compatibility with the Green Lotus Core Flame, the chances of success would still be low if I tried it directly.

After all, I am Wood Attribute. If I want to completely absorb a Heavenly Flame and unleash its full power, I need to acquire at least some degree of Fire Attribute. Aside from undergoing Lionheart Baptism once more, absorbing a Beast Flame containing Wood Attribute energy is a good method.

After obtaining the Green Lotus Core Flame and confirming that he might be able to absorb it, Yan Qingshan had naturally set his sights on this Heavenly Flame. Heavenly Flames were among the most fundamental forms of energy in this world. A Heavenly Flame from the Heavenly Flame Ranking, combined with the Fennel Art, was also the method most likely to break through to Dou Emperor in this age.

Yan Qingshan himself was Wood Attribute and had little interest in the Fennel Art, but how could he not be tempted by a Heavenly Flame, a means of strengthening himself? Since he was tempted and happened to possess a Heavenly Flame he could attempt to absorb, how could he possibly give up?

He had brought Qingling and the Fire Spirit Snake to the peach grove to obtain Peach Blossom Flame precisely to prepare for absorbing it in the future and lay a foundation for himself.

Yan Qingshan recalled the contents of the alchemist's notes obtained from the Mo Clan. After all, they had belonged to a peak fourth-grade alchemist, so they naturally contained methods for subduing and refining Beast Flames. To refine a Beast Flame, one must first subdue its source Fire Seed. The method is...

Using Dou Qi, Yan Qingshan drew one Peach Fruit containing a Fire Seed before him. His Soul Perception gradually extended into the spiritual fruit as he circulated his Dou Qi, slowly wrapping the Peach Blossom Flame's Fire Seed within and attempting to separate it.

The first step went rather smoothly. A faint pink Fire Seed appeared on the surface of the Peach Fruit. Yan Qingshan continued increasing his Soul Perception and began trying to grasp its rhythm.

"Hiss!"

Yan Qingshan sucked in a cold breath. The moment he attempted to control it, the tiny pink flame seemed to emit an instinctive resistance. This was the Fire Seed's self-protective awareness.

Yan Qingshan had been mentally prepared and did not lose heart. Frowning tightly, blue light flickered in his eyes as he focused his mind. His gaze was fixed firmly upon that tiny pink flame, his concentration growing ever more intense. His perception continued to strengthen as he repeatedly probed the pattern behind the pink flame's eruptions.

Although the Fire Seed of Peach Blossom Flame was quite resistant and unruly, it was ultimately water without a source after losing its master. Under Yan Qingshan's repeated harassment and probing, it gradually stopped resisting and was little by little branded anew.

Nearly a quarter of an hour later, fine beads of sweat appeared on Yan Qingshan's forehead, yet he made no unnecessary movements. He remained focused on the Fire Seed.

At a certain moment, the Soul Power wrapped around the pink flame suddenly trembled and invaded it, breaking through its defenses. More mental intent then surged into the Fire Seed like a tide, swiftly taking control of everything within it.

As Yan Qingshan's Soul Power entered the Fire Seed, his entire body suddenly shuddered. A strange sensation quickly spread through his body. At that moment, every one of his Pores seemed to open and close completely in an instant. The feeling was exceedingly profound and comfortable.

The first step was complete. What came next was the key. Whether it succeeded or failed, whether he would feast or merely sip soup, depended on the next step: truly absorbing the Fire Seed into his body, opening up a space to nourish the flame, and making it his temporary source flame.

The integrated and deduced information flashed through Yan Qingshan's mind. After carefully considering it, he nodded and slowly closed his eyes. He crossed his legs into a cultivation posture and formed a cultivation seal with his hands, his eyes observing his nose, his nose observing his heart, and his mind gradually sinking into his body.

His awareness made a circuit through his body along his Meridians before finally arriving at his Dantian Qi Sea. Liquid Dou Qi, like flowing fluid, was being nourished within it, and Yan Qingshan's awareness cautiously began to act.

Mysterious Cyan Dou Qi stirred within his body. A hollow appeared within the liquid vortex of his Dantian. At that moment, Yan Qingshan suddenly opened his eyes, opened his mouth, and inhaled. Drawn by his Dou Qi, the Fire Seed of Peach Blossom Flame, along with the Peach Fruit, was swallowed in one gulp.

The fist-sized Peach Fruit made Yan Qingshan feel as though his mouth might not have been large enough, but unexpectedly, the Peach Fruit housing the Fire Seed was exceptionally chewy and springy, sliding straight into his mouth and down his throat.

Yan Qingshan's body immediately underwent earth-shaking changes. Under the effects of Dou Qi, the Medicinal Power of the Peach Fruit rapidly spread throughout his body. A faint red mist seeped from his Pores, carrying an unusual fragrance.

Meanwhile, the Fire Seed of Peach Blossom Flame separated out and plunged straight into Yan Qingshan's Dantian, taking root precisely within the core of his Dou Qi.

The instant the Fire Seed entered his Dou Qi core, his Dantian almost seemed to explode. It churned and overturned as if it were about to burst apart. Fortunately, Yan Qingshan had been mentally prepared. His Soul Power had remained locked onto and guarded over his Qi Sea, and after great effort, he finally calmed it down.

The Fire Seed gradually merged into the core of his Dou Qi. Streams of Mysterious Cyan Dou Qi poured into the Fire Seed, triggering a resonance within it, and the originally Mysterious Cyan Dou Qi began to change as well.

Within Yan Qingshan's Dou Qi core, the pink energy steadily deepened in color, while the Mysterious Cyan energy accumulated more and more. When its color reached a certain depth, the pink energy suddenly trembled, and faint pink flames rose from it.

Peach Blossom Flame gradually gained a firm foothold within Yan Qingshan's body, giving him an extraordinarily unusual sensation. The Beast Flame within him had been initially subdued.

Yan Qingshan extended a finger. With a soft puff, a pink flame lit up. It resembled a flesh-colored candle, yet Yan Qingshan's finger would not vanish as Peach Blossom Flame burned.

Yan Qingshan's Dantian was also changing due to the appearance of the Fire Seed. The energy of Peach Blossom Flame intertwined with his Mysterious Cyan Dou Qi. Their origins were both Wood Attribute energy. Though Peach Blossom Flame existed in the form of fire, its essence had not changed.

The energy of Peach Blossom Flame influenced Yan Qingshan's Dou Qi core. A trace of pink aura appeared within his Mysterious Cyan Wood Attribute Dou Qi, and the speed at which his Dou Qi was refined and absorbed also increased significantly.

Although it had not undergone the transformation from a Profound-tier Cultivation Technique to an Earth-tier Cultivation Technique, it had improved every aspect of his Dou Qi, making it far superior to the Dou Qi cultivated through ordinary Profound-tier High-grade Cultivation Techniques.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured continuously into his body as Yan Qingshan unconsciously circulated his cultivation technique, causing him to undergo a baptism of Dou Qi almost every moment. Before long, his Dou Qi was fully replenished and his recovery complete.

His cultivation and recovery abilities had increased by around ten percent. That ten percent was not to be underestimated; it was practically a qualitative leap. Such benefits were undoubtedly immense for Yan Qingshan's cultivation.

Once Peach Blossom Flame entered his body and became his source Fire Seed, it was like activating a massive circulating machine. Yan Qingshan's latent potential began to be developed.

Peach Blossom Flame needed to absorb Wood Attribute Dou Qi to grow, while its internal influence increased the speed at which he absorbed Dou Qi. This naturally perfect synergy left Yan Qingshan overjoyed.

"Material flames—something only a Dou Ling or a fourth-grade alchemist can achieve. Certain matters can finally be put on the agenda."

Yan Qingshan looked at the pink flame dancing at his fingertip, exceptionally pleased. True flame, material flame—even Fire Attribute cultivators had to reach Dou Ling to achieve it, while he was merely a Dou Master.

Generally speaking, Fire Attribute cultivators below the level of Dou Ling or fourth-grade alchemist could only convert Fire Attribute Dou Qi into flame through special tools. As for material flames, they had to reach Dou Ling or become a fourth-grade alchemist.

Of course, nothing was absolute. Or rather, there was one resource-intensive method: the method Yan Qingshan had used now, absorbing a Beast Flame. As long as one successfully subdued and absorbed a Fire Seed, even a low-level cultivator could wield material flames.

Moreover, this had another benefit. Because a trace of Wood Qi was mixed into the Fire Attribute of most alchemists, their Dou Qi was certainly not as pure or powerful as that of cultivators with pure Fire Attributes.

But with a Beast Flame—or an even higher-grade Heavenly Flame—the flames one unleashed would be anything but ordinary. This compensated for the insufficient power of one's own Fire Attribute Dou Qi.

Yan Qingshan's problem was even greater than that of an alchemist. He had no Fire Attribute at all, which was an innate elemental disadvantage. Naturally, he had to solve this problem.