A New Alchemist, Qi Fei, Makes His Entrance

Scorching heat and piercing cold.

Two completely different sensations enveloped Qi Fei.

He felt as if he were immersed in some mighty force, and even the pain in his body had become insignificant.

Unfortunately, the strange sensation didn't last long before abruptly disappearing. The burning sensation from outside was also gradually fading.

Qi Fei opened his eyes and looked at Yao Lao.

"Master, what happened?"

His voice was so hoarse it was barely audible, even startling Qi Fei himself.

"Your body and Dou Qi have reached their limits. You can't continue."

Along with the concern in Yao Lao's eyes was an irrepressible joy.

He had thought that helping Qi Fei grow accustomed to the Heavenly Flame's scorching heat during his first attempt at cultivation would be the limit.

He hadn't expected Qi Fei to temper all the meridians in his body.

Such willpower was truly impressive.

"The results of this cultivation have far exceeded my expectations. Get some rest, and continue once your body has recovered."

After saying this, Yao Lao drifted to the cave entrance and called for Xiao Yan, who was keeping watch. He told him to take Qi Fei home to rest.

Qi Fei, meanwhile, was checking what he had gained.

The Red Lotus Body Tempering Art had produced very clear results.

His Qi Sea's capacity, the speed at which he refined Heaven and Earth Origin Qi, and the power of each unit of Dou Qi had all improved significantly.

In just this short time, his nearly depleted Dou Qi had recovered considerably.

At the same time, the meridians in his body had turned white.

Their resilience and capacity for Dou Qi both far surpassed what they had been before.

"And my affinity for fire seems to have improved... Wait, not just fire?"

Qi Fei carefully sensed the energy drifting around him.

His perception had improved not only for fire, but also for water—or, more precisely, ice.

Could it be related to that strange sensation just now?

Qi Fei recalled what he had felt while immersed in the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

He hadn't been clearheaded enough to make sense of it at the time, but looking back, it seemed rather similar to the way Coiling Dragon Qi Fei had been comprehending Laws and Profound Mysteries.

Could the Heavenly Flames actually be manifestations of fragments of the laws of the Dou Po World?

If so, it wasn't hard to understand how the Flame Mantra could evolve by absorbing Heavenly Flames.

Qi Fei decided to discuss it with Coiling Dragon Qi Fei later. Perhaps he could use this chance to get started on a Profound Mystery of the Water Element Law.

Of course, this cultivation session hadn't been all good.

Qi Fei's body had become desiccated. Almost every part of him was groaning in pain, leaving him barely able to move.

That was why Yao Lao had insisted that Qi Fei recover first.

"Are you all right?"

Xiao Yan followed Yao Lao into the cave.

"I'm fine."

Qi Fei used Dou Qi to write two words in the air.

"..."

Xiao Yan didn't know what to say.

He couldn't even speak. How could that be fine?

"Can you manage if I move you? I'll carry you back."

After a moment of silence, Xiao Yan asked.

"Actually, I can fly by myself."

Qi Fei couldn't resist teasing him.

"Don't. If you fly on your own, the clan will go crazy."

Xiao Yan immediately crouched down in front of Qi Fei.

Qi Fei used Dou Qi to lift himself briefly into the air, then landed on Xiao Yan's back.

Xiao Yan stood and carried Qi Fei out.

"Thanks."

Qi Fei wrote another message.

"Don't mention it. We help each other out."

Xiao Yan answered casually.

In the Ring, Yao Lao watched the scene with satisfaction.

The old man had experienced the pain of being betrayed by his chosen successor, so he was unusually particular about his disciples' character.

After learning about Qi Fei's cultivation, Xiao Yan hadn't become overly envious or tried to flatter him. He still treated Qi Fei like family, just as he always had.

And Qi Fei hadn't grown arrogant or looked down on others after gaining power.

Yao Lao gave them both plenty of credit for that.

Of course, the two outside the Ring had no idea they'd earned Yao Lao's favor without even realizing it.

They were discussing something else.

"How do you think I should explain your condition to the clan?"

Xiao Yan asked with a troubled expression.

He couldn't exactly say that they'd sparred and Qi Fei, a Dou Zhe, had been beaten down by him, could he?

"Just tell the truth."

Qi Fei gave him that answer.

There was no need to hide that he'd changed cultivation methods. It would also help confirm that they'd been taken in as disciples by an alchemist.

Besides, he was a Dou Emperor. Everyone in Wutan City, this Novice Village, combined wouldn't be enough to take him down.

If he hadn't been worried that a twelve-year-old Dou Emperor would be too shocking and attract unwanted attention in a cultivation world like this, Qi Fei would've been strutting around with Dou Qi Wings for everyone to see.

"Fine."

Xiao Yan nodded.

They'd already told the clan about their apprenticeship, so this wasn't much of a stretch.

"Someone's coming. You two, be careful."

Yao Lao's voice sounded in their ears.

Qi Fei dispelled the Dou Qi he'd been using to chat, and Xiao Yan stopped talking.

A few minutes later, a little girl appeared in the distance.

She was none other than Xiao Xun'er, the source of Flame Emperor's infamous nickname as a lolicon.

To be honest, though, Qi Fei had always thought Flame Emperor was a little unfairly accused back then.

Xiao Xun'er's guardian, Ling Ying, was a Dou Emperor. He could easily have noticed the little Xiao Yan sneaking around, even before Xiao Yan had become a Dou Zhe.

As her bodyguard, Ling Ying could have caught Xiao Yan trespassing. Instead, he let the boy—who wasn't exactly skilled at it—nurture his young mistress's meridians.

The only plausible explanation was that Ling Ying had been following Xiao Xun'er's instructions.

In other words, it had been a little game between the young couple.

Of course, considering Xiao Xun'er's age, Flame Emperor had only been a little unfairly accused.

Xiao Xun'er spotted that something was wrong with Qi Fei from far away.

She wasn't as close to him as she was to Xiao Yan, but she and Qi Fei were still good friends. She hurried over to them.

"Brother Xiao Yan, what happened to Brother Qi Fei?"

Xiao Xun'er asked with concern.

"He's switching to a more advanced cultivation method, so he got a little hurt. But don't worry; he'll recover soon."

Xiao Yan gave the explanation they'd agreed on earlier.

"I have some Healing Medicine. Brother Qi Fei, take it quickly."

Xiao Xun'er took out a jade bottle and offered it to them.

"This cultivation method is a little special. Qi Fei can't take pills for the time being..."

As Xiao Yan was explaining, a string of Dou Qi text appeared beside him.

The message explained why Qi Fei couldn't take pills right now and thanked Xiao Xun'er.

"Hey!"

The text startled Xiao Yan.

Hadn't they said that the fact that a powerful expert had passed on a cultivation method needed to be kept secret—and that even the method itself couldn't be passed down?

"It's fine. Xun'er will keep it secret."

Qi Fei wrote with Dou Qi.

With his injuries, there was no way he could use the Profundity of Explosion to conceal his presence for long.

And Ling Ying had already noticed how unusual his presence was.

It was only a matter of time before his cultivation was exposed.

So he might as well tell Xiao Xun'er in advance. He could use the chance to earn some goodwill with the little girl, too, and get a front-row seat when the time came to watch the drama unfold.

"!?"

Xiao Xun'er stared at them, confused and shocked.

Only a Da Dou Shi could project Dou Qi outside the body, at the very least. Hadn't Qi Fei only just advanced to Dou Zhe?

"Sigh... Fine. Here's what happened."

Xiao Yan gave Xiao Xun'er a rough explanation of the method transfer and how they'd become disciples.

He left out Qi Fei's current level of strength, as well as Yao Lao's background and current situation, telling her only the general outline.

"I can't believe Brother Qi Fei had such an opportunity."

Xiao Xun'er covered her mouth, her eyes reflecting a hint of emotion.

"Don't worry. Xun'er will keep this secret."

She absolutely couldn't betray Qi Fei's trust.

"Thank you, Xun'er."

That was Qi Fei's message.

"Just keep the method transfer secret. As for becoming disciples, Dad and the others probably already know."

That was Xiao Yan.

"By the way, Xun'er, did you come looking for us for something?"

Xiao Yan asked.

"Um... You two have been up at the Back Mountain for so long. I was a little worried."

Xiao Xun'er said awkwardly.

She couldn't bring herself to say it.

She had heard from Master Ling that something was wrong with Qi Fei, and she'd worried that he might do something to Xiao Yan after spending so long with him at the Back Mountain. So she'd rushed up the mountain.

Xiao Xun'er simply couldn't say that out loud right now.

"Haha, Little Fei's cultivation method is a little troublesome, so I had to protect him while he cultivated."

Xiao Yan explained.

In reality, his role as protector amounted mostly to keeping watch for trouble.

"I see."

Seeing that Xiao Yan wasn't going to press her about it, Xiao Xun'er breathed a sigh of relief.

Qi Fei had noticed something odd in Xiao Xun'er's reaction, but he couldn't be bothered to dwell on it.

Xiao Yan, meanwhile, was still absorbed in his hopes for the future and had no idea what Xiao Xun'er was thinking.

The three of them returned home, each with their own thoughts.

As expected, Qi Fei's condition alarmed Xiao Zhan and the Xiao Clan's elders when they got back.

So Xiao Yan had no choice but to explain his change of cultivation method again in front of them.

After hearing him out, their eyes lit up.

Not long after Xiao Yan brought Qi Fei home, the medicinal ingredients they'd requested arrived.

Yao Lao casually refined a batch of Foundation Building Spirit Liquid for Xiao Yan and told him to go back to his room and take a bath.

Yao Lao himself stayed by Qi Fei's side, watching as he circulated his cultivation method to heal.

With the help of the Red Lotus Body Tempering Art, Qi Fei's injuries quickly improved. By evening, he could move around a little.

During a break from cultivating, Qi Fei went to the Shared Space to share his insights from the day with Coiling Dragon Qi Fei.

And then he received an unexpected surprise.

"You're saying you got started on another Law and Profound Mystery today?"

Dou Po Qi Fei asked, bewildered.

"That's right. According to my teacher, this Profound Mystery is called Scorching. It represents the high temperature of flames."

Coiling Dragon Qi Fei said smugly.

"..."

Dou Po Qi Fei stared blankly and reached out to touch him.

In an instant, he gained that insight.

Then the insight clicked with the strange sensation he'd felt while being burned by the Heavenly Flame.

Comparing and correlating the Heavenly Flame's high temperature with the Profound Mystery of Scorching from the Coiling Dragon World gave Dou Po Qi Fei many new insights.

He even made a few new discoveries about the Bone Spirit Cold Flame's extreme cold.

"Next time you get burned, remember to call me. The chance to get started on the Water Element Law should be with you."

Coiling Dragon Qi Fei opened his eyes and said,

"Good."

Dou Po Qi Fei naturally wouldn't refuse.

After chatting with the other Qi Feis for a while, he left the Shared Space and continued cultivating.

The next day.

The injuries on Qi Fei's body had mostly healed, though some areas still occasionally throbbed with pain.

Early that morning, Xiao Zhan brought over a Medicine Cauldron.

It was a Two-Mouthed Cauldron, with two fire openings. It was basically the best Medicine Cauldron one could get in Wutan City.

So Yao Lao simply began giving Qi Fei lessons in alchemy.

At the same time, Xiao Yan, who had been cooped up in his room cultivating Dou Qi, was dragged over too.

Yao Lao didn't expect Xiao Yan to start learning alchemy right away, but listening in while he cultivated would at least give him a head start.

Qi Fei's first attempt at alchemy went very smoothly.

With his powerful Soul Perception, he precisely copied every step of Yao Lao's demonstration.

At the same time, the effects of his Life Attribute far surpassed those of an ordinary alchemist's Wood Attribute Dou Qi.

As a result, the Healing Medicine Qi Fei refined was even a little more effective than the one Yao Lao had demonstrated.

Yao Lao was a little surprised, but the moment he remembered Qi Fei's Heaven Realm soul, it all seemed perfectly normal.

He then demonstrated how to refine First Grade Qi Increasing Powder and Fire Condensing Pills, as well as Second Grade Foundation Building Spirit Liquid, Qi Nourishing Powder, Pulse Protecting Pills, and other medicines.

Qi Fei succeeded on his first try every time.

The process of alchemy was so simple and smooth for the two of them that even Xiao Yan, watching nearby, couldn't help thinking that becoming an alchemist wasn't all that difficult.

Yao Lao noticed, but couldn't be bothered to correct him.

Xiao Yan would understand when he tried learning alchemy himself.

"We won't be able to gather any higher-grade medicinal ingredients around here in the near future, so just refine whatever you like. Get some practice, and earn a little money on the side to buy ingredients later."

Yao Lao spoke with a sigh.

His new disciple was just too talented. On his very first day learning alchemy, he was already a Second Grade Alchemist.

And that was only because of the limitations of the outside world.

It probably wouldn't be long before Qi Fei absorbed all the knowledge he had to pass on and became a Ninth Grade Alchemist.

What would he do then?

Yao Lao couldn't help feeling a few happy worries.

"Yes, Master."

Qi Fei took the formed pills out of the Medicine Cauldron and put more ingredients inside.

This time, he tried incorporating his understanding of the Laws of Elements into the flames.

In the next instant, the flames in the Medicine Cauldron surged, taking on a few of the qualities of Heavenly Flames.

Yao Lao couldn't help being surprised.

The effects of the Red Lotus Body Tempering Art seemed even better than he'd imagined.

After making one mistake, Qi Fei mastered the temperature of the flames, and his speed at extracting the essence of the medicinal ingredients increased.

After refining a few more batches, Qi Fei, whose success rate was one hundred percent, began to feel that it wasn't challenging enough.

So he simply put all the ingredients listed in the recipes into the Medicine Cauldron at once and extracted the essence from all of them simultaneously.

This further increased Qi Fei's speed at refining pills.

Before long, he had used up all the medicinal ingredients Xiao Clan had provided—an entire Storage Ring's worth.

"Little Yan, label the bottles, then take them to Uncle and let him sell them."

Qi Fei finished refining and tossed the now-empty Storage Ring to Xiao Yan.

"Once they're sold, I'll give you a tenth as a fee for your trouble."

"One tenth? Then I'll pass."

Xiao Yan fought hard to resist the temptation.

Just looking at the bottles filling the entire room was enough to tell him what an astonishing fortune they represented.

He couldn't accept it.

"If I tell you to take it, then take it. Do you really think I'll be short of money in the future?"

Now that he knew his own skill level, Qi Fei no longer cared about the small sums earned from First and Second Grade pills.

"No, no, that's not the point. It's not about whether you need the money."

Xiao Yan stood firm.

"Fine, then don't refuse this."

Qi Fei picked out a few bottles of Foundation Building Spirit Liquid and tossed them to Xiao Yan.

"Even if you don't take it now, you'll have to ask Master to refine some for you later."

When you really thought about it, Yao Lao's fee for refining pills was far higher than that of a novice like him.

"...Thank you."

After thinking it over for a moment, Xiao Yan accepted Qi Fei's kindness.

Just as Qi Fei had said, his future cultivation would depend on Foundation Building Spirit Liquid.

Rather than take up the time Yao Lao spent teaching Qi Fei later, he might as well accept this kindness now.

"It was no trouble at all."

Qi Fei replied casually.