Three Flowers Gather on the Crown

It was still a little too late. You could not expect a foodie to show mercy to food.

Yao Yan pinched Ling Er by the scruff of her neck and looked into those watery eyes. She was staring back at him with an innocent expression, clearly having no idea what she had done, much less how precious that Fifth Grade Elk Essence Stabilizing Pill was.

Why was an Exotic Flame taking pills... Yao Yan did not know whether to laugh or cry. Both annoyed and amused, he could only stare helplessly at Ling Er.

He had painstakingly refined that Fifth Grade Pill, pouring so much effort into it. Before he could even admire it once, it had gone straight into this little fellow's stomach. He truly had no temper left to lose. It was also his fault for focusing entirely on the Yao Ding at the time and failing to notice that this little fellow had been lying in ambush beside him.

"Was it tasty?"

Yao Yan reached out and tugged at the corner of her mouth as he asked irritably.

Ling Er also realized that she had done something wrong. Her once-perked ears drooped as she watched him cautiously, letting out a soft, "Ying ying~"

"You're so good at going 'ying ying.' When you take human form someday, you have to become a fox-eared girl, got it?"

Yao Yan pinched her fluffy ears and instructed her.

"Ying ying..."

Naturally, Ling Er could not understand Yao Yan's words. She could only blink her large eyes and look at him pitifully, as though he were some creepy old man trafficking young girls.

Yao Yan had calmed down by then. He placed her in his arms, soothingly rubbed her head, and instructed, "See this Yao Ding? From now on, don't directly swallow the pills I refine inside it. You can eat anything that's kept in medicine bottles, understand?"

He pointed at the Yao Ding, then at the pile of medicine bottles set off to one side. Quite a few of them were already empty, their low-grade pills having all gone into Ling Er's stomach.

He truly did not know why an Exotic Flame loved taking pills so much.

Perhaps it had something to do with Ling Er's wood attribute. The Living Flame had been born in a primeval forest overflowing with vitality, so its growth was surely connected to Flora Essence. As for any deeper connection, Yao Yan would only be able to figure it out after refining her.

Thinking of this, Yao Yan felt a trace of guilt. Ling Er, this little foodie, merely had a greedy mouth, yet he was Thinking Of her body.

However, that guilt quickly faded.

This was the Dou Qi Continent. Even if he did not refine Ling Er, others would set their sights on her. The Living Flame was an Exotic Flame Longed For by alchemists, while for those pursuing the path to Dou Di, Devour Exotic Fire was inevitable if they wished to follow the path of Tou She Ancient God.

If he refined her himself, he could at least preserve Ling Er's nature. He might even allow her to grow to the level of Di Flame, turning her into an intelligent living being rather than a muddleheaded Exotic Flame.

"Ying ying~"

Ling Er looked at the Yao Ding, then at Yao Yan, and finally at the pills casually placed in the corner. She obediently nodded.

She understood what Yao Yan meant this time.

Yao Yan looked at the Little Fox in his arms and softly said, "Don't be greedy from now on. If there's anything you want to eat, just tell me. If I can give it to you, I will."

Ling Er raised her head and revealed a smiling expression, her features brimming with spirit.

Yao Yan smiled at the sight, then set her down. Sitting cross-legged, he began restoring his Dou Qi, intending to refine another pill once it had recovered. The first attempt was unfamiliar, but the second would be easier. Refining a Fifth Grade Pill was not especially difficult for him; the only thing he needed to watch was his Dou Qi. However, that problem would be resolved once he broke through to Da Dou Shi.

His previously somewhat unstable Dou Qi had gradually stabilized during this month of pill refinement. Perhaps in a few more days, he could consider breaking through to Seven Star Dou Shi.

At the same time, this month of frenzied pill refinement had given him a new understanding of Dou Qi, Soul Power, and Blood Qi.

This was related to the Three Flowers Gather Fire Skill he cultivated.

This technique was used by the Yao Clan to establish the foundations of its younger members. Though it was a Low-Rank Yellow Level Technique, its effects were exceptionally unusual. It could absorb the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth to nourish a person's Essence, Qi, and Spirit. The deeper Yao Yan's cultivation became, the more extraordinary he found it.

"Draw in the power of heaven and earth, refine the Essence, Qi, and Spirit of the human body, condense the Three Flowers Gather on the Crown, and nurture the seed of Primordial Chaos..."

This was the opening principle of the Three Flowers Gather Fire Skill. The first two lines were easy enough to understand, but the latter part was somewhat incomprehensible. To this day, no one had cultivated it to the realm of Three Flowers Gather on the Crown, so naturally no one knew what the seed of Primordial Chaos was.

Perhaps only after reaching the realm of Three Flowers Gather on the Crown will I understand the meaning of that final line.

Yao Yan circulated his technique as he pondered these matters. With his current soul realm, multitasking was not particularly difficult.

However, some questions would not yield answers simply because one thought about them.

Before long, Yao Yan pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind. Given his current cultivation, there was no meaning in considering them. The answers to certain questions did not need to be deliberately sought. Once one's cultivation was sufficient, the answers would naturally reveal themselves.

"Buzz~"

As a formless wave of Soul Power spread out, Yao Yan's heart suddenly tightened. Instinctively stopping his cultivation, he opened his eyes and immediately saw the strange black flames flickering over the Storage Ring.

They were formless and intangible, without the slightest ripple, as though they had merged with space itself. Even the faintest disturbances were swallowed by them.

If one did not see them with one's own eyes, one could not sense them in the slightest.

A moment later.

A jade tablet flew out of the Storage Ring, wrapped in black flames. As vast Soul Power surged forth, Hun Xuzi's figure appeared before Yao Yan. Nihility Devouring Flame coiled around him, making him look like an emissary from hell—sinister, terrifying, and decidedly not like a good person.

The instant Ling Er saw him, her fur stood on end. She immediately hid in the farthest corner, her body trembling slightly as her lively eyes watched Hun Xuzi warily.

A classic case of being weak yet bold.

Naturally, Hun Xuzi had no interest in a Second Order Greenwood Fox. His gaze swept through the cave, the black flames in his eyes flickering as he said with a bit of surprise, "You refined a Fifth Grade Elk Essence Stabilizing Pill? This pill is considered top-grade even among Fifth Grade Pills. To reach the realm of a Fifth-Rank Alchemist at your age is exceedingly rare even within the Yao Clan."

Exceedingly rare? That meant people like that did exist.

Yao Yan felt no pride upon hearing this. He rose and bowed. "Teacher, you praise me too highly."

"Your talent in alchemy is indeed exceptionally high. But if you did not possess such talent, I would not have chosen you in the first place!"

Hun Xuzi chuckled, clearly quite satisfied with Yao Yan.

No teacher would like a fool.

Yao Yan smiled shyly and put on an obedient expression.

Hun Xuzi's smile faded. After contemplating for a moment, he slowly said, "I originally planned to obtain Dou Di Essence Blood from the Yan Clan and Lei Clan for you. Unfortunately, our previous actions against the Stone Clan and Spirit Clan caused too much of a stir and made all the clans wary. I fear there is no hope of doing so for the next several years."

After a pause, he continued,

"As for Magical Beast essence blood, its compatibility with you is not particularly high, so it is not the first choice. You are human, after all. But once your cultivation is higher in the future, you can consider devouring some for a change of taste. The Three Great Magical Beast Clans would make fairly good rations."

Fairly good rations?!

If the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, and Nine Serene Earth Python Clan heard those words... it seemed they would not even have the right to resist. Rations were ultimately just rations. If the Soul Clan were not wary of how the other ancient clans might react, it truly could raise the three great Magical Beast clans like livestock.

The Soul Clan is simply too formidable... Recalling the Soul Clan's description in the Original Work, Yao Yan could not help but sigh inwardly.

A thousand years of planning, coupled with the Bloodline Power enhanced by Nihility Devouring Flame, had given the Soul Clan more than a dozen high-level Dou Sheng and dozens of low-level Dou Sheng. Such numbers were simply horrifying.

If the Gu Clan did not have Gu Yuan supporting it, perhaps the Soul Clan would have long begun slaughtering the entire Dou Qi Continent.

Suppressing the agitation in his heart, Yao Yan respectfully thanked him.

"Thank you for your hard work, Teacher."

Hun Xuzi waved his hand and said gently, "There is no need for this. You are my only disciple. Nurturing you is what a teacher ought to do."

"Teacher..."

Yao Yan looked at Hun Xuzi with eyes full of filial admiration and called out emotionally.

Who isn't an actor?

You want it, so I'll give you what you want.

Seeing Yao Yan's expression, Hun Xuzi felt greatly pleased with himself. All those lies he had fabricated had not been in vain. Yao Yan had indeed fallen deeply into them, bound by this teacher-disciple affection. His choice back then had been correct. Compared with using force to coerce him, manipulating human nature was clearly better—it could make the other party willingly enter his tutelage.

He only seemed to have forgotten one thing.

Those who toyed with human nature would eventually be toyed with by human nature.