"Cousin, why are you standing here like an idiot?"
Just as Zhang Yuan was calming himself down, the door to the Training Room suddenly opened before him, startling both him and Xiao Yan.
"I was thinking about some military matters." Naturally, Zhang Yuan could not tell the truth, so he casually made up an excuse. "I had no clue how to handle it, but if it were Senior Old Yao, perhaps he could help me."
"What is it?" Yao Chen's spirit form appeared behind Xiao Yan.
The ring had already been placed back on Xiao Yan's finger.
"I would like to ask Senior to help me refine a Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill." Zhang Yuan clasped his hands.
"A Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill?" Old Yao stroked his beard. "Refining one requires three different flames. Is there a place with earth fire or heavenly fire near Wutan City?"
Earth fire and heavenly fire were unusual flame sites that existed naturally in the world. These strange flames existed because of their unique locations. They were dead flames, rather than spiritual flames such as Heavenly Flames or special Beast Flames.
Places with earth fire and heavenly fire were mostly used for forging weapons, though Alchemists occasionally borrowed them to refine special pills.
"There are no places with earth fire or heavenly fire nearby, but I do have a flame." Zhang Yuan raised his hand and summoned a Silver Flame. As it surged upward, two fire dragons could vaguely be seen dancing within it.
Old Yao's pupils suddenly contracted when he saw the flame. He said in shock, "This is the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire!?"
"Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire?" Zhang Yuan feigned confusion.
It was worth mentioning that before transmigrating, he had been a stage actor with quite excellent acting skills.
Now that he had powerful Soul Power supporting him, his performance looked even more convincing.
"Have you heard of Heavenly Flames?" Yao Chen asked.
"I've heard a little." Zhang Yuan nodded. "They are strange flames born between heaven and earth. It is said that every kind makes Alchemists flock to them."
As he spoke, Zhang Yuan's expression changed slightly. "Could the flame I refined be a Heavenly Flame?"
"That's right!" Yao Chen nodded gently, his tone full of envy. "Yours is the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire, ranked twelfth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. However, it is still in its Flame Seed state. To encounter and refine it truly means you have remarkable luck."
Mature Heavenly Flames all possessed terrifying power, and the higher their ranking, the stronger they were.
Yao Chen had once exhausted tremendous effort before finally finding and refining the Bone Spirit Cold Fire, ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. He had encountered no small amount of danger in the process.
If Zhang Yuan had encountered a mature Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire, he would likely have been burned to ashes by its residual might in an instant.
Yet what he had encountered was a Flame Seed. Not only had he successfully refined it, but it had also become one of his methods.
"What is a Flame Seed?" Zhang Yuan asked despite knowing the answer.
"A Flame Seed is a young Heavenly Flame that a Heavenly Flame splits off after growing powerful enough. It needs countless years to mature," Yao Chen explained. "Some powerful factions nurture Heavenly Flames, then seal the Flame Seeds they produce into the bodies of outstanding juniors. As those juniors grow stronger, they can also spur the Heavenly Flames' rapid growth. In the future, the Heavenly Flames will become powerful aids to them."
As he spoke, Yao Chen asked doubtfully, "Where did you obtain this Flame Seed?"
As far as he knew, the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire had been found by Burning Flame Valley, a top faction in the Central Region with a Dou Saint overseeing it. It had been passed down for several centuries, and generations of experts had left indelible blood-soul imprints within the flame's origin.
Unless one cultivated Burning Flame Valley's valley-protecting technique, the Azure Netherflame Mantra, it would be impossible to refine the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire. Even a Flame Seed should have some degree of resistance.
It was absolutely impossible for Zhang Yuan to be connected to Burning Flame Valley, so had he happened to encounter a newly born Flame Seed?
"I obtained it at..." Zhang Yuan gave the excuse he had prepared long ago.
At the northeastern border of the Jia Ma Empire stood Black Mountain Fortress, the grandest fortress within a thousand li of the region. It had stood firm for more than a century since its construction and was surrounded by two immensely towering mountain ranges.
Thunderstorms frequently appeared above those two mountain ranges, and one of them even contained an extinct volcano. That could somewhat be linked to the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire.
"You really are fortunate." Yao Chen sighed again.
At this moment, Xiao Yan eagerly asked Yao Chen, "Teacher, cousin has a Heavenly Flame, and his Soul Power has reached the peak of the Mortal Realm. Does that mean he can become an Alchemist too?"
One reason Zhang Yuan had revealed his Heavenly Flame was precisely because he wanted to become an Alchemist.
Although he had tried learning on his own, he had never managed to get the hang of it. But Yao Chen was an Eighth-grade High-tier Alchemist, so perhaps he might have a way.
Yao Chen looked at Xiao Yan's eager expression, feeling both slightly surprised and deeply gratified.
He had just told Xiao Yan about the wonders of the Flame Mantra and the necessity of Heavenly Flames. Yet upon learning that Zhang Yuan possessed a Heavenly Flame, Xiao Yan showed no temptation whatsoever. Instead, he hoped that Zhang Yuan could also become an Alchemist.
The relationship between those two cousins reminded him of his close friend, Venerable Feng.
"He can, but I would not recommend it," Yao Chen said.
"Why?" Zhang Yuan took the initiative to ask.
Old Yao truly was Old Yao. He could actually make someone become an Alchemist.
"The Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire contains three types of power: flame, lightning, and Dragon Qi. All of them are extremely violent, difficult to Control, and too complicated," Yao Chen explained without beating around the bush. "If you had fire-attributed Dou Qi like Xiao Yan, you could try becoming an Alchemist. But you have lightning-attributed Dou Qi. Using the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire to refine pills would yield twice the effort for half the result."
"Even if you spend your entire life on it, you may not be able to refine pills above Third-grade. It would also delay your cultivation."
Hearing this, Zhang Yuan nodded regretfully.
He knew Yao Chen was not speaking without reason, because he had tried refining pills with his Heavenly Flame before. Even while using his Soul Power to monitor the medicinal ingredients in the cauldron, he still found it difficult to temper them to the proper extent and ratio.
It was not because the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire was violent. He had complete Control over it. The reason was that the Heavenly Flame's composition was too complex.
"What if my Soul Power reaches the Spirit Realm, or even the Heavenly Realm?" Zhang Yuan asked.
He possessed the Thunder God Visualization Diagram, so his Soul Power would certainly rise steadily. Once he had greater Control, perhaps he could refine pills after all?
"Can you guarantee that you won't continue strengthening the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire?" Yao Chen asked in return.
Zhang Yuan understood. His Soul Power was improving, but the flame was also becoming more violent and containing more kinds of power.
Unless he could cultivate the Flame Mantra and fuse the Heavenly Flames together rather than merely Control them.
Still, he had not entirely given up. Perhaps the Thunder God Diagram contained a solution?
"In that case, if I want to take any pills in the future, I'll have to ask Senior and Little Yan." Zhang Yuan chuckled.
Xiao Yan immediately patted his chest and promised, "Don't worry, cousin. Leave everything to me!"
Yao Chen snorted. "You are not even an Alchemist apprentice, yet you dare make promises so casually. That is blind confidence."
"Teacher, you're wrong about that." Xiao Yan grinned. "I'm not confident in myself. I'm confident in you, the number one Alchemist on the continent."
"You little rascal." Yao Chen reached out and tapped Xiao Yan.
Zhang Yuan watched the scene with a smile, thinking that although he could not refine pills himself, having a free, strongest Alchemist to do the work was not bad either. It would even save him the trouble.
With that thought, Zhang Yuan asked Old Yao, "Senior, if I assist with the Two Dragon Thunder Gang Fire, can you refine a Two-pattern Green Spirit Pill?"
He did not need a Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill. One One-pattern Green Spirit Pill and one Two-pattern Green Spirit Pill would be enough.
The One-pattern Green Spirit Pill would help him break through to the Da Dou Shi realm, while the Two-pattern Green Spirit Pill would raise his strength by three stars. His Two Dragon Thunder Gang Fire could ensure the pill's effects were fully unleashed.
"Naturally, there will be no problem." Yao Chen answered calmly. "Just hand the medicinal ingredients over to me."
"Then we'll have to wait a little longer." Zhang Yuan explained that he had asked Xiao Zhan to prepare the medicinal ingredients, as well as the matter of fabricating a Fourth-grade Alchemist teacher for Xiao Yan.
"I never thought there would come a day when I had to impersonate a Fourth-grade Alchemist." Yao Chen found the matter rather amusing, but he was not angry. He even praised Zhang Yuan. "Still, this excuse is quite good. It can save Xiao Yan a lot of trouble."
Xiao Yan nodded along at the side, thinking that his cousin really was reliable.
After the three chatted for a few more moments, Yao Chen's eyes suddenly flashed, and he vanished.
Zhang Yuan also turned to look in a certain direction.
About half a minute later, Xiao Zhan appeared and strode toward them.
One step covered ten meters. Terrifying indeed!
This humble author has just arrived. Please give me a recommendation vote for some encouragement. My deepest thanks!
(End of Chapter)
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