New Demands

Huo Zhen seemed to see right through Xiao Yan. He raised a finger and pointed at him. "Don't get indignant, boy. Speed isn't a fault in itself. It can even be proof of extraordinary talent. But when you advance at a pace that seems to take you to the top in a single bound, have you given yourself enough time to settle, refine, and hammer home every seemingly simple foundation?"

"I could see the signs in the way you refined the pill, especially when you took over the cauldron at the end and steadied the Creation Heaven-Returning Pill. Your control is formidable, and your soul power has reached the Heavenly State Soul—a rarity in itself. Your soul cultivation method must be remarkable. Your flame is incomparably fierce. I don't know how you managed it, but it must be a fusion of multiple Heavenly Flames. By now, it can stand comparison with the top five. I recognize your cauldron, too: the Black Demon Cauldron, famous on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking. Not just anyone gets to use one. And you yourself have a rare ruthlessness and tenacity. All of these give you an advantage over your peers, and even over many old fellows. But..."

Huo Zhen's tone changed sharply. His voice grew grave, and every word rang clear in Xiao Yan's ears. "It's precisely your almost monstrous speed of advancement, and the countless extraordinary opportunities behind you, that reveal a danger certain to obstruct your final ascent to Ninth-grade Alchemist. You've missed the process of building a firm foundation and tempering it a thousand times at each crucial stage, especially at the higher grades. It's like raising a tower ten thousand feet tall: the central frame may be sound, but some of the details at its base may not have been hammered