Flowing Flame
Fire Cloud Cave's library was not very large. Bookshelves stood against its four walls, lined with volumes shrouded in mysterious lights of various colors.
Fang Yu followed Tie Feng to the bookshelf by the south wall. Tie Feng took out a volume and handed it to him. "This is the middle-stage Cultivation Method from the Crimson Firmament Profound Craft Canon. You can take it back and study it carefully!"
"Thank you!" Fang Yu took it and flipped through it briefly. Once he had confirmed that it contained the Cultivation Method for the subsequent third through fifth layers, he put it in his storage gourd.
Tie Feng looked at the bookshelf and said:
"Your fate is 'Wings Fire,' which improves the speed, power, and recovery of your fire techniques. There are quite a few suitable Cultivation Methods.
"However, at your current age, it would be somewhat difficult to start over with a Cultivation Method that conflicts with the 'Molten Edge Flow' Dao foundation of the Crimson Firmament Profound Craft Canon.
"It would also waste a great deal of time, so the most suitable one should be this Flowing Flame True Fire Scripture."
As he spoke, he pulled a volume from the shelves and handed it over.
Fang Yu took it and flipped through it. "How powerful is this Cultivation Method?"
"Naturally, its power is boundless!" Tie Feng said with a smile. "This Cultivation Method is most compatible with the Flowing Flame Fire Spiritual Qi of our Flaming Mountain spiritual land. You can cultivate seven strands of Flowing Flame True Fire with it.
"They can merge perfectly with the 'Molten Edge Flow' Dao foundation you cultivate through the Crimson Firmament Profound Craft Canon, making it even more powerful. They will also be a tremendous help when you establish your 'Molten Edge Flow' Dao foundation in the future."
"It's really that suitable?"
Fang Yu read the first few pages of the Cultivation Method that he was permitted to see and nodded inwardly. Its description was much as Tie Feng had said: it was suited to cultivators of "fire virtue" and would be a great help in establishing a "Molten Edge Flow" Dao foundation in the future.
He was about to settle on this Cultivation Method when he caught sight of the other volumes out of the corner of his eye. The words on the tip of his tongue changed to, "Thank you, Steward Tie. May I take another look at the other Cultivation Methods?"
"Of course!" Tie Feng said with a smile. "I was only making a recommendation. Ultimately, which Cultivation Method you choose depends on whether you think it suits you. Take your time looking. Once you've found one that suits you, come to me and I'll remove its restriction!"
With that, Tie Feng returned to his desk, while Fang Yu browsed the other Cultivation Methods and volumes in front of the shelves.
He moved from the southern bookshelf to the western one and looked all around. He did find a few good Cultivation Methods suited to his "Wings Fire" fate.
But just as Tie Feng had said, if he cultivated those methods, they would conflict with the Crimson Firmament Profound Craft Canon he was currently cultivating.
His advancement would certainly be much slower, and in terms of power, none was actually stronger than the Flowing Flame True Fire Scripture.
"This is the one!"
Having confirmed that the Cultivation Method Tie Feng recommended really was the most suitable for him, Fang Yu hesitated no longer. He went to Tie Feng to register it and have its restriction removed. After swearing a heart demon oath not to pass it on to outsiders, he took the Cultivation Method and left the library, heading out of Fire Cloud Cave.
In the main hall, Han Feng watched the departing "firestone laborer," whose face was full of joy, with an expressionless face. A cold chuckle escaped his lips.
"Heh, good advice can't dissuade a ghost determined to die."
Fang Yu returned to his cave abode on Flaming Mountain and sat cross-legged before the tea table in his quiet room. He took out the two Cultivation Methods and placed them on the table, then picked up the Crimson Firmament Profound Craft Canon and read it carefully.
The middle-stage Cultivation Method for the third through fifth layers continued from the first two layers, still focusing on gathering Qi, refining Spiritual Qi, and forging Metal Fire Stones.
However, it added some more advanced content on the External Alchemy Technique, allowing one to forge ungraded Law Artifacts such as kitchen knives, pickaxes, and dragon horse saddles... It required somewhat greater skill than forging Metal Fire Stones.
Although they were all everyday Law Artifacts, they could still fetch a good price if crafted exquisitely. Many female cultivators, for example, were particularly fond of beautiful but otherwise useless things like ornaments.
I'm now a middle-stage disciple at the Qi Ingestion Third Layer. Forging one Metal Fire Stone only takes me three days. I only need to spend five months a year forging forty-nine Metal Fire Stones to pay off my "cave abode loan," and another month practicing how to forge new items. That leaves me six months to devote entirely to cultivation.
Fang Yu put down the Crimson Firmament Profound Craft Canon, picked up the Flowing Flame True Fire Scripture beside it, and examined it carefully.
Several days passed as he read. By the time Fang Yu put the Cultivation Method down, he had committed it all to memory and gained a clear understanding of its contents.
The Flowing Flame True Fire Scripture refined the Law Power in his body into Flowing Flame True Fire.
Using it to cast fire techniques would greatly increase the power of his Law Techniques. It would also greatly improve the "Molten Edge Flow" Dao foundation he cultivated.
It could further improve his control over heat, allowing him to directly melt ordinary metals and stones.
Used against an enemy, it could also melt his opponent directly as if they were metal or stone.
"Good, good, this Cultivation Method really is good!"
Fang Yu repeated his praise several times before putting the Cultivation Method away. He rose and went to the gold fire chamber to begin forging Metal Fire Stones.
As he breathed, Flowing Flame Fire Qi turned into a stream of red Qi visible to the naked eye and entered his mouth and nose. It then turned into Spiritual Qi and was infused into the Metal Fire Stone.
Fang Yu could now feel very clearly that his conversion of Flowing Flame Fire Spiritual Qi was noticeably faster than before. Forging one Metal Fire Stone might not even take three days.
"It really is good to have a higher cultivation level!"
He murmured to himself, swinging the gold hammer in his hand with even greater vigor.
Half a year later.
Medicine King Ridge, Cloud Mist Cave.
Fang Yu sat cross-legged on the platform, silently circulating the Flowing Flame True Fire Scripture. Wisps of fire Qi flowed around him, making the surrounding temperature climb higher and higher.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and two flickers of flowing flame appeared in them.
"Pfft..."
He opened his mouth and spat out a jet of flame. In an instant, it shot a hundred meters away and formed a vast fire cloud, setting the entire sky ablaze.
"What a Flowing Flame True Fire!"
Fang Yu could not help exclaiming in admiration as he quietly sensed the three strands of Flowing Flame True Fire circulating constantly around the meridian of his heart.
This Cultivation Method really was a perfect match for him. He had cultivated it for only a few days, yet he had already converted all his original Law Power into Flowing Flame True Fire.
The Fire Cloud Technique he now cast himself was more powerful and faster than the one released by his Fire Cloud Ring, and its range was wider as well.
Senior Brother Tie Feng really is a good man. When I see him again, I must thank him properly!
Fang Yu felt that he really was fortunate. The Cultivation Method Senior Brother Tie Feng had helped him choose was practically tailor-made for him.
From here on, he only needed to continue cultivating the Crimson Firmament Mysterious Cultivation Canon to raise his cultivation level, then set aside a little time to refine his Law Power into Flowing Flame True Fire.
He did not need to worry about cultivating two methods at once, and it would not waste his time. He only needed to practice the few Law Techniques that came with the Cultivation Method in his spare time.
Full of joy, he immediately brewed a pot of tea. As he drank, he began to cultivate. The rich Spiritual Qi of Medicine King Ridge entered his mouth and nose, and the Law Power in his body slowly began to accumulate.