Chapter 14: The Spirit Crystal
Hun Xuzi floated in midair, his transparent form shrouded in black flame, like a ghost collecting souls. His crimson eyes flickered ominously in the firelight, giving him a fearsome appearance.
He wasn't surprised by the look on Yao Yan's face. No alchemist in the world could resist the temptation of a heavenly flame—especially one ranked near the top like the Void Devouring Flame. Even just a fragment of it, a subflame, was stronger than many of the heavenly flames on the list. In fact, several flames ranked in the top ten were weaker.
Take, for example, the fifth-ranked Flame of Living Spirits. Purely in terms of power, it was far inferior to even the Void Devouring Flame's subflame. Its combat applications couldn't even compare to some of the more unique beast flames.
The reason it was ranked fifth was because of its unique nature. It held powerful life force and could stimulate the growth of various medicinal herbs. Whoever possessed this flame would have a nearly endless supply of ingredients. For an alchemist, its value was immeasurable. Moreover, it was also known as the Flame of Longevity. Whoever refined it would gain a lifespan rivaling that of magical beasts.
In other words, it could double or even triple one's life expectancy.
In terms of practicality, for alchemists, it was arguably the number one flame.
Unfortunately, the Flame of Living Spirits hadn't been seen in over a thousand years.
"All of that is still too far off for you," Hun Xuzi continued, his tone calm but slightly scornful. "The path of cultivation must be walked step by step. True strength cannot be bought with pills. The way the Yao Clan nurtures their people only produces trash."
He sneered slightly, clearly disdainful.
Among the Eight Ancient Clans—excluding the already vanished Xiao Clan—many relied on vast resources to raise so-called "geniuses," even force-feeding them their way to Dou Saint. But such cultivators typically peaked at one or two stars. They had no future.
This was one of the main reasons the Soul Clan looked down on the others. True talent could not be manufactured.
Hun Xuzi himself was the perfect example.
He had infiltrated the Pill Tower, apprenticed under its master, and advanced step by step—without any help from the Soul Clan.
They just didn't know how to use pills properly… Yao Yan muttered inwardly. Popping pills blindly was indeed the behavior of trash. But if you did it right—combining pill consumption with refining heavenly flames—it was basically cheat mode. The side effects of pills could be negated through heavenly flame tempering. Refining heavenly flames was like upgrading one's body and talent on every level.
Just look at Xiao Yan in the original story—he used that exact cheat path, achieving in thirty years what others couldn't in a lifetime. Who could argue with that?
Hun Xuzi, of course, had no idea about Yao Yan's rebellious thoughts. He continued calmly, "You possess remarkable talent, and you've refined the rare Soul Devouring Clan's bloodline. Your potential could very well reach the pinnacle of the Dou Qi Continent. Don't let short-term benefits cloud your long-term vision."
"Yes, teacher."
Yao Yan nodded seriously. He understood that "normal" people like Hun Xuzi couldn't comprehend the power of a true cheat, and he wasn't about to argue the point.
Hun Xuzi studied him for a moment, then raised his hand. The black flame churned, and space twisted. A jade bottle appeared in his palm. From within, he withdrew a thumb-sized crystalline object. It shimmered with a chaotic hue and emitted a mysterious aura.
Yao Yan stared at the object, drawn to it instinctively. "Teacher, this is…?"
"A Spirit Crystal. It's condensed spiritual energy in crystal form. Only Tier 9 alchemists can refine one—and it costs a great deal. Since you're an alchemist, you should already be aware of the soul's four realms: Mortal Realm, Spirit Realm, Heaven Realm, and finally, the Emperor Realm."
Hun Xuzi's tone was steady. These were things Yao Yan would need to learn eventually, so he didn't mind revealing them early.
Yao Yan widened his eyes in feigned astonishment, listening intently.
"Most alchemists in this world are stuck at the Mortal Realm. Only those with exceptional talent can, during the pill-refining process, catch a fleeting glimpse of the spirit realm. You've seen it yourself—Tier 6 pills possess basic spirit. Tier 7 and 8 possess even greater spirit. Tier 9 pills are nearly sentient. To refine them, possessing a Spirit Realm soul is the bare minimum."
"The Spirit Realm requires a soul that contains enough spiritual energy."
"The Heaven Realm—at that stage, the soul can exist independently from the body, traveling freely through heaven and earth."
"As for the Emperor Realm… that realm involves something far greater."
At the mention of "Emperor," Hun Xuzi's voice took on a trace of longing. On the Dou Qi Continent, only the Dou Emperor stood at the true peak. But these days, that level had become nothing but a legend.
"Then… teacher, your soul realm is…?"
Yao Yan asked curiously.
Hun Xuzi's eyes gleamed with dark flame, his voice low: "Perfect Heaven Realm. Just one step away from the Emperor Realm. But that single step… may take who knows how long. Reaching the Emperor Realm isn't something that can be done through ordinary cultivation."
He knew clearly—his only hope was to absorb a massive quantity of soul essence to force a breakthrough.
But for now, even the Soul Hall's stores were beyond his reach.
With that, he dropped the topic.
Looking back down at Yao Yan, he continued, "Your body is unusual—perhaps due to your Yao Clan bloodline, or your refined Soul Devouring bloodline. The fact that you can absorb spiritual energy as a Dou Practitioner suggests you may one day reach the Emperor Realm."
He said this half-jokingly, then casually pressed the Spirit Crystal into Yao Yan's soul. With the control of a Tier 9 grandmaster, there was no risk of damaging him.
A hazy stream of chaotic light flowed into Yao Yan's forehead like a shard of ice.
Immediately, he felt his soul scream in pain, as though it had been torn apart. But moments later, a cool sensation swept through him, soothing his soul. The feeling was similar to refining spiritual energy, but far more direct—his very body felt strengthened by it.
Spiritual energy—essence from the Great Thousand Worlds.
Unfortunately, it was extremely rare in the Dou Qi Continent. Some believed it had degraded into elemental energy, leaving Dou Qi as the only viable cultivation path.
In ancient times, there were techniques for absorbing spiritual energy. But most of those soul arts had long since vanished from the outside world.
Though… not from the ancient imperial clans.
Once the Spirit Crystal was absorbed, Hun Xuzi guided a mental incantation into Yao Yan's mind using soul force. "This will help you refine spiritual energy. Remember—if your soul can't handle it, slow down. Your soul strength is far from enough to refine an entire Spirit Crystal. Take it step by step."
"Yes, teacher."
Yao Yan nodded, though his heart was conflicted. He felt a mix of gratitude and dread toward Hun Xuzi.
Would he ever be able to turn against this man?
Perhaps that was the fundamental difference between him and someone like Hun Xuzi.
"Rest and recover. Then I'll begin teaching you alchemy. Alchemy isn't child's play."
Hun Xuzi gave him a sly look—clearly aware of how Yao Yan had melted through solid rock to escape the wolf pack earlier.
Yao Yan stiffened.
All the goodwill he'd just started to feel instantly evaporated.
Hun Xuzi was still a damn psychopath!
(END CHAPTER)
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