Chapter 108: Extracting the Flame Seed, Refinement
The Fifth Alchemist Grand Meeting quickly came to a close. The champion was unsurprisingly Gu He, a man nearing thirty years old, who crushed all competition by refining a high-grade tier-four pill. Amid the crowd's thunderous cheers, he stepped onto the high platform, raised his hands high, and basked in the praise.
Gu He took a deep breath. His usually composed expression was replaced by a beaming smile. The feeling of hard work finally paying off overwhelmed him, filling him with the urge to shout in triumph. His whole body trembled with excitement.
His eyes involuntarily turned toward the high platform—where a cold and elegant figure continued to captivate his gaze.
Previously, he had never dared express his feelings—her status was far too lofty. As the successor of Yunlan Sect, she was worlds apart from a mere fourth-tier alchemist like himself. But now, as champion of the Alchemist Grand Meeting, he had proven both his talent and strength. His confidence had surged. At the very least, he now had the courage to look her in the eyes… even to pursue her.
In all his thirty years, Gu He had never been swayed by a woman.
Until he met Yun Yun.
…
"As expected, Gu He won the championship. His talent isn't bad…"
Fa Ma, eyes squinted and fingers stroking his beard, spoke in a deep, aged voice. He wasn't surprised by the result—Gu He had already shown overwhelming strength in the previous rounds, so his victory was within expectations.
Had he not learned about Yao Yan, he might've thought more highly of Gu He. But now, after hearing about that monster of a youth, the contrast was stark.
One was a seventeen-year-old sixth-tier alchemist. The other had only just reached the threshold of tier five at nearly thirty.
The difference was like heaven and earth.
Yun Shan's expression remained calm and unbothered. He had initially considered recruiting Gu He to support Yun Yun, believing that with Yunlan Sect's help, Gu He could reach tier five or even tier six in the future. He had even sensed Gu He's feelings for Yun Yun and would've been pleased to see something develop between them. But now… comparisons only led to disappointment.
Just like goods, people fear comparisons.
Yun Yun, as usual, remained cold and dignified, her elegant gaze calm yet tinged with melancholy. Clearly, it was Yao Yan's existence that had disturbed her inner peace. Even if she wasn't the type to compare herself to others, learning of someone so monstrous couldn't help but stir her heart.
She was also very curious about what kind of young man he really was.
Jia Xing Tian, watching Gu He bask in the cheers, glanced at Yun Shan and said, "Not going to recruit him? His talent's pretty decent."
His teasing tone revealed he already knew Yun Shan's intent. Why else would Yun Shan personally attend the event if not to scout Gu He? He was never one for crowds.
Yun Shan said indifferently, "Yun Yun, send someone to speak with him. He can name any condition."
Jia Xing Tian's expression stiffened—he hadn't expected Yun Shan to act so aloof.
"Yes, Master."
Yun Yun nodded softly, then turned and left.
Once she was gone, Yun Shan ignored Jia Xing Tian and turned to Hai Bodong. "I'll wait at Yunlan Sect. If that young man arrives, I'll welcome him personally."
Hai Bodong nodded.
With that, Yun Shan spread his Dou Qi wings and flew toward Yunlan Sect, which was near the imperial capital.
Jia Xing Tian also transformed into a streak of light and returned to the royal palace—he needed to consider the empire's future.
"Fa Ma, I'll take my leave as well."
Hai Bodong turned to Fa Ma with a smile.
Fa Ma reminded him, "When young Yao Yan arrives, don't forget to notify me. The Alchemist Association still needs an heir!"
"That depends on whether he's interested."
Hai Bodong chuckled and disappeared into the sky.
Meanwhile—
Gu He frowned slightly as a Yunlan Sect elder approached to recruit him. He felt somewhat looked down upon. But then he recalled the moment he saw earlier on the high platform—could something have happened with the sect master and Yun Yun?
He pondered for a moment before saying, "Is the young sect master of Yunlan Sect present? I'd like to speak with her directly."
"The young sect master has just returned to Yunlan Sect. If you'd like to meet her, you'll need to go there."
The elder remained composed and smiling. He clearly noticed Gu He's interest in Yun Yun, but that was normal. Many in the sect admired her. Gu He was neither the first, nor would he be the last.
"Alright!"
Gu He nodded firmly.
…
…
Three days later—
As a surge of powerful Dou Qi erupted, Yao Yan slowly opened his eyes. Deep in their golden depths, a faint emerald flame flickered. Compared to the pure gold it once was, the flame now held a hint of green—his Phantom Gold Flame had subtly changed.
"Eight-star Dou Ling."
Yao Yan clenched his fists, sensing the abundant Dou Qi within. At the same time, he summoned the Phantom Gold Flame—now dancing over his palm. A faint green aura surrounded it, exuding the essence of the Green Lotus Core Flame.
He'd eaten too many Earth Flame Lotus Seeds…
Yao Yan knew this well. During the past few months of intensive training, he had consumed many lotus seeds, cultivating atop the lotus itself and occasionally tempering his body with the Green Lotus Core Flame. As Flame Mantra circulated, his Dou Qi naturally absorbed more and more of the flame's characteristics.
Compared to beast flames, heavenly flames were far more dominant. Even the slightest contamination could completely alter a beast flame's properties.
"I can refine the Green Lotus Core Flame now."
His eyes turned toward the cauldron. With his current cultivation, breaking through to nine-star Dou Ling—or peak Dou Ling—might take another two to three months. Earth Flame Lotus Seeds no longer helped, and his body had reached peak adaptation to the flame. Any further improvement would have to come from within.
In other words—by swallowing the Green Lotus Core Flame!
At that thought, he looked toward Hua She'er—the personal attendant of Queen Medusa. She had been by his side this whole time, assisting with his daily needs. As for Cai Die… she visited briefly each day, then left.
Cai Lin seemed worried something might happen between them. She didn't distrust Yao Yan—but her foolish little sister was another story. No matter how much she taught her, she feared the girl might throw herself at him.
"Young Master, do you need anything?"
Hua She'er swayed forward, her purple tail gliding behind her. Her gentle gaze and sweet voice made her seem like the perfect doting elder sister.
Yao Yan nodded, then turned to the Black Demon Cauldron. "Go inform your queen. I'm preparing to refine the Green Lotus Core Flame. There will be a lot of commotion, and I'll need her to help seal off the area."
Hua She'er nodded and took off, a golden streak flying toward the royal palace.
Soon after, Queen Medusa and her sister Cai Die arrived.
"When do you begin?"
Cai Lin's cold eyes fixed on him, her tone naturally laced with seductive charm.
Yao Yan smiled. "Now."
Cai Die clenched her fists nervously. "Good luck, Young Master!"
"Don't worry—I've got this."
Yao Yan patted her head with a smile. After all this preparation, not refining the flame now would be absurd.
He would devour this heavenly flame today.
Cai Lin said nothing more. She slowly ascended into the air. As powerful Dou Qi surged from her body, a pale purple barrier—like a shimmering curtain of water—enveloped the island, sealing it from the outside world. Unless the entire island was destroyed, nothing would get through.
Yao Yan waved at Cai Die, signaling the two to retreat. Then he opened the Black Demon Cauldron. A wave of fiery heat burst out—so intense that even the Ice Spirit Cold Spring couldn't fully suppress it.
With a flick of his finger, he summoned the lotus, leapt atop it, and sat cross-legged before the cauldron. He extended his hand into the Green Lotus Core Flame.
The flame instantly surged, its destructive power rising sharply. His skin instinctively turned silver from the Vajra Indestructible Body technique.
Szzzz—
The reaction was like dropping his arm into boiling oil. The flame's temperature soared.
Sensing Yao Yan's actions, the Green Lotus Core Flame violently roared to life. The surrounding energies of heaven and earth became chaotic. Multicolored streams of energy flowed like a five-colored river.
The flame surged along Yao Yan's arm, reaching out wildly. Flickering sparks ignited the swirling energy near the cauldron, burning it into nothingness.
The island's temperature spiked. The ground around the cauldron cracked and crumbled.
"So this is the true power of a heavenly flame?"
Hua She'er watched in awe, heart pounding. She didn't doubt that if dropped in a city, the flame could annihilate it in seconds. Yet Yao Yan, unprotected, had thrust his hand right into it—searching for something.
"Found it!"
Most of his clothes had been incinerated, revealing a perfectly sculpted upper body. His mouth curled into a smile as he pulled something from the flame—a small stream of green, lava-like liquid, slowly writhing in his palm.
This was the flame's essence—the source seed of the Green Lotus Core Flame.
As he extracted it, the massive flame in the cauldron rapidly shrank, eventually condensing into a single wisp that merged into the lava-like essence in his hand.
Even without using soul force, Yao Yan could feel the overwhelming energy inside. After all, this power had been gestating for a thousand years. If unleashed, even a Dou Zong would be annihilated.
This was why the fire lotus technique created by Xiao Yan in the original story was so powerful. Flame Mantra fused the heavenly flame with the user's Dou Qi—so firing it out was like launching the flame's essence itself.
"Life and death, strength and weakness—it's all about making choices…"
Yao Yan suddenly recalled something Hun Xu Zi once said. That man was despicable, but his teachings perfectly aligned with the Dou Qi Continent's law of survival. To become truly powerful, one had to risk everything. There were no shortcuts.
Endure—and you'll soar above the heavens.
Fail—and you'll vanish into dust.
Was he afraid?
He asked himself, then grinned. Of course he was. But he feared weakness more.
Without hesitation, he tossed the lava-like fire essence into his mouth.
All three snake-women gasped. Cai Die even covered her mouth to avoid screaming.
BOOM!
As the burning green liquid slid down, a terrifying force erupted inside him. A scorching pain swept through his organs and meridians. Even with his tempered body, he still felt utterly fragile before this heavenly flame.
Luckily, his Spirit Clan Dou Di bloodline gave him immense vitality. His body quickly began repairing itself, allowing him to endure the eruption without worrying about falling apart.
"So fierce!"
He watched as his inner channels twisted under the explosion. Muttering to himself, he activated "hot spring mode"—pulling out barrels of Ice Spirit Cold Spring and soaking his body to suppress the flame.
Compared to his life, the cold spring was expendable.
As the chilling energy flooded his system, the rampaging flame grew more docile. Even his hair was covered in a frosty layer.
Now, Yao Yan began using soul force to hunt the wild flame particles inside his body. Like a snake chasing its prey, he guided the essence to devour every fragment of the Green Lotus Core Flame. This only made the flame more violent—masses of Ice Spirit Cold Spring evaporated with bubbling gurgles.
Pain could no longer affect him. He watched his meridians destroy and rebuild.
Under the flame's burn, his body was being reforged. Even his bones shimmered faintly with a jade-like luster, exuding an aura of indestructibility, strengthening his flesh with every breath…
(END CHAPTER)
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