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Chapter 485 Six Fires Gather in Four Streams

Three skilled craftsmen spent many days figuring out a way to disassemble it, and then worked together to barely manage to extract the "Xiangshehuo" (a type of traditional firework).

There are still many other materials, still kneaded in that same lump.

Xu Yuan stood still to avoid disturbing them and ruining the festive performance.

After waiting for about half an hour, they heard Zhong Die cheer and Xu Haoran and Lao Zheng breathe a sigh of relief.

Xu Yuan then went inside: "What a coincidence."

Zhong Die, her face beaming with joy, showed it to him: "Lord Xu, look at this Shehuo feast!"

This is a dark gray, malevolent flame.

While hunting evil spirits outside the fake village, Xu Yuan discovered that the fire seemed to be secretly absorbing the "life" of those evil spirits.

The more Xu Yuan killed, the more intense the fire became.

Later, when he consulted Aunt Wang about this matter, she told him that it was a special "festival feast" unique to the underworld officials.

Simply put, back then, when the underworld officials were capturing wronged souls and evil spirits, they were able to share a little bit of the incense offered by the people to places like the City God Temple.

In an era rife with evil spirits, this "sharing" directly transformed into the act of killing evil spirits, where a trace of their lives would be incorporated into the "Feast of the Community," thus strengthening the community.

Although Jiao Ya Liu has fallen into evil, he still retains his "Xiang She Huo" (a type of folk performance).

Xu Yuan then coveted the fire.

We can grow stronger by killing evil spirits!

This is perfect for my entire Purification Department.

Regardless of whether this "fire" suits my needs, I'm determined to refine it!

"Feasting at the Shehuo" is something that everyone in the underworld does, but it is extremely rare in the mortal world.

Just like the items that the underworld traded with Xu Yuan.

"Thank you all!" Xu Yuan took the fire, clasped his hands in thanks to the three of them, and then took the "fire" out to find Aunt Wang.

Now, Xu Yuan has six types of fire.

These are the inherent fire elements in the destiny chart "Mountain Top Fire Mist".

Fire in spring.

Wood Heart Fire.

Dragon Mouth Fire.

Green monument fire.

And this "Xiangshehuo" (a type of traditional folk performance).

Seeing Xu Yuan suspend the six balls of fire a foot in front of him and arrange them in this way, Aunt Wang couldn't help but feel gratified and sighed: "In the history of Huangming alchemy, I'm afraid no one has ever been able to collect so many fires at the level of fire refining!"

Among these, the most suitable for Xu Yuan is "Dragon Mouth Fire". Surprisingly, Green Stele Fire and Xiangshe Fire are also quite suitable, though slightly inferior to Dragon Mouth Fire!
"Good boy." Aunt Wang praised again. Now, the more she looks at my Xu Yuan, the more satisfied she is. He is born to be a pill cultivator. It's all Xu Huanyang's fault for being short-sighted and delaying us!
"Come on, let your aunt teach you how to make fire!"

Fire refining is the prerequisite for the "self-refinement" of the third-level alchemy practitioners.

Even setting aside the powerful boost from "Refining Myself," the "Refining Fire" skill alone can significantly increase the strength of a pill cultivator.

Once this step is taken, the "fire" of alchemy practitioners acquires its own attributes.

First, the level of "fire" will be significantly improved.

In addition to the original abilities, it will also add various additional benefits brought by attributes.

After that, all the pills refined by alchemists would bear their own clear imprint.

For alchemists, advancing to the fourth rank after "refining fire" is enough to be considered a "master of alchemy".

These attributes of fire will give alchemists additional abilities to their pills.

Because Xu Yuan collects more fire, he can obtain more additional attributes.

These additional attributes, on some levels, can have effects that are somewhat similar to Xu Yuan's destiny.

Therefore, for Xu Yuan, this is definitely a huge boost.

Under Aunt Wang's guidance, Xu Yuan first selected the "Dragon Mouth Fire" from the six balls of fire.

It was successfully integrated into oneself.

This provides a solid foundation.

Then there's the "Mountain Firestorm" which is the most powerful fire.

Although this flame is not the most suitable for Xu Yuan, it originates from his own destiny, so there shouldn't be any problems in refining it.

The third is "Xiangshehuo," which is also very suitable for Xu Yuan.

Following that are "Spring Fire" and "Wood Heart Fire".

These two flames are not compatible with Xu Yuan, but it is relatively easy to fuse them.

What remained was "Green Stele Fire," which, while fitting, was the most difficult to achieve.

Aunt Wang first wrote down everything about Xu Yuan and their relationship on a piece of paper next to her.

Xu Yuan was both amused and exasperated: "You're afraid of failing too? You've forgotten about me?"

Aunt Wang waved her hand, telling him not to overthink it: "It's better to be prepared, child. Are you ready? Let's begin!"

"it is good!"

The "Green Stele Fire" is indeed different from the previous five types of fire.

It was perfectly suited to Xu Yuan, so Xu Yuan could easily feel the power of the fire.

However, this power is "unpredictable".

It seems contradictory: you can clearly sense it, yet you can't grasp it.

Xu Yuan felt as if he were catching a silver fish in a clear lake.

Without any tools, you can only grab it with your hands.

You can see the silverfish clearly, but it is far less agile in the water.

Catching up with it is already difficult, and once you catch up, it's even harder to hold on to it.

Xu Yuan tried again and again, and through each failure, he learned from his experiences and avoided making the same mistakes next time.

Unbeknownst to him, Xu Yuan had immersed himself entirely in this "capture".

He completely forgot everything else.

Aunt Wang, who protected him, still remembered everything.

And understand what kind of situation Xu Yuan is currently in.

Xu Yuan was already immersed in the "history".

In that long river of time, we trace the path of sages and celebrities of past dynasties, and the flames of morality they ignited in various historical records through their outstanding qualities.

However, the so-called "following in the footsteps of the sages" may lead to a gradual forgetting of oneself, a self-forgetting, and then being forgotten by others.

Aunt Wang has already taught Xu Yuan all the skills.

"My child, the rest is up to you."

This is the path of cultivation.

Those who came before you can pave the way, but you have to walk it yourself.

For example, Wei Jinyuan's family paved the way for him very well, but his achievements in cultivation were still not outstanding.

Even if you're a sixth-rate person, you can only bully those who are less skilled than you.

If they really encounter someone of equal skill, they will undoubtedly lose without Uncle Xi's help.

Xu Yuan kept pursuing his goals and gradually discovered that he seemed to have found some "techniques".

We are getting closer and closer to grasping the power of that flame.

This skill allows Xu Yuan to focus on himself.

Because skills are derived from summarizing one's own experience.

Being able to value oneself at this moment is half the battle won.

After an unknown amount of time, and after trying more than ten times, Xu Yuan suddenly felt himself fall into a beam of light.

The light emanated from above and penetrated his entire body.

The focus is not on oneself, but on one's place in this light.

Xu Yuan suddenly realized: It's done!
Aunt Wang, watching from the side, finally understood: "So... the key to refining the Azure Stele Flame lies in..."

Aunt Wang was deeply moved!

She didn't say what came next.

The reason why it is difficult to successfully refine the "Green Stele Fire" is that those who want to use the "Green Stele Fire" for refining have no right to be recorded in history!
They do not meet that standard, either in terms of personal conduct or the achievements they are likely to accomplish in the future!
It was not because he forged the "Green Stele Fire" that he made a name for himself in history.

It is because they are qualified to "leave their mark in history" that they can forge the "fire of the green monument"!
"My Yuan'er will be someone who has a place in history!" Aunt Wang was extremely excited and proud!
Then he remembered that man again and said angrily, "Xu Huanyang has misled young people!"

In Aunt Wang's mind, she had already dismissed Xu Huanyang's identity as her "biological father"!

This idiot has wasted over a decade of our Yuan'er's life!

From now on, Yuan'er is a child from our Hegong Lane, not Xu Huanyang's son.

Within Xu Yuan's body, the six flames merged together, a process that was slow yet remarkably smooth.

Everything will fall into place.

The first to benefit was Xu Yuan's "internal fire".

Various attributes are incorporated.

Their standards have already risen to the fourth tier.

This level of "fourth-rate" skill, starting from the fire in his abdomen, spread throughout Xu Yuan's entire body.

When the six types of fire were completely fused within Xu Yuan's body, Xu Yuan was completely promoted from a fifth-rate to a fourth-rate alchemist!
At this point, Xu Yuan's "Dragon Transformation Method" and his alchemy skills had both fallen to the fourth tier.

As a cultivator with two fourth-rate cultivation levels, Xu Yuan would be confident in his ability to put up a fight even against a typical third-rate cultivator!

At this point, his business law was already quite outdated.

However, once the deals for the "Thousand Arrow Crossbow" and "Ghost Mulberry Skin" are finalized, the level of business law will surely leap forward.

Under Aunt Wang's concerned gaze, Xu Yuan's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he opened his eyes.

Aunt Wang had already sensed that Xu Yuan had advanced to the fourth rank. Seeing him wake up, she smiled happily: "Good, good! A fourth-rank alchemist at less than twenty years old!"

"Another true genius has emerged from our alley!"

The previous one was Lin Wanmo.

“Come, come,” Aunt Wang pulled Xu Yuan along, “Let me tell you about some of the tricks of the fourth-rate…”

Xu Yuan listened attentively.

……

Lin Wanmo and Mr. Feng Si have emerged from seclusion.

With Mr. Feng Si's full assistance, Ms. Lin Wanmo said that she had never fought such a well-funded battle before.

With a mediocre assistant, you'll have access to all sorts of excellent supporting materials!

Use whatever you want.

Unlike before, when we had good ideas but were limited by the lack of good supporting materials, we no longer had to rack our brains to come up with various alternative solutions.

This exit from the border signifies that the final farewell is imminent.

Mr. Feng looked at the three crafted items and nodded in satisfaction.

He couldn't help with the criminals in Hegong Lane.

So keeping these three crafted items can be considered a way of helping Xu Yuan.

Thanks to Mr. Feng Si's help, Lin Wanmo was tired this time when she came out of seclusion, but she was not as haggard and decadent as before.

However, after exiting the pass, Xu Yuan was nowhere to be seen to greet them.

"Huh?" Lin Wanmo was a little surprised. This kid had a nose as sharp as a dog's. In the past, whenever he came out of seclusion and knew there were good crafts to acquire, this kid would be waiting outside the door in the morning. Mr. Feng's two "filial" students were nowhere to be seen either.

Mr. Feng knew what they were doing and snorted in dissatisfaction: "Two idiots! They still haven't completely disassembled that material."

Lin Wanmo called Yu Yunhang over: "Where is Xu Yuan?"

"The master has gone into seclusion to refine the fire."

Mr. Feng's eyebrows twitched: "Refining fire?! He's going to be promoted to fourth-class?"

Yu Yunhang answered honestly, "That's right, my family has been preparing for this promotion to fourth-class status for a long time."

"How long have you been preparing?" Mr. Feng raised his eyebrows again.

How old is Xu Yuan?

How long have you been preparing?

Do you know that other alchemists need to prepare for more than ten years to advance to the fourth level of fire refinement?
None of them dared to say that they had been "preparing for a long time".

However, in Yu Yunhang's understanding, the preparations for this fire-refining ceremony... for his master, had really been going on for "a very long time".

After all, I had never prepared for this long for any of my previous promotions.

Mr. Feng thought for a moment and decided that since he had already helped with three crafts, why not help him with the forging as well?

"What kind of fire did Xu Yuan ignite?"

Yu Yunhang glanced at Lin Wanmo, unsure whether he should answer.

What kind of fire one refines is also a secret to alchemists.

Lin Wanmo: "Just answer the truth."

Yu Yunhang then said, "Spring fire..."

Mr. Feng nodded calmly, about to comment that the fire was so-so, but usable.

But to his surprise, Yu Yunhang hadn't finished speaking yet.

"Wooden Heart Fire, Dragon Mouth Fire, Green Stele Fire, Destiny Fire... and the Xiangshe Fire we harvested this time."

Mr. Feng was so speechless that he was at a loss for words.

He did some mental calculations, and then his expression gradually became exaggerated.

Even if he was a student of the supervisor and a third-rate craftsman, he had never seen a pill refiner collect six kinds of fire in one go when refining fire!
"so much?!"

But after being shocked by the sheer number of firecrackers, Mr. Feng's expression turned cold: "Greedy!"

"Xiao Mo, you need to be prepared. That kid is probably going to cause trouble this time."

Mr. Feng did not mean to look down on Xu Yuan.

Even if he thought highly of Xu Yuan, he felt that refining six types of fire at once was "greedy and ambitious," and was destined to fail.

But Aunt Wang doesn't think so. She thinks my Yuan'er can do anything!
Lin Wanmo didn't know exactly how many types of fire Xu Yuan had collected.

Aunt Wang has always been the one guiding Xu Yuan in matters of alchemy.

Lin Wanmo frowned, but did not speak.

Mr. Feng rubbed his temples: "Don't worry, let me think of a way to salvage this..."

A figure flashed at the courtyard gate, and Xu Yuan rushed in with a beaming face: "You've emerged from seclusion!"

Then he looked longingly at his stepmother.

What good stuff did you forge this time? Hurry up and bring it out to me!

Mr. Feng was taken aback and carefully examined Xu Yuan.

Then he pulled out a pair of shackles from his sleeve and personally began to cuff Xu Yuan!
Xu Yuan waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Fourth Uncle, what are you doing? This is so unlucky!"

"Take it with you!" Mr. Feng said in a serious tone, "I need to test it."

Xu Yuan's appearance suggests that he has successfully completed the fire-refining process.

However, Mr. Feng was meticulous. Even when Xu Yuan told him in person that he had succeeded, he refused to believe it immediately. He wanted to test it with his own craftsmanship and only accept the result after he had it.

Xu Yuan looked completely bewildered.

He reluctantly extended his hand to Mr. Feng.

Mr. Feng put the shackles on Xu Yuan.

Fortunately, this craftsman only had one pair of shackles; if it had been a pair... that would have been truly unlucky.

A silver wire was attached to the back of the shackles, and behind the silver wire was a small bronze gong.

After Xu Yuan fastened the button, a while later, he heard the small gong ring out four times.

Mr. Feng, looking at his own eyebrows, exclaimed, "Truly a success! Fourth-rate!"

Xu Yuan asked in confusion, "Fourth Uncle, what exactly do you mean?"

Mr. Feng still felt: "This is unreasonable... You, quickly release the fire in your belly and let this old man take a look!"

Xu Yuanzhi pursed his lips.

Lin Wanmo knew him well and said, "Fourth Brother was a great help with these crafts."

"Oh, I see"—Xu Yuan then cooperated by expelling a ball of fire from his abdomen.

This time, Mr. Feng didn't need to use a craftsman's tool for testing. Instead, he pressed his right nostril and exhaled a stream of his own fire from his left nostril.

Craftsmen and repairmen also have their own fires.

The difference is that the fire used by craftsmen is for forging and rarely for fighting.

Mr. Feng's fire is also extraordinary.

It contains a total of four types of "fire"!
However, this is different from the fire refining in alchemy. Mr. Feng's four kinds of fire are collected slowly and absorbed at different times.

If I find a suitable fire again later, I can blend into it again.

"Fire" only involves refining, unlike alchemy which requires merging with oneself.

Mr. Feng's fire, like the gaze on his arm, was placed on the fire in Xu Yuan's abdomen as if taking a pulse.

The various properties of the fire in his abdomen were gradually transmitted back to Mr. Feng Si's heart.

He silently counted: "One, two, three, four... five..."

six!"

It really is a fusion of six different types of fire!
Mr. Feng put away his fire, glanced at Xu Yuan without making a sound, and said in a slightly more polite tone, "Alright, you can put the fire away now."

"Okay." Xu Yuan then withdrew the fire from his abdomen.

Mr. Feng's words to Lin Wanmo were well-intentioned.

But to his surprise, Xu Yuan actually succeeded!
Originally, he intended to leave behind three crafted items to greatly help Xu Yuan... All of this stemmed from his close friendship with Lin Wanmo.

But now it seems... Xu Yuan is worth investing in.

Mr. Feng initially wanted to move to the Champa government office because he was annoyed with Wei Jinyuan and deliberately used Xu Yuan to disgust Wei's eldest son.

Now, suddenly touching his chin, he thought about it again:
Xu Yuan was not even twenty years old, yet he was already a fourth-rate alchemist.

High-level alchemists are already few in number.

He... might still have a chance to exonerate Hegong Lane!
If they were no longer criminals, the people of Hegong Lane would be a powerful group of "unaffiliated cultivators" without any background!
Such a person is precisely the best choice for Miss Jinxi to marry.

Xu Yuan had no idea that in the blink of an eye, so many complicated thoughts had flashed through Mr. Feng Si's mind.

But Xu Yuan had another matter to discuss, so he took the opportunity to talk to Mr. Feng: "Uncle, I have a business deal with the Xu family that requires a powerful craftsman to oversee it. I wonder if you would be interested?"

"what business?"

Xu Yuan then explained the Thousand Arrows Crossbow and casually mentioned Ghost Mulberry Skin at the end.

Upon hearing the name "Thousand Arrows Crossbow," Mr. Feng immediately looked at Lin Wanmo.

The latter shrugged: "It was my improvement, but I also have to thank the Pingtian Society for providing a completely new approach."

Then he explained this line of thinking.

Mr. Feng Si had a keen understanding of craftsmanship.

"I see," he said casually.

They also had similar ideas for these large military artifacts, but the high cost prevented them from being widely adopted.

Mr. Feng then asked Xu Yuan, "Was the mulberry bark... provided by the City God?"

“Yes,” Xu Yuan said with some concern, “I had no choice but to agree.”

Mr. Feng seemed to know something about the underworld: "There's no need to worry too much. It's just a transaction, and everyone is willing."

Xu Yuan felt a little more at ease: "I understand."

Mr. Feng nodded: "However, this business is not suitable for me to participate in."

“I understand, Fourth Uncle also has his concerns.” Xu Yuan didn’t press the matter, and chuckled, “Then I’ll go find Wei Jinyuan.”

Mr. Feng was a bit out of touch with the unconventional thinking of today's young people: "Find him?"

“This business needs a powerful craftsman to oversee it, but that’s just a facade. What’s more important is the power behind it, the ability to keep those who want to devour us in check,” Xu Yuan said. “Although Old Zheng’s craftsmanship is only so-so, the Wei family is enough to guarantee this business.”

Mr. Feng couldn't help but ask, "Will Wei Jinyuan agree to that?"

Even a blind man could see that Wei Jinyuan hated Xu Yuan to the bone, or at least avoided him like the plague.

He absolutely refused to partner with Xu Yuan in business.

Xu Yuan chuckled again: "Whether he agrees or not is not important. I won't talk to him. I'll go talk to Uncle Xi."

"Hey—" Mr. Feng stroked his chin and dragged out the sound. This kid really does have some brains!
Uncle Xi, who followed Wei Jinyuan, was at times a manifestation of the will of that Grand Secretary of the court.

In matters involving significant interests, Uncle Xi would not act impulsively like Wei Jinyuan.

Xu Yuan's deal might actually go through.

Mr. Feng then asked, "Aren't you afraid that Wei Shiqi will kick you out in the future?"

"I'm not afraid," Xu Yuan said calmly. "As long as he takes this job, he won't dare to kick out the people from Hegong Lane."

Not to mention that Xu Yuan is already a fourth-rate person at such a young age, and will almost certainly become a third-rate person in the future.

However, Wei Shiqi had to be wary of the elders in the alley now, fearing even the slightest outburst of anger.

If they were to go into this business together, Wei Shiqi would definitely investigate Xu Yuan's background thoroughly.

They will definitely find out the identities of the criminals in Hegong Lane; it's impossible to hide them.

It all depends on whether Lord Wei Shiqi has the courage to do it.

Mr. Feng nodded slowly, finally uttering a word of praise through gritted teeth: "Good lad!"

In her mind, she compared this kid to those spoiled brats in Beidu who swarmed around Miss Jinxi like flies. Those guys were truly hopeless wretches.

Wei Jinyuan could be considered the worst of the worst.

Mr. Feng first reassured Xu Yuan: "Go ahead and do it boldly. Wei Shiqi's enemies in the court are precisely a group of old bureaucrats who control the arms business."

He is very likely to agree.

Xu Yuan's eyes lit up. This kind of crucial information was something that Xiao Zhanglu, from the remote and impoverished area of ​​southern Jiaozhi, could not possibly obtain.

Thank you for your kind words!

Lin Wanmo said listlessly, "Are you done talking? Hurry up and take a look at the crafts. I'm really sleepy. I'll give you the items and then I need to catch up on some sleep."

Xu Yuan rubbed his hands excitedly: "Great!"

The main material for the first crafted item was a section of the ox horn belonging to the Monkey King.

The stepmother's handling of this matter is the most complicated.

First and foremost, we must ensure that the aura of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven is completely erased from the top, lest the Great Sage Equaling Heaven emerge from the "Lingxiao Palace" and follow the "scent" to cause trouble for Xu Yuan.

Then, with the help of Mr. Feng Si—mainly by providing several precious materials free of charge—this crafted item is now a cow horn lamp.

This craftsmanship is only third-rate!
Under the light, everything can be sculpted at will!
In other words, if Wei Jinyuan were to fall into this light, Xu Yuan could turn him into any cat or dog he wanted, or even... a castrated cat or dog.

(End of this chapter)