An abstract trainer who taught Charmander the Incinerate move

Chapter 237 The Substitute: The Crimson King, the Birth of the Genius Alchemist Tang Long! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Among the crowd, the one mocking Xiao Zhi was none other than Dr. Xiao Mu's grandson, Xiao Mao!
Beside him sat a nine-tailed creature with an elegant posture and nine fluffy tails swaying like flames behind it.

The nine-tailed fox lazily raised its eyelids, glanced at Xiao Zhi and Xiao Huolong, its eyes filled with the natural contempt of a high elf for a lowly being, and let out a soft "woof," as if echoing its master's mockery.

Xiao Mao proudly twirled the three gleaming dojo badges pinned to his chest with his fingers.

This is the admission pass for the Yunlan Conference. Only those who collect all eight badges can enter the Yunlan Conference venue!
Xiao Zhi's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red. He stiffened his neck and shouted, trying to save face.

"Xiao Mao! Don't be so smug! This is called accumulating strength for a late bloomer! Do you understand? Temporary setbacks are nothing! I, Xiao Zhi, am destined to become the league champion! The power of my bonds is something a spoiled brat like you who relies on his grandfather will never understand!"

The examiner, Xiao Gang, maintained a warm smile, seemingly oblivious to the conflict unfolding before him.

He clapped his hands gently, his voice calm yet clear, reaching everyone's ears.

"Alright, let's catch up after the assessment. Time is limited, so now—the assessment begins! All candidates, please begin refining 'Qi-restoring pills'."

As soon as he finished speaking, the staff next to him immediately distributed standard herbal materials to the long table in front of each examinee.

Xiao Huolong's large orange bald head instantly broke out in fine beads of sweat, and Tang's big eyes were filled with tension and unease.

It clumsily picked up the standard medicinal materials with its paws—a few shriveled pieces of fruit, two wrinkled segments of jujube, and a few grayish jujubes—and carefully stuffed them into the expensive-looking bronze medicine cauldron in front of it.

Its movements were stiff, and its claws even trembled slightly from exerting too much force. The medicine cauldron made a soft "clanging" sound as it was being stirred, attracting disdainful or curious glances from several examinees nearby.

Old Chi's voice rang in its mind at just the right moment, carrying a hint of impatience and disappointment.

[Fool! Be gentle! This is a medicine cauldron, not a bucket for storing tree fruits!]

After finally managing to stuff all the materials in, Xiao Huolong took a deep breath and tried hard to recall the circulation route of the Burning Technique Battle Qi.

It let out a low growl and slammed its right paw down on the fire starter at the bottom of the medicine cauldron. A flash of red light appeared in its paw, and a burst of crimson-gold flames shot out with a "poof," instantly engulfing the bottom of the medicine cauldron!
"what?!"

"This flame?!"

"What strange colors and smell!"

Almost the instant the Lion King's Burning Heart Fire appeared, a chorus of suppressed surprise and disbelief erupted throughout the examination hall.

The examinees, who were originally focused on their own medicine cauldrons, were all drawn to the flames that were crimson gold with the majestic shadow of a lion.

This flame not only has a noble color, but also faintly exudes a fierce and powerful aura of the king of beasts, which is completely different from the gentle and pure flames of ordinary alchemists!

Even the elegant nine-tailed fox suddenly raised its fluffy head, its nine tails swaying uneasily, and a hint of seriousness flashed in its crimson fox eyes.

Xiao Gang, who had been squinting and seemed nonchalant, suddenly opened his narrow eyes a crack, a glint of shrewdness flashing across them.

This flame... its aura is intense and domineering, carrying a barely perceptible kingly pressure. Although it's not as powerful as a strange fire, it's certainly no ordinary thing! This seemingly clumsy little fire dragon actually possesses such a wondrous object within its body? I've truly misjudged it!
He subtly smoothed his crotch, and his gaze toward Xiao Huolong held a newfound scrutiny and expectation.

Although he wasn't very bright, the gasps of amazement all around him were still clearly heard by Xiao Huolong.

Its simple brain immediately generated a strange confidence, and the Lion King Burning Heart Fire emitted from its paws seemed to become more stable and brighter, burning the bottom of the medicine cauldron red.

"Do you see that, Xiao Huolong! This is the unbreakable bond between us burning brightly!"

Xiao Zhi jumped up excitedly, clenched his fists, and waved them forcefully in Xiao Huolong's direction.

"Give it your all! Let's ignite the flames of victory with our bond! Bonds, answer me! Burn, my little fire dragon! Let this flame prove our friendship!"

He shouted until he was hoarse, his cheeks flushed, as if he were engaged in a decisive battle concerning the survival of the world, which drew sidelong glances from several other examinees who were speechless.

"Hmph, a frog in a well!"

Xiao Mao's face darkened as he was struck by Xiao Zhi's exaggerated "declaration of bond" and the astonishment of those around him at Xiao Huolong's flames.

He crossed his arms and mocked in a volume loud enough for the entire audience to hear.

"So what if the flames are strange? They're just tools for starting a fire! True alchemy masters focus on understanding the properties of medicines, controlling the heat, and manipulating the flow of energy with exquisite precision! Nine-Tailed Fox, let them see what true fire control is all about!"

Upon hearing this, the Nine-Tailed Fox beside him simultaneously lit up with soft orange-red flames at the tips of its nine bushy tails.

Like nine elegant, dancing candle flames, they intertwined to form a stable vortex of flame, evenly licking the bottom of the medicine cauldron with fluid and precise movements, demonstrating extremely high control.

In comparison, Xiao Huolong's crude output method, which relied entirely on the quality of the flames themselves to burn the target, appeared even more clumsy.

Hey kid, don't let that idiot fool you!

Chi Lao's voice, tinged with impatience, echoed in Xiao Huolong's mind.

[Alchemy, in essence, is just like eating! The bitter essence of the Zero Fruit is hidden deep within its veins, the sap essence of the Leba Fruit is wrapped in its peel, and the seeds of the Luozi Fruit are dregs! What you need to do is use your fire, like your tongue savoring food, to find those delicious, essential parts, gently 'lick' them out, and 'spit' out the useless impurities like garbage and burn them away!]

"Oh! I get it! Like eating!"

Xiao Huolong suddenly realized, and Tang's big eyes sparkled with wisdom.

It immediately began to operate according to Old Chi's eating theory, trying to reduce the power of the flames in an attempt to "lick" the medicinal herbs.

Suddenly, the flames shot up, and a thick plume of black smoke billowed from the mouth of the cauldron.

Accompanied by a pungent, burnt smell, the essence of the medicinal herbs was instantly burned away, leaving only a pile of black impurities!

"Pfft hahaha!"

Xiao Mao burst into a harsh laugh without any politeness, pointing at the medicine cauldron from which Xiao Huolong was emitting black smoke.

"See! What did I tell you? All brute force and no skill whatsoever! No matter how powerful the flames are, it's a waste to give them to an idiot! He can't even do the most basic separation of medicinal herbs, he's utterly disgraced alchemists!"

The surrounding examinees also shook their heads, it seemed that this little fire dragon was only special in its flames, its alchemy skills were really terrible.

"Xiao Huolong! Don't give up!"

Xiao Zhi was so anxious that he jumped up and down, cupped his hands to his mouth like a megaphone, and roared with all his might.

"Bonds! Our bonds are invincible! Think of the path we've walked together, feel my heart with yours! Let our souls resonate! The power of our bonds will guide you to the right flame! Stand up! Dodge! Don't lose! Bonds, hmphh ...

He shouted with such fervor, as if Xiao Huolong were being attacked by 100,000 volts on the field and needed to dodge in an emergency. The absurd content of his shouts made Xiao Gang next to him twitch his lips.

[Young man, relax and don't resist! I'll personally guide you through the process, so you can experience it carefully!]

Xiao Huolong felt a vast and familiar soul power instantly take over his body.

Like an observer, it watched as its claws gently pressed against the fire pit of the medicine cauldron with an unprecedentedly exquisite rhythm and force.

The raging Lion King's Burning Heart Fire instantly became incredibly docile, as gentle as a stream.

The flame probed into the medicine cauldron, precisely enveloping the second batch of medicinal herbs.

Xiao Huolong clearly felt that the flames were like his most agile tongue licking the veins of the fruit, easily distinguishing the cool and sweet essence of life beneath the bitter skin, carefully rolling it out, and completely burning away the impurities.

Xiao Huolong had only one thought in his mind: So it really is exactly the same as eating! Old Chi was right!
Just as the essence was about to perfectly fuse into a pill, Elder Chi, controlling Xiao Huolong's body, caused the flames under his claws to tremble for some unknown reason.

call!
A slightly intense flame swept across, and the essence of the medicine inside the cauldron instantly turned into a small pile of ashes, all the effort was in vain!
"Hahahaha!"

Xiao Mao's laughter grew even louder, filled with schadenfreude.

"Playing tricks! You thought you'd really grasped something! In the end, you were just burned to ashes! With such meager skills, you think you can be an alchemist? Go home and play in the mud!"

The nine-tailed fox also let out a disdainful whimper, and the fragrance of medicine inside its cauldron became even stronger, and a round, nascent pill had already appeared.

"Do not--!!!"

Xiao Zhi let out a heart-wrenching roar, as if he saw his elf being hit head-on by the Great Fireball.

He suddenly lunged forward a few steps, extending his "Erkang hand" towards Xiao Huolong, his eyes bloodshot.

"Xiao Huolong! Bonds will never lose! Stand up! Use the power of your bonds to create a miracle! I believe in you! Our bonds are invincible!"

As Chi Lao watched Xiao Mengzi's exaggerated performance, his eyelids twitched. She was clearly copying Xiao Zhi from "Super Rookie" in its entirety, and it was incredibly lifelike...

"Alright kid, this last piece of material is up to you! Don't embarrass me!"

Xiao Huolong took a deep breath, his massive chest heaving.

It closed its large, Down syndrome eyes, trying to savor the strange feeling of being possessed.

It was daydreaming again...

The fantasy was that the Crimson Elder was inside its body, his hands were my hands! His fire was my fire! He was licking me! He was eating me! He was refining pills for me! In this blissful fantasy, the Burning Jue Battle Qi, driven by strong willpower, actually began to imitate that exquisite operation!
hum-

As Xiao Huolong pressed his claws onto the fire-starting spout of the medicine cauldron once more, the crimson-gold Lion King Burning Heart Flame surged forth once more.

After a series of operations, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Xiao Huolong actually succeeded in extracting a clump of medicinal essence.

Even Elder Chi was amazed. The other party's performance was better than he had imagined. He thought that Tang Long would have to take a make-up exam, but he didn't expect that he would actually pass.

[Heh heh heh, my educational level is indeed extraordinary! It seems this kid has really come to his senses. Could it be that this guy is actually a wise fool in disguise?]

The crimson-gold flames shone brightly, but after a few breaths, they suddenly went out.

A pill the size of a longan lay quietly at the bottom of the cauldron, though it looked pitted and uneven, like the surface of the moon.

Xiao Gang's voice rang out at just the right moment.

"Time's up! Stop concocting the medicine!"

As he spoke, most of the candidates' medicine cauldrons were filled with either black ash or unformed medicinal liquid.

Only Xiao Mao, Xiao Huolong, and a girl named Lijia had formed pills in their medicine cauldrons.

Xiao Gang walked up to the three men with a blank expression and picked up the pills one by one to examine them.

He picked up the one that the Nine-Tailed Fox had refined and nodded.

"The first-grade Qi-restoring pill is of superior quality and meets the required standards."

He picked up Lijia's, a hint of approval in his eyes.

"It contains the pure essence of herbs and plants, has a mild and long-lasting medicinal effect, and is of excellent quality and qualified."

Finally, he picked up Xiao Huolong's three-colored coal ball and examined it carefully.

Under Xiao Mao's mocking gaze and Xiao Zhi's tense stare, Xiao Gang's narrowed eyes seemed to open a little wider, and he gasped.

"Hmph—this pill has a wild and unrestrained form, and its medicinal power contains a trace of the domineering vitality of a strange flame. Its potency far surpasses that of ordinary Qi-restoring pills... In terms of efficacy, it should be the strongest of the three! Qualified!"

"Hahaha! Did you hear that, Xiao Mao! Our bond is invincible! You've already lost!"

Xiao Zhi was the first to react. He jumped in front of Xiao Gang, put his hands on his hips, and laughed wildly.

"A mere first-grade alchemist is nothing! How could my partner, Xiao Zhi's partner, stop here! Master Xiao Gang! We must immediately apply for the second-grade alchemist assessment! Now! Immediately! Let this frog in the well see what true power of synergy is! Xiao Huolong! Our limit is the stars and the sea! Second-grade alchemists, charge—!!!"

He shouted with fervor, as if he could already see his glorious future with his chest covered in alchemist badges.

"Second-rank?! Has he gone mad?"

"You've only just learned to walk and you want to run?"

"So that little fire dragon got lucky and refined a strange pill, and now it's getting arrogant?"

The examination hall instantly erupted in chaos. A second-grade alchemist was someone who could walk around with impunity in Grayrock City!

Many alchemists who have been immersed in this art for many years still cannot reach this level in their entire lives!

This isn't just arrogance, it's downright insanity!
Even Lijia's face showed an expression of disbelief.

Xiao Mao was so angry that his face twisted, and he pointed at Xiao Zhi and Xiao Huolong.

"Wishful thinking! Daydreaming! Do you think alchemy is child's play? You think you can reach the second rank by luck? That's utterly ridiculous!"

Xiao Gang's narrowed eyes swept over Xiao Zhi's fanatical face and Xiao Huolong's large, Tang-like face before he spoke slowly.

"According to the association's rules, if you are confident, you can continue to apply. The second-grade alchemist assessment requires refining a 'Power Accumulation Pill,' which uses more complex medicinal materials and demands higher control over the heat, making it ten times more difficult than the first-grade assessment. Are you... sure you want to try?"

Before Xiao Huolong could even ask Elder Chi, Xiao Zhi had already agreed without hesitation.

"Of course! Don't underestimate our bond, Xiao Huolong, charge!!!"

When the staff placed the second-grade material, which emitted an even stronger energy fluctuation, in front of Xiao Huolong, his huge bald head began to sweat again.

It can only resort to the same old trick, close its eyes tightly, and immerse itself entirely in fantasy.

Old Red Elder! Quick! Hurry and get inside my body! Lick it for me! Eat it for me! Help me refine this even more advanced pill!

Just as Xiao Huolong's fantasy reached its peak, and his fighting spirit and mental will resonated deeply!

A sudden change occurred!

Suddenly, the crimson-gold Lion King Burning Heart Flame burning around Xiao Huolong intensified, and then a crimson humanoid phantom made of pure flames slowly stood up from behind him!
The phantom wore a distinctive red hat and a fiery robe. Although its face was blurry, its domineering aura and the way it raised its hand were strikingly similar to Elder Chi!
【Wh...what?!】

Chi Lao (Mo Zhen), who had been residing in Master Xiao Huolong's sphere in soul form, was truly shocked at this moment!
The moment the fiery phantom appeared, he clearly felt a powerful spiritual force erupting from the depths of Xiao Huolong's soul, yet independent of his own!
That phantom was not his clone, but rather an unexpected product born from the high resonance between Xiao Huolong's own will and the Burning Jue Battle Qi, combined with a trace of the PUA mark he had left behind over a long period of time!

[This is... a stand-in?! Tang Long actually awakened this legendary ability?!]

Old Chi's voice was filled with disbelief.

This ability usually only appears in individuals with exceptional mental talent or who have experienced tremendous mental stimulation!
I never expected that Tang Long could actually make this thing!
With a thought, Mo Zhen activated his access to the dream world and saw Tang Long's substitute panel.

Stand Name: Red King

[Destructive Power: C]

Speed: C

[Endurance: B]

【Precision: A】

【Growth: A】

[Ability: Helps the user manipulate flames for alchemy; this ability will gradually improve as the user gains more experience in alchemy.]

Upon seeing the panel's capabilities, a thoughtful look gradually appeared in Mo Zhen's eyes. It seemed that the original script had been altered, and an even more terrifying plan was forming in his mind...

Guided by the illusory image of flames, [Substitute: Crimson King], Xiao Huolong's claws seemed to be imbued with a soul.

The Lion King's Heart-Burning Flame has become more agile and precise than ever before!

The ferocity of the Vitality Fragment Powder is gently soothed and guided by the flames; the viscosity of the Star Peach Fruit Juice is evaporated and purified by the perfect temperature; the essence of other auxiliary materials is precisely extracted and removed...

The complex process of fusing medicinal properties became as natural as breathing, under the silent command of the phantom flames!
Finally, the flames subsided, and a pill with a bright red body and several irregular golden patterns on its surface appeared at the bottom of the cauldron—a Grade Two Energy Accumulation Pill, complete!

The entire alchemist branch was deathly silent.

Everyone stared blankly at the crimson-gold pill in Xiao Huolong's cauldron, then at the slowly dissipating [Crimson King] behind it, and finally their gazes fell on Tang Shi's still somewhat bewildered face.

Xiao Mao opened his mouth wide, as if his face had been smeared with Wartortle's water cannon, his face as pale as paper, unable to utter a single word.

Lijia and the woman beside her, their eyes filled with shock and curiosity.

Xiao Gang's narrowed eyes widened as he stared intently at the crimson-gold pill and Xiao Huolong, managing to utter words of confirmation with difficulty.

"Second-grade...second-grade energy storage pill...medicinal properties...exceptionally powerful...qualified!"

After a brief silence, an even greater uproar ensued!
"Oh my god! What's that? A fire spirit?"

"What...what did it just summon? Did that thing help him refine the pills?"

"Second rank! It really is second rank! It's only just past first rank!"

"Genius! No! Monster! This little fire dragon is a monster!"

All eyes were on Xiao Huolong, filled with awe, jealousy, and disbelief.

A genius alchemist was born right before their eyes!

However, Xiao Huolong is unaware of this yet...

Years later, when facing the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin, Emperor Tanglong would recall that distant afternoon when Elder Chi introduced him to ice...

(End of this chapter)