The Strange Flame Rekindles in Battle Through the Heavens

Chapter 26 Strange Fire

Xiao Yan, who was inside the room, was naturally unaware of Ya Fei and Gu Ni's conversation, but even if he had known, it wouldn't have mattered.

"Sir, Ya Fei has prepared all the medicinal herbs for you. Is there anything else I can help you with?" Ya Fei finished preparing the herbs in no time, knocked on the door, opened it, and said respectfully.

"Hehe, thank you very much! Please prepare another medicine cauldron, a thousand Blood-Coagulating Grasses, a thousand Vitality Fruits, and two thousand Poppy Flowers for me. However, the medicinal herbs and the medicine cauldron are not in a hurry. Please prepare them for me at your leisure, and I will come to collect them next time," the old medicine master said calmly.

As the old apothecary spoke, the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. He had only intended to prepare five hundred portions, but the little guy had asked for a thousand. This was no way to practice!

"Please rest assured, Consort Ya will do her best to prepare for you," Consort Ya said respectfully.

"Thank you very much! I have other matters to attend to, so I won't stay any longer." The old doctor thanked him and turned to leave.

"Sir, let me see you off," Ya Fei said softly, while giving Master Gu Ni a wink.

This time, the old man of medicine did not refuse. Usually, he was afraid of attracting attention by auctioning off the Foundation Establishment Elixir. However, since he did not bring the Foundation Establishment Elixir this time, there was no need to be too careful.

After the old doctor left, Ya Fei turned to Gu Ni and asked, "Why did the old man tell us to prepare a medicine cauldron and so many medicinal herbs? What kind of elixir are these herbs for?"

"Hehe, these medicinal herbs all have good healing effects, probably for making some healing medicine. As for preparing so many herbs and a cauldron, it's probably for beginners to practice with! Because given his status, he probably wouldn't make so many low-level healing medicines," Gu Ni said calmly.

"Could it be that he has taken on a disciple?" Ya Fei asked in surprise.

"Very likely!" Gu Ni said confidently.

"I wonder which lucky little fellow in Wutan City has been chosen by this old gentleman and has the opportunity to become an alchemist. It's truly enviable!" Ya Fei said with some emotion.

While the two were discussing, Xiao Yan quickly returned to the Xiao family and hurriedly climbed the cliff behind the mountain. He pulled out an iron chain from a hidden patch of grass and began to climb down it. When he reached the end of the chain, Xiao Yan curled his right palm into a claw shape, generating a powerful suction force that pulled him towards a section of the cliff face. Like swinging on a swing, Xiao Yan landed on a platform.

The platform is about 2.5 meters long and 3 meters wide, with a stone table in the middle. This excellent spot was a natural platform that Xiao Yan specially chose, and he expanded it with an axe and chisel over the past year, making it extremely convenient for both cultivation and alchemy.

Whether cultivating or refining pills, one must not be disturbed, otherwise, if one suffers a backlash, it's no joke.

Xiao Yan carefully took out the medicinal materials needed for the Qi Gathering Powder from his storage ring, placed them on the stone table, and examined them closely.

Black Leaf Lotus: The whole body is withered and yellow, and the five leaves are as black as ink. This is because the five leaves represent its age, with one leaf growing every ten years.

Snake Saliva Fruit: A round, emerald-green fruit, about half the size of a fist. If you hold it under your nose and smell it, you can detect a sweet and sour smell. This fruit only grows near the lairs of fifth-tier serpentine magical beasts, making it quite rare. Since snakes are associated with yin, this fruit is even more yin and cold, and it is a commonly used medicine to neutralize strong medicinal materials when refining medicine.

Spirit Gathering Grass: It is no different from ordinary grass leaves, except that the tip of the grass stem has a faint glow. The stronger the glow, the more abundant the pure energy contained within.

Level 2 Water Attribute Magic Core: It is entirely azure in color. When placed on the stone table, it is surrounded by water vapor, which shows how abundant the water attribute energy it contains is.

Looking at the medicinal herbs on the stone table, Xiao Yan asked impatiently in a low voice, "Teacher, all the materials are ready. Can we start refining now?"

"Yes, you can observe my alchemy techniques carefully, which will help you build a solid foundation in advance," Yao Lao said with satisfaction. He was increasingly pleased with Xiao Yan, who had considered everything so thoroughly. For example, this stone platform was prepared in advance by Xiao Yan, and the iron chain hanging on the cliff was also bought in several pieces by Xiao Yan and then fused together with his strange fire.

Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. Although he had observed Yao Lao refining the medicine before, Yao Lao hadn't explained how it was done, so he could only get a general idea and couldn't figure out much of the intricacies.

After seeing Xiao Yan nod, Yao Lao gently exhaled, his palm flat, and white flames slowly rose from his palm.

Xiao Yan looked at the white flame in Yao Lao's hand, his envious gaze impossible to hide. He also dreamed of one day being able to subdue a strange fire, but subduing a strange fire was extremely dangerous, almost a matter of life and death, or even certain death.

Seeing Xiao Yan staring at the white flame with envy, Yao Lao, unusually, began to talk about the origin of the white flame, assuming that Xiao Yan did not know what it was.

"Alchemists can generally be identified by the color of their flames. The flames of ordinary alchemists are pale yellow, and the higher the grade, the darker the color. However, besides using battle qi to catalyze the flames, alchemists can also borrow fire!" Yao Lao said calmly.

"Borrow a light?" Xiao Yan asked, feigning confusion.

"That's right, it's about borrowing fire. In this vast world, there exist some extraordinary fires, perhaps the flames carried by the center of a meteorite that fell from the sky," Yao Lao explained softly. As he said this, he gave Xiao Yan a deep look. Xiao Yan was stunned by Yao Lao's gaze, feeling somewhat bewildered.

The old alchemist spoke again, saying, "Deep within the volcano, there are lava fires and other strange flames that have been tempered for thousands of years. These strange flames are far more powerful than those catalyzed by battle qi, and they can even improve the quality of pills when used for refining. However, these strange flames of heaven and earth are extremely violent, and it is rare to encounter them in ordinary times. Even if one does encounter them, it is extremely difficult to subdue them. Many alchemists have searched for strange flames their entire lives, but in the end, they have never succeeded. Even when they do encounter and subdue them, it is a matter of life and death, and many are burned to ashes. I myself almost got burned to ashes back then."

"Sigh! I will have to face the strange fire sooner or later," Xiao Yan said with a sigh.

Xiao Yan wasn't intimidated by the terrifying power of the strange fire, because he had no choice but to pursue the path of subduing it. Unless he chose to be an ordinary strongman, merely making a name for himself in the Northwest Continent, he could forget about Xun'er. Even if Xun'er liked him, she wouldn't care; at most, she would only see him as her first love.

"Forget it! Life and death are predestined, wealth and honor are determined by fate. I didn't come to the Dou Qi Continent to be a useless nobody. So what if it's a different kind of fire!" Xiao Yan was a little hesitant at first, but he quickly became determined.

"You also want to possess a different kind of fire?" Yao Lao said jokingly, seeing Xiao Yan staring blankly at the white flame with his expression constantly changing.

"Of course! Who wouldn't want to possess such a rare and wonderful thing as a strange fire?" Xiao Yan said matter-of-factly, coming back to his senses.

"Hehe, there will be opportunities. And..." A barely perceptible smile appeared on the old doctor's lips.

"And what?" Xiao Yan asked, puzzled.

"Hehe, you'll find out soon enough. Let's refine the Qi Gathering Powder first!" Yao Lao did not answer Xiao Yan's question.

Xiao Yan pursed his lips again. It was always like this; they were trying to suffocate him!

(End of this chapter)