Chapter 32: Three Flowers Converging at the Crown
In the end, he was a little too late. You can't expect a glutton to show mercy once the food is in their mouth.
Yao Yan held Ling'er gently by the scruff of her neck, staring into her big watery eyes. She was looking at him with the most innocent expression imaginable, clearly unaware of what she had just done—much less understanding the value of the five-tier Mi Ben Foundation-Forging Pill she had just eaten.
What does a heavenly flame need pills for anyway… Yao Yan couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated. He sighed and helplessly stared at the little one in his arms.
He had poured heart and soul into refining that pill, and just as he was about to admire his accomplishment—it was already in her belly. Not an ounce of temper left in him. Of course, part of the blame was his own—he'd been so focused on the cauldron that he hadn't even noticed her sneaking up on him.
"Was it tasty?"
Yao Yan tugged lightly at her mouth and asked irritably.
By now, Ling'er knew she'd done something wrong. Her perked-up ears drooped, and she looked at him cautiously, giving a soft whimper, "Ying ying~"
"So good at ying ying—if you ever take human form, you better become a fox-eared girl. You hear me?"
Yao Yan pinched her fluffy ears and warned her.
"Ying… ying…"
Naturally, Ling'er had no idea what Yao Yan was talking about. She just blinked her large eyes and gave him a pitiful look, like a little girl being scolded by a suspicious uncle.
Yao Yan finally calmed down. He placed her back in his arms and stroked her head gently to soothe her. "See this cauldron? From now on, don't eat anything that's still being refined inside. The ones in the pill bottles over there? Those you can eat as much as you want, got it?"
He pointed at the cauldron, then at the pile of pill bottles to the side—many of which were already empty, their low-tier contents having gone straight into Ling'er's stomach.
Honestly, he had no idea why a heavenly flame loved eating pills so much.
Maybe it had to do with her wood affinity. The Flame of Living Beings was born in the depths of verdant primeval forests. Its growth likely required essence from plants and nature. As for deeper reasons—he'd only understand once he refined her.
Thinking this made Yao Yan feel a bit guilty. Ling'er was just a glutton, and here he was, coveting her body.
But that guilt didn't last long.
This was the Dou Qi Continent, after all. Even if he didn't refine her, someone else would. A Flame of Living Beings was one of the most desired heavenly flames among alchemists. And if he wanted to walk the path of the Ancient Emperor Tuoshe, devouring heavenly flames was inevitable.
At least by refining her himself, he could preserve Ling'er's personality and help her evolve to the level of an Emperor Flame—becoming a sentient, intelligent being rather than a mindless clump of fire.
"Ying ying~"
Ling'er glanced at the cauldron, then at Yao Yan, and finally at the pile of randomly stacked pills. She nodded obediently.
That part she understood.
Looking down at the little fox in his arms, Yao Yan whispered, "Don't be greedy again, okay? If you want something, just ask me. If I can give it to you, I will."
Ling'er tilted her head and flashed a bright smile—so full of life.
Yao Yan smiled back, then placed her down and crossed his legs to recover his Dou Qi. Once he was fully restored, he'd try refining another pill. Now that he'd done it once, a second attempt wouldn't be so difficult. The only thing limiting him was his Dou Qi, but once he broke through to Da Dou Shi, that problem would disappear.
His previously unstable Dou Qi had become increasingly solidified after a month of pill refinement. He could likely attempt a breakthrough to seven-star Dou Shi within days.
This month of intense alchemy had also given him new insight into Dou Qi, soul power, and blood energy.
It was all tied to the Three Flowers Converging Flame Art he practiced.
This was a foundational technique used by the Yao Clan for training young disciples. Though only a low-level Yellow-Tier technique, it had very unique effects—able to absorb natural spiritual energy to nourish the body's essence, Qi, and spirit. The deeper he cultivated it, the more special it felt.
"To absorb the power of heaven and earth, refine the body's essence, Qi, and spirit, converge the three flowers at the crown, and give birth to the Primordial Seed…"
That was the guiding verse at the beginning of the Three Flowers Converging Flame Art. The first lines were straightforward, but the latter parts remained a mystery—no one had ever reached the "three flowers converging at the crown" stage, so naturally, the "Primordial Seed" remained unknown.
"Maybe only by reaching that realm can the last part be understood."
Yao Yan mulled over these thoughts while running the technique. With his current level of soul power, multitasking posed no difficulty.
But some questions aren't answered by thinking.
Soon, he set aside those thoughts. With his current cultivation, pondering them was meaningless. The answers would come when the time was right—when he had the power to understand.
Buzz~
Suddenly, a surge of invisible soul power spread through the air. Yao Yan's heart tightened. He instinctively stopped cultivating and opened his eyes—just in time to see an eerie black flame flickering on his storage ring.
It had no form, no shape—no waves of energy. It seemed to merge with space itself, devouring even the smallest fluctuations.
If not for seeing it with his eyes, he wouldn't have sensed a thing.
Moments later—
A jade token, wrapped in black flame, floated out of his ring. A vast wave of soul power surged forth, and Hun Xuzi's image appeared before Yao Yan—his body wreathed in Void Devouring Flame, looking like a reaper from hell: grim and terrifying, clearly not someone who played the role of a kind elder.
Seeing him, Ling'er immediately panicked. Her fur puffed up, and she dove into the farthest corner of the cave, trembling as she peeked at Hun Xuzi with wide, frightened eyes.
A textbook example of someone weak yet "brave."
Hun Xuzi, of course, didn't care about a mere second-rank greenwood fox. He glanced around the cave, and the black flames in his eyes flickered with surprise. "You refined a fifth-tier Mi Ben Foundation-Forging Pill? That's considered a top-tier fifth-grade pill. For someone your age to reach the fifth-tier level—rare even in the Yao Clan."
Rare? That meant others had done it.
Yao Yan wasn't particularly proud. He stood and respectfully bowed. "You flatter me, teacher."
"You do have extraordinary talent in alchemy. If not, I wouldn't have chosen you in the first place."
Hun Xuzi chuckled, clearly very pleased with Yao Yan.
No teacher liked a dim-witted student.
Yao Yan gave a modest smile, acting the obedient disciple.
Hun Xuzi's smile faded. After a moment of thought, he said, "I originally planned to get you Dou Di blood from the Flame and Lightning Clans. But my previous actions against the Stone and Spirit Clans drew too much attention—now all the major clans are on guard. Forget it for the next few years."
He paused, then continued:
"As for magical beast bloodlines, they don't suit you very well. You're human, after all, so they're not the best match. But in the future, once you're stronger, you can try consuming some—just for flavor. The three great beast clans make for decent snacks."
Decent snacks?!
If the Ancient Void Dragon, Heavenly Demon Phoenix, or Nine Nether Earth Python clans heard this… well, they wouldn't be able to do much anyway. Food doesn't get to protest. If not for worrying about the other Dou Di clans' reactions, the Hun Clan might've already raised them like livestock.
The Hun Clan is terrifying… Yao Yan recalled what the original novel said about them and couldn't help but shudder.
A thousand years of planning, paired with the bloodline power enhanced by Void Devouring Flame, had produced a terrifying number of high-ranking Dou Saints—over a dozen at the peak tier, and dozens more at lower levels. The scale was horrifying.
If not for Gu Yuan holding the fort, the Hun Clan might have already massacred the entire Dou Qi Continent.
Suppressing his unease, Yao Yan respectfully bowed again:
"Thank you for your efforts, teacher."
Hun Xuzi waved a hand and replied warmly, "No need for that. You're my only disciple. It's my duty to train you."
"Teacher…"
Yao Yan looked at him with admiration, his eyes filled with emotion.
We're all actors here.
If that's what you want—I'll give it to you.
Hun Xuzi was satisfied by Yao Yan's gaze. It made all the lies he'd spun worth it. The boy was clearly ensnared in this mentor-disciple bond. His choice back then had been right—better than forcing loyalty through power. Manipulating human nature yielded far more loyalty.
What Hun Xuzi had forgotten, though—
Those who toy with human nature are eventually toyed with by it.
(END CHAPTER)
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