Just past nine at night, Jiang Yi was already waiting outside the Quenching Room.
According to the Celestial Book, Yang Xun disliked tardiness, so arriving early was a good way to get on his good side.
'The details are what matter.'
Jiang Yi thought.
He'd never expected his past-life experience as a secretary to come in handy in the Demon Dao.
Sure enough.
At a quarter past nine, Yang Xun's figure appeared on the mountain path.
He wore a Servant's Black Robe, and with his white hair and beard, he cut a fierce figure.
The sight of him so late at night was enough to give anyone a scare.
Yang Xun's gaze was sharp as a blade as it swept over Jiang Yi's shoulder. Clumps of snow, like tufts of cotton, clung to his dusty Daoist Robe, soaking a patch of the fabric.
His expression was cold as he said in a deep voice:
"It's freezing out. What are you doing here so early? Standing in the wind like a block of wood! And to think I found you clever. Now I see you're just a fool!"
Despite the tongue-lashing, Jiang Yi was neither angry nor intimidated. He simply parted his cotton robe to reveal the Lotus Lid Copper Pot he had tucked inside.
"Servant, take a look. I brought some hot tea to keep me warm. I'm not cold at all."
Yang Xun ignored Jiang Yi's transparent attempt to curry favor, opened the main door to the Quenching Room, and said:
"I've already had someone purchase two crates of Cold Water Stone and Ashen Phosphorus Powder, along with the other supplementary materials. Mix your secret catalyst formula so we can test its effects."
Jiang Yi followed closely at Yang Xun's heels. Without another word, he rolled up his sleeves and immediately set to work.
First, he opened the furnace's air vent and tossed in the uniformly sized Cold Water Stones, then immediately covered them with a layer of Ashen Phosphorus Powder.
Next, he took out powder ground from Locust Wood Cores, mixed it with plant ash, added a little limewater, and blended it all carefully.
"Done."
After about half an hour, Jiang Yi finished his work efficiently.
Yang Xun, feigning impatience from the long wait, waved his hand dismissively.
"Go wash your face. You're a filthy mess! What a sight!"
Jiang Yi just scratched his head and smiled, like a mischievous child being scolded by an elder, and wiped the dark smudges from his face with some water.
Yang Xun watched him the whole time, a complex expression in his eyes. Only after Jiang Yi had tidied himself up did he speak again.
"I will now open the furnace and light the fire. You will be responsible for adding charcoal and feeding in the materials. We'll see if this works and if we can produce acceptable Bone Material."
Jiang Yi nodded, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes.
He had obtained the *Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique* not long ago, and thanks to the Celestial Book's analysis of its core principles, he was studying it diligently.
He had already reached the entry-level stage.
'For Yang Xun to have held the position of Quenching Room Servant for thirty years, besides his profound cultivation at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, he must have also mastered the *Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique* to an advanced degree.'
'Otherwise, why would even the senior brothers from the Inner Sect show him deference when they came for inspections?'
'Observing him up close might give me some new insights.'
"Watch closely!"
Yang Xun, his voice booming with energy, let out a low shout and unleashed the vast True Qi accumulated in his Primordial Inner Mansion.
BOOM! It was like thunder erupting from a mountain, the shockwave shattering the air!
Jiang Yi felt a gale blast his face as a wave of Qi surged past, nearly knocking him off his feet.
'Such powerful True Qi… No, it's more condensed, more formidable! Is this the wonder of the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer—opening the Primordial Inner Mansion and breathing Spiritual Energy?'
Jiang Yi mused, his gaze locked on Yang Xun as he executed the Fire Manipulation Technique.
As his Servant's Black Robe billowed, waves of heat cascaded out like a waterfall. They swelled in the air, instantly expanding and transforming into several ferocious dragons of flame!
True Qi projected outward, surging as Red Flames!
The sight left Jiang Yi stunned. He couldn't help but think:
'Even if there were ten of me, or a hundred, I'd be utterly crushed!'
'A Ninth Grade Technique at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer… truly extraordinary!'
Struck by the ripples of Yang Xun's Qi Mechanism, the Quenching Room, as spacious as a great hall, began to rock ceaselessly, like a small boat tossed on a vast ocean.
"Rise!"
Yang Xun raised a hand, making a grasping motion in the air. The massive furnace lid, which must have weighed a ton, was flung into the air.
He then opened his mouth and uttered a single word, "Guide!" His surging True Qi rushed forth like a long rope being unfurled!
The savage, lifelike dragons of flame, baring fangs and claws, were instantly bound as if by an invisible force.
They became incredibly docile, diving into the furnace one after another.
Seven or eight breaths later, WHOOSH! The scorching earthfire within the furnace was ignited, its roaring flames filling the chamber.
The dense flames roared, hot enough to melt gold and smelt iron.
Standing below, Jiang Yi felt sweat bead on his forehead, his face burning from the heat.
"Control!"
Yang Xun formed a hand seal and pointed. The raging earthfire was instantly suppressed, turning from incandescent white to a calm blue.
Manipulated by his True Qi, the fierce blaze split into dozens of thin serpents of flame, slithering and coiling as they hovered inside the furnace.
The Cold Water Stones began to CRACKLE, and the Ashen Phosphorus Powder SIZZLED and smoked as the two substances fused, activating their properties.
'My turn.'
Jiang Yi didn't stand idle. Moving with agility, he shoveled in charcoal to control the fire's intensity. Then, climbing a ladder, he began adding the bone materials, sprinkling water to temper the reaction.
The iron-hard bone materials were placed into the heart of the heatwave. Impurities were burned away, their murky color faded, and any foul odor was refined out of existence.
The entire process lasted a full hour. In that time, Jiang Yi added fifty pieces of bone material, and astonishingly, half of them were successfully refined to an acceptable quality!
「After a long while.」
The furnace fire gradually died down.
Yang Xun slowly retracted his power, his True Qi returning to his Primordial Gate before settling back into his Inner Mansion.
He scanned the Bone Material. Each piece was a lustrous white with a jade-like quality, faintly exuding a gentle warmth. A look of sincere approval spread across his face.
The secret formula Jiang Yi had provided had indeed produced immediate and tangible results.
This level of quality far surpassed anything they had produced before!
'Now, with the Inner Peak breathing down our necks about production speed, the blame won't fall on my head. It'll be Tang Cong and Zhou Guang's turn to sweat.'
"Excellent!"
Yang Xun's fierce face suddenly broke into a wide grin, but the sound was like the shriek of a night owl, utterly unsettling to hear.
"Jiang the Kid, you've solved a huge problem for me! I, Yang Xun, am a man of principle. I never shortchange anyone… So, tell me. What is it you want?"
Jiang Yi felt a jolt. 'This is it,' he thought. 'A moment like this is the real test of skill.'