Chapter 76: Law Flame Alchemy Furnace
"Aren't you going to give me a hug now that I'm back?" Xiao Yan spread his arms wide.
The two girls exchanged glances before turning their heads away simultaneously.
"Oh, giving me the cold shoulder, huh?" Xiao Yan chuckled.
He was never one to sit back passively. If the "opposition" took a defensive stance, he would naturally take the initiative to launch an attack.
In a flash, his figure appeared beside the two women like a ghost.
"What are you doing?" Cao Ying gasped as she felt an arm snake around her waist.
Dan Chen fared no better and was also swept into Xiao Yan's embrace. She huffed and weakly punched him before giving up and resting in his arms.
"Let me go!" Cao Ying struggled but, after a soft smack, her face turned red, and she too leaned against him, embarrassed.
"Ah, this is the life," Xiao Yan sighed contentedly, basking in the fragrance of the two women in his arms.
Achievement Unlocked: Left Embrace, Right Snuggle!
After a brief moment of indulgence, Xiao Yan reluctantly parted ways with the two girls and returned to his residence in Starfall Pavilion.
"Teacher, I'm back!" Xiao Yan announced loudly, kicking open Yao Lao's door.
Inside, he heard the hurried rustling of clothes, and the room was filled with a faint, familiar, and odd scent.
"I was just researching alchemy techniques. Step out for a moment," Yao Lao's flustered and weak voice called out.
"Ah, so the great Dean Yao is researching alchemy... in bed." Xiao Yan smirked, backing out of the room.
A moment later, faint spatial fluctuations rippled through the air before Yao Lao's calm voice called him back in.
"Come in."
Still pretending? Xiao Yan chuckled inwardly as he stepped into the room.
Inside, Yao Lao sat with a book titled Law Flame Alchemy Furnace held in his hands, his robes neatly arranged, his hair combed to perfection a scholarly figure focused on his studies.
"Old man, you're holding the book upside down," Xiao Yan pointed out.
Yao Lao's dignified expression stiffened before he coughed awkwardly, flashing an embarrassed smile.
"You're back," he said, trying to recover his composure.
"Yep, I'm back." Xiao Yan nodded, tossing a jade slip toward Yao Lao.
"What's this? Mysterious, aren't you?" Yao Lao murmured as his soul energy probed the slip.
The moment he absorbed its contents, his face froze before lighting up like a blossoming chrysanthemum.
"Not bad, not bad! You're truly my excellent disciple!"
The jade slip contained the Yin Yang Sacred Manual gifted by the Yin Yang Evil Saint. Although Yao Lao didn't have the Yin Yang Sacred Flame, the manual itself held invaluable insights for his own alchemical pursuits.
Carefully storing the jade slip into his storage ring, Yao Lao turned to scrutinize Xiao Yan. His expression quickly shifted from joy to astonishment.
"You've reached Seven Star Dou Huang?"
"Seven Star mid stage," Xiao Yan corrected.
"Monster!" Yao Lao exclaimed after a long silence, unable to find better words.
In just half a month away from the Pill Tower, Xiao Yan had jumped from Three Star Dou Huang to Seven Star Dou Huang. Such rapid progress was unheard of, even in Yao Lao's extensive experience.
"Well, Flame Mantra deserves much of the credit," Xiao Yan replied with a grin.
At the mention of Flame Mantra, Yao Lao's eyes gleamed.
"You obtained another Heavenly Flame, didn't you?"
Xiao Yan nodded, raising his right hand. A black and white flame flickered to life in his palm, exuding both scorching heat and chilling cold.
"The Yin Yang Double Flame!" Yao Lao exclaimed, staring at the flame intently before frowning.
"No, this isn't the Yin Yang Double Flame. That flame ranks twenty first on the Heavenly Flame list, but this... its power rivals my Bone Chilling Flame!"
"This is the upgraded version, Yin Yang Sacred Flame," Xiao Yan explained with a chuckle.
"Upgraded version?" Yao Lao was puzzled.
"Think of it as... the enhanced edition," Xiao Yan said.
Yao Lao nodded slowly, though he still looked a bit lost. "You always say strange things I don't quite understand."
"That's because geniuses like me think differently," Xiao Yan quipped.
"And your thick skin too?"
"Pretty much."
Ignoring Xiao Yan's nonsense, Yao Lao's eyes sparkled as he rubbed his hands together. "With your strength now, you should be able to refine a Tier Seven pill, right?"
"I should be able to manage it," Xiao Yan replied.
"Great! You'll try it tomorrow!" Yao Lao's face lit up with anticipation. Xiao Yan, not even sixteen, refining a Tier Seven pill would solidify his reputation as an alchemical prodigy.
"Alright," Xiao Yan agreed.
The Next Morning
The peaceful dawn of the Pill Tower was broken by the crackling roar of flames.
A crowd quickly gathered in the square, ranging from young Tier Three alchemists like the plump Shi Hao to the revered Three Great Heads of the Pill Tower.
All eyes focused on the black clad boy in the center.
Today, they might witness the birth of a miracle.
Xiao Yan stood beside a large pill cauldron, the black and white Yin Yang Sacred Flame dancing in his palm. Envious murmurs rippled through the crowd every alchemist dreamed of possessing a Heavenly Flame.
Heavenly Flames were rare, volatile, and extraordinarily difficult to refine. Even well prepared alchemists often succumbed to their destructive power, becoming nothing more than ash.
Ignoring the crowd, Xiao Yan waved his hand, summoning three sets of meticulously prepared ingredients.
Today, he would refine a Tier Seven pill coveted by countless magical beasts: the Transformation Pill!
Though it was relatively simple among Tier Seven pills, its ingredients were incredibly rare and expensive, with the prized Transformation Herb alone worth as much as a basic Tier Seven pill.
Yao Lao stood beside Xiao Yan, his expression solemn as he observed his disciple. To him, this moment was monumental.
If Xiao Yan succeeded, Yao Lao's reputation as the mentor of the continent's youngest Tier Seven alchemist would be cemented.
The thought made Yao Lao clench his fists.
Even if the Medicine Clan's leader shows up, no one will disturb my disciple today!
Xiao Yan, oblivious to everyone's thoughts, closed his eyes to focus, steadying his mind.
After half an incense stick of time, he opened them, a wave of powerful soul energy surging outward.
"Let's begin."
(End of Chapter)
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