Within the cave, observing Xiao Yan’s excitement that bordered on forgetfulness, Elder Pharmacist smiled slightly and did not speak to stop him. After years of searching, today he finally achieved his goal, allowing him to vent his emotions was quite good.
The high-pitched wild laughter echoed in the cave for a long time before gradually fading. A smile still lingered at the corners of Xiao Yan’s mouth as he looked down at his continuously opening and closing palms. The cyan flames slowly rose above them. Because he had now completely refined the Qinglian Earth Center Fire, it no longer brought any intense heat or discomfort, and with long-term practice, Xiao Yan believed he could eventually reach the level of mastery that Elder Pharmacist had over the Bone Spirit Cold Fire.
The cyan flames, like mischievous sprites, danced around Xiao Yan’s fingertips. Occasionally, they would jump up into the air, immediately displaying their terrifying power. The space half a foot above his palm was actually twisted by the intense heat, causing waves of hot air to rise and blur his vision.
Gripping his fist covered in cyan flames, Xiao Yan exhaled softly. In an instant, his body became still, and then his foot stomped heavily on the Qinglian. His body shot out like an arrow, quickly flashing toward the cave wall. His fist, carrying a scorching wind, slammed violently into the rock.
“Boom!”
As his fist made contact with the hard stone, the intense heat of the cyan flames immediately melted a hollow in the rock. His fist smashed into the hole, and a muffled sound came from within. Instantly, cracks spread rapidly from the impact point, covering the entire cave wall in just a few moments.
Xiao Yan took a deep breath and gazed at the wall, which was about to shatter, a delighted smile appearing on his face. He grinned and pulled back his fist. At that moment, the cave wall, already covered in cracks, collapsed in a loud crash under the force, sending rocks flying everywhere.
With a wave of his hand, he dispelled the dust rushing toward him. Xiao Yan looked at the pile of rubble that was once the cave wall, twisted his neck, and laughed with a hint of delight. “Not bad, my strength and speed have improved significantly. If I hadn’t used the Eight Extremes Collapse before, such destructive power would have been impossible.”
“Qinglian Earth Center Fire, truly extraordinary…” Xiao Yan marveled, waving his hand casually. The cyan flames on his palm slowly receded. After retracting the cyan flames, he checked his body briefly, then frowned. “Indeed, this foreign fire is also a big consumer of Dou Qi. Using it for such a short time has already consumed one-tenth of my Dou Qi. If not for the two-star increase in strength earlier, the consumption would have been even greater.”
“Ha ha, your current strength is too low to fully utilize the power of the foreign fire. Moreover, the ‘Flame Determination’ technique is only at the middle Yellow Rank. With such a technique, it’s natural that the storage limit of Dou Qi cannot support the foreign fire’s reckless use,” Elder Pharmacist said with a laugh.
“Right… Technique!” Hearing Elder Pharmacist, Xiao Yan’s eyes widened. This crucial step had almost been forgotten in the excitement of refining the foreign fire.
“Take it easy, you’ve already completely refined the Qinglian Earth Center Fire. Absorbing it to evolve the technique is just a matter of time. You’ve done enough work today, rest for a day… Swallowing the foreign fire requires balance. Rushing too much can have a counterproductive effect,” Elder Pharmacist advised, shaking his head.
“Uh… Alright.” Hearing this, Xiao Yan was taken aback. Seeing Elder Pharmacist’s serious expression, although he was somewhat reluctant, he nodded in agreement.
“Let’s start late tonight, when the temperature is at its lowest. Although this may have minimal help, we can’t neglect it. This small chance of success might be the key to the success of the evolution,” Elder Pharmacist said solemnly.
“Yes, let’s start late tonight…” Xiao Yan nodded and smiled.
Seeing Xiao Yan agree, Elder Pharmacist relaxed and, with a slight shimmer, returned to the ring, leaving behind a faint laugh echoing in the cave. “In that case, you are free to manage your time. I will come out tomorrow.”
Nodding, Xiao Yan gently stroked the black ring on his finger and smiled. He then waved his hand, putting away the Qinglian into the ring, and with a light touch of his toes, he floated out of the cave like a willow fluff.
A day passed slowly, filled with Xiao Yan’s eagerness. As the night fell on the second day, Xiao Yan, sitting on a protruding rock on the cliff, slowly opened his eyes. Reaching out, he felt the gradually cooling air, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Standing up, Xiao Yan looked at the dark sky. The atmosphere was heavy, perhaps due to the approaching storm. Checking the sky again, Xiao Yan lightly tapped the rock with his toes and leaped into the cave below. He walked to the center of the cave and sat cross-legged.
Sensing the external weather, Elder Pharmacist emerged from the ring again, reaching out and feeling the air. Nodding, he said, “Good, perhaps due to the changing weather, the heat in the air is at its lowest, making it the perfect environment for absorbing the foreign fire.”
“Shall we start now?” Xiao Yan rubbed his hands nervously and asked.
“Wait a bit, midnight is the coldest time of the day. Let’s start then!” Elder Pharmacist shook his head slightly and drifted to the cave entrance, gazing at the dark sky.
Nodding, Xiao Yan sat quietly on the rock, closing his eyes and calming his racing heart.
The dark sky, a cold breeze, and the rustling sounds of the forest. Among the thick clouds, a thunderous roar suddenly sounded, followed by a bright silver lightning that split the sky, illuminating the dark forest.
Standing at the edge of the cave, Elder Pharmacist watched the sudden lightning and thunder, and large raindrops began to fall. The sound of rain hitting the leaves filled the forest.
“Let’s begin…” A cold wind blew, and Elder Pharmacist exhaled slowly, turning to look at the young man inside the cave and speaking softly.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan opened his eyes and looked outside at the illuminated forest, taking a deep breath and nodding firmly.
“I hope you succeed. The process of absorbing the foreign fire and evolving the technique, I can’t help you, so you must rely on yourself…” Elder Pharmacist, with his hands behind his back, gazed at the lightning and thunder, and his voice, filled with rumbling thunder, echoed in the cave. “I want to say something… Although you successfully evolved the technique once by absorbing the purple flame, according to the scroll, only continuous absorption of foreign fires can truly evolve the technique to a higher rank. But whether the destructive nature of the foreign fire can be safely absorbed… very few people on the Dou Qi continent know for sure, including me…”
“You are the only one practicing the ‘Flame Determination’ technique. Therefore, whether it has the potential to become a Heaven Rank technique depends on you.” Elder Pharmacist’s brow furrowed, and after a while, he continued, “If the evolution fails, the ‘Flame Determination’ might indeed have some issues. Then, you should abandon this technique, as it would be no more valuable than a Black Rank technique without the evolution feature.”
Xiao Yan lowered his head, his expression unreadable, but his fists clenched tightly under his sleeves.
“Boom!” A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, and the thunder rolled through the forest.
As the thunder sounded, Xiao Yan’s body trembled slightly, and he slowly raised his head, looking at the old figure standing at the cave entrance. After years of companionship, the elder seemed to have become even more hunched.
Staring at the elder’s small, thin figure under the lightning, Xiao Yan suddenly smiled gently, and his voice echoed in the cave. “Heh, teacher, having come this far, why are you saying such discouraging things? Even if the technique fails to evolve this time, I won’t give up. You said it’s necessary for me to reach the peak. Besides, your body needs the evolved flame to be restored. Abandoning the ‘Flame Determination’ means abandoning your hope of rebirth…”
Hearing the gentle laughter behind him, Elder Pharmacist tensed, taking several deep breaths. Raising his head, his eyes, reflecting the silver lightning, showed a glimmer of emotion and satisfaction.
“Since you insist, then… my good disciple, focus on your cultivation. I believe you will succeed…” Wiping his eyes, Elder Pharmacist smiled and, with his hands behind his back, gazed at the endless dark sky. After a moment of silence, he murmured, “Even if the technique can’t absorb the foreign fire, I will find a way to make you a peak powerhouse…”
His withered hand struck the side of the cave entrance, and cracks spread out. A huge rock fell, blocking the entrance completely.
Glancing at the blocked entrance, Elder Pharmacist floated on a rock, letting the raindrops pass through his phantom form, standing quietly under the endless silver bolts, waiting for the young man’s success.
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