Chapter 121: Alchemy and Idle Chatter

In the bronze medicinal cauldron, a black sun the size of a palm floated, trembling slightly. A faint black light emanated, rendering the entire inside of the cauldron into a dim world. The light reflected into the outside world, causing the entire hall to become noticeably dimmer. Xiao Yan licked his lips lightly, his gaze filled with fervor as he looked at that black sun, his heart full of anticipation. Different Flame! His fists clenched unconsciously.

Among the three present, Yao Lao had the Bone Chilling Flame, ranked eleventh on the Different Flame List. Wei Yang possessed the Black Sun Flame, currently ranked twenty-fourth. Only Xiao Yan was still using Beast Flame.

Yao Lao's eyes slightly narrowed, each of his pupils reflecting a black sun. Black Sun Flame! Its form resembled the shape of a black sun, blazing fiercely, incinerating everything where its light touched! Is this how it got its name? Quite fitting. What a magnificent Black Sun Flame! The characteristics of this flame even made Yao Lao sigh in admiration. Even the light it emitted could harm people, truly terrifying like a blazing sun. This was a Yang Fire...

Yao Lao couldn't help but think of the previous transaction, the quasi-heavenly level technique: Great Sun Burning Heaven Technique. Uh, earlier, it seems I acted too hastily. That crafty youngster Wei, to think he chose a quasi-heavenly level instead of a lower heavenly level technique because of his lack of insight, I thought it was due to his greed for the complementary quasi-heavenly level battle technique. Turns out, he had a plan all along.

No wonder he gave up on the Green Lotus Core Flame so easily. No wonder he used the information about Fallen Heart Flame and Sea Heart Flame for trade, without any hesitation or reluctance. Yao Lao smiled bitterly in his heart.

Now, with the Yang Fire, his technique must have advanced to the heavenly level, and even the complementary battle technique would be the same. Yang Fire, combined with a harmonious heavenly level technique and battle technique! Even Yao Lao couldn't help but feel a bit envious of Wei Yang in this moment. Such a luxurious combination could be deemed as reaching the peak from the beginning, it's hard to imagine what heights his future achievements could reach. At the very least, he would ensure reaching the peak of Dou Zun! With perseverance, even the Nine Revolutions Dou Zun wouldn't be too difficult for him. As for Semi-Saint and above, that's too far at the moment, not easy to determine.

Yao Lao couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret now. Had he known, this lad could achieve such feats through wild upbringing, wouldn't it have been better to officially take him as a disciple back then? Not necessary to be a personal disciple, just an official outer disciple would have sufficed, at least to have a formal recognition, securing a fallback in the future!

Even if Xiao Yan turned out to be wasted... Uh. Yao Lao chuckled silently. Really getting old and muddled.

He shook his head. But the current situation is not bad either. After spending time together day and night, their relationship had become much closer, and Wei Yang showed respect towards Yao Lao, treating him with a disciple's courtesy, which made him practically a semi-official outer disciple. Wei Yang hailed from Wu Tan City and had a close relationship with Xiao Yan. This connection was quite good, forming a network and bond. In the future, if there's any need, a call for Wei Yang's assistance, with some costs, wouldn't be difficult.

In truth, Yao Lao's earnest guidance towards Wei Yang during this time wasn't solely because of their transaction and Wei Yang's own talent, but also due to Yao Lao's growing regard for Wei Yang. Yao Lao squinted slightly, carefully sensing the Black Sun Flame, "Its might coupled with its characteristics could barely match a low-level Dou Huang. With Wei Yang's heavenly level technique's Dou Qi support, their combination should rival a mid-level Dou Huang." 

"It seems more intelligent than the mature Green Lotus Core Flame, slightly less evolved but its potential is huge! Its future achievements might not be lower than those flames ranking in the top ten of the Different Flame List, perhaps even surpassing my Bone Chilling Flame!" 

Time passed slowly. The hall remained peaceful. No one dared to rashly intrude into this area. The snake-human guards patrolling nearby, and the maids on standby, occasionally glanced in the direction of the hall with implicit respect and awe. Alchemists deserved respect, even among the snake-human race.

Inside the medicinal cauldron, the black sun floated center, slightly trembling, the black flames burning fiercely on it. A subtle ripple emerged from the black sun, transmitting indistinctly. It was the fluctuation from the Black Sun Flame. At this moment, it seemed rather excited, leaping joyfully.

It seemed like it had found something fun. Encapsulated by the pure energy-contained medicinal liquid, it seemed to be quite satisfied, happy. Alchemy appeared to be an inherent instinct to the flame. Wei Yang smiled, his soul perception gently responding to it. Praising it, complimenting it.

Acknowledging its performance in its first attempt at alchemy. Instantly, the Black Sun Flame seemed more thrilled, its vibrating frequency increasingly cheerful. "Calm down, focus on the task, don't ruin my ingredients!" Wei Yang was frightened and hurriedly comforted it to calm it down. It was refining medicine, at the crucial moment of condensing a pill. If in a moment of excitement, its temperature surged uncontrollably, wouldn't that cause the cauldron to explode?

Finally, the Black Sun Flame gradually calmed down. Wei Yang saw this, exhaled slowly, his lips raising in an inexplicable smile. It's fresh now, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to experience in the future. You'll be a diligent working flame, never short of medicine to refine, will you?

Even at this crucial moment of condensing the pill, Wei Yang was quite relaxed, not feeling much strain. Having the Different Flame and a good quality medicinal cauldron, he didn't need to divide his focus on maintaining the cauldron, thus appearing quite at ease. Effortlessly.

After all, his soul strength was notable, and the Dou Qi within was essentially inexhaustible, its depletion rate slower than the self-restoration speed of his technique. Unlike Xiao Yan in the early stages, who due to his technique level often struggled with the exhaustion of Dou Qi during alchemy, needing to take pills for recovery. Beside him, Yao Lao witnessed all this and couldn't help but stroke his beard and exclaim: "This Different Flame appears to possess a peculiar vitality ahead of the mature Green Lotus Core Flame, seeming abnormally intelligent and astute, like an innocent, eager child... It seems its future achievements are likely to surpass the Green Lotus Core Flame."

That was Yao Lao's evaluation of the Black Sun Flame. "Indeed, I also feel it is lively, endearing, sometimes quite mischievous and lively." Wei Yang's face was full of joy. Like an old father looking at his newly born child, full of affection. And the Black Sun Flame resembled an adorable child just learning to crawl.

Yao Lao's description wasn't wrong. Although currently not very high due to being young, it gave a feeling of vigor and intelligence. In the future, with growth, the Black Sun Flame's intelligence is bound to become increasingly higher. The reason its intelligence currently falls short of the Green Lotus Core Flame is merely because it is still young, while the Green Lotus Core Flame is in its mature form.

"Teacher, regarding the Different Flames, is there any distinction in intelligence or vibrancy?" Xiao Yan curiously asked. "Of course." Yao Lao stroked his beard and explained, "Just like us humans, naturally some have higher innate talent while others are mediocre... Different Flames are the same!" 

"Although using the term 'innate talent' for Different Flames may not be quite accurate, the concept is roughly the same." 

"The Different Flames, those with higher inherent talent naturally have greater future achievements. Otherwise, how do you think the Different Flame Rankings are determined?" 

"The rankings largely aim to differentiate between the future potential growth of each Different Flame."

"And facts have proven that this ranking is quite accurate!" 

"The higher ranking Different Flames have stronger potential. Like the top ten Different Flames, their power and potential significantly differ from those beyond the top ten. Especially those in the top five... ahem, except for Life's Blaze, others like Devouring Flame, Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, Golden Emperor Burning Flame, which aren't terrifying entities capable of scorching heavens and boiling seas?"

"Therefore, even among Different Flames, there are innate potential distinctions. Greater inherent potential leads to greater future achievements!" Yao Lao declared. Wei Yang and Xiao Yan both nodded. 

"For example, if someone offers a mature top-ten-excluding Different Flame in exchange for a top-ten but only juvenile Different Flame, would you be willing to trade?" Yao Lao inquired. "Of course not!" Wei Yang and Xiao Yan replied without hesitation.

"That's it, then?" Yao Lao smiled, "Everyone knows the vast difference between the top-ten Different Flames compared to those outside that ranking! Even a juvenile top-ten Different Flame, no one would foolishly trade it for a mature top-ten-excluding Different Flame."

Yao Lao remarked, "The top ten Different Flames hold immense growth potential! Although currently a juvenile flame, its future achievements are higher! Who would exchange it if not a fool?" Wei Yang's heart was split between focusing on the pill condensation and secretly frowning.

This doesn't seem right! If judged based on growth potential, then why do Yin-Yang Flame and Xuan Huang Flame rank the lowest?

Yin-Yang, Xuan Huang, these names alone suggest significance. Yet bizarrely, they rank the lowest, almost at the bottom. One ranks twenty-one, the other twenty-three...

Yin-Yang signifies cosmic principles. Xuan Huang symbolizes worldly rules. As the saying goes, the cosmic Yin-Yang, the heavenly Xuan Huang! 

They even know to categorize skills and techniques into 'Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow' levels, do they really not understand?

This is inexplicable. 

Xiao Yan clearly thought the same; he exchanged silent, frowning glances with Wei Yang, finding it hard to comprehend. 

Coming from Blue Star, they were somewhat influenced by Daoist philosophies. Thus, they understood what Yin-Yang and Xuan Huang truly represented. 

Yet in the Dou Qi continent, they've become bottom-ranked existences? 

Should they mock their ignorance, or lack of insight? Or is it that Yin-Yang and Xuan Huang touch upon realms too sophisticated, which the level of the Dou Qi continent cannot wholly interpret, resulting in such an incoherent Different Flame being created, leading to a ridiculous imitation? 

Perhaps only this explanation could reluctantly make sense.