The bean-sized green flame continuously leapt about, like a hungry infant, and as it flickered, the differently colored bricks exhibited changing hues and transformations.
It was as if a minor earthquake was occurring inside the alchemy room, causing the shelves to shake.
The Dun Qinglian Fire, Yue Jinghua's First Level in mastering the Nine Revolutions Creation Technique after advancing to the Jade Dark Realm, was obtained from the second volume of the Mo Xi Treasure Book.
Mo Xi Treasure Book, the second volume, the Fire and Wood Volume, acquired the Dun Qinglian Fire.
The green fire is one of the most mysterious types of fire between heaven and earth. Though it is fire, it also possesses the Wood Attribute; it does not extinguish and can grow on its own.
The initial form of the Green Lotus Fire is fire-shaped, later transforming into the Qinglian Wood Shape. Following that, in Qinglian Childbirth, it bears both wood and fire spirits.
This kind of fire is also the best for refining Elixir Pills.
Under the dual effects of the Dark Fire Spiritual Vein and the Creation Power in the alchemy room, after more than two hours, the Dun Qinglian Fire had grown to the size of Yue Jinghua's palm.
That segment of the Dark Fire Spiritual Vein was completely drained, and several floor tiles burst.
"In the second volume of the Mo Xi Treasure Book, there are three alchemy recipes; let's start with the first recipe, the True Dark Pill." Yue Jinghua searched through the alchemy room and found the three required herbs: Water Grass, Black Fire Vine, and Golden Jingli.
There was an elixir furnace available, an old one left by Feng Wanwan in the corner of the room, worn but still usable.
At dawn, Yue Jinghua, who had not slept all night, pushed open the door of the alchemy room, her eyes slightly red, now holding a bottle of True Dark Pill.
Upon reaching the chamber, Hongling was already waiting outside the door.
"Miss, the Lady has sent this servant to escort you to the Xuanji Royal Academy for registration. Today is the last day for trial students to return to school and submit their Dark Pills," Hongling respectfully said from outside the room.
Lie Rou, having risen early this morning, heard from Hongling and learned that Yue Jinghua had spent the entire night in the alchemy room, saying she was reading by lamplight.
Lie Rou did not approve of "Yue Jinghua" attending the Xuanji Academy; she believed that at such a place, where the strong prey on the weak, her daughter would surely be bullied.
However, this time when Yue Jinghua returned, she was completely transformed, both in speech and demeanor compared to before.
She spent the night reading by lamplight in the alchemy room, surely in preparation to start school early.
After much thought, Lie Rou decided to let Hongling escort Yue Jinghua to the academy for registration.
Xuanji Royal Academy?
Yue Jinghua slapped her forehead; she had indeed almost forgotten about it.
In the alchemy room, there was a volume of "Canglong Continent History" stored. Whenever Yue Jinghua had free time during her alchemy, she read a few chapters and gained a general understanding of the Canglong Continent, Shang Kingdom, and the premier institution of Shang Kingdom, the Xuanji Royal Academy.
The situation she understood was somewhat different from what Lie Changshun and Lie Sisi told, but it was enough for her to understand the customs and culture of the Canglong Continent.
The scions of noble families on the Canglong Continent typically practice Dark Skills from a young age and finish the most basic Martial Arts training at home before entering the corresponding Xuanwu Academy.
If not for any mishap, Yue Jinghua should have been in school earlier. At sixteen this year, given her background, entering a standard Xuanwu Academy wouldn't have been a problem.
It's just unfortunate that overnight, she turned into someone unable to practice Dark Skills, labeled untrainable, hence being rejected by several Xuanwu Academies, which dragged on until today.
Xuanji Academy is the largest Xuanwu Academy in Shang Kingdom; initially, it was the Royal Family's exclusive Xuanwu Academy, specifically teaching Princes and Royal Guards.
About fifty years ago, Shang Kingdom's young Dark Practitioners suffered a disastrous defeat in the once-a-decade "Xuyang Trial," which led to Shang Kingdom being mockingly called the "Sunset Country."
The previous ruler of Shang Kingdom, Fa Zongtian, in painful reflection, spent a large amount of money to hire a group of renowned Dark Practitioners from the Eastern Continent to restructure the Xuanji Royal Academy, introducing multiple courses including Alchemy and Artifact Study.
After fifty years of development and with the increasing wealth of Shang Kingdom, Xuanji Academy, with its abundant scholarships, attracted a large number of talented young Dark Practitioners from the Eastern Continent.
The old castle lord of Lie Family Mansion, Lie Changgong, once studied at the academy.
"Yue Jinghua" risked her life to enter the Xuanji Royal Academy for two reasons.
The first reason was the rumor that in the Xuanji Royal Academy, there existed the supreme Dark Technique that could allow a person unable to condense Dark Energy to reshape their Dantian and re-condense Dark Energy.
The second reason was because of one person.
In Yue Jinghua's mind swung a pair of disdainful eyes.
After returning to the Lie Family Mansion, she "remembered" some things, including memories regarding "that person."
"Yue Jinghua" had a fiancé arranged through a childhood engagement.
That person, to her ill-fate, was the same cold and stern man she caught a glimpse of under Qianbin Building, resembling Liao to a tee.
Prince of Shang Kingdom - Fa Xiaoyi.
Although this Fa Xiaoyi bore a 99% resemblance in appearance, their temperaments were truly worlds apart.
The engagement between "Yue Jinghua" and Fa Xiaoyi was, in fact, decreed by royal command.
During the prosperous times of Yue Family, Yue Jinghua's father, Yue Nian, as Duke Xue Ying, was dispatched as an ambassador to Shang Kingdom. "Yue Jinghua," playing alone in the Imperial Garden, accidentally saved Fa Xiaoyi, who was injured by a venomous snake.
The then Empress of Shang Kingdom, now the Empress Dowager, out of gratitude, arranged the marriage for them.
During the time Fa Xiaoyi was recuperating, "Yue Jinghua" often accompanied her father in and out of the Imperial Palace, and over time, fell in love with Fa Xiaoyi.
This tale, which was supposed to be a romantic story of matched talents and beauty, has now become the biggest joke in Shang Kingdom due to the decline of the Yue Family and "Yue Jinghua's" disfigurement.
After reaching adulthood, Fa Xiaoyi moved out of the Imperial Palace. He was born charming and noble, second only in status to the monarch, with his Dark Skill reaching the Dark Earth Small Achievement stage, and his talent was extraordinary.
It's a pity that his youthful temperament favored romantic liaisons. At only eighteen, he had taken more than ten concubines, and the number of dancing girls and young prostitutes he favored was as numerous as fishes in the river.
Despite this, "Yue Jinghua" still remained infatuated with him, sparing no effort, wherever Fa Xiaoyi appeared, one could always spot "Yue Jinghua."
In public, Fa Xiaoyi treated "Yue Jinghua" with indifference, as if she was akin to thin air.
After learning that Fa Xiaoyi was a student of the Inner Court of the Xuanji Royal Academy, "Yue Jinghua" even went as far as sharp whittling her head, persistently bothering Lie Rou to spend a significant amount of money, and directly signed up for the trial of the Xuanji Academy.
"Nothing but a scum who favors superficial beauty," Yue Jinghua took out a Second-Order Profound Pill.
Yesterday, upon seeing Fa Xiaoyi, she observed that he had no trace of affection for "Yue Jinghua", and could even be described as disdainful.
After a series of grooming in her room, Yue Jinghua left her house, and outside there was a simple carriage covered by a cyan canopy, on which Hongling was already seated.
Yue Jinghua did not board the carriage, instead, she tossed a box to Hongling, "Hongling, inside there's a Second-Order Profound Pill. Take it to the Xuanji Royal Academy."
Hongling was slightly stunned, the young lady meant...
"I'm going to stroll around the streets, I won't accompany you," no sooner had she spoken than Yue Jinghua raised her palm, slapping it on the pulling horse's legs.
Before Hongling could react, the carriage ran off in a stream of smoke.
Yue Jinghua looked back at the house guards, then walked alone towards the city area.
Seeing Yue Jinghua leave, from among the house guards, one person followed, tracing the direction Yue Jinghua had taken.