"Host, simply swallow the flame seed, guide it through your body, and direct it into your Dantian," the system instructed.
"Swallow it? Just like that?" Xiao Tian's voice trembled with unease. "Won't I end up like Xiao Yan, burning half to death? I don't have his preparations for absorbing a flame! Are you trying to roast me and find a new host?"
"Rest assured, Host. This is a system reward—it won't harm you."
Reassured by the system's words, Xiao Tian cautiously extended his hand toward the crimson flame hovering in the air. As his fingers brushed against it, he braced for searing pain, but instead, a gentle warmth enveloped him. A faint pulse of joy seemed to emanate from the flame itself. Emboldened, Xiao Tian plunged his hand in, grasping a wisp of the flame seed. He pulled it out, stared at the flickering ember, and swallowed it with a grit of his teeth.
The flame seed coursed through his meridians, spreading a soothing sensation, like soaking in a hot spring on a frigid winter day. His body hummed with comfort as the seed roamed freely before settling above his Qi vortex, orbiting it steadily.
Xiao Tian extended his hand, and with a thought, the Qilin Heaven-Burning Flame materialized in his palm. He flicked it toward a large boulder nearby. The flame pierced through instantly, leaving a charred, gaping hole.
After practicing with the flame until he could wield it deftly, Xiao Tian turned to the Thunder Origin—a shimmering purple liquid-like mass of lightning. He absorbed and refined it without hesitation.
An hour later, Xiao Tian opened his eyes, sensing the five strands of cyan lightning within him. "Three more strands added, huh? Two more Thunder Origins, and I'll form the Yi Wood Thunder." Spiritual thunder only boosts cultivation once fully formed. Until then, it's just gathering strength alongside Dou Qi. No need to worry about suppressing my progress.
As dusk settled over the mountain, Xiao Tian descended from the peak and returned to his courtyard. Sensing the flow of Dou Qi from Xiao Yan's nearby room, he took a relaxing bath, then lounged on his bed, mentally flipping through the Alchemy Tome.
The next morning, Xiao Tian arrived at the Xiao Clan's Dou Qi Pavilion. Clan Leader Xiao Zhan stood at the entrance, waiting. Seeing Xiao Tian, he waved and ordered the guards to open the heavy black gates. "Tian Er, test your attributes."
Xiao Tian stepped forward and placed his hand on the testing crystal. A brilliant silver light erupted, crackling with arcs of lightning. When he withdrew his hand, the lightning vanished—and the crystal shattered.
Xiao Zhan chuckled. "Go on in, Tian Er. Choose a technique suited to your attributes."
"Yes, Father," Xiao Tian replied, stepping into the pavilion. His sharp soul perception caught the presence of hidden guards lurking in the shadowy corners, their eyes tracking his every move.
He casually assessed the techniques within, breaking a barrier to retrieve a scroll: Huang Class Mid-Level, Thunder Fang Bite. After a quick glance, he left the pavilion, registered the technique, and watched as the gates sealed shut. Xiao Zhan clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Go back and train well."
Leaving the pavilion, Xiao Tian visited the market to purchase a large batch of herbs before returning to the Xiao Clan. Passing Xiao Xun Er's courtyard, he knocked on her door. She opened it, surprised. "Brother Xiao Tian, why are you here?"
"Xun Er, I'm planning to go into seclusion for a while—maybe a month, maybe three."
"Seclusion? So suddenly?" Xiao Xun Er's eyes widened. "Is it to convert your cultivation technique? I heard you visited the Dou Qi Pavilion today. What technique did you choose?"
Xiao Tian showed her the Thunder Fang Bite scroll. Xiao Xun Er glanced at it, frowning. "Huang Class Mid-Level? That's too low." With a flick of her wrist, she produced a silver-white scroll. "The higher the technique's grade at the start, the better it is for your future cultivation. This is a Xuan Class High-Level technique, Thunder Rush Art. Take it."
Xiao Tian retrieved his Huang Class scroll from her hand. Seeing his refusal, Xiao Xun Er grew anxious. "Brother Xiao Tian—"
Leaning close to her ear, Xiao Tian whispered softly, "I know you're someone extraordinary, Xun Er, casually pulling out a Xuan Class High-Level technique. But it's exactly because of your mysterious background that I won't settle for this Huang Class technique either—not if I want to be worthy of marrying you one day."
"W-What are you talking about, Brother Xiao Tian? Who said anything about marrying you?" Xiao Xun Er stammered, her face flushing crimson.
Seeing her blush so deeply it seemed she might faint, Xiao Tian eased off the teasing. He summoned a wisp of Dou Qi in his palm and held it out. "Feel this. I've already converted my technique."
Xiao Xun Er, still red-faced, sensed the Dou Qi's strength. "So, Brother Xiao Tian is quite mysterious himself, cultivating a Di Class Low-Level technique. No wonder you didn't care for my scroll."
After chatting with her a bit longer, Xiao Tian bid her farewell and headed to the stone forest in the back mountains. Standing atop a boulder, he recalled the cultivation method for the Heavenly Thunder Halberd. Channeling his lightning-attributed Dou Qi and spiritual thunder, he directed the energy to his hands. In less than half a minute, it coalesced into a two-meter-long silver-cyan Fang Tian Ji, its surface crackling with electricity, exuding an aura like a descended thunder god.
He practiced condensing and dissipating the halberd repeatedly, growing more proficient until he could summon it in under a second with a mere thought. After training in other Xuan Class Dou Techniques, Xiao Tian found a secluded cave in the mountains. Blocking the entrance with stones, he took out his herbs and began his alchemical journey.
Seated calmly, Xiao Tian recalled how Xiao Yan had used a strange flame to form a cauldron in the original story. With a wave of his hand, the Qilin Heaven-Burning Flame appeared, shaping into a cauldron. Just as he grinned in triumph, the cauldron collapsed.
"This is harder to maintain than I thought," Xiao Tian sighed.
After a day of practice, he could sustain the cauldron long enough for refining. He tossed a Blood Coagulation Herb into the flame. Carefully controlling the fire's temperature, he watched as the herb gradually reduced to a fine white powder. He extracted the powder and stored it in a prepared box.
"Haha, I'm a natural! First try, and it's a success!" Xiao Tian grinned, admiring the powder.
After a brief rest, he continued refining more Blood Coagulation Herbs, White Orchid Fruits, and Blood Ginseng.
A month flew by. Xiao Tian, looking haggard, stared at the pile of Healing Blood Pills on the ground—and the heap of charred ash beside them, remnants of failed attempts where he'd misjudged the flame's heat.
"Alchemy is such a money sink," he muttered. "I'd be broke if not for the system's gold rewards. But at least I've perfected Tier 1 pills. Time to move on to Tier 2."
Holding a Healing Blood Pill etched with pill patterns, he took a moment to recover his Dou Qi before starting on Tier 2 pills: Bone-Cleansing Pills (Forging Bone Grass, Blood Essence Grass, Marrow-Nurturing Root) and Beauty-Preserving Pills (Rainbow Silk Grass, Jade Skin Flower, Clear Body Grass, Red Leek Fragrance).