These two methods included spontaneous enlightenment and accumulation through external resources.
The Heavenly Flame born from the former method would be extremely weak, akin to a newly formed natural flame.
The strength of the Heavenly Flame born from the latter method, however, depended greatly on the quality of the materials used.
Even the Three Thousand Burning Flame, condensed through the accumulation of stellar energy via cultivation techniques, fell into the latter category.
Unfortunately, the accumulation of stellar energy was inherently slow. This top-ranked Heavenly Flame grew far slower than the Netherworld Poison Flame, which had benefited from Little Fairy Doctor's pure poison source.
The Beast Spirit Flame was different from the other two. With nearly a hundred different beast flames of varying tiers used in its condensation process, it would possess the potential to surpass its ranking on the Heavenly Flame List upon birth.
Storing the Amethyst Spirit Crystal Platform, Xiao Yan retrieved the Black Demon Cauldron—a renowned cauldron from the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking!
The black cauldron was massive and exuded a steady, imposing aura. Its surface was engraved with lifelike flame totems that seemed to writhe as the cauldron spun rapidly.
A powerful flame energy gathered around it.
With a resounding boom, the pitch-black cauldron, as large as a tabletop, landed on the ground, its momentum erupting outward. The surrounding fifth-tier magical beasts instinctively recoiled from the overwhelming heat.
The Amethyst Winged Lion King, which had been resting, abruptly opened its eyes and stared in shock at Xiao Yan's location. What's happening? Such an intense fire-attribute presence!
"Truly a magnificent cauldron!" Xiao Yan's eyes gleamed as he admired the imposing black cauldron.
Even the cauldrons he had collected by pooling resources from two empires paled in comparison to this one from the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking—Medicine Old Man's prized Black Demon Cauldron.
Since the Bone Flame Ring had fallen into his hands, all of Medicine Old Man's secret treasures naturally belonged to him.
This included the Black Demon Cauldron, an item coveted by countless alchemists.
Xiao Yan wasn't using this precious cauldron because he doubted his alchemical skills. Rather, he was about to refine the Companion Amethyst Source directly into a sixth-tier beast flame.
With an ordinary cauldron, he feared it might melt under the combined assault of the Heavenly Flame and the beast flame mid-process, which would be a terrible waste.
As the cauldron settled, Xiao Yan deftly flicked his fingers, sending strands of dazzling black-and-white flames into it.
Watching the flames churn inside, he methodically retrieved several high-quality fire-attribute herbs from his Bone Flame Ring.
With a wave of his hand, he tossed the herbs into the cauldron and began refining their medicinal essence with intense focus.
These herbs were of exceptional quality, and even with his fused Heavenly Flame's formidable power, extracting their essence was painstakingly slow.
It wasn't until sunset that Xiao Yan finally withdrew the withered, spent herbs from the cauldron and discarded them.
A gentle breeze scattered their ashen remains into dust.
Xiao Yan swiftly retrieved three bottles of Companion Amethyst Source and the Yun Zhi's Nectar provided by Yun Yun, pouring them all into the cauldron.
The Amethyst Winged Lion King, which had been watching intently, gaped in shock.
The Companion Amethyst Source is an extremely concentrated fire-attribute substance! Without its protective shell, pouring it directly into flames like this—isn't he afraid it'll explode?!
As the cauldron's interior gradually glowed violet, Xiao Yan's expression turned grave. He knew the risks, but he trusted his alchemical skills.
Moreover, if he wanted a powerful beast flame in a short time, this was the only way.
If he tried to nurture the violet flame by consuming the Companion Amethyst Source bit by bit, even with his enhanced tolerance, it would take at least seven or eight days.
Xiao Yan had no time to waste—he still had to craft a storage device for magical beasts, study the Fallen Heart Flame, and attend to many other pressing matters.
Inside the cauldron, the flames raged. Under Xiao Yan's control, the violet flame at the center was sometimes compressed to the size of a walnut by the Heavenly Flame, then suddenly flared up, nearly filling the entire cauldron. If not for the Heavenly Flame's containment, it would have overflowed.
While Xiao Yan was fully immersed in his alchemy, Yun Yun returned to the Yunlan Sect before nightfall.
Back at the sect, she immediately sought out Pill King Gu He.
Whether it was the pill for her disciple Nalan Yanran or negotiating with the Jia Ma Empire's royal family for a beast flame, his involvement would make things much easier.
As a Yunlan Sect elder, this was part of his duties.
"Sect Master Yun, you were gone for days in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. I was quite worried," Gu He said with visible concern.
"Thank you for your concern, Elder Gu He," Yun Yun replied politely before explaining, "The Amethyst Winged Lion King was unreasonably demanding. Obtaining the Amethyst Spirit Crystal took some effort."
Gu He's expression darkened with anger toward the lion king. "Sect Master, you left in too much of a hurry. Had you given me a few days to gather some experts, not only would the Amethyst Spirit Crystal have been easily obtained, but killing that beast wouldn't have been difficult either."
Yun Yun inwardly sighed. It's not like this was some life-or-death grudge. We already have the crystal—why such bloodlust?
Having learned more about magical beasts, she understood the mountain range's dangers far better than Gu He. Even with two or three more Dou Huang experts, facing a territorial sixth-tier beast in its domain would likely result in heavy casualties.
"The Amethyst Spirit Crystal is secured, but after negotiations, the lion king demanded a sixth-tier beast flame in exchange," Yun Yun said, her cheeks tinged pink. This is the first time I've told such a bold lie to someone I know.
"A sixth-tier beast flame?!" Gu He frowned deeply. Such a thing was incredibly valuable. "The Amethyst Winged Lion King is already a fire-attribute beast. Why would it need a beast flame?"
At this question, Yun Yun's mind involuntarily flashed to a certain young man's refined features. Her lips pursed slightly, and a faint, involuntary smile of exasperation appeared on her delicate face. "How would I understand a magical beast's thoughts?"
Seeing her display an expression beyond her usual dignified calm for the first time in his presence, Gu He felt as if he were undergoing the beast flame fusion process again—his entire body burning with heat. He patted his chest confidently.
"Though sixth-tier beast flames are exceedingly rare, the Jia Ma royal family has a guardian beast. I'll exchange some pills for its flame. They'll surely give Pill King Gu He some face."
"In that case, I'll leave both Yanran's pill and the sixth-tier beast flame to you, Elder Gu He," Yun Yun said gratefully. "This trip to the mountain range has left me exhausted. I'll take my leave to rest."
Gu He smiled and stepped forward. "Sect Master, let me escort you—"
"No need." Yun Yun refused outright, her brows slightly furrowed. "Both Yanran's pill and the promised beast flame are crucial—especially the latter!"
"If the royal family route doesn't work, we'll need alternative solutions quickly. We can't let the Amethyst Winged Lion King look down on the Yunlan Sect's capabilities."
Gu He nodded solemnly. "In that case, I'll head to the imperial palace immediately."
Watching Gu He's figure vanish into the sky, Yun Yun finally exhaled in relief.
Pill King Gu He is a double-edged sword for the Yunlan Sect. One misstep, and he might turn against us.
"I hope this succeeds," she murmured before taking a few graceful steps and summoning her Dou Qi wings to fly toward her residence.
Back in the secluded valley of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Yan, engrossed in repeatedly compressing the violet flame, was oblivious to the pitch-black night surrounding him.
Only his spot in the valley glowed with an ethereal violet light, a mesmerizing sight.
"Super Violet Flame Pill—complete!" Xiao Yan clapped his hands together, unleashing a surge of soul power into the cauldron.
Instantly, the Heavenly Flame shrank rapidly, and the dazzling violet light inside condensed visibly.
Within a breath or two, the purple radiance that had bathed the entire valley vanished, all of it retracting into the cauldron and coalescing into a violet sphere the size of a longan.
Tongues of flame flickered on its surface, radiating intense heat.
Gazing at this unique pill, Xiao Yan flicked his sleeve to open the cauldron and beckoned with his hand. The violet fireball flew out and landed neatly in his palm.
Feeling its scorching temperature and watching the flames dance, Xiao Yan couldn't help but smile. It seems Yun Zhi's Nectar actually had some effect.
The beast flame produced by this Super Violet Flame Pill would undoubtedly be the strongest among all the beast flames he had fused so far.
If he consumed it now, he was absolutely certain he could condense the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Flame.
But to maximize its initial power, Xiao Yan decided to wait for Yun Yun's return.
In the meantime, he could work on crafting the spatial storage device for magical beasts.
After storing the Super Violet Flame Pill in a rune-covered red jade vial, Xiao Yan put away the Black Demon Cauldron and headed toward the cave, temporarily setting aside his study of the Amethyst Spirit Crystal Platform.
Watching Xiao Yan depart, the Amethyst Winged Lion King licked its lips. Half the Companion Amethyst Source condensed into a single pill-sized object… He must be at least a seventh-tier alchemist, right?
Thanks to its long lifespan, it knew far more than the average human.
But as far as it understood, only one in ten thousand people could become alchemists.
Moreover, advancing as an alchemist was notoriously difficult. For someone as young as Xiao Yan to be this skilled was unheard of, even for a long-lived magical beast.
Even the famed Pill King Gu He of the Jia Ma Empire paled in comparison to its new master.
This realization filled the lion king with excitement. With a seventh-tier alchemist's help, maybe he can refine a Human Transformation Pill for me!
With this pleasant thought, the Amethyst Winged Lion King lay down on the grass and drifted into contented sleep.
Meanwhile, the very Pill King Gu He it had just recalled was already at the Jia Ma imperial palace—and had been waiting for some time.
Trading for the royal family's guardian beast's flame was no trivial matter. Only Jia Xing Tian, the peak Dou Huang and royal guardian, could make such a decision.
Emerging from seclusion after receiving the news, Jia Xing Tian was puzzled. Since joining the Yunlan Sect years ago after a Alchemist Grand Meeting, Gu He has been their 'patron alchemist.'
With the Yunlan Sect's resources—comparable to the royal family's—and his own talent as the empire's only sixth-tier alchemist, what beast flame could he possibly lack? Why come here for one?
While beast flames were valuable to alchemists, he knew each could only fuse with one.
As a long-established Pill King, Gu He surely already had his own.
Unable to decipher Gu He's motives, Jia Xing Tian didn't dwell on it. Alchemists are not just capable—they're also eccentric. Who knows what goes on in their minds?
"Pill King Gu He, instead of refining pills at the Yunlan Sect, what brings you to the Jia Ma royal family?" Jia Xing Tian asked bluntly as he entered the hall.
Dressed in simple hemp robes, the white-haired elder had a youthful face and an air of dignified authority.
"Elder Jia." Gu He promptly stood and cupped his hands in greeting.
Despite his prestigious status as a Pill King, which even Dou Huang experts treated as an equal, Jia Xing Tian was a peak Dou Huang—half a step into the legendary Dou Zong realm.
Moreover, the royal family's influence was no less than his own reputation.
In this world, only those with true strength and ability commanded respect.
Taking his seat, Jia Xing Tian regarded Gu He calmly, waiting for an explanation.
Gu He, prepared, spoke slowly. "I understand beast flames are precious, so I'm offering two sixth-tier Dou Ling Pills in exchange."
The moment these words left his mouth, Jia Xing Tian's composure wavered.
Dou Ling Pills could elevate a Dou Wang by one full star, saving years of cultivation—or even breaking through long-standing bottlenecks.
Though each Dou Wang could only consume one in their lifetime, the royal family had no shortage of candidates for such a boon.
Jia Xing Tian sighed and shook his head. "I won't deny your offer is tempting, but I've heard similar terms quite recently."
Gu He's confident expression froze. Who else in the Jia Ma Empire can refine sixth-tier pills?
Jia Xing Tian explained, "Don't overthink it. It was the Miter Family. They probably obtained the pills from some ancient ruins."
(End of Chapter)
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