Chapter 146: Three Fires Complete

"Small matter, small matter — just look after our shop's business more often." Shopkeeper Xi hehe laughed.

He knew Yu Zhangsheng's potential very well; this time it seemed he had taken a loss, but in the long run, Shopkeeper Xi felt this was nothing if not a successful investment. As he said, it was for nothing else — just to make a friend.

And these thoughts, Yu Zhangsheng naturally understood perfectly; they did him no harm either, both sides benefited, so he simply accepted.

"I will. Today's matter, engraved in my heart. Then I'll take my leave first." Yu Zhangsheng nodded, putting away the pill formula.

And Shopkeeper Xi saw the good deed through to the end, straightforward as well — he actually gave Yu Zhangsheng another batch of medicinal materials, containing almost all the ingredients needed for the Beast Nurturing Pill.

But this time, Yu Zhangsheng still insisted on paying; after the other party declined a while, he no longer refused.

Shopkeeper Xi also understood — investment is investment, but being overly attentive isn't necessarily good; it would also put pressure on the other party.

They chatted a while more; seeing it was about time, Yu Zhangsheng cupped his fists and bid farewell.

"Good. Wishing Dao Friend success in advance."

Shopkeeper Xi, face full of smiles, saw Yu Zhangsheng out the shop door, watched Yu Zhangsheng's retreating figure for a long time, then slowly exhaled a breath.

"Not simple at all."

He shook his head, continued doing business with a smiling face.

Yu Zhangsheng left First Grade Medicine Hall and went straight back to Yushou Peak.

"Just a portion of the materials costs this much; if I hadn't earned quite a few spirit stones these past days, it would've been enough to make me go back and forth." Yu Zhangsheng muttered a couple of times, feeling the pinch of those spirit stones.

"No wonder Foundation Establishment Pills have a price but no market — ah, money flowing out like water!"

Amidst the emotion, Yushou Peak in sight, he first went to Wei Lao's place for a trip — result: Wei Lao wasn't there, no idea where he'd run off to.

Daily feeding done, he headed for Alchemy Hall; Gongsun Yang saw the visitor, his old face squeezing out a trace of a smile.

"You've come. Haven't seen you refine pills this period — don't let your technique get rusty."

Yu Zhangsheng gave a wry smile, cupped his fists: "Master speaks truly; rusty it won't get, just had many matters recently — that's why I've only now squeezed out time to ask Master for guidance."

Gongsun Yang stroked his beard, sensing Yu Zhangsheng's qi, slightly surprised: "Cultivation base advanced quite a bit — good. This visit, you want to continue learning that third fire, Void Fire, right?"

"Nothing escapes Master." Yu Zhangsheng nodded. "Foundation Establishment Pill materials are all gathered too — still have to trouble Master."

"Preparing for Foundation Establishment..." Gongsun Yang murmured, expression slightly complex, but quickly replaced by delight, hehe laughing.

"Good. Wait until your cultivation settles a bit more, thoroughly reaches Qi Refining Peak, I'll refine the Foundation Establishment Pill for you — freshly out of the furnace, the medicinal effect is best. As an alchemist, cultivation base is indeed very important; only with cultivation base as support can one go higher and farther."

Speaking, Gongsun Yang's eyes unintentionally darkened a shade, he let out a low sigh.

He himself had suffered from cultivation base; at such an age, because of ordinary cultivation talent, he'd only reached Foundation Establishment First Layer to this day — later he tried every method, and his alchemy skill barely reached Third Rank.

Therefore even with low cultivation base he was respected throughout the sect, yet his only regret remained the cultivation base issue — if his cultivation reached Foundation Establishment Late Stage or above, then Fourth-Rank Alchemist would not be unattainable for him.

And Yu Zhangsheng's cultivation speed right now, in his view, absolutely counted as exceptional talent — heart filled with myriad emotions, yet more was pride. "Perhaps, I, Gongsun Yang, can personally teach a Fourth-Rank Alchemist?" Such a thought flashed through his mind; Gongsun Yang's gaze at Yu Zhangsheng grew even more eager, face full of smiles.

"Then many thanks, Master." Yu Zhangsheng thanked joyfully, simultaneously handing over the storage bag containing the Foundation Establishment Pill refinement materials to Gongsun Yang.

Foundation Establishment Pill — with his current alchemy skill, it was still steadier to have Gongsun Yang refine it; after all these years, he'd refined quite a few Foundation Establishment Pills for the sect, so he had experience and technique.

"Since it's so, now I'll teach you — the third fire of Three-Fire Refinement alchemy art, Void Fire, also the most difficult fire."

Gongsun Yang sat upright, cross-legged on the ground.

Yu Zhangsheng's expression serious, he leaned forward to listen.

"Void Fire — different from the first two fires. Void — takes the meaning of ethereal, illusory; faint and subtle, continuous without end."

"This fire also has relatively high requirements for magic power; if magic power isn't deep and thick enough, one can't persist long. At the moment of pill formation, Void Fire has the effect of making it more condensed, round, and convergent..."

Gongsun Yang's teaching was extremely meticulous, vivid and lifelike; when necessary, he would often personally give Yu Zhangsheng hands-on demonstration — once wasn't enough, then do it again.

Incidentally he also reviewed some details of coordination between the first two fires, making Yu Zhangsheng's mind suddenly clear, like sitting in a spring breeze.

One hour slowly passed; watching Yu Zhangsheng close his eyes in contemplation, Gongsun Yang nodded in satisfaction, a bit parched of mouth and tongue.

"Comprehend it well. Back then this one Void Fire — I also took a full month before I could grasp the entry."

Gongsun Yang sighed inwardly, thinking of those days of refining pills back then, a bit nostalgic.

"Because of my cultivation base, without opportunity, I'm afraid this life I'll have no connection to continue breaking through in the Dao of Alchemy. But fortunately, I've taken such a disciple, able to inherit my mantle — also counts as not letting this method disgrace its brilliance..."

As his gaze wandered, Gongsun Yang thought this and that, a moment slightly lost in thought.

"Void Fire... go to void like spirit, seem illusion not illusion, follow heart's desire... guide fire and move..."

In a half-dream half-awake state, Yu Zhangsheng seemed to enter an extremely profound state; thoughts turned a hundred times, extremely ethereal — everything about Void Fire, in his mind turned into countless tiny points, bit by bit becoming clear and understood.

"So it's like this!"

Unknown how long passed, Yu Zhangsheng had realization; brows and eyes opened wide, a flash of sharp light passed.

"Ethereal, guide fire, draw heaven and earth power, absorb void endless! Seem fire, not fire! The key is nurture?!"

As thoughts penetrated, divine sense was also drawn; whole body magic power naturally mobilized, circulating circle after circle along a strange trajectory; simultaneously, divine sense guided void heaven and earth, gradually, threads of light gathered together, a flame pale yellow tending toward void, slowly emerged before Yu Zhangsheng, rising and falling slowly burning...

This flame, though weak, despite being tiny, gave a sense of ethereal illusion, natural nurtured charm — as if a single encounter, a wisp of clear wind could blow it away, yet it exists eternally through the ages, can be born at any moment, truly strange.

Yu Zhangsheng's eyes slightly obsessed watching this flame; corners of his mouth gradually curved into a faint smile.

Although an alchemist's rank won't have a leapfrog increase because of this fire's improvement, there is no doubt that after mastering this fire, its importance for his future pill refining is beyond question.

(Chapter End)