The Eternal Saint of Alchemy

The first half featured several alchemy masters who took the stage to discuss how to improve alchemy formulas and low-grade pills using fire-attribute spiritual materials that have emerged in recent years.

Xiao Fan listened attentively. Although his knowledge wasn't particularly profound, he gained a deeper understanding of the current state of alchemy in Daqing.

Midway through the competition, a middle-aged man dressed in a purple robe went on stage. He came from the capital and was named Zixiaoge.

He spoke at length about the research on the "symbiotic phenomenon of heaven and earth's spiritual fire" in ancient books, and even mentioned the Grandmaster of Alchemy at the end.

"...According to ancient records, after the Taixu Dansheng grew old, he lived in seclusion in a hidden place and used the method of yin and yang to refine a unique spiritual fire, which can be made."

If the records are accurate, the appearance of this spiritual fire would greatly enhance the existing fire cultivation system.

The audience below the stage was filled with murmurs, and many people's eyes were drawn to Xiao Fan, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Xiao Fan sat there motionless, his expression unchanged. He knew that the more he avoided the issue, the more suspicious it would become, so he simply sat there and waited for the other party to reveal their hand.

Sure enough, the middle-aged man spoke again, this time looking at him and saying, "I heard that the descendants of the Taixu Dansheng will be here. I wonder if Young Master Xiao knows about the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Fire mentioned in ancient books?"

If you have any relevant clues, please come up on stage and discuss them with us. It would make this event truly worthwhile.

These words were very polite, but they put Xiao Fan in the spotlight. If he said he had it, he could produce it now. If he denied it, it would be tantamount to publicly denying the mantle of the Grandmaster of Pill Refining.

The scene fell silent, and all eyes were on Xiao Fan.

Xiao Fan slowly stood up, cupped his hands in greeting towards the stage, and then walked towards the central display stand.

He stood in the center of the platform, without saying a word, only his right hand was outstretched.

On his right hand, a ball of gold and silver flames slowly condensed, eventually forming a fist-sized ball of light that floated in his hand.

The surface of this sphere is interwoven with gold and silver, but at its center lies a layer of deep dark gold. This is the earth fire power of the Burning Bone Abyss, which, after being fused with the Creation Fire and the Thunderfire Token, has formed a new form.

A moment of silence fell over the entire hall, followed by a tremendous roar. The middle-aged man in the purple robe remained silent, his expression shifting uncertainly.

Xiao Fan held the ball of light and stood on the arena for a full ten breaths before finally retracting the flames under the watchful eyes of everyone. "The inheritance of the Grand Void Pill Saint is not limited to the Nine Towers Seal, and I have never hidden this fact."

Now that everyone is here, on behalf of Elder Shen, I will state that among the various historical sites, the culmination of the Taixu Pill Saint's life's work has been preserved. I have already discovered some of it, and some are already on their way. We will announce it to the public when the time is right. Please remain calm and do not believe rumors or try to uncover the truth.

He spoke his last words softly, but his gaze swept over the crowd, leaving no room for doubt.

After a brief commotion, things quickly returned to normal.

Seeing this, Elder Shen quickly spoke up to smooth things over, finally getting the topic back on track.

As Xiao Fan stepped down from the platform and brushed past the middle-aged man in purple robes, he nodded slightly to him, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

As the meeting ended, dusk was approaching, and the entire Yuncang Mountain was bathed in a golden-red hue.

As soon as Xiao Fan stepped down the stone steps, a young man dressed in a moon-white robe walked quickly towards him. He was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a handsome appearance and a composed demeanor. At this moment, he bowed to Xiao Fan with a serious expression.

"Young Master Xiao, I am Zhou Yanzhi of the Zhou family in the northern part of the capital. I have the utmost respect for you, Young Master Xiao. If I have the opportunity, I would like to ask you how to harmonize Yin and Yang Fire."

Xiao Fan gave him a disdainful look. Zhou Yanzhi's eyes were clear; he had no ulterior motives, but genuinely wanted to know more.

Xiao Fan stopped and laughed.

"Brother Zhou, you flatter me. I'm about to head down the mountain anyway."

The two stepped onto the stone steps of Yuncang Mountain and descended.

The setting sun cast long shadows of two people walking side by side, which stretched through the pines and cypresses and landed at the foot of the mountain.

Zhou Yanzhi was a straightforward person. Before Xiao Fan arrived, he already knew who this person was. The Zhou family in the north of the capital city had been studying fire-attribute spiritual materials for three generations and were quite famous in the fire industry in the capital. Although they were not among the top, they were still quite knowledgeable.

Zhou Yanzhi had been fascinated by the principles of Yin and Yang harmony since childhood, reading countless classic texts, yet he could never find a feasible method. When he saw Xiao Fan's skill, he was neither surprised nor jealous, but rather felt that "it really works."

"I've spent over a decade writing no fewer than twenty articles, and nobody believes me," Zhou Yanzhi said with a wry smile. "In the capital, theorists are often called 'theorists' rather than 'theorists.'"

Xiao Fan said, "I'm not lying to you, I'm not lying to you. Being able to focus on a certain direction for more than ten years and persist until now means you already have your own ideas."

Zhou Yanzhi's eyes lit up, and his tone became more eager: "If Young Master Xiao has time, why not visit the Zhou family in the north of the capital? I think I will personally take you there."

I do have some ancient jade slips left behind by our predecessors. They record some insights that rogue cultivators gained while exploring the method of harmonizing Yin and Yang fire. Although incomplete, some of the details are still worth studying.

Xiao Fan's heart stirred.

He had collected quite a few jade slips and such, but the insights of independent cultivators were often closer to actual combat than those of orthodox practitioners. Sometimes, when encountering a bottleneck, he could find a breakthrough through these insights.

Wang Yao said, "Alright, I'll go to the capital first and show it to Brother Zhou."

Zhou Yanzhi was overjoyed and quickly took out a small bronze plaque engraved with the Zhou family crest, handing it to him. "Young Master Xiao, there is a shop called 'Yantang' in the north of the capital. You can find me there. I'll be waiting for you."

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the two parted ways. Zhou Yanzhi mounted his horse, bowed to Xiao Fan, and then rode his green horse swiftly towards the capital.

Xiao Fan watched his figure disappear into the twilight, the bronze token in his hand turning a warm bronze color in the afterglow of the setting sun. He put the bronze token away and turned to walk towards the Pill Tower.

Back at Danta, he found Ye Ruolin packing her things and tidying up the yard, which put his mind at ease.

When she saw Xiao Fan return, she put the last scroll of silk into her bundle, tied it tightly, stood up, and dusted herself off.

"I'm going home. I got a letter from home saying something has come up and I might not be back for a month or two. When you go to the Zhou family, stop by the Ye family too. I need to take some ore with me, but I haven't asked them yet."

Xiao Fan took the small bag she handed him; it was filled with some good-quality fire-elemental ores. "Okay, then I'll go to the capital next month."

Ye Ruolin slung her backpack over her shoulder, waved, and turned to leave. Moments later, she disappeared into the twilight.

Xiao Fan stood in the courtyard, holding a piece of ore that was radiating heat in his hand, which was then passed to his fingers through a cloth bag.