Chapter 90: Devouring the Strange Flame

At this moment, Lin Xiaobao paid no heed to any of this. His hands moved ceaselessly, weaving intricate incantations as the pill continued to contract. After several hours, it had shrunk to the size of a dragon’s eye.

“Prepare to collect the pills!” Lin Xiaobao shouted, casting the final spell. Three beams of green light shot skyward. Chen Zhong, who had been standing by, made a sweeping gesture; an invisible force descended from above, seizing the three flying Yin Pills and pulling them swiftly into the prepared jade bottle.

“You managed to refine three pills?” Although the medicine was already in his hand, Chen Zhong still seemed a little incredulous. The moment the Yin Pill touched his palm, he sensed its quality—he suspected even a Pill King could do no better. Yet Lin Xiaobao had produced three!

Chen Zhong had expected Lin Xiaobao to manage at most one pill. That alone would have solved their immediate crisis; he could seek new ingredients after another five hundred years. But Lin Xiaobao had refined three at once, leaving even the usually composed Chen Zhong somewhat exhilarated.

“This is thanks to the exceptionally high grade of the pill furnace you crafted; not a trace of medicinal power escaped,” Lin Xiaobao shrugged.

After storing away the jade bottle, Chen Zhong gave Lin Xiaobao a deep, earnest bow. “Brother, for all you’ve done, I, Chen Zhong, will remember this debt. From today onward, I owe you a favor!”

“You already repaid me when you explained the mysteries of formation arts,” Lin Xiaobao replied. Refining the Yin Pill was, in truth, because he admired Chen Zhong’s loyalty and honorable character; he didn’t care much for matters of favor or debt.

Their conversation happened to be overheard by Si Mengling, who was approaching. She wished she could rush up and slap Lin Xiaobao twice. Chen Zhong’s favor meant far more than Lin Xiaobao realized; it was practically a second life for him in the martial world of Longxiang Continent. Yet this prodigal simply brushed it aside.

Chen Zhong merely gave an awkward chuckle and did not pursue the matter further. Whether Lin Xiaobao acknowledged it or not was irrelevant; as long as he remembered it himself. For a man, actions speak louder than words.

“Now that the pills are finished, can we leave?” Seeing the two fall silent, Si Mengling asked respectfully, though her deference was mainly directed at Chen Zhong.

Chen Zhong did not reply, but looked at Lin Xiaobao, clearly awaiting his decision.

Lin Xiaobao’s gaze swept over the ten or so different strange fires here, greed flickering in his eyes. “I’d like to devour all these strange fires before we go!”

Devour the strange fires? Not only Si Mengling, but even Chen Zhong was shocked. Those who cultivate fire-based arts can indeed absorb the essence of natural strange fires into their bodies, but even with his level of cultivation, Chen Zhong could only absorb three types. Yet Lin Xiaobao seemed intent on taking them all.

“You mean you want to consume them all at once?” Chen Zhong asked, still uncertain.

Seeing Chen Zhong’s expression, Lin Xiaobao thought he was tempted as well. “Of course, everyone gets a share. You two pick first, and I’ll take the rest. Is that fair enough?”

“I already have three fire seeds in my body. If I take more, I’ll probably get indigestion!” With three Yin Pills in hand, Chen Zhong was in rare good spirits and joked, though his tone quickly grew serious. “You’re only at the first stage of the Spirit Path. Even absorbing one strange fire would be difficult. Be cautious.”

Though concerned, Chen Zhong could see this youngster was anything but ordinary. So he merely warned him, not stopped him.

“I’d rather not risk indigestion myself,” Si Mengling said. She was no anomaly like Lin Xiaobao; with her cultivation, devouring a strange fire would be tantamount to courting death.

“Well, since you’re both so polite, I’ll gladly accept!” Seeing that neither could ingest them, Lin Xiaobao was delighted. He sat cross-legged and began to circulate the Supreme Taiyi True Fire Art within his body.

Having gained deeper understanding of the Nether Ghost Fire during alchemy, Lin Xiaobao naturally intended to start with it.

As Lin Xiaobao began, Chen Zhong and Si Mengling stepped to his left and right, each standing guard. After all, the process of devouring strange fires was fraught with peril.

Once his spiritual power and mental strength were restored to their peak, Lin Xiaobao activated the Supreme Taiyi True Fire Art. With a guiding incantation, the Nether Ghost Fire transformed into a snake of flame, slowly winding toward his fingertip.

Though prepared, Lin Xiaobao still shivered when the ghost fire touched his skin. The Nether Ghost Fire was indeed sinister. He hurriedly accelerated the True Fire Art, resisting the icy invasion and began refining the ghost fire entering his body.

Due to his low cultivation, the process was painstakingly slow. Fortunately, with the Supreme Taiyi True Fire Art—an unparalleled technique—he was not in immediate danger.

When he began practicing this art, Elder Mo had told Lin Xiaobao that its true power lay in its limitless capacity to absorb strange fires and enhance strength, unrestricted by cultivation level. Even if the absorbed fire far exceeded his abilities, the True Fire Art could seal the excess within his body, to be refined gradually as his cultivation advanced. This was why Lin Xiaobao dared to say he would devour all the strange fires at once.

Of course, helping Chen Zhong refine the Yin Pills, Lin Xiaobao had a bit of selfish motive: to study the properties of the Nether Ghost Fire for his own absorption. But even if Chen Zhong realized this, he would still be deeply grateful, for Lin Xiaobao had indeed delivered three Yin Pills.

Three days passed, and Lin Xiaobao remained motionless. During this time, Chen Zhong checked on him several times, found nothing amiss, and finally relaxed. “It seems he’s not in any danger. Since we’re idle, why not use local materials to craft a magical treasure for each of you?”

“Elder Chen, you’re going to craft a treasure for me?” Si Mengling felt overwhelmed with gratitude; it all seemed so unreal. She doubted even Liu Yingyi, the current head of the Flowing Cloud Sect, could persuade Chen Zhong to forge a treasure for him.

“Sister-in-law, don’t call me Elder Chen. Since Xiaobao calls me big brother, you can as well, if you don’t mind!” In Chen Zhong’s eyes, since Si Mengling traveled with Lin Xiaobao, their relationship was naturally...

“We’re not what you think!” Flushed with embarrassment at being called sister-in-law, Si Mengling hurried to clarify.

Chen Zhong, seeing her reaction, assumed she was simply shy and unwilling to admit it, and burst out laughing. “Alright, alright... You have nothing between you. But I’d like to be your big brother and give you a magic treasure. Surely you won’t refuse?”

Though she knew Chen Zhong was only doing this because Lin Xiaobao had helped him refine the Yin Pills, the temptation was immense. Si Mengling nodded, “Thank you, Brother Chen!”

As she spoke, Si Mengling kept reminding herself that Chen Zhong was making her a treasure because he accepted her as a younger sister, and it had absolutely nothing to do with Lin Xiaobao. Yet even she could not quite believe such reasoning herself.