The following day, right after the entrance ceremony, Xiao Yun couldn't wait any longer. He rushed straight to the Alchemy Department building, eager to choose his class schedule, select an alchemy mentor, and pick up his textbooks.
Just as he arrived at the department's entrance, he spotted the same instructor who had guided him the day before. The man's face lit up with joy the moment he saw Xiao Yun.
"Hahaha! Xiao Yun, thanks to you, I've benefited quite a bit this time!"
"…?"
Xiao Yun was utterly confused. He had no idea what this guy was rambling about.
Seeing the bewildered look on his face, the instructor chuckled and explained, "Yesterday, I passed along your information to Elder Huo of our Alchemy Department. He was very impressed. Told me to wait here and bring you to him as soon as you arrived."
Ah… so that's why he looks so thrilled—he basically sold me off for favors.
Xiao Yun understood immediately. Elder Huo must've taken a liking to him—ahem, to his talent, that is. Judging by the situation, the old man likely wanted to take him on as a disciple. And Xiao Yun had no objections to that. This was a perfect case of someone handing him a pillow just as he was dozing off. Having a master to guide him was undeniably better than fumbling around on his own.
Sure, Elder Huo was just a background character who faded out early in the original novel, but this was the real world now.
On the Northwest Continent, a fifth-tier alchemist with the strength of a Dou King was no small figure. For the current Xiao Yun, such a mentor was more than sufficient. If he could enter Elder Huo's tutelage, he wouldn't have to worry about alchemy resources in the early stages at all.
Following the instructor, Xiao Yun arrived at the entrance to a pill refining room. The instructor gave the door a few gentle knocks.
"Come in," called a weathered, elderly voice from within.
The instructor gave Xiao Yun a pat on the back, signaling for him to go in alone.
Xiao Yun pushed open the door, and before he even stepped inside, a surge of intense heat rolled out toward him. At the center of the room sat a cauldron, its flames crackling fiercely. An old man with a head of white hair sat calmly before it, his gaze fixed intently on the fire within.
Xiao Yun closed the door behind him. Since the elder didn't acknowledge his presence, he wisely kept silent and stood to the side, observing quietly.
After a long while, the elder's fingers suddenly danced through a series of intricate hand seals. Before Xiao Yun could even register the movements, the flames within the cauldron surged upward, then suddenly spiraled toward the elder's hands. With a casual flip of his wrists, the fire was instantly extinguished.
"Young, monstrously talented, and calm under pressure… Little one, you have a promising future," Elder Huo finally turned to look at Xiao Yun. Though the boy was drenched in sweat from the heat, he didn't show the slightest hint of impatience. This earned him the elder's approval.
"I assumed that someone your age with such accomplishments would be arrogant and dismissive of others. I planned to teach you a lesson and temper your attitude. But you don't have the typical flaws of a genius… That was my mistake," Elder Huo admitted with a rare note of apology.
"I wouldn't dare. I hold no resentment in my heart, Teacher," Xiao Yun replied with a respectful bow.
Elder Huo stood and moved closer to inspect him. The more he looked, the more satisfied he became.
He could tell at a glance that Xiao Yun wasn't merely a one-star Dou Practitioner as his records claimed—he had already broken through to the second star. Even more impressively, he possessed talent in alchemy. His potential in both cultivation and alchemy was staggering. Even if his alchemical abilities weren't top-notch, his cultivation alone would far surpass most.
A once-in-a-century genius… and he just happened to land in my lap. Hah! Must be fate. Elder Huo grinned inwardly.
"My name is Huo Lie, a fifth-tier alchemist and elder of the Alchemy Department. Xiao Yun, are you willing to become my disciple?"
"I am," Xiao Yun said without hesitation, bowing deeply. Just as he'd expected, the old man was interested in his talent. And this outcome suited him perfectly.
"Hahaha! Good, very good. My child, I have no wife or children, and now you're my only disciple. So I won't impose many rules—only one: never abuse your power to commit evil. If you do, I'll personally remove you from my household. Can you swear to that?" Huo Lie twirled his long white beard, smiling brightly.
"Rest assured, Teacher. I would never commit such deeds."
"Good."
With a wave of his hand, the lid of the cauldron flew into the air, releasing a brilliant red light. Instantly, a rich medicinal fragrance flooded the room.
"This is a recipe I came across in my younger years, called Flamefire Balm. It's a tier-four medicinal paste that boosts the cultivation speed of anyone below the level of Dou Grandmaster. The higher the cultivation, the less effective it becomes. At your current level, it should double your training speed."
Inside the cauldron was a thick, dark-red liquid. Elder Huo pulled out a handful of jade bottles, carefully filled them, and stored them all in a spatial ring before tossing it to Xiao Yun.
"Use this well. Apply the balm to your upper body once a day when training. The ring also contains a cultivation technique, some battle techniques, my personal alchemy notes, basic ingredients, recipes, and a cauldron. You've got four days. Memorize the Herbal Compendium and the rest of your textbooks. After that, your real alchemy training begins."
"Thank you, Teacher!" Xiao Yun's eyes lit up as he bowed deeply and left the room.
Back at the single dorm assigned to him by the academy, Xiao Yun couldn't wait to see what treasures his new teacher had given him.
He probed the storage ring with his spiritual sense and was immediately stunned. Elder Huo hadn't skimped out—he'd even given him a mid-grade spatial ring, one with dozens of cubic meters of space. Far superior to any basic ring.
Aside from the Flamefire Balm and the expected resources, there were several books, a crimson cauldron, and a bunch of unfamiliar herbs. Setting most aside for now, Xiao Yun organized the books and began flipping through them.
Low Earth-Tier Cultivation Technique: Nineflower Fire Art.
High Black-Tier Combat Technique: Blazing Flame Fist.
Mid Black-Tier Combat Technique: Crimson Fire Palm.
Mid Vlack-Tier Movement Technique: Flamecloud Chasing Sun.
And three tier-one pill recipes: Qi Boosting Powder, Flame Condensing Pill, and Wound Healing Pill.
After just a quick skim, Xiao Yun was practically drooling. These were leagues above the best techniques in the Xiao Clan—and they even matched his fire-attribute dou qi perfectly. Without Elder Huo's backing, he'd never even get a whiff of these treasures.
"Where else could I find a teacher like this? Fifth-tier alchemist really means big-time resources!" Xiao Yun eagerly reached for the rest of the books.
Herbal Compendium. Alchemy Fundamentals. On Flame Control. Pill Identification…
Xiao Yun silently took back the compliments he'd just given in his mind.
With his enthusiasm slightly dampened, he packed away the rest of the books into the ring and kept only the Herbal Compendium out, settling into bed to study it carefully.
For the next four days, Xiao Yun buried himself in study, even skipping a few general courses. This led Xu Ning to come knocking at his door, worried something had happened. After learning Xiao Yun had become Elder Huo's disciple and was under strict orders to study, the instructor could only sigh and give up.
He didn't dare confront Elder Huo. He simply told Xiao Yun, "Fine, skip class if you must—but make sure your cultivation doesn't fall behind. I'm counting on you to win first place in the end-of-term assessment!"
Four days later, after finishing a general course, Xiao Yun made his way back to the Alchemy Department, ready for his first true alchemy lesson.
Retracing the path he'd walked before, he soon arrived at Elder Huo's pill room.
"Teacher, your disciple Xiao Yun requests an audience," he said with a respectful bow at the door.
"Come in, my good student."
Xiao Yun entered to find Elder Huo seated in the center as before.
"Teacher, I've memorized all the materials you assigned," he said immediately, bowing again and looking up eagerly, waiting to finally be taught true alchemy skills.
Elder Huo chuckled at the hopeful gleam in his eyes. "Since you've studied the basics, of course I'll begin your training. But first, you must understand some fundamental concepts."
Seeing his thoughts exposed, Xiao Yun scratched his head sheepishly.
"To refine medicine, you must first have a cauldron. For an alchemist, the cauldron is like a warrior's sword—an essential tool. Cauldrons also come in different grades. Generally, the more fire vents a cauldron has, the higher its quality. Go ahead, bring out your cauldron."
Xiao Yun quickly summoned the crimson cauldron Elder Huo had given him.
"This one has three vents. For you, that's more than enough for a long time," Elder Huo said, pointing at the cauldron's openings.
"Don't think those vents are just holes punched at random. They are the core of the cauldron's function. Each one must be precisely crafted. The slightest flaw renders the whole thing useless."
"The more vents, the better the cauldron supports your alchemy—but controlling them requires strong spiritual power. Right now, I'd say handling two at once is your limit."
Seeing the puzzled look on Xiao Yun's face, Elder Huo knocked him lightly on the head and continued.
"Besides the cauldron, fire is just as critical. Most alchemists use fire generated from their dou qi. The higher the pill tier, the more powerful the flame required."
"Even the most basic, grade-less pills require at least the power of a Dou Practitioner. Luckily, you've already reached that level."
Elder Huo's expression turned approving—Xiao Yun's talent really was exceptional.
"But some ingredients are so tough that dou qi fire alone can't melt them. That's when you need to borrow fire from nature."
"Borrow fire? Teacher, do you mean Heavenly Flames?" Xiao Yun asked with a flash of excitement.
"That's right," Elder Huo nodded. "Across the vast world, there exist rare and powerful flames—perhaps from the heart of a fallen meteor, or born deep within a volcano after millennia of smelting… These are what we call 'Heavenly Flames.' Their power far surpasses the ordinary flames conjured through dou qi."
"These flames not only burn hotter but can also enhance the potency of the pills they refine. However, they're extremely violent and volatile. It's rare to even catch a glimpse of one, let alone make it your own."
He paused, his gaze distant, filled with both awe and yearning.
"Many alchemists spend their entire lives chasing a Heavenly Flame, only to die empty-handed. To control such a flame, one must first draw it into their body—something few can survive."
He turned to Xiao Yun, voice solemn. "Make no mistake, Heavenly Flames are forces of pure destruction. Even Magisteel Diamond, one of the toughest metals known to man, would melt under their heat. Imagine what such a fire could do to the human body."
"Trying to tame one is no different from playing with death. Only a handful of truly fortunate—and monstrously talented—alchemists have ever succeeded in refining even a sliver of Heavenly Flame into their own Heartfire. And without exception, every one of them stands at the pinnacle of the alchemy world…"
As Elder Huo spoke, a fiery gleam flickered in his eyes—a longing that could not be hidden.
"But," he added, reining in his emotions, "even if you never obtain a Heavenly Flame, there are still other alternatives. For instance—Beast Flames. They're not bad either."
As he spoke, he raised his palm. A flicker of violet flame sprang to life above it, its heat so intense that the air around it shimmered and warped.
From his seat nearby, Xiao Yun could feel a wave of terrifying heat radiating from the flame—it was wild and untamed, yet oddly controlled within the elder's grasp.
"See this? This is a Beast Flame. Don't look so envious, boy—once you officially become an alchemist, your teacher here will help you find a high-tier one of your own."
Noticing how Xiao Yun's eyes were practically glued to the flame, Elder Huo couldn't help but snap, "Enough gawking. That's enough theory for today. Put your cauldron away—we're heading to the refining room. Time to get your hands dirty."