Chapter 45 (Part 1)

His own mother was a Nascent Soul cultivator. Song Yuanxi’s first reaction was joy. This was absolutely his golden thigh!

That kind of inferiority complex where one’s parents and brothers were all stronger than oneself, their cultivation higher than one’s own, leaving him the weak and useless one—he absolutely did not have that.

In his view, there were only sayings like, “When one person attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven,” “When everyone is doing well, that is what truly counts,” and “If you stay with outstanding people, then even if you’re trash, you can’t turn out that badly.”

Song Yuanxi immediately thought of the agreement from back then and asked about Liao Xilin. “Then what about Uncle-Master Liao?”

Jiang Wanrong said, “Liao Xilin’s aptitude is quite good. He agreed to advance to mid-stage Foundation Establishment within fifty years, and he completed it ahead of time. After I formed my Nascent Soul, I accepted him as my disciple.”

Song Yuanxi was delighted. This master-disciple fate really had not come easily!

Then he thought of something else and asked with a grin, “What about Father? Back then, Father and Mother were both late-stage Golden Core. Now that you’ve reached Nascent Soul, Mother, has Father also advanced to Nascent Soul?”

Jiang Wanrong shook her head and said, “Your father has not advanced.”

“What?”

“He is now at Golden Core great perfection, but he has been unable to form his Nascent Soul. I also do not know exactly why.”

“How could that be!”

Song Yuanxi was shocked. In his view, his father’s aptitude had always been excellent. Entering the Dao through alchemy, reaching the level of a fifth-grade alchemist at only one hundred seventy-six years old—he was a rare alchemy genius in the Canglan Realm. How could he be unable to form his Nascent Soul?

Jiang Wanrong said, “I know nothing about alchemy. Because of your father’s situation, I specifically consulted True Lord Songquan, but he told me not to think too much and to let everything follow its natural course. I was afraid that if I kept bringing it up, your father would keep it on his mind and instead develop a heart demon.”

Thinking of something, she reminded him, “When we return to Redcloud Peak later and you see your father, don’t mention his cultivation.”

Song Yuanxi felt that his father was not that fragile. His father was an alchemy genius, and his temperament was extremely tenacious! But since his mother had instructed him, he still nodded and agreed.

The two of them went to True Lord Junhong’s cave residence. When they saw Jiang Dan, Song Yuanxi rushed forward in one stride, showing a mouthful of white teeth in a brilliant smile as he called, “Maternal Grandfather.”

True Lord Junhong smiled until his eyes narrowed. He beckoned him over and carefully looked him up and down. “Not bad, not bad. You’ve made progress. You’re already at the eighth level of Qi Refining. Your stay in the secret land was not wasted.”

Advancing four levels in sixty-three years—if it had been any other disciple, True Lord Junhong would not even have deigned to glance at them. But people were just that double-standarded. Song Yuanxi was his own grandson, so no matter how he looked at him, he was good. There was absolutely nothing wrong with him.

Jiang Wanrong waited until the grandfather and grandson had finished being affectionate, then brought up the matter of the contracted beast.

Song Yuanxi immediately took out his spirit beast pouch and handed it over. “Maternal Grandfather, this is the Dàfeng fledgling.”

The Samoyed was still sound asleep. Even when True Lord Junhong lifted it by the scruff of its neck and shook it back and forth, there was still no sign that it was about to wake up.

After examining and studying it, True Lord Junhong shook his head and said, “I cannot see the specific reason either. However, this young beast’s mutation is not harmful to its growth. If my guess is correct, Dàfeng must have encountered another opportunity before it hatched. When it grows up in the future, the answer will become clear. For now, just set your mind at ease.”

These words from True Lord Junhong reassured both Jiang Wanrong and Song Yuanxi.

Afterward, to avoid exposing Dàfeng’s situation, True Lord Junhong sealed a strand of sword qi inside its body. Once Dàfeng grew up, it would be able to release it on its own.

“Once Dàfeng matures, it will not easily die. At that time, even if Yuanxi’s cultivation is insufficient, there will be no need to worry about others coveting it.”

Song Yuanxi took the Samoyed back, hugged the cub, and thanked his maternal grandfather.

Jiang Wanrong still had matters to discuss with her father, so she let her son return to Redcloud Peak on his own. Song Yuanxi nodded and said yes, then left in high spirits.

When he arrived at Redcloud Peak, Song Yuanxi headed straight for Song Qing’s cave residence. He had not even gone inside before he started shouting, “Father! Father! Your invincible and adorable eldest son is back!”

Song Qing walked out of the cave residence and directly came face-to-face with Song Yuanxi, who was sprinting toward him. He turned sideways and avoided him, saying in a low voice, “Reckless and rash. Your conduct is unstable.”

Song Yuanxi pounced forward again, but failed to hug him. He felt deeply regretful. Father was still as reserved and subtle as ever!

“Father, we father and son haven’t seen each other for more than sixty years. Don’t you miss me? If you miss me, shouldn’t you hug me tightly and pour out your feelings with me? Mother took the initiative to hug me.”

Song Qing’s fingertips moved inside his sleeves, but after a few breaths, they stilled again. “Do not fool around. Since you have returned, rest for a short while, then return to Wanhai Peak and cultivate properly.”

Then he thought of what Song Wei had said back then, and Song Qing asked one more question. “Did you gain anything in the secret land?”

“Of course I did!”

Song Yuanxi took out the heavenly fire he had subdued, his expression rather irritatingly smug, and handed it over for his father to see.

Song Qing took the ball of fire and examined it closely. During the inspection, Song Yuanxi chattered beside him. “Father, I subdued this in the sea of fire in the secret land. It’s a white heavenly fire, but this thing is also really strange. It’s very good at changing colors, practically like a chameleon. I didn’t dare refine it casually. Father, can you tell what it is?”

Song Qing pinched the white ball of fire and nodded. “This is not a heavenly fire. It is an earthly fire.”

“An earthly fire?”

“Yes, an earthly fire. This flame seed is Boundless Fire, ranked first on the Earthly Fire Ranking. Boundless Fire and Rootless Fire come from the same source, but Rootless Fire is ranked tenth on the Heavenly Fire Ranking, and this is the heavenly fire possessed by True Lord Songquan. Boundless Fire, however, belongs to the earthly fires. Even though it ranks first on the Earthly Fire Ranking, compared with Rootless Fire, the difference is like heaven and earth.”

Song Yuanxi was utterly dumbfounded. No matter what, he had never imagined that the ball of fire he had gone through untold hardships to subdue was actually not a heavenly fire!

Earthly fire… He had not even flipped through the Earthly Fire Ranking, because it had never once been within the scope of his consideration.

Yet the greater blow came afterward. After Song Qing revealed that it was an earthly fire, he added, “Boundless Fire is not the best choice as a Body Cultivator’s companion fire. If you want your Body Cultivation to achieve great completion, a heavenly fire is still best. You have Daoist Master Fanjian as your master, so I imagine he will have his own considerations. Do not make rash decisions on your own.”

Song Qing trusted Fan Jian. Even though Song Yuanxi had been gravely injured in Jin City years ago and nearly died, in the end, he had survived by relying on a Longevity Fruit. After that, he entered the secret land to recuperate, and his cultivation instead advanced to the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Fan Jian was proficient in arrays and divination. Song Qing did not believe that before entering seclusion, the other man had not calculated for his only disciple. Back then, he had still chosen to enter the secret realm for secluded cultivation, which meant that everything that had happened over these decades, though perilous and nearly fatal, had still contained a path to survival.

“Back then, Fan Jian was able to switch from Dharma Cultivation to Body Cultivation, abandon artifact refining, and study arrays instead… The hardships involved are something outsiders could never imagine. From Uncle-Master’s tone, if he had continued to persist in artifact refining back then, his present accomplishments would certainly have been exceptional. Becoming a sixth-grade artifact-refining master would also have been well within reach… But now, I do not know what level Fan Jian’s attainments in arrays have reached…”

Song Qing’s thoughts drifted outward. He thought of many things before finally returning to the main topic. “Yuanxi, how do you plan to handle this earthly fire?”

Song Yuanxi felt hugely disappointed. This opportunity actually did not belong to him?

Then what exactly had he nearly died for in that sea of fire?!

“Father, since this earthly fire is useless to me, then let’s keep it for Little White. My contracted beast really likes eating fire. When it wakes up later, it can have it as a snack.”

The moment Song Qing heard this, he glared in anger. “Nonsense. How can you waste a heavenly treasure like that?”

“You were the one who said it, Father. Earthly fire is just a useless chicken rib to me—tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away. If I don’t give it to Little White to eat, what else can I do with it?”

“Although Boundless Fire is not especially useful to Body Cultivators, it is excellent for alchemy. Alchemists also need flame seeds when refining pills, but they do not consider whether it is heavenly fire or earthly fire. Instead, they weigh attribute and compatibility. Boundless Fire is an attribute-less fire, and it has already been subdued by you, so its compatibility with you is extremely high. If I refine it and make it assist as your alchemy flame, it can increase your pill success rate.”

Seeing that Song Yuanxi did not speak, Song Qing simply said, “Song Yuanxi, do not forget what you promised me. Back then, you agreed to refine a first-grade superior pill within ten years. Now eighty years have passed. Where is your first-grade superior pill?”

Song Yuanxi immediately felt extremely guilty. He had long since forgotten this agreement. Without Senior Sister Jiang by his side urging him on, who would still remember something like alchemy?

Song Qing looked at his eldest son’s expression and knew that while recuperating in the secret land, the other party had not properly studied alchemy at all. In that case, he had even more reason to refine Boundless Fire well and urge him to practice diligently in the future.

But Song Yuanxi directly proposed that after refining this earthly fire, he would pass it on to Jiang Lanyi.

Song Qing had just taken out his alchemy furnace and had not yet thrown Boundless Fire inside. Hearing this, he immediately turned around. “What did you say?”

“I said that after refining this Boundless Fire, I’ll give it to Senior Sister Jiang.”

“You are quite generous. Are you trying to avoid work?”

Song Yuanxi immediately shook his head. “Not at all! I just want to repay Senior Sister Jiang a little. The reason I was able to contract Dàfeng back then was because Senior Sister Jiang found the demonic beast egg for me. But that demonic beast egg had clearly responded to Senior Sister first, and that was why she bought it. This was originally an opportunity that belonged to her.”

“I know how precious Dàfeng is. My relationship with Little White has also grown closer by the day. The more this is so, the more guilty I feel toward Senior Sister. Now that I can do something for her, there is only happiness in my heart.”

He and Dàfeng had been together for so many years. They were as close as father and son. Forget Dàfeng’s immense abilities after growing up—even just the joy the little cub gave him now could not be wiped clean by sending over one ball of fire.

After Song Qing listened, he was not angry at all. In his heart, he even admired his son’s open-minded attitude.

“Have you thought it through? If it is being prepared for Jiang Lanyi, then when I refine Boundless Fire, I will be ruthless.”

Song Yuanxi and Jiang Lanyi’s aptitude in the path of alchemy were completely different. If this was to be an alchemy flame given to Jiang Lanyi, then there would be far more preparatory procedures to carry out.

Song Yuanxi did not hesitate at all. He nodded and said, “Yes. Father, refine it as hard as you can. After you’re done, I’ll take it over as a gift.”

Song Qing refined the fire on the spot. He threw Boundless Fire into the alchemy furnace, then began adding all kinds of spirit herbs and spirit plants. His whole series of movements was fast, fierce, and precise, and his technique was complex enough to dazzle the eye.

This was the first time Song Yuanxi had watched his father use an alchemy furnace from the side. Although it was not pill refining, fire refining should be more or less similar. This feeling of secretly watching a big shot from the side was extremely exciting.

But the longer he watched, the dizzier he became. Song Yuanxi’s cultivation was insufficient, and his alchemy level was also insufficient. It was like a child secretly reading an adult’s book; he only felt that it was profound.

By the end, his mind was spinning. Song Yuanxi directly sat on the ground and rubbed his eyes.

“I can’t, I can’t. Father, I feel like I’m about to go blind.”

“You can’t even bear the prelude to refining. Usually, when I tell you to practice diligently, you insist on slacking off. You deserve it!”

Song Qing’s tone was scolding. Song Yuanxi knew he was in the wrong and did not dare talk back. But he wanted to take the earthly fire away the moment it finished being refined, so he was unwilling to leave. In the end, he simply leaned against a nearby table and slept.

Watching this scene made Song Qing’s teeth itch. With nowhere to vent the anger in his heart, he could only go all-out against the object being refined. If the original refining intensity had been five, then at this moment, he raised it directly to eight.

Boundless Fire suffered terribly inside the alchemy furnace. The fire refining it seemed to be its natural enemy. The longer it stayed in the alchemy furnace, the weaker its own flame became.

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