"On what grounds do you say I'm arrogant?"
Yang Cheng's tone was calm but clearly displeased.
The old man snorted. "A boy with no beard has no credibility. How old are you? Even if you understand alchemy, how much could you possibly know?"
Yang Cheng replied evenly, "I don't know how much I know, but I'm sure your method has a flaw."
The old man chuckled. "Alright then. If you can't explain at least two, three, or four clear points today, this old man will give you a good spanking."
He wasn't truly angry—he just saw Yang Cheng as a spirited youth in need of a little correction.
Having witnessed the boy's extraordinary cultivation talent, the old man didn't want him growing arrogant or reckless, so he decided to test him a bit.
Yang Cheng wasn't provoked by the words. Instead, he calmly stepped up to the pill furnace, his gaze sharp and unwavering as he looked inside.
"You're using the Nine-Turn Pill Condensation Method, but this Cistanche is too young. Its medicinal power hasn't matured yet—you must first remove its dryness. You tossed it straight into the furnace fresh. Within ten breaths, the instability will cause the furnace to waver."
The old man didn't retort. His expression shifted, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.
And right then, the pill fire inside the furnace began to tremble violently.
The old man's pupils shrank. He was about to release power from his sleeve when Yang Cheng lightly flicked his finger. Three threads of true qi shot into the furnace, circulating along its body.
Instantly, the raging flames calmed as if tamed by an unseen hand. They began burning smoothly, evenly wrapping around the herbs.
"With true qi forming the Three Talents, guiding the earth's energy into the furnace to balance yin and yang…" the old man murmured, his wrinkled face filled with astonishment.
"In such a short time, you actually came up with a solution. Tell me, where did a youngster like you learn alchemy?"
Yang Cheng brushed the dust from his sleeve and said flatly, "That's not important. What matters is that you ignored the timing of your refinement. The zi hour belongs to water—you should have used cold water to temper the cauldron. Instead, you chose fire. That imbalance harms the pill's nature. That's your true mistake."
As he spoke, he reached into his void ring, took out a piece of cold ice, crushed it, and sprinkled it into the furnace.
In an instant, a mist of white vapor rose, filling the air with a rich, refreshing medicinal fragrance.
The old man was silent for a long while before bursting into hearty laughter. "Good! What a sharp-eyed brat! I've lived all these years, and this is the first time I've been taught a lesson by a child. Fine then! You finish the refinement. If you succeed, I'll give you a great reward."
Yang Cheng didn't rush. The pill furnace rotated slowly under his control, guided by streams of true qi.
Gradually, the pills inside began to take shape—clear, pure, glowing with violet radiance.
Finally, with a soft boom, the lid flew open, and nine perfectly round, crystal-like purple pills shot into the air before landing gently into Yang Cheng's palm.
"One furnace, nine pills, all flawless," the old man said in disbelief, taking a sharp breath.
He stared at Yang Cheng in wonder. "You… could it be that you were born knowing? A natural-born alchemist?"
Yang Cheng didn't blush nor boast. "You could say that."
After all, with his past-life memories, it wasn't a lie—he truly was born knowing.
The old man's astonishment deepened. "The world truly holds endless marvels. Someone like you—I've only ever heard of in legends. Never thought I'd meet one in person."
In ancient tales, there was said to be a supreme sage who was born knowing.
To see such a phenomenon with his own eyes—it was beyond anything the old man had imagined, even after a lifetime of experience.
Yang Cheng smirked slightly. "I don't think I'm that amazing. Aside from being handsome, I don't see what's so special."
"…"
The old man's mouth twitched. He suddenly felt less inclined to continue the conversation.
Yet, his curiosity for the Alchemy burned too strongly to stop.
He still wanted to know whether Yang Cheng truly was born knowing—and if so, what unique insights such a being might have toward the Dao of Alchemy.
Taking the chance, Yang Cheng began to speak, calmly laying out theories that the old man himself would one day develop in the future.
"For example," Yang Cheng said, "in the opening of the Myriad Phenomena Alchemy Canon, it is written: 'The Dao is hidden and nameless, yet the Myriad Phenomena arise in endless forms. The essence of the Alchemy lies in harmony, not confusion.'"
Just that one sentence struck the old man like a bell tolling at dawn, resonating endlessly in his heart.
When Yang Cheng began discussing the nature of medicinal herbs, he said, "Every spiritual plant carries its own spirit, each with a distinct nature. Those of yang are fierce and dry; those of yin are soft and moist. Like the sun and the moon, they complete each other through balance."
Others had spoken of such things before, but none had ever done so with the clarity and precision found in the Myriad Phenomena Alchemy Canon.
When he spoke of controlling fire, Yang Cheng said, "Fire is the soul of alchemy. Too firm and it breaks, too gentle and it weakens. The subtlety of fire lies in the heart—shift with the moment, and the pill shall form."
And finally, he spoke of the alchemist's state of mind: "If the heart is chaotic, the pill will be chaotic. If the heart is calm, the pill will be alive. Before refining the pill, one must refine the heart. When the heart is pure, the medicine will be pure."
The old man could no longer restrain himself. He bowed deeply before Yang Cheng and said with sincere respect, "This junior, Li Xiang, humbly thanks Senior for granting such divine enlightenment in the Dao of Alchemy."
Hearing these profound theories, countless doubts that had troubled Li Xiang for years suddenly cleared.
He even felt as though these teachings had been meant for him all along—perfectly aligned with his own understanding of alchemy and the path of the heart.
With such guidance, he knew he had just saved himself not decades but perhaps a full hundred years of detours along his alchemical journey.
Yang Cheng was startled. "Senior, please rise. You'll shorten my lifespan by bowing like that!"
But Li Xiang spoke solemnly. "Though I'm older, there's a saying—those who attain understanding first become the teacher. In the Dao of Alchemy, you are indeed my senior, and I am the learner."
Yang Cheng's impression of Li Xiang changed completely. This was a man with genuine reverence for the Dao of Alchemy, not arrogance.
He smiled and said, "Then I'll write a book someday, recording all the Alchemy principles I know and give it to you, Senior."
He was planning to transcribe the entire Myriad Phenomena Alchemy Canon from memory and hand it to Li Xiang—so that this man might surpass even his future self from the previous life.
"If that's true, then your kindness to me is as deep as heaven itself," Li Xiang said, visibly moved. Then he chuckled. "But calling each other 'Senior' and 'Junior' feels strange, doesn't it?"
Yang Cheng thought for a moment. "Then how about I call you Old Brother?"
"Haha! Then I'll call you Virtuous Brother," Li Xiang said cheerfully. "Virtuous Brother, I still don't know your name."
"Yang Cheng."
"Good, Virtuous Brother Yang," Li Xiang said with a broad smile. "From what I can see, not only is your Alchemy exceptional, but your Martial Dao must be extraordinary as well. Come, let your old brother show you something magnificent."
Yang Cheng followed Li Xiang, though he saw no so-called "magnificent sight" for quite some time.
The desert was far vaster than he had imagined.
With his cultivation and speed, crossing it should've taken only one or two days, yet even after six or seven days, they were still within the endless sands.
The deeper regions of this desert contained layers upon layers of folded space, extending infinitely without end.
At first, Yang Cheng felt a hint of impatience. But gradually, calmness returned, and he followed Li Xiang in silence.
Some areas of the desert were scorching hot; others were piercingly cold.
Yet Yang Cheng felt no discomfort. It reminded him of the days he had once endured in the Death Devil's Den—endless hardship, endless reflection.
He felt as though his body and spirit were a rough, unpolished jade, slowly being carved, ground, and purified with each step.
He forgot the outside world.
He returned inward—to his truest self.
Each footstep was like a chisel strike, carving away the impurities of his heart, bringing him closer to the essence of being.
He felt as though he had stepped back to the dawn of time, reliving every hardship and finally reconciling with the person he once was.
Gradually, a pure and radiant brilliance emerged from within him—simple, sincere, untainted by worldly dust.
The seas may turn to fields, and the world may shift endlessly.
But only the heart of a child remains unchanged—only the will endures forever!
In that moment, Yang Cheng finally understood why Li Xiang had brought him here.
Perhaps Li Xiang didn't know the details of his past, but he could sense it—the discord between Yang Cheng's body and soul.
And so, the old man had guided him on this journey—to help him find harmony once more.