"Heavenly Flames are not something you can casually obtain. There are only thirty or so Heavenly Flame recorded so far, some of them even appeared once in history."
Xiao Feng rubbed his head lightly, a trace of embarrassment flashing across his face as he quickly corrected his expectations.
Elder Shi raised his hand and took out something from his storage ring.
A flame of deep blue mixed with streaks of black slowly manifested in front of him. Its form constantly shifting like flowing water, rising and falling in tsunami waves rather than flickering like ordinary fire.
A faint sound echoed within it, resembling distant ocean waves crashing rhythmically against unseen shores.
"This is the Serena Sea Dragon Flame," Elder Shi said.
"It's a Beast Flame, originating from a fifth rank sea-type dragon beast."
Xiao Feng stared at it, his expression subtly stiffening.
"…Fifth Rank Beast Flame?"
A faint trace of disappointment surfaced despite his attempt to suppress it.
He hesitated briefly before speaking.
"Master… if your disciple uses such a flame… would it not reflect poorly on you?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere shifted slightly.
Elder Shi's gaze sharpened.
"You think this is insufficient?" he said slowly, his tone no longer as relaxed as before.
"Do you even understand what a Fifth Rank Beast Flame represents?"
He did not wait for an answer.
"The beast from which this flame originates is comparable to a Nascent Soul expert. And not just any beast—a dragon-type beast."
His voice carried a faint edge now.
"Among spirit beasts, those of dragon lineage are inherently stronger than others of the same rank. This flame alone is already beyond what your current level should be able to control."
Xiao Feng fell silent, the earlier disappointment quickly fading as the weight of those words settled into his mind.
Elder Shi continued, his tone steady once more.
"With your current strength, anything stronger would not be something you could tame. Even this one requires my assistance."
He paused briefly before adding,
"When you reach the level of a Fourth Rank Alchemist, I will personally help you seek a stronger flame. For now, this is the most suitable choice for you."
Xiao Feng nodded slowly, his expression returning to seriousness.
"I understand, Master."
Elder Shi waved his hand lightly.
The blue-black flame drifted forward, stopping directly in front of Xiao Feng, its wave-like form continuing to rise and fall in a steady rhythm.
"Prepare yourself to refine this flame."
At that moment, a faint grim appeared on Elder Shi's lips, something that did not quite match his usual calm demeanor.
"Maybe in a short while, you will find this flame even more powerful."
Xiao Feng's brows furrowed slightly, a vague sense of unease rising within him, though he could not pinpoint the reason.
Before he could ask further—
"Let's start it now."
The command was simple, yet carried undeniable authority.
Without hesitation, he sat cross-legged.
"How do I refine it?" Xiao Feng exhaled lightly and looked up.
Elder Shi extended a finger and lightly tapped his head, saying, "Do as I say!"
Feeling the large amount of information pouring into his mind, Xiao Feng savored it carefully.
Then nodded slightly and slowly closed his eyes. He formed several hand seals, his mind gradually sank into his body.
A white pill flew toward Xiao Feng, landing precisely in his palm.
"It will protect your internal organs during the refinement process."
Xiao Feng did not question it and swallowed the pill immediately.
A warm current spread through his body, flowing rapidly through his meridians before settling around his internal organs. In a short time, a ice energy wall formed upon his meridian's wall like a protective layer, gave him a sense of stability.
"Now reach your hand into the flame. At the center of flame, there's a wisp of flame seed. Grab and swallow it!"
His teacher's voice rang in his ears.
Although he knew what to do, but his words still trembled his body. He twitched the corner of his mouth, slightly incredulous. Put this thing in his mouth? Was he looking for death?
This startling thought flashed through his mind, and moments later, Xiao Feng steadied himself from his astonishment.
Nodding subtly, he suddenly raised his head. Gritting his teeth, he plunged his hand in the Serena Sea Dragon Flame.
A burning pain came on his hand. Even with protection of his spiritual energy, he could feel this terrifying hot flame.
Gritting his teeth and enduring the intense burning pain, Xiao Feng pushed his hand inside.
Just then, his right eye suddenly throbbed.
A sharp heat gathered within it, spreading rapidly toward his mind.
For a fleeting instant, his vision changed.
The chaotic blue-black flame before him no longer appeared as a formless mass. Instead, it separated into countless flowing strands—each strand carrying a distinct rhythm, converging toward a single core hidden deep within.
A pulsing point.
The flame seed.
Xiao Feng's pupils shrank slightly.
"So that's where you're hiding…"
The clarity vanished in the next moment, but the image had already been imprinted in his mind.
Without hesitation, his hand shot forward with greater precision, find a wisp of liquid-like substance in the flame.
"Is this the flame seed?" Staring at the wisp of flame in his hand, which emitted a terrifying temperature, he and murmured softly.
'Heh heh, I hope this old man's pill would be reliable.' A brilliant smile appeared on the young man's handsome face. He slowly raised the hand holding the flame seed, and tossed it into his open mouth.
Enduring the waves of scorching pain emanating from within his body, Xiao Feng slowly closed his eyes, his mind gradually sinking inward.
Within the many meridians of his body, the pale blue-black magma that had entered earlier had already divided into tiny wisps of flame.
The instant it made contact with his inner organs, a violent burning pain exploded within his body.
It's like lava, flowing in his meridian in chaotic waves, colliding violently with his spiritual energy, causing an intense pain that spread throughout his entire body.
Xiao Feng's expression changed instantly.
"Focus!"
Shi Bodong's voice rang out sharply.
At the same time, a powerful force entered Xiao Feng's body, suppressing the chaotic movements of the flame and preventing it from spiraling completely out of control.
Under that suppression, the violent waves began to stabilize slightly.
Xiao Feng clenched his teeth, his mind locking onto a single point as he began circulating his spiritual energy according to the guidance he could faintly sense, slowly attempting to refine and integrate the invading flame.
The process was far from smooth.
Every movement felt as though his meridians were being stretched and torn, then forced back together under immense pressure.
The flame resisted fiercely, surging repeatedly as if unwilling to submit, its wave-like nature turning into violent currents that clashed against his control again and again.
Yet under Elder Shi's steady suppression and the protection of the pill, Xiao Feng endured.
Time passed quickly.
The chaotic currents gradually stabilized.
Slowly, the violent surges began to weaken. The wisp of Serena Sea Dragon Flame, which had been darting erratically through his meridians, was actually beginning to move along the path guided by him.
Noticing this situation, Xiao Feng's spirits immediately lifted.
The resistance faded considerably.
He circled he Serena Sea Dragon Flame through his body along the meridians, finally arriving inside his dantian.
The moment it approached—
a faint tremor spread through his body.
As if sensing its destination, the flame struggled briefly, its form flickering intensely as though making one last attempt to break free.
But under Xiao Feng's firm control and Elder Shi's suppression, it could not escape.
It entered the dantian. The instant it did, Xiao Feng's entire body shuddered slightly.
Within his dantian, the flame did not settle immediately. Instead, it began to rotate with slow speed. But then, its speed increase, faster and faster.
The blue-black flame circled around the core of his dantian, tracing a continuous path as if searching for a place to root itself.
Each rotation carried a faint ripple of energy, spreading outward and blending with his spiritual power, creating a subtle resonance that echoed throughout his body.
The motion gradually stabilized and the rotation became smoother.
With every cycle, the connection between the flame and Xiao Feng deepened.
Its rotating form condensed inward, compressing into a smaller, denser mass as if gathering all of its essence into a single point.
A faint tremor spread through the dantian.
The condensed flame sank directly into the core of his dantian, merging with it in a way that was neither violent nor gentle, but absolute.
A subtle change occurred, but the flame did not disappear.
Instead, it changed.
A small, pale blue-black flame seed quietly suspended at the center of his dantian. It was no longer wild or unstable like before.
From that seed, faint strands of flame-like energy extended outward, intertwining with his spiritual energy, forming a stable and continuous connection.
The Azure Sea Dragon Flame had been completely refined.
Outside, Xiao Feng finally opened his eyes.
He slowly extended his palm, and with a gentle rub of his fingers, a wisp of Serena Sea Dragon Flame ignited from his fingertip.
Elder Shi's gaze lingered on him for a brief moment before a faint trace of approval appeared in his eyes.
"Not bad," he said. "You have completed the initial refinement."