Chương 210: The Alchemist's Dao

The final day in Verdant City dawned not with the electric tension of competition, but with a serene, academic reverence. The grand tournament was over, the champions crowned and the rankings settled. Today was for learning. The crowd that flowed towards the Cauldron Pavilion Arena was smaller, more subdued, and composed almost entirely of the alchemists from the various delegations.

The casual spectators were gone, leaving only those who truly walked the path of the pill dao, their faces filled with a devout eagerness. The Green Mountain Sect delegation was among them. Elder Han was practically vibrating with excitement, clutching a stack of blank talismans and a brush, ready to record every precious word. The three competing disciples, their journey of trial and growth now complete, looked relaxed and deeply respectful. For them, this lecture was the true grand prize.

Li Yu walked with Han Jian, feeling the change in the city's atmosphere.

"The energy is different today," he remarked.

"It's calmer, but deeper."

"The competition was a display for the world," Han Jian replied, his voice filled with a similar reverence.

"This lecture is a gift for the faithful. To hear a true master like Grand Elder Hui speak on the dao of alchemy is an opportunity that comes once in a generation. Many of us will learn more in the next few hours than in a decade of solitary study." They took their seats in the now-sparsely filled amphitheater. The quiet murmur of respectful discussion was the only sound. On the white jade stage, a single, simple lectern and a demonstration cauldron had been placed.

After a few moments of silent anticipation, an old man materialized on the stage as if he had always been there. He was ancient, his back slightly stooped with age, his face a roadmap of deep wrinkles, and his long, white beard reached his waist. Yet, his eyes were as bright and clear as a young man's, and his aura was as vast and profound as an ancient forest, smelling faintly of a thousand-year-old ginseng and the cool, clean scent of rain on earth.

This was Grand Elder Hui, a living legend in the alchemy world in this region. He did not speak with a booming voice. He spoke simply, yet the formations in the arena carried his gentle, raspy words to every ear as if he were whispering a secret to each individual personally. The lecture began. Li Yu, with no foundation in the alchemical arts, understood very little of the technical specifics. Grand Elder Hui spoke of 'Five-Element Herb Affinity', 'Nine-Stage Cauldron Tempering', and 'Pill Tribulation Theory'.

The terms were like a foreign language, a complex tapestry of knowledge woven from threads Li Yu had never even seen before. Yet, while he could not grasp the details, he could feel the dao. He could perceive the profound principles underlying the old man's words.

When Grand Elder Hui spoke of balancing the fire of a Sun-Yang Flower with the ice of a Moon-Yin Root, Li Yu understood it not as some reaction, but as a universal concept of yin and yang, a harmony he recognized from the very flow of energy in his own spiritual sea.

When the Grand Elder demonstrated a technique, molding a ball of golden flame with his wrinkled hands, Li Yu couldn't comprehend the specific art, but he could feel the perfect, absolute intent behind it, the way the elder's will and the flame had become one. He was watching a master at the high pinnacle of his craft, and it was a breathtaking sight. Around him, Elder Han was in a state of rapturous trance, his brush flying across his talismans, trying to capture every pearl of wisdom.

The disciples were the same, their faces lit with the joy of sudden, profound understanding. Li Yu was an outsider looking in, but he could still appreciate the sublime beauty of the art on display. That was how great a lecture from someone so wise in this way of the dao was. Even as someone who didn't walk this path, everyone would be able to gain from it. The lecture lasted for four hours, and when it concluded, Grand Elder Hui simply vanished, leaving a silent, contemplative arena in his wake.

As a sign of their immense generosity, the Verdant Cauldron Sect had arranged a grand, informal reception in one of the city's largest gardens, allowing the various sect members to mingle and discuss what they had learned. It was here that Li Yu, with Han Jian as his guide, decided to satisfy his own burgeoning curiosity. He had seen the results of their skill, but he was still fascinated by the fundamental process. They first approached Chen Jianxin.

The newly crowned champion was surrounded by admirers, yet he carried his fame with the same gentle humility he had shown from the start. When he saw Han Jian and Li Yu approaching, he excused himself from the group and greeted them with a warm, genuine smile.

"Sect Heir Han, Brother Li," he said with a polite bow.

"I hope the Grand Elder's lecture was enlightening."

"It was a glimpse into a profound dao," Han Jian replied respectfully.

"My junior brother here was particularly fascinated by the displays of flame control throughout the competition. While he is not an alchemist, he walks a unique path of cultivation and is always seeking to broaden his understanding." Li Yu had discussed with Han Jian before this, asking him to introduce him so he could ask questions to these prodigies. Li Yu offered a simple, honest bow.

"Brother Chen's control over his flame was like watching a master painter with his brush. It was truly inspiring. I was hoping you might be willing to share some of the general principles behind such a skill." Chen Jianxin smiled, understanding immediately.

"Of course. While my sect's specific cultivation art, the 'Verdant Sun Heart Flame', is a secret I cannot share, the fundamental principles of flame control are universal to all alchemists. There are three pillars: Stability, Purity, and Intent." This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. He held up a hand, and a soft, golden flame, the size of a teacup, appeared above his palm." Stability is the foundation.

It is the ability to maintain a flame at a precise, unwavering temperature for a prolonged period. This is achieved through years of what we call 'Spiritual Flame Forging'—the constant circulation of spiritual energy through your flame, day after day, until its nature becomes as steady and reliable as your own heartbeat.

The most common public technique for this is the 'Steady Heart Flame', where one links the pulse of their flame to their own heart, a simple but effective method for beginners." The flame in his hand pulsed in perfect sync with his own life force, a steady, rhythmic beat of heat and light.

"Next is Purity," he continued.

"A flame born from raw spiritual energy is often filled with impurities, with stray thoughts and chaotic emotions. This 'noise' can interfere with the delicate medicinal properties of herbs. Purity is achieved by filtering your spiritual sense through the flame, burning away these impurities until only the pure, focused heat remains. This is what was tested in the third stage. A pure flame is a clean tool."

The golden flame in his hand seemed to become brighter, more intense, shedding an almost imperceptible grey haze.

"Finally, and most importantly, there is Intent," Chen Jianxin said, his expression growing more profound.

"This is the ability to imbue your flame with your will. To not just control its heat, but its very nature. To make it gentle enough to coax the essence from a single blade of grass, or intense enough to break down the hardest spiritual ore. The most common technique for this is the 'Pulsing Wave Fire', where one learns to send waves of intent through the flame, making it hotter or cooler in precise, controlled bursts. It is the first step towards true mastery."

The golden flame in his hand began to dance, shifting rapidly from a soft glow to an intense, white-hot point, all without changing its size. Li Yu watched, completely engrossed. This was a language he understood. It was not about elements, but about the fundamental manipulation of spiritual energy, a skill he possessed in abundance. The concepts of stability, purity, and intent resonated deeply with his own dao of control over the waters of his sanctuary.

He felt a door opening in his mind, a new theoretical framework slotting perfectly into his understanding of the world.

"Thank you, Brother Chen," Li Yu said with sincere gratitude.

"That was more illuminating than you can imagine." Li Yu was very impressed with his knowledge and his opening to share. He wasn't some arrogant genius looking down on others, he was like a wise elder helping his junior. His respect for Chen Jianxin and his sect grew tremendously during this competition. He wished to befriend such a character should the opportunities arise. Later, they found Liu Meiying standing by a quiet, flowing stream, away from the main crowd. She greeted them with her usual serene calm.

When Li Yu asked her the same question, her answer was entirely different.

"Brother Chen speaks of control as a master commands a tool," she said, her voice as gentle as the flowing water beside her.

"My Silver Stream Clan sees it differently. For us, the flame is not a tool to be dominated, but a partner to be harmonized with." A soft, silvery-blue flame appeared in her hand. It seemed to sway and dance, less a controlled fire and more a living creature.

"We do not command the flame," she explained.

"We listen to it. We feel its nature, its desires. We ask it to grow warmer, we suggest it cool. It is a conversation. When your will and the flame's nature are in perfect harmony, there is no need for forceful control. There is only a shared dance. That is the dao of the Silver Stream." Her words offered a completely different perspective, one that resonated with Li Yu even more deeply. It was the way he commanded the beasts in his sanctuary—not through fear, but through a fundamental understanding and harmony.

He had learned two profound, complementary philosophies on a single subject in a single afternoon. His confidence buoyed, he decided to push his luck. When they once again crossed paths with Chen Jianxin, Li Yu posed a new question.

"Brother Chen, your skill in the final stage was breathtaking. I was wondering if you could explain the basic theory behind pill creation itself? The process of combining so many different herbs." Chen Jianxin smiled, happy to share his knowledge without revealing any hidden sect techniques.

"Of course. The fundamental principle is Medicinal Property Harmonization. You see, every herb has a core attribute, often tied to one of the five elements, as well as a yin or yang nature. The Sun-Yang Flower is pure fire and yang, while the Moon-Yin Root is pure water and yin. If you simply combine them, they will annihilate each other in a chaotic explosion of energy. The art is in the balance." He began to explain, his words flowing with the passion of a true master.

"You must first use a neutral, earth-attribute herb like the Grounding Lichen as a base, creating a stable foundation within the Cauldron as a Micro-Cosmos. Then, you introduce the conflicting properties not directly, but through a mediating agent, a wood-attribute herb to bridge water and fire, for example. You must constantly adjust the temperature based on the Yin-Yang Herb Duality, raising it to suppress the yin and nurture the yang, then lowering it to do the reverse.

It's a constant, shifting process of achieving a dynamic equilibrium, ensuring that no single property overwhelms the others, until you reach the final Pill Condensation Locus, where a burst of focused spiritual power forces the perfectly balanced energies to crystallize…" He continued to speak, but the words began to lose their meaning for Li Yu.

He understood the individual terms—yin, yang, fire, water—but the way they were being used, the complex, interlocking theories, the assumed knowledge of hundreds of different herbal interactions… it was like listening to a foreign language. He also realized, he didn't have that much interest in it. He could hear the sounds, but he could not grasp the grammar. He understood what needed to be done—balance the energies—but the intricate, impossibly complex 'how' was a wall his mind could not seem to climb.

It was a dao built on a foundation of encyclopedic knowledge that he simply did not possess. It didn't 'click'. He listened politely until Chen Jianxin finished, and offered his sincere thanks, but a profound realization had settled within him. As the Green Mountain Sect delegation gathered that evening, preparing for their departure the next day, Li Yu was quiet and contemplative. He had learned a great deal.

The theoretical knowledge of flame control was a fascinating new tool, a spark of an idea that might one day be useful in battle. But he had also learned his own limits. The dao of alchemy was a vast and profound ocean of its own, and it was most likely not his to swim in. He had a newfound, deep respect for its practitioners, for the years of study and the sheer dedication it took to master such a complex art. The amount of time he would have to spend to master such techniques didn't seem worth it to him.

He didn't find an interest in it, a love for it. He might as well continue to do what he had been doing before, buying the pills from these masters from doing things he had more interest in and made more sense to him. He had come as a curious spectator, and he was leaving with a broader, richer understanding of the infinite, wondrous paths of the dao. The trip had been a resounding success.