Battle Through the Heavens: Harmony of Flame and Shadow

"The pills from that day were finished so soon?" Jiang Yun didn't immediately agree to Zi Yan's request. Instead, he carefully examined her to ensure she wasn't injured before speaking unhurriedly.

"I finished them in the morning. I couldn't find you after returning, and I've been hungry all day," Zi Yan pouted pitifully, her eyes even showing a trace of glistening tears as she spoke.

"Sigh..."

"Hand it over!" Jiang Yun sighed deeply, marveled at Zi Yan's appetite. Fortunately, he was prepared and gestured with his hand.

"Hehe, I was just waiting for you to say that!" Zi Yan's face instantly brightened upon Jiang Yun's agreement, and she cheerfully took out several high-grade medicinal herbs.

Jiang Yun was no longer an amateur alchemist. The herbs like Ziyun Flower, Diamond Fruit, and Fire Cloud Grass were all main or auxiliary ingredients for refining fifth or sixth-tier pills. It was obvious what kind of trouble Zi Yan had been causing in the Magical Beast Forest these past few days.

"I can refine these for you, but you must stay in the academy these few days and stop running into the forest," Jiang Yun said sternly as he put away the herbs. Seeing these herbs, Jiang Yun knew that Zi Yan had probably become a wanted fugitive in the Magical Beast Forest.

For Zi Yan's safety, Jiang Yun had no choice but to cool the situation down for both sides.

"But..." Zi Yan wanted to say something but, seeing Jiang Yun's serious expression, she hung her head and responded dejectedly, "Alright."

"Training can't be rushed. It has to be done gradually. You've consumed too many herbs in the past few days, some of which you haven't fully digested. Give yourself a good rest."

"I'm working on an experiment. If it succeeds, it will help you grow quickly and healthily," Jiang Yun said softly, rubbing Zi Yan's head as he saw her dejected face.

"Really?" Zi Yan's face instantly brightened with joy as she looked up at Jiang Yun.

"Really!" Jiang Yun nodded. If his alchemy experiment succeeded, it would be a quick path to cultivation for him.

"Then hurry up!" Upon hearing Jiang Yun's affirmative response, Zi Yan excitedly pushed him, urging him to start refining immediately.

"Don't rush. First, help me find a few things. Just make sure you aren't noticed," Jiang Yun chuckled at the impatient Zi Yan, reflecting her deep yearning to grow up.

Zi Yan looked at him puzzled, and Jiang Yun leaned in close to her ear and whispered. At this point, Jiang Yun had grown as tall as Zi Yan, which saved him the embarrassment of earlier.

"Leave it to me!" Zi Yan felt a tickling sensation in her ear and a strange feeling in her heart, but she quickly noted down Jiang Yun's requirements and assured him confidently.

"Remember, make sure not to get caught. Also, take this as a payment," Jiang Yun cautioned her. After seeing her serious nod, he handed her a black iron piece. The piece looked ordinary but emitted a peculiar attraction.

"I'm off then. When I return, I want a pill!" Zi Yan stored away the iron piece. She flickered and disappeared, but her voice lingered in the air.

Watching Zi Yan leave, Jiang Yun calculated. He had asked Zi Yan to get an alchemy cauldron and some basic herbs for his experiment. Though he felt uneasy taking from the academy, he compensated by giving the academy a portion of his own cultivation resources.

Jiang Yun had altered the iron piece he gave to Zi Yan. It contained a soul cultivation method, a rare treasure even in the Great Thousand World, and he believed it would increase the number of high-tier alchemists in the academy soon enough.

Taking advantage of the time Zi Yan was away, Jiang Yun began refining the gathered herbs into delicious pills, then opened a book and read while waiting for Zi Yan to return.

Night quickly fell.

Suddenly, a joyful voice rang out, "Xiao Yun, I'm back!" Hearing Zi Yan's familiar voice, Jiang Yun finally diverted his attention from his book, smiling at the figure that burst through the door.

In a flash, the jade bottles beside Jiang Yun disappeared.

Zi Yan stood in front of him, holding a jade bottle. She took a sniff and revealed a look of happiness, then poured a few pills into her mouth.

"Delicious!" While eating, Zi Yan handed Jiang Yun a ring.

Jiang Yun took the ring and probed inside with his spirit. Seeing the cauldron and several herbs he had asked for, he nodded in satisfaction and praised Zi Yan.

"You've worked hard. Rest early tonight. The results will be out tomorrow!"

Zi Yan had no time to respond, waving her hand while heading to her room with the jade bottle, still munching on pills.

Seeing this, Jiang Yun also returned to his room, took out the red cauldron and herbs, and took a deep breath. He had mastered the theory already; now it was time for practice.

Jiang Yun raised his hand, touched the cauldron, and his black and white Qi surged within. White Qi traveled along his meridians to his palm and finally into the cauldron.

"Poof..."

With a muffled sound, the white Qi turned into a substantial white flame inside the cauldron, endlessly burning.

As per usual alchemist procedures, at this moment, he should introduce a touch of wooden Qi to fuel the fire steadily.

"Blood Condensation Grass, Poppy Flowers, a first-tier wood attribute magic core...," Jiang Yun carefully added the ingredients per the recipe. Having helped Zi Yan refine herbs for days, he had become proficient in this step, avoiding any novice mistakes.

Under the intense flame, the herbs disintegrated, and only their essence was left, the crucial component for pill production.

The next step was to merge these essences into a single pill.

Jiang Yun guided the essences to blend, feeling a resistance upon contact due to their different properties. He knew he had to proceed slowly. The essences began merging under his steady flame.

Finally, seizing a moment's opportunity, Jiang Yun guided the essences to bind, a subtle vitality from his white flame infusing the pill at the same time.

He sighed in relief, realizing his hypothesis was correct: his white flame could refine pills.

As the pill took shape, a faint medicinal fragrance wafted from the cauldron.

"Success!" Jiang Yun saw this as a small breakthrough in his alchemical journey.

Putting away the pill, feeling invigorated, Jiang Yun decided to forge ahead with refining a second-tier pill, the Qi Recovery Pill.

Time passed, and the herbs beside Jiang Yun dwindled while the number of jade bottles increased, each emitting a faint medicinal scent.

By dawn, with the final pill stored away, Jiang Yun stretched lazily. A night of refining had left him not tired but even more invigorated.

He was now a four-star Dou Zhe.

Gathering the jade bottles into his spatial ring, Jiang Yun stepped outside.

Opening his door, Jiang Yun was surprised to see Zi Yan dozing off adorably on a chair.

A warm feeling rose in Jiang Yun's heart. Though usually carefree, Zi Yan came through when needed.

"Mm~~~," Zi Yan, roused by the movement, sprang awake. Her dazed expression turned alert.

Upon seeing Jiang Yun, her icy stare melted into joy, "Little Yun, you're out!"

Seeing her silly happy face, Jiang Yun wiped the drool from her mouth and spoke gently, "Yes, I'm done. My experiment succeeded. I can now make you tons of delicious pills."

"Really?" Zi Yan's eyes sparkled as she sniffed, "Such strong medicinal fragrance! You really succeeded?"

Zi Yan had collected the herbs, so she knew what Jiang Yun was attempting. Though it seemed improbable, she trusted him and had offered her full support.

"It's true!" Jiang Yun nodded earnestly, "This is a second-tier Qi Recovery Pill. It's not effective for a Dou Wang but is my first second-tier product. Keep it as a memento."

Zi Yan happily sniffed the pill, not realizing the instant leap Jiang Yun had made – from a beginner to an acknowledged second-tier alchemist overnight, an unbelievable feat.

Jiang Yun didn't see his sudden advancement to a second-tier alchemist as remarkable. Given his superior spirit power, possibly reaching fifth-tier, and his rare flame, it was natural for his alchemical skills to improve rapidly. If not for the lack of materials, he'd have attempted third-tier pills too.

"Don't tell anyone about my becoming an alchemist," Jiang Yun urged Zi Yan seriously. An alchemist without wood affinity would attract unwanted attention, and the academy couldn't protect him.

"I won't tell even Elder Su Qian. It's our secret," Zi Yan promised earnestly, knowing the gravity of the situation.

"Don't worry! Soon we won't need to hide," Jiang Yun reassured.

Jiang Yun's life resumed its calm pace. He balanced his time between refining and cultivation, supported by the herbs Zi Yan borrowed from the academy and brought from the Magical Beast Forest.

The primary focus remained his own cultivation. With the tower spirit's help, Jiang Yun slowly absorbed the Saint Heaven Demon Flame, steadily enhancing his strength.

The days passed peacefully as Jiang Yun delved deeper into his alchemical and martial practices, growing ever closer to achieving his grand goals.