Chapter 35: The Art of Fire Control

“You lied to me!”

Inside the alchemy chamber, Mu Feng was fuming. At this moment, his face was smudged with soot; only his eyes and teeth remained white, the rest covered in black. He had failed the Spirit Fire Xuanyang Pill twenty times already—twenty outright failures in pill formation. If he had at least managed to concoct a high or medium-grade pill, Mu Feng could have accepted it. But not even once succeeding left him deeply frustrated. By comparison, he had only failed the Seven Yin Departure Fire Pill eight times.

“Oh, I only heard from others that it wasn’t difficult,” the fairy yawned, her eyes nearly shut from sleepiness. “Besides, alchemy isn’t that simple. You really think becoming a first-rank alchemist is easy? Most first-rank alchemists only reach that level after entering the Spirit Wheel Realm. Only when they can easily craft flawless first-grade pills are they called first-rank alchemists.”

“You were lucky to have formed a first-grade pill before. Be grateful.”

Mu Feng sighed helplessly. This fairy truly had a carefree heart. If he couldn’t deliver the pills to the Taichu Martial Mansion within three days, he would be finished for real. Thinking of this, Mu Feng rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining as he asked, “Fairy, do you have any special techniques that could increase my success rate?”

“Yes, yes! I have a manual on the Fire Control Technique that can help you better manipulate the Void Purple Flame,” she said with a mischievous smile, extending her finger. But then her tone shifted. “However, controlling spiritual power is a skill only mastered at the Profound Yellow Realm. I can’t guarantee you’ll learn it. You have to be mentally prepared. And if it really doesn’t work out, you might as well just pack up and run.”

With that, she pressed a single finger. Golden runes flowed into Mu Feng’s mind, imprinting the Fire Control Technique deep within him. As the name suggests, this technique allowed one to manipulate flames. Though it wasn’t a cultivation method or martial art, once mastered, it enabled finer control over the Void Purple Flame—a considerable enhancement for both alchemy and combat.

“All right, don’t bother me unless it’s important. I’m going to sleep now,” the fairy yawned again, waving at Mu Feng before vanishing without a trace.

“Lately, she seems to be sleeping more than usual. She didn’t use to sleep this long,” Mu Feng murmured, puzzled. The fairy seemed lazier than before. Still, he didn’t dwell on it and focused entirely on practicing the Fire Control Technique. The best way to cultivate it was through alchemy—directly observing the flame’s changes and learning from mistakes.

Boom!

The alchemy furnace roared with fierce flames as Mu Feng concentrated on manipulating the Void Spirit Fire.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Xiao Yutong sat inside, somewhat distracted.

“Madam, what’s wrong?” Xiao Yu asked gently, sensing her low spirits.

“Mu Feng has locked himself in the alchemy chamber since yesterday. I don’t know how he’s doing,” she replied.

“Don’t worry. With such a master present, it’ll be fine. The young master is blessed and favored by a powerful figure; we don’t need to fret,” Xiao Yu comforted her with a smile.

Everyone in the Mu family knew Mu Feng had taken a remarkable master as his teacher, which brought joy to all. But only Xiao Yutong understood the truth—Mu Feng didn’t have a master at all. His words were only to avoid drawing too much attention.

“You should come with me to see him,” Xiao Yutong said.

“That’s impossible. The young master ordered that no one may enter while the master is present!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t disturb them,” she insisted.

Unable to argue further, Xiao Yu nodded and helped Xiao Yutong toward the alchemy chamber. Soon, they arrived at the door.

“Madam, I won’t go in. If the young master finds out, he’ll scold me,” Xiao Yu said.

“Then you should go back first,” Xiao Yutong smiled, signaling her to leave. Xiao Yu nodded and lightly knocked on the door before quickly departing.

Bang!

The door burst open, and Mu Feng’s shouted complaints echoed out.

“I told you not to disturb me, I—”

He fell silent upon seeing who stood there.

“Yutong, what are you doing here?”

“I was worried you were overworking yourself, so I came to see you,” she said, reaching out to hold his hand firmly.

“I’m not tired. With a master here, how could I be exhausted?” Mu Feng lied, eager to send her away.

“You don’t have a master. Do you think I don’t know? It’s fine to fool others, but not your own wife. Let me in. With me here, maybe you’ll feel more at ease,” Xiao Yutong said playfully, making Mu Feng a little embarrassed. She had known all along. There was no use hiding it now.

“All right, but be careful—it’s filthy inside,” he warned.

“I know,” she replied sweetly, a warm smile lighting her face, leaving Mu Feng momentarily stunned. When he regained composure, he returned to practicing the Fire Control Technique.

It was even harder than he had imagined. At the Spirit Entry Realm, it was already difficult to separate spiritual power from the body, even with the Void Purple Flame. To manipulate it more delicately required immense mental and physical effort.

Breath after breath, Mu Feng persisted, his eyes filled with determination.

Curiously, Xiao Yutong asked, “Mu Feng, what are you doing?”

“I’m practicing the Fire Control Technique, but I’m still far from mastering it,” he admitted helplessly.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Xiao Yutong had once guided him in swordsmanship. Could she also understand the intricacies of this technique?

“Yutong, have you noticed anything?”

Hesitant at first, as if afraid to influence him wrongly, Xiao Yutong finally spoke after hearing Mu Feng’s repeated sighs.

“I can’t hear much, but your breathing seems chaotic.”

“My mother told me that controlling spiritual power is like exercising. To maintain stable control over a long time, you must find the right breathing method to keep your body steady. Unfortunately, I can’t cultivate, so I never tried it.”

Wait, your mother knows about this too?

Mu Feng was puzzled. Was Xiao Yutong’s mother just a simple servant of the Xiao family? A servant who understood both swordsmanship and spiritual power? Strange!

“Let me try,” Mu Feng said after hearing her advice, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He summoned the Void Purple Flame once more.

“No, your breathing is still too erratic. You must keep your breath aligned,” Xiao Yutong interrupted before he even started.

Mu Feng was surprised. Indeed, his breathing had intensified the moment he summoned the flame. He hadn’t realized Xiao Yutong could hear it. Her ears were sharper than any supernatural ability.

Seeing this, Mu Feng calmed himself again and summoned the Void Purple Flame slowly, piece by piece, ensuring his breathing remained steady without fluctuation.

As dusk fell, Mu Feng’s control over the Void Purple Flame improved significantly under Xiao Yutong’s watchful eye. His alchemical skills also became more refined.

Boom!

Suddenly, brilliant light filled the room, illuminating Mu Feng’s soot-streaked face. Several pills glowing with a crimson radiance appeared in the furnace.

Spirit Fire Xuanyang Pill! He had succeeded!

Not only that, but Mu Feng realized he had unintentionally advanced from the eighth to the ninth level of the Spirit Entry Realm. His control over spiritual power had become even more adept. What the Profound Yellow Realm could do, he was now achieving at the Spirit Entry Realm.

If word got out, countless so-called prodigies outside would surely go mad.

Mu Feng looked at Xiao Yutong in disbelief. His wife was truly extraordinary. He dared not imagine how far she would have grown if she could cultivate on her own.

After a while, Mu Feng finished washing up and stood alone in the courtyard. Gazing at the faint silhouette inside the room, he made a silent vow—to find a way for Xiao Yutong to cultivate as soon as possible.

“Young master, did you call me?”

Jia Zhuangxian approached, carrying a long blade, his body grimy. Judging by his appearance, he had been training late into the night, which surprised Mu Feng.

“Still training this late?”

“Ha, it’s rare to have a chance to enter martial cultivation. I have to seize it, no matter how hard it gets. If I don’t work hard now, I won’t be able to follow you in the future.”

Compared to before, Jia Zhuangxian now seemed much more mature, shedding his immature arrogance. Coming to the Mu family, he realized there were always greater heights and stronger people beyond one’s own horizon.

“Take these pills to the Taichu Martial Mansion. Also, take this token.” Mu Feng handed over some items, and Jia Zhuangxian’s eyes flickered with hesitation.

“This… isn’t this the Taichu Martial Mansion’s exemption token?” he asked.

“What are you doing with this, young master?”

Mu Feng smiled faintly, hands behind his back. “This token allows you to enter the Taichu Martial Mansion for training. But it’s a hundred times harder than the Mu family. I’m giving you this time to decide. If you want to come with me, you may. If not, I won’t force you.”

Jia Zhuangxian hesitated but eventually accepted it resolutely.

Mu Feng was indifferent to this exemption spot. He had been silent for too long, forgotten by the world. No one with pride liked being scorned. Moreover, Mu Feng was inherently proud.

This time, he wanted to pass the assessment honorably, to make the world remember the name Mu Feng once more.

He wanted to prove: Mu Feng was not a synonym for waste.

A breeze swept by as Mu Feng stood with his hands behind his back, his handsome figure bathed in moonlight. The hatred for his parents, the fairy’s body, and Yutong’s gaze—all the things he must do lay ahead.

And there was one more debt he had to settle with Xiao Ruoxin!