Chapter 113: Alchemy with Mundane Fire

With the matters concerning Yaya finally settled, Tang Wei tidied herself up and prepared to head to the main courtyard to arrange the pill refining for the Xuanyuan family head. Since she owed them, dragging it out was no solution; it was better to finish the job early so she could return home and enjoy some peace. Although she had been well-cared for here, it wasn't her own home. As the old saying goes, "A golden nest or a silver nest is not as good as one's own dog kennel." And her home was certainly no dog kennel! If a comparison were to be made, the Xuanyuan estate could hardly measure up. With her modified spirit-gathering array, the delicacies from her space, and the leisurely freedom she enjoyed—how could the Xuanyuan estate possibly compare?

The Xuanyuan family head was overjoyed to hear that Tang Wei intended to begin refining pills. Although Tang Wei had promised to compensate them with fifty pills, he and his elders would have felt it improper to remind her if she had forgotten. Now that she had taken the initiative, he made sure to arrange everything perfectly.

The family head personally escorted Tang Wei to the residence of the Great Elder in the back mountains. They bypassed all the usual protocols requiring notification, which showed just how much importance the Xuanyuan family placed on this matter. The Xuanyuan ancestor, knowing that Tang Wei and Zixuan disliked being bothered, had previously instructed his subordinates that whenever they encountered the pair, they were to be granted immediate access to any area without question. That was why Tang Wei had entered so smoothly; besides, given her status, no one would have dared to stop her anyway.

Guided by the Xuanyuan ancestor, they entered the family’s ancestral alchemy room. It was considered "ancestral" because, ever since the majority of the family had relocated, the room had been largely unused for centuries. While the family had produced talented alchemists over the years, none had been qualified to use the facility left behind by their forebears.

This was no ordinary alchemy room; the alchemy furnace within was a masterpiece by an ancient master craftsman. It was said that the furnace could not be melted even by the most formidable "Heavenly Fire" in the cultivation world, a testament to the effort the Xuanyuan family had invested in it long ago.

In the cultivation world, flames were categorized into several types. The most common was fire from wood, which barely reached ninety degrees. Next was the coal fire used by standard alchemists, peaking around one hundred degrees. Above that was earth fire, reaching about five hundred degrees, followed by geocentric fire at approximately one thousand degrees. The highest level was the legendary Heavenly Fire, rumored to reach three thousand degrees, though this remained a myth as no one had ever seen it. As for the "Samadhi True Fire" often seen in dramas, it had yet to be sighted in the cultivation world and likely belonged to the Immortal Realm.

Given the Xuanyuan family's thousands of years of heritage, they naturally possessed many treasures. Even when they moved, they had left behind a few gems, and this alchemy room was the finest among them. Not only did it house a rare furnace, but it was also fueled by geocentric fire—the most powerful flame currently known in the Chinese cultivation world. No wonder the Xuanyuan ancestor held his head high; he had every reason to be proud!

Upon entering, Tang Wei looked around, touching this and examining that, acting like a country bumpkin arriving in the big city. Her behavior made the Xuanyuan ancestor’s vanity swell; he thought to himself that even a Golden Core cultivator would covet his family's possessions. Little did he know, Tang Wei was actually thinking: "So this is their so-called 'best' furnace in the Chinese cultivation world? How is it even worse than the beginner-level one Old Man Ziyang left for me? It looks imposing, but I wonder if it’s actually useful? Oh well, I’ll just have to try it out." If the Xuanyuan ancestor knew her thoughts, he might have been driven to smash his head against the wall.

"Fellow Daoist Xuanyuan, isn't this where the most powerful flame in the Chinese cultivation world is kept? How do I ignite it?" Tang Wei looked around but saw no sign of the geocentric fire, not even a spark. She began to wonder if they were just boasting. She wasn't sure which category her own "Little Fire" fell into, and she was eager to compare them. She wondered whether her fire or the geocentric fire was superior, especially since her flame was still in its most basic form. She resolved to test it later.

Driven by this curiosity, Tang Wei urged the ancestor to show her the geocentric fire. He did not hesitate, walking to the base of the furnace, placing spirit stones in specific positions, and chanting a spell to activate the array. Moments later, a red glow emerged from beneath the furnace, growing increasingly intense until a cluster of flames erupted.

Tang Wei watched with curiosity. Was this the famous geocentric fire? It didn't seem like much—it felt inferior to her Little Fire. Intrigued, she reached out to test its temperature, but the Xuanyuan ancestor grabbed her hand, warning her sternly, "Senior, you must not! The geocentric fire is extremely hot. Ancient records state that even a Golden Core cultivator would struggle to escape unscathed!"

Tang Wei rubbed her fingers, feeling a mix of annoyance and excitement. She was determined to test it herself once they left. Still, she replied demurely, "Oh! I see. Thank you. You all should leave now; I need to start refining." Though her words were polite, her eyes were shining as she stared at the furnace like a cat eyeing a fish, leaving the ancestor deeply worried.

Was she coveting their treasure? She didn't look like it, yet her gaze was unsettling. The ancestor asked one last time, "Senior, are you truly ready to begin?"

"Yes! Why haven't you left yet? Are you afraid I'll steal your furnace?" Tang Wei looked at them impatiently, shooing them away.

"Yes, of course! We are leaving at once!" The ancestor gestured for the others to exit, then handed a jade slip to Tang Wei. "Senior, this record contains the method to control the geocentric fire. Please, keep it." Without waiting for a response, he turned and left, though he paused at the door to add, "Senior! The geocentric fire is too hot to touch by hand—please, be very careful!"

Tang Wei ignored him, replying impatiently, "Yes, yes, I know! Just hurry up and go!"

Once the bothersome people were gone, Tang Wei checked the door to ensure they were truly away before locking it. Excited, she approached the furnace and stared at the geocentric fire for several seconds. It still didn't seem special. She reached out to touch it, then recalled the ancestor's dire warning. She decided to read the control method first; if the fire truly was dangerous, it might even be useful for self-defense later.

She pressed the jade slip to her forehead, spending a few minutes absorbing the information and practicing the flame control. Finally, she was ready to compare it to her Little Fire. For safety, she covered her wrist in fire-elemental spirit energy and carefully extended her hand toward the flames. Nothing. She moved closer. Still nothing. Frustrated, she dropped her caution and plunged her hand into the center of the flame. Nothing!

"What is this? It's clearly not as good as my Little Fire!" she scoffed, feeling let down. She dismissed her spirit energy and reached in again. This time, she felt a pleasant warmth, but it was nowhere near as terrifying as they had claimed.

After spending some time experimenting, Tang Wei finally felt satisfied and began the refinement process. She placed the furnace in the center of the flames, sensing the temperature with her spiritual consciousness. When it felt right, she added the first ingredient, waited for it to dissolve, and then added the next.

The entire process felt awkward. No wonder people said that good pills required good fire and a good furnace. Tang Wei realized that the temperature of the geocentric fire was insufficient. Because the ingredients took too long to dissolve, their medicinal properties dissipated, meaning the resulting pills would not be of top quality. She could refine them, but they wouldn't be "superior grade."

Though she had expected this, she felt deeply disappointed when she pulled two middle-grade pills from the furnace. The rest were only low-grade. If she had used her own space, this batch of ingredients would have yielded at least twenty superior-grade pills. To a self-proclaimed alchemy genius like Tang Wei, this was a massive blow.

She sat on the side, deep in thought, wondering whether the issue lay with the equipment, her technique, or the environment itself. The question plagued her so much that she had no heart to continue the next batch, choosing instead to sit and ponder the matter with deep seriousness.