An Lang flitted through the peach grove like a butterfly, humming a tune from her homeland, her joy plain as day.


    “Looks like An Lang’s got a knack for alchemy,” Lu Qingmo remarked. “Mastering a pill through self-study in such a short time? That’s impressive.”


    “Talent’s great—top-tier talent would be even better,” Han said, his hope for An Lang genuine. He was probably the person rooting for her hardest, eager to see her shine brighter.


    Every step up she took directly paid off for him.


    “Alchemy’s not just about talent,” Lu Qingmo said, glancing at him. “It takes serious resources to back it up.”


    “Even common herbs add up to a hefty sum when you need a lot.”


    “Supporting her climb in alchemy on your own? That’s a tall order.”


    Han grinned. “I’ve got faith in An Lang.”


    And even more in my cheat code.


    Midnight rolled around.


    A nameless yin fire flickered silently before Han as he cycled through the Yin Earth Fire Seal, boosting its chill power bit by bit.


    Then he switched to the Yang Earth Fire Seal. Tiny sparks of pure white light drifted from the yin flame, merging into his soul.


    These were the refined fire essences drawn from the yin fire—the building blocks of yang fire.


    Yin birthed from the soul, yang rising from yin—a seamless lineage, roots entwined.


    This dance would eventually unite them into the primal chaos fire.


    Han had been refining these essences for days, relentless in his grind.


    The warm glimmers sank into his soul until, at last—


    Whoosh!


    A pure white flame surged from his brow.


    It wasn’t big—finger-thick, finger-long—nor fierce. No clear traits, just a calm burn, no heat to feel. Clean as fresh paper, pure as an honest heart.


    He’d finally gathered enough essence to birth a flame.


    But this white flicker? Not yang earth fire yet.


    Lu Qingmo drifted over, drawn by the shift. “Pure earth fire—nice work. You refined that essence fast.”


    “Next, keep cycling the Yang Earth Fire Seal. Infuse it with the yang qi in your soul to taint this pure flame—that’s how you’ll get yang earth fire.”


    From yin fire to pure fire to yang fire.


    That’s the path—and why only Day Roaming cultivators could pull it off.


    Below that realm, your soul’s all yin, no yang spark to speak of. Only by seizing heaven’s yang at the Day Roaming stage could a speck of陽性 essence bloom in a pure yin soul.


    Han nodded, drawing the pure flame back in, forming the seal.


    It flowed through him, weaving across his body.


    Tiny red glints bled into it, staining the white with a crimson edge.


    Time ticked by, and the flame turned fully red—a total transformation.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Released again, it hit palm-size—blazing hot and bright, a stark shift from its quiet start. Radiance and heat poured out, hard to approach.


    In the night, it shone like a pocket sun.


    A stray spark hit the ground, igniting the soil.


    This was yang earth fire—yin’s polar opposite.


    One cold and grim, turning the air into a ghostly chill with no heat.


    The other fierce and luminous, ready to scorch the world and banish shadows.


    Extreme yin, extreme yang—opposites from the same root.


    Both flames hovered before him, red and green glows mingling in an eerie, mystical dance.


    Yin fire outshone the newborn yang, though—beefed up by two exotic flames already.


    Yang fire, fresh out the gate, needed daily tending to grow.


    Normal way, anyway. Han opted for the fast track.


    “Aunt Mo, my yang fire’s solid, right? No hiccups?”


    Lu Qingmo shook her head, impressed. “It’s flawless. When I forged mine, it wasn’t this intense or vibrant—yours has better bones.”


    Same technique, different hands—results vary.


    “You’ve got Pure Yang Flame and Phoenix Fire,” she said. “Swallow them with your yang fire, and you’ll skip years of grinding—bulk it up fast.”


    “Pure Yang Flame’s perks won’t vanish after, right?”


    “They’ll carry over into the yang fire—no worries.”


    Pure Yang Flame boosted Bone Forging and Day Roaming cultivation—a dual-purpose fire for training and fighting. Han wanted that edge preserved.


    “I’d start with Phoenix Fire, though,” she advised. “Your yang fire’s still green—weak swallowing strong’s risky. Yang flames are trickier to merge than your yin ones were.”


    Yang fires in nature were wild—raw, unruly, packed with the most savage traits. Dangerous as hell.


    “But Phoenix Fire’s yours—born from you, under your thumb. Low risk to refine.”


    “I’ve got a treasure to help with exotic flame fusion too.”


    Han nodded—smart plan.


    Swallow Phoenix Fire first to beef up the yang base, shake off the newborn phase, then tackle Pure Yang Flame with confidence.


    A fiery phoenix burst from his body, circling him.


    This one was odd—not a natural exotic flame, but it had a source.


    That’s the phoenix clan’s magic—their innate fire outclassed most technique-born flames.


    Phoenix Fire, barring some ultra-rare breeds, was damn near the king of flames.


    Han took a steady breath. The phoenix dove into his yang fire.


    Boom!


    Flames erupted, spraying everywhere. Lu Qingmo stepped in, containing the blast—otherwise, the peach grove would’ve been toast.


    A fierce reaction churned in the yang fire—its essence exploding every second.


    Even fully tamed, merging fire sources sparked wild shifts you couldn’t dodge.


    Without this technique’s quirks, blending two exotic flames into something stronger would be a pipe dream.


    Han wrestled the Phoenix Fire down, easing its resistance. It worked.


    Amid sporadic booms, the phoenix sank into the yang fire, inch by nerve-racking inch.


    His focus was razor-sharp—no room for slip-ups.


    This isn’t playing with fire—it’s juggling dynamite.


    The yang fire’s core swelled, flickers revealing a phoenix silhouette.


    No sweat on a soul body, but Han felt like he was melting—softened by the heat.


    At dawn’s first light, the phoenix fully merged. The wild blaze settled, no longer spitting chaos.


    Calm now, the yang fire had doubled in size—though with a thought, Han shrank it back to palm-size.


    Still red, but deeper, hotter—metal-melting, stone-crushing heat. Blindingly bright.


    A mortal staring too long wouldn’t explode—just go blind.


    At its heart, a phoenix flapped—then vanished at Han’s command.


    No one would peg this as Phoenix Fire now.


    “Done,” he said, exhaling relief as joy kicked in.


    One Phoenix Fire shaved off years of work—a leap to the top.


    But exhaustion hit hard, seeping into every corner of him.


    Fusing it drained him—mentally more than anything.


    “Fine yang fire,” Lu Qingmo said, stepping close, inspecting it with approval. “Phoenix Fire’s elite-tier—swallowing it’s a hell of a break.”


    Exotic flames had ranks—stronger ones meant bigger gains.


    “Our break,” Han corrected with a grin, holding out his hand.


    A tiny phoenix flame flickered to life in his palm.


    “Aunt Mo, this one’s yours.”


    Before swallowing it whole, he’d split off a source-bearing wisp for her Yang Earth Fire Seal.


    Sub-fires worked for the seal—just needed that core essence.


    One of her past yang fusions was a Pure Yang Flame wisp from Xuandu—grown hefty over years.


    With a flame’s source in your yang fire, daily practice could fill in the gaps, unlocking its full power and jacking up the fire’s punch.


    Full exotic flame versus a wisp? One’s instant, the other’s a slow burn to the same end.


    Lu Qingmo eyed the phoenix wisp, hesitated, then took it.


    Back when Han first sparked Phoenix Fire, they’d agreed on this—she couldn’t say no.


    “Pure Yang Flame’s next,” he said. “Give me a few days to recover, then I’ll tackle it.”


    Fatigue clung to his face—yang fusion was no joke.


    After that, he’d forge his soul with yang flame.


    “Smart move,” she said. “Once you wield yin and yang together in a fight, you’ll see this technique’s real bite. It’ll surprise you.”


    “No chaos fire yet, but yin-yang interplay still packs a wild punch.”


    “Two extreme, clashing forces—most cultivators can’t handle that.”


    Her words lit a spark of anticipation in him.


    Yin moon, yang sun—which reigns?


    Blend them, rule the realm.


    Art’s just a yin-yang boom.