Arc-1 The Alchemist from Ifre (Interlude)

The next day came too fast for Zhen. It was the day when the city lord's forces would come to forcibly recruit Bao and others. As per the plan, every boy in the village younger than fourteen was herded together to leave to hide in a hunting cabin in the forest.

The entire village was gathered at the edge of fields, where the trail into the forest began.

"Brother take care", Zhen said. Around him, a solemn air filled the gathering.

Bao looked ready to cry.

"...I Will"

Shihong, who was no longer wearing army uniform, yelled, "Alright, It's time. The captain will be here soon. We should leave."

Zhen nodded to his brother, who was still wearing the cloak he gave him, "Till we meet again"

"Till we meet again."

Zhen turned, following Shihong into the forest trail along with other children.

He did not turn around, opting to kept walking. Their paths now were different and his was meant to be walked alone.

But he was sure, one day their paths will intertwine again but till then, he had a lot to do.

.

.

The army came that day and took every boy in the village with them, none the wiser to those hiding in the forest.

Time passed...

Zhen kept on cultivation despite remaining within the village. During this time, cultivated the using the extract of Eternal Scripture and he broke through to the Foundation establishment in less than a week. But despite being part of one of the genesis scriptures, it was incomplete and would become a liability at the higher realms.

Thus he selected a Heaven rank cultivation technique from Sheng Clan's collection, the Celestial Manual, and a particularly difficult cultivation technique from Skyword, Realm Apotheosis Art, and cultivated them simultaneously.

During this time, the last thing he heard about Bao and others was that they were moved to Imperial City from Ifre. After that, no one in the village got any news about them.

Summers came and went and before he knew it, four years had passed.

_________________________________

Four years later

Sheng Zhen sat in his little cave, relentlessly pushing his Qi into the firepit. Torrents of Qi entered the fire pit, fueling the flame he had kept burning for years.

The burst of red flame erupted from the small hole in the slab over the firepit, and Sheng Zhen could barely keep the smile off his face.

"About done...", he licked his parched lips.

The red flames receded back under his control. Incomparably pure yet ethereal Qi erupted from his hands and poured itself in the fire, changing it, evolving it beyond a simple flame.

Before long, the flame started to shrink. Ten feet, five feet, three feet, it kept shrinking until it reached the size of a baby's fist.

Zhen extended his hand and the blood-red ball of fire floated out of the firepit and into his open palm. The small flame radiated a frightening amount of heat, the moment it exited the pit, the entire cave heated up. But even when the blazing flame spirit sat on his palm, he felt none of the heat. A flame spirit never hurts its master.

"From now on, your name is Xiao Yan", flame flicked with affection.

Zhen smiled, years of hard work and he finally succeeded. An earth flame spirit, something every alchemist dreams of finding. Flame spirits are natural flames born in the earth's womb and nurtured by the realm's Essence Qi.

But Xiao Yan was no normal flame spirit. Despite being conceived in a flame pit, Xiao Yan gained its spirituality from being fed Sheng Zhen's blood and his Essence Qi for years, both of which had been baptized by a realm shrouding tribulation and refined under some of the greatest cultivation techniques in the cosmos.

It may not be born naturally or with terrifying power like other Earth Flame Spirits but Xiao Yan possesses unparallel potential. Despite being an infant, Xiao Yan had already gained spirituality, and Sheng Zhen hoped that one day, it could gain sentience too.

For Alchemists, possessing an Earth Flame Spirit is a dream only the luckiest could realize. Even a half-competent alchemist could refine Flawless grade pills if they have a Flame Spirit and in the hand of master Alchemists, Flame Spirits create miracles.

But Earth Flame Spirits are not just sought after by alchemists. For a cultivator, possessing it means commanding tremendous power. There were records of Flame Spirits burning entire planets. Not just that, cultivators possessing an Earth Flame Spirit could use fire attribute arts even if they do not cultivate Fire Qi.

"Alright Xiao Yan, you are just born, it is time for you to rest", it flickered and the fire dissolved into thousands of fine silk-like strands, seeping into Sheng Zhen's skin and a ball of flame materialized in his Dantian.

The sea of Essence Qi in his Dantian slowly seeped into the red flame, nourishing it and helping it grow.

Getting up, he looks around the cave. Opposite to four years ago when he brought Bao here, it was destitute. All the ingredients he collected were used up, and dregs of failed pills were scattered everywhere.

Getting up, Sheng Zhen stretched his arms, shaking them after sitting for hours. He walked up to a corner and picked up a wooden box. Opening it, he nodded in satisfaction upon seeing the pills he had refined in the past year and placed the pills in the spatial ring.

"All preparations are done. It is time to leave."

Twelve-year-old Sheng Zhen stepped out of the cave, his azure eyes shining in anticipation.