100:

  “How did you do it?” Lianhua finally snapped out of the daze as she carefully deposited the pill in a fresh glass vial, its bottom cushioned with a fluffy plant fiber, before sealing it with a stopper and placing it on a wooden vial rack.

  “Beginner’s luck?” Xiao Feng awkwardly offered, as he tried and failed to keep the excitement out of his euphoric expression.

  Lianhua gave him a pointed look.

  Xiao Feng cleared his throat into a fist to try and hide his embarrassment, before turning to properly face Lianhua.

  “I guess genius blessed by the heavens won’t work either,” Xiao Feng mused out loud.

  Lianhua choked out a laugh as she gave him a look that was somewhere in between being annoyed at his audaciousness and impressed by it.

  “Okay, fine,” Xiao Feng relented, as he threw both hands up in the air in mock surrender. “So, the truth this time. In all frankness, I believe I rushed my refining of the Frost Lily. Instead of taking my time and making sure it was fully melted, I hoped that the compression I was imposing with my Wind Qi coupled with the intense heat it was being subjected to would do it for me. Instead, I felt a surge in the Qi Density of the Pill Furnace and instinctively knew that the mixture was going to blow. That’s why I cut off the Qi Supply to the burner.”

  “A common enough error,” Lianhua gave him a knowing nod. “Take too long and you risk burning away medicinal properties of the refining ingredients. On the other hand, compressing too quickly can either cause the Frost Lily to liquefy, as you hoped it would, or cause an explosion. It is hard to get the timing right and usually, it is a wisdom you gain through practical experience.”

  “Not a genius blessed by the heavens after all, then,” Xiao Feng replied with a dramatic sigh.

  “What did you do next?” Lianhua’s gaze was razor focused upon him as she asked him the question, her fingers drumming upon her thigh and her expression one of unconcealed anticipation as she waited for his answer.

  “Well the refinement had all but failed at that point, so I had little left to lose. Besides of course, my pride. So I did what I am used to— I used a sword form.”

  “You— What!” Lianhua sputtered out.

  “Hey, I’ve shown it to you before, in our sparring sessions. The Fourth Form of the Flowing Wind Art, Dancing Breeze, the sword form I use to repel your attacks,” Xiao Feng replied in an amused tone.

  “It is a very frustrating sword form to go up against, yes. But what relation does it have with refining a Heavenly Grade Beast Bonding Pill?” Lianhua asked in bafflement.

  “Normally, nothing,” He admitted. “Call it enlightenment if you will, but since after my experience at the Battle for the Zheyan Pass, something about my Dao has changed. Don’t the name fool you, Dancing Breeze is still a sword form that is very much designed for combat. It’s not meant to be so… gentle,” Xiao Feng explained, before extending his open palm before Lianhua and calling upon a single coil of Wind Qi to ensconce it entirely.

  Understanding his intent, Lianhua poked the coil of Wind Qi with her index finger. Xiao Feng watched her index finger slid off the coil of shifting wind, to point past it.

  With the curiosity on her expression growing, Lianhua asked, “Could I try and punch this Dancing Breeze of yours?”

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  “Uhh… It should be fine. Sure, I guess.”

  Not waiting for further confirmation, Lianhua pulled her right fist back and landed a quick punch upon the coil of Wind Qi. She flinched as her clenched fist was resisted by an ever-shifting wall of Wind Qi, before being gently buffeted away by a waft of Wind as Xiao Feng pressed his hand in her direction.

  Unclenching her fist a few inches away from where she had landed the punch, Lianhua gave him a scandalized look as she voiced her suspicions, “You did not.”

  “You witnessed it for yourself,” Xiao Feng replied with a shrug. “The interior of the Pill Furnace still had enough trapped heat within it and I had nothing to lose by compressing the refining ingredients violently. Brute force can’t punch through my Dancing Breeze when it’s sole purpose is to resist such encroachment. And such violent compression means intense heat, heat that would normally cause the entire refinement to burst into flames, unless it was being denied the space to expand. So I compressed it again. And again,” He explained with a hint of pride leaking into his tone, for the accomplishment was only possible because it was well and truly Xiao Feng’s Dao that could achieve such a result instead of his predecessor’s.

  “That is… brilliant,” Lianhua muttered, her gaze looking a little lost as he studied the pill furnace. “Do you know of any others who can use this sword form like you do?”

  ‘No,’ His predecessor answered. ‘Not in the martial division, atleast.’

  Xiao Feng shook his head.

  Lianhua pursed her lips as she continued, “You said you compressed the refining ingredients thrice and violently so at that. So what took you so long to complete it?”

  “The final compression was intense,” Xiao Feng admitted. “Honestly, I’m surprised the refined pill is still the Beast Bonding Pill I was trying to refine. All that extra time was just me keeping the fourth form up, ensconcing the surge in Qi Density I was feeling— it was like holding a boulder in place with my bare hands, knowing that it would blow up if I let go of it.”

  Lianhua’s visage paled at his explanation and when she spoke, it was with a tremble, “Do you realize how risky that is? If the Qi Density was enough to make a full-fledged martial cultivator like you struggle, then the safety mechanisms built in within the Alchemy Vault would not have been able to contain it. And if you were refining a Combat or heavens forbid, a Breakthrough Pill, there was a high chance you would’ve failed to contain the reaction.”

  “Ohh, uh… guess there’s a reason why alchemists follow procedure, then” Xiao Feng mumbled through a wincing expression.

  Taking a long, deep breath to calm herself, “That said… even though this method of yours is far from suitable for every pill refinement, it did work for this one. Heavenly Grade… it not a result I can aim for in my refinements, even as a Senior Alchemist. I— would you be willing to teach me? I know it is a heavy ask but as one who has dedicated my life to the Dao of Alchemy, I would be failing in my conviction if I did not make it,” Lianhua asked and for the time since Xiao Feng had met her, she looked nervous as she bit her lower lip and waited for and answer.

  “I wou-”

  “Of course, I wouldn’t share it with another soul. Not even with my father, though he would never ask me directly,” Lianhua hurriedly added, in a flustered tone.

  “I would love to teach you, but um, honestly, I’m not sure if it’s something that can be taught,” Xiao Feng slowly replied, trying to find the right words to make sure his explanation wouldn’t sound like a veiled refusal. “Like, I think I do it instinctively. But if you’d still like to learn, I will break down my process for you in as much detail as I have to offer. If that’d help?”

  “Absolutely,” Lianhua replied with a firm conviction. “Even the chance is enough. I might not be able to do the same thing you do, but as a Wind Alchemist maybe I can find my own path to something similar. And of course, not a word of this leaves my mouth to another.”

  “That would be very much appreciated,” Xiao Feng nodded. “Only the heavens know what tricks Alchemist Zhi would try to pull if he found out about it by my sudden prowess. No, I would much rather have him think me a bumbling fool.”

  Lianhua softly chuckled at that, before offering a word of advice, “I would recommend limiting how much of this new method of yours you put on display if you wish to live peacefully within the Alchemy Division. You saw my reaction to a Heavenly Grade Pill and you will be refining before a Grand Alchemist, who is known for her stern demeanor and disciplinarian approach— or so I hear. Display heaven defying talent before her and she will find a way to get the secret out of you, even though it is not nearly as terrifying as it seems.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that,” Xiao Feng replied with a wide, mischievous grin. “I just need to read up on the rules first, but after that— I plan on putting on a show,” He winked at Lianhua. “Now, I believe we have a Beast Egg to save.”

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