The Nine Heavens Separation Fire Sword was the Li Family’s ultimate technique. It was also a Fire Element Sword Skill, so it didn’t conflict with his current Cultivation Technique. After he integrated the Curved Sword Skill into it, his Sword Technique gained a tremendous boost in power.

Li Tianyi had bought this Scroll on a whim. He even walked like a rich man, so of course, people would try to sell him things. The vendor was only halfway through an absurdly exaggerated sales pitch when Li Tianyi had impatiently bought one.

A smirk touched Li Tianyi’s lips as he saw Murong Dongwu’s strike. ’What a load of crap. The Ice Arc Sword Technique? That’s just a function of the sword itself. In terms of actual Sword Dao, it barely passes. What’s so impressive about that?’

But when the anonymous opponent executed their strike, Li Tianyi’s body went rigid, and a fire ignited in his eyes.

’This... What a magnificent strike! Isn’t this the exact opponent I’ve been searching for???’

Li Tianyi’s impulsive blood began to boil once more. He didn’t care if his opponent was real or fake; as long as they were willing to fight, Li Tianyi would gladly oblige!

Of course, this strike attracted the attention of more than just Li Tianyi. The various factions, large and small, all took notice, but no one knew who this "Master" was.

All anyone knew was that this person had appeared a little over a year ago and quickly became "famous"—not for winning, but for losing. Then, all of a sudden, he started to win. Three matches, three strikes with the Curved Sword Skill. Moreover, anyone who watched all three consecutive matches would discover that his proficiency with the Sword Technique improved each time.

By the third strike, it had reached a state of near-perfection.

Secrets were hard to keep at the Cultivation Academy, and curiosity was running rampant. It was hard to judge the "Master’s" true skill level, but how could someone who had lost the shirt off his back suddenly start winning?

This was especially true for those who had beaten him and treated him like a joke. ’If that "Master" can win, then pigs can fly!’ they thought.

No one knew if pigs were cultivating, but the "Master" had won.

Wang Meng, however, had no time to bother with this so-called perfection. Besides, he wasn’t extravagant enough to spend a Top-Grade Spirit Stone on a recording Scroll. He was busy pursuing his own version of perfection.

He had to at least reach what he considered the peak for his current stage. When you reached that state, you would just know it in your heart. When it’s there, it’s there; when you get it, you get it. And Wang Meng knew, very clearly, that his Curved Sword Skill still had flaws.

Of course, Wang Meng couldn’t have Fan Hong cover his duties forever. And sure enough, the moment they met, Fan Hong tried to pay him back.

"Wang Meng, I really have plenty, more than I can spend. You know I don’t really have any expensive habits. We don’t need to owe anyone a favor."

Wang Meng shook his head. "There’s really no need. It’s already settled. If we go back on it now, it’ll seem like we’re making a big deal out of nothing. Don’t worry, she’s not short on cash."

"Then let me pay you back, with interest," Fan Hong said, knowing Wang Meng was short on funds but not wanting to say it so bluntly.

Wang Meng smiled. "I appreciate the thought. How about this: let’s buy some materials. We’ve been working so hard in the Alchemy Institute for days, but we haven’t used a single Pill Furnace yet."

"Ah, why didn’t I think of that? Great idea, great idea!"

Fan Hong grinned. In the past, even when he was dazed and confused, he had latched onto his reason for living: Chan Jing. Now his head was clear, but he had lost his purpose. For people of the Wood Element, living required a goal to strive for. With his goal gone, Fan Hong didn’t really have anything he cared about. Then again, Wood Element people could also go with the flow, unlike the persistent nature of the Earth Element.

To be precise, they were the kindest.

Wang Meng was now a staunch believer in Fan Hong’s Five Elements personality theory. If nothing else, the theory was incredibly accurate when applied to Fan Hong himself.

Kindness didn’t mean they were stupid; it just meant they were more forgiving and considerate of others. Wang Meng could tell that Fan Hong didn’t resent Chan Jing in the slightest. He might even be silently wishing her well.

’That’s something I could never do, at least,’ Wang Meng thought.

Grandmaster Mi Dao, for the sake of the Spirit Stones, didn’t make things difficult for Wang Meng and was a bit more cordial toward the two of them.

"I know it isn’t easy for you two. Once you’ve finished tidying up, feel free to use the facilities, but don’t break anything." He glanced from Wang Meng to Fan Hong. "Then again, with your combined destructive power, the most you could probably manage is breaking a few pots and jars."

Wang Meng and Fan Hong looked at each other, speechless. ’Do we really look that far from being experts?’

"Fan Hong, what element do you think Dean Mi Dao is?"

Fan Hong stroked his chin. "The man is a bit cynical, but that’s likely a product of his environment. His temperament isn’t rash, but you couldn’t call him steady, either. I’d guess he’s a dual Water-Wood Element type. Those are good attributes to have. Water nurtures Wood, so it’s a great elemental affinity. The man has a bright future, a good destiny."

Wang Meng stared blankly at Fan Hong. The guy really had the air of a mystic charlatan. Still, he had to admit, it all sounded quite reasonable. He didn’t know how powerful Mi Dao was, but the man had managed to become a Dean, which was no simple feat.

"What if someone is a dual-element user, but their elements conflict with each other? Like Water and Fire?"

Wang Meng asked, thinking of Hu Jing. She was likely a classic case of conflicting Water and Fire elements.

"Well," Fan Hong mused, stroking his chin, "people with conflicting dual elements tend to achieve great things more easily. However, they are destined to be unhappy. Simply put, they lack good fortune, unless they meet someone with a perfectly complementary set of conflicting dual elements."

Wang Meng was struck dumb. ’Maybe this guy isn’t so accurate after all.’ Moo Shan was Metal, Fire, and Water, and his accomplishments were extraordinary, but was he happy?

Moo Shan was lonely his entire life, and in the end, I was the one who obtained his Godhood.

’And Hu Jing... she seems really lucky. Her path has been pretty smooth. Is she happy? She ought to be. At least, she doesn’t seem to have any issues at the moment.’

Fan Hong, still warming to his subject, continued, "Let me tell you, people with nurturing elements are easily attracted to one another."

Fan Hong faltered, because he thought of himself. Chan Jing was Water Element, and he was Wood Element, which was why he had fallen so hopelessly for her. Meanwhile, his love rival was Metal Element.

Wang Meng knew Fan Hong was thinking about Chan Jing. "Ahem, so what about someone who has all Five Elements? Does nobody love them, or does everybody love them?"

Fan Hong chuckled. "Who do you think you are, a god? All Five Elements? Of course everyone would love someone like that. But usually, such a heaven-defying existence either gets struck by lightning or dies an early death. Even the heavens themselves would get jealous!"

Wang Meng wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. ’Am I really that cursed?’

’Then again,’ he thought, ’if I hadn’t obtained the Godhood, I would have died several times over already.’

Wang Meng gave him a thumbs-up. "Fan Hong, you should go start your own sect someday. You could call it the Five Elements Matchmaker Sect!"

The two of them roared with laughter and began to seriously clean up the Alchemy Room. The rooms were used almost every day. Successful attempts were one thing, but with the failed ones, who knew what kind of mess they left behind.

However, the Pill Furnaces here were all made by the Star Alliance. It was hard to say what material they were made of. Furnace explosions were a common occurrence, especially for novices, but it was rare for anyone to actually destroy a Pill Furnace.

After all, back when Wang Meng was studying under Zhou Feng, he had nearly blown up the man’s entire life savings.

Since they were planning to use the room themselves, the two of them cleaned up with exceptional speed. Before long, Fan Hong returned and pulled a heap of materials out of his Qiankun Bag.

"This should be enough, right? I bought over fifty of the most common types."

Wang Meng gazed at the pile of materials. "How much did you spend?"

"Sixty-seven Top-Grade Spirit Stones. The shopkeepers were really nice and gave me a discount, so they only charged me sixty-five."

Staring at a smug Fan Hong, Wang Meng looked to the heavens, speechless. ’Damn it,’ he thought, ’it’s because of people like him that swindlers can thrive. If I ever open a shop, I’ll have to give customers like this the VIP treatment.’

Wang Meng selected a few of the materials he needed. He wanted to familiarize himself with the Pill Furnaces here first, so he couldn’t use the best materials right away. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Whether it was the methods Zhou Feng taught him or the ones used here, the basic rules of Alchemy were the same: first, you had to master the temperament of your Pill Furnace.

Over on his side, Fan Hong was also full of enthusiasm. Having lost his purpose, he needed something to occupy his time. He figured he might as well do whatever Wang Meng was doing.

The two of them began. Wang Meng started by stroking the Pill Furnace, infusing it with his Five Elements Flame and feeling out the furnace’s reaction.

...BOOM...

A loud explosion startled Wang Meng. When he realized it hadn’t come from his side, he rushed to the next room. Fan Hong emerged covered in soot, holding the remains of a Fire Gourd and looking utterly bewildered. "How... how did it explode?"

Only then did Wang Meng remember: Fan Hong was Wood Element, and his Cultivation Technique was a Wood Element Cultivation Method. ’Using that kind of Elemental Power to activate a Fire Gourd... if it didn’t explode on him, who would it explode on?’

After understanding the reason, Fan Hong plopped onto the ground. "Does this mean I can’t do this?"

"You really can’t," Wang Meng said with a wry smile. "But there is a suitable path for you among Pill Cultivators. It’s just not Alchemy, but rather using healing-type Magic. That’s much more suitable for someone of the Wood Element."

’I can’t believe I forgot something so basic. Zhou Feng would laugh himself to death if he knew.’

"I’ll try one more time. If it still doesn’t work, I’ll switch my focus."

Fan Hong took out another Fire Gourd. Then, accompanied by another loud bang, he scrambled out of the room again.

"No more! I’m done trying! This isn’t Alchemy, it’s a suicide attempt!"

"Suit yourself. You should probably go to the area where they teach about Arrays and figure that out first. I need to continue."

Wang Meng returned to his Alchemy Room and spent some time quietly getting a feel for the Pill Furnace. "When performing Alchemy, you must treat the Pill Furnace as an extension of your own body." That was what Zhou Feng had taught him. Even though they didn’t say that at the Cultivation Academy, Wang Meng believed Zhou Feng was right.

He let his Pill Flame circulate within the furnace as his Heart Spirit enveloped it, sensing every part of the vessel. Wang Meng immersed himself in the process, gradually achieving a state of fusion with the Pill Furnace.

When Wang Meng opened his eyes again, the way he saw the Pill Furnace was completely different. It was no longer an ordinary tool, but a friend. The feeling was deeply familiar.

He started his practice for the day with something simple, mainly to get the feel of it. Emergency Pills were a basic necessity everywhere; at most, different Refining Techniques would produce different effects.

Wang Meng had even created his own Five Elements Pill to treat Five Elements Deficiency. He began the refining process with practiced ease, but this time, he subconsciously tried to integrate his Heart Spirit, attempting to merge it into the forming Emergency Pill.

However, theory and practice were two entirely different things. They were two completely different mediums. The concept was sound, but it seemed impossible to implement.

After many attempts, Wang Meng found it was an impossible task; he didn’t even know where to begin. He suddenly remembered that wisp of Divine Sense. Wang Meng slowly released that trace of Divine Sense hidden within his Heart Spirit.