It had taken only a week to reach the high walls of Blue Moon city from Gingko village. It would have taken much faster but An Ning had to finish her duties as the representative of the Hundred Treasures Pavillion.

  Mu Feixue had pouted at that but agreed to wait for her friend. Ling Yun had bid goodbye to uncle Ping and other patrons of the Jasmine Dragon. Everyone was jubilant at the prospect of an alchemist emerging from this village.

  Uncle Ping had bid him farewell in tears. Ling Yun promised him that he will never forget uncle Ping but he just shook his head and said that it would be enough if he only remembers his words about moving forward.

  This is the village where he met Uncle Ping, little Hua, Chensha and Su Ning. Even though he spent less than an year here, it would leave a lasting impact on his life. Some happy, some heartbreaking; it was feverent his wish that someday he could look back on those painful memories without crying.

  The Blue Moon city had a rectangular layout with huge grey walls along its perimeter. There were four gates at the centre of each side. Ling Yun and others reached the south gate at the time of dusk.

  At the entrance there was a huge line but because they were in the company of the genius alchemist Mu Feixue, the process was fast-tracked for them. An official wearing ink blue robes came to attend them personally. He had the smile of a seasoned flatterer and tried to get in the good books of both of the ladies.

  Before he could inquire about the unknown stranger Ling Yun, Mu Feixue introduced him as her disciple and applied for a lifetime token for him. Ling Yun was gobsmacked by her gesture; he knew that even applying for a day was too much for an ordinary person. He couldn't even imagine what a lifetime token would cost.

  The official didn't took any money from her instead he just gave Ling Yun a little nod and said, "Young man, work hard and listen to your master. We are expecting great things from you in the future." He could only timidly nod back.

  Throughout all of this, Ling Yun had been silently watching all the proceedings. He had been feeling very nervous. A week ago he was just a tea shop worker and now he felt like he had stepped into a brand new world.

  As soon as he stepped inside the city, there was a huge spike in the aura of heaven and earth that for a moment he felt dizzy. This was one of the reasons that even staying here for a day cost so much.

  The Blue Moon city was built on a third rank low grade spirit land. The Qi surrounding here was much denser than back at his clan or Gingko village. He could feel his cultivation speed here will increase by many times over.

  Ling Yun kept his expressions neutral so not too look like a country bumpkin gawking at the city. An Ning parted from them as she had to report to her organisation leaving an excited Mu Feixue dragging him to the residential district.

  With one hand clasped around his own, she pointed at a large secluded mansion. "This will be our home, Yun'er." Ling Yun blushed both at the endearment and her close touch.

  Is it just me or my master is too touchy-feely? Granny Sha was right about city girls.

  Seeing he was tired from all the travelling and the excitement of a new city, Mu Feixue showed him his quarters and bid him to sleep.

  Before she left, her amber eyes glinted from the doorway. "Sleep well Yun'er, you will have to work hard tomorrow."

  Ling Yun was rolling around on the bed. His new room was much bigger and luxurious than when he was the young master of his clan.

  Is this what people call 'ascending the heavens in a single step'?

  Feeling tired he tried to close his eyes but the familiar nightmares returned. The frivolous look on his face instantly changed to cold determination.

  He got up from bed and sat on the floor in the lotus position and began cultivating. Even if the place and time have changed, the wounds in his chest still remain. He can never run away.

  ***

  "The Dao of alchemy. Among the hundred arts of cultivation, everyone would unanimously agree that alchemy stands on the peak of the mountain, towering above all. Everyone in their long cultivation journey has required and will require pills. Even the most arrogant of sword cultivators have humbled themselves to request to refine a pill.

  "And these pills with myriad wonders are refined by us alchemists. It is said if you become a Master in alchemy, your seven generations are set for life. Alchemists command huge respect in many circles; if one dares to cross an alchemist, several named cultivators would step up to avenge them. With wealth in one hand and fame and respect in the other, we stand at the forefront of life.

  "Everyone wants to become one but the Heavenly Dao is cruel and unfair. To even stand at the starting line one must possess a spiritual root of dual attributes- fire and wood. Dual attribute spiritual roots are very rare, being born with such a specific one has the chance of one in a ten thousand, that too among children born with spiritual roots.

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  "The second obstacle is the inheritance. Unless you are taken in by a good master or are born in a high clan, finding a good alchemic inheritance is very hard. Top alchemists religiously guard their secret methods and recipes, many passing only to their direct disciple. Many people have had their talent dry wasting a lot of time and resources on finding their way in the dark.

  "The third is wealth and resources. Alchemy requires a lot of ingredients; many rare and precious which cost a large amount of money.

  "And the last and the most obvious is talent. Even if you are lucky enough to be born with the correct spiritual root, guided by the greatest master and have infinite wealth one still can't become an Alchemy Master.

  Ling Yun had been intently listening to Mu Feixue's teachings. He had changed into light purple robes befitting of an alchemy apprentice. All official apprentice wear light purple robes with the image of an alchemy cauldron embroidered with a dark purple thread on their back. The image of the flame is missing from the cauldron indicating their status as an apprentice.

  Like him, his master was also wearing her official robes. The only difference was that the cauldron was lit and there were three stars on the back of the shoulders. This design were worn by a Senior Master Alchemist. The progression in alchemy goes from apprentice to Master then Senior Master and finally Grandmaster.

  One would have to pass a test to be qualified as an official apprentice but the disciples of senior masters and grandmasters are exempted. With the influence of Mu Feixue, the robes and apprentice token was delivered before even Ling Yun sat for breakfast.

  "Well enough lecturing, let me show you a demonstration. It would be much more exciting that way right."

  With a deadly wink that shot right through his heart, Mu Feixue lifted both of her hands and summoned a cauldron from her spatial artifact. It was made of pure gold with the image of a dark blue dargon circling it. With one glance he could glean it was a top level spiritual artifact.

  The cauldron levitated above her right hand then a small brick red ball appeared giving him an eerie fealing. "Yun'er look carefully, it is the core of the second rank demonic beast, Double headed Hound. If one tries to directly absorb it, the turbulent Qi would wreck your meridians and dantian. Also there are many different toxins present which could poison you. Remember one must never directly try to absorb spiritual herbs or demonic cores. Now this is where our alchemic flame comes in."

  The demonic core lifted to the level of her face and started rotating and then she blew. A dark blue flame erupted from between her luscious red lips roasting the core. The flame would disappear after a few minutes then shot again three times between one minute intervals for the core to cool. She clenched her fist and the roasted core turned into powder which fell into the cauldron.

  Her right hand sparked and a gentle flame appeared heating the bottom of the cauldron. "Yun'er we alchemists use our flames to temper the ingredient and also to remove the toxins. High temperature is required for it. Normal alchemists use their own true Qi to make flames. It effectiveness is much lower so one generally absorbs a beast flame.

  "Mine is from a third rank demon king snow leopard. It is one of the high ranked ones given by my master."

  Then her serious demeanor suddenly changed to seductive smirk, "But here I am no match for you Yun'er. How could dare to compare myself to your divine Pheonix flames? Don't you think Yun'er~"

  Ling Yun suddenly caught off guard started coughing. His master enjoyed teasing him too much. With his flushed cheeks he focused his gaze on the cauldron unable to meet her eyes.

  How cute!

  Four more ingredients appeared, a flower, a fruit, and two different types of herbs, hovering in a circle above her left hand. With a spark, the four tongues of flames shot put from her fingers and began tempering the ingredients.

  "Having a high rank flame doesn't mean you can rest easy. Yun'er you have to memorize each ingredient and how to process them. Look at the hundred year spring kiwi fruit, if it isn't peeled and used directly, the grade of the pill will decrease.

  "Every ingredient also requires a different temperature and a different lengths of time for tempering. Although there are four flames, each of them are of different temperatures. Mistakes could lead to ingredient being half-baked or completely burned which could fail the refinement. You have a lot to study, Yun'er."

  With the four ingredients refined, one by one they were added in the cauldron. Mu Feixue poured a large amount of her spiritual energy inside and started slowly spinning the cauldron. There were sizzling sounds coming from Inside.

  "Yun'er this is where the wood attribute comes into play. Without the gentle energy of the wood element, fusion of different ingredients is impossible."

  After a few minutes a strong medical fragrance started coming from it. Carefully Mu Feixue shut the lid and with her energy sealed the cauldron. The mild flame heating the cauldron intensified rapidly increasing the temperature. Once or twice the cauldron violently shook but then it stilled. The flame dimmed and then vanished.

  "Pill refining is a dangerous task Yun'er. Always be careful. Sometimes violent unstable reactions occur which could lead to a cauldron explosion. During refinement your Qi is directly linked so it could be extremely lethal. Many alchemists have been crippled and lost their lifes to cauldron explosions."

  With this final lesson she lifted the lid open. A strong medicinal fragrance filled then room. She took the pill and gave it to Ling Yun for inspection. It was half an inch in size and was white. On touching the pill was circular and smooth with a few distinct lines on its surface.

  "An excellent grade pill. As expected of me." She put her hands on her hips and puffed up her chest in pride.

  "This is a second rank Nasal Opening pill. Take this and your smelling sense would become much stronger. It would be a great help in identifying different kinds of ingredients."

  The pill in his hand felt quite heavy. Ever since he met her, she had been constantly giving him different things. First the Goldscale pill, then the lifetime token to Blue Moon city and now this pill. He knew that he could never afford even one of these things even if he worked hard in the village for the rest of his life. And he hasn't even shown anything.

  Was he even worthy of all this? He already has failed before. What if he disappoints her? He doesn't, no he never wants to go back to that.

  "Master just what are your expectations for me? Each time you give me another gift it's like another lead weight added on my chest. You believe I possess the Pheonix flames but what if I-"

  Before he could finish, Mu Feixue embraced him tightly burying his face in her generous bosom. She kept caressing his head till he stopped shaking.

  She pulled his head back and cupped his cheeks, her amber eyes meeting his blue ones.

  "Yun'er don't worry about it. If you want to fail, fail as many times as you want. You just have to try your best. Master will never be disappointed even if you give up on the path of alchemy. Master only expects one thing from you-

  "Always obey master like a good boy."