Chapter 488: Tian Xiang
"Fellow Daoist Fang, do you think just anyone can be the master of the primordial yin-yang flame?" Jiang Yue sneered.
This was not the first time someone challenged him for the yin-yang flame.
However, all others wanted a kindling or a flame seed.
Unexpectedly, Fang Qian didn’t want a flame seed or kindling.
Instead, he wanted Jiang Yue to break the contract and give up the flame.
’Is he stupid?’ Jiang Yue couldn’t help but scorn.
When he contracted the primordial yin-yang flame, the flame was dying and barely had any power.
However, Jiang Yue lost one hundred lives before he could successfully contract the flame.
After almost one thousand years, the flame was a lot stronger.
If Jiang Yue dared to break the contract and set the flame free, he and Fang Qian would be burned to death.
Most importantly, how did Fang Qian plan to store flame?
Back then, the flame was found in a mother-of-iron box.
Like the primordial yin-yang flame, the mother of iron was also a primordial treasure.
Only such a treasure could store a primordial flame without being reduced to ashes.
If Jiang Yue unbound the yin-yang flame, the fire would riot, and everyone in the Reincarnation world would fall into danger.
Fortunately, most people understood this truth and only dared to ask for a kindling or seed but not the fire.
’This Fang Qian is overestimating himself.’ Jiang Yue sneered again and planned to say a few words.
However, before he could say anything, a black-white flame rushed out of his body and cantered towards Fang Qian.
"Old flame." Jiang Yue shouted in alarm.
However, everything was too late.
Before he could do anything, the flame landed on Fang Qian, and reduced him to nothing.
Seeing this, Jiang Yue was shocked.
"This...." He started but didn’t know what to say.
He wanted to question the flame, but before he could, a strong wave of indignation overwhelmed his heart.
[What’s wrong?] He asked.
[You are the master I have chosen.] An old voice spoke angrily.
’Chosen?’ Jiang Yue was surprised.
Until recently, Jiang Yue didn’t know the primordial yin-yang flame had a spirit.
As such, he was surprised to hear that the spirit had chosen him as its master.
[Although I was asleep, I had a basic understanding of what was going on. If I didn’t accept the master...] The flame spirit said, and a cold sweat trickled down Jiang Yue’s spine.
’If it didn’t accept me, would I have turned out the same as Fang Qian?’ He wondered and looked at where Fang Qian previously stood.
However, not even a speck of ash was left.
Seeing this, Jiang Yue shuddered and felt a little grateful.
[Master, only destined people can get primordial treasures.] The flame spirit said before rushing into Jiang Yue’s body.
"Did fellow Daoist Jiang need to be so cruel?" A voice suddenly echoed in the surroundings.
Hearing the voice, Jiang Yue turned around and saw a young man standing outside the martial stage.
"This fellow Daoist is?" Jiang Yue asked.
"Tian Xiang, I am a sixth-level alchemist." The person said with a proud look on his face.
’Is this Fang Qian’s backbone?’ Jiang Yue thought and looked at the person inquisitively.
"My flame spirit doesn’t take kindly when random people covet him." Jiang Yue said with a teasing smile on his lips.
When he heard that, Tian Xiang felt a little uncomfortable, but he didn’t plan to give up.
It had been decades since he first saw the primordial yin-yang flame.
During that time, he observed the Cangxing deputy mountain master and made many plans.
Fang Qian was just his first plan.
The fool was a pathfinder to test how Jiang Yue would react to someone asking for the flame.
Unexpectedly, the person died without a burial ground.
Thinking of this, Tian Xiang frowned and clenched his fists.
Since the primordial flame appeared, many people asked for kindlings or fire seeds without success.
Even if it was possible to ask for a kindling or fire seed, Tian Xiang didn’t want to settle for that.
After all, the subfire of the primordial yin-yang flame was not the genuine primordial yin-yang flame!
With his qualifications, Tian Xiang believed he deserved only the best.
No matter what, he was determined to get the primordial yin-yang flame.
"Deputy mountain master Jiang is neither an alchemist nor a weapon refiner. Why does he need a primordial flame?" Tian Xiang questioned in a self-righteous tone.
Hearing this, Jiang Yue burst into laughter.
Although it was indeed a waste for the primordial yin-yang flame not to fall into the hands of an alchemist or weapon refiner, what did that have to with him?
Jiang Yue was not a saint.
His thoughts were not for the world and its people.
Rather than the world, Jiang Yue only wanted a long life with his lover. To achieve that purpose, he was willing to use whatever means to add to his strength.
"Fellow Daoist Tian is funny." Jiang Yue said and continued to laugh before saying.
"If fellow Daoist Tian doesn’t plan to get on the stage, please stand aside and don’t hinder my business."
"You...." Tian Xiang shouted angrily and pointed at Jiang Yue.
However, he quickly calmed down and looked at a middle-aged man.
"Fellow Daoist Huang, I will fulfil my promise if you can get the flame." Tian Xiang said.
When the man heard that, his eyes lit up but quickly dimmed.
The man was Huang Feng.
His cultivation was at the seventh level of the reincarnation realm.
However, he was severely poisoned and couldn’t advance to the next level without an antidote.
As it happened, the antidote he needed was extremely rare, and only two alchemists could refine it.
One of the alchemists was Tian Xiang, and the other was a female cultivator named Shen Lan.
Unfortunately, Shen Lan entered the Burial Province and had yet to come out.
If he had a choice, Huang Feng would wait for Shen Lan to return.
However, Huang Feng didn’t have a lot of time because his tribulation would arrive in less than twenty years.
If he was still poisoned at that time, he would undoubtedly fail the tribulation and die.
Just as he was wondering what to do, Tian Xiang gave him a deal.
As long as Huang Feng won the primordial yin-yang flame, Tian Xiang promised to refine the antidote for him.
Initially, Huang Feng was a little confident.
However, when he saw what happened to Fang Qian, he couldn’t help but hesitate.
’What to do?’ He wondered.
’If I go in, I might die right away, but if I don’t go, I may die in less than twenty years.’ He thought and looked at the first small stage.
’Even if I win, can I retrieve the flame?’ He couldn’t help but wonder.
’Only destined people can handle primordial treasures. Do I want to get involved in this matter?’ He asked himself and eventually sighed.
’There is a way to heaven; why am I trying to break into hell?’ He asked himself and directly walked away from Tian Xiang.
"Wait..., where are you going?" Tian Xiang shouted in an angry voice.
"Alchemist Tian, I won’t take this deal." Fang Qian said.
"Don’t you want an antidote pill?" Tian Xiang said, his eyes narrowed into slits.
’This bastard.’ Tian Xiang thought angrily.
To get the flame, Tian Xiang prepared a lot of champions.
He cheated, poisoned, and even killed to get a group of people to fight for him.
Unexpectedly, one ant died, and another was ready to jump ship.
"Come back for me if you want the antidote pill." Tian Xiang threatened.
However, Fang Qian had made up his mind.
In the remaining twenty years, he would try to find other means to manage the poison.
As long as the poison was managed, he could overcome the tribulation with enough life to wait for Shen Lan.
"Alchemist Tian, it’s not easy to get this flame." Another of the ants said.
The person was called Tao Jin.
Unlike Huang Feng, who needed a pill for himself, Tao Jin needed one for his Taoist companion.
However, after seeing Fang Qian’s anticlimactic death, Tao Jin suddenly had a change of heart.
’If my wife dies, can’t I get another one?’ He asked himself.
’It’s better to lose my wife than to lose my life.’ He decided and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Alchemist Tian, you can do it for yourself." Tao Jin said and also walked away.
"Trash." Tian Xiang cursed angrily, but his anger was helpless to keep his pawns.
After all, the pawns knew the primordial flame would never belong to them.
At first, they were attracted by the benefits Tian Xiang offered.
However, in the face of death, these benefits lost their allure.
"Fellow Daoist Tian, do you want to come up?" Jiang Yue asked with a mocking smile in his eyes.
’Since you want the flame, don’t try to hide behind other people.’ He thought.
