I Stepped on a Bug, and the System Says I Slayed a Dragon? - Chapter 90: Alchemy
Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Alchemy
Jianghai City, the border between the suburbs and the city proper.
Early morning.
An imposing, jet-black city wall towered into the sky. Several clusters of rocket artillery were spread across the top, fully armed. Heavily armed soldiers, carrying live ammunition, patrolled everywhere.
This particular stretch of wall had a long history, dating back nearly two hundred years.
Its ancient blue bricks exuded an aura of antiquity.
Initially, it was built simply to mark the boundary between the wilderness and the urban area. Now, it was continuously reinforced to defend against the Star Beasts and Demons of the wilds.
Under generations of repairs by the Jianghai City Government, the defensive wall’s firepower had been upgraded and was becoming more comprehensive by the day.
Cluster artillery, the Thunder Light Killing Array, high-precision surveillance drones… all sorts of methods were employed, one after another.
Below the wall, the area teemed with people, a bustling hubbub of noise. Citizens heading out passed through a security check, exiting the gate without any fuss.
“I’m finally back.”
Qin Yang, blending into the crowd with Xiaobai tucked in his arms, stood outside the city wall and gazed up at the spectacular sight, feeling a wave of emotion.
Jianghai City had truly gone to great lengths to defend against external threats.
The citizens of Jianghai could leave the city as they pleased, but returning required a mandatory identity verification and an extremely tedious inspection process to prevent disguised Star Beasts or demons from infiltrating.
At this moment, the line in front of the city gate was long, filled with citizens waiting to register.
’When will it ever be my turn?’
Qin Yang looked at the long line before the archway.
’At this rate, I probably won’t get home until tonight.’
’Besides, I’ll have to register all sorts of information, which makes it very easy to get exposed.’
’What a hassle!’
With that thought, Qin Yang didn’t hesitate. He simply carried Xiaobai to a nearby hillside, watching for the changing of the guard.
He would take a shortcut by directly using Close Yet So Far.
BZZZT!
The void hummed, the space around him twisted, and his figure dissipated.
Like a phantom, he crossed several hundred yards in an instant, passing over the gate’s blockade and arriving inside Jianghai City.
Meanwhile, the soldiers at the gate were still looking down, registering people, not a single one aware of his existence.
“Time to go home.”
Qin Yang, with Xiaobai in his arms, leisurely walked away from the city gate.
But on the city wall…
A withered old man’s eyes suddenly snapped open, a flicker of suspicion in their depths.
“Strange… why did an aura just disappear?”
“Could it be that I just sensed it wrong?”
…………
After returning home, Qin Yang changed into slippers, stripped off his blood-soaked clothes, and threw them all into the laundry basket before preparing to take a shower.
“Xiaobai, wash these clothes, then bring me some fresh ones.”
“Understood, Master…”
Xiaobai carried the laundry basket and, with practiced ease, went to the washing machine and put the clothes in. Then she ran to the closet, stood on her tiptoes, and took down some hanging clothes for Qin Yang, folding them neatly and placing them in the bathroom.
“Not bad, not bad. You’re making progress.”
In the bathroom, Qin Yang watched Xiaobai with considerable satisfaction and stroked her beast ears.
Over the past few days, she had already adapted to life in the house and was becoming more and more capable.
SHHHH~
After shooing Xiaobai out of the bathroom,
Qin Yang turned on the faucet, washing away the dust and grime from his journey. His mind gradually calmed.
’Extracting the Beast Fire is the next crucial step.’
’I have to take this seriously.’
「A moment later.」
Finished with his shower, Qin Yang, wrapped in a bath towel, sat back down in the center of his bed.
A scorching hot, grayish-black Beast Core levitated before him.
In an instant!
The temperature in the room shot up as if he were inside a furnace. The height of summer had returned!
’So hot!’
’Damn, I hope this doesn’t set off the fire alarm!’
Seeing this, Qin Yang hastily deployed his Star Force to envelop the Beast Core, directly sealing the escaping Power of Fire Source.
The room’s temperature plummeted. Thermal expansion and contraction caused the air in the room to surge, stirring up a gale.
Extracting Beast Fire was extremely difficult!
The Profound Celestial Pill Scripture contained many cautionary tales: those who play with fire get burned. Throughout history, countless Alchemists had died during this very step of refining Beast Fire.
What’s more, the one in his hands now was the Beast Fire of a King Level Star Beast!
At this thought, Qin Yang calmed his mind and qi, steadily fixing his Star Force around the Beast Core and incribing Star Map Array Patterns onto it.
The next moment.
BOOM!
A savage Beast Fire spewed forth. The Array Patterns blazed fiercely, and the Beast Core instantly melted into a black liquid!
A ball of rootless fire slowly floated up.
The surrounding air distorted, as if it could spin out of control at any moment!
“Go to the balcony! Don’t stay in the room, Xiaobai!”
Qin Yang’s expression was grim as he shouted the warning, the tyrannical glow of the fire reflected in the depths of his eyes.
The great fire was merciless, and its feral nature was erupting. He had to prepare for the worst.
Hearing him, Xiaobai understood what Qin Yang meant. She immediately panted, sticking out her little tongue to cool off, and shouted, “So hot!”
Then she scampered over to the balcony to get some air, squatting down to fiddle with a few plants while keeping her ears pricked for any sounds from inside the room.
HUMMM—
The air hummed. The area around the Beast Fire was burned into a vacuum, which then drew in more air to fuel the combustion, like a boundless black hole.
Qin Yang cupped his palm beneath the ball of fire.
A vast and terrifying surge of Star Force erupted, forming an unbreakable cage that constricted the Beast Fire.
Using his body as a furnace, he emulated the ancient Suiren-shi.
“Rise!”
As the steady command was given,
BOOM!
The Beast Fire struggled with even greater force, but it was all in vain!
Qin Yang controlled his Star Force, contracting the perimeter little by little, crushing and binding the fire with an even more ferocious display of power.
The next moment, the Beast Fire flared up, releasing one final wisp of its wild nature, before finally settling quietly in Qin Yang’s palm.
“Success!”
Qin Yang was overjoyed at the sight. He slowly closed his hand into a fist, then raised a single index finger.
WHOOSH!
A flame danced on his fingertip, burning brightly at his command.
“Holy crap, this is so damn cool!”
Qin Yang watched the flame on his fingertip and nodded with satisfaction.
’Won’t need a lighter to light my cigarettes anymore.’
’Nice!’
Qin Yang played with it for a while before summoning the Wood Law Fragment to study it.
As soon as the Wood Law Fragment appeared, the temperature in the room quickly returned to normal. A verdant energy filled the air, as if he were in a countryside field on a spring day.
“Enlightenment Space, activate.”
Qin Yang focused his thoughts, his mind sinking into the Enlightenment Space to carefully comprehend the Law Fragment.
The next moment,
His consciousness diverged, like branching twigs, growing endlessly.
A powerful Life Force radiated out from him, suffusing the surrounding plants.
The pot of Earth-Surging Golden Lotus by the door received the blessing. With a crisp crackle, its roots and stems stretched out. It blossomed in a glorious display, its layered Golden Lotus petals unfurling in a breathtaking sight.
Qin Yang sat cross-legged on the bed, leisurely comprehending the Wood Law, his breathing light and slow.
His aura became long, rhythmic, and peaceful.
The Power of Laws was profound and extraordinary.
It was by no means something that could be mastered in a single day; one had to follow the natural principles of heaven and earth, advancing step by step.
「A while later.」
When Qin Yang opened his eyes, he discovered that Xiaobai had climbed onto the bed at some point.
She was now lying on her stomach in front of him, propping up her head and greedily sniffing the Wood Law Fragment. Her butt was perked up, her pale, slender legs kicking idly in the air.
Well now.
Her fluffy tail was even wagging in excitement…
SMACK!
Without a second word, Qin Yang landed a big slap on her butt.
“Move aside! Your master is about to start his Alchemy!”
