173: Successfully refined the beast fire

"Stinky Kid! Don't let it run wild! Quickly use your Dou Qi to force it into the Dou Jing!"

Mo Xuan's beard bristled with anxiety, his voice practically squeezed through his teeth.

Jiang Donghua's veins bulged all over his body at this moment; his skin alternated between being covered in frost and glowing crimson, as if he had been thrown into a dual purgatory of ice and fire.

He gritted his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead, his mind roaring frantically.

"Of course, I know I need to control it! The problem is, this thing doesn't listen to commands at all!"

The Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire raged through his body, its extreme cold and extreme heat tearing at his meridians, each collision feeling like a thousand steel needles stirring in his flesh.

He tried to envelop the Beast Fire with Dou Qi, but the flame was incredibly cunning, scattering and fleeing with the slightest touch, giving no chance for restraint.

"Ugh—!"

Jiang Donghua grunted, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Not good! The Beast Fire is damaging his meridians!"

Elder Ice Red's eyes narrowed; with a flick of her sleeve, a surge of Dou Qi entered Jiang Donghua's body, temporarily slowing the erosion of the cold energy.

Li Changhai also acted swiftly, his powerful Dou Qi forming a barrier to protect Jiang Donghua's heart, and he said in a deep voice, "Kid, don't be so reckless! Use your Soul Power to guide it; don't confront it head-on!"

Huang Dashan, on the other hand, slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Oh dear! This kid's Dou Qi is too aggressive! Beast Fire has sentience; the more you suppress it, the more it resists! You need to coax it!"

Jiang Donghua felt like cursing.

"Coax? Is this thing something you can coax?!"

But with no other option, he could only endure the intense pain, trying to ease the pressure of his Dou Qi and instead gently touch the Beast Fire with his Soul Power, guiding it slowly as if appeasing a furious beast.

Miraculously, the previously violent Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire actually calmed down a little!

"It's working!"

Mo Xuan's eyes lit up, and he quickly whispered, "Hurry! Now, lead it into the Dou Jing!"

Jiang Donghua dared not delay. His Soul Power transformed into an invisible hand, carefully enveloping the Beast Fire and slowly pushing it towards the Dou Jing in his Dantian.

However, just as the Beast Fire was about to touch the Dou Jing...

"Roar—!"

A phantom flood dragon's roar exploded in Jiang Donghua's mind! The Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire suddenly counterattacked, and a surge of violent energy erupted instantly!

"Pfft—!"

Jiang Donghua spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire body trembling violently. Fine cracks even began to appear on the surface of his skin, as if he would explode the next second!

"Oh no! The Beast Fire is backlashing!"

Mo Xuan's face changed drastically. He could no longer care about anything else and slammed a palm onto Jiang Donghua's back, a vast amount of Dou Qi surging in frantically!

"Everyone, don't hold back! Suppress it together!"

The four Fifth-Grade Alchemists simultaneously exerted their power, and four distinct streams of Dou Qi converged into Jiang Donghua's body, forcefully driving the rampaging Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire into his Dou Jing!

"Now! Seal it!"

Mo Xuan roared.

Jiang Donghua's eyes were bloodshot. He used his last ounce of strength, his Soul Power and Dou Qi erupting simultaneously, finally carving out an independent space within his Dou Jing, completely imprisoning the Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire within it!

"Boom—!"

A terrifying fluctuation of cold flame spread from within Jiang Donghua's body. The entire secret chamber vibrated violently, and the protective array on the walls flickered with dazzling light!

After a long while, the fluctuations subsided.

Jiang Donghua collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, drenched in sweat, but a look of ecstatic joy slowly curved his lips.

"It, it succeeded!"

Mo Xuan let out a long breath, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and chuckled, "Stinky Kid, you almost gave this old fellow a heart attack!"

The other three elders also exchanged smiles. Huang Dashan even laughed heartily and clapped Jiang Donghua on the shoulder.

"Good kid! You've got guts! Next time there's something this exciting, remember to call this old fellow!"

Next time?!

However, feeling the much more docile Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire within him, and the noticeably surging power, he felt it was worth it!

Jiang Donghua slumped on the ground, panting heavily. Although the Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire within him had been successfully sealed, his meridians still throbbed, and his entire body felt as if it had been crushed.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the four elders, a hint of displeasure gradually appearing in his eyes.

"So that means!"

He gritted his teeth, his voice low, with a dangerous undertone.

"For these past few hours, you old fellows clearly could have helped me suppress the Beast Fire, but you deliberately watched me fight for my life with it?"

Mo Xuan stroked his beard, a foxy smile appearing on his face, and slowly said, "Kid, what do you know? If we had forcibly suppressed it from the start, the Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire would have temporarily submitted, but once it backfired in the future, you would surely die."

Jiang Donghua's eye twitched, and his fists clenched slightly.

Mo Xuan continued.

"Now that you've struggled with it for so long, it has been worn down of most of its ferocity by your Dou Qi and Soul Power. Even if it wants to backlash in the future, its power will be greatly reduced."

He patted Jiang Donghua's shoulder, speaking earnestly.

"This old fellow is saving your life, do you understand?"

Jiang Donghua stared at Mo Xuan's smiling old face for a long time, then finally squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth.

"You old fellow, you're impressive."

Huang Dashan laughed heartily from the side, his rough voice making the secret chamber hum.

"Kid, don't be unconvinced! When we old fellows subdued Beast Fire back then, we didn't get such good treatment; we all risked our lives to endure it!"

Li Changhai also nodded slightly and said faintly, "No pain, no gain."

Elder Ice Red, however, snorted coldly and glanced at Jiang Donghua.

"What, does it hurt now? Where did all that recklessness go just now?"

He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to curse, and finally could only shake his head helplessly, forcing a bitter smile.

"Alright, you guys are ruthless."

Mo Xuan nodded in satisfaction, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes, then he straightened his face and said seriously, "Alright, no more nonsense. Hurry and meditate to recover. Although the Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire has been subdued, it still needs time to be thoroughly refined."

Jiang Donghua also knew the importance of the matter. He said no more, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate his Dou Qi, stabilizing the newly tamed Beast Fire within his body.

However, he still couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

"These old fellows are definitely doing this on purpose!"

Jiang Donghua sat cross-legged in the center of the secret chamber, his Dou Qi slowly circulating within him, repairing the meridians that had been ravaged by the Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire.

He listened to Mo Xuan's instructions, silently committing them to memory, but before he could respond, the door to the secret chamber slammed shut with a "bang," and the figures of the four elders instantly vanished outside.

The corner of his mouth twitched as he stared at the closed door of the secret chamber, unable to help but curse under his breath, "These old geezers, they sure run fast!"

Just now, they were acting like benevolent elders, saying they were doing it all for his good, but as soon as they finished their instructions, they couldn't even be bothered to look at him again, slamming the door and leaving directly.

"Tsk, I really was tricked after all."

Jiang Donghua rubbed his throbbing temples, feeling the now quiet Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire within his body.

Although it still carried a hint of wildness, it was much more docile than its previous violent state.

He sighed, took out a few healing pills from his storage ring, popped them all into his mouth, then closed his eyes and began to fully refine the medicinal power.

"Dou Huang realm?"

Mo Xuan's words echoed in his mind.

As long as he reached the Dou Huang realm, this Beast Fire would never be able to backlash again.

"It seems I need to quickly improve my strength."

The corner of his mouth curved slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Since you old fellows are so confident in letting me struggle on my own, then I won't be polite."

"Once I completely tame this Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire, we'll see if you can still leisurely slam the door and leave!"

In the secret chamber, Jiang Donghua's aura gradually stabilized, and the Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire, enveloped by his Dou Qi, slowly integrated into his power.