Chapter 154: Earth's Furnace Flames

Han Li listened to the old man's explanation with an unreadable expression, appearing noncommittal. After hearing it, he nodded gently, said nothing, reached for the copied jade slip, and turned to walk toward the passage.

"Since you wish to refine elixirs, young friend, would you like to buy some more cauldrons? I can offer you a discount," the old man said, seeing Han Li about to depart, and eagerly promoted his wares again.

"No need. I don't have a use for them yet!" Han Li replied indifferently, waving his hand without looking back.

"What a pity. My cauldrons here can withstand the high temperatures of earth fire!" Old Xu said regretfully, seeing the business wasn't closed.

"Earth fire?" Han Li, who had already reached the passage entrance, stopped.

"It's the fire of the earth's core, a bit more powerful than innate true fire," the old man said casually.

"Aren't elixirs supposed to be refined using innate true fire? Can this earth fire replace it?" Han Li tried to keep his voice calm, but his heart was pounding. He knew that the solution to his foundation-building elixir refining dilemma might have been found.

"Heh heh! It seems you're completely unaware, young friend, that the cultivation world has long replaced innate true fire with earth fire for elixir refining! But it's no big deal; basically, anyone who has refined an elixir once or twice knows. So, I'll explain it to you for free!" The old man, seeing Han Li's interest, brightened up but deliberately emphasized the word "free."

Han Li couldn't help but smile wryly, understanding the hidden meaning in the old man's words. It was clear the old man was implying that while a single piece of information might be free, giving several pieces of information was also technically free, and the difference in value was significant.

However, this matter was too important for Han Li to haggle further.

So, he walked directly back and said without hesitation, "If what Old Xu says about earth fire is true, then I'll choose another cauldron here!"

"Heh heh! My cauldrons here are absolutely top-grade, young friend; you'll surely be satisfied!" Old Xu said, squinting his eyes with a smile, seeing his goal successfully achieved.

"Actually, using innate true fire for elixir refining is an old story from a long time ago! Nowadays, elixir refining in the cultivation world involves using the earth-core fire from Xuan-Yang grounds to temper elixirs. Long ago, our predecessors discovered that earth fire is not only purer and hotter than a cultivator's true fire, but also exceptionally durable and stable. It significantly increases the success rate compared to the original true fire refining method and is equally effective for artifact refining. Therefore, any cultivation sect or even larger cultivation family with the means has its own dedicated Xuan-Yang fire ground for their disciples to refine elixirs and artifacts. Only isolated and resourceful rogue cultivators who truly cannot access earth fire still use that true fire refining method, which has a very high failure rate," the old man said, shaking his head as he delivered this lengthy explanation.

"Then, does our sect also have accessible earth fire? Old Xu, do you know where it is?" Han Li's heart soared, but he suppressed his excitement and still clearly articulated the crucial question.

"Haha!..."

The old man burst into laughter upon hearing Han Li's question, making Han Li blink in confusion.

"When you first entered Yue Lu Hall, young friend, did you see an unmarked passage? That passage leads to the Xuan-Yang fire grounds. If you pay some spirit stones there, you can use the earth fire!" After a hearty laugh, the old man finally told Han Li the truth.

"Is that truly so?" Han Li couldn't help but show his delight, a slight smile curving his lips as he spoke.

"I'm an old man, do you think I'd deceive a junior like you?" Old Xu said with some displeasure.

"It was my slip of the tongue! Please forgive me, Old Xu!" Han Li also felt that even if the other party was greedy, they wouldn't mislead him on such an important matter, so he sincerely apologized.

"Hmph, considering your young age, I'll forgive you this time!" The old man's expression softened, but then he sternly added, "However, I won't be giving you any further discounts on the cauldron purchase."

Hearing this, Han Li was left speechless with a wry smile. This old man truly never missed an opportunity to profit!

"Are these the cauldrons?" Han Li asked, pointing at the various-sized cauldrons on the old man's shelf.

"Of course not! Those are just ordinary goods, only good for refining low-grade elixirs. How could they withstand the intense heat of earth fire? The true high-quality cauldrons are all here!" The old man, reverting to his cunning merchant persona, patted an unassuming gray cloth bag at his waist with a grin.

The old man took the cloth bag, gently tapped it onto the empty ground beside him, and with a swirl of green light, a row of ancient-looking, uniquely styled cauldrons appeared.

"How about these? These are all top-grade cauldrons from my collection, each a masterpiece, definitely not ordinary wares!" The old man picked up the nearest cauldron, tapped it lightly, and said somewhat proudly.

"They are indeed good!" As soon as the cauldrons appeared, Han Li felt faint traces of spiritual energy emanating from them and couldn't help but murmur in surprise.

However, what truly captured his attention was the old man's unassuming cloth bag. It was undoubtedly an advanced storage bag with more than ten times the storage capacity of a regular one; otherwise, it couldn't possibly hold so many sizable items.

"Heh heh! I'm not boasting, but Xu is a master at crafting cauldron artifacts. Most of the cauldrons used by the sect's junior disciples come from my hands, and these are the finest among the finest!" The old man, seeing Han Li's stirred reaction, said with overflowing joy.

Han Li smiled slightly, offered no rebuttal, and slowly walked over to the cauldrons, bending down to begin his selection.

"This is the Rahu Cauldron; it can absorb high flame temperatures, increase the success rate of elixirs, and also..."

Every time Han Li picked up a cauldron for a closer look, Old Xu would chatter endlessly beside him, praising it as if it were a rare treasure in the heavens and unparalleled on earth, implying that not buying it immediately would be a waste of divine materials. This left Han Li feeling utterly exasperated.

"I'll take this one!" After examining each cauldron and deliberating for a moment, Han Li pointed to the smallest silver cauldron and said to the old man.

"Tsk tsk! You truly have good taste, young friend. This Silver Silk Cauldron is definitely a masterpiece among cauldrons, a rare and superior artifact. Among all my cauldrons, it's also a top-tier treasure!" Old Xu seemed slightly surprised that Han Li chose the smallest one, but his expression quickly returned to normal as he lauded the silver cauldron profusely, praising it to no end.

"What does this have to do with taste?" Han Li thought, annoyed by the old man's garrulousness. "I just considered that my storage bag has limited space and can only fit this cauldron!"

Finally, after some haggling with the old man, Han Li purchased the item for thirty-two low-grade spirit stones. Then, he left without hesitation.

In the short time he spent interacting with Old Xu, Han Li had spent over fifty spirit stones, which was a significant sum even for his considerable wealth. He truly didn't want to stay there any longer, even as the old man enthusiastically tried to persuade him to remain.

After leaving Old Xu's room, Han Li returned to the hall where the teleportation array was located. Instead of immediately teleporting out of the hall, he pondered for a moment, then walked down the unmarked passage.

At the end of the passage, a massive stone door blocked his way. Five-colored iridescent light pulsed continuously on the door, indicating it was protected by an extremely powerful forbidden spell, making one hesitant to act rashly.

Beside the stone door was a small stone hut, inside which sat an ugly man with a face full of bumps. This unsightly man had only cultivated foundational techniques to their peak, yet he displayed an arrogant, dismissive attitude towards Han Li, which greatly annoyed Han Li.

But who was Han Li? Despite his inner annoyance, he maintained a composed expression outwardly. Even when he asked three questions and the man reluctantly answered only one, Han Li managed to gather all the necessary information about the place, ensuring he was well-informed.

Then, Han Li, seemingly unfazed by the man's rudeness, politely bade him farewell and left. However, before he had walked more than a few steps, he heard the ugly man mumbling.

"A pauper among low-level disciples, wanting to learn elixir refining? Has his brain been refined away? All talk and no practice, making this grand senior waste so much breath!"

Han Li's posture showed no change after hearing the man's words, but the face turned away from the ugly man was so cold it could conjure frost, and a flash of killing intent glinted in his eyes.