Authors Note: Almost missed my 'daily' timeline. Edit: NOOO. I did miss it! I had posted the chapter at 11:50pm on April 30th but the site still displayed May 1st! Damn it all. I guess you all get 2 chapters 'today'. :)

May 3rd and 4th will likely have small chapters or no chapters since real life events have to be put on priority. If I don't post chapters, than those two chapters will be added onto the 'regular' release chapters. That will still mean two extra chapters for you guys to read. If the word count is below normal, than future chapters will become longer.

Karma must be maintained.

Enjoy the chapter. I do a final edit when I submit the chapter. So please refresh the page, I might have already fixed the mistakes. Cheers!

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Cesar walked through the streets, watching other people return from the outpost, where the festivities were held. It was dark, and parents along with their children still needed to sleep, even if they had just become Cultivators. They had not yet acclimated to Cultivating at night.

The amusing part were the children. Their mental maturity was the same, even if they had become Cultivators. But becoming Cultivators had upgraded their bodies, and now, to the dismay of their parents, the children had become energizer bunnies zipping around the street like bullets without order.

The quality of life had increased for the villagers. Cesar, having seen this, became nostalgic. On Earth, Cesar had spent most of his life achieving the same goal. 'Sentimental values' Cesar thought.

But in this life, Cesar wanted to put himself first. His efforts had been taken for granted on Earth, and he had become a tool to better the lives of others, while his own life had degraded. That would change in this world.

This act of improving the lives of people and Cultivators around them also involved Lily. She was Cesar's soul mate. Her worries and responsibilities had become his. If she wanted to better the lives of the Cultivation world, than Cesar would help her do so. If she wanted the Storm family to become the greatest power in the world, Cesar would jump through hoops to help her accomplish it. If Lily wanted to kill every last Desolate Beast that lived, Cesar would help her do so.

Jasmine also had similar thoughts, just not at the level Cesar had. She had already accepted Lily as a sister wife and future companion. The lives and fate of the other Cultivators and Desolate Beast didn't matter to her. Not to mention, at a certain level of power, creating and destroying life became simple.

Cesar himself didn't have benign hate towards Desolate Beasts. To Cesar, physical bodies were just bags of flesh that carried out the thoughts and intent inside the mind. It was the intent behind the action that mattered. Benign hate was thoughtless, without reason and simply ignorant. By all accounts of the information at hand, Desolate Beasts were intelligent species. To Cesar, each intelligent species had their own values, customs and evolution. Their past had shaped them, and just because humans thought they were at war against Desolate Beasts, the Desolate Beasts most likely didn't think so.

If both sides were seriously at war, than human Cultivators would not longer exist, plain and simple. Cesar assumed that the Desolate Beasts had another agenda, one that needed human Cultivators to become stronger. The Desolate Beasts seemed to be using war as a tool to advance the human Cultivators...

When it came to killing, Cesar would kill those that wanted to kill or harm those he held dear. Jasmine had also taught him such. The simulations had been battles against both Cultivators and Desolate Beasts.

As the villagers saw Cesar walking down the street, warm smiles started appearing on their faces. Some would bow in respect on their volition and not out of duty. Others would cup their fists and offer a warriors bow. They had accepted that they were Cultivators, and wanted to show Cesar that his actions were not meaningless. They had accepted their new fates, and wanted to dive head first into their new lives.

As Cesar neared the Alchemy Association, he noticed the change in atmosphere. The building had a collected air of calmness. In the orange hue sunset, the place looked holy, almost like a temple, a place for worship.

Alchemists were a combination of doctors, chemists and miracle workers. They created medicine that could heal a person from disease, poison and injury. At the same time, they made Elixirs that could advance Cultivation, both for the Dantian and physical body.

In the eyes of the Cultivation world, an Alchemist was an exalted position. Their respect and veneration for Alchemists was only natural.

The Cultivators that guarded the Alchemist Association instantly recognized Cesar. One of the guards, respectfully walked up to Cesar and preformed a warriors salute.

“Respected One. The Alchemist Association is a weapons free area. I hope you are not offended by the rules.” The guard courteously said.

Cesar nodded and handed over the Iron Sword to the guard. “If directions are needed, please don't hesitate to ask Respected One.” The guard continued. Cesar just smiled and nodded.

As Cesar opened the doors of the build, a medicinal aroma enter his nose. He breathed deeply as memories from Earth entered his mind. It smelled like a Chinese herbal shop. Dan, which Alchemists used to make Elixirs, were fruits, vegetables, herbs, roots, and plants that contained Heavenly Energy or beneficial physical effects. Most times, a Dan contained both.

But ultimately, there was no limit to what ingredients could be used.

As Cesar walked in the hallway, following the smell of his nose, he heard sound coming from a nearby door. Because the door was open, Cesar was easily able to see inside. He smiled. There were many students sitting on the floor listening to an Elder talk. It was a lecture.

“The Dao of Alchemy is as ancient as Cultivation itself. Some masters assume Alchemy preceded Cultivation itself.” The Elder calmly said.

As if something taboo had been said, nearly every student gasped in shock.

Seeing the reaction, the Elder continued. “Even without Heavenly Energy, a fire can still be made. A Cauldron is but a piece of metal which could easily be forged by human hands. Plants and herbs have existed since The World has existed. Normal humans could also become Alchemists, even if they don't have Yang flames. They might not be able to reach the pinnacle of Alchemy, but they can be Alchemists regardless. Now tell me, what is Alchemy?” The Elder asked the students before him.

“Creating Elixirs!” “Mixing different herbs together!” “Creating medicine from plants and herbs!” “A good way to make money!” The various students said one after the other. Chuckles could be heard from around the room at the last answer. Even the Elder smiled.

“Hmm.. In a way, you are all correct. All the answers were correct to a degree. But the answer is simple while the process to answering the question is difficult. The answer I require comes from the heart. The pure simple answer. Underneath it all, what is Alchemy?” The Elder asked again.

The students became confused. Most didn't have an answer anymore while the others thought there were just too many answers...

The Elder, seeing the confusion of the students who were lost in thought, didn't frown when no one could answer, but nodded while smiling instead.

“The answer you choose will become the core part of your Alchemy. It will become your Dao of Alchemy. It will stay with you for the rest of your lives. I will not tell you all my own Dao since it might influence your own Dao. But don't think about it too hard. The answer is already there, inside your heads. It just hasn't revealed itself to you. Some, even Alchemists as old as myself don't have an answer... The journey to the answer might be more important than the answer itself...” The Elder thoughtfully said.

That's when the Elder noticed Cesar at the door. He once again smiled. Of course he recognized Cesar. “Welcome young hero. Have you become interested in Alchemy?” The Elder asked Cesar.

Cesar just nodded back to the Elder.

The elder became thoughtful for a moment. He had acknowledged Cesar's potential in Cultivation. In Alchemy, talent and potential were just as valuable, if not more so. “Do have an answer to my question?” The Elder asked.

Cesar thought for a moment. “I have two separate answers. I'm not quite sure which is more correct.”

“Please answer regardless.” The Elder solemnly said. He was quite interested in the answers Cesar would give.

“Alchemy is the path of understanding infinity.” Cesar said. Alchemy wasn't a new concept for Cesar, even if he had come in physical contact for the first time in this world. It had existed on Earth. There was thousands of years of history of Alchemy on Earth.

The Egyptians, Arabians, Chinese and Europeans all had histories with Alchemy. Not to mention, Chemistry was just the modern Earth version of Alchemy. For all intent and purposes, Alchemy was an ancient science.

But Cesar understood that Alchemy, in this world of Cultivation, was closer to Chemistry than the Alchemy on Earth, even if the equipment used in this world was Alchemy equipment. Humans on Earth needed telescopes, machines and computers in order to overcome their physical and mental limitations. Those limitations didn't exist in this world. This meant that Alchemy had evolved endlessly for countless years.

Infinity was mysterious to people. Mystery was the unknown. The unknown was knowledge not yet know. Alchemy had been created to understand the mysteries of the world, so people could understand 'the not yet known'. So the unknown could become known. This was why Cesar called Alchemy a science. Since science served the same purpose.

Due to the nature of Alchemy, the more information becomes known, the greater the advantage. Better Elixirs for Cultivation. More dangerous poisons. Better knowledge of disease. Medicines that healed more effectively. The possibilities were practically endless.

The Elder, along with the students, became lost in thought. Even the Elder was mostly confused because of the profound answer. The students couldn't even grasp the notion behind Cesar's answer, much less the meaning.

After a few moments, the Elder just released a sigh and shook his head because he failed to understand the answer. “The other answer?” The Elder continued.

“To bring out the full potential...” Cesar wanted to say 'To bring out the full potential in life' since most of the ingredients used in Alchemy were alive. But that was information from Biology, which was from Earth. Plants, herbs and fruit were living organisms and Alchemy brought out their hidden potential. That information however, seemed to be non existent in this world.

Not to mention, Alchemists, who practiced Alchemy, brought out the hidden potential in ingredients. Cesar also realized that not all ingredients used in Alchemy were alive. But their potential was also brought out regardless. So 'life' wasn't the correct word... It didn't incorporate the entirety of Alchemy. 'To bring out the full potential of the infinite...' Cesar thought at the last moment.

To being out the full potential, one needed to completely understand the object or process. It was also a level of above understanding... It was a greater Dao. It also added another realm of difficulty since the subject of improvement was 'the infinite'... Cesar seemed to have stumbled upon something...

The answer that the Elder and students heard seemed just as profound to them, even without the 'life' or 'infinite' part added onto it. Alchemy indeed brought the full potential of ingredients in the cauldron, each and every time. It was a process of continuous refining. This not only included the ingredients, but the person, the Alchemist themselves. The Alchemist has to refine themselves into order to better refine the ingredients. They all understood that since they themselves had practiced Alchemy. What Cesar had said was within the realm of their understanding.... To the students, it was like an epiphany. A light bulb going off in their heads. The Elder's eyes seemed to shine towards Cesar. What Cesar had said transcended onto the Alchemist and not just Alchemy, but it was profound none the less.

Just as the students and elder were lost in contemplation, Cesar's attention snapped to another direction. The temperature of the hall he was standing in rose by a few degrees. That wasn't noticeable to many but Cesar had noticed it. Not only that, but the medicinal smell rose in intensity.

As Cesar turned on his energy vision, he saw the cause of the change. It looked like a small sun, a concentration of red Yang flames. There were others like it, but they couldn't match the intensity nor purity of the flame. But that wasn't the most impressive part. Each inch of the flame seemed to be in perfect control of the user. Some sections were cooler, others more intense, and changes in the flames were constantly happening.

The flames surrounded a cauldron. There were even flames inside the Cauldron. Cesar turned on X-Ray vision in his other eye to physically look inside the Cauldron.

Unconsciously, Cesar had walked up to the room where the Elixirs were being made. This allowed more detail in his vision. Not to mention, the scent of the room was heavenly. He had also not disturbed the Alchemist.

The red Yang flames controlled the physical nature of the ingredients. Cesar had recognized the herbs and plants inside the Cauldron. Most could be found nearby in the forest but the rest were only found deeper, especially the Dan.

The flames inside the Cauldron were multipurpose tools. To the the ingredient with water or liquid inside them, the Yang flames would turn the liquid into steam, which would float to the edges of the circular Cauldron. When the steam eventually comes in contact with the metal surface, it would turn back into liquid, floating down the Cauldron, back into the ingredients. But the process would combine the different liquids into singular liquid substance. The liquid which came back down would also mix the ingredients at the bottom of the Cauldron.

The Yang flames would also get rid of impurities in the ingredients in the same process.

The concoction at bottom of the Cauldron eventually became a gelatinous green substance.

The solid states of matter, which were the various herbs, plants and Dan, were turning into a liquid due to the flames.

Every now and then, the Alchemist would sprinkle powdered King Ranked Ferocious Beast Bones into the Cauldron. The powder acted like an absorbing agent, which kept the Energy in the Dan and various herbs intact, not letting the Energy escape from the Cauldron.

But that was the problem Cesar saw. Too much energy escaped from the Cauldron. The powdered Ferocious Beast Bones wasn't effective enough. Energy wasn't physical and the red Yang flames just aggravated the energy inside the Dan. During the process, more than 70% of the Energy had escaped.

Yet Cesar discovered a crucial detail. The process of Alchemy seemed to draw out hidden energy inside the Dan. The various ingredients would change the physical nature of the Dan, and that seemed to increase the Energy in the closed system. That should be normally impossible. For the laws of Physics on Earth, such an observation would be impossible. But here it was. Such a scene was present in front of Cesar. As Cesar had assumed, the laws of physics and energy were different in this world.

Yet Cesar remembered the Elixirs that he consumed before. The Energy inside the Dan was always greater than the Dan equivalent. A Houtian Profound Realm Elixir contained more Energy than a Houtian Profound Realm Dan. It was why he valued Alchemy to the point where he wanted to spend his precious time learning it, instead of spending his time in the forest collecting Dan.

His question was soon answered when a veil of purified Ferocious Beast blood appeared in top of the Cauldron.

While Ferocious Beast blood was normally poisonous to human Cultivators, it could be decanted. The process however, was expensive and used precious herbs.

Soon, the Alchemist added some of the purified Ferocious Beast blood into the Cauldron, putting the ingredients as well the energy inside the closed system into a state of frenzy.

The green gelatinous goo started bubbling as the red Ferocious Beast blood made contact. Immediately, a battle started occurring inside Cauldron. The natural herbs, plants and Dan seemed to reject the purified Ferocious Beast Blood, but that fight caused chaos and movement, which slowly combined the ingredients together. The red Yang flames only helped this process.

Soon, the Blood Essence, the Energy of the blood, started mixing with Energy already present in the Cauldron. Once again, something unexpected happened. The Blood Essence slowly started transforming into the Energy already present inside the Cauldron. Since the dominant Energy inside the Cauldron was Yin energy, the Blood Essence became Yin energy, but there was a loss of purity as well as Energy inside the Blood Essence. There was a price to the conversion of Blood Essence. But the overall Energy level rose to the amount Cesar was used to seeing in Dan.

The green gelatinous substance mixed with the red Ferocious Beast Blood, becoming singlular in both colour and substance.

The sight was beautiful to watch. The interaction of the red Yang Flames, the red Ferocious Beast Blood, the green herbal goo, the red Blood Essence Energy and the blue Yin Energy was truly a sight to behold.

Alchemy was a beautiful and intricate Art form, along with being a type of science. Alchemy just appealed that much more to Cesar now. The beauty involved with the process was by itself enough to draw Cesar in.

Then, the Alchemist opened a compartment in the Cauldron, making the final product flow into a sealed off section. The current liquid was boiling hot. But soon, the Alchemist turned off his flames. The compartment that the liquid flowed into was circular. This meant the final solid structure of the liquid would become a Pill. The Elixir was finished. The Alchemist just needed to wait until the temperature came down to room temperature.

When Cesar had turned on his X-ray vision, he not only saw the inside of the Cauldron, but the Cultivator who was simultaneously an Alchemist as well.

He had long, flowing scarlet red hair. In the heat of his red Yang flames, his scarlet hair seemed to flow and swing in the air like the burning flames he had created.

In the beginning, the Alchemist was full of energy. His face gleamed with excitement and his eyes flashed with passion. As the process of Alchemy continued, so did the fatigue shown on his middle aged body. The Yang flames took a considerable amount of Energy from his body. Unlike Cesar, normal Cultivators had to sacrifice the Energy inside their bodies and Dantian to summon Yang flames.

After the Alchemist had finished the Elixir, a layer of sweat seemed to cover his body. But the Yang flames seemed to have turned the sweat into a type of gloss, which made the Alchemist glow with brilliance. Yet the look on his face displayed contentment. He was proud of his work.

The holy image of the Alchemist Association building behind the orange sunset appeared in Cesar's mind. This was indeed a place of worship. Alchemists were the religious leaders and their work, Alchemy along with the Elixirs they created, were the objects of their worship.

In front of the Alchemist, two pouches appeared. One big, another one made of the same material, but smaller. As the Elixir started to harden, the Alchemist took the Elixir out of the Cauldron and split the Elixir in two. One section was bigger than the other.

He put the larger part into the bigger pouch, while the smaller part went into the smaller pouch.

“Lily told me you would be coming here. Finally made time to learn Alchemy did you. Well, come on in. You won't learn much behind the closed door.” The Flame family Patriarch said. He had long since known that Cesar was waiting outside the door for him. Cultivators never leave their back open and their bodies vulnerable.

The students inside the hall and various rooms had long since seen Cesar standing and waiting outside the door. Since Cesar's image inside their minds was that of a hero, the respect for their Family Head seemed to deepen. Every student present inside the building was part of the Flame family. They knew, soon, it would no longer be the case. Dozens of humans from around the village would soon have the ability to summon Yang flames, like them.

Cesar smiled as he opened the door. He had already learned a lot by observing. But hands on experience was always better.

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My own twist on Alchemy. It was created on the spot and it seemed to work. But it also changed how Energy interacts in the novel. It also complicated the process. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I might change the chapter if too many problems occur in the future.

As always, leave a comment! See you all tomorrow!