Chapter 186 | Embers of Craving

Chapter 186: 186 | Embers of Craving

The private furnace chamber on Alchemy Peak was filled with lingering heat.

Elder Liu sat alone before the wide Earth-Fire furnace. The last batch of high-grade recovery pills floated inside a sealed jade container, their spiritual glow steady and pure. She had finished the work requested for the Regional Tournament.

Her face was pale. Sweat still clung to her neck and collarbone. The Verdant Flame Physique that normally burned strong within her body now felt dim and exhausted, drained by continuous refinement over four straight days.

She leaned back against the chair with her eyes half-closed. The Matriarch’s mask was gone. Only fatigue remained, spreading through her meridians like a hollow ache.

Her fingers slowly pressed against her lower abdomen.

The emptiness there was familiar. The Verdant Flame no longer felt complete on its own. It wanted the heavy, blazing heat that only he could provide.

"Master..." she whispered in the quiet chamber.

Her voice was soft, almost helpless.

"My body feels so empty without your fire."

Memories of their dual cultivation rose unbidden. The weight of his presence. The way his Primordial Yang essence had poured into her meridians and stabilized her Core. The Primordial Yin-Yang Synergy that had left her trembling and full at the same time.

Her legs drew together slightly. A faint, traitorous heat stirred despite her exhaustion. She was a Core Formation expert, a 4-Star Alchemist, and the Master of Alchemy Peak, yet right now she felt like nothing more than a devoted cauldron aching for her master’s essence.

Elder Liu opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling of the furnace chamber.

"Even my flames feel weaker when you are not near," she murmured. "How did I become like this..."

Her voice carried no resistance. Only the quiet ache of a body that had found what it was missing.

She looked at the finished pills, then at the transmission jade resting on the table. For a moment her hand moved toward it. She wanted to call him. She wanted to ask him to come to Alchemy Peak under any excuse.

Her fingers stopped just above the jade.

Not yet.

The tournament pills still needed to be delivered through official channels. If she summoned him too openly, unnecessary eyes might turn toward Alchemy Peak. She forced herself to lean back again, breathing slowly until the sharp edge of the craving softened into a dull, constant ache.

"Soon," she whispered to the empty chamber. "I will find a reason soon. Even a small one is enough."

Her obsession remained locked at eighty percent. The addiction, however, had only grown deeper with every passing day she spent away from him.

---

Far from Alchemy Peak, in the Inner Sect training grounds, the atmosphere was completely different.

Sword light flashed repeatedly across one of the private sparring platforms. Gao Chen, the third-ranked Core Disciple, stood alone with a long, narrow sword in hand. His every movement was sharp and precise. Sword Intent gathered around him in thin, cutting waves that left fine marks on the stone floor.

He was a sword fanatic. Most disciples chased rankings, resources, or recognition. Gao Chen chased only the sword. To him, a beautiful technique meant nothing if the intent behind it was weak.

A junior disciple ran up to the edge of the platform and waited until Gao Chen lowered his blade. The young man looked nervous, as if unsure whether he should interrupt.

"Senior Brother Gao," he said quickly. "I have news from the Life-and-Death Martial Arena."

Gao Chen glanced at him. "Speak."

The junior immediately reported everything that had happened. Wei Chang’s public challenge. The Forbidden Blood Art. The heavy dark-gold sword. The single, crushing swing that ended the match and left Wei Chang broken against the wall.

Gao Chen listened without interruption. His expression stayed flat, but the sword in his hand tilted slightly downward as he focused on every detail.

When the junior finished, silence hung between them for a moment.

"He used the flat of the blade," Gao Chen said at last.

"Yes, Senior Brother. No flashy technique. Only pure force. Many people are saying it was just the sword’s weight, but those who were close said the pressure was terrifying."

Gao Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"You may leave."

The junior disciple bowed and quickly retreated, clearly relieved to be dismissed.

Alone again on the platform, Gao Chen raised his sword and performed a slow horizontal cut. The air split cleanly under his Sword Intent. Yet his thoughts were no longer on his own practice.

He had watched many fights over the years. He had seen Core Disciples rely on complex arts, elemental techniques, and elaborate sword styles. Very few relied on pure martial weight and timing. Fewer still could crush a Peak Foundation opponent who had burned blood essence in desperation.

Something in that description stirred his Sword Intent with recognition, not offense.

"Early Stage Foundation," Gao Chen murmured to himself. "Yet the weight behind that strike was not ordinary."

He lowered his sword and looked toward the direction of Cloud-Sea Pavilion.

"A man who can suppress a blood-burning Peak Foundation cultivator with pure force either has an extremely solid foundation or walks a path that focuses on absolute strength."

Both possibilities interested him deeply.

He wanted to test him. Measure the distance between them with his own blade. Nothing more. A formal arena challenge would be enough. Something intense, controlled, and honest.

Gao Chen’s decision settled quietly in his heart.

"Cloud-Sea Pavilion," he said under his breath. "I should pay a visit soon."

He wanted to see with his own eyes whether Lin Tian’s strength was real or only a brief illusion created by a single lucky weapon.

---

Back on Alchemy Peak, Elder Liu finally stood up from her chair.

Her legs were still slightly weak, but she forced her breathing under control. She sealed the finished pills into official containers and placed the required marks on each one. Duty came first. Craving came after.

Yet even as she worked, her mind drifted back to the same person.

Lin Tian. His calm voice. His heavy Yang presence. The way her Core had stabilized under his essence.

She paused while sealing the last container, her fingers resting on the lid.

"If I send a message asking about the tournament pills’ delivery, would that be too obvious?" she wondered silently.

A soft, self-mocking curve touched her lips.

A Core Formation Matriarch was standing alone in her furnace chamber, trying to invent reasons to see a junior disciple. The thought should have been shameful. Instead, it only made the emptiness inside her feel clearer.

She pressed her lips together and closed her eyes for a moment.

The fire inside her body was no longer pure Verdant Flame alone. Part of it now belonged to him. And that part was hungry.

On the training grounds, Gao Chen sheathed his sword and left the platform with steady steps. His expression was calm, but a faint sharpness had appeared in his eyes.

Two different people, in two different places, had both turned their attention toward the same young man.

One ached for his presence and was already searching for an excuse to see him again.

The other wanted to test his strength with a blade.

Cloud-Sea Pavilion remained quiet for now.

But the ripples from the arena were still spreading, and they were beginning to reach further than most disciples realized.