Chapter 85: The Bone of the Fire Dragon

Then, Qi Xiao swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and slowly extended his hand. The moment his fingertips brushed against the heavy black cloth, he seemed to sense a terrifying pressure rising from the depths of his soul. Gritting his teeth, Qi Xiao lifted the thick cloth, and at once, a wave of scorching heat surged over him, as if an ancient flame had ignited the entire chamber in an instant.

At the same time, a sinister skeletal structure revealed itself before Qi Xiao’s eyes. This was no ordinary skeleton—every bone appeared to have been eternally tempered by fire, radiating an indomitable vitality. Each segment glowed with a faint red light in the dim laboratory, as though fire still smoldered within the very marrow.

There could be no doubt: this was the skeleton of an ancient fire dragon. Its form was vast and majestic—even a single segment conveyed the awe and might that it once possessed in life. Every joint of the dragon bone was preternaturally sturdy, as if capable of withstanding all the flames between heaven and earth.

As Qi Xiao gazed at the fire dragon bone, a surge of creative desire welled up within him. He understood that this was not merely a material, but a work of art—a symbol of power.

Soon, Qi Xiao suppressed the wild ambition stirring in his heart. He covered the bone with the black cloth once more, gasping for breath as he left the materials chamber.

The first time he had seen this bone, he had been far more stunned than now; with mental preparation, he could remain composed. After all, the fire dragon bone was exceedingly precious. Even though his mentor had long promised it to him, it was only right to seek his teacher’s opinion first.

On the island at the heart of the lake, the spatial elements were so active that Qi Xiao easily teleported from the warehouse to his teacher’s study.

He had just arrived when the door swung open. Qi Xiao bowed respectfully and entered.

“I know why you’ve come. As long as you believe you can control it, do as you wish,” Midiel said, not looking up from a book nearly half as thick as a person, a monocle perched on his brow.

Qi Xiao’s prepared words died in his throat. He replied respectfully, “Thank you, Teacher. I will not let such a rare and magical material go to waste.”

He was not exaggerating; this fire dragon bone had clearly been taken from a dragon of wizard-level power. Materials from such fearsome beasts were unattainable for even hundreds of wizard apprentices together.

Midiel seemed unconcerned, waving a hand for Qi Xiao to go about his business.

Qi Xiao bowed and took his leave. In a flash, he reappeared on the island, then at the alchemical materials shop, selecting what he required.

To his delight, the shopkeeper’s new stock included a batch of mithril—five hundred grams of it. Though the price was steep at 5.3 magic crystals per gram, Qi Xiao did not lack for money and bought it all without hesitation.

With two extremely precious main ingredients secured, he did not need to be overly fastidious with the rest. Otherwise, he might lose control of the forging process. He purchased the remaining materials with little ado and returned to the island.

He closed his eyes in meditation, adjusting his state to its peak, then rose to begin preparing the lightning-struck wood.

Before him lay a piece of ice phoenix tree struck by lightning. Aside from its charred exterior, after some simple treatment, it revealed a faint, unique blue-white luster, with grain veined by traces of lightning’s power—a rare marvel of nature.

While researching cures for the blood plague, Qi Xiao had gained greater understanding of ritual magic. Now he performed a series of purification rituals to remove any lingering impurities and unstable energies from the wood, ensuring its purity and safety.

Soon, the last traces of icy power and chaotic lightning were cleansed, leaving a pure, blue-violet glowing piece of phoenix tree.

Once this was done, Qi Xiao placed the lightning wood in a nurturing box carved with runes. Though of high quality, the phoenix tree was gentle by nature, its thunderous essence largely hidden, so processing it was not too difficult.

The true challenge lay ahead.

Qi Xiao, face solemn, brought out the jade vessel containing the fire dragon bone and lifted the black covering.

Instantly, the entire lab was suffused with an overwhelming pressure. The dragon bone’s red glow grew dazzling, like a miniature sun radiating boundless heat and power. The oppressive force seemed to echo the dragon’s roar in life, leaving Qi Xiao breathless.

But he was prepared. The intricate apparatus above the dragon bone immediately emitted circles of blue light, forming a barrier that enveloped the bone.

Qi Xiao carefully adjusted the instrument’s frequency to resonate perfectly with the dragon bone, gradually weakening the suffocating pressure.

As the alchemical device did its work, the red glow softened and grew less blinding. Qi Xiao seized the moment, tweaking the frequency to guide the dragon bone’s energy along specific channels.

Once the dragon bone’s energy was stabilized, Qi Xiao swiftly placed it together with the lightning wood in the specially designed nurturing box, allowing these two potent materials to slowly harmonize in their unique environment.

By his estimation, it would take at least a week before he could begin the actual forging. His current skills were far from sufficient to fully command such advanced materials, so he had to resort to clever methods.

Qi Xiao felt no shame in this. On the contrary, for an alchemist, to ignore a shortcut in pursuit of so-called honor was to betray the very spirit of alchemy. After all, alchemy had been invented by those eager for easy gold and unearned gain.

He set the nurturing box and asked Little Mushroom to keep watch. After all, since these were materials from a magical beast, it was wise to be cautious, even under his teacher’s protection.

Little Mushroom was entering the mysterious laboratory for the first time, nodding eagerly at Qi Xiao’s instructions and curiously inspecting the surroundings.

Qi Xiao reminded him in closing, “Don’t touch anything in the lab. It could be dangerous. Just leave a spore here to keep watch; that’s enough.”

He then headed to the adjoining alchemy chamber to prepare the items for next weekend’s sale.

Since relocating, Qi Xiao had improved his process: aside from one excellent-quality item auctioned monthly, he no longer held auctions for the rest. Instead, new batches of high-quality, ordinary-level items or weapons were released every weekend at fixed prices.

Qi Xiao, modeling the internal structure of the fire dragon bone, manipulated the airborne fire elements to form a flame. The flame now carried a hint of that dominance and searing heat.

Though the fire dragon had long been dead and the fire elements in its blood and bones nearly exhausted, only the residual traces remaining, this level was ideal for Qi Xiao’s study. If a true fire dragon appeared before him, just one glance would likely see his organs scorched by its flames.