"Brother, I understand what you're saying. It's not that I'm unable to refine the artificing fire, but the fire I've refined seems to be slightly different," Lin Tian said, furrowing his brows.
He wasn't a fool; he understood that the fire he had summoned was hotter than the red fire Zhao Zhenjie described, which meant its quality was naturally superior. However, just as with conducting an experiment, refining also required the right temperature. While the orange artificing fire he had conjured seemed to be of a higher grade than the red one, that didn't necessarily mean he no longer needed to refine the red fire.
"Refining a different kind of fire?" Zhao Zhenjie sneered upon hearing this. Though the method for refining artificing fire was simple, it didn't mean everyone could easily conjure it.
The steps to create artificing fire were straightforward, but even the smallest mistake could result in a flame that lacked the purifying power of a true artificing fire, rendering it no different than any ordinary fire. Lin Tian's statement made Zhao Zhenjie believe that what he had summoned was simply a regular flame.
"Are you sure the fire you've conjured is artificing fire?" Zhao Zhenjie asked, his gaze laced with contempt. "Although you have talent in beast taming, refining is a much more meticulous process. A single error in any step could ruin the spirit tool you're attempting to forge."
"Refining fire is basic, but if you don't take it seriously and think you can take shortcuts, then your path in artificing will be an empty one. The most dangerous attitude in refining is pretending to know something when you don't. This is truly putting me in a difficult position, Junior Brother."
"But I really have refined the fire!" Lin Tian retorted, exasperated. He had great confidence in his ability to learn.
"Come, come," Zhao Zhenjie called out to the surrounding disciples. Soon, many gathered around, eager to witness the scene.
With a sly smile, Zhao Zhenjie looked at Lin Tian. "Since you claim to have already refined the artificing fire, why don't you demonstrate it before everyone? Let's see for ourselves the talent you possess in refining, now that you've mastered beast taming."
"Brother, what are you doing?" Zhao Xufeng quickly approached, pulling Zhao Zhenjie aside. While Lin Tian's attention-seeking behavior was indeed irksome, Zhao Zhenjie's actions, making Lin Tian look foolish in front of so many disciples, was utterly unacceptable.
"What am I doing? Lin Tian's fire is different from ours, but he insists that it's artificing fire. I simply want everyone to witness it and see if what he's summoned is truly artificing fire," Zhao Zhenjie explained, casting Lin Tian a knowing, mocking look.
For Zhao Zhenjie, there was no greater satisfaction than crushing the pride of so-called geniuses. Only by bringing them down could they truly understand that there was always someone better. Despite Zhao Xufeng's objections, Zhao Zhenjie was resolute. It seemed he had already made up his mind to embarrass Lin Tian.
"This guy must be a fool. He's made a mistake refining the fire and yet insists he's succeeded."
"What's wrong with him? Zhao Zhenjie is an Inner Disciple of Qi Peak and has years of experience in refining. Could he not tell if it's artificing fire or not?"
"Some people, just because they have a bit of talent in beast taming, start thinking they're better than everyone else."
The surrounding disciples muttered among themselves, their voices laced with scorn. They looked at Lin Tian as if he were beneath them.
But just as their words trailed off, an orange-yellow flame suddenly erupted from Lin Tian's palm. The temperature in the air around him spiked instantly. Zhao Zhenjie, who had been watching with disdain, stood frozen in shock.
As a disciple of Qi Peak, Zhao Zhenjie knew that artificing fire came in different grades. The red fire was the most basic level. Successfully refining red fire meant you were qualified to become an artificer. But the orange fire Lin Tian conjured was a step above the red fire, indicating that Lin Tian had already achieved the qualification to forge second-tier spirit tools.
Zhao Zhenjie had spent five years at Qi Peak and could only summon a yellow artificing fire—one step above the orange fire. But Lin Tian, having just started practicing, was already able to summon orange fire. This kind of talent far surpassed everyone at Qi Peak.
"I don't know why this is happening. The fire I refined can only be orange or yellow. I've tried many methods, but haven't been able to produce red fire," Lin Tian said, his spiritual power surging. The temperature in the air increased again, and the flame in his palm gradually turned a bright yellow.
When Zhao Zhenjie saw the yellow flame, he felt an overwhelming sense of humiliation. He had assumed that Lin Tian's ability to summon the orange fire was impressive, but now Lin Tian was showing he could even summon yellow fire. This meant Lin Tian was already on par with him in terms of refining fire.
More shockingly, Lin Tian had only spent a mere half an incense stick of time to reach this level, while he had spent five long years.
Despite his best efforts to remain composed, Zhao Zhenjie couldn't stop the tears that welled up in his eyes. "Damn it, this is too much."
"By the way, Brother, what color is the fire you refined?" Lin Tian casually asked.
The question hit Zhao Zhenjie like a dagger to the heart. Not only was Lin Tian already better than him, but now he was rubbing it in. It was as though Lin Tian was intentionally humiliating him.
"Get lost," Zhao Zhenjie snapped, his composure completely shattered.