Against Heaven's Will

"Will you really get it for me?" Lisa questioned excitedly as she embraced Mona to lay comfortably on her chest. "A powerful flame is the Alchemist's friend, so I have always dreamed of getting an upgrade. Refining my Fire Qi has helped a lot but it faints in comparison to a real flame that was made for creation. Once I get one, I can create powerful pills with effects you won't even imagine."

"Just tell me. I already promised you," Xuefeng assured while reaching out to pull Yiren closer. She didn't steal his attention though and simply enjoyed his warmth with a tight hug.

"You see, there are many Flames of Creation that are perfect for Alchemy. One of them belongs to a Phoenix Race. You probably remember how I used Bella's flames to strengthen my pills," Lisa explained. "Naturally, I can't always ask her for help and I can't acquire her flame without killing anyone. There is only one other option which doesn't require you to spill blood and those are natural Earth Flames."

Lisa blushed as she finished and added, "Unfortunately, all of the known Earth Flames are currently in ownership of other powerful races. One of them is Dragon Race. I found out they use an Earth Flame to strengthen the members of their race during birth. That place is called a Dragon Pit and I'm sure Drakos or Katherine knows about it."

Xuefeng paused kissing Yiren and nodded, "That's not too bad. Based on your reaction I thought it would be something more inaccessible. It shouldn't be a problem. I wanted to visit Dragon Realm anyway, so we can ask them to share some of their Earth Flame with you."

"Ehem…" Lisa cleared her throat. "The thing I'm worried about is exactly that. From what I learned, countless Alchemists have visited the Dragon Realm in order to acquire that flame but all of them failed. Dragon Race is extremely protective of it and denies anyone no matter what kind of riches they offer. I don't think it will be easy to convince them."

"That's not something you should worry about. That's all on me," Xuefeng replied confidently. "We just need to negotiate with the Queen of Dragons. How hard can it be?"

———

"I'm telling you this right now, there is no way she is going to agree to this," Drakos informed the moment he heard about Xuefeng's plans. "The moment you propose it, every member of Dragon Race will get hostile and my mother will kick you out of the Dragon Realm. I'm serious."

After a night full of cultivation mixed with pleasure, Xuefeng decided to continue the topic of Lisa's flame but Drakos momentarily denounced it.

Katherine's expression wasn't any different and she nodded at his words. "Normally I would never agree with him but this time he is speaking facts. Earth Flame is extremely rare and it's very important to our race. Some of the older generations even prays to it so it can bless their grandchildren. It's crazy out there."

Lisa looked sad hearing the news but she quickly tugged on Xuefeng's arm. "Babe, it's fine. I already knew it's impossible. Let's not offend the Dragon Race for it."

He exchanged glances with her and shook his head with a determined gaze, "No, I have already decided. I'm getting this flame for you no matter what."

"Well, even if you want to get it, it's not possible now," Drakos informed.

"What do you mean?" Xuefeng questioned while raising his eyebrows.

"The Dragon Pit should be closed right now," Drakos replied with a shrug. "To preserve the Earth Flame, the Dragon Pit is only opened for one day every five years. Even if you somehow succeed and my mother agreed to spare you some of it, you would still have to wait to claim it."

"Actually, that would be true in the past. The rules have changed since then," Katherine corrected him right away. "After you killed the Dragon King, the Queen introduced a new system. The Dragon Pit is open for a full month every year now. She wanted to increase the strength of the Dragon Race by speeding up the birth rate. That was also the reason why my family wanted me to marry another pure Dragon."

"Is she crazy? Wouldn't that weaken the Earth Flame?" Drakos asked with a frown.

"No, it actually strengthened it. Everyone thought the Earth Flame was weakening with years because of its usage but it was all because we were closing it for a long time. Now that it is open more often, its strength has recovered to the peak from the past."

"Perfect. There shouldn't be a problem if we get some of it," Xuefeng clasped his hands happily. "I will just offer them a favor in exchange."

Xuefeng tried to stay humble in that regard but he knew his favors were worth a lot. The moment he beats the King of Heaven and claims his spot, anyone would wish to have a redeemable favor from him.

"No one is stopping you, but if you want to get it this year then you have to hurry. I'm not sure exactly what day it ends but the Dragon Pit should be open this month," Katherine said while looking at him deep in thought. "I don't think it is a good idea though. You can wait a year while this Realm is a great opportunity. We recreated our bodies but we still need a lot of Fate Qi to reach the Ancient Celestial Stage."

It was a valid point. The Earth Flame wouldn't run away and many of his wives were still yet to breakthrough.

"Emi, can we have some additional time?" Xuefeng suggested out loud while staring at the sky. They didn't really have any other option since he was the one manipulating the time around them.

Thankfully, Emi was always listening.

"Sure, but once you get that Earth Flame, I want her to make a few pills for me." Emi's voice resounded from nowhere. She couldn't help herself to extort them but it wasn't a big deal.

"I don't mind! I can make anything if I have high-tier ingredients," Lisa replied with a smile. It was a win-win situation for her since she would love to test her new flame after getting it anyway.

"Then it's settled. Who is coming with me?"