Chef in the Apocalypse

Elder Ji’s eyes lit up at the declaration. Having an additional Core Formation Cultivator was a boon for any sect, let alone one both cultivated their bodies and Qi.

"Good good good!" The Sect Master repeated the phrase 3 times, showing just how much of a good mood he was in. He stood up from his chair and headed towards Jayce with a smile gracing his face.

"Let me check your skeletal age firstly and then Elder Ji can show you around." While he said this in a non-formal tone, Jayce could tell that if he was lying then whatever goodwill he had earned would be erased.

However, Jayce was not worried. He should only be a few months older than 19 right now.

The Sect Master held out his hand and gestured for Jayce to hold out his arm.

"Do not resist my Qi." He said simply, grabbing Jayce by the arm and placing his two fingers on his pulse.

Jayce felt a barely perceptible stream of Qi enter his bloodstream and make its way through his body, bypassing his vessels and meridians and heading directly into his bones. The probing Qi was weak and he could tell that there was no ill-intent behind it.

The scanning lasted a few moments before the Sect Master took his hand back and a big smile appeared on his face.

"Welcome to the Vermilion Flame Sect Jayce. Elder Ji, please escort our newest disciple to his quarters and explain to him about the sect. I need to go back and cultivate." With that, the Sect Master turned around and headed back to the throne.

"Thank you Sect Master." Jayce bowed politely.

Elder Ji took Jayce out of the pagoda and began to descend the mountain. Jayce let out a small breath of relief after stepping outside and his face started to gain some color.

While he had done well to keep his cool, the aura that was coming from the man was suffocating, threatening to sweep him away like a raging tide. The further away he got from the peak, the less he felt the pressure.

"You’ll eventually get used to it." Elder Ji said with a smile, "Or perhaps the Sect Master was just testing your mentality."

"I hope it was the latter..." Jayce commented with a chuckle.

Elder Ji also laughed, feeling the tension disperse.

"As Sect Master said, I will be taking you to the Core Disciple area which is further inside the volcano."

"Volcano?" Jayce raised an eyebrow. Now that he thought about it, he could feel a vague heat coming from below his feet.

Elder Ji nodded, "The Qi is denser the closer one gets to the center of the Volcano. It’s also rich with the Laws of Fire. The Sect allows disciples to comprehend the Law based on their status."

"For example, an outer disciple will only be allowed to comprehend the laws for 1 hour per week, whereas an inner disciple will be granted 10 hours. As for Core disciples, well... Let’s just say they can essentially comprehend them however long they like." Elder Ji said with a wry smile.

He had been an inner disciple for many years before reaching his current realm of cultivation. Due to his age and limited talent he had decided to become an Elder at the sect, but he was not too dissatisfied.

After all, being an Elder had its benefits and status. While it wasn’t as high as the Core Disciples, it was higher than all the others.

"That reminds me, have you comprehended any Laws?" Elder Ji asked, turning his attention to Jayce who had been silently listening.

"Ah yes, I also use the Law of Fire." He said simply. To be honest, the thought of being on a volcano with such heavenly laws inside had piqued his interest. If it was anything like the oasis they had found inside the tree back on Earth, then he was in for a treat.

"Oh? Well it must be fate that has brought us together then. Would you mind showing me what you’ve comprehended so far? I have quite a large experience with the Law of Fire." Elder Ji said politely.

He wasn’t posturing, Elder Ji was known for his control over the Law of Fire within the sect. Although his talent in cultivation was lacking, this was one of the reasons why he was able to rise to the rank of an Elder in the first place.

Jayce seemed a little hesitant at first. He was a little worried that his Law of Fire would be lacking due to not having any tutoring nor manuals to help him in the beginning. If Elder Ji was not pleased with his comprehensions, his stock may fall.

But he eventually agreed. The Sect master had already promised that he would be assigned as a Core Disciple, purely based on his cultivation. So there should not be any harm in showcasing his current knowledge.

Perhaps Elder Ji could even guide him further on the Laws.

"Sure, please advise me." He said, bowing slightly.

Jayce sent his Qi from his Dantian towards his right hand and projected it outwards, producing a dancing orange flame on his palm. With his will, he increased the flow of his Qi and increased the size.

Elder Ji seemed calm as he watched the process, inwardly praising Jayce for his adept handling of the flame. It was clear that he had a good comprehension, which was quite rare, especially considering he was a wandering cultivator.

In the next moment however, his eyes almost protruded out of his skull as the flame began to grow darker, starting from orange to red, red to scarlet and eventually maroon.

The moment the flame turned black, Elder Ji almost jumped back in fright.

"F-Fifth tier!?" He blurted out, not believing his eyes.

How could a wandering cultivator have such a grasp over the Law of Fire? He had studied and comprehended the Law for almost 4 decades and had also only reached the fourth tier.

Hearing the unfamiliar term, Jayce raised his eyebrow in question.

"Elder Ji, what do you mean by Fifth tier?"

’He doesn’t even know the tiers!?’ Elder Ji could feel phantom tears run down his face as the damn genius in front of him unknowingly flouted his talents.

However, he managed to find his composure after a while. There was no use comparing oneself to a genius, it would only end up in tears and heartache.

"Ahem. There are 9 Laws which each have 9 tiers, starting from tier 1 and ending at the 9th tier. While it’s not so easy to identify in the other Laws, the Law of Fire changes color and power when a new tier is reached."

Jayce seemed to have a realization as this was explained to him for the first time. Originally he had thought his comprehensions were around ignition, fuel and heat, however it turned out they were just facets of the Law, not what increased their strength.

He had the feeling that the more he comprehended the facets of the laws, the stronger flames he would be able to produce. That was what it must mean to increase ones tier or comprehension of the Laws.