Bitter Cultivation

"Whoosh..."

After calming himself, Ye Tian activated the Golden Light Wings and flew out of the valley.

Soaring through the sky and looking down at the beautiful scenery of the Monster Mountain Range, Ye Tian felt utterly refreshed. Back then, he would not even have dared to dream of such an experience.

As he flew over a valley, Ye Tian spotted the Crimson Flame Tiger that had killed his parents some time ago. It was lying atop a huge stone slab, looking around alertly.

"Roar..."

At that moment, the great tiger noticed Ye Tian in the sky as well. It immediately rose to its feet and roared toward the heavens.

"Once I get a little stronger, I'll come back and kill this bastard."

Ye Tian desperately wanted to kill the Crimson Flame Tiger and avenge his parents, but it was a Fourth-order Magical Beast, equivalent to a human Dou Ling. He was only an Eight-star Dou Practitioner right now, three major realms below it. He had no way to kill it.

After leaving the Crimson Flame Tiger's territory, Ye Tian encountered several more powerful Magic Beasts. Fortunately, he could fly now, so he did not have to worry about being hunted down by them.

The Monster Mountain Range contained not only powerful Magic Beasts but also countless Spirit Herbs. Ye Tian did not idle around either. He searched for Spirit Herbs while entering a period of bitter cultivation. Now that he had obtained such a great opportunity, he had to cultivate diligently and increase his combat strength.

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

"This Carefree Dragon Step is really amazing. If I used this movement technique in battle, my enemies would probably be completely dazzled."

"Eternal Heavenly Thunder."

"Crackle, crackle..."

"This move feels a lot like Bansho Tenin from The Legend of Qin. It's wonderful!"

"..."

Over the course of three months, Ye Tian brought several Different World Cultivation Methods—the Carefree Travel, Eternal Heavenly Thunder Technique, Universe Soul Forging Art, Hundred Meridians Body Forging Art, and Heaven Slaying Sword Art—to the beginner level. In addition, he became proficient in the two Xuan Tier High-Grade Dou Techniques, Wind Sweeping Clouds and Blade of Flames.

"Pant, pant..."

"It uses up far too much Dou Qi."

That day, Ye Tian planned to cultivate Thousand Leaves Dance, but the moment he began, it nearly drained all the Dou Qi from his body. It seemed he would have to wait until his strength improved before cultivating this Di Tier Dou Technique.

However, Thousand Leaves Dance looked very similar to Shao Siming's ultimate move in The Legend of Qin. It was truly marvelous.

"It's time to break through to Dou Master."

After resting for several days, Ye Tian saw that his cultivation had reached Nine-star Dou Practitioner Grand Perfection, so he decided to advance to the next realm.

"Whoosh..."

As the Chaos Creation Art circulated, Heaven and Earth Energy from all directions surged into Ye Tian's body like a tide.

"Pop..."

Before long, Ye Tian seemed to hear the sound of a barrier shattering. His strength successfully broke through to the Dou Master realm, and a pale golden gauzy garment resembling clothing covered his body.

Ye Tian used his Soul Power to examine his dantian and discovered that his Dou Qi Vortex had turned liquid. Its energy intensity was far greater than it had been in the Dou Practitioner realm.

"Not bad."

Within the Chaos Tower, Elder Pagoda sensed Ye Tian's successful breakthrough to Dou Master and nodded in satisfaction.

"Senior, open the Treasure Tower Teleportation Gate. I need to get a pill cauldron from the Treasure Pavilion and prepare to refine pills."

After reaching the Dou Master realm, Ye Tian planned to begin cultivating the arts of pill refining.

Everyone knew that pill refining was an indispensable skill for powerful cultivators. On the Dou Qi Continent, Alchemists were highly respected. Moreover, refining pills could improve one's Soul Power, so of course Ye Tian had to learn it.

"No problem."

"Buzz..."

Seeing Ye Tian's eagerness to learn, Jin Yan directly controlled the Chaos Tower as it flew out from Ye Tian's body, expanded to three meters tall, and opened a teleportation gate.

"Whoosh..."

Ye Tian immediately flew into the depths of the first floor of the Chaos Tower and activated the Treasure Pavilion Teleportation Gate with the Chaos Heavenly Flame.

"Universe Cauldron? This one's good. I'll take it."

After searching the Treasure Pavilion for a while, Ye Tian spotted a pill cauldron engraved with Eight Trigrams Yin Yang Fish patterns, and his eyes immediately lit up.

Ye Tian planned to start with the simplest First-grade Pills. As the saying went, a towering building began from level ground. Pill refining was like cultivation; he had to build a solid foundation step by step.

Since Ye Tian's father had once worked as a Guard at the Mittel Auction House in Wutan City, Ye Tian had often gone with his mother to Wutan City to visit his father from the age of twelve onward. Over time, he became familiar with the people at the Auction House and even studied pill refining under Gu Ni, a Second Grade Alchemist, for a while. However, because he had neither Heavenly Flames nor Beast Fire at the time, he could only use flames condensed from Dou Qi to refine pills. The results were poor, and the pills he made were of terrible quality.

Now that Ye Tian possessed the Chaos Heavenly Flame, a Holy Flame from the Great Thousand World, the pills he refined should be of excellent quality.

After preparing a set of ingredients for a First-grade Injury Recovery Pill, Ye Tian activated the Chaos Heavenly Flame and sent it into the Formation Patterns of the Universe Cauldron.

The next moment, the ingredients within the cauldron began to melt into medicinal liquid, releasing waves of pill fragrance.

"Buzz..."

Ye Tian sensed the changes in the ingredients with his Soul Power while controlling the output of the Chaos Heavenly Flame.

"Whoosh..."

Before long, an Injury Recovery Pill giving off a rich pill fragrance emerged successfully. Its surface was smooth as jade and shimmered with pill patterns.

"Very good."

Seeing this, Ye Tian hurriedly took out an Injury Recovery Pill he had bought before from his Ring of Holding and compared it with the one he had refined.

"No need to compare them! The pill you refined has already reached top-grade quality. It's better than the one you bought before."

"With your current strength, you should be able to refine some Third-grade Pills."

At that moment, Jin Yan's voice rang out in Ye Tian's mind. She was extremely satisfied with the Little Fellow's performance in pill refining.

"Senior, refining First-grade Pills is not difficult for me. I've never refined Second-grade Pills before, and Third-grade Pills would be even more difficult."

"The path of pill refining is like cultivation. You need to take it one step at a time to make steady progress."

After refining a First-grade Pill, Ye Tian did not feel proud at all. After all, he had experimented many times in the past. Still, the fact that the Injury Recovery Pill had reached top-grade quality exceeded his expectations. It seemed the wonders of the Chaos Heavenly Flame surpassed his imagination.

"It's good that you think that way."

Seeing that Ye Tian was neither arrogant nor impatient, Jin Yan felt greatly gratified.

Ye Tian then prepared several batches of ingredients and began refining the Second-grade Pill Qi Nourishing Powder.

"Whoosh..."

Because he failed to control the temperature of the Heavenly Flame during his first attempt, he directly burned the ingredients to ashes.

"Phew..."

After several attempts, he finally succeeded in refining Qi Nourishing Powder of top-grade quality.

Over the next few days, Ye Tian successfully refined several kinds of Second-grade Pills, including Ice Heart Pills, Bone Regeneration Pills, and Foundation Establishment Pills.

Looking at the Foundation Establishment Pill in his hand, Ye Tian thought of the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid that Old Man Yao Chen had refined for Xiao Yan. However, that was only used for medicinal baths, whereas the Foundation Establishment Pill recorded in the Pill Dao Sacred Canon was taken orally. Its recipe also differed from the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid recipe of that Old Man.

Ye Tian could not be bothered to dwell on it. After all, powerful Alchemists could develop their own pill formulas. Still, one thing was certain: this orally consumed Foundation Establishment Pill had to be stronger than Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid. One was taken internally, while the other was merely used for medicinal baths. Naturally, their effects differed.

Pill refining was also a mentally exhausting and Dou Qi-consuming process. However, it could temper the soul. After these days of pill refining, Ye Tian's Universe Soul Forging Art had unknowingly reached the first level. By the Dou Qi Continent's standards, his Soul Strength had likely reached around Mortal Realm Mid-stage.

"My Soul Strength has improved again. It's time to try refining Third-grade Pills."

Ye Tian decided to begin with Wind Hành Pills, one of the simpler Third-grade Pills. It required only nine ingredients and was not especially difficult to refine. Moreover, since he was in the Monster Mountain Range, finding medicinal ingredients was not difficult.

After countless attempts, Ye Tian finally succeeded in refining a Wind Hành Pill.

"The appearance is quite good."

Ye Tian looked at the Top-grade Wind Hành Pill shimmering with pale blue pill patterns, then swallowed it in one gulp.

"Buzz..."

The pill melted the instant it entered his mouth, turning directly into energy that flowed into Ye Tian's Limbs and Bones. Wind-element energy swirled around his body, and he felt that his movement speed had increased severalfold at least.

"Wind Sweeping Clouds!"

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

Seeing this, Ye Tian immediately formed hand seals with both hands and unleashed a Dou Technique. In an instant, his Dou Qi transformed into a violent gale that swept forward like a tornado.

"Very good."

As Ye Tian's strength increased, the power of the Dou Techniques he unleashed grew stronger and stronger.

"Eternal Heavenly Thunder!"

Ye Tian then used one of the moves from the Eternal True Heavenly Thunder Divine Skill.

"Crackle, crackle..."

Several bolts of lightning shot from his hands toward the surroundings. Some stones, as though drawn by a magnet, flew directly toward Ye Tian.

"It's practically like the Great Method of Absorbing Stars, except it comes with lightning. It's incredibly cool."

Ye Tian nodded in satisfaction. Once this Eternal Heavenly Thunder move was unleashed, it came blazing with sparks and lightning, looking extremely impressive.

Next, Ye Tian took out the Tai Cang Sword and practiced the Heaven Slaying Sword Method.

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

The ancient longsword moved through Ye Tian's hands like a roaming dragon, tracing one sword flower after another and producing bursts of sound. The sight was incredibly dazzling.

"Not bad! Not bad!"

Inside the Chaos Tower, Jin Yan watched Ye Tian with approving eyes. After several months of bitter cultivation, this Little Fellow had achieved something at last.

After practicing for most of the day, Ye Tian began searching the Monster Mountain Range for large quantities of Spirit Herbs, preparing to refine some Qi Recovery Pills. Right now, he desperately needed these Third-grade Pills that could restore Dou Qi.

"Very good."

After numerous attempts, Ye Tian once again refined Top-grade Qi Recovery Pills.

"It's time to go home and take a look. Otherwise, I'll practically turn into a wild man."

Sensing that his cultivation had risen to One-star Dou Master Peak, Ye Tian decided to return to Qingshan Town.

Qingshan Town was a small town on the outskirts of Wutan City. Because it was close to the Monster Mountain Range, many people in the town worked as Mercenaries, frequently forming teams to enter the Monster Mountain Range, hunt Magic Beasts, and obtain Magical Cores.

After being reborn in this world, Ye Tian had been born in a small village called Qinghe Village in Qingshan Town. His father was Ye Hai, and his mother was Liu Mengli. Both had once been Mercenaries. After he was born, the two of them stopped doing the life-threatening work of Mercenaries. By a stroke of fortune, his father joined the Mittel Auction House in Wutan City as a Guard, while his mother stayed home to raise him. Their days had been carefree enough, but fate was unpredictable. Now, he had still become an orphan.

Returning to his hometown in this world once more, Ye Tian felt somewhat sorrowful. Only he remained in this home now. Perhaps this was the fate of a Transmigrator.

"Click..."

After calming himself, Ye Tian opened the Room Door, entered the house, and began boiling water to cook. During this time, he had spent nearly all his days cultivating various Cultivation Methods and skills and refining pills. He had not enjoyed a proper meal in a long time. Now that his parents were gone, he had to strive to live on, climb to the pinnacle of this world, and perhaps, once his strength surpassed the Dominator Realm, revive his parents through the river of time.

However, this was only Ye Tian's wish. For his current self, achieving such a goal was nothing more than a fantasy.

Half an hour later, a fragrant meal was ready. Ye Tian began devouring the delicious food. He had to admit that food in a Different World had none of that technological trickery, and it simply tasted wonderful.