First Taste of Alchemy

"Host, you only need to swallow the flame seed, guide it through your body, and finally bring it into your Dantian."

"Just eat it??? Won't it burn me half to death like Xiao Yan? I don't have any of Xiao Yan's preparations for absorbing it. Do you want me to get burned to death and replace me with another host?" Xiao Tian asked fearfully.

"Don't worry, Host. This was a reward from the system, so it won't harm you."

After hearing the system's words, Xiao Tian relaxed as well. He slowly reached toward the flame in the air. When his finger touched it, there was none of the scorching pain he had imagined. Instead, it felt warm, and he even sensed a joyful emotion within the flame. Xiao Tian let down his guard, thrust his entire hand into the flame, seized a wisp of the flame seed, and withdrew his hand. Looking at the flame seed in his palm, he gritted his teeth and swallowed it in one gulp.

After entering his body, the flame seed traveled throughout his meridians. As it moved through them, his body felt incredibly comfortable, like soaking in a hot spring during the cold winter. He felt refreshed all over. After traveling through his entire body, the flame seed went straight to the top of his Qi Cyclone, circling around it continuously.

He extended his hand and moved his mind. The Qilin Burning Sky Flame appeared in his palm. He tossed it at the large stone in front of him, and the flame instantly pierced through it, leaving a large black hole in the stone.

After continuously manipulating the flame until he became proficient, Xiao Tian took out the Thunder Origin. Looking at the mass of purple, liquid-like lightning in his hand, he directly absorbed and refined it.

An hour later, Xiao Tian opened his eyes. Sensing the five wisps of blue lightning inside his body, he said, "It increased by three wisps. Is that a lot? Two more Thunder Origins should be enough to form Yimu Thunder." (PS: Spirit Thunder only increases one's cultivation after it has taken shape and been absorbed. During the formation process, Spirit Thunder does not contribute to a breakthrough. The cultivation art condenses Spirit Thunder while accumulating Dou Qi at the same time. Only after enough Dou Qi has accumulated will a breakthrough occur. Don't worry, it won't suppress the protagonist.)

Seeing that dusk was approaching, Xiao Tian turned and walked down from the mountaintop toward his courtyard. After returning, he sensed the flow of Dou Qi in Xiao Yan's room next door, took a comfortable bath, then lay on his bed and browsed the Pill Book in his mind.

Early the next morning, Xiao Tian arrived at the Xiao Family's Dou Qi Pavilion. When he got there, Clan Leader Xiao Zhan was already standing at the entrance. After seeing Xiao Tian arrive, he waved his hand and had the Guard push open the heavy black doors before saying, "Tian'er, test your attribute."

Hearing Xiao Zhan's words, Xiao Tian walked over and placed his hand on the Test Crystal. A burst of silver light flashed, with bolts of lightning continuously coursing through it. After Xiao Tian withdrew his hand, the lightning vanished, and the Crystal Ball instantly shattered.

"Tian'er, go inside. Follow your attribute to enter the appropriate passage and choose a cultivation art suited to you."

"Yes, Father," Xiao Tian replied before stepping into the Dou Qi Pavilion. As soon as he entered, his gaze swept across the dark corners of the Attic. His keen Soul Perception sensed that numerous Guards were hidden in the shadowy corners of the Dou Qi Pavilion, watching his every move.

Xiao Tian casually sensed the strength of the cultivation arts inside. After breaking through a barrier, he picked up a cultivation art: Yellow Rank Mid Grade, Thunder Fang Devour. After looking it over, he walked out of the main entrance. Once it had been registered, the doors of the Dou Qi Pavilion closed. Xiao Zhan patted Xiao Tian on the shoulder and said, "Let's go. Go back and cultivate properly."

After leaving the Dou Qi Pavilion, Xiao Tian went to the Imitation Market and bought a large amount of medicinal herbs before returning to the Xiao Family. Passing by Xiao Xun'er's small courtyard, he knocked on her door. After Xiao Xun'er opened it, she asked, "Xiao Tian Gege, why did you come to see me?"

"Xun Er, I'm going into secluded cultivation for a while. It could be as short as a month or as long as three months."

"Xiao Tian Gege, why are you suddenly going into secluded cultivation? Are you going to change your cultivation art? I heard you went to the Dou Qi Pavilion today to get a cultivation art. What did you take?"

Xiao Tian took out the cultivation art he had obtained from the Dou Qi Pavilion. Xiao Xun'er looked at it and saw that it was only Yellow Rank Mid Grade. With a flick of her slender finger, a silver-white scroll appeared in her hand. "Xiao Tian Gege, when you first begin cultivating Dou Qi, the higher the cultivation art's rank, the greater the benefits for your future cultivation. Cultivating a Yellow Rank Mid Grade art is a little too low. This is the Thunder-type Mystic Rank High Grade Surging Thunder Art. Take it and cultivate it."

Xiao Tian took back the Yellow Rank Mid Grade cultivation art from Xun Er's hand. Seeing that he was unwilling to accept it, Xun Er said anxiously, "Xiao Tian Gege."

Xiao Tian lowered his head and spoke softly beside Xun Er's ear, "I know your identity is very mysterious, Xun Er. You can casually take out a Mystic Rank High Grade cultivation art. Precisely because I know you're very mysterious, I won't cultivate this Yellow Rank Mid Grade art—I need to prepare for marrying you in the future."

"Xiao Tian Gege, what nonsense are you talking about? Who said I wanted to marry you?" Xiao Xun'er said in a fluster, her face flushing red.

Seeing that Xun Er's face had reddened as though it might drip blood, he stopped teasing her. A wisp of Dou Qi appeared in his hand, and he extended it toward her. "I already changed my cultivation art long ago. You can sense it."

After sensing the strength of the Dou Qi in Xiao Tian's hand, Xiao Xun'er said with a flushed face, "It seems Xiao Tian Gege is very mysterious too. You're cultivating a Di Tier Low Grade cultivation art. No wonder you looked down on my cultivation art."

After chatting with Xun Er for a while, he said goodbye and left. He arrived at the stone forest behind the mountain and stood atop a rock. Recalling the Heavenly Thunder Halberd Cultivation Art he had obtained some time ago, he began circulating the Dou Technique. The Thunder Attribute Dou Qi and Spirit Thunder in his meridians were continuously drawn out and gathered in his hand. In less than half a minute, they condensed into a silver-green Fang Tian Hua Ji more than two meters long. Lightning constantly flashed along its shaft, making it look as though a heavenly god had descended.

He practiced repeatedly, condensing and dispersing it over and over until he gradually became proficient. Once he could form the halberd in less than a second with a single thought, he stopped practicing.

After practicing several other Profound Rank Dou Skills, Xiao Tian found a secluded Mountain Cave in the rear mountains. He entered, blocked the entrance with stones, took out the medicinal herbs, and began his journey as an Alchemist.

Xiao Tian sat quietly on the ground. Recalling how Xiao Yan had condensed a Medicine Cauldron with a Heavenly Flame in the Original Work, he waved his palm. The Qilin Burning Sky Flame appeared before him and gradually formed a Medicine Cauldron. Just as Xiao Tian was rejoicing, the Medicine Cauldron suddenly dispersed.

"Maintaining it is really difficult," Xiao Tian sighed.

After a day's brief practice, Xiao Tian could gradually maintain the Medicine Cauldron for a long time—long enough to refine pills. He then began extracting the medicinal herbs. He tossed a stalk of Blood Coagulation Grass into the Medicine Cauldron. The moment it entered, Xiao Tian slowly controlled the temperature of the Heavenly Flame. Under the flame's roasting, the Blood Coagulation Grass gradually became tiny amounts of white powder. He then took the powder out of the Medicine Cauldron and placed it in a prepared box.

"Hahahaha, I really am talented. I succeeded in extracting it on my first try." Xiao Tian looked at the white powder in the box and grinned.

After resting for a while, he continued extracting the remaining Blood Coagulation Grass, White Orchid Fruit, and Blood Ginseng.

Time flew by. A month later, Xiao Tian looked haggardly at the bottles of Blood Healing Pills piled on the ground before him, as well as the heap of ashes. These were all the medicinal powder residues that had been burned during the pill-forming process because he had failed to control the flame's temperature properly.

"Being an Alchemist really costs money. If not for the money rewarded by the system, it would be difficult to support this. Still, I've perfected the refinement of First Grade Pills. Next, I can refine Second Grade Pills." Xiao Tian looked at the Blood Healing Pill with Pill Veins in his hand.

After resting and recovering his Dou Qi, Xiao Tian began refining the new Second Grade Bone Tempering Pill and Youth Preservation Pill. Bone Tempering Pill: Bone Forging Grass, Blood Essence Grass, Marrow Cultivating Root. Youth Preservation Pill: Rainbow Skirt Grass, Jade Skin Flower, Body Cleansing Grass, Red Leek Fragrance.