Could He Really Be a Genius?

"Is this the Fourth-Grade Pill, Qi Gathering Powder?"

It was Xiao Yan's first time seeing a pill of the fourth grade. He carefully drew it into his palm with his soul power and examined it closely.

Flawless!

Those were the only four words in Xiao Yan's mind.

This Qi Gathering Powder, made by Old Yao himself, was of exceptionally high quality. Its effects would undoubtedly be excellent.

"Well? I didn't lie to you, did I? I wouldn't even put the alchemists of the entire Northwest Continent in my eyes, much less that so-called Pill King Gu He of your Jia Ma Empire. A mere Sixth-Grade Alchemist dares call himself the Pill King?"

Seeing the amazement on Xiao Yan's face, Old Yao's aged face broke into a smile. A small display of skill was enough to stun this clever kid!

Clearly, Xiao Yan only needed to trust Old Yao, but Old Yao had far more to consider.

"Teacher, I really want to learn alchemy. Teach me!"

Xiao Yan immediately bowed down, his face full of devotion, as though he were facing the sun itself.

The smile on Old Yao's face stiffened somewhat.

The kid was indeed clever, but he was also absurdly over-the-top.

Still, with Old Yao's experience, he could naturally tell that although Xiao Yan's reaction was exaggerated, his desire to learn alchemy was genuine. The yearning in his eyes was not an act.

"No rush. Watch carefully once more how I control the fire and refine the medicinal liquids."

After speaking, Old Yao took out another set of ingredients for Qi Gathering Powder. This time, he deliberately slowed his movements, yet even so, his control of the heat while refining the ingredients remained utterly precise.

This masterful technique, where he could alter his pace at will without affecting the pill's quality in the slightest, left Xiao Yan utterly entranced. Though he knew little about alchemy and had not even entered its gates, he still watched in rapt fascination.

This was simply art!

Even after Old Yao finished refining the second Qi Gathering Powder, Xiao Yan still had not snapped out of his daze.

Though he had never personally refined pills, aided by his extraordinary soul perception, Xiao Yan felt as if he had grasped something from Old Yao's techniques.

Yet he could not explain what that feeling was. Perhaps only when he refined pills himself would he be able to understand what this insight truly meant.

"Hm?"

Seeing Xiao Yan's thoughtful expression, Old Yao was somewhat surprised.

He had actually seen this situation many times before.

Back when he guided certain juniors, they had also worn similar expressions.

But... Xiao Yan was different from them.

Those people he had guided had all been proper alchemists. Only after becoming trapped at a bottleneck and receiving his guidance had they reacted this way.

But Xiao Yan...

At most, he could only be considered an apprentice now.

Simply by watching his techniques, he had gained some insight. Such talent for alchemy was truly astonishing.

"Teacher, please don't refine the remaining set of ingredients just yet. I want to try refining pills now. Perhaps... I might gain something from it."

Xiao Yan came back to his senses and looked seriously at Old Yao, who was preparing to continue refining.

"Oh? Very well. I also want to see what you comprehended from your observation just now."

A smile appeared on Old Yao's face as he nodded.

Seeing that Old Yao agreed, Xiao Yan immediately took an alchemy cauldron from his Storage Ring.

The cauldron was about half a meter tall and entirely dark red, dotted with faint crimson gleams. Two ferocious beast heads were carved beneath it, their gaping mouths forming two interconnected fire channels. The channels twisted and wound inward, gradually narrowing in diameter. Looking closely, they seemed to contain hidden mysteries.

The dark-red lid, embossed with a massive beast coiled upon it, also had a special opening for placing medicinal ingredients inside.

Fine holes made from Ice Silver were scattered across the lid. They served to disperse heat and prevent the cauldron from exploding under excessive temperatures. In the middle of the cauldron was a transparent mirror forged from Cold Ice Essence, through which one could clearly observe every movement inside while refining pills.

Gazing at the ornate cauldron, Xiao Yan frowned.

The cauldron's quality was actually quite decent, but its decorative patterns had an excessively gaudy, nouveau-riche feel that he disliked. Whoever made this cauldron had no taste.

"Hmm, a two-flame-port cauldron. For a beginner like you, it is fairly good."

Old Yao glanced at the two beast mouths on the dark-red cauldron and spoke indifferently.

"A two-flame-port cauldron?"

Xiao Yan blinked in confusion.

"Alchemy cauldrons also have grades. The more fire channels a cauldron has, the higher its grade and the rarer it is. Don't think you can simply punch a few holes into one and call them fire channels. Their intricacies are impossible for outsiders to detect.

"These fire channels are the essence of an alchemy cauldron and require extremely precise polishing. The slightest mistake during forging will turn the entire cauldron into a failed product. Therefore, cauldrons with more fire channels provide greater assistance in alchemy.

"Of course, controlling multiple fire channels requires powerful soul perception. For a novice like you, being able to control two fire channels during your first attempt at alchemy is already quite good."

Old Yao smiled and explained.

Xiao Yan nodded in partial understanding, then looked at the cauldron before him and asked, "What should I do next?"

"You should first familiarize yourself with the cauldron. Place one hand over a fire channel, then draw upon the Heavenly Flames inside your body and send them into it."

Floating in midair, Old Yao directed him.

Xiao Yan nodded and touched the fire channel. Closing his eyes slightly, the blood-red vortex within his body stirred faintly. A red flame surged from his palm along his meridians, passed through the fire channel, and entered the cauldron, where it churned and burned continuously.

"Ah, when others learn alchemy, they begin by converting Dou Zhe energy into flame. You brat not only skipped that step, but the flame you use is directly a Heavenly Flame. Such luck is truly enviable!"

Looking at the churning flames inside the cauldron, Old Yao could not help shaking his head with a sigh.

Hearing this, Xiao Yan raised his brows and rubbed his nose.

He had never expected to obtain a Heavenly Flame so fortunately while still at the Dou Zhe stage.

"However, a Heavenly Flame alone is not alchemical fire. Now focus your mind and control that trace of wood attribute within your body, then infuse it into the cauldron!"

Xiao Yan obediently closed his eyes. His mind gradually settled, and relying on his exceptional soul perception, he directly found that trace of Wood Force within the Liver Meridian of Foot Jueyin. Opening his eyes, he extended a finger and lightly pressed it against the other fire channel, pouring in an exceedingly faint stream of green energy.

The instant the green stream entered the cauldron, the Myriad Beast Spirit Fire, which had still been somewhat violent inside, suddenly calmed like a tamed beast. Through Xiao Yan's soul perception, he sensed that the violent elements within the flames had been neutralized by the Wood Force. Moreover, the flames were clearly more enduring and easier to control than before.

"He found it just like that?"

Watching Xiao Yan close and open his eyes before finding the Wood Force, Old Yao's eyes nearly popped out.