Pseudo Black Demon Cauldron (Revised)

"System, activate my Myriad Devouring Art cultivation technique. I'm going to start cultivating."

At that moment, knowledge related to cultivating the technique appeared in Xiao Yao's mind. After a while, he absorbed the information about the technique.

After taking a deep breath, Xiao Yao closed his eyes again and slowly converted the attributeless battle qi within his body into the fire-attributed battle qi required by the technique, following its prescribed route. An hour later, he slowly opened his eyes and felt that the circulation of battle qi within him had become much faster than before.

During this period, Xiao Yao busied himself absorbing the battle qi between heaven and earth to consolidate his Dou Practitioner cultivation.

During this period, Xiao Yao continued using the Myriad Devouring Art to absorb the battle qi between heaven and earth, consolidating his Dou Practitioner cultivation.

Seeing that his recently attained Dou Practitioner cultivation had become solid after these days of consolidation, Xiao Yao thought that he could officially begin honing his alchemy skills. After all, he had met all the necessary conditions.

Xiao Yao hurriedly pushed open his door and headed for another room where medicinal ingredients were stored. This was the alchemy room he had previously prepared for himself.

Xiao Yao pushed open the door and entered, sitting cross-legged on a cushion. After calming himself and closing his eyes, he looked through the dazzling array of pill formulas in his mind. After some thought, he made his choice.

The First-Grade formula for Blood Coagulation Powder required one Blood Coagulation Grass, one Vitality Fruit, two poppy flowers, and other ingredients. He knew that this was a basic medicinal pill, making it a good choice for a beginner.

Looking at the pill furnace before him, Xiao Yao placed his right hand over its fire vent and used the Myriad Devouring Art to inject the fire-attributed battle qi in his body into it. The golden qi vortex within him began to turn. Air flowing through the vent inside the furnace transformed into tangible flames. Instantly, the air currents within the furnace surged, and a scorching wave of heat rushed at him, making his face burn.

Xiao Yao then tossed the Blood Coagulation Grass into the furnace for refinement, carefully controlling the flame's temperature before adding the Vitality Fruit and poppy flowers.

He placed every ingredient with utmost care, afraid of making even the slightest mistake. Using his soul power to sense the changes in the ingredients, he watched the three materials each turn into a clump of powder. Looking at the powders, he thought alchemy was not that difficult. But just as Xiao Yao was about to fuse them together, an unexpected change occurred. The fused mixture turned into pitch-black ash.

With a blank look, Xiao Yao said to the system, "System, is there something wrong with the formula you gave me, or is there something wrong with the experience you gave me for refining ingredients?"

The system replied, "Host, there has never been the slightest error in the rewards I have given. You should reflect on where your alchemy went wrong."

Looking at the nine remaining sets of ingredients, Xiao Yao once again followed the required alchemy steps. He poured battle qi into the pill furnace, placed the ingredients inside in the same order as before, and began refining. Yet he failed again. So he continued refining, attempt after attempt.

After some time, he looked at the final remaining set of ingredients. "System, are you sure it isn't your problem? Why did the same thing happen in all nine attempts?"

Xiao Yao thought that this surely could not be his fault. Just as he was thinking that—

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the 'Face Tougher Than Gold' achievement. The reward is a disguise mask. Host, your skin is thicker than that of any Host I have ever seen. I'll say it again: think carefully about where you made a mistake during the refinement process."

"System, that's a strange thing to say. My skin is quite thin." After speaking, Xiao Yao touched his cheek, thinking, The system must be jealous of my face. Yes, that has to be it.

Xiao Yao took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and calmed his mind. Scenes from his previous nine alchemy attempts emerged before him, replaying like a film.

Xiao Yao pondered carefully. When he opened his eyes again, the confusion in them had vanished. He took out the last set of ingredients, placed his hand over the furnace's fire vent once more, and controlled his battle qi as it flowed in through the vent.

This time, instead of refining everything as quickly as before, he first stabilized the flames. He blended a trace of wood attribute into his own fire attribute and slowly refined the ingredients in order.

Xiao Yao's movements were skilled and smooth, every step perfectly timed. As time passed, the ingredients within the pill furnace successfully fused into a thick, dark-red powder.

He used battle qi with his right hand to lift the furnace lid, then drew the clump of powder into a jade bottle he had prepared in advance.

With his hands on his hips, Xiao Yao looked at the mediocre pink medicinal powder in the bottle and laughed heartily. "Hahaha, I finally succeeded! Looks like I really am talented."

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully refining a First-Grade medicinal pill. Achievement 'First-Grade Alchemist' unlocked. Rewards as follows: all Second-Grade pill formulas from the Battle Qi Continent, mastery of Second-Grade medicinal ingredient properties, and a weakened Earth-rank version of the Black Demon Cauldron. The rewards have been distributed to the system space."

Upon hearing the system's voice, Xiao Yao excitedly took the Black Demon Cauldron directly from the system space.

Looking at the black medicinal cauldron, Xiao Yao felt as though it were the oldest divine artifact in the world, radiating an aura of mystery and majesty.

It stood around three feet tall and measured roughly two feet across. Its entire body was a deep, ancient black, as though it contained endless years and countless stories.

Seven fire vents were carved into the cauldron's body, only two fewer than the true Black Demon Cauldron. They were arranged in an orderly yet scattered pattern around its surface, each with a different shape. Some were round, some square, and some irregular. These vents seemed like seven mysterious gateways leading to another world.

Xiao Yao saw lifelike flame totems carved onto the cauldron's body. They looked so vivid that they seemed ready to leap from its surface and transform into blazing fire at any moment.

The flame totems took many forms. Some resembled wildly dancing flames, some rolling lava, and others burning stars. Each radiated scorching heat, as if recounting ancient legends and myths.

The system suddenly said, "Host, I suggest you wait until you can refine Third- or Fourth-Grade medicinal pills before using this cauldron. If you use it too early, you will become overly dependent on a good medicinal cauldron, making it difficult to improve your alchemy skills."

After hearing the system's advice, Xiao Yao reluctantly put the Black Demon Cauldron away using the soul storage ring on his hand.

Xiao Yao immediately resolved to improve his alchemy as soon as possible so he could use the medicinal cauldron he liked to refine pills. Thus, he continued refining Blood Coagulation Powder to raise his pill-refining success rate.

During that time, the alchemy room where Xiao Yao stayed would occasionally release the fragrance of medicinal pills and flashes of light produced when they were completed. Pill patterns seemed to coil across the surfaces of those pills.

In the end, under Xiao Yao's careful handling, the once-empty shelves became filled with neatly arranged jade bottles. Each bottle bore a line of small writing indicating the name of the medicinal pill within.

Half a year later, Xiao Yao stood in his small courtyard, practicing the All-Character Secret battle technique the system had given him earlier.

Although Xiao Yao was still only four years old, his physique was unlike that of ordinary people. Standing in the courtyard, he was straight and upright like an unyielding young pine, brimming with vitality and strength.

Xiao Yao moved his body as he performed an unknown martial technique. His movements were smooth and powerful, as natural as flowing clouds and running water.

Xiao Yao's gaze was resolute and bright, revealing an unyielding spirit. He practiced without pause, over and over, until he felt that his body had completely grasped the essence of the martial technique.

Xiao Yao then withdrew his fists and legs and let out a breath, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. "I've finally cultivated the All-Character Secret battle technique the system rewarded me before to the minor success stage," he muttered to himself.

Thinking back over the past half year, he had refined medicine in the mornings, practiced battle techniques in the afternoons, and improved his cultivation and physique at night.

Over those six months, Xiao Yao's alchemy had reached a masterful level. His success rate in refining First-Grade pills was practically flawless, while his success rate for Second-Grade pills had reached ninety percent. His battle qi cultivation had risen by two stars to become a three-star Dou Practitioner, and his physique had also improved slightly.

Thinking back to the day he began refining the Second-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill, when he succeeded, the system had only rewarded him with some Third-Grade pill formulas and attribute mastery, nothing more. This system was really stingy.