Re-entering the Martial Dao Space, One Year of Alchemy

(Note: Now that this is newly listed, dear readers, please don't stockpile chapters! Once people start stockpiling, the data gets worse. Once the data gets worse, the author can't afford to eat and can only stop updating or even abandon the story. So, dear readers, please don't stockpile chapters!)

(Wishing all readers good health, success in everything, abundant wealth, and immortality!!!)

The room fell quiet, with only the young man's steady breathing and the occasional cry of a night bird drifting in from outside the window.

Xiao Yan appeared to be cultivating, but his consciousness had already sunk into the System Space.

"System, exchange all twelve Second-Order Magic Cores for time."

He muttered inwardly.

The twelve Second-Order Magic Cores were what he had brought back from the Miter Auction House.

The quality of these Magic Cores had barely reached the threshold of the second order.

He did not care about that. He was not using them for alchemy anyway, but as fuel for the Martial Dao Space.

The quality of the Magic Cores only affected the quality of the medicine refined. It had no impact whatsoever on what he intended to do.

[All exchanged. Time the host may enter the Martial Dao Space: one year.]

The system's cold mechanical voice rang out in his mind.

One year.

The corners of Xiao Yan's lips curved slightly. With a year's time, his Soul Power and talent for alchemy gave him a very real chance of fully mastering the Beginner Alchemist Compendium rewarded by the system.

Xiao Yan did not hesitate and directly issued the command in his mind.

"Enter the Martial Dao Space."

The familiar sensation of weightlessness struck again. His consciousness left his body, transforming into a soul form that fell into that vast void.

The Martial Dao Space was still an expanse of blackness.

Xiao Yan's soul form steadied itself in the void. His gaze swept over his surroundings, and amid that eternal darkness, a translucent panel slowly emerged. It glowed faintly blue, casting a hazy halo over the darkness around it.

[Cultivator: Xiao Yan]

[Technique: Heaven-Burning Divine Art (Minor Mastery)]

[Combat Skills: Eight Extremes Collapse (Great Mastery), Suction Palm (Complete Mastery), Lingxi Sword Fingers (Minor Mastery), Five-Flame Heaven-Burning Seal (Four Seals, Beginner), Flame-Congealing Sword Art (Minor Mastery), Explosive Step (Complete Mastery), Flame Burst Fist (Minor Mastery)]

[Alchemy: None]

Xiao Yan's gaze fell upon the final line, and the corners of his mouth slowly lifted.

Just as the system had said, the option to cultivate alchemy had been added. The last time he entered the Martial Dao Space, the panel had not contained this section.

Alchemy differed from combat skills and cultivation techniques. It did not require mere practice, but comprehensive control over medicinal properties, heat, techniques, and timing. It was far more difficult than cultivating combat skills.

Without hesitation, he selected "Alchemy," then tapped the command to begin cultivation.

The Martial Dao Projection moved.

With a sweep of its hands through the air, two crimson medicine cauldrons nearly half a meter tall appeared before Xiao Yan out of thin air. They landed steadily on the ground with a dull thud.

The cauldrons were dark red throughout, with a texture as fine as jade. Their surfaces gleamed faintly, as if enveloped by a thin layer of light.

Two savage snake heads were carved beneath each cauldron. Their gaping mouths formed two connected fire channels.

The channels twisted and stretched inward, narrowing layer by layer the deeper they went. Even at a glance, they contained hidden mysteries and had clearly been carefully designed.

At the top of the cauldron, a giant snake coiled into a dark-red lid. Two emerald gemstones were set into its eyes, flickering with an eerie luster beneath the faint blue light. One part of the lid had a special opening specifically used for feeding in medicinal ingredients.

The lid was scattered with fine holes forged from Ice Silver. Ice Silver was a rare metal with exceptional thermal conductivity. These holes could effectively dissipate heat during alchemy, preventing the temperature inside from becoming too high and causing the cauldron to explode.

Embedded in the middle of the cauldron was a transparent mirror made from Ice Essence.

Ice Essence was an extremely rare ore. It was transparent and resistant to high temperatures, allowing an Alchemist to clearly observe every movement within the cauldron during refinement: changes in the ingredients, the state of the liquid, and the extent to which impurities had been removed.

The surface of the cauldron was decorated with exquisite magical beast carvings: firebirds spreading their wings, firehorses galloping forward, and firesnakes coiling around themselves. Every carving was lifelike, as though it would come alive from the cauldron at any moment.

These were the two medicine cauldrons Xiao Yan had purchased from the Miter Auction House, known as Flame Spirit Cauldrons.

They had been forged by Ho'er, the Jia Ma Empire's famous master artifact smith, with Flamefire Essence as their primary material.

Flamefire Essence was an extremely rare ore. Not only did it noticeably amplify Dou Qi flames, but the rare metals mixed within it could also increase the chance of successful alchemy.

A single Flame Spirit Cauldron was worth more than a hundred thousand gold coins, equivalent to the price of one portion of Fourth-Rank Qi-Gathering Powder.

An ordinary Alchemist would need to save for half a lifetime before possibly being able to afford one of these cauldrons.

Naturally, the two cauldrons in the Martial Dao Space were not physical objects.

They were projections of the two Flame Spirit Cauldrons Xiao Yan had bought. Their appearance, texture, and functions were identical to the real things.

Using them for alchemy in the space felt exactly the same as using real cauldrons in reality. This was one of the most miraculous aspects of the Martial Dao Space.

The Martial Dao Projection walked to the medicine cauldron and pressed its left hand against the snake-mouth fire channel. A pale yellow Dou Qi flame flowed into the cauldron, and the temperature inside began to rise gradually.

The projection's movements were slow, as though replayed in slow motion. It clearly broke down every detail: how to control the size of the flame, how to sense the temperature changes inside the cauldron, when to increase the fire, when to reduce it, and when to maintain a constant temperature.

Xiao Yan watched with complete focus, scarcely daring to blink.

The first item the projection taught him to refine was the unranked Blood-Coagulating Powder.

This was the first medicinal formula Yao Lao had prepared for Xiao Yan, a beginner, in the original story. It was also the first threshold countless Alchemists had to cross.

Blood-Coagulating Powder was of extremely low rank, not even qualifying as first-rank. Its medicinal effect was only slightly stronger than the Spring-Rejuvenation Powder refined by Liu Xi, the First-Rank Alchemist hired by the Galie Clan. Yet for beginners, it was the best teacher—its materials were cheap, its refinement was simple, and failure did not hurt much.

The projection demonstrated it three times.

The first time was at normal speed, allowing Xiao Yan to see the entire process clearly. The second was slow, with every movement broken down to the extreme. The third was segmented, with each stage demonstrated separately: purifying the ingredients, fusing the medicinal liquids, and adjusting the heat.

After the three demonstrations, the projection retreated to one side. Its hollow eyes watched Xiao Yan, signaling for him to step forward.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and walked to the medicine cauldron.

He imitated the projection, pressing his left hand against the snake-mouth fire channel. Dou Qi surged forth, and flames flowed into the cauldron.

The temperature inside began to climb. He watched the changes reflected in the Ice Essence mirror while adjusting the output of his Dou Qi flames. The veins on his forehead bulged slightly, and his temples throbbed.

The first batch of ingredients entered the cauldron. With a hiss, they turned into a clump of charred black ash.

The heat was too high. The ingredients had been burned outright.

The second batch entered the cauldron. With another hiss, they burned again.

This time, the heat was too low. The ingredients were not fully refined, and the impurities mixed with the active components, making it impossible to extract anything.

For the third batch, the heat fluctuated too wildly, rising and falling without pause. The ingredients melted, then solidified, over and over more than a dozen times, until they finally became a black, unidentifiable mass.

The fourth batch, the fifth batch, the sixth batch...

Failure. Failure. Still failure.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Xiao Yan's forehead, but he did not stop.

Again and again, he threw ingredients into the cauldron. Again and again, he adjusted the strength and temperature of the flames. Again and again, he drew experience and lessons from failure.

The heat had been too high this time, so he would lower it next time. He had added the ingredients too late this time, so he would add them earlier next time. The purification time had been insufficient this time, so he would burn them a little longer next time.

The Martial Dao Projection stood not far away and watched silently, like a wordless overseer.

It would not speak to remind him or intervene to help. Whenever Xiao Yan needed it, it would only demonstrate again, breaking down each step once more, enlarging every detail, and emphasizing every key point.

As for whether he understood or learned it, that was Xiao Yan's own responsibility.

The tenth attempt still produced a lump of black charcoal.

On the twentieth attempt, the ingredients finally did not burn, but the purified liquid was murky and filled with impurities. It was utterly unusable.

By the fortieth attempt, the purified liquid had become somewhat clearer, but most of its medicinal properties had been lost. The Blood-Coagulating Powder refined from it had almost no effect.

The sixtieth attempt, the eightieth attempt, the hundredth attempt.

Failure, failure, failure, failure—on the one hundred and first attempt, a lump of dark-red paste finally appeared in the medicine cauldron. Its consistency was just right, its color even, and it emitted a faint medicinal fragrance.

He had succeeded.

Xiao Yan looked at the dark-red paste in the cauldron and let out a long breath. A childlike smile appeared on his face.

That smile held joy, satisfaction, and the solid sense of fulfillment that came from finally being rewarded after hard work.

At the same time, he sighed inwardly—Alchemists truly had an expensive profession.

A hundred failures, plus that final success, had consumed medicinal ingredients worth at least a thousand gold coins.

If he had burned through those ingredients in reality, he would have felt rather distressed.

Fortunately, the consumption in the Martial Dao Space would not carry over into reality. He could fail without restraint, again and again, until he succeeded.

He glanced at the information on the panel.

From his first contact with a medicine cauldron to successfully refining Blood-Coagulating Powder, he had spent three days in the Martial Dao Space.

If his Soul Power had not been far stronger than Xiao Yan's in the original story, giving him sharper temperature perception and more precise control over heat, this would have taken at least several more days.

Xiao Yan was not satisfied with that.

He refined Blood-Coagulating Powder several more times. Only after confirming that he had completely mastered this basic formula did he advance toward higher-ranked medicinal formulas.

First-rank medicinal pills.

Second-rank medicinal pills.

Time passed through the Martial Dao Space at an almost extravagant pace.

There was no alternation between day and night, no hunger or exhaustion to trouble him. There were only the ever-changing flames inside the medicine cauldron, the constantly churning medicinal liquids, and the medicinal fragrance that endlessly gathered and dispersed.

Xiao Yan was like a tireless machine, conquering one medicinal formula after another and mastering one technique after another.

Failure, start again, success, then the next one.

The cycle repeated without end.

Until—

The entire year exchanged from the twelve Second-Order Magic Cores had been exhausted.

Only then did Xiao Yan stop moving. Just before leaving the Martial Dao Space, he summoned his panel and inspected it.

[Cultivator: Xiao Yan]

[Technique: Heaven-Burning Divine Art (Minor Mastery)]

[Combat Skills: Eight Extremes Collapse (Great Mastery), Suction Palm (Complete Mastery), Lingxi Sword Fingers (Minor Mastery), Five-Flame Heaven-Burning Seal (Four Seals, Beginner), Flame-Congealing Sword Art (Minor Mastery), Explosive Step (Complete Mastery), Flame Burst Fist (Minor Mastery)]

[Alchemy: Second Rank]

Second rank.

Xiao Yan looked at those two words, and his grin slowly widened into a satisfied smile.

A year of bitter training had not been wasted—he had learned nearly all first-rank medicinal pills and also mastered a small portion of second-rank ones.

Now, he could openly declare, "I am a Second-Rank Alchemist."

A fifteen-year-old Second-Rank Alchemist.

If this news got out, the entire Jia Ma Empire would be shaken.

How old had Pill King Gu He been when he became a First-Rank Alchemist?

Fifteen? Eighteen?

Xiao Yan could not remember clearly, but he was certain of one thing—Gu He had definitely not reached the second rank at Xiao Yan's age.

The Martial Dao Space began to collapse.

A crack split open in the void. An invisible force pushed Xiao Yan's soul form out and sent it back into his body.

On the bed, Xiao Yan opened his eyes.

With the experience from last time, the connection between his soul form and physical body was much smoother this time.

There was no dizziness, no discomfort, not even that strange sensation of his soul returning to its place.

He flexed his fingers and felt the circulation of Dou Qi within his body.

Then he closed his eyes and entered a state of deep cultivation.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, sunlight slanted through the carved window lattice and cast a patch of warm light upon the bed. The patch slowly moved from Xiao Yan's feet to his knees, over his waist and abdomen, and finally settled on his face.

Warm and itchy.

Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes.

A night of deep cultivation had restored his body to its best condition. His spirit was full, and his Dou Qi abundant.

He drew a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. A faint, visible stream of white air flowed in through his nose and mouth, then out again, condensing into a small cloud of mist before slowly dispersing.

He rolled out of bed, washed up, and changed into clean clothes: a black robe embroidered with golden threads, simple and neat.

He stood before a bronze mirror and adjusted his collar. The youth reflected within stood tall and straight, with handsome features and clear eyes that glimmered with faint golden-red light beneath the morning sun.

He did not linger in the room.

He pushed open the door, and the morning breeze rushed toward him, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees along with the moisture of dew.

Xiao Yan crossed the courtyard, passed through the corridors, went around the moon gate, and headed toward the back mountain.

There was a small cave in the back mountain.

He had discovered it by chance while cultivating two years ago. It was remote, its entrance hidden behind a dense thicket of shrubs. Unless someone deliberately searched for it, no one would notice it at all.

The cave was not large, able to fit perhaps three or four people sitting side by side. It was well ventilated, warm in winter and cool in summer.

Most importantly—it was quiet.

In the entire Xiao Clan, no one besides Xun'er knew of that place.

Xiao Yan needed to learn alchemy and devour Beast Flame.

Both of these required an absolutely quiet environment.

There were too many people and too many prying eyes at home. Although his room was remote and few people passed by it normally, that did not mean it was truly quiet.

Servants came and went, clan members occasionally visited, and stewards might come looking for him at any time—he needed a place where no one could disturb him.

That small cave in the back mountain was perfect.

Xiao Yan quickened his pace, and his figure disappeared into the mountain forest bathed in morning light.