I really am a genius

After receiving Su Tian's affirmative answer, Qing Mu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, as though a weight had lifted from his shoulders. The kindly smile on his aged face grew even warmer.

"Rest assured, young fellow. With me here, you'll become a true alchemist as quickly as possible."

Looking at Su Tian, Qing Mu's smile softened further, and he spoke in a gentle voice.

Su Tian hurriedly nodded and chuckled. "Then I'm sorry in advance for all the trouble I'll be giving you, Senior Qing Mu!"

Whether what he just said was true or false, the most important thing right now is to become an alchemist as soon as possible. That way, even if something changes later, I'll at least have some ability to deal with it!

Su Tian already had his own plans in mind.

Perhaps Qing Mu believed that his offer had truly won Su Tian over.

But as far as Su Tian was concerned, he had agreed to Qing Mu's proposal for his own sake, nothing more.

Thus, although Su Tian had decided to study alchemy under Qing Mu, the moment anything threatened his safety, his first choice would be to extricate himself.

"Senior Qing Mu, when will we start learning alchemy?"

Su Tian rubbed his hands together and grinned, clearly unable to wait.

Seeing his expression, Qing Mu shook his head with a smile and gently chided him. "You little fellow, always so impatient. That state of mind won't do you any favors when refining pills. You must never approach it like this. Remember that, understood?"

"I'll take your lesson to heart!"

Su Tian scratched his head and hurriedly answered with a sheepish smile.

With the opportunity to become an alchemist right before him, Su Tian truly found it difficult to contain his excitement.

After all, Su Tian had long yearned for the lofty status of alchemists and their pill-refining arts, which wrested the wonders of creation from heaven and earth.

It was hardly surprising that Su Tian had lost his composure a little.

"There's no hurry to begin refining medicine. Since you're just starting to learn alchemy, I still need to prepare a few things for you."

Seeing Su Tian's slightly embarrassed expression, Qing Mu shook his head with a quiet laugh. After a moment's consideration, he spoke calmly.

"Besides, I noticed earlier that you've consumed too much of your Dou Qi. You're not in a suitable condition to begin learning alchemy immediately. Refining medicine also requires the support of Dou Qi, after all. If you force yourself to refine medicine without enough of it, you'll only be wasting precious medicinal ingredients."

Su Tian listened to Qing Mu's instruction with an exceptionally serious expression.

After considering it briefly, Qing Mu looked at Su Tian again. "How about this? Rest properly tonight and restore yourself to peak condition. Tomorrow morning, I'll come and formally begin teaching you alchemy."

"Thank you, Senior Qing Mu!"

Su Tian nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at grain. "By the way, Senior Qing Mu, do you live nearby too?"

"Yes. I live in the courtyard right next door. If you have any questions while studying alchemy in the future, you can come to me at any time."

Qing Mu nodded and smiled.

"Great! Then let me thank you in advance for your generous guidance, Senior Qing Mu!"

Su Tian chuckled and rubbed his nose.

After giving Su Tian a few more instructions about studying alchemy, Qing Mu waved to him, then sprang into the air. His figure soon vanished beyond the courtyard wall.

Watching Qing Mu's carefree departure, then glancing at the courtyard gate not far away, Su Tian clicked his tongue in admiration. "As expected of a Dou Wang expert. He certainly has style. Maybe masters never use the front gate."

He withdrew his gaze and stretched mightily before finally letting out a long breath.

Recalling everything he had experienced that day, Su Tian still felt as though he were dreaming.

Su Tian had never imagined that transmigration would happen to him.

Yet now it had not only happened for real, but the slightest carelessness could even cost him his life.

When had the old Su Tian ever experienced anything like this? Thinking back on it now, he was suddenly overwhelmed by belated fear.

"It's only my first day, and things are already this exciting. Am I going to be gambling with my life every day from now on?"

Su Tian lifted his face to the sky and lamented, a deep bitterness welling up inside him.

But Su Tian was powerless against this fate. Since he could not change it, he could only accept it.

Forget it. Since I'm here, I might as well settle in. With my talent and aptitude, I refuse to believe I can't make something of myself!

Su Tian shook his head vigorously and took a deep breath, then gritted his teeth and silently swore to himself.

After forcefully casting the tangled thoughts out of his mind, Su Tian turned and returned to the dilapidated room.

"Cough, cough..."

The moment he entered, a faint breeze swept through, stirring up a swirling cloud of dust that made Su Tian cough helplessly.

"This damn place isn't fit for a human being to live in!"

Waving away the dust before him, Su Tian surveyed the decrepit room with a helpless expression. His hands clenched and relaxed, and in the end, all he could do was sigh.

"Forget it. Strictly speaking, those fellows from the Snake-People Tribe aren't human anyway."

That thought immediately made Su Tian feel much better.

He tidied the room a little, at least clearing out a place where he could rest for the night.

Su Tian sat cross-legged on the stone bed, drew a deep breath, and slowly closed his eyes.

Then Su Tian brought his hands together, forming a peculiar seal before him. His chest rose and fell steadily, his breathing calm and strong.

Whoosh...

As Su Tian circulated his cultivation technique, tiny, faintly flickering motes of light gradually appeared in the air. Glowing with a weak red radiance, they slowly gathered around him, then plunged into his body with his breaths.

The countless motes gathered together as though merging into a stream of air. As that stream entered his body, a faint rosy sheen seemed to suddenly emerge on Su Tian's handsome face.

Within Su Tian's Dou Crystal, the Dou Qi he had expended during the day was visibly replenishing itself.

Normally, the characteristic color of a yellow-tier, low-grade Fire Attribute cultivation technique should have been pale yellow.

Yet the Flame Mantra Su Tian cultivated was also yellow tier low grade, and it made his Dou Qi appear fiery red instead.

In this respect, he differed from Xiao Yan.

But Su Tian did not know the reason behind it either, and the system had provided no answer.

Thus, Su Tian could only reassure himself by attributing it to the system.

Still, just as Yao Lao had once said, although the Flame Mantra was only yellow tier low grade, its power was no weaker than that of a yellow tier mid grade cultivation technique.

However, in terms of endurance and the depth of its reserves, the Flame Mantra could not compare with the higher-tier cultivation techniques others possessed.

This meant that whenever Su Tian fought someone in the future, he would have to act decisively, give it his all, and end the battle quickly.

Otherwise, once he became caught in a drawn-out struggle, the situation would ultimately become extremely unfavorable for him.

And if Su Tian wanted to raise his cultivation technique's tier, his only option was to keep devouring heavenly flames.

But the reason Su Tian had originally chosen to cultivate the Flame Mantra was that he truly had no other choice.

It was as though even fate itself were pushing Su Tian, step by step, down the path of devouring heavenly flames.

Through the broken roof, clear moonlight gently spilled onto Su Tian's seated, cultivating form, as though draping him in a hazy gauze robe.

Immersed in cultivation, Su Tian passed the night without incident.

Although the Flame Mantra was only a Yellow Tier Low Grade Technique, after a full night of cultivation, aided by the abundant Fire Attribute energy in the Tagor Desert, the Dou Crystal within Su Tian's body finally returned to its peak condition.

"Phew..."

Su Tian's eyelids trembled, then slowly opened. A dazzling glint flashed through his eyes before he parted his lips slightly and expelled a breath of stale air.

Rising to his feet, Su Tian moved his somewhat stiff body a little. A series of cracks and pops rang out from within him, like a string of firecrackers.

Feeling the immense comfort spreading through his body, Su Tian could not help stretching and letting out a groan.

"So this is what cultivation feels like? It seems much better than waking up after a good sleep!"

After experiencing it for himself, Su Tian realized he seemed to have already fallen in love with the feeling of cultivation.

Suddenly, Su Tian grinned and clenched his right fist, instantly gathering a surge of Dou Qi.

Bam!

Su Tian moved his feet, darting swiftly into the courtyard before swinging his fist fiercely at a withered tree.

Crack!

In the blink of an eye, Su Tian's punch broke the tree across its middle, sending the two sections falling to the ground.

Su Tian withdrew his right fist and took a deep breath, finally calming the excitement in his heart a little.

"Hehe, it's good to be young. So full of energy first thing in the morning. You really do make this old man envious."

Just then, a kindly laugh suddenly came from behind Su Tian.

Su Tian froze briefly, then hurriedly turned around. Qing Mu stood not far away, looking as though he had just climbed over the wall.

"I've made a fool of myself, Senior Qing Mu!"

Su Tian scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

Qing Mu's silent appearance gave Su Tian quite a fright and deepened his understanding of the old man's strength.

At that thought, Su Tian once again felt thankful that he had restrained the urge to attack when they first met.

Whether he faced Queen Medusa, Hua She'er, Yue Mei, or Qing Mu, it made no difference.

With his strength as a One-Star Great Dou Master, it seemed he could only be bullied.

This left Su Tian feeling extremely stifled, but he could only blame himself for being too weak.

On the Dou Qi Continent, the strong devoured the weak, and power reigned supreme.

That rule made Su Tian's desire for strength all the more urgent.

"It looks like you recovered well last night. Well? Are you ready?"

Qing Mu walked slowly toward Su Tian, the same kindly smile still on his face and a bright gleam in his eyes.

Su Tian put away his playful expression and hurriedly nodded solemnly.

"Please be generous with your guidance, Senior Qing Mu!"

Seeing Su Tian's solemn expression, Qing Mu also put away his smile. His face turned serious, and with a sharp wave of his withered right hand, a black Medicine Cauldron nearly half a meter tall appeared out of thin air before Su Tian.

Thud!

The moment the black Medicine Cauldron landed, a low, heavy thud rang out. Clearly, it weighed quite a lot.

The Medicine Cauldron was reddish-black throughout, with faint points of light shimmering across it. Two ferocious beast heads were carved near its base, their gaping mouths forming a pair of interconnected fire channels.

The winding channels grew narrower the deeper they went. At a glance, they seemed to conceal subtle mysteries.

At the top of the Medicine Cauldron, the beasts' reclining bodies formed a reddish-black lid. A special opening in one part of the lid was intended specifically for adding medicinal ingredients.

Fine holes fashioned from ice silver dotted the lid, allowing heat to escape and preventing the furnace from exploding due to excessive temperatures. A transparent viewing pane made from frost essence was set into the middle of the Medicine Cauldron, allowing the alchemist to clearly observe everything happening inside while refining medicine.

Exquisite carvings of magical beasts adorned the Medicine Cauldron's surface, so lifelike that they seemed almost alive.

This was Su Tian's first time seeing a real Medicine Cauldron. Gazing at its magnificent exterior, he could not take his eyes off it.

"So this is an alchemist's Medicine Cauldron?"

Su Tian circled the Medicine Cauldron twice, then could not resist reaching out to touch it. A cool sensation immediately brushed across his fingertips.

The peculiar feeling made Su Tian click his tongue in wonder.

"Yes. A two-mouth cauldron is quite good for a beginner like you."

Standing to one side and watching Su Tian's curiosity, Qing Mu shook his head helplessly and explained calmly.

"A two-mouth cauldron?"

Su Tian was quite curious about that name. After all, there was a considerable difference between what he had read in a book and what he now saw with his own eyes.

"The more fire openings a Medicine Cauldron has, the higher its grade and the rarer it is. Those openings are the very essence of the cauldron. The more it has, the greater its assistance in refining medicine. Of course, controlling multiple fire openings also requires stronger soul perception."

Qing Mu explained patiently to Su Tian.

"As you are now, controlling two fire openings is already your limit. As it happens, when you help me refine that pill in the future, you'll also need to control two openings. That makes this two-mouth cauldron particularly suitable for you."

Su Tian nodded with dawning understanding. Looking at the Medicine Cauldron before him, he asked somewhat absently, "I think I understand. So next, we should be condensing a flame, right?"

Remembering the scene in which Yao Lao first taught Xiao Yan to refine medicine, Su Tian unconsciously raised his hand and gently pressed it against the Medicine Cauldron before Qing Mu could answer.

Touching the fire opening, Su Tian half closed his eyes. The Dou Qi within his body stirred slightly, and streams of fiery-red Dou Qi surged out, gathering in his palm. After a brief stillness, they suddenly shot from his palm as though drawn by a powerful suction, passing through the fire opening and into the Medicine Cauldron.

Puff...

With a muffled sound, the fiery-red stream abruptly transformed into tangible crimson flames after passing through the opening, churning and burning inside the Medicine Cauldron.

The sudden sight startled Su Tian. He instinctively wanted to pull his hand back, afraid the flames would burn him.

Fortunately, after sensing that his palm was still cool, he managed to suppress his panic.

As he regained his composure, a thought suddenly sprang into Su Tian's mind.

Th-this worked already? Then I... really am a damn genius?