An uninvited visitor

Even after a long while, the system's voice still had not sounded in Su Tian's mind.

This left Su Tian furious, but also rather puzzled.

Logically speaking, I've already become a First-Rank Alchemist. Why hasn't the system announced that I've completed the check-in task?

Just as Su Tian was turning the question over without finding an answer, Qing Mu slowly approached. He glanced at Su Tian's shifting expression and spoke calmly.

"Heh, you still have a way to go before you can become a First-Rank Alchemist."

"Senior Qing Mu?"

His words immediately drew Su Tian's attention back. Su Tian hurriedly looked at Qing Mu in confusion. "I've successfully refined the healing medicine according to the formula you gave me. Doesn't that mean I've reached the level of a First-Rank Alchemist?"

"Not quite."

Hearing Su Tian's puzzled question, Qing Mu merely smiled faintly, then shook his head and continued.

"If becoming a First-Rank Alchemist were that easy, so many people in this world wouldn't be fighting until their heads split just for the chance."

Seeing that Su Tian still looked confused, Qing Mu sighed softly and said, "What you just refined could only be considered the lowest grade of medicine. It doesn't even qualify as a First-Rank Pill."

"To become a First-Rank Alchemist, you must at least successfully refine a fully formed, rounded pill. If all it took were extracting medicinal ingredients and combining them into something resembling a pile of paste, you would be making far too little of alchemists."

After hearing Qing Mu's explanation, Su Tian felt as though the thickets blocking his mind had suddenly been cleared away.

To become a true First-Rank Alchemist, I need to successfully refine a proper First-Rank Pill on my own. Otherwise, I can only be called an apothecary at best.

Once he understood this, Su Tian immediately realized why the system had not responded earlier.

In the system's judgment, Su Tian's performance during that round of refining had not been sufficient to qualify him as a First-Rank Alchemist. Thus, the check-in task it had triggered could not be considered truly complete.

"Becoming a First-Rank Alchemist really isn't easy!"

Recalling the entire process of extracting those medicinal ingredients, Su Tian could not help tilting his head back and letting out a long sigh.

Qing Mu had only asked Su Tian to refine the simplest healing medicine, yet it had already exhausted him both physically and mentally. It was not hard to imagine how sharply the difficulty would rise when he attempted to refine a First-Rank Pill.

Of course, just as Qing Mu had said, if becoming a First-Rank Alchemist were so easy, how could alchemists be so rare and their status so exalted?

Fortunately, Su Tian was not the sort to retreat at the first sign of difficulty.

Standing up, Su Tian stretched his slightly stiff body, then sat cross-legged again and entered a state of cultivation, making the most of his time to replenish his depleted Dou Qi.

No wonder people always say alchemists are forged by burning through money. I haven't even become a First-Rank Alchemist yet, and I've already consumed so many medicinal ingredients. If Senior Qing Mu weren't guaranteeing my supply, the ingredients needed just to practice alchemy would be enough to give me a headache.

Only now did Su Tian gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the alchemist's profession.

Even Xiao Yan had suffered plenty of headaches over the medicinal ingredients he consumed when he first began studying alchemy.

Watching Su Tian enter a state of cultivation again, Qing Mu stood nearby and nodded inwardly.

"This little fellow really does push himself hard. It looks like the medicinal ingredients I've stockpiled over all these years won't be staying with me much longer."

Despite his words, there was not the slightest sign of distress on Qing Mu's face.

To Qing Mu, the medicinal ingredients being consumed now were insignificant compared with what he planned to do in the future.

Thus, for the time being, Su Tian did not need to worry about the many medicinal ingredients he would consume while studying alchemy.

After a long while, Su Tian slowly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing through them once more.

Before Su Tian, a variety of medicinal ingredients had been neatly arranged, giving off a rich, fresh fragrance.

While Su Tian had been replenishing his Dou Qi, Qing Mu had replaced all the ingredients he had consumed earlier. Now he leaned against the wall, quietly watching him.

"Whew. Let's keep going. I'm determined to become a First-Rank Alchemist!"

Su Tian cast Qing Mu a grateful look, then turned his attention back to the Medicine Cauldron before him. Taking a deep breath, he swept his right hand out and tossed a blood-clotting branch into the Medicine Cauldron.

The next moment, Su Tian gently placed both hands against the Medicine Cauldron. Dou Qi instantly poured into the fire port, transforming into a mass of scorching flame.

Pfft...

The moment the blood-clotting branch entered the Medicine Cauldron, flames swarmed over it. Su Tian's expression remained unchanged as he quietly controlled the temperature of the fire inside.

Over the next few days, Su Tian spent almost all his time beside the Medicine Cauldron.

Although the days were grueling, seeing the extracted medicinal ingredients piled high beside him gave Su Tian considerable satisfaction whenever he rested.

After all, they bore witness to Su Tian's steady progress along the path of alchemy.

Of course, there was one other thing worth mentioning.

After nearly a week of continuous refining, the Dou Qi within Su Tian had unknowingly become much more condensed. Although he remained a One-Star Great Dou Master, the strength of his Dou Qi had increased considerably.

His earlier succession of breakthroughs had raised Su Tian's cultivation level, but left the Dou Qi within him somewhat insubstantial.

In other words, his foundation was not solid enough.

As a result, if he encountered an opponent with a firm foundation and condensed Dou Qi, Su Tian would pale in comparison, even if that opponent was only a Dou Shi.

Thus, Su Tian found this discovery especially delightful.

These benefits also encouraged Su Tian, allowing him to grit his teeth and push through at last.

Qing Mu spent most of those days at Su Tian's place as well, guiding him through problems that arose during the refining process. With his help, Su Tian's grasp of alchemy advanced by leaps and bounds.

This also left Qing Mu marveling once again at Su Tian's talent for alchemy.

The days flowed past like water.

Yet peaceful times always seemed all too easy to shatter.

While Su Tian stayed at his residence, gritting his teeth as he studied alchemy, certain people in Temple City seemed to have set their sights on him once again.

In Temple City, within a secluded courtyard.

A burly figure sat in the courtyard, while a man knelt behind him, his face filled with reverence.

"Have you confirmed it?"

After a moment, a low voice came from the burly figure.

The man kneeling behind him dared not delay. He hurriedly nodded and replied, "Captain, we've confirmed it. The person living at the westernmost edge of Temple City is the brat who escaped from us back then!"

"I told you long ago. On our Snake-People Tribe's territory, he can't get away!"

The burly figure turned around and sneered several times. Beneath him was a thick snake tail, and his face revealed him to be none other than the Snake-People captain from before, Hei Man!

The Snake-People man kneeling behind Hei Man was Base, who had once fought Su Tian!

After spotting Su Tian, Base had immediately rushed over to report everything to Hei Man. Then, under Hei Man's instructions, he had investigated in secret and finally confirmed Su Tian's identity.

Hei Man had never stopped thinking about Su Tian.

After Su Tian escaped that time, the other Snake-People Squads had learned of the incident and frequently mocked Hei Man's squad over it.

It was precisely because of this that Hei Man had come to bear a genuine grudge against Su Tian.

Just when he thought there was no hope of finding Su Tian, Base had suddenly rushed over and told him he had news of him.

This had left Hei Man overjoyed.

"This time, since he's been captured and brought onto our Snake-People Tribe's territory, that brat's life has reached its end!"

A savage smile appeared on Hei Man's vicious face, and a cold glint shone in his eyes.

Hei Man could not figure out why Hua She'er had not killed Su Tian, instead merely throwing him into a residence at the westernmost edge of Temple City. But now, he could no longer be bothered with any of that.

In Hei Man's eyes, Su Tian was nothing more than a human. The hatred between the Snake-People Tribe and humans was irreconcilable. Even if he killed Su Tian himself, he did not believe Hua She'er would kill him over a human.

Thus, Hei Man could no longer suppress his urge to kill Su Tian.

"Follow me! Today, that brat's life belongs to me!"

With a savage grin, Hei Man waved his hand and headed out first. Behind him, Base followed closely, wearing an equally vicious smile.

Su Tian had escaped from Base last time, giving Base some understanding of his strength.

A Nine-Star Dou Shi!

But as Hei Man saw it, although Base was no match for Su Tian's strength as a Nine-Star Dou Shi, Su Tian was likewise no match for him now that he had become a One-Star Great Dou Master.

This time, his confidence came from his strength.

Hei Man would make Su Tian understand that a mere Nine-Star Dou Shi was nothing but an ant before him.

Su Tian knew nothing of any of this.

At that moment, Su Tian was wholly focused on extracting a new medicinal ingredient. This was a test Qing Mu had suddenly set for him.

The medicinal ingredient was called iron jade leaf.

It was the principal ingredient required to refine the Jade Guard Pill, a Second-Rank Pill. It also possessed extremely high resistance to flames, making it a headache even for some First-Rank Alchemists.

Of course, Qing Mu would not ask Su Tian to use this iron jade leaf to refine a Second-Rank Pill.

After all, Su Tian did not even qualify as a First-Rank Alchemist yet.

Qing Mu's intention was to test Su Tian's control over flames and the experience he had gained in extracting medicinal ingredients. He wanted to see how far Su Tian could refine the iron jade leaf before exhausting his Dou Qi.

Roar...

Su Tian's soul perception enveloped every corner of the Medicine Cauldron. He worked hard to control the flames' temperature as he refined the iron jade leaf wrapped within them.

This iron jade leaf is rather interesting. At the beginning, it actually can't withstand high heat. If the temperature is too high, it burns straight into a pile of ash.

Su Tian drew a deep breath, not daring to let his attention stray in the slightest.

As the flames continue to roast it, the temperature it requires rises as well. I have to raise the flames' temperature accordingly. Only then can I perfectly extract the substance I need in the end.

At this thought, Su Tian felt a throbbing headache.

This was already the sixth iron jade leaf Su Tian had tried to refine. His improper temperature control had quickly reduced the previous ones to piles of ash.

Watching this iron jade leaf steadily undergo its transformation within the flames, Su Tian felt a little more relaxed.

Yet just then, a sudden crash rang out.

Boom!

In an instant, a dark shape hurtled toward Su Tian, moving so quickly that it stirred a sharp whistle through the air.

The sudden disturbance immediately sent violent fluctuations through Su Tian's soul power.

As a result, the iron jade leaf inside the Medicine Cauldron was instantly engulfed by the uncontrolled flames. Within moments, it turned into a pile of black ash, which the Medicine Cauldron automatically expelled.

Without Su Tian's soul power to control them, the flames within the Medicine Cauldron gradually died down as well, finally vanishing with a soft puff.

At the sight before him, fury surged up from Su Tian's heart.

Watching all his painstaking effort go down the drain in an instant was something anyone would find hard to accept.

Thud!

Just as the huge dark shape was about to reach him, a dull sound rang out. Su Tian shifted his footing and leaped into the air, delivering a vicious kick toward it.

That kick carried all the raging fury Su Tian felt at that moment.

Boom!

As his foot struck, Su Tian discovered that the dark shape was actually his courtyard gate. In the next instant, he kicked it into fragments that scattered across the sky.

At the very moment the gate shattered, a burly figure suddenly lunged at Su Tian.

There was not the slightest surprise on Su Tian's face at the figure's sudden appearance. His soul perception had already detected him hiding at the entrance.

"You ruined my refining! Get lost!"

Utterly fearless, Su Tian roared and twisted his body in midair. His right hand clenched into a fist, and Dou Qi gathered over it, seeming to turn it into a fist of fire as he furiously smashed it toward the burly figure.

The smoke cleared, revealing Hei Man as he launched his ambush.

"You're the one who should get lost!"

Faced with Su Tian's fierce punch, Hei Man showed no intention of backing down. A savage grin spread across his face as he likewise gathered his strength and drove a fist forward.

"Filthy human! Today, you're certain to die!"

In the blink of an eye, their attacks were about to collide violently!