Deep in the mountains of the Inner Academy.
Xiao Yan found a little hill rarely visited by anyone. Several tall mountains nearby screened it from view, and he asked Yao Lao, "Teacher, how is this spot?"
"Let's do it here."
Yao Lao floated out of the ring, surveyed their surroundings, and nodded in satisfaction.
He then motioned for Xiao Yan to take out the medicinal ingredients for the Earth Spirit Pill.
Xiao Yan retrieved the medicinal ingredients he had been gathering from his Storage Ring, including the green wood immortal vine he had obtained in his last trade with Lin Yan.
With so many rare medicinal ingredients neatly laid out before them, a rich medicinal fragrance instantly filled the air.
This time, Yao Lao did not approach pill refinement as casually as he had before. Instead, he took a pitch-black Medicine Cauldron out of his Storage Ring.
Strange flame patterns covered the black cauldron. At a glance, those flames even seemed to writhe faintly, as though they were alive.
"Black Demon!" A trace of envy flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes when he saw the Medicine Cauldron Yao Lao had taken out.
This was the cauldron Yao Lao had used during Xiao Yan's earlier travels, and it belonged to Yao Lao himself. Even on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking, the ranking alchemists used to classify Medicine Cauldrons, it was renowned.
For Yao Lao to use Black Demon this time showed just how difficult refining the Earth Spirit Pill would be.
"I wonder when I'll be able to get a Medicine Cauldron on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking!"
Seeing Xiao Yan's envious gaze, Yao Lao shook his head with a wry smile and said, "You little rascal."
"The Medicine Cauldrons listed on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking all have a spiritual nature of their own.