BTTH: I have a key to travel to Wu Dong Qian Kun.

Chapter 19: A Fourth-Grade Alchemist

Back at the Xiao Family's rear mountain.

Inside the cave.

"Sigh!" Xiao Tian sighed and muttered to himself, "It took me seven days to cultivate to a three-star Dou Shi. This speed is too slow!"

"Pfft!" Upon hearing Xiao Tian's words, Yao Lao, hiding in the shadows, almost spat out a mouthful of old blood. Seven days to advance two stars and you think that's slow? If others knew, they would probably beat you up for showing off!

"Cultivation requires a balance between work and rest; you can't always be cultivating," Xiao Tian said as he stood up. "Now, it's time to see if Ya Fei has gathered all the medicinal ingredients."

Saying this, he left the cave and headed straight to the Mittel Auction House.

...

Inside the VIP room.

Xiao Tian and Ya Fei sat across from each other, with a table of chilled fruits between them. A maid retrieved a jade bottle from a large urn filled with crushed ice and poured two cups of amber-colored liquid.

This was an ancient method of cooling and refrigeration. By placing four large urns filled with crushed ice in the corners of a room, the temperature would drop, and it could also be used to chill drinks and fruits. In ancient times, people had to harvest large amounts of ice in winter to store in cellars, but in the Dou Qi Continent, ice attribute Dou practitioners could create ice directly.

"Xiao Tian, little brother," Ya Fei said coquettishly, her eyes sparkling, "You always make me wait so long before you come. You really don't know how to cherish beauty."

"Hmm?" Her ambiguous and flirtatious words made Xiao Tian's heart pound. Despite having lived two lives, he was still an innocent young man.

"Ya Fei, sister," Xiao Tian swallowed hard and hurriedly explained, "My master is very strict. I spend all my time either cultivating or learning alchemy, and I hardly have a chance to come out. The moment I had a chance, I came straight to the auction house to see you."

"Oh, I see!" Ya Fei nodded slightly and handed one of the cups to Xiao Tian while taking the other for herself.

"Try this, Xiao Tian. It's a wine made from rare fruits. I really like it," she said, taking a small sip. Her delicate face puffed up cutely as she tasted it.

"Is this enchantress trying to seduce me?" Ya Fei's seemingly casual actions made Xiao Tian's thoughts run wild. He even imagined if she was like this while eating...

"Gulp!" Xiao Tian, feeling parched, grabbed the fruit wine and took a large gulp. The cool wine flowed down his throat, soothing his body's heat.

Suppressing his desires, Xiao Tian asked, "Ya Fei, sister, have you gathered all the medicinal ingredients I requested?"

Ya Fei smiled sweetly and asked, "Why do I feel that you're always in such a hurry?"

"Enchantress, you're seducing me again!" Xiao Tian stared at her, replying, "Yes, I am indeed very eager for you, Ya Fei, sister!"

"You're so bad!" Ya Fei playfully scolded. Feeling the heat in his handsome gaze, she couldn't help but feel a bit flustered and slightly warm. She knew her cultivation talent wasn't great and that she could only depend on a strong man for the rest of her life. Xiao Tian, with his exceptional talent, strong background, and the most handsome face she'd ever seen, fit her ideal partner perfectly.

"Uh-huh~" Xiao Tian thought to himself, "If it weren't for the wrong place and time, I would definitely teach Ya Fei a lesson and show her my strength."

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore," Ya Fei said seriously, her tone soft. "The ingredients you asked for have been prepared."

She clapped her hands lightly, and a maid quickly entered, placing a jade tray on the table. Ya Fei pointed to the ring on the tray and said, "All the ingredients you need are inside this ring."

Pausing for a moment, she continued, "Considering the recent auctions have brought a lot of fame to our auction house, these ingredients are provided at internal prices, much lower than outside."

"Thank you, Ya Fei, sister," Xiao Tian replied, knowing she was trying to build a closer relationship. That was perfect for him, as he wanted to get closer to her anyway.

Returning to the cave.

Xiao Tian took out all the materials needed to refine the Qi Gathering Powder. He first used the stone talisman to refine each ingredient before starting the alchemy process.

"Clang!" With a wave of his hand, he placed two cauldrons before him. Then he ignited the flame within the cauldrons, infusing them with wood attribute Dou Qi to stabilize the flames. Once the flames were under control, he infused his soul power into the flames and closed his eyes.

With his powerful soul strength, he planned to rely solely on his soul power for this alchemy session. Xiao Tian controlled the flames, suppressing their temperature before adding the black liquid extracted from the five Mo Ye Lotus plants into the cauldron. Gradually, he raised the flame's temperature to roast the essence of the Mo Ye Lotus.

After the essence shrank by eighty percent, Xiao Tian added the essences of the Serpent Saliva Fruit, Spirit Gathering Grass, and the magic core of a second-tier magical beast.

"Sizzle~" The different essences collided and fused, emitting a hissing sound and a faint white steam rising from the cauldron. Shortly after, as the white steam diminished, a rough pill shape formed within the flames.

Now with the nascent pill formed, the next step was to refine it. Xiao Tian increased the flame's intensity, continuously refining the pill. After half an hour, the rough surface of the nascent pill smoothed out, becoming round and polished. A faint blue glow covered the pill's surface, making it look enchanting.

Xiao Tian removed his hand from the flame, causing it to extinguish. Then he struck the cauldron sharply, and a blue-green pill flew out.

"Whoosh!" Yao Lao grabbed the pill with a flick of his hand. After examining it closely, he nodded approvingly, "Not bad, not bad. Though you took some shortcuts, producing a fourth-grade pill on your first try is quite impressive."

"That's thanks to your excellent teaching, Master," Xiao Tian said humbly.

Indeed, Yao Lao had been a great help. The pill recipes Yao Lao provided meticulously detailed every step and change in the alchemy process, including the precise timing and flame temperatures for each phase. With this guidance and his powerful soul strength, Xiao Tian successfully refined the Qi Gathering Powder on his first attempt.

Without such guidance, even knowing the ingredients would have required many attempts to produce the pill.