After leaving the assembly hall, Xiao Yan returned to his room. After preparing the necessary items for concocting a healing potion, he stealthily made his way back to the secluded cave on the mountain where he had previously practiced. The Pharmacist Elder once said that during alchemy, one must avoid any disturbances. With so many people in the family, if someone like Xiao Yu were to barge in again, Xiao Yan would not be able to bear the consequences.
Sneaking into the cave, Xiao Yan impatiently pulled out the Nalan from his pocket and infused it with a stream of Dou Qi. A faint red light flickered on the ring, and then a half-meter-tall red pill cauldron appeared in the cave.
The pill cauldron was entirely a dark red, dotted with a slight luster. Below it, two grotesque snake heads were carved, with gaping mouths forming two interconnected orifices through which the fire could pass. These orifices curved and narrowed as they went deeper, hinting at some hidden secrets within.
At the top of the pill cauldron, a giant serpent coiled into a dark red lid. The lid had a special hole, meant for inserting medicinal herbs. On the lid, there were tiny holes made of ice silver, designed to dissipate heat and prevent the cauldron from exploding due to high temperatures. In the middle of the cauldron, a transparent mirror made of pure ice essence was placed, allowing one to clearly see everything inside during the alchemy process.
The surface of the cauldron was adorned with exquisite carvings of mythical beasts, so lifelike that they seemed almost alive.
Looking at the opulently decorated pill cauldron, Xiao Yan nodded in satisfaction. He touched the ancient black ring on his finger, and the Pharmacist Elder materialized as a beam of light.
“Ah, a double-mouthed cauldron. This should be quite good for a beginner like you,” the elder said, glancing at the three snake mouths on the dark red cauldron.
“Double-mouthed cauldron?” Xiao Yan blinked in confusion, unfamiliar with the term.
“Pill cauldrons have different levels, and the more fire orifices a cauldron has, the higher its grade and rarity. You shouldn’t think that these fire orifices are just random holes. The subtleties are beyond the understanding of an outsider. The fire orifices are the essence of the cauldron, requiring high-precision crafting. Any small mistake during the process can result in the entire cauldron becoming a failure. Therefore, the more fire orifices a cauldron has, the stronger its supportive effect on alchemy. Of course, controlling multiple orifices requires powerful soul perception. For now, being able to control two orifices is your limit,” the elder explained with a smile.
“A good pill cauldron is as important to an alchemist as a sword is to a warrior,” Xiao Yan nodded, somewhat enlightened, and asked, “What should I do next?”
“First, get familiar with the cauldron. Place your hand over the fire orifice and channel your Dou Qi into it,” the elder instructed, sitting cross-legged in the cave.
Xiao Yan nodded and touched the orifice, closing his eyes slightly. The faint yellow energy vortex in his body began to stir, and a stream of yellow Dou Qi gushed out, illuminating his palm with a slight yellow glow.
The yellow Dou Qi, after reaching his palm, paused for a moment before being drawn into the cauldron through the orifice as if by a powerful suction force.
*Pfft…* A muffled sound, and the yellow energy stream suddenly transformed into a substantial yellow flame, burning and churning inside the cauldron.
The sudden burst of fire from his palm startled Xiao Yan, almost making him pull his hand back reflexively. However, realizing that his palm was still cool, he suppressed his panic.
“Not bad, you managed to transform the energy into flame on your first try,” the elder said, nodding at the churning flame inside the cauldron. “The flame you summoned now is not the alchemy fire. Now, focus on controlling the wood element within you and infuse it into the cauldron!”
Xiao Yan closed his eyes as instructed, calming his mind. His exceptional soul perception continuously scanned the faint trace of the wood element within his body.
It took him over ten minutes to find the wood element, and he finally let out a sigh of relief, opening his eyes.
“Found it?” The elder was a bit surprised, and upon seeing Xiao Yan’s nod, couldn’t help but praise him. When he first searched for the wood element, it had taken him nearly half an hour, showing how formidable Xiao Yan’s soul perception was.
Xiao Yan extended a finger and gently touched another fire orifice, slowly channeling a thin green stream of energy into it. As soon as the green energy entered the cauldron, the yellow flame calmed down, as if reacting to the presence of the wood element. Even without fully controlling the flame, Xiao Yan could sense that the violent elements within the flame had been neutralized by the wood energy. Due to the principle of wood nurturing fire, the flame was now more persistent and controllable.
“Good,” the elder nodded, satisfied, and touched Xiao Yan’s forehead, transmitting information into his mind. “This is my personal recipe for a healing potion. Try to concoct it. I will guide you on controlling the flame’s temperature and refining the medicinal components.”
Xiao Yan closed his eyes, sensing the information in his mind, and nodded. “Coagulation Powder, one Coagulation Grass, one Lively Qi Fruit, two Opium Flowers…”
After memorizing the quantities of the ingredients, Xiao Yan’s soul perception gradually invaded the cauldron, striving to control the gentler flame. He plucked a slightly dark red Coagulation Grass from his Nalan and, after a brief hesitation, dropped it into the cauldron through the snake mouth at the top.
As soon as the Coagulation Grass entered the cauldron, Xiao Yan had no time to control the flame, and it engulfed the grass, turning it to black ashes. The special mechanism in the cauldron then expelled the ashes.
Embarrassed by his first mistake, Xiao Yan smiled awkwardly.
“Continue,” the elder said calmly.
Swallowing his saliva, Xiao Yan threw in another Coagulation Grass. This time, the grass lasted a bit longer in the flame but still turned to black ashes.
“The temperature is too high,” Xiao Yan wiped away a cold sweat, realizing that alchemy was indeed not something anyone could easily handle.
After persistently burning through over twenty Coagulation Grasses, Xiao Yan finally managed to find the right temperature for them. He threw in another Coagulation Grass, his face serious, and used his soul perception to control the flame’s temperature. He watched intently through the ice mirror, focusing on the Coagulation Grass suspended in the flame.
After a few moments, the Coagulation Grass began to shed its outer layer, and the juice in the leaves was roasted into a fine white powder. The essence of the Coagulation Grass was finally successfully extracted by this novice, Xiao Yan.
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