Leaving the council chamber, Xiao Yan returned to his own room. To refine the healing medicine, he first needed to prepare a few things, then quietly went up to the secluded mountain cave behind the mountain, where he had cultivated before.
Yao Lao had once said that during alchemy, the most critical thing to avoid was disturbance. There were many people coming and going in the family; if Xiao Yu were to barge in again like last time, Xiao Yan might not be able to bear the consequences.
Sneaking into the mountain cave, Xiao Yan could no longer wait. He pulled out the storage ring from his chest, then channeled a stream of Dou Qi into it. A faint red light flickered on the ring, and then a red medicine cauldron, about half a chi tall, appeared in the empty mountain cave.
The entire medicine cauldron was a dark red, with a radiant glow emanating from its body. Below the cauldron were carved two fierce snake heads with wide-open mouths, forming two hollow, interconnected fire vents. They wound continuously, and the further they extended, the smaller the diameter of the raised parts became, subtly and mysteriously penetrating into the body of the cauldron.
Of the various parts of the medicine cauldron, the giant snakes occupied most of the dark red cauldron wall. There was also a special small hole on the top of the cauldron, which was for adding medicinal ingredients.
On this cauldron, some silver ice was used to create another small hole, which served to dissipate heat and prevent the cauldron from cracking due to high temperatures. In the middle of the medicine cauldron, there was a part with a piece of ice crystal crafted into a transparent mirror. Looking through it, one could observe all the movements inside during the refining process.
The outer surface of the medicine cauldron was decorated with luxurious and splendid carved images of magical beasts, appearing very lifelike, as if they were living creatures.
Looking at the magnificent patterns on the outside of the medicine cauldron, Xiao Yan nodded in satisfaction. He touched the ancient, simple black ring on his finger, and Yao Lao transformed into a streak of light, quickly appearing.
"Hmm, this Tier 2 cauldron, for a novice like you, is indeed suitable," Yao Lao said indifferently, glancing at the three snake mouths on the surface of the dark red medicine cauldron.
"Tier 2 cauldron?" Hearing this somewhat unfamiliar term, Xiao Yan stared in confusion.
"Medicine cauldrons also have等级 (dengji, tiers). The more fire vents a cauldron has, the higher its tier, and the rarer it is. Don't think that these fire vents can be made by simply poking a few holes. The profoundness lies in the fact that laymen cannot determine it, and the fire mouth is the essence of the medicine cauldron. It needs to be crafted with extreme meticulousness; even a slight error during crafting will render the entire cauldron a failed product. Therefore, the more fire vents a medicine cauldron has, the more beneficial it is for alchemy. Of course, to control multiple fire mouths, one needs strong soul perception. For you now, controlling two fire mouths is the limit," Yao Lao explained with a smile.
"For an alchemist, obtaining a good medicine cauldron is as important as a warrior having a precious sword in hand."
Slightly startled, Xiao Yan nodded, then looked at the large object in front of him and asked vaguely, "What should I do next?"
"First, familiarize yourself with the medicine cauldron. Place one of your hands on a fire mouth, then circulate the Dou Qi in your body into it," Yao Lao instructed from inside the mountain cave.
Nodding, Xiao Yan gently stroked the fire vent, his eyes half-closed. The faint yellow Dou Qi within his body fluctuated slightly, and a powerful surge of faint yellow Dou Qi erupted, finally appearing in his somewhat yellowish palm.
Once the faint yellow Dou Qi reached his palm, it remained still for a moment, then, as if drawn by a powerful suction, it escaped from his palm and entered the medicine cauldron through the fire vent.
"Puff..."
A dull thud sounded. After passing through the fire vent, the faint yellow Dou Qi suddenly transformed into a faint yellow flame, continuously rising and burning within the medicine cauldron.
The sudden burst of fire from his palm startled Xiao Yan, and he almost instinctively retracted his hand. However, he still felt the familiar coolness in his palm, which allowed him to suppress his panic.
"Good, not bad. To be able to produce a flame on your first transformation."
Looking at the rising flame inside the medicine cauldron, Yao Lao nodded and said in a deep voice, "You can only produce a flame right now; it's not yet suitable for refining medicine. Now, concentrate your mind and control a trace of Wood-attribute energy within your body, then push it into the medicine cauldron yourself!"
Xiao Yan followed the instructions, closed his eyes, and continuously searched vaguely for a faint trace of Wood energy within his body.
It was his first time searching for Wood energy within his body. After more than ten minutes, Xiao Yan sighed and opened his eyes. You are reading this story at Truyen FULL – www.Truyen FULL
"Found it?" Seeing Xiao Yan open his eyes, Yao Lao said with a hint of surprise. After seeing him nod, he couldn't help but praise him inwardly. The first time he searched for Wood energy, it took him twice as long. From this, it was evident how powerful Xiao Yan's soul perception was.
Xiao Yan extended a finger and gently placed it on the fire vent. A very crude stream of emerald green energy slowly flowed inward.
As soon as the emerald green energy stream entered the medicine cauldron, the originally faint yellow flame inside seemed to undergo a chemical reaction, suddenly becoming quiet. Even though Xiao Yan hadn't yet fully controlled the flame within, he could sense that the violent flame particles inside the cauldron had been neutralized by the Wood energy. Moreover, the principle of Wood generating Fire made the flame's color even clearer than before, allowing for longer control.
"Good..." Nodding in satisfaction, Yao Lao extended his hand and tapped Xiao Yan's forehead, transmitting a surge of information into his mind.
"This is a healing formula I personally concocted. Try to refine it. I will remind you at any time to control the flame's temperature and the medicinal ingredients' composition."
Squinting his eyes to sense the information in his mind, Xiao Yan nodded slightly.
"Blood Coagulation Powder: one Blood Coagulation Grass, one Vitality Fruit, two Poppy Flowers..."
After recalling the quantities of the medicinal ingredients in his mind, Xiao Yan slowly used his soul power to penetrate the medicine cauldron, trying to control the relatively gentle flame.
From the storage ring on his finger, a somewhat dark red plant, the Blood Coagulation Grass, shot out and appeared in his palm. After a moment of hesitation, Xiao Yan, whose hand was still occupying the fire vent, immediately put it inside.
As soon as the Blood Coagulation Grass entered the medicine cauldron, Xiao Yan couldn't control it in time, and the flames blazed fiercely. In an instant, a single stalk of Blood Coagulation Grass turned into black ashes, which were then pushed out by a special part of the medicine cauldron.
Seeing his first mistake, Xiao Yan gave an embarrassed smile.
"Continue," Yao Lao said indifferently.
Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Xiao Yan took out another stalk of Blood Coagulation Grass. This time, the Blood Coagulation Grass inside the medicine cauldron lasted a little longer before also turning into ashes, just like before.
"The temperature is too high!"
Wiping away a bead of cold sweat, Xiao Yan finally realized, after personally attempting to refine elixirs, that indeed not just anyone could handle it.
After enduring the incineration of over twenty stalks of Blood Coagulation Grass, Xiao Yan reluctantly managed to control the temperature suitable for the Blood Coagulation Grass.
Throwing in another stalk of Blood Coagulation Grass, Xiao Yan's face was solemn. His spiritual perception steadily controlled the temperature of the flames, and his gaze, piercing through the ice-cold glass surface, intently watched the Blood Coagulation Grass floating within the flames inside the medicine cauldron.
After the flames burned for a while, the Blood Coagulation Grass finally slowly shed its outer shell. The liquid contained within the medicinal herb was also burned by the fire into a bit of pale white powder. The essence of the Blood Coagulation Grass's medicinal power was finally extracted and successfully refined by Xiao Yan.