'The terrain here is quite strange. It's rare to see such a large concentration of precious herbs growing together like this in the outside world. Hopefully, I can refine a 4th-tier medicinal pill within a month.'
Xiao Yan had already made up his mind to improve his alchemy skills to the 4th tier and refine the Hidden Spirit Pill.
His Spirit Heart Gathering Soul Technique had reached the late stage of the minor mastery level several months ago, giving him a Spiritual Strength equivalent to the late stage of the Intermediate Mortal State. This was more than sufficient to refine 4th-tier medicinal pills.
Furthermore, with the aid of the Nihility Devouring Flame's Seed Flame, he had the necessary resources to refine 4th-tier medicinal pills. The only remaining obstacle was his lack of practical experience.
Although he possessed the fundamental skills required to refine 4th-tier medicinal pills, what he lacked was the hands-on experience to back it up.
Fortunately, the herbs grew quickly in this small, secluded valley, and precious medicinal ingredients were abundant. In addition, Xiao Yan's months as a wild man in the Magic Beast Mountains had allowed him to collect numerous monster cores, providing him with a 'cost-free opportunity' to accumulate experience.
In the secluded small valley, Xiao Yan and Little Fairy Doctor quietly went about their lives: one focused intently on improving his alchemy skills, while the other diligently studied the Poison Scripture. Aside from playfully teasing each other during mealtimes, their peaceful days were rather leisurely yet fulfilling.
Boom! An explosion echoed from the cave, but Little Fairy Doctor, who was studying the Poison Scripture in the thatched hut, merely glanced over. She shook her head in resignation, having long since grown accustomed to such occurrences.
Xiao Yan had been causing explosions almost daily for the past few weeks. Blowing up medicinal cauldrons had become routine.
"Cough, cough." Xiao Yan emerged from the black smoke with a soot-covered face. Refining a 4th-tier medicinal pill was no easy feat.
He hadn't successfully refined a single 4th-tier pill in the past ten days.
After all, 4th-tier medicinal pills marked the beginning of a significant turning point. While the 1st to 3rd-tier medicinal pills usually had straightforward effects, such as healing injuries or restoring Dou Qi, the 4th-tier medicinal pills and above began to exhibit more extraordinary properties.
When a 4th-tier or higher medicinal pill was successfully refined, the air would be filled with a fragrant aroma and a surge of energy fluctuations.
"Damn it! The cauldron actually shattered." After the smoke cleared, Xiao Yan entered the cave and discovered that the medicinal cauldron had exploded into pieces!
However, it made sense. The cauldron was a mere three-mouthed cauldron that was generally used to refine 3rd-tier medicinal pills. It could no longer withstand the high temperatures of the grown Nihility Devouring Flame's Seed Flame.
Xiao Yan looked at the shattered cauldron on the ground, pondered for a moment, and then took out another cauldron from his storage ring.
A solid black-colored medicinal cauldron appeared in front of him.
The black-colored medicinal cauldron had a robust and sturdy body, its entire surface faintly shrouded in a tranquil aura. Lifelike flame patterns were etched on the surface of the medicinal cauldron. These flame drawings even seemed to be physically real as they slowly rotated.
This medicinal cauldron had been stored in the storage ring from the beginning, and Xiao Yan surmised that it must have belonged to the ring's original owner.
However, he hadn't used it yet because this was no ordinary cauldron. It was the Black Demon, ranked 8th on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking!
The Heavenly Cauldron Ranking only consisted of 13 cauldrons in total, and the pitch-black cauldron before him was one of them.
"This is truly a good stuff."
Xiao Yan couldn't help but marvel at the beauty and majesty of this medicinal cauldron, no matter how many times he laid eyes on it.
He had always been hesitant to use it because the Black Demon possessed a unique effect. When an alchemist used the Black Demon to refine pills, they would enter a state of profound concentration, shedding all distractions to achieve a selfless state of mind. Their Spiritual Strength would reach an exceptionally sensitive state, thereby significantly increasing the success rate in alchemy.
However, this wasn't necessarily a good thing, as becoming overly absorbed and losing oneself in alchemy could lead to an overdrawn Spiritual Strength, potentially reducing the alchemist to a babbling idiot.
This state was akin to being consumed by inner demons, hence the name 'Black Demon.'
"Since the cauldron has been destroyed, perhaps it's a sign from the heavens telling me to try using the Black Demon."
Xiao Yan gently ran his fingers over the lifelike flame patterns on the Black Demon. After more than ten days of practicing alchemy and cultivating the Spirit Heart Gathering Soul Technique, his Spiritual Strength now rivaled that of a peak 4th-tier alchemist. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to attempt using the Black Demon.
Sitting cross-legged, Xiao Yan slowly circulated the Spirit Heart Gathering Soul Technique to restore his Spiritual Strength.
After a while, once his Spiritual Strength had returned to its peak condition, he flicked his finger, and a wisp of black flame slipped into the Black Demon. The lifelike flames drawn on the surface of the cauldron emitted a strange light as the flame ignited within.
The cauldron automatically began to gather the surrounding fire energy, rapidly raising the internal temperature and even intensifying the heat of the black flame.
Xiao Yan's eyes sharpened, his gaze resolute as his Spiritual Strength surged outward. The instant he channeled his Spiritual Strength into the Black Demon, he suddenly realized that all the sounds around him had vanished!
Except for the pill recipe in his mind, no other thoughts remained.
His hands moved swiftly across the table, grabbing herb after herb and tossing them all into the cauldron in one fluid motion.
At this moment, his expression was serene and his gaze unwavering, completely free of any distractions. His youthful hands fluttered about in quick, deft movements reminiscent of plucking petals or leaves.
As his fingers glided across the Black Demon like playing the piano, the intense black flame inside obediently split into several small clusters. Each cluster wrapped itself around the herbs that had been thrown in and continuously extracted their medicinal essence.
The series of movements flowed in a smooth manner, revealing a hint of the composure Hun Huzi had once displayed during his own alchemy process!
Hun Huzi's alchemy demonstration back then had profoundly impacted Xiao Yan's heart. It could be said that it had granted him some insights and brought him a sense of enlightenment.
Now, with the aid of the Black Demon, Xiao Yan had fully grasped this understanding.
The dark flame danced in an enchanting manner. After a while, a faint medicinal fragrance began to permeate the air.
Inside the rolling flames of the medicinal cauldron, a pale blue-colored pill the size of a thumb slowly took shape under the searing heat.
At a certain moment, a heart-piercing aroma suddenly wafted out from the medicinal cauldron, and a mist of medicinal fragrance lingered for a long time.
Xiao Yan withdrew his Spiritual Strength and made a gesture toward the Black Demon. The pale blue-colored pill was expelled from the cauldron and obediently landed in his palm before he placed it in a pill bottle.
He didn't even glance at the pill. Instead, he casually set it aside and took out more herbs from his storage ring, intending to refine another medicinal pill!
With his current strength, refining a single 4th-tier pill was his limit, and attempting to refine another one would undoubtedly lead to overexertion.
The instant Xiao Yan shot a wisp of black flame into the Black Demon, the Nihility Devouring Flame within erupted. A torrent of black flames burst forth from the cauldron's mouth, engulfing the entire cauldron in an overwhelming blaze.
! ! ! !
The Nihility Devouring Flame that engulfed the Black Demon was equivalent to isolating it. Freed from the Black Demon's influence, Xiao Yan abruptly snapped out of his trance.
"Ha!" Exhaustion flooded Xiao Yan's mind, and with his Spiritual Strength severely depleted, he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
'That Black Demon is far too dangerous. Thankfully, Mao Wu's instincts sensed my peril; otherwise, I might have overdrawn my Spiritual Strength.'
Xiao Yan vividly recalled what had just transpired. He fell into a state of utter selflessness after his Spiritual Strength entered the Black Demon. If it wasn't for the devouring ability of the Nihility Devouring Flame, he feared that he would have completely exhausted his Spiritual Strength.
After withdrawing the Nihility Devouring Flame, he glanced at the Black Demon with lingering trepidation. It truly lived up to its reputation as the 8th-ranked cauldron on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking; its effects were indeed eerie and terrifying.
He turned his gaze to the pill bottle on the ground and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that the Hidden Spirit Pill had been successfully refined. Once he had successfully refined a 4th-tier pill, subsequent attempts would have a higher chance of success.
'I still need to find another medicinal cauldron. The Black Demon should not be used unless absolutely necessary.'