Simultaneous traversal: All Abyss difficulty.

Chapter 741 Refining Pills in a Rice Cooker? (Double Rewards Event, Please Vote!)

The temporary residence assigned to Fang Yu by Huangfeng Valley was a side room in a secluded courtyard.

Night had fallen, and only a dim oil lamp was lit inside the room.

Fang Yu sat cross-legged on the hard bed, not in meditation, but with his hands behind his head, staring blankly ahead.

On the rough surface of the uncolored wooden table in front of him, five pills, each the size of a longan and radiating a warm, spiritual light and an alluring fragrance, were lined up in a row, like five stars fallen to earth, illuminating the simple room with dazzling light.

They are all Foundation Establishment Pills.

Three were given as a reward upon entering Huangfeng Valley and bestowed by Master Li Huayuan, while the other two were spoils obtained from "exploding gold coins" in Kinmen.

Fang Yu shifted his gaze from the priceless elixir to the pile of spiritual herbs stacked like a small mountain beside it.

These items were looted from the auction, plus "gifts" from the elders of Kinmen. They were diverse and full of spiritual energy, almost covering the tabletop.

"Laojun," Fang Yu called out in his mind, "are these five Foundation Establishment Pills and this pile of grass enough for you to pull out all the stops and give me a big job? Just conjure up a Golden Core?" His tone was a bit teasing, but more so full of anticipation.

The ancient and profound voice of Laozi, with a hint of barely perceptible amusement, resounded in his mind: "You think alchemy is like rolling mud balls? Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. You have the rice, though."

Fang Yu's spirits lifted: "Oh? So you can refine it?"

"We're still missing a pot!"

Lao Jun's voice suddenly changed, tinged with annoyance, "No alchemy furnace? You expect me to use my mind to refine it for you? Find a decent alchemy furnace!"

"A pill-making furnace?" Fang Yu was taken aback, then subconsciously touched his chin, wondering where to get a furnace.

Lao Jun muttered, "Isn't there a ready-made solution? Your new master, Li Huayuan, is a dignified Core Formation Elder. Does he need a pill furnace in his cave? Just ask him for it. A teacher for a day is a father for life, right? It's not unreasonable for a son to ask for some tuition fees, is it?"

Fang Yu shook his head directly: "I have more than fifty novel editors added to my group, and in the author group, there are probably enough 'masters' to form a reinforced platoon! I don't have a master-disciple complex, I can't bring myself to say that. I only have two fathers in my heart!"

Lao Jun looked bewildered. "Which two?"

"One is my biological father."

"Where's the other one?"

"Take me to the Dragon Grandpa, who's doing a top-secret space evacuation for ten million Haff coins."

"You brat, I can't understand what you're saying. You don't want to ask someone for a pill-refining furnace because you're afraid of exposing yourself, right?"

Fang Yu, his thoughts exposed, chuckled without a trace of shame: "Ahem, Laozi understands me best! So tell me, what should we do? I can't just go and steal or rob, can I? That would be too much of a commotion. I'd like to take advantage of what I can in Huangfeng Valley."

Laozi remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his options, before saying in a resigned tone, "So be it. The great Dao is simple, returning to one's true nature. The quality of the alchemy furnace is merely an external phenomenon. With your current foundation and my guidance, as long as the steps are correct and the heat is precise, then you can use it."

Lao Jun paused for a moment, as if searching for the most common yet impactful metaphor.

Fang Yu pricked up his ears.

"Even with a rice cooker, you can still refine peerless elixirs!" "A rice cooker?!"

Fang Yu felt as if he had been struck by lightning, springing up from the bed with a start. His eyes widened in disbelief, his face contorted with utter shock! He slapped his forehead repeatedly, the sound echoing loudly, his voice rising and distorting with extreme shock:
"Something's not right! Something's very wrong! Laozi! How do you know what a 'rice cooker' is?! Is this a term that should exist in the celestial realm?"

Deep within his consciousness, Laozi seemed to realize his slip of the tongue, and a rare, extremely subtle ripple of panic appeared in that wisp of thought, but it was quickly suppressed by his powerful cultivation.

He interrupted Fang Yu, feigning calmness, and explained in a tone that suggested, "You're such a country bumpkin who's never seen the world":
"Hmph! You're making a fuss over nothing! I, an old Daoist, reside in your sea of ​​consciousness. Your past memories are like countless stars. Those novelties, like 'computers,' 'cell phones,' and 'instant noodles,' and that novel plot you so fondly mention about 'refining pills with a rice cooker,' I've only caught a glimpse of them occasionally. What's so strange about that? You naturally know the name 'rice cooker'! What, is it so strange?"

"Uh, is that so?" Fang Yu's brows remained furrowed, his suspicion undiminished.

Lao Jun's explanation seemed plausible, but something still felt off to him, like he had stepped into cotton and couldn't exert any force.

Lao Jun quickly changed the subject, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority: "Alright! Don't get bogged down in these trivial details! Refining the elixir is the priority! Quickly find something that can hold the medicinal liquid and gather the fire element. The shape doesn't matter; a pot, a cauldron, a jar, or even a basin will do!"

Fang Yu scratched his head, suppressing his doubts, muttering "strange and mysterious," and began rummaging through drawers and cabinets in the room.

The temporary accommodation was really rudimentary; after searching around, I couldn't find anything.

Finally, he found a dusty bronze artifact in a luxuriously decorated courtyard shed.

It is about half a person's height, with three legs and two handles. Its shape is simple and ancient, covered with verdigris and rust. It looks like an old ritual object used for sacrifice. It is extremely heavy and its origin is unknown.

"This thing... looks like a cauldron?" Fang Yu struggled to drag it into the house, then slammed it onto the floor with a thud, sending dust flying.

The cauldron is quite large, but it's a pity it's missing a lid.

"What do I do without a lid? Isn't sealing the alchemy process crucial?" Fang Yu was perplexed.

Laozi's voice rang out calmly: "Heaven and earth are the furnace, creation is the craftsman, and the lid is not bound by any particular style. Just find something that can roughly cover the mouth of the cauldron and isolate it from the chaotic air from the outside world."

Fang Yu stroked his chin, his eyes scanning the room; the pots and pans were clearly too small.

He pushed open the door and ran to the courtyard where the cauldron had just been discovered, his gaze landing on the pigsty in the corner!

A large, plump sow, grunting and squealing, came into view!
The sow's plump body looked just right to cover the mouth of the cauldron!
"Hehe, you're the one!" Fang Yu's eyes lit up, and he grinned with a wicked smile.

In a short while, accompanied by the sow's terrified and shrill screams and her hooves kicking wildly, Fang Yu managed to drag the several hundred-pound creature into the house by sheer brute force.

Under the terrified gaze of the sow's small eyes, he moved her to the top of the cauldron.

The sow's enormous body covered everything, its fat spreading out, completely obscuring the mouth of the cauldron!

The sow's belly pressed against the cold edge of the cauldron, emitting a terrified and muffled "grunt".

Laozi in the sea of ​​consciousness seemed speechless for a moment, finally letting out a barely audible sigh, "So be it. Though crude, it is still useful. Now, calm your mind and listen to my guidance."

Fang Yu took a deep breath, suppressing the absurd feeling that a sow was being used as a lid for a cauldron.

He sat down cross-legged, his gaze becoming focused. Guided by Laozi's deep and profound voice, he began to carefully guide the spiritual power within his body, circulating it along a specific trajectory and slowly injecting it into the bottom of the lidless bronze cauldron. At the same time, with a slight thought, he rolled the mountain of precious spiritual herbs on the table into balls in order and put them into the cauldron in batches.
(End of this chapter)