Douluo Continent Chat Group: Building My Academy

Chapter 121 Yao Chen: Xiao Yanzi asked me to do something

A moment later, inside the narrow cave, the flames from the medicine cauldron reflected off the mountain wall, flickering and dancing wildly.

Xiao Yan stared intently at the churning flames in the medicine cauldron, his expression calm and composed, though his eyes were bloodshot from his intense focus.

For alchemists, refining medicine for a long time is an extremely energy-consuming task. If Xiao Yan's cultivation technique was still at the low-level Yellow Rank of the Burning Technique at the beginning, and he did not have the support of the Burning Fruit, then it would be very difficult for him to persist in front of the medicine cauldron for two hours, as his energy and quantity would be severely insufficient.

At this moment, Xiao Yan has undergone a complete transformation compared to the original timeline. His cultivation level has broken through, and he can control flames as easily as walking.

For Xiao Yan, who had already broken through to the Dou Zhe level and was on the verge of becoming a Dou Shi, two hours of alchemy was equivalent to jogging for two hours, which was a piece of cake.

With his eyes slightly narrowed, Yao Chen watched as Xiao Yan successfully refined the Blood-Coagulating Grass into white powder once again. He nodded slightly, thinking that Xiao Yan still had a long time to go before reaching his limit. He was a completely different person now.

The light shifted to several jade boxes placed near the medicine cauldron. The jade boxes were filled with a pale white essence extracted from the Blood Coagulation Grass, all of which were the results of Xiao Yan's previous efforts.

Looking at the jade boxes from left to right, the pale white color becomes increasingly rich. By the time you get the last jade box, the white color is almost pure white, and the medicinal power has been extracted to the maximum extent.

Practice makes perfect; it's the simplest of truths.

Xiao Yan has only refined the first material so far. He can only say that he has become proficient in the Blood Clotting Grass. The refining of each herb is different. There are two more to come, and he will need to master them.

You have to practice like this over and over again until you can instinctively feel the presence of unfamiliar medicinal herbs. That's when you've really mastered the art.

"Rest for a while, then proceed with the refining of the second herb, and continue until it reaches the same level as this blood-clotting herb, then proceed with the third."

Xiao Yan nodded without speaking, and closed his eyes to rest. Refining pills was very boring, but cultivation was almost the same. He was already used to it. If he couldn't resist loneliness or temptation, how could he become strong?

About ten minutes later, Xiao Yan opened his eyes again, and the whites of his eyes and pupils were clear, indicating that he had finished resting.

"Alright? Let's continue then." Yao Chen said with a faint smile, it seemed that a rough outline would be formed today.

"Um."

Xiao Yan nodded softly, very seriously, not wanting to lose the feel he had just developed.

Let me repeat myself: alchemy is boring and tiring, even more so than cultivation.

Cultivation doesn't bring a comfortable feeling; it's even less pleasurable than exercising. As for alchemy, it's roughly the same as learning knowledge in school.

Xiao Yan was a genius to begin with, and now his talent has been further enhanced, which is why he can do it so easily. If it were an ordinary person, it would be like facing a subject that they could never learn no matter how hard they tried. They would not only not feel happy, but would even feel a strong sense of frustration.

Just like that so-called joke, the research results of various academicians and advanced mathematical equations are blatantly displayed on the Internet and in books, so why not learn the Heavenly Rank Technique?

It's precisely because they can't learn it or understand it thoroughly. Moreover, learning is harmful to the body, while cultivation can lead to demonic possession, shattered meridians, and the demise of the body and spirit.

Another very important point is that humans are inherently lazy. Diligence and self-discipline are talents in themselves. Many people can't give up their daily routines of taking off and mining, let alone when faced with something that is already uncomfortable.

Even Xiao Yan, who could endure it now, was still somewhat frustrated. After the painful process of refining the medicine, Xiao Yan finally realized that he had been fooled by his teacher.

In the past, when Yao Chen refined medicine, he would simply stretch out his palm and burn it a few times, and the pills that drove countless people crazy would be produced in a hot furnace. This simple process left Xiao Yan with the impression that refining medicine was extremely easy, just like cooking rice over a wood fire. But now that he has tried refining it himself, he knows that even with talent, it is as annoying as screwing in a screw.

But being depressed was just being depressed. After venting his emotions with a sigh, Xiao Yan sat down in front of the medicine cauldron again and began to refine the essence of the other two medicinal herbs.

Having gained experience from refining the Blood Clotting Grass, Xiao Yan was much more relaxed this time. After only eight or nine practice attempts, he finally succeeded in extracting the most essential medicinal power from the two herbs.

The substance extracted from the Vitality Fruit is a type of slightly dark, fine granule, which has the effect of removing blood stasis and promoting blood circulation.

In the wild, some experienced wounded mercenaries, if they do not have enough healing medicine, often crush the Vitality Fruit into pieces to alleviate their injuries.

The liquid extracted from poppy flowers is a pale red liquid that has a numbing effect on the nerves and can be used as an analgesic.

The three medicines were white, black, and red, and almost all of them were the purest colors. Upon seeing this, Yao Chen nodded slightly.

"The necessary materials have been extracted. Now let's combine their medicinal properties together. This is the most important step in the alchemy process."

After taking a deep breath to calm himself, Xiao Yan immediately began his work, skillfully tossing the pure white powder into the cauldron and then smoking it over a gentle fire for about ten minutes. Once the pure white powder turned slightly reddish, he quickly poured in the poppy liquid. As soon as the liquid entered the cauldron, it enveloped the pure white powder, which tumbled slightly in the flames before gradually merging into a pale red, viscous liquid.

The soul's perception worked hard to control the temperature of the flames, slowly roasting the pale red viscous liquid. Under the continuous roasting of the flames, the viscous liquid gradually turned into a dark red paste.

Staring intently at the dark red paste in the medicine cauldron through the transparent mirror, Xiao Yan hesitated slightly before adding the small black particles of the Vitality Fruit into it as well.

The small black particles entered the cauldron, but nothing changed. The large clumps of tiny particles bounced back and forth in the flames, refusing to merge into the dark red paste.

"Different materials have different resistances to temperature, so you must learn to control the flame temperature at any point in the cauldron at will. Where a low temperature is needed, you must suppress the flame; where a high temperature is needed, you must release the suppression and increase the flame temperature."

Seeing that Xiao Yan was getting impatient, Yao Chen calmly explained that controlling the temperature should not be a problem for Xiao Yan now.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan licked his dry lips and nodded hastily. He then separated a portion of his soul perception and tried his best to control the different temperatures of the flames in the medicine cauldron, striving to achieve the best result as he had done with the medicine before.

"Bang—"

However, as his soul perception released its suppression of the temperature, an uncontrollable flame suddenly rose up, burning a small portion of the black particles to ashes in just a moment. Xiao Yan, terrified and sweating profusely, hurriedly tried to suppress it.

Although the Bone Spirit Cold Flame brought Xiao Yan extremely strong firepower, the combination of ice and fire was relatively easy to overpower.

However, after making only one or two mistakes, Xiao Yan quickly grasped the pattern, calmed down, and maximized the use of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

Inside the cauldron, the tiny black particles, under the optimal temperature, finally couldn't withstand the pressure and burst open. Clumps of dark black powder slowly drifted into the pale red paste, deepening its color—

As the last pinch of black powder drifted into the paste, Xiao Yan let out a long sigh of relief.

But just then, Yao Chen's voice came over unhurriedly.

"Finally, use your Bone Spirit Cold Fire to warm the healing medicine once more, and further enhance its medicinal power."

The enhancement that a different kind of fire brings to an alchemist goes far beyond just the flame; it also activates the quality of the elixirs.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded seriously, recalling the feeling of purifying the three medicines earlier. The blue and white flames once again engulfed the paste, burning it slightly.

About five or six minutes later, Xiao Yan stopped, and the flames in the medicine cauldron finally went out.

Seeing this, Yao Chen smiled slightly, waved his hand, and the lid of the medicine cauldron flew off. With a wave of his right hand, a large mass of deep red paste in the cauldron flew out of the air and finally hovered in mid-air above the cave.

Glancing at the dark red paste that exuded a strong medicinal smell, Yao Chen sliced ​​it off out of thin air with his palm. As he waved his hand, the constantly flowing dark red paste was divided into at least a hundred small pieces of liquid paste.

Sacrificing about 3% of the total amount of paste resulted in an increase in medicinal efficacy of about 30%.

Then, taking the storage ring from Xiao Yan's hand, Yao Lao flicked his finger, and hundreds of small jade bottles instantly filled the narrow cave.

After placing the jade bottle, the old apothecary casually waved his hand, and the viscous liquid in mid-air accurately fell into the jade bottle.

Picking up a jade bottle casually, Yao Chen smiled and handed it to Xiao Yan, teasingly saying, "Congratulations on your first successful alchemy attempt, and with a strange fire no less! See if there's any familiar flavor inside?"

During his year of cultivation, almost all the pills Xiao Yan consumed were refined by Yao Chen using the Bone Spirit Cold Flame. In other words, Xiao Yan grew up eating a different kind of flame.

Xiao Yan smiled to himself, not believing that all the resources Nalan Yanran consumed had the flavor of a different kind of fire.

Taking the jade bottle, Xiao Yan gazed at the deep red liquid inside, its color almost like amber, and couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement and pride.

"Teacher, can I be considered a first-grade alchemist?"

"Considering the strange fire and your fire control ability, once you are familiar with my prescription, even if you can only make this one kind of pill, you will at least be considered a second-grade pill."

"hey-hey!"

Excitement needs no further explanation.

Time flew by, and in the following days, Xiao Yan spent almost all his time by the medicine cauldron.

Although life was extremely difficult, the full ring of healing medicine made him feel quite gratified during his rest.

With Yao Chen's occasional reminders, Xiao Yan keenly discovered that his fire control ability had been further improved. With a single fire fist, he completely burned down another small grove of trees on the back mountain without leaving a trace.

Now, progress comes, a bittersweet experience, which is why Xiao Yan can persevere and turn the mundane into a source of enjoyment—that is, visible improvement.

Bottles of healing medicine appeared, ranging from nearly amber to crystal clear and almost like real amber, making Yao Chen's smile grow even wider.

"Alright, Xiao Yanzi, it's time to go find your old man. It's getting cold; it's time to bankrupt the Jia Lie family!"

Yao Chen told jokes he had learned from the chat group, leaving Xiao Yan slightly confused. What was his teacher talking about?

Inside the council hall of the Xiao family, almost every high-ranking member, including the patriarch Xiao Zhan and the three elders, had a face full of worry, mixed with barely suppressed anger.

In just five days, the Xiao family has lost at least 40% of its profits. If the Jia Lie family is not dealt with soon, they may really become the tyrant of Wutan City.

Just as the plan was being discussed in the hall, a family guard rushed in and respectfully reported.

"Chief, there is a man in black robes outside. He says he wants to discuss some cooperation matters with you in detail."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan and the elders were taken aback. They exchanged glances, then suddenly remembered the old gentleman they had met at the auction. Their gloomy faces instantly lit up with wild joy, and they all stood up abruptly, shouting, "Please come in quickly!"

Upon seeing Xiao Zhan and the three elders in this state, everyone in the hall was somewhat astonished, and then they looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Hehe, no need to invite me. How have you been, Clan Chief Xiao? This old man has come uninvited."

No sooner had Xiao Zhan finished speaking than an old man's loud laughter came from outside the door.

As the sound approached, a figure shrouded in a large black cloak strolled into the hall unhurriedly, under the watchful eyes of everyone.

Upon seeing the black-robed man enter, Xiao Zhan and the three elders quickly stepped forward from beside the table, showering him with compliments.

"Sir, I was busy with clan affairs and Xiao Zhan was unable to come out to greet you. Please forgive me."

"Hehe, no need for formalities. This old man has only come for one thing." The man in black robes chuckled, his tone playful.

Xiao Zhan was taken aback, his heart clenching, but he dared not be negligent. He exchanged glances with the three elders, and quickly made way for them to take their seats.

"Hehe, sir, may I ask what brings you to the Xiao family today?"

After the man in black robes took his seat, Xiao Zhan personally served him a cup of warm tea and asked with a smile.

"I've already seen that genius young man from the Xiao family. He's quite good. I was only slightly interested in him at first, but after meeting him in person, I found that the little fellow is really interesting and very much to my liking. That's why I came to find you, the Xiao family patriarch." An aged voice came faintly from under the black robe.

Could it be that...

Xiao Zhan swallowed hard, suddenly feeling like he had won the lottery. The rest of the Xiao family members in the hall also stiffened their necks and stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

"So I asked that kid if he wanted to become my disciple, and do you know what he said, Clan Chief Xiao? He said he would be willing to become my disciple if I could help the Xiao family."

As he spoke, the black-robed man's voice became ambiguous, carrying a hint of amusement, but Xiao Zhan felt as if struck by lightning, trembling with fear, and inwardly cursing.

Hey kid, what are you thinking? You dare to make a request? You should just agree to it without hesitation and thank your senior with tears of gratitude!

Not only Xiao Zhan, but the three elders were also inwardly pounding their chests and stamping their feet, wishing they could agree on Xiao Yan's behalf. What other conditions could they possibly propose?

At that moment, several younger members of the Xiao family were also present and heard what the man in black robes said.

Xiao Ning gave a bitter smile and lowered his head. Xiao Yu's pupils shrank slightly, and he cursed inwardly. Xiao Mei's small mouth opened slightly, and her eyes shone. Only Xiao Xun'er, who had been secretly reading on the side, squinted at the man in black robes, as if she sensed something, but also felt that it had nothing to do with her.

"So, Clan Chief Xiao, this old man has come uninvited to test whether I can become that brat's master."

""

Knowing when to stop, and to prevent Xiao Yan, who was acting as his vessel, from suddenly becoming agitated, Yao Chen reached out and revealed a pale red ring on his finger. He lightly flicked the ring with his fingertip, and instantly, it flashed with light.

Staring at the fair hand before him, which resembled that of a young boy, Xiao Zhan was momentarily lost in thought. This hand gave him a feeling of—somewhat familiarity.

Xiao Xun'er's eyes narrowed instantly, her lips curled up in a half-smile, and she lowered her head as if she was holding something back, but she forced herself to continue reading.

Before Xiao Zhan could even ponder where this familiar feeling came from, he was stunned by the sudden appearance of a large pile of jade bottles on the table.

In the blink of an eye, the huge conference table was completely covered with neatly arranged small jade bottles, leaving no gaps.

Gazing at the countless small jade bottles that had appeared out of nowhere, everyone in the hall, except for the girl in green by the window, was so shocked by the sheer number of pills that they gasped in astonishment.

"Here are 1,283 bottles of healing medicine called Blood Clotting Powder." While I wouldn't dare call it the finest healing medicine, its healing effect is far more significant than the "Rejuvenating Powder" of the Jia Lie family.

Despite the shocked gazes in the hall, the man in black robes continued his introduction in a calm and unhurried manner.

"Then, would you do me the honor of accepting that interesting lad as a disciple, Chief Xiao?"

>