Elder Shi coughed lightly after hearing Xiao Feng's question, and although his expression remained calm on the surface, a trace of helplessness flashed through his eyes.
'This brat… does he think everyone is like him?'
Inwardly, he could not help but sigh.
Even among the many disciples and geniuses he had seen throughout his life. But none had ever asked such a question so casually after their very first successful refinement.
Still, outwardly, his posture straightened slightly, and his tone regained its usual steadiness as he replied.
"Naturally, not only did I succeed on my first attempt, but my results were far better and faster than yours. Your talent barely met the standard required to become my disciple.
So you should not become arrogant over such a small achievement."
As he spoke, he even nodded faintly, as if confirming his own words.
After all, as a master, maintaining some face in front of his first disciple was only natural.
Telling a small lie for that purpose… was not entirely unacceptable.
Xiao Feng listened quietly, his expression serious as he nodded in agreement.
"I understand, Master."
However, for a brief moment, a strange feeling passed through his mind. 'Something… is slightly off.'
But he could not clearly point out what it was.
After thinking about it for a moment, he simply let it go.
"Since you are so eager, you may try again," Elder Shi said after a short pause, his tone returning to normal.
Although his gaze had become noticeably more focused as it rested on Xiao Feng.
This time, Xiao Feng's movements were clearly smoother than before.
As the unfamiliarity he had experienced earlier had already begun to fade, allowing his control over the flame to become more stable and natural.
As the process continued, Elder Shi watched without saying a word.
However, his thoughts were far from calm.
From the moment Xiao Feng began refining again, every step he took showed improvement, as if he had already grasped the essence of the process after just one attempt.
When the second pill was finally completed, its quality was visibly higher than the first, with a more stable aura and a purer appearance.
When he refined a third pill, the process became even more fluid. His control over the flame and timing reaching a level that could no longer be described as mere beginner proficiency.
The result was clearly superior to the previous two.
Elder Shi remained seated, watching quietly. But inwardly, he had already fallen into complete silence.
'What kind of…'
He did not finish the thought.
He had witnessed countless refining processes in his life, from beginners struggling to form a flame, to talented disciples taking months to stabilize their technique.
But this, this was something else entirely.
If not for personally watching Xiao Feng from the very beginning, he would have believed that this was someone who had already refined pills hundreds of times.
After taking a slow breath, Elder Shi finally suppressed the thoughts in his mind and spoke in a calm tone.
"That is enough for today. Continuing further will not provide much benefit at this stage, and it is more important for you to strengthen your foundation in theory."
Xiao Feng stopped and nodded.
"Understood, Master."
After a brief pause, Xiao Feng seemed to recall something.
"Master," he said, "I was thinking of planting some spirit herbs near my residence. Do you have any that I could use?"
Elder Shi, without even asking further, waved his sleeve.
A pile of spirit herb plants instantly appeared beside Xiao Feng, emitting faint spiritual fluctuations.
"Take them," he said quickly.
"There are enough varieties there for your current needs. If you lack anything later, you can ask again."
His tone was unusually straightforward. Almost… a bit too fast.
Xiao Feng paused slightly.
He felt that his master seemed… eager to send him away.
But since the herbs were already given, he did not think too much about it.
"Thank you, Master."
Elder Shi nodded, then added in a composed tone, "You should also visit the library later and study the properties of herbs in detail."
"I will," Xiao Feng replied.
After exchanging a few more words, Xiao Feng collected the herbs and turned to leave. His figure gradually disappeared along the mountain path.
Elder Shi remained seated in the backyard.
For a moment, he did not move.
Only after Xiao Feng had completely left his sight did he slowly lean back in his chair and let out a long breath.
"…Finally gone."
His gaze shifted toward the pill furnace, toward the remaining herbs.
A complicated expression appeared on his face.
"What kind of disciple did I accept this time…"
He shook his head slightly. Even with his experience, he felt a faint pressure.
Meanwhile, Xiao Feng walked steadily along the path, carrying the spirit herbs with him.
The mountain breeze brushed past gently, and the surroundings were once again quiet and peaceful.
However, as he walked halfway down the path, his expression suddenly stiffened slightly.
A trace of displeasure flashed across his eyes.
'System! Did your father run away? What exactly were those pop up sounds just now?'
During the pill refining just now, several notifications had suddenly appeared in his mind. Although it did not affect the outcome, it still made him uneasy.
His master's cultivation was far beyond his own. Even though nothing had happened, he could not be certain whether such anomalies could be detected.
If the existence of the system was exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
He don't want anyone knowing about his cheat!
Taking a slow breath, he suppressed the slight irritation in his heart before shifting his focus inward.
"System," he called silently, "what exactly were those notifications just now?"
A faint ripple passed through his consciousness.
Then, a clear interface unfolded before him.
[You have successfully refined your first Pill, new function unlocked.]
Xiao Feng's smile widened instantly. That slightest dissatisfaction in his heart, vanished in the next moment.
Just then, a pale green screen appeared in front of his eyes.
_______________________________________________________
[Supreme Alchemy System] [Status]
Name : Xiao Feng
Physique : Innate Pill Bone
Cultivation : Peak Qi Refining Realm
Alchemy Rank : First-Rank Alchemist
Cultivation Technique : Nine Revolutions Nirvana Art (Half-Emperor rank, First Stage)
Cultivation Skill : Mountain Breaking First (Mid Level Yellow rank)
System Points : 30
________________________________________________________
Xiao Feng knew most of things in his status, except System Points.
"What are these used for?" he asked calmly.
The system responded immediately.
[System Points are obtained through alchemy-related actions such as refining pills, improving quality, and achieving breakthroughs.]
[These Points can be used in the System Exchange Store to obtain items, resources, and rare treasures.]
Xiao Feng's interest was instantly drawn.
'Open the shop.'
The moment the command was given, the interface shifted once more, and a vast list of items appeared before his eyes.
For a brief moment, even Xiao Feng's usually calm expression changed.
A dazing golden list appeared in front of him, with several heavenly items on the top. Each one radiating an indescribable sense of value even through their names alone.
________________________________________________
[System Exchange Store]
'Heavenly Dao Reversal Pill' — 5,000,000 Points
'Nine Phoenix Nirvana Essence' — 3,800,000 Points
'Ancient Void Spirit Cauldron' — 2,600,000 Points
'Emperor Soul Refining Grass' — 2,000,000 Points
'...'
____________________________________________________
Just reading the names caused a faint stir in his heart.
Although he did not recognize any of them, these titles alone suggested that they were treasures far beyond his current level.
Perhaps even items capable of altering one's destiny.
His gaze lingered for a moment. 'These… are definitely not ordinary things.'
However, as his eyes slowly moved downward, his expression gradually became strange.
The further down the list he went, the more… ordinary the items became.
__________________________________________________
...
'Snow Spirit Lotus Petals' — 15 Points
'Crimson Butterfly Powder' — 20 Points
'Low-Grade Spirit Stones x1000' — 10 Points
_____________________________________________________
Xiao Feng's steps paused slightly as his gaze fixed on the certain item.
For a moment, he thought he had misread it.
But no, there was no mistake. That's really Crimson Butterfly Powder, a type of infamous aphrodisiac in this cultivation world.
Xiao Feng's expression twitched faintly.
'What kind of… system is this?'
The contrast between the upper section and the lower section was simply too extreme.
One side contained treasures that sounded like they belonged to ancient legends. The other looked like something one would find in a questionable marketplace.
He took a slow breath and closed the interface.
For now, with only thirty points, even the lowest high-tier item was completely out of reach.
Still, a new understanding formed in his mind.
'Refining pills gives points…'
Which meant, alchemy was not only a path of cultivation for him now, but also a direct method to strengthen himself through the system.
By the time Xiao Feng finished sorting out his thoughts, he had already reached his mountain peak.
Before long, he returned to his own mountain peak.
However, the moment he stepped closer to his residence, his gaze paused slightly.
There were more people on his place.
Two figures stood not far from the entrance, seemingly discussing something while occasionally glancing toward the residence.
Xiao Feng frowned faintly. He was only gone for a few hours and some people came to looking for him.
Without stopping, he walked forward.
At the same time, the two individuals also noticed his presence.