Heavy Snow, Homesickness

His natal magic treasure was finally forged. The hefty weight resting within his qi sea lent an anchoring sense of solidity to Luo Chen's path of cultivation. It was a sensation far beyond anything treasures like the Profound Fire Sword or Poyue Wings could compare to. Even the Lanke Black Chess Piece, which he had tempered and nurtured the longest, could not match half of what the Hunyuan Cauldron offered. In the days that followed, Luo Chen threw himself heart and soul into studying this natal magic treasure. It was just as Tianyezi had said. Though this Hunyuan Cauldron of his had been crafted according to Azure Pill Valley's blueprints, because so many equivalent portions of raw materials had been added, its resulting power differed drastically. The moment it took shape, it leaped straight into the high-grade rank—a rare, top-tier masterpiece even within Tianyezi's forging career! What was more, with Han Zhan and Qingshuang joining in at the final stage, the treasure had gained some indescribable, enigmatic properties. As for the specifics, Luo Chen was still feeling them out step by step. Or rather, he was not the only one exploring them; Tianyezi was studying them right alongside him. …… "There's no question about its basic functions. In fact, not only pill refining, but using this cauldron for artifact forging, raising Gu, or nurturing spirits would be more than sufficient." "As for combat, I believe there's immense potential to tap into." "The combat style of cauldrons, furnaces, towers, and pagodas doesn't vary much overall. The crudest method is simply throwing and smashing it, while the more sophisticated approach involves storing unique lethal forces inside to deal damage—such as baleful qi, divine water, astral wind, fierce flames, and the like. Cultivators usually struggle to wield such forces directly, but with a natal magic treasure acting as a buffer, they can turn them into their own killing moves. Take Qin Tairan of the Yan Alliance, whom you encountered before: he nurtured a vast supply of top-quality Flaming Sun True Fiend within his Taiyang Furnace. You can emulate that in the future." Luo Chen committed these words to heart. He did indeed possess a similar technique. His Blazing Fire Miasma utilized baleful qi against enemies. However, that technique took too great a toll on his body, making it difficult for him to deploy directly under ordinary circumstances; he typically only unleashed it after assuming his Heavenly Peng True Body. If he nurtured the Blazing Fire Miasma within the Hunyuan Cauldron going forward, he could use it in battle straightaway. "More advanced offensive methods become rather profound. They lie in three aspects: suppress, imprison, and lock!" "True to their names: suppression, imprisonment, and locking down." "As for how to bring out the first two, Azure Pill Valley's records cover them; you can simply follow along and imitate. But the locking effect was something I specifically designed after drawing inspiration from the Demon Locking Pagoda." "With Han Zhan, an expert in the soul, and Qingshuang, who has glimpsed the mysteries of spatial laws, helping out, we hastily brought that design to fruition." "Therefore, your natal magic treasure also possesses the power to capture a cultivator's soul." "Of course, you still need to delve deeper into this capability. For now, it isn't as pure as that of the Demon Locking Pagoda. But I believe that if you persist in tempering and nurturing it, this treasure's potential in that regard will surpass even the pagoda!" Tianyezi spoke at length, laying it all out clearly. Luo Chen listened with great care, his heart brimming with anticipation for the Hunyuan Cauldron's future. Once a cultivator formed their Golden Core, their soul gained a vessel to anchor upon. Often, when defeated in battle and unable to escape in body, they could pour their soul into the Golden Core and flee several li away in an instant. However, Golden Core cultivators possessed extremely swift fleeing speeds themselves, so attempting to escape a pursuer of the same realm via Golden Core alone remained rather unrealistic. Yet once a cultivator advanced to the Nascent Soul realm, this escape technique reached its absolute peak! Just look at how the Nascent Soul of Wolf Emperor Ao Xiao had attempted to flee—Han Zhan alone had been entirely incapable of stopping him, requiring five peers of the same realm to strike simultaneously, alongside the Demon Locking Pagoda, to finally capture him. One could say this was precisely why Nascent Soul cultivators were revered as True Persons. As long as the Nascent Soul does not die, the True Person does not perish! And now, his own Hunyuan Cauldron possessed functions specifically tailored against a cultivator's Golden Core and Nascent Soul, which undeniably made Luo Chen's arsenal all the more versatile. "As for defense, there isn't much to say." "After all, this treasure was primarily made for your pill refining; combat functions are merely incidental." "Of course, don't underestimate it either. The materials used were simply far too solid—quite literally the largest amount of raw materials I've ever used in my entire forging life." "If nothing else, its sheer physical texture alone is sufficient to withstand the vast majority of physical strikes in the Golden Core realm." "Ah, that is, provided your physical body can endure the resulting recoil." Luo Chen nodded slightly. The materials poured into this natal magic treasure truly bordered on absurd. Fearing failure beforehand, he had gathered no fewer than ten portions of every required material, and for some raw ingredients, even as many as twenty-odd portions. Even now, some remnants still remained. It was precisely because of such substantial materials that the Hunyuan Cauldron, once born into the world, instantly ranked among high-grade treasures! It bypassed hundreds of years of nurturing in a single leap! Synthesizing what Tianyezi and Luo Chen had explored, the Hunyuan Cauldron's functions were ultimately categorized into five major domains: Suppress, Trap, Lock, Nourish, and Refine! From lowest to highest, the way of refinement was the most essential. And that single word, "Refine," was also the key to how Luo Chen would temper and nurture this treasure in the future. "Its success stemmed from solid materials, yet its flaw lies in those very same materials." Stroking his beard, Tianyezi confessed with a touch of embarrassment, "You must have realized it by now: driving this treasure right now is rather difficult for you, isn't it?" Luo Chen could only smile wryly. After he forged his natal magic treasure, Youquan had not restricted his range of movement; instead, she had granted him ample leeway, allowing him sufficient space and time to explore the artifact. Yet when he sought out an open stretch on Mount Cangwu and attempted to drive the Hunyuan Cauldron, every single activation proved excruciatingly laborious! One had to realize that with his dense, profound magic power nearing the third layer of Golden Core, he was in no way inferior to ordinary mid-stage Golden Core cultivators. Even so, every activation drained a staggering amount of magic power. Most critically—it was slow! Even when he exerted all his might, the Hunyuan Cauldron's flight speed was absurdly sluggish. At such a flight speed, expecting it to envelop an enemy was nothing short of a joke. It was only when used for regular pill refining that no problems arose; in fact, it felt even more handy and responsive. When he secretly refined top-grade Emperor's Flowing Syrup in private, his success rate had surged from the traditional ten percent all the way to fifteen percent! Once he grew more familiar with it, its efficacy in that regard would surely rise further. "I calculated it earlier: you used a full thirteen portions of those identical raw materials!" "On top of that, an excessive amount of Tongxuan Heavenly Crystal and millennium thunder essence were added, not to mention that wisp of Green Duckweed Nether Wind from my own private stash." "With so many materials blended together, its weight was bound to exceed the norm long ago. Most importantly, over ninety percent of them were never processed beforehand, leaving behind an unimaginable quantity of impurities!" "Because of these impurities, your magic power cannot circulate smoothly through the Hunyuan Cauldron, making it twice as arduous to command." Tianyezi was genuinely embarrassed at this moment. Forging a person's natal magic treasure only for them to find it unwieldy was a monumental blunder for any grandmaster smith. After all, a magic treasure was not better simply because its rank was higher; what mattered most was suitability. At the time, he had been far too eager to craft a perfect masterpiece. Furthermore, that bizarre drop of blood had created an opportunity for the cauldron to absorb a mountainous quantity of raw materials, and he had been unwilling to let it slip by, which ultimately resulted in this awkward state of affairs. "To resolve this issue, I've spent a great deal of time pondering it recently, and I finally came up with three methods." "Three?" Luo Chen's interest was piqued. "Which one is best?" Tianyezi shook his head. "It's not about which is best; it's best to take a three-pronged approach." "Please enlighten me, Senior. This junior is all ears." "It is quite simple, really: nourish, use, and refine. Nourish its grade with magic power, refine its impurities with true fire, and frequently use it to refine pills and forge artifacts. Over time, you will naturally grow ever more attuned to the treasure." Luo Chen nodded. This aligned closely with his own thinking. Or rather, these were fundamentally the standard three methods. It was only because Luo Chen possessed source true fire and the Hunyuan Cauldron's tempering inherently involved daily practical use that Tianyezi had highlighted them specifically. "Of course, if you wish to drive it by brute force, I have a method for that too," Tianyezi said with a faint smile. Under Luo Chen's expectant gaze, he spread his hands. "Once you reach the late Golden Core stage, you can force it into motion." Luo Chen froze for a moment, then showed a helpless expression. Wasn't that just using sheer brawn to force it? Wait! Sheer brawn? Luo Chen tested the waters, asking, "Senior mentioned earlier that this Hunyuan Cauldron of mine has an exceptional physical constitution, capable of withstanding Golden Core attacks through raw toughness even without defensive formations?" Tianyezi grunted in affirmation. "Indeed. In fact, in my view, even an early Nascent Soul cultivator's straightforward attack wouldn't necessarily destroy your natal magic treasure in a single strike." Luo Chen licked his lips. "I was thinking... if I relied purely on physical strength to haul this treasure and smash it against enemies, would that count as a reasonable way to use it?" Cauldron-type magic treasures certainly possessed a basic combat mode of throwing and hurling. However, that was always under the premise of driving them with magic power. Hauling a massive cauldron by hand... Imagining Luo Chen gripping that three-legged, two-eared cauldron and chasing people down to smash them wildly... Tianyezi was dumbfounded. …… Inside the cave dwelling. Having just returned from Tianyezi's place, Luo Chen could hardly wait to begin refining his natal magic treasure. This was not the simple tempering within his qi sea. Instead, he brought the Hunyuan Cauldron outside and drove his Wither-Bloom Fire to incinerate and calcine it bit by bit. Watching the normal-sized cauldron floating before him in midair, Luo Chen focused his full attention on commanding his source true fire. Beneath the scorching heat of the azure flames, through his sharp vision, the plump, round Hunyuan Cauldron—resembling a pregnant belly—was noticeably "slimming down" at a speed visible to the naked eye! Wisps of black impurities seeped out bit by bit in the form of liquid and turbid vapor. These were all the impurities contained within the raw materials. It was precisely because of them that Luo Chen could not freely command his natal magic treasure at present. After a round of refinement, Luo Chen felt a slight fatigue. He formed an incantation seal and pointed forward. The bulbous cauldron shrank at once, turning into a three-inch miniature vessel. Opening his mouth, he inhaled, and the three-inch cauldron transformed into a streak of flowing light, vanishing into his body. Patting his belly, a surge of satisfaction welled up within him. After resting briefly, Luo Chen resumed his cultivation. Because refining his natal magic treasure recently consumed an enormous amount of magic power, his cultivation progress had slowed somewhat. Yet it was only "somewhat"! Over the past half-year, his cultivation realm had continued advancing toward the next layer with an irresistible momentum. The third layer of Golden Core was just around the corner! …… Upon Mount Cangwu. It was that same mid-mountain platform. Though it was the depths of winter, heavy snow continued to drift ceaselessly across this sacred land of immortals. This differed somewhat from what mortal commoners imagined of an immortal haven. In their minds, an immortal haven had to be a place of perpetual spring, gentle weather, and freedom from biting cold or sweltering heat. Such an assumption was not entirely wrong; many sect grounds and clan estates across the human cultivation world of the Eastern Desolation were arranged precisely that way. However! This was the uncharted depths of the Barren Mountains! It was the sacred domain of the demon race—the Feather Tribe! Demonic beasts placed greater emphasis on staying close to nature and comprehending the Great Dao. Born of nature and raised by nature, there was no reason to abandon it after achieving cultivation success. On the contrary, thanks to the heavenly cycles of shifting seasons, certain unique beasts could grow even better. Just like right now on the mid-mountain platform: while Luo Chen refined pills, numerous birds of ice, snow, and water attributes gathered nearby to watch. Among them were many third-tier demon kings! After a batch of Emperor's Flowing Syrup, dazzling like the liquid of starlight, was freshly produced, Luo Chen did not stop as usual. Instead, braving the heavy snow, he practicedly retrieved various materials from his storage ring. Seeing this, the flock of birds instantly chirped in excitement. "He's going to refine the Transformation Pill again!" "I wonder if Master Luo will succeed this time?" "Xiaoman counted earlier—Master Luo Chen has failed seventy-eight times already!" "Right, this makes the seventy-ninth. I feel he will definitely succeed this time." "I hear human alchemists say that once you succeed the first time, the second follows easily; as long as they succeed once, it will flow ceaselessly. Let's just hope he makes a good start!" Amidst the chattering, Luo Chen remained deaf to it all. Following the various alchemy techniques he had previously studied and improved, he carried out each step in an orderly manner. Near the very end, he dripped in that drop of essence blood imbued with Tianyezi's Nascent Soul origin. This scene surprised the birds watching nearby. "How strange. Didn't he always add the Nascent Soul essence blood first in the past?" "Yeah, why is it left for last this time? And from the looks of it, he doesn't plan on blending it directly." Three years of exposure had indeed allowed quite a few demonic beasts of high comprehension on Mount Cangwu to gain a rudimentary grasp of pill refinement. Thus, they could detect the difference in Luo Chen's refining process. Yet the more they understood, the more they realized how much remained beyond them. *Because of Qingshuang's assistance, the Hunyuan Cauldron naturally divides into internal spaces.* *How useful that is against enemies remains to be seen, but when refining pills, its utility is immense.* *These small compartments can isolate medicinal properties, allowing me to refine them simultaneously. Then, guided by magic power, they can take shape alongside one another. This way, the pill's completion won't be a sudden forced outcome, but an organic, holistic transformation.* *Only this approach truly accords with the concept of transformation!* Amidst his contemplation, Luo Chen formed the "Convergence" seal! Instantly, the compartments within the cauldron opened, and the refined medicinal liquids began to fuse simultaneously. The sensation was just like a beast undergoing transformation—not a piecemeal alteration, but an all-encompassing evolution. At the very end... *Hiss...* A burnt scent wafted out, and the onlookers were thoroughly disappointed. Another failure! Yet, under the watchful gaze of a few, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Luo Chen's mouth. For upon his status panel, a line of text slowly surfaced. [Tier 4: Transformation Pill - Entry 1/100] *Not a single pill succeeded, yet it shows that I've achieved Entry!* *This completely defies the system rules I summarized in the past, yet it matches certain theories I speculated on years ago—that failure is not futile, and failure can accumulate proficiency as well.* *Seventy-nine failures brought about a hard-won Entry. In that case, genuine success cannot be far away!* No one knew the joy blooming in Luo Chen's heart. He gave the Hunyuan Cauldron a simple cleaning, swallowed it back into his qi sea, and nurtured it with magic power. As for the charred remnants of failed medicinal liquid, he carefully collected them to study further in private. After packing up, the flock of birds had already dispersed. Luo Chen stood on the mountainside, gazing down at the scenery below. The north wind wailed mournfully across a silver-clad landscape, a vast panorama frozen for tens of thousands of li. The smile at the corners of his lips gradually faded. "Three years, has it been?" "Stranded here, three years have slipped by unnoticed. Even my cultivation realm is only a sliver away from stepping into the third layer of Golden Core." "I wonder how they are doing." A wisp of sorrow crept onto Luo Chen's quiet face. Following the abrupt surge of joy came a natural ache of melancholy. He found himself missing the people of the Luotian Sect. He missed the resolute, capable Sima Huiniang; he missed the radiant, striking Gu Caiyi. He wondered if Brother Wang had achieved great mastery in body refinement and advanced to the Smelting Furnace Realm. He wondered if Qu Lingjun had neglected his cultivation, whether his alchemy had improved, and whether he had attained Entry in the second-tier Nether-Passage Pill, Blood Burning Pill, and the other formulas Luo Chen had left behind. Yuan Dongsheng had exhausted his lifespan and fallen years ago, but the daughter he left behind possessed truly remarkable talent; he wondered if Eldest Uncle Li Yingzhang had been able to nurture her into a rising star for the Luotian Sect. What about Duan Feng? And Xiao Long...? That momentary lapse into reverie made Luo Chen appear striking and solitary as he stood on the mid-mountain terrace. Within Zhoukong Hall. Qingshuang glanced toward that direction, a flicker of pity surfacing in her eyes. Yet an instant later, her focus sharpened. A dark shadow swooped inside in a flash. "Xiao Qing, what is it?" Qingshuang's expression turned slightly grave. Beckoning with her finger, a snowflake landed in her palm. "Something feels wrong!"