Chapter Sixty-Five: A Modest Display of Skill

“How… how did you do that?” Lu Zhe stared in disbelief at the unscathed Doctor, his voice full of shock.

The man slowly rose to his feet, his white robe fluttering in the mountain wind. The breeze played with his long black hair, a few stray strands blowing across his face, lending him an air of effortless elegance and charm. At this moment, he was strolling toward Lu Zhe at a leisurely pace.

“What do you think?” Suddenly, a soft voice whispered in Lu Zhe’s ear.

Lu Zhe’s pupils contracted sharply. He glanced to his right and, sure enough, saw the man right beside him, a smile on his lips.

Though the man had been thirty paces away—a distance most people would cover in a dozen steps—Lu Zhe had clearly seen him take only a single step. And even before his foot touched the ground, the man had appeared at his side. Such a terrifying speed!

With a smile, the man patted Lu Zhe’s shoulder, then walked back toward the flat stone where he’d been sitting.

Lu Zhe spun around quickly, watching the man’s graceful stride as he moved away. Reaching the flat stone, the man suddenly touched his left hand, and in a flash of brilliant light, a massive cauldron—five feet tall and six feet wide—appeared atop the stone.

Lu Zhe stared at the cauldron. It was round, supported by four sturdy legs as thick as a grown man’s thigh. Its body was a smoky gray-black, covered in a tangled maze of strange patterns. At the center was a pull ring, likely for feeding the fire. Four handles jutted from the sides, each carved with the visage of a fierce beast, their mouths gripping gold rings, exuding both majesty and power.

Old Ye scrutinized the cauldron, his brows suddenly furrowing in uncertainty. “The Four-Beast Demon-Burning Cauldron?”

The man known as Doctor laughed heartily. “You still remember it?”

Receiving his affirmation, Old Ye’s expression grew even graver. “Wasn’t this cauldron destroyed by your master three hundred years ago in that battle?”

The man laughed again. “My master destroyed only a replica. Even the real one wouldn’t be so easily ruined. After all, it was crafted by that great one and is ranked eleventh on the ‘Imperial Cauldron List.’”

With that, he ran his hand over the ancient, solid cauldron, a fleeting look of sorrow in his eyes.

Lu Zhe quietly edged closer to Old Ye and asked in a low voice, “Master, what is the ‘Imperial Cauldron List’?”

Old Ye sighed, turned to him, and said, “Just like the ‘Marvelous Medicine List,’ the world of alchemy also has the ‘Imperial Cauldron List.’ As the name suggests, it records the most perfect and outstanding medicinal cauldrons—existences among cauldrons akin to emperors among men. There are twenty-three cauldrons on the list, each one an irresistible prize for alchemists. The eleventh-ranked cauldron is the so-called Four-Beast Demon-Burning Cauldron.”

He sighed again and gazed up at the sky, sorrow and regret etched on his face. “These cauldrons are relics from ancient times. Of the original twenty-three, seven were lost and three destroyed during their transmission. The remaining thirteen were kept together, but three centuries ago, during the War of the Imperial Cauldrons, three more were ruined in the chaos, and the remaining ten were seized by the contending powers. Now, all are missing.” He ran his hand over the cauldron at his side and murmured, “I never thought I’d see one here.”

Lu Zhe drew a sharp breath and looked at the ancient cauldron not far away. It sat there in utter stillness, giving no hint of its monumental history.

A hearty laugh broke Lu Zhe’s reverie. “Enough of dwelling on the past. I haven’t refined pills in ages—let me give you both a demonstration!” The man was already on the other side of the cauldron, laughing with delight.

He slapped the cauldron’s side, producing a deep, resonant tone. The lid flew open at the sound. Rubbing his hands together, the man took out several bottles, jars, and herbs from his storage ring, laying them on the ground. Some of the containers were empty, which puzzled Lu Zhe.

After a glance at the cauldron, the man rubbed his hands once more. Scarlet spiritual energy enveloped his palms as he reached out to touch the cauldron.

The moment his hands made contact, Lu Zhe heard a soft “whoosh” from within the vessel. The strange runes carved on the cauldron’s surface began to glow red, growing steadily brighter and giving the cauldron an almost sinister allure.

Soon, the man withdrew his hands and smiled faintly. “Warming the cauldron is complete.”

He opened his right palm, and with a flick of his wrist, a small flame sprang to life, dancing in his grasp. He walked to the cauldron, pulled open the ring, and shot the flame inside.

The fire instantly flared, filling the cauldron with a roaring blaze.

Satisfied, the man nodded and returned to the herbs, casually tossing a mushroom-like plant into the cauldron’s ingredient slot.

He sat cross-legged before the vessel, pressed his palms toward it, and closed his eyes in silence.

Time stretched on. After a while, the man’s arms trembled, the cauldron lid flew open, and a spray of liquid erupted out. Swiftly, he caught the substance in an empty bottle, then tossed another medicinal herb into the flames and began refining once more.

As the process continued, he refined eight different ingredients into either liquids or powders. At last, with the final herb reduced to powder, he let out a quiet breath and waved his hand. The refined ingredients flew back into the cauldron all at once.

“What’s he doing?” Lu Zhe whispered to Old Ye.

Old Ye, eyes never leaving the scene, replied just as quietly, “He’s forming the pill.”

Even as he spoke, a gentle medicinal fragrance wafted from the cauldron, refreshing and uplifting the spirit.

As the aroma intensified, Lu Zhe noticed the man’s tightly closed eyes and furrowed brow, as if he were mustering all his will to ensure nothing went awry.

Suddenly, the man’s eyes snapped open. Leaping into the air, he flipped over the cauldron, slapped its side, and the lid shot open with a thunderous sound. A beam of green light shot skyward, and a perfectly round pill flew out.

Catching it in his palm, the man landed lightly on his feet and opened his hands to reveal a lustrous brown pill, emanating a faint, lingering fragrance.

He laughed heartily and tossed the pill into his mouth, swallowing it whole.

“Haven’t eaten yet—just made a ‘Filling Pill’ to stave off hunger,” he said with a sheepish grin.

Lu Zhe and Old Ye were left speechless.

The man laughed again and looked at Lu Zhe. “This ‘Filling Pill’ is, at best, a silver-grade elixir, and it’s still so troublesome to make. Do you still want to be an alchemist?”

Lu Zhe nodded firmly. “Of course. I must become an alchemist.”

“Good!” the man bellowed. “Then become my disciple, and I will teach you.”

“Wait!” Lu Zhe suddenly raised his hand, interrupting.

The man paused. “What is it?”

“I’ll be your disciple, but can you tell me—what rank of alchemist are you?” Lu Zhe’s expression was dead serious.

“Is that so important?” The man didn’t take offense; he merely shrugged and smiled faintly. Then his gaze sharpened. “Will you learn or not?”

Lu Zhe hastily knelt. “I will! I will!”

With that, he performed the formal rite of apprenticeship.

In truth, Lu Zhe’s hasty acceptance stemmed from Old Ye’s earlier praise. Since his master vouched for the man’s skill, he decided to trust his judgment.

After the ceremony, the man nodded approvingly. “From this moment, you are my disciple.”

Before he could finish, Lu Zhe felt a soft blow to the back of his head. He stumbled forward and looked back. “What are you doing?”

A young woman giggled. “I’m your senior sister. Shouldn’t you greet me?”

Lu Zhe hesitated, his face flushing. “S-senior sister.”

“Good boy.” She laughed, then took his hand and led him down the mountain, saying she’d teach her new junior brother to recognize herbs.

Watching the two descend, Doctor turned to Old Ye, his face expressionless. After a moment’s silence, he said quietly, “I saw Ye Yu.”

Old Ye trembled as if struck by a great blow. After a moment, he steadied himself and replied, his voice tinged with sorrow, “Did you?”

Doctor sighed. “She’s still thinking of you.”

Old Ye forced a bitter smile, his voice gentle yet mournful. “Is she? Is she well?”

Doctor lowered his head in silence, then looked up. “If you have time, you should visit her.”

Old Ye gazed up at the sun and sighed softly. “It’s not the right time yet.”

Doctor said nothing more, standing quietly with him on the flat stone, both gazing out at the endless mountains.