On the Cyan Cloud Continent, martial arts thrived, and cultivation formed its own distinct system.
In this world where the strong were revered, Martial Artists were divided into corresponding ranks based on their power. From weakest to strongest, these were the Essence Realm, Earth Soul Realm, Celestial Soul Realm, Primordial Core Realm, Primordial Embryo Realm, Primordial Spirit Realm, Yin Yang Realm, Mystic Realm, and Venerable Realm.
Each realm was further divided into several minor realms.
As the saying goes, all roads lead to Rome.
As a world where cultivation had developed to its peak, the Cyan Cloud Continent naturally had other systems besides that of Martial Artists.
For example, there were Swordsmen, Spirit Warriors, Overlord Body Walkers, and so on. However, the experts in these systems were few and had never grown numerous enough to rival the Martial Artists. Yet one special system, reputedly with the smallest number of practitioners, possessed an ability that all experts held in awe!
These people were called Spiritual Craftsmen!
In a Martial Artist's cultivation journey, diligence, talent, fortuitous encounters, and Heaven and Earth Spirit Essences were all indispensable. Among them, Heaven and Earth Spirit Essences were a particularly unique existence.
Someone with mediocre talent might, by chance, consume a Divine-Level Spirit Medicine and gain the potential to reach the pinnacle of cultivation. However, not only were Heaven and Earth Spirit Essences rare, but even if one were found, it was another matter entirely whether one could withstand its potent medicinal power after swallowing it raw.
If they were lucky, their power would soar, and they'd ascend to the heavens in a single leap. If they were unlucky, it wasn't unheard of for their bodies to simply explode, resulting in death.
Spiritual Craftsmen, however, were a group of people who could use Heaven and Earth Spirit Essences to refine Spirit Pills, allowing cultivators to safely consume them and enhance their cultivation!
However, the requirements to become a Spiritual Craftsman were extremely strict, which made every single one of them exceptionally revered.
Even Apprentice Craftsmen were hot commodities that all the major powers vied to recruit!
Hong Yu had once fantasized about learning the Alchemy Technique, but even the most rudimentary methods required one to be an expert at the Earth Soul Realm. Furthermore, the Secret Scriptures that recorded these alchemy methods were precious items that could cost over a million Gold Coins.
And so, he had given up on that unrealistic dream.
But now…
'This foul-mouthed Tower God is actually saying he'll teach me to become a Spiritual Craftsman?'
"Don't you dare question me."
Little One's high-pitched, childish voice, combined with his attempt to act all old and worldly, was utterly adorable. Hong Yu couldn't help but want to laugh, which only infuriated Little One further. He raised his large pipe, stomping his feet and yelling, "You think this is funny? Laugh again… and I won't teach you anymore."
Looking at the puffed-up Little One, Hong Yu couldn't help but smile. Suppressing his laughter, he said, "Sorry, I wasn't making fun of you. I just think… uh, I think you're really cute!"
"C-Cute?"
Little One reacted as if he'd been insulted. He leaped up and started whacking Hong Yu on the head with his big pipe, his delicate little face filled with rage. "Damn it all! You're the cute one! Your whole family is cute! You should be calling me domineering! You should be saying I'm the one and only sovereign…"
"Alright, alright. Whatever you say."
Hong Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Little One finally calmed down a bit. "Seeing as you've admitted your mistake so sincerely, I'll forgive you this once. Here. This is the *Divine Medicine Scripture*. Memorize it!"
An ancient, yellowed book materialized out of thin air in front of Hong Yu.
He held the ancient book, whose name he'd never even heard of, but this time he didn't question Little One. He slowly began to flip through it. 'The proof of the pudding is in the eating.' A look inside would naturally reveal whether this so-called *Divine Medicine Scripture* was real or fake. But the moment Hong Yu saw the first page, his eyes were glued to the ancient text.
While Hong Yu had no direct experience with Spiritual Craftsmen or the Alchemy Technique, he wasn't completely in the dark. As he read the words in the *Divine Medicine Scripture*, he found himself unconsciously developing an intimate familiarity with the mysterious profession and its techniques, as if he'd known them all along. Furthermore, the deeper he read, the more certain he became that Little One and the Profound Celestial Tower had extraordinary origins.
The contents of the very first page alone were enough to convince him that Little One hadn't exaggerated the scripture's miraculous nature!
BUZZ!
Just as Hong Yu was getting absorbed in his reading, the ancient book suddenly vanished. He snapped his head up to look at Little One. "What the hell? Where's the book?"
Little One's face was a bit pale. He'd lost his earlier liveliness and seemed quite weak. However, the little guy's tough-as-nails attitude hadn't diminished in the slightest. He plopped down on the ground and nonchalantly crossed his legs.
He took a deep drag from his large pipe. As he exhaled a cloud of smoke, some color seemed to return to his face. Only then did he look at Hong Yu and say, "Don't you know that I used up almost a third of the Three-Flower Three-Leaf Grass's medicinal power just to let you read those few pages of the *Divine Medicine Scripture*?"
After Little One's explanation, realization dawned on Hong Yu.
It turned out that everything from the Profound Celestial Tower nourishing his Primordial Veins to the Shadow Martial Arts Function, and even Little One's very existence, required a supply of energy. This energy came from two sources: the power the Profound Celestial Tower absorbed when Hong Yu cultivated, and the consumption of Grade-Entering Spirit Medicines, Spirit Pills, or even Spirit Ores to supplement its power.
Unfortunately, Hong Yu was too poor and his cultivation too weak to support the Profound Celestial Tower's other functions!
"Scumbag, don't look so down. The part of the *Divine Medicine Scripture* you just read has already given you theoretical knowledge comparable to a First-Grade Spiritual Craftsman. As long as you can break through to the Earth Soul Realm, you'll naturally become a Tier One Spiritual Craftsman. Isn't that enough? We can't bite off more than we can chew. We have to take it one step at a time…"
Little One lectured him with the grave tone of a seasoned elder. "Here. This is the Three-Flower Three-Leaf Grass that I didn't get around to digesting… Uh, it's not much, but it should be enough for you to refine a few Yunyuan Pills."
"..."
Hong Yu took the so-called "not much" Three-Flower Three-Leaf Grass from Little One and was on the verge of tears.
'How is this "not much"? These are clearly just scraps!'
"Stop looking like you just lost everything, okay? With me here, this is definitely enough!" Little One said domineeringly, taking a puff from his large pipe.
Hong Yu pursed his lips. "You didn't give me a Medicine Cauldron and Pill Furnace. Am I supposed to refine it with my mouth?"
"A Medicine Cauldron and Pill Furnace? Here you go!"
Little One was already prepared. With a wave of his chubby little hand, a Medicine Cauldron and Pill Furnace materialized out of thin air.
'For the Yunyuan Pill, take the Three-Flower Three-Leaf Grass and place it into the Medicine Cauldron and Pill Furnace…' Hong Yu quickly got into the zone and began his very first alchemy experience.
Ordinary alchemy required borrowing the Primordial Spirit Fire of an Earth Soul Realm expert to melt down medicinal ingredients and extract their essence.
But the *Divine Medicine Scripture* carved its own path, using one's consciousness as the source to control the Primordial Fire stored within a special Medicine Cauldron and Pill Furnace to perform alchemy.
This allowed Hong Yu, despite being only at the Essence Realm, to be capable of performing alchemy.
Although Little One had only given him a fingernail-sized piece of the Three-Flower Three-Leaf Grass, the Yunyuan Pill wasn't a true Spirit Pill, so it was fortunately enough. Spirit Pills, like Spiritual Craftsmen, were also divided into nine grades. There were likely higher grades above the Ninth Grade, but that part of the text had disappeared before he could read it, so Hong Yu had no way of knowing.
'Although the Yunyuan Pill is only the lowest-level First-Grade Spirit Pill, its medicinal effects are more than ten times greater than the Nourishing Essence Pills distributed by the clan. More importantly, if a Martial Artist at the Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm consumes it, it can help them condense their Primordial Spirit and break through to the Earth Soul Realm. If I took it to the Underground Alliance for auction, it would probably fetch no less than one hundred thousand Gold Coins!'
Hong Yu calculated the money in his head as he continued the refining process.
This greatly displeased Little One.
He stood on his snow-white tiptoes, raised his big pipe, and eyed Hong Yu's head. His young voice took on an old, lecturing tone, "Scumbag, what are you daydreaming about? The Three-Flower Three-Leaf Grass I have is limited. What if you ruin the batch because your mind wandered?"
"I know."
Hong Yu sulkily pursed his lips, cleared his mind of distracting thoughts, and began the alchemy.
Little One paced back and forth beside him with his hands clasped behind his back, looking just like a child-sized private tutor. He mumbled incessantly from his small mouth, "Listen up, scumbag. This Alchemy Technique isn't that easy to learn. It requires talent, patience, comprehension, and strength that surpass the ordinary. So, don't put too much pressure on yourself, just focus on learning… With me here to guide you, I can at least guarantee you won't even blow up the furnace!"
Little One seemed to have an endless supply of words. He rambled on for a full half-hour without his mouth ever getting dry.
"Scumbag, are you even listening to me?! You have to use your mind to feel the medicinal ingredients, to control the Primordial Fire inside the Medicine Cauldron and Pill Furnace! Why won't you listen? Believe it or not, if you keep ignoring me, this batch of Yunyuan Pills will definitely be ruined by you…"
"..."
Hong Yu remained silent.
Little One stomped his feet in anger. "Damn it all! If you don't listen to me, you'll regret it sooner or later! I'm telling you… Huh? What's that in your hand?"
Little One's torrent of abuse came to an abrupt halt. A look of astonishment appeared on his exquisite little face. His little sunglasses slid down his nose, revealing a pair of bright, jet-black eyes that stared blankly at Hong Yu.
To be precise, he was staring at the two crystal vials in Hong Yu's hands.
"You… you… you actually succeeded in refining them?"
Hong Yu shook the two crystal vials in his hand and nodded with a grin. "It's all thanks to your guidance from the sidelines!"
"Er…"
For once, Little One blushed. But he wasn't one to admit defeat easily. He took a deep drag from his pipe and put on an air of profound mystery. "As expected of the person I chose. At least in the Alchemy Technique, your talent is barely satisfactory to me. Alright, go back and consume one Yunyuan Pill for now. You can take the other one to be auctioned off; it should be enough to solve your current problems. Yawn… I'm tired. Come see me again when you break through to the Earth Soul Realm!"
Before Hong Yu could say anything else, Little One waved his chubby little hand, and Hong Yu vanished into thin air.
Gazing at the spot where Hong Yu had disappeared, Little One plopped down on the ground, took another drag from his large pipe, his childish voice tinged with a hint of amusement…
"To think he succeeded in refining the Yunyuan Pills on his first try. Tsk tsk. Now I'm actually looking forward to seeing what happens when he breaks through to the Earth Soul Realm and opens the First Layer!"