Still sitting cross-legged in the middle of the scorched cave, Ranyu muttered under his breath, "Open System Store."
A golden panel shimmered into existence in front of him, filled with categories. He skipped over weapons and pills, going straight to the [Skills] section.
His eyes immediately locked onto the "Saved Skills" tab—a section where skills he had previewed but couldn't afford were stored automatically.
There it was.
> [Selected Skills:
Infernal Mirage Steps – 4,200
Sun-Destroying Palm – 3,800
Molten Tyrant Fist – 4,000
Flame Emperor's Wrath Body – 6,800
TOTAL: 18,800 Points]
> [Current Points: 101,130]
Seeing the number on the screen, Xiao Ranyu couldn't help but laugh.
"Just 18,800? That's it?" he muttered, eyes glinting like embers.
With a thought, he confirmed the purchase.
> [Confirmed. Skills purchased successfully.]
[Remaining Points: 82,330]
A surge of power pulsed through his body as the techniques etched themselves into his mind—Infernal Mirage Steps, Sun-Destroying Palm, Molten Tyrant Fist, and the mighty Flame Emperor's Wrath Body. His blood boiled, his meridians trembled, and an invisible crown of flame seemed to hover over his head for a brief moment.
He clenched his fist.
"Now we're getting somewhere."
After the thrill of acquiring his new combat skills, Xiao Ranyu's fingers itched for more. He opened the Alchemy Notes section in the system store.
With a soft chime, a new panel unfurled before him, lined with glowing tiers—each more complex than the last.
> Tier 1 – Basic Flame Control Theory (400 Points)
Tier 2 – Foundational Pill Compression Techniques (700 Points)
Tier 3 – Intermediate Flame Weaving and Cauldron Bonding (1,200 Points)
Tier 4 – Meridians-Targeting Pills and Qi Circulation Mapping (2,500 Points)
Tier 5 – Multi-Spirit Herb Handling and Dual-Effect Pill Structuring (4,800 Points)
Tier 6 – Flame Fusion: Balancing Multiple Heavenly Flames in Refinement (8,000 Points)
He skimmed through the list until he reached Tier 6 and stopped.
"Perfect," he said with a grin.
With a single command, he purchased all six tiers in one go.
> [Alchemy Notes Tier 1–6 acquired.]
[18,600 Points deducted. Remaining Balance: 63,730]
The knowledge hit him like a tide—searing formulas, delicate timing, the rhythm of flame and spirit herb as one. Countless refining theories, flame circulation paths, and spirit herb resonance diagrams began carving themselves into his consciousness.
Countless glyphs, runes, diagrams, and soul-seared insights poured into his consciousness like molten gold into a mold.
His eyes widened.
His breath hitched.
---
Tier 1 – Basic Flame Control Theory
The fundamentals of flame manipulation for alchemy—splitting fire threads, steadying flame cores, adjusting temperature arcs with pinpoint control. A thousand miniature exercises passed through his mind in an instant.
> "Flame is not merely hot—it is alive. Command its heartbeat."
---
Tier 2 – Foundational Pill Compression Techniques
He saw slow-motion reenactments of pill essence collapsing into cores. The key was precision: balancing spiritual viscosity, timing the compression to the breath of the flame, not the cauldron.
> "A pill's worth lies not in ingredients, but in the compression of its intent."
---
Tier 3 – Intermediate Flame Weaving and Cauldron Bonding
The knowledge etched itself into his meridians—how to sync a cauldron's inner lining with his flame's rhythm, how to weave flame into a lattice that acted as scaffolding for unstable compounds.
> "Your cauldron is not a tool. It is your second heart."
---
Tier 4 – Meridians-Targeting Pills and Qi Circulation Mapping
Suddenly, he could see a glowing outline of the human body, meridians lighting up like stars. The alchemy shifted from externalcreation to internal influence—pills that guided Qi like rivers through specific paths.
> "Alchemy is not for power. It is for harmony."
---
Tier 5 – Multi-Spirit Herb Handling and Dual-Effect Pill Structuring
Herbs floated before his mind's eye, layering, splitting, converging. Some paired to heal and destroy simultaneously—yin and yang in one pill.
> "Combine what repels. Refine what resists. That is the path to transcendence."
---
Tier 6 – Flame Fusion: Balancing Multiple Heavenly Flames in Refinement
This was the hardest. His soul shuddered.
The art of making rival heavenly flames cooperate—layered burn cycles, rotating suppression fields, spectral barriers to keep the flames from devouring each other—or the pill.
It wasn't just knowledge. It was madness forged into technique.
> "One flame is power. Two is chaos. Three... is divinity—if you survive."
---
Xiao Ranyu opened his eyes slowly. A thin mist of flame escaped his pores before being drawn back in.
He exhaled.
And then he smiled—that rare, dangerous smile.
> "I can refine pills that even seventh-tier alchemists would hesitate to attempt."
"And I haven't even started."
Just as the final wisps of alchemical knowledge settled in his soul, the system chimed again.
> [Would you like to browse: Pill Recipes?]
He blinked.
"Of course," he muttered, eyes gleaming.
With a mental command, he opened the tab.
Immediately, rows of pill names, glowing in soft colors from jade green to burning crimson, rolled out before him. A categorized compendium of alchemical recipes—complete from Tier 1 to Emperor Rank—unfolded like a divine library written in fire.
Each recipe came with its name, effects, main ingredients, tier, and—most importantly—its price.
Rows of recipes, sorted neatly by tier, began to glow one after another:
> [Tier 1 Per Recipe – 100 Points]
[Tier 2 Per Recipe – 300 Points]
[Tier 3 Per Recipe – 600 Points]
[Tier 4 Per Recipe – 1,200 Points]
He raised an eyebrow.
"Still this cheap?"
He let out a light chuckle. With over 63,000 points still in hand after purchasing his skills and notes, this felt like pocket change.
He thought in his mind
Out of tens of thousands of medicinal pills on the continent, only a few ever truly mattered in the path of power. Xiao Yan used them. I remember."
After syncing his knowledge with the system database, Xiao Ranyu personally curated a list—not just of famous pills, but the ones that had actually carried Xiao Yan from a powerless youth to a legendary Dou Di.
Why these?
Because Xiao Ranyu wasn't interested in fluff. He didn't need "good pills."
He needed what worked—in real battles, near-death breakthroughs, and flame refinement.
Tier 1 Pills
Cost =100 Points Per Recipe
Amassing Strength Pill
Wound Healing Pill
Congeal Flame Pill
Tier 2 Pills
Cost =300 Points Per Recipe
Energy Recovery Pill
Path Protecting Pill
Icy Heart Pill
Bone Growing Pill
Meridian Raise Pill
Voluptuous Boobs Pill
Qi Increasing Pill
Tier 3 Pills Per Recipe
Cost =600 Points
Refreshing Pill
Wind Walking Pill
Tier 4 Pills
Cost = 1200 Points Per Recipe
Burning Blood
Three Lines Green Spirit Pill
Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill
Beast Strength Pill
Sky Qi Pill
Vital Breath Pill
Soul Eater Pill
Triple Imprint Spirit Pill
Tier 5 Pills
Cost =2500 points Per Recipe
Blood Lotus Pill
Dragon Strength Pill
Yuan Recovery Pill
Wind Walking Pill
Soul Cultivating Saliva
Qi Mending Pill
Dou Spirit Pill
Tier 6 Pills
Cost =6000 Points Per Recipe
Spiritual Recovery Purple Pill
Fighting Spirit Pill
Breaking Adversity Pill
Thawing Spirit Pill
Ground Spirit Pill
Soul Recovery Pill
Mighty Huang Pill
Mixed Bone Molding Pill
Deep Green Longevity Pill
Zong Breaking Pill
Demon Transformation Pill
Soul Cleansing Pill
Spirit Fusion Pill
Destruction Pill
Snake Marrow Bone Shedding Pill
Tier 7 Pills
Cost =11000 Per Recipe
Body Transformation Pill
Returns to Assing Pill (Back Life Pill)
Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill
Life Devouring Pill
Heaven Soul Blood Bone Pill
Life Returning Pill
Fire Bodhisattva Pill
Yin Yang Life Soul Pill
Instant Qi Pill
Elemental Heart Pill
Mysterious Ying Yang Dragon Pill
Life Bone Merge Blood Pill
Shapeshifting Pill
Heavenly Soul Blood Bone Pill
Bodhisattva Pill
Tier 8 Pills
Cost =18000 Points Per Recipe
Bone Growing Blood Fusing Pill
Green Fungus Pill
First Start Pill
Flame Demon Quiet Mysterious Pill
Tier 9 Pills
Cost =35000 Per Recipe
Great Bodhisattva Return Pill
Nine Yin Yellow Spring Pill
Lightning Calamity Pill
Locked: Emperor Rank Pills 🔒
"Only those who step into the realm of Alchemy Emperor can touch these."
---
His mind moved
> [Confirm: Purchase All Recipes Tier 1–4?]
[Total: 13200 Points]
> [✔️ Purchase Complete.]
[Remaining Points: 49800]
[ Pill Recipe Archive Acquired:
Tier 1 Pills:
Amassing Strength Pill
Wound Healing Pill
Congeal Flame Pill
Tier 2 Pills:
Energy Recovery Pill
Path Protecting Pill
Icy Heart Pill
Bone Growing Pill
Meridian Raise Pill
Voluptuous Boobs Pill (System: "...Optional.")
Qi Increasing Pill
Tier 3 Pills:
Refreshing Pill
Wind Walking Pill
Tier 4 Pills:
Burning Blood
Three Lines Green Spirit Pill
Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill
Beast Strength Pill
Sky Qi Pill
Vital Breath Pill
Soul Eater Pill
Triple Imprint Spirit Pill ]
After memorizing the last of the Tier 4 recipes, Xiao Ranyu closed the [Pill Recipe] category with a soft ding. The interface shimmered, returning to the main [System Store Menu].
His gaze locked onto one:
> [Other]
With a flick of his will, the menu opened and he looked for cauldrons—rows of cauldrons spun in midair like a celestial furnace showroom. Each came with glowing stats:
---
> Level 1 Cauldron – 300 Points
Basic iron cauldron. Stable flame channeling, low temperature limit.
> Level 2 Cauldron – 900 Points
Refined metal, supports fire-threading techniques.
> Level 3 Cauldron – 1,800 Points
Soul-inscribed, mid-tier flame resistance, supports flame imprint stabilization.
> Level 4 Cauldron – 3600 Points
Phoenix Alloy Core, triple-layered rune defense, flame resonance chamber.
Supports Tier 5 pill refinement and multi-flame convergence at it's limit.
Each cauldron costs three times as much as a pill of the same tier.
---
Xiao Ranyu's eyes narrowed slightly.
> "Phoenix Alloy Core... not bad."
It wasn't the best on the list—but it was the sweet spot. Strong enough to handle multiple heavenly flames. Flexible enough for soul imprint compatibility. And durable enough for violent pill lightning rebounds.
He didn't hesitate.
> [Confirm Purchase: Level 4 Cauldron – 3600 Points?]
[ Confirmed.]
[Remaining Balance: 46200]
A golden glow pulsed before him as a three-legged cauldron materialized infront of him.
The cauldron gleamed a deep crimson-gold, phoenix feathers etched into its legs, with faint flame runes shimmering across its surface.
He walked up, placed his palm on the side—and felt the cauldron hum in response, syncing with his Eternal Flame Vassal Body almost instantly.
> "This will do nicely."