The Birth of Sword God-Chapter 267 - 234: Primal Essence of Heaven and Earth, Power of the Medicine Cauldron

The so-called Outer Body Incarnation doesn't actually mean Chu Huaixu truly gets a double.

It doesn't have a self-awareness.

This technique isn't high-grade enough to, say, pull off something like "One Qi Transmuted into the Three Pristine Ones," where your will and consciousness can fully inhabit a new body, making the double as nimble as a real person, able to walk the world like an ordinary man.

This kind of incarnation can only accommodate a small sliver of consciousness, and can only carry out some relatively simple actions.

Otherwise, there's no way this technique could be learned for just over a million Experience Points.

"Strictly speaking, it's basically like getting an extra War Demon."

"The difference from a puppet is, this so-called double can actually practice basic cultivation—it can cultivate."

"Under normal circumstances, the prior cultivation of this puppet body can be directly inherited as well."

But Chu Huaixu isn't sure whether Ye Kongxuan's body will actually meet this criterion.

After all, when he finally killed him, he used an Evil Pill.

All his cultivation was devoured by the Evil Pill, leaving only the Spirit Root inside, with the rest of the power all merged into the Evil Pill and drained by Evil Qi.

"But anyway, it's too soon to consider all this."

"There's still one Heavenly and Earthly Treasure missing for refining the Outer Body Incarnation."

"And I don't have that much spare Experience Points."

"A lot of requirements haven't been met yet."

But Chu Huaixu feels perhaps this path can still work out in the future.

Just not right now.

"If I really pull this off, that means I'll have a War Demon by my side with the power of a Cultivator!"

Just thinking about it, he gets a little excited.

As for whether Ye Kongxuan's corpse will be properly preserved, Chu Huaixu isn't worried.

"What fantastic research material."

"The Daoist Sect will definitely safeguard it."

"Although… will it end up 'missing a few pieces' by then?"

A dignified Nascent Soul True Monarch, just like that, has become a 'Master Cadaver'.

If you, this Nascent Soul Dog, knew you were contributing to my Profound Yellow Realm, you'd probably… well, turn in your grave, right?

...

...

The next day, after breakfast, Chu Huaixu accompanied the Big Ice Cube to the Library Pavilion to trade for the Third Realm cultivation technique she needed.

After leaving the Daoist Ancestor Secret Realm, Han Shuangjiang felt a change in her heart, as if she'd had many new insights.

Her Realm was getting hard to suppress and she desperately needed a cultivation technique to break through to the Third Realm.

But as everyone knows, this frosty-faced girl is… a little broke.

After the East Continent Grand Competition, she'd indeed built up some wealth, and the Daoist Sect valued her highly, gifting her quite a lot and taking good care of her daily.

But unfortunately, Chu Huaixu kept telling her to focus on cultivation and not be stingy with money, which led to her "squandering" what would otherwise be a pretty sizable fortune.

In fact, before becoming a true disciple, Daoist Disciples' cultivation resources were always pretty scarce, and you had to find ways to earn them yourself—an essential part of training.

History proves: disciples spoiled by the sect, even with great talent, are likely to end up wastes in the future.

People still need to grow on their own.

But Chu Huaixu doesn't see it this way.

He just wants Han Shuangjiang to always owe him a huge debt.

As for this so-called 'training'…hey, as protagonist of this world, training is inevitable—the hardships will come knocking, even if you hide.

Besides, the Big Ice Cube is the Daughter of Destiny—she can fall into a Secret Realm just from traveling. There will be plenty of trials ahead!

So, in the end, the huge cost of a Third Realm Celestial Extreme Technique, plus the heavenly and earthly treasures needed to get started, was paid by Chu Huaixu.

Of course, Han Shuangjiang stayed true to herself—even after they confirmed their Dao Companion status, she made it clear: she'd pay him back, business and personal are separate.

Dao Companions are just Dao Companions—not a married couple.

What kind of woman thinks that just because she's dating, everything a man has should be hers too?

Even if they did marry, it's 'what's yours is mine, and what's mine is yours'.

As a true Female Protagonist, she carries her own pride and self-respect at heart.

She's not faking the big female protagonist act—seeming strong on the surface, but needing a guy to clean up her messes or covertly leech his resources at the first whiff of trouble.

But Chu Huaixu wants to play "Overbearing President's Forced Love"—so she has no choice!

Every time she accepts his help, she keeps a mental note of the debt.

Besides, Han Shuangjiang keeps thinking, "Chu Huaixu works hard at alchemy every day. He must be exhausted."

See, this is what happens if you don't live together! Distance makes women overrate men!

When the two got back to the bamboo hut, Chu Huaixu said, "Hurry back and cultivate."

"Mm." The Big Ice Cube nodded.

Back inside, she sat cross-legged without delay.

First she refined the necessary heavenly and earthly treasures for her cultivation method, then began circulating her qi.

The Third Realm Celestial Level Technique, "Heavenly Deceit Skill," gave her no trouble to cultivate—she got it in one pass!

If nothing goes wrong, she'll break through to the Third Realm today!

The Profound Yin Body—simply terrifying.

The more advanced the Spiritual Embryo, the more its strength shines in the later stages.

...

...

Meanwhile, Chu Huaixu also went back to his own room, sitting cross-legged on a mat.

With his recent splurge, the urge to make money was getting stronger.

Unfortunately, his Lifebound Ox and Horse still couldn't work 24/7, as it was busy refining that wisp of Power of Origin.

"Your efficiency really sucks," he thought disdainfully.

His own speed at refining Origin Fragments was clearly much faster than the Medicine Cauldron's. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Two days went by.

Suddenly, Chu Huaixu heard a system notification.

"[Ding! Congratulations! Your Lifebound Magical Treasure has successfully advanced!]"

A look of delight immediately flashed across his face.

"Dao Generating One finally finished refining!"

He immediately sent his Divine Sense into the Black Bead.

Turns out, the Medicine Cauldron looked no different than usual.

Soon as the owner's Divine Sense entered the Black Pearl Space, the same as always, it immediately started demanding food.

Master, hungry, food, food.

Chu Huaixu: "..."

Where did this hungry ghost come from?!

Such a Supreme Treasure, with a grade higher than Super Grade Spiritual Artifact—why's its Artifact Spirit so dumb?!

But he had no choice, so he just pumped his Power of Dao Scripture into it like crazy.

Then he pulled up the system to check his Lifebound Magical Treasure's changes.

"That's quite an improvement!" Chu Huaixu was a little excited.

According to the system's description, Chu Huaixu roughly figured out what enhancements the Medicine Cauldron had gotten.

First, the Alchemy Power.

The Cauldron's specialty is that, even at First Realm, it can fully automate the refinement of First Level Spirit Pills.

With Chu Huaixu at Second Realm, it can fully automate Second Level Spirit Pills.

However, the success rate isn't actually 100%—it drops to 90%.

Then once Chu Huaixu gets to Third Realm, it can refine Third Level Spirit Pills, but the success rate drops again, to 80%, and so on down the line.

This is already pretty insane.

Why are Upper Grade Spirit Pills so rare and precious?

Besides heavenly and earthly treasures being hard to come by, it's because alchemists have super low success rates.

Sometimes, it's not just about personal skill, you need a bit of luck too!

The pre-advancement success rate for Upper Grade Spirit Pills was already strong enough to wipe the floor with any living Alchemy Grandmaster, and even rival the Pill King!

But after refining this Origin Fragment, the Cauldron's success rate for Second Level Spirit Pills is now at 100%!

Don't look down on Second Level Pills—maybe that 10% doesn't sound like much, but…

The success rate still scales! Third Level Spirit Pills are now 90%, Fourth Level 80%… Ninth Level Spirit Pills are now 30%!

A 10% bump in the Top Grade Spirit Pill success rate is just absurdly strong!

Chu Huaixu just looking at this made him grin from ear to ear.

"This means, as long as my realm keeps up, in the future… maybe I'll also be hailed as the new Pill King!"

I'm an alchemy beast!

And this Alchemy Power boost is just the first point.

"The Medicine Cauldron is basically a defense-type and auxiliary Magical Treasure."

"Its defense stats got a big upgrade too."

"Defense up by 20%!" Chu Huaixu was also quite satisfied.

Since the Cauldron's defense was already ridiculous to start, that's a big base value—a 20% boost on that is significant.

Next, Chu Huaixu looked toward the last feature.

But this isn't an advancement—it's…an unlock!

The most ridiculous part—it's all like a twist of fate?

"To unlock this, the Cauldron must refine Evil Qi and absorb some Devouring Power."

"Then, it has to refine an Origin Fragment, absorbing a dose of Power of Origin!"

This newly unlocked ability: it can now refine all things in Heaven and Earth! Extracting their power!

Chu Huaixu wasn't sure what it meant and decided to try it for himself.

He walked outside and looked over at the phoenix tree in his yard.

With a snap of his fingers, a phoenix tree branch broke off and fell into his hand.

"Refine," ordered Chu Huaixu.

But he was immediately met with a system prompt.

"[This item does not meet the refining criteria. Only the essence of a Ten Thousand-Year Phoenix Tree can be refined—Power of Phoenix Tree.]"

"[Additionally, during refinement, 10% of the current stored Power of Origin will be consumed and blended in.]"

Chu Huaixu furrowed his brows slightly.

Now he understood—ordinary stuff just doesn't cut it.

He hadn't expected it would also cost Power of Origin though.

To be precise, it's not totally lost—it gets blended in.

"So, the power you get from refining must also be super strong, maybe high-level too."

Chu Huaixu turned and started heading back inside.

But halfway there, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, freezing as if struck by lightning.

His neck stiffening, he slowly turned back and stared at the phoenix tree behind him.

In his mind, the system's earlier prompt exploded.

"Only then… can you refine… the Power of Phoenix Tree?"

Something popped into his head as if guided by fate.

Chu Huaixu lifted his head, looking up at the blazing sun in the sky!

"Refine!" he commanded.

"[Ding! You currently do not meet the requirements—unable to refine the Power of All Things—Nan Liujing!]"

...

(ps: Today's schedule is insanely packed—simply no spare time. Can only squeeze out one chapter, sorry.

I've cleared my whole schedule for tomorrow's Qidian event to just write in the hotel…)