"Master Ge, what brings you to me?" Tang Yan asked curiously as he saw Ge Ming catching up to him.

"Ge merely borrowed your cauldron, yet you gifted me a pill recipe. Perhaps this gesture seems insignificant to Brother Tang, but to Ge, it's a lifesaving treasure. I owe you a great debt for this kindness.

A talent like you doesn't even have a decent cauldron, so I brought you one as a gift. I hope you won't find it lacking," Ge Ming said earnestly.

Tang Yan looked deeply at Ge Ming. A cauldron given by Ge Ming wouldn't be of low quality. Accepting it would mean owing him a favor.

He wanted to refuse, but he indeed needed an alchemy furnace. After some thought, Tang Yan clasped his hands in gratitude, "Master Ge's generosity is hard to decline. If you ever need help, I, Tang, will do my utmost to assist."

Ge Ming felt relieved that Tang Yan accepted the favor. He arranged for a carriage to transport the cauldron.

Glancing at the carriage, Tang Yan saw it was the very cauldron he used today.

After covering it with a cloth, Tang Yan didn't stand on ceremony, bid farewell, and left with Little Cui.

"Young Master, did the Master ask you to buy this cauldron?" Little Cui blinked her big eyes, filled with confusion.

"Master Ge just said it was a gift. How could it be something I bought?" Tang Yan corrected her.

"A gift?" Little Cui's eyes widened again. As the maid of the Tang Family's eldest young master, she had seen and heard more than most. The Miaodan Workshop was always high and mighty, with people constantly sending gifts to curry favor. How did her young master manage to bring home a cauldron without spending a single silver coin?

"Yes, otherwise, with the little silver your young master has, I couldn't even afford a low-grade cauldron, let alone this one."

As the master and servant chatted while walking, they soon saw the gates of the Tang Family.

Leading the horse into the courtyard, they hadn't gone far when Tang Old Master came storming over, furious.

"Good afternoon, Grandpa," Tang Yan greeted with a cheeky smile.

"Good my ass!" the old master cursed angrily.

Tang Yan was bewildered by the scolding. Why was his grandpa so mad at him?

"I told you not to cause trouble when you went out, and you just left and already got into a fight with that Liu Family brat! Your Dantian is destroyed, and that brat is 4th Grade Origin Rank. If he injured you, how many lives do you think you have to waste?"

Hearing Tang Old Master's reprimand, Tang Yan chuckled inwardly. The old man was worried about him, though his way of showing it was a bit unusual.

"Grandpa, it wasn't my fault. Liu Yuan was the one who didn't know his limits and insisted on challenging me. We agreed beforehand that injuries or death wouldn't be blamed on anyone. I didn't kill him with one punch, so I already held back," Tang Yan said, waving his fist, as if regretting not hitting harder.

Tang Old Master was startled by Tang Yan's words. This grandson of his wanted to kill Liu Yuan? Luckily, he didn't go too far today. If he had killed Liu Yuan, the Tang and Liu families would openly break ties. The Liu Family, for the sake of their reputation, might not kill him, but they'd certainly cripple him.

But he didn't want to remind Tang Yan of this. After all, his grandson beating Liu Yuan like a dog brought honor to the Tang Family, didn't it?

Remembering the detailed report from his servants about Tang Yan's cunning tactics in the fight, Tang Old Master felt both amused and exasperated. The Tang Family had always been upright, so how did Tang Yan turn out so devious?

"Alright, be more careful next time. With your Dantian destroyed, you can't handle a real master. If you mess around again, I'll deal with you!" After venting his anger, Tang Old Master glared with tiger-like eyes, hands behind his back, and left.

Tang Yan breathed a sigh of relief. The old man was too busy being angry to ask about the cauldron, saving him from having to explain. He quickly called for some men to move the cauldron to the backyard.

Once everyone had left, Tang Yan took out two porcelain bottles from his pocket. Without hesitation, he swallowed the jade-green Initial Spirit Pill.

The Initial Spirit Pill, a medicinal pill passed down through millennia in China, was highly sought after by countless cultivators, being the best pill for early-stage training.

It melted in his mouth, leaving a fragrant taste, and a warm current surged towards his Dantian. Just as Tang Yan was about to refine and absorb it, the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron, which had been dormant in his Dantian, suddenly opened its lid and absorbed all the pill's energy, then closed with a clang.

No matter how hard he tried, the cauldron remained still in his Dantian, as if nothing had happened, and not a trace of the pill's power appeared.

Damn, did you just eat my pill? Tang Yan cursed inwardly!

After struggling for a while, the cauldron still didn't react, leaving Tang Yan in despair. It wasn't just about losing the pill; if this broken cauldron swallowed his pills, wouldn't that mean he couldn't use pills for cultivation in the future?

The thought sent a shiver down his spine. If that were the case, he'd rather not have the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron.

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Unwilling to give up, Tang Yan took another Initial Spirit Pill and swallowed it without hesitation.

The pill melted in his mouth again, and a warm current rushed to his Dantian. The cauldron opened its lid once more and swallowed the pill whole.

The third pill! Swallowed again!

The fourth pill! Swallowed again!

"Damn it, why are you eating my pills?" Tang Yan couldn't hold back any longer and cursed at the cauldron.

Frustrated, Tang Yan grabbed another bottle, pulled out the stopper, and poured all six pills into his mouth.

The cauldron opened its lid again, but this time it only swallowed one pill. The remaining five pills suddenly dissolved, releasing a surge of pure true Qi that rose from his Dantian like a roaring river, rushing towards his meridians.

What the hell! Why didn't it swallow them all?

The explosive energy burst forth, leaving Tang Yan no time to cry. He quickly focused his mind, guiding the true Qi to circulate within his body.

Though the Initial Spirit Pill was known for its mildness, that was assuming only one was taken. With five pills dissolving simultaneously, Tang Yan felt his meridians swelling rapidly!

The burning sensation spread throughout his body, his eyes turned red, and the Supreme Alchemy Scripture in his body circulated wildly. His skin turned crimson, as if the slightest external force would cause his blood to explode.

It's just five Initial Spirit Pills, I'll fight through it! Tang Yan steeled himself, ignoring the pain in his meridians, and guided the torrent of true Qi through his body's meridians.

Pop, pop, pop...

The small meridians couldn't withstand the immense spiritual energy and kept bursting. As he was about to complete one cycle, the pure energy showed no sign of diminishing. Tang Yan sighed. His damaged meridians couldn't absorb such a vast amount of power.

Just as Tang Yan was about to guide the true Qi for a second cycle, the previously calm Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron suddenly opened its lid again. Tang Yan was overjoyed, ready to channel all the true Qi into the cauldron, when suddenly, an even purer spiritual energy gushed out from the cauldron's mouth.

Damn it!

Tang Yan was shocked. His meridians were already at their limit, and now the cauldron was releasing more energy?