BTTH : From Humble Beginnings to Dou Di

"Purple Blue Leaf, White Spirit Ginseng Fruit, Snow Lotus Seed..."

Xiao Yixian's beautiful eyes stared blankly at the small flowerbed as she murmured the names of these rare and precious high-grade medicinal ingredients, her rosy lips forming each syllable with astonishment.

Lin Feng stepped forward, his gaze scanning over these herbs, his heart filled with joy.

The medicinal ingredients in this stone chamber were all incredibly valuable, primarily used for refining third- and fourth-tier pills.

Although Lin Feng was currently only a second-tier alchemist, he firmly believed that within two years, he would be capable of using these ingredients to refine pills.

His gaze swept over the flowerbed before finally locking onto a particular herb at the center—a plant with alternating red and white leaves.

The herb's branches were white, covered in crystalline ice-like specks, while its fiery red leaves flickered like dancing flames, as if they were truly burning.

Two completely opposite attributes—ice and fire—miraculously coexisted in the same plant. It was truly a wonder of nature.

A faint mist swirled around the plant, giving it an ethereal appearance, as if it were floating within the clouds.

This extraordinary herb was called the Ice Spirit Blazing Grass.

In the outside world, it was extremely rare to come across, and it was an essential ingredient for refining the Blood Lotus Pill.

The Blood Lotus Pill was a fifth-tier pill. Once consumed, it would form a unique energy-based "Blood Shackle" around the user's body, granting resistance against extreme heat.

Because of this, the pill was a necessity for anyone wishing to approach a Heavenly Flame up close and take the next step in obtaining it.

Although Lin Feng couldn't refine the Blood Lotus Essence Pill at present and didn't possess a Heavenly Flame, who could say what opportunities tomorrow might bring?

Moreover, with the Ice Spirit Blazing Grass and the Blood Lotus Essence he had obtained from the Thousand Medicine House, he could surely trade them for something valuable from other alchemists in need.

"You recognize this herb too?"

Noticing Lin Feng's excited gaze fixed on the Ice Spirit Blazing Grass, Xiao Yixian asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I want this one."

Lin Feng nodded and turned to look at Xiao Yixian, his expression serious.

"You really are an annoying guy. You always go for the most valuable things first."

Hearing his words, Xiao Yixian immediately frowned, pouting slightly in protest.

"Heh."

Seeing her slightly sulky expression, Lin Feng chuckled and said, "How about this? I get first pick of the herbs here, and in return, I'll give you five first-tier pills and three bottles of second-tier medicinal liquid. Sound fair?"

"Pills? Only alchemists can refine those, and they're extremely expensive. Do you even have any?"

Xiao Yixian arched an eyebrow and glanced at Lin Feng skeptically, clearly doubting whether he could produce what he claimed.

"Heh."

Lin Feng merely smiled. With a swipe of his hand over his storage ring, several jade bottles appeared in his palm. He casually tossed them toward Xiao Yixian.

"A storage ring?!"

Xiao Yixian gasped in shock as she hurriedly caught the bottles, her expression filled with surprise.

At this moment, she was already half convinced by Lin Feng's earlier words.

After all, a storage ring was not something cheap—the lowest-grade ones cost at least seventy thousand gold coins, an amount beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Lin Feng sized up Xiao Yixian, curiosity about her identity growing in his heart.

She carefully opened one of the jade bottles and poured out a bright red pill.

At that moment, a refreshing medicinal fragrance spread through the small stone chamber, invigorating her spirit.

"So this is a pill? It's nothing like my crude attempts at fusing medicinal ingredients with ordinary flames."

Looking at the pill's smooth and glossy surface, Xiao Yixian sighed helplessly.

Since childhood, her dream had been to become an alchemist, but her dou qi attribute lacked fire, making it impossible.

"Alright, I'm giving you these pills, not trying to discourage you. These are called Hemostasis Pills. As the name suggests, they help stop bleeding quickly for those with external injuries. However, since it's just a first-tier pill, it won't do much for severe wounds."

Seeing Xiao Yixian's self-pitying expression, Lin Feng shook his head and continued, "As for that second-tier medicinal liquid, it's called Purple Orchid Spirit Liquid. It can help those in the Dou Zhi Qi stage accelerate their cultivation speed, but for Dou Zhe, it won't have much effect."

"With treasures like these, just what is your background?"

Carefully placing the pills back into the jade bottle, Xiao Yixian stared at Lin Feng with curiosity.

Lin Feng took out an Alchemist Apprentice Badge and said, "I'm an alchemist."

Hearing this, Xiao Yixian was startled, but after seeing the badge in his hand, she rolled her eyes. "That's just an Alchemist Apprentice badge, isn't it?"

"Uh..."

Lin Feng looked at his badge, then retorted, "What do you know? I just don't feel like taking the assessment. Those pills in your hand? I refined them myself!"

"Hehe, Lin Feng, next time you refine pills, can you let me watch?"

Seeing Lin Feng's confident demeanor, Xiao Yixian believed him. A hint of flattery appeared on her delicate face as she clasped her hands together, pleading earnestly.

Since childhood, her dream had been to become an alchemist.

However, due to the limitations of her dou qi attribute, she had no choice but to settle for becoming a physician instead. But her admiration for alchemists never faded.

She knew that alchemists disliked being disturbed while refining pills, but she couldn't bear to miss this rare opportunity.

"Alright." Lin Feng nodded in agreement. It wasn't a big deal for him anyway.

"Hehe, it's settled then! I'll help you collect medicinal herbs later."

Hearing his agreement, Xiao Yixian was overjoyed and readily agreed to Lin Feng's proposed herb distribution plan.

Seeing her agreement, Lin Feng took out several exquisite jade bottles from his storage ring.

Then, he pulled out a small jade shovel and carefully dug around the Ice Spirit Blazing Grass, making sure to loosen the surrounding soil.

Finally, he gently placed the entire plant, along with the soil, into a jade bottle.

After swiftly storing the bottle in his storage ring, Lin Feng grinned and handed the small shovel to Xiao Yixian, signaling her to start collecting the herbs.

Xiao Yixian's gaze lingered on Lin Feng as he stored the Ice Spirit Blazing Grass into his storage ring. Only then did she reluctantly retract her gaze.

For someone like her, who loved herbs, obtaining a rare medicinal plant was far more thrilling and satisfying than acquiring hundreds of thousands of gold coins.

However, remembering Lin Feng's promise, she took the small shovel and carefully began excavating the precious herbs from the flowerbed, placing them into the warm jade bottles.

Glancing at Xiao Yixian, who was focused on collecting herbs, Lin Feng shifted his attention to the skeleton in the center of the stone chamber.

He strode forward, rubbed his hands together, and, feeling a little uneasy, pressed his palms together and offered a silent prayer before carefully picking up the key in the skeleton's hand.

Then, after muttering a quick apology, he applied slight force and snapped off the skeleton's arm bone. Holding it in his hand, he closed his eyes for a moment before peering inside.

Lin Feng's gaze passed through the fracture at the top of the bone, spotting a small scroll hidden within the gaps of the skeleton.