The Cauldron of Creation roared to life, emitting waves of ethereal radiance.
Through Su Zhe’s Niwan Palace, streams of light wrapped around a lump of refined iron. Moments later, the iron dissolved into his Sea of Consciousness, fusing with the mystical cauldron.
Su Zhe repeated the process with other metals—iron, copper, silver—feeding them all into the cauldron.
“Gold, silver, copper, iron, tin—unlocking immortal apertures through these five metals. This cheat ability is absurdly practical,” he muttered, shutting his eyes.
BOOM!
The cauldron trembled slightly.
Suddenly, divine melodies filled the air, like the ringing of temple bells and the resonating chants of monks. A pure, overwhelming power surged through Su Zhe’s Sea of Consciousness, washing over him in waves. The profound echoes cleared his mind, elevating his spirit. Thousands of strands of ethereal energy flooded into his body.
Moments later, the Cauldron of Creation stilled, its surface now adorned with the image of a second immortal aperture. Simultaneously, the cauldron's size expanded from one cubic meter to five.
“It’s done!” Su Zhe exclaimed, elated.
He quickly equipped the Eight-Pound Hammer and the Master Craftsman’s Seal.
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[User: Su Zhe]
[Realm: First Grade, High Tier]
[Innate Talent: Grade B (Base), Grade B+ (With Equipment)]
[Equipment: Eight-Pound Hammer, Master Craftsman’s Seal]
[Martial Arts: Barbarian Ox Style (includes Ox Stance, Stone-Cracking Hammer Technique, Barbarian Ox Breathing Method)] – Intermediate Mastery
[Attributes: Herculean Strength (First Grade), Diligence Makes Up for Clumsiness (First Grade), Strength of One Ox (Second Grade), Effortless Precision (Second Grade)]
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Su Zhe’s eyes widened in disbelief at the information projected from the cauldron.
His awareness returned to reality, and an unpleasant stench immediately assaulted him.
Looking down, he saw his body coated in a foul black sludge. The acrid smell was nearly unbearable.
“This... impurity?” he murmured, his excitement giving way to calm analysis.
In his past life, Su Zhe had read enough novels and seen enough dramas to piece things together. His thoughts raced as realization struck.
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“So, my baseline talent before equipping items was only Grade B-, likely worse—maybe even Grade C. But now, after refining with the Eight-Pound Hammer and Master Craftsman’s Seal, my baseline is permanently boosted to Grade B.”
“What does this mean?”
Su Zhe’s mind raced, a flash of brilliance illuminating his thoughts.
It meant that with every immortal aperture he unlocked, his baseline talent would improve.
Shedding mortality to embrace immortality—this cheat has limitless potential!
The black sludge coating his skin was the impurities from his mortal body, purged during the transformation. The cauldron refined his physique, eliminating imperfections and elevating his innate abilities.
“What fortune! What immense fortune!” Su Zhe muttered, his emotions surging like tidal waves.
His “cheat” might seem subtle now, but its effects would compound exponentially. His talents, once subpar, would eventually surpass even the so-called geniuses with Grade A abilities.
The requirements for unlocking the third aperture appeared next:
Gold: Two Taqs
Black Iron: Twenty Jin
Pure Silver: Two Liang
Refined Copper: Thirty Jin
Refined Tin: Forty Jin
“The cost for this third aperture is at least five times that of the second!” Su Zhe grimaced.
Materials like pure gold weren’t just rare—they were practically monopolized by the martial sects in the region. Refining one liang of pure gold required ten taels of ordinary gold, and the process was heavily controlled.
“Even if I pour all my resources into this, it won’t be enough. For now, I’ll have to rely on the Craftsman’s Guild for help.”
Though disheartened, Su Zhe wasn’t entirely without hope. He had just joined the guild as a direct disciple, earning fifty taels as a welcome gift. However, after spending twenty taels on the second aperture, he realized the path ahead was far more arduous.
“Never mind,” he sighed. “I’ve been poor for so long; another stretch won’t kill me.”
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Returning to the Su Family House in the village, Su Zhe felt a rare sense of joy.
“I wonder how Uncle and Auntie will react when they hear I’ve become a direct disciple! They’ll be so proud!”
He rinsed off in the river before approaching the familiar mud-brick home, a smile tugging at his lips. Despite being a transmigrator, Su Zhe’s memories had fused seamlessly with his host’s. Uncle Su Yuan and Aunt Lin Xia, though flawed and poor, had always treated him with unwavering kindness.
“Strange,” Su Zhe muttered, noticing the door shut tight in broad daylight.
“Uncle! Auntie! I’m home!” he called, pushing the door open.
Inside, Su Yuan lay shirtless on the table, his body riddled with bruises. Aunt Lin Xia was gently applying medicinal oil to his wounds, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Ah—gentler, please!” Su Yuan hissed through gritted teeth.
“Endure it!” Lin Xia scolded, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion.
“Uncle! Auntie! What happened?” Su Zhe strode forward, his face pale with anger.
Startled, Su Yuan quickly grabbed a patched jacket to cover himself. Despite his battered face, he forced a smile.
“Xiao Zhe, you’re back? It’s nothing, just fell while fishing.”
Lin Xia hesitated, clearly wanting to speak, but Su Yuan shot her a sharp look, silencing her.
Su Zhe wasn’t fooled. The bruises weren’t from a fall—they were from fists. His hands clenched into trembling fists, fury simmering beneath his calm exterior.
“Who did this?” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.