Hearing his grandfather's angry scolding, Tang Yan remained silent. He knew that although his grandfather's words were fiery, his father had been missing for many years, and with no uncles or brothers, as the last heir of the Tang family, the old man still cared deeply for him.
Tang Yan couldn't help but think about his current situation. With his dantian destroyed, even though he knew the formula for crafting a Continuation Pill, a Grade-6 elixir, in this world, elixir masters of Grade-4 were few and far between. Who could he turn to for such high-grade pills?
What about cultivating? Without the ability to protect himself, he would be crushed into nothing in this martial world.
Tang Ling, his grandfather, couldn't help but wonder: usually, when this brat was bullied, he'd explode in anger and beg for revenge. But today, he was oddly docile.
What surprised Tang Ling even more was the change in Tang Yan’s attire. Usually flamboyant and carefree, the boy had been scolded countless times for his lack of seriousness. Today, however, he was dressed simply and neatly—was this a sign of a change in character?
Tang Yan’s posture also seemed different. Though his head was lowered and he remained silent, his stance was straight, showing an unexpected air of composure.
"It's good that Uncle Mo went to intervene in time. If he had been any later, that little bastard from the Liu family might have taken the opportunity to strike. You need to be more cautious and avoid causing trouble. If you dare to make trouble again, there will be consequences!"
Seeing his grandson silent, Tang Ling couldn't fathom what was going on in his mind. Although his dantian was destroyed, Tang Yan had never really shown interest in martial arts, so his grandfather didn't expect much from him in that regard. He only hoped for him to live a peaceful life and pass on the Tang family’s legacy.
"Today, the young master seems a bit different." The ever-silent housekeeper, Mo Bo, suddenly spoke up.
Tang Ling nodded and sighed, "I wonder if it's just a feeling. Maybe he's recovering from his illness, but who knows what will happen in a few days? If he has really changed, I’ll arrange for a few teachers to teach him some business strategies. That way, at least he’ll have a path to follow."
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Tang Yan was unaware of the conversation between his grandfather and Mo Bo. As he walked back to his quarters, his mind weighed heavily. After being reborn in this world with his dantian destroyed, he was effectively starting in the worst possible scenario.
He couldn’t help but think of the Heaven-Creation Cauldron. If only it were still around, he could have used it to start cultivating again. Unfortunately, the cauldron was obliterated along with his previous life.
Even without the cauldron to control the alchemical fire, Tang Yan was not one to sit idly. He turned toward the library, eager to learn more about this world—especially about herbs, as they were the foundation of alchemy.
After browsing through a few books, Tang Yan’s lips curled into a smile. Though this world’s culture was different from Earth’s, the names of herbs, their attributes, and effects were strikingly similar.
However, Tang Yan meticulously flipped through every page, memorizing the differences. As he glanced at the window, he realized the sun had set, and his protesting stomach reminded him it was time for dinner. Smiling, he headed back to his quarters.
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After eating the dinner Xiao Cui had prepared, Tang Yan sat on his bed, carefully organizing his thoughts.
He had truly been lucky—his reckless breakthrough that led to the explosion of the Heaven-Creation Cauldron had somehow resulted in his soul being reborn in this world.
But the situation of his new body was just as grim.
His father had disappeared ten years ago, and his predecessor had done nothing but waste his potential. The Tang family might be a powerful clan in Yun City, but without strength, once his grandfather passed away, the family would likely fall into ruin.
"I can't just sit and wait to die. I must regain my strength!" Tang Yan furrowed his brow, hesitating for a moment before deciding to try something—perhaps the reincarnation of his soul could cause a miracle, enabling him to cultivate again.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Tang Yan focused his mind and began to calm his breath, attempting to enter a meditative state.
Five minutes passed—no response from his dantian.
A quarter of an hour—still nothing.
An hour later—still no change…
In his previous life, Tang Yan had the temperament to withstand long hours of alchemy refining, sometimes spending days in front of the cauldron. Yet, after an entire afternoon of silence from his dantian, frustration began to creep in.
"Is it even possible to cultivate at all?!"
Just as he was about to give up, a familiar, vast energy suddenly surged from his sea of consciousness.
Tang Yan’s mind jolted—that energy... it was the Heaven-Creation Cauldron!
Quickly, he quieted his thoughts and focused on his sea of consciousness. There, a semi-transparent cauldron slowly rotated.
"The Supreme Alchemy Manual, seizing the heavens and earth, refining the supreme essence! Cultivators must disperse their dantian’s energy to break through and rebuild, forging the Supreme Alchemy Manual." A deep, resonant voice echoed from the cauldron. Immediately, an intricate stream of information flooded Tang Yan’s mind.
It took a while for Tang Yan to absorb the information. His heart was in turmoil as he processed the astonishing revelation.
Even in his past life, when his alchemy skills had reached their peak, he had always relied on a cauldron to refine elixirs. However, the “Supreme Alchemy Manual” from the Heaven-Creation Cauldron indicated that once one reached a certain level, they could refine elixirs with their own body, achieving even better results!
"Incredible!" Tang Yan marveled in his heart.
Just as he had suspected upon his rebirth, the ultimate secret of the Heaven-Creation Cauldron was to refine its spirit, ultimately merging with the cultivator’s own body to become one.
In his previous life, he had never fully grasped the method of using the cauldron, but this time, his fate seemed to align perfectly with the “Supreme Alchemy Manual."
He began cultivating, his breath steady as the warm energy gathered in his lower abdomen. His past experience, coupled with his strong foundation, soon allowed a soft, radiant warmth to gather there.
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That night, Mo Bo reported to Tang Ling, "Master, the young master did not leave the estate today. Instead, he stayed in the library."
"What?" Tang Ling raised an eyebrow and quickly asked, "He stayed in the library all day?"
"Yes."
Hearing Mo Bo’s confirmation, Tang Ling's face showed an odd expression. After a long pause, he muttered, "This kid never practiced martial arts. If we told him to read, he’d fall asleep after one page. But now, he's spent the entire day in the library? Can he even read? Or is he just enjoying his nap there?"
Mo Bo handed over a prepared box with a stack of books inside. "The young master read quite a few books today."
Tang Ling frowned as he looked through the books: "The Complete Pharmacopoeia," "Herbal Medicine Guide," "Continent Geography Overview," "History of the Tingxiang Kingdom for Two Thousand Years."
His expression became even more perplexed. "Could this kid really have changed?"
Mo Bo chuckled, "In his entire life, he's never read more books in one day than today. Perhaps he really has changed."
"Nonsense! I know full well what kind of books he's hidden under his bed—erotic pictures and sordid tales! He's read a lot of those, too!" Tang Ling growled, his anger rising. "But these books... this is completely out of character. Let’s observe him for a few more days."