BTTH: Auto Cultivation System

As Xiao Hua was lost in thought, he realized that Lady Azure had finished explaining and was now silently and patiently waiting for him. He guessed she was giving him time to process all the information she had provided.

He was right—she was waiting for him to absorb everything—but there was another reason too. Lady Azure was nervous. This matter was the most important to her, and she knew that no one but him could accomplish it.

Little did she know that the Great Thousand World was no secret to Xiao Hua; he had already learned about it from the novel. He didn't care much about it, especially since his Qi Method, the Chaos Mantra, required their cooperation to grow stronger.

What truly piqued his interest was the revelation about the relationship between the Primordial Heavenly Flame, the Heavenly Lightning Tribulation, and the Ancient Celestial Frost. They considered each other sisters.

There was no doubt in his mind that this bond was because these three had been born within Chaos and had only each other as family.

This realization led Xiao Hua into deep contemplation about her proposal.

‘She likely wants to return to her original form, but that means only I can make it happen since I survived that onslaught. I wonder what she’ll look like and how powerful she’ll be once she’s restored. This really piques my curiosity and desire—I’m going to go through with this deal!’

“Okay. I understand your request is to fuse yourself back into one. But… will it be as painful as before?” Xiao Hua asked, piecing everything together, but his voice trembled as he remembered the excruciating pain he had endured while refining them.

Lady Azure smiled impishly, sending a shiver down his spine as she delivered a single cruel word: “More.”

Xiao Hua couldn’t help but shed a tear, feeling like his world had just become unbearably harsh. Despite being grateful for the Heavenly Lightning Bloodline, he couldn't help but hold a grudge against the System for giving it to him.

With a sulking and annoyed tone, he said, “Anyway, it looks like we’re going to be together for a long time. So, let’s get along, Sister Azure!”

Lady Azure tilted her head at his words. The only ones who had ever called her "Sister" were her sisters, the Ancient Celestial Frost and the Primordial Heavenly Flame.

But she decided to let it slide. Considering the painful experiences he had endured and would continue to face, accepting this much was fine. Besides, he was still just a child, and there was no point in scolding him.

“By the way, you can call me Xiao Hua. I prefer that over being called a child,” Xiao Hua said as he stood up and dusted off his clothes. He heard a snort and turned to see Lady Azure smirking at his request.

"I will, once you manage to safely step into Dou Saint, boy," Lady Azure replied.

"So, that means something incredibly painful is going to happen when I break through to Dou Saint, huh? Painful enough that I'll wish I could die?" Xiao Hua smiled wryly.

"Are you going to give up?" Lady Azure teased, though inside, she worried that he might.

"Nope. I made a deal, and I plan to see it through without dying." Xiao Hua’s eyes were filled with determination, his voice unwavering.

Lady Azure’s eyes widened in amazement at his words. "Do you not fear death, child?"

"I do. But what truly terrifies me is the thought of losing those I cherish because I was too afraid to act. The idea of watching them suffer or be taken from me because I hesitated—that’s the fear that drives me to fight with everything I have." Xiao Hua smiled brightly.

Lady Azure was stumped by his answer. She had witnessed countless people sacrifice themselves for others, but she had never truly understood it. She knew she would make such a sacrifice out of duty, but never out of love or faith.

‘This is the one thing I truly envy in them…’ Lady Azure thought, a sad smile tugging at her lips. She couldn't deny that this was something she longed for.

"Is that so? Since that’s how you feel, then this Sister should at least give you a hand in achieving it. After all, you’re helping this Sister right now." Lady Azure declared.

Seeing her enthusiasm, Xiao Hua shook his head wryly and said, "Then, could you at least teach me something?"

Hearing this, Lady Azure put a hand on her chin and contemplated. After a moment, she nodded in agreement.

"I don’t mind. I can tell that you’re practicing alchemy, but you’re currently stuck, and I can help with that. It also seems you’re learning basic alchemy techniques, which is a waste given your potential. I can sense that you could achieve much more."

"Really?! So, you’re an alchemist? That would be incredibly helpful and definitely boost my motivation, especially since you’re right—I’ve hit a stumbling block," Xiao Hua said eagerly.

Lady Azure felt a surge of pride at his words. "There is no one better than me in Alchemy, boy. Throughout my life, I've encountered countless recipes and techniques. I can help you with that and teach you more about herbs, their effects, and numerous alchemy techniques."

"Thank you, Sister Azure! That would be wonderful!" Xiao Hua grinned with excitement.

While he appreciated Elder Huo’s teachings, he had reached a point where replicating and understanding Elder Huo’s techniques became too easy due to his Enlightenment State, causing him to hit a limit.

Even Elder Huo struggled to guide him further. The only solution he could think of was to find an alchemist with greater achievements, but Tier 6 and above alchemists were rare.

Although Pill King Gu He was a possibility, it was unlikely Gu He would assist them due to his busy schedule with current disciples and pill refining for the Misty Cloud Sect.

Thus, Xiao Hua was naturally excited to have Lady Azure’s support in his cultivation and alchemy journey.

Sensing someone approaching, Lady Azure transformed into a flash of light and entered Xiao Hua’s body. Recognizing who it was, Xiao Hua turned to face a barrage of questions from Xiao Xun Er before he could greet her.

As usual, he blamed it on his bloodline. This time, however, it was indeed the cause. After a lengthy interrogation from Xiao Xun Er, they finally returned to Jia Nan Academy. Xiao Hua went straight to his room after greeting his master, Elder Huo.

Lady Azure appeared behind him and began her alchemy lesson. “While your master’s teachings are correct, there is one crucial aspect of alchemy that one must understand.”

“And that is respecting life by not being too greedy. I’ve seen many natural treasures become extinct because an alchemist was too greedy and destroyed their source, leaving the next generation to suffer.”

Xiao Hua nodded in agreement. Even in his previous world, many plants and animals had become extinct due to human greed. In this world, the consequences of avarice and arrogance could be severe, sometimes leading to fates worse than death. Knowing when to temper one’s pride and greed was a vital lesson for every cultivator.

Seeing Xiao Hua nodding with no trace of arrogance or greed in his eyes, Lady Azure nodded in approval.

Typically, when someone is as talented as Xiao Hua, their arrogance peaks, often leading to future suffering. It’s beneficial to have this humble mentality early on, as it can save you from much hardship.

She continued her lesson, summoning a turquoise flame in her hand. “It’s a common misconception that every alchemist requires a cauldron. In reality, no cauldron can withstand my flame. So, what should one do? Wait for a perfect cauldron to appear? That’s foolish! Do you think cauldrons capable of handling the Primordial Heavenly Flame are just lying around?”

“Since such cauldrons don’t exist, you should create one yourself,” she declared, flicking her flame toward the medicinal herbs Elder Huo had provided Xiao Hua for practice.

Xiao Hua was astonished to see the herbs floating around Lady Azure, their essence being refined by the flame. He recognized this technique from Yao Chen and Xiao Yan, who had been trained by Yao Chen.

He never imagined that Lady Azure would know this technique, let alone teach it to him. It was a technique he had been eager to learn.

“This technique is called ‘Using Fire as a Pot.’ It allows you to use flames as a kiln. This method is more practical for you than relying on cauldrons that might explode later,” Lady Azure explained with an indifferent tone.

Xiao Hua agreed with her, but he was aware of a critical limitation of the technique. “Sister Azure, doesn’t this technique only work effectively for pills below Tier 6? Anything above that would create a strong shockwave that’s better contained within a cauldron, right?”

“Yes. However, if you can control your Spiritual Strength, you can use it to create a thin yet strong veil to contain the shockwave, just as you control the flame to refine the essence of medicinal herbs. You’ll need to balance controlling the flame, refining the essence, and condensing it into a pill while simultaneously containing the shockwave,” Lady Azure explained casually, smirking as she anticipated her disciple’s inevitable struggle.

“Sister Azure, if someone could achieve that, what about the Pill Lightning? Can one refine the ingredients and condense them into a pill at the same time? Is it possible to use fire to form an object and hide the pill inside?” Xiao Hua asked, raising questions that had been on his mind during his lessons with Elder Huo.

Lady Azure was taken aback by his questions. They were advanced for his level, yet he was already contemplating them. “Heh. I see you're eager, but you should focus on building your foundation first. Nevertheless, I’ll answer your questions. For the Pill Lightning, it’s insignificant compared to your Heavenly Lightning, so you should confront it directly.”

“Creating an object with fire and hiding a pill inside is possible with an extreme level of control over your flame and Spiritual Strength. The same applies to refining and condensing simultaneously. However, any mistake could be costly.”

Lady Azure emphasized the risks of failure but remained committed to teaching Xiao Hua. While Elder Huo handled alchemical teachings, she focused on advanced techniques.

“Since you aim high, let’s start with controlling your flame and Spiritual Strength. Lowering the temperature is basic; let’s increase the challenge. Try splitting your flame into two—raise the temperature of one flame while lowering the temperature of the other. At the same time, try to move this pebble around. Once I deem your control passable, I’ll give you a recipe as a reward for your efforts and perseverance.”

Lady Azure set a challenging task, one even high-tier alchemists would find difficult, for a barely Tier 2 alchemist.

Xiao Hua took a deep breath, smiled, and accepted the challenge with determination. He would not back down or shy away. The challenges posed by Lady Azure excited him, and he was eager to succeed. If he managed to accomplish this, he would be able to compete with high-tier alchemists and vie for a seat among the Elders in the Pill Tower.

Xiao Hua crossed his legs and sat down on the floor. He began to channel his Qi, and a green flame appeared on his hand. Following Lady Azure’s instructions, he split the flame into two and attempted to control each flame's temperature individually. However, he quickly realized that this task was significantly more challenging than refining and condensing ingredients into pills.

Despite several failures, Xiao Hua persisted, determined to master the control of the flames. Although he managed to achieve basic control, he knew that his current skill level was still far from what Lady Azure had demonstrated. He understood that this level of control would be insufficient for refining medicinal herbs and condensing them into pills. Therefore, he resolved to continue practicing until he reached a more advanced level of control.

Lady Azure observed Xiao Hua’s efforts with satisfaction. She had seen many talented individuals who lacked patience and ultimately failed because they refused to persevere through difficulties.

Achieving mastery in alchemy is not a matter of making a few attempts; it requires immense effort and enduring numerous challenges. Every drop of sweat, every moment of pain, and every instance of doubt are all part of the unwavering resolve needed to progress in this demanding field.