Chapter 3: The Celestial Vessel?

Chapter 3: The Celestial-Grasping Flask?

Xiao Se pondered carefully. At this moment, there were two items he needed most: the Qi-Concentrating Powder and a cultivation manual.

The former could help him unquestionably advance from the ninth to the tenth stage of Dou Qi, condensing the Dou Qi vortex and becoming a true Dou Zhe.

The latter would provide him with the indispensable techniques required after becoming a Dou Zhe.

As for the so-called Yellow Grade cultivation manual of the Xiao family, Xiao Se simply looked down upon it.

Of course, even if he wanted it, no one would give it to him. After all, outsiders only saw him as a fifth-stage Dou Qi practitioner.

Having made up his mind, Xiao Se took out two jade bottles from his pocket and placed them on the stone altar. These were the very ones he had found earlier in the stone chamber. There were two in total, each originally containing a pill of unknown type that had lost its medicinal efficacy.

Left behind because someone else had claimed the effective pills first, and the remaining ones had become useless.

With the idea of making use of scraps, Xiao Se cleaned them thoroughly and filled them with salt and seasoning. When hungry during training, he could catch fish in the river beneath the waterfall and use them to grill with flavor.

“System, exchange the jade bottles in my hand,” Xiao Se said in his mind, lightly lifting the bottle filled with seasoning.

[Beep, congratulations, host! You have exchanged for the Celestial-Grasping Flask from Han Li’s storage belt in the Mortal Cultivation World.]

“Holy hell!”

“Holy hell!”

“Holy hell!”

Staring at the slender, pale green-necked round bottle in his hand, which bore vivid dark green leaf-shaped engravings on its surface, Xiao Se couldn’t help but curse under his breath.

The Celestial-Grasping Flask—this was the treasured artifact of the infamous Han Laomo. With this treasure, he had risen from an ordinary talent to greatness. Truly intoxicating.

Popping the cork, Xiao Se glimpsed a pea-sized, jade-green liquid inside through the bottle’s neck.

Seeing this, his breathing quickened.

“A slender neck, pale green surface, dark green leaf patterns, containing jade-green liquid inside. Indeed, worthy of the Celestial-Grasping Flask, the flask of the protagonist Han Laomo from Mortal Cultivation Legend. I suppose Han Laomo’s former incarnation, the Reincarnation Hall Master, wouldn’t be able to find me here—after all, this isn’t just a matter of crossing worlds.”

Exhaling deeply, Xiao Se calmed his excitement. “The flask body absorbs moonlight, condenses green liquid, and accelerates the ripening of spiritual herbs. Let’s give it a try.”

Determined, his gaze swept across the stone chamber. At last, on the edge of the square stone altar, he spotted an inconspicuous tender sprout of an unknown plant.

Gently dripping the jade-green liquid onto the sprout, at first glance, nothing seemed to change.

Xiao Se did not lose heart, knowing that even with acceleration, a process like this required time.

He stored the Celestial-Grasping Flask back into his storage belt and lifted the other jade bottle filled with salt.

“Whether I can exchange for the Qi-Concentrating Powder depends on this attempt. If I fail, for the last two chances, I’ll have to find a scroll to exchange for a cultivation manual. Otherwise, even if I get the Qi-Concentrating Powder and break through to Dou Zhe, it will be in vain without a manual.”

Xiao Se vaguely recalled from the original “Battle Through the Heavens” that the Qi-Concentrating Powder was a grade-four pill, entirely jade-green, about the size of a longan fruit.

To increase his chances, Xiao Se carefully poured out the salt and found a green wild herb in the chamber, crushing it to extract green juice to moisten and color the salt.

After a moment, a green salt ball the size of a longan was completed.

He tossed the salt ball into the jade bottle, corked it, and shouted in his mind, “System, begin the exchange.”

At the same time, Xiao Se bowed his head, closed his eyes, cupped the jade bottle with both hands, and muttered words he himself didn’t really believe, “Amitabha, heavens above, please bless me! Help me exchange for the Qi-Concentrating Powder.”

Meanwhile, in the Mortal Cultivation Legend world…

Han Paopao, known as the infamous Han Laomo, had just finished a dungeon run, successfully “betraying” and eliminating all other cultivators, returning fully loaded.

He found a secluded corner and arranged a defensive formation to conceal his aura.

Han Laomo planted the spiritual herbs he had just obtained from the dungeon, preparing to use the Celestial-Grasping Flask to accelerate their cultivation to a thousand years.

A faint glow flashed over his body as a jade bottle flew out from his storage belt.

Holding it, Han Paopao was momentarily stunned. The feel was off.

Popping the cork, he sneezed and cursed, “Who the hell swapped my treasure flask for a seasoning jar?”

[Beep, congratulations, host! You have exchanged for a bottle of pill from the Ancient River Ring.]

Hearing the system’s prompt in his mind, Xiao Se’s eyes brightened eagerly. He quickly uncorked the bottle, releasing a rich, fragrant pill aroma that soon filled the entire stone chamber.

“Jade-green, longan-sized, rich pill scent—this is the Qi-Concentrating Powder. No doubt about it. It’s exactly the same as recorded in the original novel and the ancient books of the Xiao family.”

Suppressing his excitement, Xiao Se recorked the bottle and placed it back into his storage belt.

Now that he had the Qi-Concentrating Powder, all that remained was to exchange for a cultivation manual.

Resolute, Xiao Se left the cave hurriedly while daylight still lingered and headed toward the Xiao family residence.

After obtaining the Qi-Concentrating Powder, Xiao Se did not immediately break through to Dou Zhe. Instead, he rushed back to his home. He still had two exchange chances left and had to use them quickly, or they would be wasted after tonight.

Undoubtedly, the fourth item he needed to exchange must be a cultivation manual. Without it, even if he broke through to Dou Zhe, his cultivation speed would slow down.

Back in his humble home, rifling through boxes and chests, Xiao Se finally found a tattered scroll.

“System, begin exchange.”

[Beep, exchange failed!!!]

“Damn it. This is my only scroll. Do I really have to go out and buy one now?”

Just as Xiao Se was at a loss, a knock came from outside the door.

“The door’s unlocked. Come in!” Xiao Se replied calmly.

The door opened, and a seductive girl in a red dress stepped inside. The curves beneath her crimson gown were faintly visible, irresistibly alluring.

“You’re so slow, little pervert,” the girl pouted in displeasure.

No need to guess; Xiao Se knew exactly who she was.

Xiao Yu.

The only acquaintance he could call a friend in the Xiao family. No one else would come looking for a once-disowned clan outcast like him.

As for the housekeeper who had raised Xiao Se since childhood, an elderly man well over seventy, he had passed away six months ago.

“I’ve told you, my name is Xiao Se, not little pervert,” Xiao Se said calmly.

“Hmph, you won’t even call me cousin. If not little pervert, then what? Clearly, you’re just craving this lady’s body,” Xiao Yu said, thrusting out her proud chest.

“Our bloodline is separated by at least eight generations, close to ten. By seniority, you should call me uncle, not cousin. Besides, I have no interest in little brats,” Xiao Se smirked. This girl really was cheeky.

[End of Chapter 3]