Chapter 409 Daily Alchemy Practice
Zhong Cai hesitated for a moment and said, "The pills have been refined. Apart from those for personal use, they can naturally be sold. It's just that this batch is my first time refining, and the quality isn't very good."
Several construction team leaders were already very happy when they heard that he was willing to sell; what did it matter whether the condition was good or bad?
Except for the top-quality Soul-Splitting Pill, which reduces pain by 80%, the other three qualities can reduce pain by 50%, and the duration of the effect is the same. The only difference is the amount of impurities it contains.
If one only takes a low-grade Soul-Splitting Pill, that is, after successfully splitting the soul, a very stubborn impurity will appear in the primordial soul. The cultivator will need to purchase Soul-Cleansing Pills or other pills to remove the impurity and take them. Those are all subsequent conditioning, and are far less dangerous than splitting the soul.
Several tour leaders from the Tsukijima group then said:
"We would be satisfied as long as King Zhong Dan is willing to take action."
"Zhong Danwang just needs to name his price."
"If King Zhong Dan doesn't mind, we would like to order another batch..."
Zhong Cai had just put the pills into two different bottles when he opened them, stated the number and quality of the pills, and then began to quote prices: "Low-grade pills are worth 120,000 mid-grade Xuan Stones, and mid-grade pills are worth 130,000." He paused, "If there are high-grade pills later, then it will be 140,000."
This price is indeed not cheap, but as a very special type of seventh-grade pill, the market price of the Soul Dividing Pill is this much.
Several cultivators who had built palaces knew this, and immediately replied, "Then thank you very much, King Zhong Dan."
Apart from the Temple of War, the leaders of the other six level-nine forces also arrived.
There are currently three. It seems that the group had already agreed on the order of arrival, so there is no scrambling now, and people are buying them one after another.
One per person, no more than one.
The person at the front chose the quality first, and unsurprisingly selected the mid-grade Soul Splitting Pill.
Then there's not much to choose from, they're all the same.
Several palace-building team leaders were slightly moved. They hadn't expected that King Zhong Dan's first attempt at refining Soul-Splitting Pills would result in a full set, including some of the mid-grade ones. However, they weren't too surprised, because they believed that King Zhong Dan's next production would surely yield even more mid-grade pills, and perhaps even some high-grade ones!
But next time is next time, and the three ranked ahead of them had no regrets.
Even if the quality of a Soul-Splitting Pill is a bit low, I need to get my hands on it first before I can feel at ease.
The team leaders quickly provided enough Xuan Stones, and the team members happily left with the pills.
·
Zhong Cai tossed the mustard bag to Wu Shaogan and said generously, "Here's some pocket money for you!"
Wu Shaogan took it, solemnly tucked it into his sleeve, and said with a smile, "Now that my allowance is going up, I'm afraid I won't be able to spend it all."
Zhong Cai laughed: "Then spend it slowly."
Actually, both of their Xuan Stones were piled up in the ancient city and could be used at any time. The reason they were going back and forth like this was simply that Zhong Cai flirted with Wu Shaogan first, and then Wu Shaogan started flirting with him.
While they were flirting, Zhong Cai wasn't idle either. She simply threw firewood into the alchemy furnace, asking it to quickly cleanse the impurities inside.
The firewood burned inside and outside the alchemy furnace, producing a continuous, soft crackling sound and emitting a faint burnt smell—not too unpleasant, but still quite noticeable.
Zhong Cai naturally smelled it, and couldn't help but sniff, saying, "As expected, it didn't turn out well. This smell is almost the same as a failed refining."
Wu Shaogan smiled and ruffled Zhong Cai's hair, laughing, "What nonsense are you talking about, Cai? The previous one was clearly worse."
Zhong Cai: "..."
He rolled his eyes and then leaped onto Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan held Zhong Cai tightly in that position, and they rolled onto the bed together.
Since the stove will be burning for a while anyway, we might as well keep it warm.
The two of them were busy with cultivation and alchemy, so they didn't have much time to be intimate.
·
In the days that followed, Zhong Cai persisted in refining the Soul-Splitting Pill.
Refining pills beyond one's level takes too long and is a great test of a pill refiner's patience—when one reaches level eight or nine, each batch will take even longer!
If you can't hold on now, then there will be even less chance later on.
Zhong Cai, on the other hand, felt it was alright.
With his Daoist partner right in front of him, refining pills was quite easy, and there were very few problems.
In the past year, he has not refined many level-seven pills, only three kinds. In addition to the Soul Splitting Pill that he is currently polishing, there is also a healing pill and a pill to replenish Xuan power.
It can be said that the basic pills needed by Spirit Transformation cultivators have already been selected and refined.
Zhong Cai stockpiled a lot of pills to replenish Xuan power for Wu Shaogan, but relatively few for healing injuries. Currently, she is working hard to produce top-grade Soul Splitting Pills.
However, the Soul Splitting Pill is one of the more difficult pills to make among all level seven pills.
·
Eight days later, Zhong Cai successfully produced the elixir again.
The palace construction team leaders came over after smelling the aroma, showered Zhong Cai with compliments, and happily bought the pills.
The quality of the pills produced this time was as good as they had expected—two were of medium grade and one was of low grade.
Then three days passed...
Zhong Cai's refining attempt failed, and he had to start all over again.
The failure to produce pills was within the expectations of many team leaders—alchemists in this world are bound to fail when refining pills. In their view, Zhong Danwang's ability to successfully produce pills twice in a row was already outstanding, truly living up to his reputation.
Then, it was another eight days.
Zhong Cai successfully extracted the elixir.
The tour leaders approached again, very respectfully requesting to make another purchase.
Upon examining the quality of the pills, Zhong Cai found they were all of medium grade, so he sold them again.
The leaders of the Zhugong team were speechless—they knew that King Zhong Dan would improve quickly, but seeing him produce full batches of pills with ever-increasing quality was still quite shocking. He truly possessed an extremely rare talent! King Wu Dou was just too lucky!
However, because Wu Shaogan's fighting ability was indeed terrifying, anyone who challenged him would fall into a state of fear during the fight, and would even be left with many psychological traumas afterward. They also felt that this couple was undoubtedly a perfect match.
Every few years, the Lingxian Sect and the War God Hall would produce a pair of Daoist couples who were perfectly matched in every way and had a great reputation. They complemented each other, promoted each other, and continuously improved, quickly becoming a top-tier pair of powerful individuals.
Currently, both factions seem to have an unusually large number of such powerful individuals...
After purchasing the pills again, the palace-building team leaders left once more, waiting for their next visit.
They realized that King Zhong Dan actually had a very good temper. They happened to have encountered a time when he could produce a large quantity of "inferior pills," and he didn't mind earning some extra money.
Therefore, as long as they bring enough Xuan Shi and speak respectfully, King Zhong Dan will not deliberately make things difficult for them.
·
Before we knew it, three months had passed.
Zhong Cai successfully refined the Soul-Splitting Pill to the highest quality!
At that moment, he gently tapped the lid of the alchemy furnace, then reached inside and scooped out some liquid—
Three round pills appeared in Zhong Cai's palm.
One top-grade, two superior-grade!
Just eight days ago, he produced three top-grade pills in that batch.
However, Zhong Cai has maintained the result of "three top-grade pills" three or four times in a row! It's practically a bottleneck!
Fortunately, he eventually achieved a new small breakthrough.
Other tour leaders still proactively visit.
Their wallets were already empty, and later they even had to use many rare medicines and other resources to exchange for elixirs.
This kind of pill can save their lives while breaking through to the next level, and they are willing to pay any price for it! Moreover, they only became poor because they bought more; the pill itself has always maintained its market price.
Even if they don't use them all in the future, they can give them to their relatives and friends who also need the pills!
There will be absolutely no waste.
Especially a little over a month ago, they were already able to buy high-grade Soul Splitting Pills, which made them overjoyed—what a joke, they didn't even expect top-grade ones! High-grade ones were already more than enough!
Although Zhong Danwang only sells one or two high-grade pills at a time since he started selling them, seemingly saving one high-grade pill for himself, they are already very grateful to Zhong Danwang and Wu Douwang—not for anything else, but because every time they go to buy pills, they see this couple with tender eyes and incredibly deep affection.
So they thought that if King Zhongdan hadn't been coaxed into being happy by King Wudou and hadn't been refining pills for so long, he probably wouldn't have been able to maintain such a gentle attitude.
Wu Douwang is really amazing.
Powerful on all levels.
This time, many team leaders were no exception; they bought two top-grade stones and divided them up in order.
·
At this time of year, the team leaders are always delighted that their combat prowess has reached a level that is valued by various factions.
That is why they were able to bring a team here and stockpile more pills.
Of course, given their level of importance, they will definitely receive preferential treatment in terms of resources when they reach the Spirit Transformation Realm, and they will certainly be allocated Soul Dividing Pills. They can also purchase them directly within their respective factions. However, each family does not have a large reserve of seventh-level pills, since they are not alchemy factions.
Ordinary forces, even those at the ninth level, may not be able to cultivate a seventh-level Pill King within their ranks—there may be a few ordinary seventh-level Pill Masters, but ultimately not many.
Seventh-grade pills need to be distributed to a large number of Spirit Transformation disciples. There are far more monks than porridge, and they are often reserved in advance, with no one even having time to wait in line.
Various factions will likely try to find some top-grade Soul Splitting Pills for young powerhouses at the Dou Wang level, but the number will be very small and insufficient. They can only be used at the most critical moments—a seventh-level Pill King who can produce top-grade Soul Splitting Pills is extremely rare.
Therefore, most of the time, they can only use other quality Soul Splitting Pills to tide them over.
At the same time, the duration of the effects of the Soul Splitting Pill is also the shortest among the seventh-level pills.
This is not surprising, after all, the effects of the medicine are already applied to a very high-level primordial spirit, and it is such an important stage as the splitting of the soul, so it is impossible to completely resolve it with just one or two pills.
The process of separating a spirit from its body is a very long one...
The more Soul-Splitting Pills you have, the better.
The team leaders sighed inwardly.
They're not like Wu Douwang, who can "eat candy" all year round!
·
Zhong Cai listened attentively to the purpose of the group of palace-building leaders, happily handed over the newly refined top-grade Soul Dividing Pill to his old man, and then sold the remaining two high-grade Soul Dividing Pills to the group.
He thought for a moment and said, "When I sell pills again, I need to change my approach. I will keep all the top-grade pills that come out, and if I get two non-top-grade pills, I will give away half of them. If I get fewer than two, I will not sell any more."
Upon hearing this, the team leaders were immediately disappointed.
However, they quickly adjusted their emotions, because King Zhong Dan still needed to hone his alchemy skills to the point where he could consistently produce top-quality pills before he could make further progress.
They will have at least several more opportunities to buy the elixir.
However, how to allocate the funds still needs to be discussed further.
After paying with Xuan Stones, the leader of the Palace Construction team carefully put away his own superior-grade Soul Dividing Pill.
The team leaders left again.
The days that followed continued in this repetitive manner...
·
As the leaders and disciples of several level-nine major forces interacted more often, the others among them followed suit.
These so-called "others" are basically disciples from various families who arrived later because the secret realm lasted too long.
Upon seeing that their respective team leaders frequently traveled on and off the warships of the War God Temple and were able to visit King Zhong Dan smoothly, they dared not compete with the team leaders and turned their attention to the other alchemists of the Lingxian Sect.
These alchemists all came with their partners or romantic interests. Since it was a safe place and they had many fellow disciples, they often practiced alchemy, exchanged techniques, and improved their skills. They would also chat about their partners occasionally, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
When martial arts cultivators from other factions came to ask for pills, many of the Lingxian Sect's pill masters were taken aback at first, and then agreed.
Because the King of Pills, whom they greatly respected and admired, had been quite polite in agreeing to the team leaders' requests for pills, they also agreed to refine pills for the other martial arts cultivators in a relatively mild manner.
As a result, the alchemists all made a sum of extra money.
The warships of the War God Temple were often filled with a rich fragrance of pills, which attracted not only the cultivators seeking pills, but also other cultivators from further away... However, the pill masters of the Spirit Immortal Sect were "swapped up" by the disciples of several other level-nine forces, so even if those cultivators came, they could not board the ship to seek pills - because they would offend the disciples of these level-nine forces.
However, many cultivators, though disappointed, were mentally prepared, thinking they would just come and wander around, perhaps hoping to become familiar to the alchemists.
This swaying wasn't just aimless. After observing from a distance how many alchemists were refining pills on the deck, the cultivators prepared generous gifts to present to the alchemists they admired and then went to request an audience.
If it's just a request for an audience, and there's no competition for alchemy slots, the disciples of the ninth-level forces naturally can't stop them—they also need favors from others, and if they really obstruct other cultivators from giving gifts, wouldn't that affect the alchemists' source of income and offend them?
Fortunately, the alchemists were all busy, so the cultivators who came to pay their respects with gifts could only make a brief appearance, often just announcing their names without even exchanging a word.
And so it went, lively yet still relatively orderly.
·
The rogue cultivators are no longer on the flying artifact of that Nirvana Realm expert—that flying artifact left after the cave was opened.
What has appeared in that area now are many small and medium-sized flying artifacts, as well as many flying boats and spaceships.
These belong to different independent cultivators.
All the independent cultivators with available spots have entered the secret realm cave, but they are not without relatives and friends.
These relatives and friends have now taken out their flying boats and spaceships and boarded them, waiting inside for the rogue cultivators to emerge. While they are anxious, they also notice the commotion on the side of the ninth-level forces.
and……
In fact, not all of the many slots for independent cultivators were given to independent cultivators.
Many small and medium-sized forces have also gotten involved with the owners of the remaining two tokens, and have secretly obtained one or two slots, sending their own geniuses—especially some families, who will send their outstanding clansmen.
So the "unaffiliated cultivators" who got the spots came with a group of people with them, and they've all stayed with them now.
They were also very eager for the opportunity to refine elixirs.
It's extremely rare to see so many alchemists so close at hand in small and medium-sized forces, especially since there are many alchemy kings among them.
After all, those who can snatch a spot in the Temple of War are all top geniuses, and the people they choose are naturally all outstanding as well.
For a place like the Lingxian Sect to be considered "outstanding," it must be able to refine at least high-grade items in large quantities.
After much practice, many alchemists can produce some top-quality pills in their area of expertise. As long as they produce top-quality pills, they can be called Pill Kings, but the disciples of the Lingxian Sect are ashamed to admit it.
For the disciples of the Lingxian Sect, only those who have made it onto the Sky Ranking are considered true Pill Kings!
That said, these envious "rogue cultivators" would occasionally keep an eye on the lively scene at the Temple of War.
Everyone has their own thoughts.
But in the end, I just didn't dare to go over there.
·
Inside a small airship.
A thin boy stood in front of an old man, lowered his head, and remained silent.
The old man's expression was cold and stern as he stared at the young man, his gaze never leaving him.
The boy remained silent.
The old man and the young man seemed to be facing off against each other.
After a long silence, the old man sighed and said, "Long life, you still won't give up?"
The boy hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
A hint of sadness flashed in the old man's eyes: "Your brother risked his life in the secret cave for your mother, and you want to risk your life to meet King Zhong Dan, also for your mother... I have no right to stop you."
The boy grunted, looked up, and his eyes were red-rimmed.
“Grandpa…” he said softly, “Grandpa used all his savings to get this spot, which has already made his family unhappy, and I know that. My brother and I are both grateful for this. Neither of us will blame Grandpa, and neither will Mother.”
The old man covered his eyes, unable to calm down for a long time.
The boy stopped talking and simply waited quietly for his grandfather to calm down.
After a long while, the old man slowly exhaled and said, "After your brother comes out, if he has gained a lot, it would be more appropriate for us to bring generous gifts to pay our respects to King Zhong Dan... that would be more appropriate."
How could a young man not know this?
However, this secret cave has been open for far too long.
Three years! More than three years have passed!
But the secret cave still showed no other reaction, and he didn't know how his brother was doing or when the cave would close.
His mother, however, could no longer hold on.
The boy wiped away a tear.
·
The boy's mother, Qiu Li, is a cultivator close to the Spirit Transformation stage, and comes from a level seven power.
When Qiu Li was born, the Qiu family was already a level seven power.
Her father, Qiu Bao, was the seventh elder of the Qiu family, a powerful figure in the late stage of the Palace Constructing realm.
Qiu Li is Qiu Bao's only daughter and is deeply loved by him. After she grew up, she fell in love at first sight with Young Master Huo, a member of a sixth-level power, and married into that power.
With the support of the Qiu family, Huo Mingyan and his family lived a very comfortable life.
Qiu Li was exceptionally talented and had the resources provided by her maternal family, so she progressed very quickly. In the following centuries, she gave birth to her eldest son, Huo Changyun, and her second son, Huo Changming.
Later, Qiu Li had incredible luck and encountered a series of fortuitous events while training outside. She quickly gained a lot of improvement and gradually became a Palace Builder!
Unfortunately, some short-sighted members of the Huo family, out of jealousy of Huo Mingyan's smooth life, actually colluded with external enemies to attack Qiu Li, causing her to suddenly fail in her breakthrough when she was about to transform into a spirit, and she fell into a coma and her body continued to deteriorate.
Huo Mingyan was furious and broke away from the Huo family on the spot. He believed that the reason those people were able to get ahead was because some of the Huo family's higher-ups had helped them, which made Huo Mingyan no longer consider the Huo family as his own.
Afterwards, Qiu Bao bought a courtyard near the Qiu family home and settled his daughter and her family there.
Normally, Qiu Bao also prepared countless resources and sought out famous doctors and alchemists everywhere, hoping to save his daughter, but those people could only temporarily stop Qiu Li's condition from worsening, but there was no possibility of a complete cure.
Huo Mingyan spends years traveling around collecting resources, hoping to raise enough money to save his wife.
Their two sons made rapid progress in strength, especially the eldest son Huo Changyun, who was brave and daring, and after going through countless hardships, he gradually reached the Fusion Realm.
The youngest son, Huo Changming—meaning this boy's aptitude was inferior to his older brother's, and his breakthroughs in strength were slower—so he usually stayed by his mother's side, responsible for looking after and caring for her.
Therefore, Huo Changming had the clearest understanding of his mother's injuries.
Years passed, and the family still couldn't cure Qiu Li, but no one gave up. They just couldn't help but feel a sense of despair as they watched Qiu Li's body deteriorate day by day.
Until one day, Qiu Bao learned from a rumor that there would be an opportunity to enter a newly emerged secret realm—a realm that might contain a large amount of high-level resources, but the strength required for entry was the ability to perceive and merge.
This is undoubtedly very suitable for Huo Changyun's situation.
If he manages to enter and successfully bring out enough high-level resources, he will be qualified to ask the Pill King of the Pill Dao forces to take action!
By then, their mother should be saved!
So Qiu Bao emptied his private treasury—giving away everything except a very small amount of cultivation resources for himself.
He always doted on Qiu Li, otherwise he wouldn't have allowed her to marry into a level-six power, and he also extended his affection to Huo Mingyan and others because of her.
Now he's willing to go bankrupt.
Finally, Huo Changyun managed to buy a spot from the alliance of rogue cultivators and successfully entered the secret realm cave.
·
Huo Changming had previously thought that his brother would be able to return safely in two years at most, and they had regained their hope.
However, the truth is... their mother wouldn't have made it to that point.
Huo Changming knew his mother's situation best—when they came, they brought their own flying artifact and his mother with them.
Over the past few years, Huo Changming has been waiting while still carefully looking after his mother and observing her condition.
Just a few months ago, Huo Changming noticed that his mother's condition was deteriorating rapidly, and her breathing was becoming weaker and weaker each day...
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