27: Chapter 27 Alchemy Furnace

"The Demon Suppression Order?" Master Zhenxia was not very supportive of this proposal. "It will cause panic among the Disciples and Mortals."

Master Fuxia worried, "Will the Demon Suppression Order actually expand the influence of Demonic Techniques instead?"

Master Qixia and Daoist Danxia said in unison again, "I agree with the Demon Suppression Order."

"Hey! Blind Dan, why are you copying me?"

"Bah, Shorty Qi, it's clearly you who are copying me."

Seeing the two of them about to fight again, Master Zhenxia could only interrupt them, saying, "I also agree with the Demon Suppression Order. Rather than letting those ill-intentioned Disciples secretly practice Demonic Techniques, it's better to flush them all out and uproot them."

Daoist Shouxia also agreed, saying, "I agree as well. This matter cannot be delayed. It's best to notify the Great Gan Imperial Family so they take it seriously too. After all, one of their princes also practiced a Demonic Technique and hasn't been caught yet. We don't know where he's hiding. Once his Demonic Technique reaches Major Achievement, the Mortals of Great Gan will likely be the first to suffer."

Finally, after some discussion, the group confirmed the issuance of the Demon Suppression Order, also scheduled for the Luoxia Assembly a month later.

...

Ever since Yun Ming experienced the battle of the Golden Core True Persons, he had become even more of a shut-in.

At first, he still went to the Alchemy Room to refine pills, but later he simply asked Elder Qian to help him buy a Tier 1 High Grade Pill Furnace—the shuyu tripod.

It cost him a full 1,100 Spirit Stones. Although he didn't know how much Elder Qian pocketed, after refining two batches, Yun Ming was certain it was worth every penny.

As for the Body Refining pills Elder Qian wanted him to refine, Yun Ming also began the process.

This Body Refining medicine was called jade marrow body washing paste. According to the Pill Formula, one batch could yield ten pieces at most, but Yun Ming was different. As long as his daily tag was 'Auspicious for Alchemy,' he could produce twenty pieces per batch, sometimes even up to fifty.

jade marrow body washing paste had a mild medicinal nature, unlike ordinary Body Refining pills which were violent. Especially with the latter, every time they were used for Body Tempering, it felt like scraping bone and tearing tendons, causing unbearable pain.

jade marrow body washing paste was different; this paste could be used both topically and orally.

When applied topically, one only needed to put it into a bath and let it slowly dissolve to nourish the muscles, bones, and flesh. The process was comfortable, with only threads of warm medicinal power like tiny electric currents seeping into the skin, providing full nourishment amidst a tingling sensation.

For oral use, one could simply swallow it and supplement it with a Body Refining Cultivation Technique to circulate Qi through the cycles, achieving twice the result with half the effort. It guided the medicinal power to reach every limb and bone, silently tempering the Foundation.

Therefore, the value of a single piece of jade marrow body washing paste reached two hundred Spirit Stones.

Even though the price was over thirty percent higher than ordinary Body Refining pills, it remained extremely popular.

And for some reason, female Cultivators made up the bulk of the buyers. Even if male Cultivators bought it, it was to give to female Cultivators.

To this end, Elder Qian specifically sent people to investigate.

Male Cultivators, especially those focused on Body Refining, felt that one shouldn't take shortcuts in Body Refining; if it hurt, it was working—that was how you built muscle.

That tingling and soothing feeling was a woman's way of Body Refining.

Because of this, Elder Qian made a special trip to find Yun Ming, asking if he could modify the Pill Formula to make the medicinal nature more intense.

Yun Ming naturally wouldn't increase his own workload for such a thing and told him to find another way.

Elder Qian was a bit unhappy. To get back at Yun Ming, he intentionally spread the word that the jade marrow body washing paste was refined by Yun Ming.

As a result, Yun Ming gained a lot of attention from female Cultivators but was mocked by many male Body Refining Cultivators.

However, Yun Ming, who was earning heaps of Spirit Stones, didn't care about those blockheads at all, focusing solely on Alchemy and Cultivation.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed, and it was time for the Luoxia Assembly.

During this month, Yun Ming still hadn't drawn anything useful, and only the massive influx of Spirit Stones could comfort him.

To build a reputation for the jade marrow body washing paste, Yun Ming had been refining three batches every day this month.

So far, he had already earned eighty thousand Spirit Stones just from selling pills.

Yun Ming took these eighty thousand Spirit Stones and prepared to try his luck at the Luoxia Assembly to see if he could buy a foundation establishment pill.

However, he still had a mission to attend to.

The Luoxia Assembly was a grand event held by the Sunset Glow Sect every ten years. In addition to the participation of the entire Sect, various Golden Core Schools, Cultivator Families under its jurisdiction, and Loose Cultivators within the borders of the Great Gan Empire were invited to join the celebration.

The Luoxia Assembly was divided into many parts, the first and foremost being the selection of Immortal Sprouts.

Before the assembly began, the Sunset Glow Sect would open its gates to select Geniuses from across the entire Great Gan Empire. Whether they were descendants of Golden Core or Foundation Establishment Cultivator Families, or Great Gan Mortals, as long as they had Spiritual Roots and talent, they had a chance to join the Sect by passing the assessment.

After the selection of Immortal Sprouts, the Sect Grand Competition would take place. Sunset Glow Sect Disciples of various Realms would compete and exchange pointers on the stage. Every time, Spirit Stones, precious Medicinal Pills, and Magical Artifacts were given as rewards.

Finally, there was the auction personally hosted by the Sunset Glow Sect, which was of extremely high caliber. Top-tier Cultivation Techniques, Medicinal Pills, Materials, and Magic Treasures rarely seen in daily life would appear, often leading to intense bidding among high-level Cultivators. It was one of the most anticipated segments of the assembly.

Besides these, a massive Free Market would naturally form during the assembly. Cultivators from all over would set up stalls to trade and exchange goods, ranging from basic Materials to obscure Cultivation Techniques; it was an excellent place for finding hidden gems and exchanging information.

Yun Ming's task this time was very simple and also related to the Luoxia Assembly: selecting Immortal Sprouts.

Sitting behind the jade desk for Alchemy Peak's recruitment, he faced a winding queue. These young boys and girls had already passed the Outer Sect's initial screening and possessed at least three Spiritual Roots; they currently looked nervous.

Yun Ming's goal was clear: a single Wood-attribute Spiritual Root was best, as its affinity for plants made one naturally suited for cultivating herbs and refining pills; a single Water-attribute Spiritual Root was second best, as it could temper the furnace fire and harmonize medicinal properties.

If someone had dual Spiritual Roots containing either or both of the above, they were also prioritized.

However, even if their Spiritual Roots weren't suited for the Dao of Alchemy, they could still try the other six peaks.

Even if they were rejected by all six peaks, they could still enter the Outer Sect as a fallback.

Just as Yun Ming took a name slip to check the person's Spiritual Root, he was surprised to find a familiar face in front of him.

"Ye Chen?!"

Yun Ming looked at the young man before him with some surprise; the two hadn't seen each other for over half a year.

He had almost forgotten about this person.

"Senior?!"

Ye Chen was also very surprised; he hadn't expected to run into Yun Ming here.

Back then, it was thanks to the clues and Medicinal Pills Yun Ming gave him that he had the chance to counter-kill Yin Mei.

Most importantly, Yun Ming had hidden his aura at the time, leading Yin Mei to mistakenly believe he was dead. This allowed him to later play along with a fake death and then kill Yin Mei with a surprise attack.

Now, his Realm was stuck at the Qi Refining Great Circle, and he needed a foundation establishment pill. The best choice was to take this opportunity to join the Sunset Glow Sect and then participate in the subsequent Sect Grand Competition to achieve results and obtain a foundation establishment pill.

"I thought you were dead," Yun Ming joked.

"It's all thanks to Senior," Ye Chen said politely.

"Don't keep calling me Senior. I'm a bit older than you, just call me Brother Ming," Yun Ming waved his hand, signaling Ye Chen not to be so formal.

"Alright, Brother Ming," Ye Chen called out.

Hearing Ye Chen call him that, Yun Ming felt something was a bit off, like he suddenly wanted to go read a newspaper.

Shaking off the strange thoughts in his head, Yun Ming asked, "So, you're planning to join the Sunset Glow Sect? Afraid of being retaliated against?"