109: Thirty years of alchemy

Thirty years later.

Tiansheng Sect.

Pill Hall.

“Clack!”

The Yuan Ci Avatar's Qi flowed through his Dantian, and with a stomp of his foot, the nine bronze Cauldrons in front of him suddenly sprang up from the ground.

As numerous magic seals were cast, the furnace fires beneath the Cauldrons turned purplish-green.

A faint scent of medicinal herbs wafted from the Cauldrons.

“Elder Yuan’s Cauldron Art is becoming more refined… He can now refine nine furnaces of Spirit Medicine simultaneously.

This alone is no less impressive than Chief Dan Huo.”

“Not only that.

I observe that the furnace fire is purplish-green, brimming with spiritual essence.

Elder Yuan’s Dan Fire Art is clearly just a step away from its highest Realm—the Purple Fire Realm.

This art can gather the subtle, elusive essence of the great sun from the morning light at sunrise.

It integrates into the Pill Furnace, increasing the pill yield and Medicinal Pill quality.

Elder Yuan’s Alchemy attainment… is estimated to have surpassed over eighty percent of the Elders in the Pill Hall…”

A group of Alchemy apprentices whispered among themselves, gazing at the continuously rotating bronze Cauldrons, their eyes filled with astonishment.

Beside them, many Elders from the Alchemy lineage had dark expressions.

To have their proud Alchemy skills surpassed by a Cultivator from Hou Tu Peak on their own territory made everyone feel particularly awkward.

“This person’s Alchemy talent is truly rare.

If he had a wood or fire Spiritual Root, our Alchemy lineage would have long since taken him in.

How could Old Ghost Lu of Hou Tu Peak have gotten such a bargain…”

“Alas, though that’s true, who has foresight…”

Many Elders from the Alchemy lineage sighed with regret.

At this moment.

The furnace fire suddenly blazed intensely, emitting a dazzling brilliance.

“It’s finally done…”

The Yuan Ci Avatar slammed the Cauldron, and the bronze Cauldron lid opened, revealing brilliant light and precious aura within.

Crystal-clear Medicinal Pills, like jade, lay in the Cauldron.

These were Jade Crystal Pills.

They were rare Medicinal Pills for increasing the magical power of True Core Realm Cultivators.

“Hmm, not bad… each furnace yields more than eight pills…”

The Yuan Ci Avatar stepped forward, picking up the pills one by one, sealing them with wax, and placing them into bottles.

Suddenly, his gaze shifted in surprise.

In the central Cauldron, there lay a pill as pure as mutton-fat jade.

It was the size of a dragon's eye, and its pill skin had a purplish-green pill pattern.

“Pill pattern… the quality of this Medicinal Pill has actually reached High Grade… its medicinal properties are at least several times that of ordinary pills…”

The Yuan Ci Avatar remained expressionless.

This was the seventh time this month he had refined a pill with a pill pattern.

The Dao of Alchemy is difficult to enter and difficult to master.

Behind a mature Alchemist lies a vast, mountainous accumulation of consumed resources.

Ordinary small Sects and Cultivator Families simply cannot afford to support an Alchemist.

Only True Dan, or even Profound Cave great Sects, can cultivate them in large numbers.

In thirty years, with the help of a massive amount of blood essence pearls and his main body's memories.

The Yuan Ci Avatar’s Alchemy attainment had long surpassed Old Ancestor Dan Huo.

Currently, the strength he displayed was merely the tip of the iceberg.

In the past decade, he had deeply cultivated within the Sect, constantly refining Medicinal Pills to accumulate resources, or secretly selling various Spirit Pills externally, with all obtained Spirit Materials returning to Yuanlian Island.

Now, he had already refined over a thousand Flying Sword Magic Treasures.

This efficiency in accumulating resources was terrifying.

‘Once I can consistently refine pills with patterns, I can attempt to refine the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill…’

The Yuan Ci Avatar extinguished the furnace fire and turned to hand a bottle of pills to a lean Elder.

“Elder Li, this is the agreed-upon remuneration for borrowing the Nine Cauldrons…”

Elder Li removed the stopper, and a whiff of pill fragrance assailed his nostrils.

At the bottom of the bottle, eight round, pure white pills lay.

A hint of surprise immediately appeared on his face.

“Eight pills… Brother Yuan, your Alchemy skill has improved again.

Refining nine Cauldrons simultaneously, and the pill quality can still approach High Grade.

If you refined them one Cauldron at a time, you might even be able to refine High Grade Jade Crystal Pills.”

The Yuan Ci Avatar smiled and said, “High Grade Medicinal Pills are not that easy to refine… I merely had an occasional insight, and my Cauldron Art reached Major Achievement, which greatly increased my Alchemy efficiency.

In terms of Alchemy strength alone… I’m still far from Old Ancestor Dan Huo…”

Always revealing only the tip of the iceberg of his true strength.

This was the Yuan Ci Avatar's consistent cautious approach.

Otherwise, his many years of Alchemy accumulation would have undoubtedly attracted the envy of many.

“Brother Yuan is too modest… In thirty years, your Cauldron Art has reached Major Achievement.

Given time, the Realm of Perfection will also be within reach.”

Elder Li complimented him a few times, then suddenly changed the subject: “By the way, Brother Yuan seems to have been collecting Artifact Refining Materials recently… Are you planning to forge a Pill Furnace Magic Treasure?

Coincidentally, the Weapon Forging Sect is holding an auction at the Suspended Mountain Marketplace soon.

At that time, Cultivators from various major Sects will attend, making it an unprecedented grand event.

I heard there will be many treasures up for auction.

Among them, there is a Pill Furnace of High Grade Magic Treasure quality.

Brother Yuan, are you interested?”

The Weapon Forging Sect, adjacent to the Tiansheng Sect, possessed profound and unfathomable forging methods, and similarly had an Cave Profound Old Monster overseeing it.

It was a great Sect no less inferior to the Tiansheng Sect.

“A Pill Furnace of High Grade Magic Treasure quality…”

The Yuan Ci Avatar feigned surprise, then frowned: “The item is good, but unfortunately, I haven't been doing Alchemy for long, and I'm afraid I don't have enough insect crystals…”

Inwardly, he sneered.

‘True Dan Cultivators always plan before acting… I want to see what this person's intentions are.’

As expected, a hint of cunning flashed in Elder Li's eyes, and he said, “If you don’t have enough insect crystals, you can borrow them.

If Brother Yuan is willing to mortgage his insect garden, I am willing to offer one hundred thousand insect crystals…”

The Yuan Ci Avatar made a rough estimate.

His current insect garden had over ten thousand insect people.

Each insect person condensed one insect crystal every ten years.

These one hundred thousand insect crystals would take about a hundred years to accumulate.

That was roughly one-fifth of a True Dan Cultivator's lifespan.

It was not an overly harsh condition.

The Yuan Ci Avatar pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly and said, “I appreciate Brother Li’s kind offer.

As for mortgaging the insect garden… I’ll pass…”

After speaking, he left without looking back.

No matter how others scheme, as long as I keep my head down, I will remain unmoved by all directions.

A flash of spiritual light vanished at the foot of the mountain.

Before long, another True Dan Cultivator arrived.

“Brother Yuan, do you have any plans for this auction event?

If you don’t have enough insect crystals, I am willing to lend you one hundred thirty thousand insect crystals, just for that ‘A’ designated insect garden…”

One hundred thirty thousand!

This was significantly higher than Li Yan's previous offer.

The Yuan Ci Avatar frowned and refused.

In the next three days, people successively came to visit.

Their offers varied, but their objective was remarkably consistent.

They were eyeing the insect garden.

“What is so special about that insect garden… why has it suddenly become so sought after…”

For a long time, the insect garden had a stable output, making it a decent resource point.

But that was all.

At this moment, another auspicious cloud appeared in the sky.

It landed on the ground, transforming into a bearded old man.

Seeing the Yuan Ci Avatar, he familiarly took a wine gourd growing on a green bamboo tree and drank heartily.

“Ah… Brother Yuan, your winemaking skills are simply divine.

This ‘Bitter Bamboo Wine’ has myriad flavors, like the hundred tastes of life, ultimately ending in emptiness…”

The Yuan Ci Avatar ungraciously snatched the wine gourd: “Old Man Gu, you’re not also here for my insect garden, are you?”

“Also?

It seems many people from the Sect have been here.”

“Oh, hearing that, you seem to know something…”

Gu Danqing nodded and leaned closer, whispering, “Insect kings have been born in insect gardens A7 and A16… those are beings that can consistently produce High Grade insect crystals.

It’s widely rumored that more insect kings will be born in the ‘A’ designated insect gardens.

Now, the price of the ‘A’ designated insect gardens has already soared.

Let me tell you, you absolutely must not sell your insect garden.

If you do sell it, the price should at least start at a million insect crystals.”

‘So that’s it…’

The Yuan Ci Avatar nodded slightly.

The people who had visited in the past few days were actually after the insect kings.

At the very least, they wanted to be middlemen and make a profit from the price difference.

The highest offer was only three hundred thousand insect crystals.

They were treating him like a fool.

‘Just right, among the Materials for the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill, there are High Grade insect crystals.

If an insect king is born in the insect garden, it would save a lot of trouble…’

After Gu Danqing left, the Yuan Ci Avatar's escape light flashed, appearing in a misty insect garden Secret Realm.

The sign above clearly read ‘A13’.