Chapter 166: Chapter 163: Level 7 Peak
Several months ago, Shen Changchuan had received a basic Alchemist’s inheritance from Nangong City.
However, this inheritance only contained the simplest methods for processing the medicinal properties of herbs and the steps and techniques for Solidifying a Pill.
As for a practical example, it only included the most basic One Qi Pill.
The One Qi Pill...
It was the most common and simplest Elixir for Cultivators in the Qi Introduction Early Stage.
Its only Spiritual Object ingredient was Spirit Rice; the rest of the Elixir was refined using common herbs.
Other than that,
there were no other Pill Formulas.
And this
made it very difficult for Shen Changchuan to improve his Alchemy.
This time, however,
Shen Changchuan was lucky enough to find the legacies for three Pill Formulas in the Storage Bag of that Qi Introduction Eighth Layer Late Stage Tribulation Cultivator.
They were the Essence Pill, the Qi Blood Pill, and the Qi Union Pill—the very Elixir Shen Changchuan had used to break through from the Qi Introduction Early Stage to the Middle Stage!
Although these three Pill Formulas were for Elixirs used by Cultivators in the Qi Introduction Early Stage,
they would undoubtedly become the stepping stones for Shen Changchuan’s entry into Alchemy!
Moreover,
if he could successfully master Alchemy,
then he would have an endless source of wealth!
’The Essence Pill is made by extracting Essence Qi from Spirit Grain and fusing it with the Medicinal Power of ginseng... Hiss... look at this material cost... The profit margin is over ten times the cost! This is absolutely outrageous!’
After a quick look at the ingredients for the three Pill Formulas,
Shen Changchuan couldn’t help but gasp.
The profits of an Alchemist were simply too outrageous!
A single Elixir sold for more than ten times the cost of its ingredients!
Of course,
Alchemy had a high probability of failure,
but even after factoring in the failure rate, the profit margin was still several times the initial cost!
According to the basic Alchemist’s inheritance, becoming an Alchemist wasn’t simple. It required an extremely strong Divine Soul to regulate the different medicinal properties during the refining process and ensure the pill could properly solidify.
Shen Changchuan didn’t know how others managed,
but for him, this shouldn’t be a problem.
His own Divine Soul was Innately stronger than that of other Cultivators ever since he transmigrated,
and it was later enhanced further through a series of opportunities, such as the Cyan Essence Water Grass.
As a result, while he was merely at the Qi Introduction Fourth or Fifth Layer, his Divine Soul was already strong enough for him to achieve the Realm of Inner Vision—a feat typically only possible for those at the Seventh Layer or higher.
So, in terms of the Divine Soul requirement,
he wasn’t worried.
What’s more,
with his progress bar panel,
Shen Changchuan was confident that as long as he grinded hard enough, he could successfully master Alchemy!
’If I master these Alchemy skills to Perfection and refine the Spirit Grain from the Spirit Fields in Dawan Village into Elixirs like the Essence Pill and One Qi Pill, the added value from the fields will increase more than tenfold!’
’I can also buy Spirit Medicines from others to refine Qi Union Pills... In this area, these Low Tier Elixirs would undoubtedly be the most suitable high-end products... At this rate, I might not have to worry about the resources I’ll need for my Cultivation up to the Qi Introduction Eighth and Ninth Layers!’
Looking at the material costs on the three Pill Formula legacies,
a sharp glint flashed in Shen Changchuan’s eyes.
No wonder Alchemy legacies were guarded so tightly, and Pill Formulas were considered secrets that were never shared.
Who would have thought the profits involved were so enormous!
This was even more true for Shen Changchuan, who possessed the progress bar panel!
Shen Changchuan didn’t know if another Perfection Trait would appear once he cultivated his Alchemy to one hundred percent Perfection.
But at the very least,
with the help of his progress bar, he could push his Alchemy skill as high as possible, thereby drastically increasing his success rate!
...
The seized Pill Formulas gave Shen Changchuan hope of earning vast quantities of Spirit Stones.
However, raising the progress bar for Alchemy would take a lot of time and slow grinding to improve, and the most important thing for Shen Changchuan right now was to first raise his Cultivation Realm. He needed to increase his strength as much as possible to deal with the present, volatile situation.
Putting the matter of Alchemy aside for the time being,
Shen Changchuan took out a Cyan Jade Pill and began to hastily consume and refine it.
The past ten-odd days of traveling with the merchant caravan, along with several battles, had tempered Shen Changchuan significantly.
Meditating and cultivating while the carriage jolted along the road had been an excellent exercise for both his temperament and his control over his Magical Power.
As a result of the hardships over the past ten-odd days,
he had managed to further solidify his grasp on his Cultivation at the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer Late Stage.
And within these ten-plus days of travel,
Shen Changchuan had also successfully refined two Cyan Jade Pills,
allowing his Cultivation to improve even further.
At this point, he
could vaguely sense that the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer Peak was within his grasp.
Conveniently, the caravan needed several days to rest and reorganize before they could transport the large quantities of Spiritual Ores, Spirit Medicines, and other Heavenly and Earthly Treasures from the temporary trading post back to Qing City.
He could use this time,
to push through to the Seventh Layer Peak in one go!
「In the blink of an eye, five days passed.」
Within Dawan Village,
word about the unknown prodigy, Zhang Qingyuan, began to spread.
After all, killing an Eighth Layer Late Stage and an Eighth Layer Early Stage expert while only at the Seventh Layer Late Stage...
was a feat of strength that could not be underestimated.
Loose Cultivators, coming and going from the taverns in the commercial district, would occasionally be heard discussing Zhang Qingyuan.
Some marveled at the sheer number of heroes in the world, musing that an unknown upstart could turn out to be an unimaginably powerful master.
Others scoffed at this,
believing that the man and his accomplishments were just hype, drummed up by a few merchant caravans.
After all, anyone capable of such a feat—defeating opponents of a higher realm—would have made a name for themselves long ago. Why would they only be surfacing now?
One must remember that when the Blood Slaughter Three Demons repelled the Eighth Layer Realm Nangong City,
they had established a fearsome reputation that spread for thousands of miles!
If that Zhang Qingyuan really had that kind of ability,
never mind reaching the Seventh Layer Realm, he would have likely already made a name for himself back in the Qi Introduction Middle Stage, wouldn’t he?
Why is it that now, when you ask around, you find no one has ever heard the name Zhang Qingyuan before?
A Qi Introduction Eighth Layer Loose Cultivator even boasted while drunk,
that the so-called battle record of Zhang Qingyuan was just some "genius" hyped up by a few merchant caravans to ensure the safe transport of their goods,
and that if this Zhang Qingyuan dared to fight him, he could crush him with a single hand.
Shen Changchuan was oblivious to the commotion outside.
After five days of Cultivation,
he had successfully refined a Cyan Jade Pill, and his Cultivation had finally reached the Peak of the Seventh Layer!
