Conquest

Su Bai pressed his advantage.

He paused briefly to adjust his breathing, and once his Spiritual Power was fully restored, he reignited the Pill Furnace and began refining the second batch of Essence Replenishing Pill.

With the terrifying effect of the Yellow Tier Talent [Candle Heart Reflecting Fire], which increases the base success rate of alchemy by ten times.

The probability of failure, which is often an insurmountable obstacle for beginners in alchemy, has been greatly reduced.

As long as Su Bai can basically grasp the steps and sequence described in the Pill Formula, understand the general principles of temperature changes, and avoid making fatal directional errors in actual operation, then the success of the elixir will almost be a natural outcome.

The second batch produced ninety-five pills, with an even richer aroma and a more lustrous sheen.

The third batch produced ninety-seven pills, with impurities almost imperceptible and the medicinal properties perfectly blended.

The fourth batch produced ninety-eight pills, all of uniform size, with a faint aura of Spiritual Qi spontaneously circulating within them.

In the fifth batch, when Su Bai lifted the furnace lid, a full one hundred perfectly round and flawless Essence Replenishing Pill, exuding a refreshing and pure medicinal fragrance, lay quietly at the bottom of the furnace.

No more, no less—exactly the theoretically perfect amount for pill formation!

Moreover, under the influence of the [Candle Heart Reflecting Fire] effect, which passively increases the quality of alchemy by 30%, the Essence Replenishing Pill that Su Bai refined are so pure in their medicinal power and have a gentle nourishing effect on the Meridians of Qi Refining Stage Cultivator that they completely surpass similar products on the market made by veteran Qi Refining Stage Alchemist who have been immersed in this art for more than ten years.

After refining five batches, Su Bai had become thoroughly familiar with the entire process of making the Essence Replenishing Pill, from adding the ingredients, dissolving the liquid, fusing the ingredients to condensing the pill. He could control it smoothly and effortlessly.

The focus of the following practice is no longer on repeating the process to achieve proficiency, but rather on calming down and carefully understanding the characteristics of each spirit medicine involved in each refining process.

Typically, Pill-Refining Apprentice with a master will receive systematic instruction from their master on the properties of various commonly used spirit medicine herbs, the principles of mutual generation and restraint, and will even be guided to identify and process them personally.

Theoretical knowledge should come first, followed by practical verification; proceed step by step to build a solid foundation.

Su Bai, however, did the exact opposite.

He had no mentor to guide him, nor was he given a vast amount of prior knowledge of pharmacology.

His learning path was: first, to forcefully master the refining process by relying on his extraordinary Alchemy Talent, and then produce the finished product.

Furthermore, through meticulous observation of the interaction between flames and medicinal materials during the refining process, a comparative analysis of successful and unsuccessful cases (although failures were extremely rare) was conducted.

By working backward from the final Pill's efficacy, we gradually understand the characteristics of each spirit medicine from the most primal level of perception.

This approach has very clear advantages and disadvantages.

The advantage lies in the fact that all knowledge about the properties of medicines comes from firsthand, direct practical experience, leaving a deep and unforgettable impression.

Furthermore, due to the lack of preconceived standard answers, Su Bai is often able to discover subtle characteristics of medicinal materials that are overlooked in conventional teaching, under specific heat conditions or fusion sequences.

This system of medicinal properties cognition, built upon his unique sensory pathways, will demonstrate greater adaptability and deductive ability when he encounters higher-level, more complex, or even unrecorded spirit medicine in the future.

By observing small details and accumulating experience to a certain extent, their flexibility and creativity may far surpass those of Alchemist trained strictly according to traditional textbooks.

The downside is that this process will undoubtedly be much slower.

What others might remember after hearing their master explain once is that "the nature of the Dew-Condensing Grass is mild and requires slow extraction over a gentle fire," but Su Bai might need to refine it several times over.

Only by comparing the changes in the purity of the medicinal liquid under different heating conditions can one draw similar conclusions on their own.

The lack of a systematic knowledge framework can also make him less aware of the implicit connections or obscure characteristics between some medicinal materials.

However, Su Bai remained calm about it.

"It's alright." He tidied up the Pill Furnace, pondering to himself.

"Right now, Assassin is my 'main job,' while Alchemist is just a 'side job' to facilitate concealment and resource acquisition."

"I have plenty of time to ponder it slowly and experience it carefully."

"Moreover, with my absurdly high success rate in alchemy, I've already saved countless amounts of materials that would otherwise have been wasted on failures. The learning cost is ridiculously low."

After refining six batches of Essence Replenishing Pill in a row (including the first batch), even with Su Bai's Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation and powerful Divine Sense, he felt somewhat mentally exhausted, and his Spiritual Power was significantly depleted.

He stopped refining elixirs and walked to the other side of the Quiet Chamber, where he sat Prayer Mat -legged on a futon.

Cultivation must not be neglected. He took out the bottle of Blue Origin Pill he had purchased from [Blue Heart Pavilion], uncorked it, poured out a Pill, and swallowed it without hesitation.

After the Pill entered the stomach, there was not much feeling at first, but after a while, a pure yet gentle cool medicinal power quietly spread from the dantian and quickly surged to the limbs and bones.

Su Bai dared not delay, immediately focusing his mind and circulating the [Nine Heavens Sword Soul Art].

Within the dantian, the Sword Phantasm at its center emitted a pleasant hum, actively absorbing the pure medicinal power brought by the Blue Origin Pill.

The medicinal power was Refinement by the Cultivation Method, with a portion transforming into pure Spiritual Power to strengthen the Sea of Spirit Liquid, and another portion merging into the Meridians and bones throughout the body, subtly enhancing the foundation of Dao Foundation.

Furthermore, a trace of extremely refined spirituality was absorbed by the Sword Phantasm, causing the translucent phantom of the small sword to seem to solidify into an almost imperceptible amount.

Two hours later, the medicinal power was completely Refinement and absorbed.

Su Bai slowly finished his practice, opened his eyes, his gaze gleaming with a divine light, and a fleeting sword shadow flashed within them.

"Expensive, but there's a reason for it."

Su Bai let out a soft sigh, feeling the significant increase in Spiritual Power and the increasingly refined Sword Qi within his body, and made an assessment in his mind.

"The efficacy of this Blue Origin Pill is about 20% stronger than that of the Cloud Mist Pill from the Jade Mist Sect, and its medicinal properties are milder and purer, making it extremely compatible with Sword Cultivator Cultivation Method."

"If one could obtain the Pill Formula, refine it oneself, and consume it regularly, it would greatly benefit one's cultivation progress."

But he immediately shook his head, suppressing the tempting thought.

"The Blue Origin Pill is a unique Pill Formula created by Alchemist Lan. It is one of the foundations upon which he establishes his reputation and builds the [Blue Heart Pavilion] brand, and there is absolutely no way it could be easily leaked out."

"As for deducing the formula from Pill Formula finished Pill..." Su Bai smiled wryly.

"The difficulty is said to be almost as great as many Cultivator advancing to the Nascent Soul. It requires a master-level understanding of pharmacology, Dao of Alchemy principles, and materials science, as well as extremely strong deductive abilities and luck."

"If I truly possessed that ability, I could have developed even better Foundation Establishment Realm Pill Formula myself. Why would I covet what belongs to others?"

After putting away the Blue Origin Pill bottle (containing ten pills, one of which had already been used), Su Bai did not continue cultivating.

Every medicine has some degree of toxicity. Even for Upper Grade Spirit Pills like the Blue Origin Pill, whose Pill Toxin content is extremely well controlled, taking one pill a day to aid cultivation is already a relatively safe limit. Overdosing will increase the risk of Deep Pill Toxin accumulation.

Su Bai didn't waste the rest of the time. He took out a pile of Jade Slip and paper books that he had bought a few days ago at a bookstore in the Market.

These are various introductory texts on Dao of Alchemy, illustrated guides to common medicinal herbs, detailed explanations of basic medicinal properties, and even some notes and insights left by novice Alchemist.

It was expensive, but for someone like him, a self-taught individual who desperately needed to make up for his theoretical shortcomings, it was an essential investment.

The Cultivation World is vast and boundless, nurturing countless rare and wondrous herbs and medicines.

Even those renowned Alchemy Grandmaster at the Golden Core Stage wouldn't dare claim to know all the spiritual treasures in the world.

For Su Bai, who was previously a complete novice in alchemy, knowing almost nothing except the main ingredients of a few commonly used cultivation Pill, systematically reading these basic materials would at least allow him to see the outline of the small area beneath his feet and avoid falling into obvious traps due to ignorance.

He calmed himself down and began reading one book after another.

Sometimes he would concentrate on deep thought, sometimes he would compare his impressions of a certain medicinal herb with his own while refining the elixir, and sometimes he would use his finger as a pen to sketch the shape and characteristics of a certain spiritual herb and the key points of its processing in the air.

Time slips away quietly.

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed in the regular cycle of alchemy and cultivation.

The fish-shaped jade pendant from the Azure Fish Hall remained quietly pressed against his chest, without any further fluctuations indicating a new mission.

It seems that the code name "Hai Jiu" has been temporarily forgotten in some corner of the mission pool.

The bottle of Blue Origin Pill that Su Bai had purchased had been completely used up; the ten Pill had brought him significant progress in his cultivation.

Meanwhile, the materials for the one hundred Essence Replenishing Pill had already been transformed into nearly a thousand bottles (ten pills per bottle) of high-quality Higher Vehicle Essence Replenishing Pill, which were neatly stacked in several empty Storage Bag.

"The refining of the Essence Replenishing Pill can be temporarily concluded."

"I have a relatively clear initial understanding of the properties of several of the main and auxiliary herbs." Su Bai organized his findings and made plans in his mind.

"Today I'll dispose of these Essence Replenishing Pill, then buy new Blue Origin Pill, and... well, I can learn to refine a Tier 1 Middle-grade Pill."

"Furthermore, half a month has passed, and the turmoil caused by Shangguan Kang's death should have subsided considerably by now."

"Perfect timing to go out for a walk, scout out what's going on, and replenish supplies while I'm at it."

Having made up his mind, Su Bai ended his half-month-long period of seclusion and cultivation.

He changed into an ordinary blue robe, hung the city entry Token representing Lu Jiu's identity in a conspicuous place on his waist, and concealed all the sharp aura belonging to Sword Cultivator, making himself look more like a peaceful Cultivator focused on Dao of Alchemy, before pushing open the door that had been closed for a long time.

Outside the courtyard, the sun was shining brightly and the air was fresh.

From the neighboring yard, one could hear faint humming and the sound of watering plants.

"Huh? Senior, you've emerged from seclusion!"

A clear, surprised voice rang out.

Su Bai turned his head and saw that in the neighboring courtyard, the round-faced female cultivator was carefully watering the seedling that had grown a little taller and whose leaves were becoming increasingly green.

When she saw Su Bai come out, a smile immediately bloomed on her face, and she waved the small water ladle in her hand.

Su Bai nodded slightly in response.

He had been refining pills behind closed doors for the past two weeks. When the pills were finished and the furnace was opened, the fragrance of the medicine inevitably wafted out. Although there was a soundproof array that blocked out most of the aura, it was not surprising that someone so close, and with Cultivator next door, could detect that he was refining pills.

The round-faced female cultivator seemed to have a rather lively personality. Seeing that Su Bai's attitude wasn't cold, she boldly continued the conversation, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Senior, you're refining pills, right? I can sometimes smell a particularly pleasant medicinal fragrance!"

"I wonder... what kind of Pill are you refining? Do you have any suitable for us Mid Qi Refining Stage Cultivator? If the price is right, my sisters and I might be able to help you consume some!"

Upon hearing this, Su Bai's heart stirred.

These three female cultivators shared a courtyard. Their cultivation levels were all at the Mid Qi Refining Stage. Judging from their simple daily lives, their financial situation was probably not very good. Perhaps they really needed basic Pill like Essence Replenishing Pill.

The batch of Essence Replenishing Pill he had on hand was of excellent quality, and he was just too lazy to sell them little by little at the Stall Street. If he could sell them all to them at once, it would save him the trouble.

So, he casually took out an empty Jade Bottle from his Storage Bag, poured in ten of his own refined Essence Replenishing Pill, and then gently pushed it. The Jade Bottle flew steadily over the courtyard wall and hovered in front of the round-faced female cultivator.

"This is the Essence Replenishing Pill."

Su Bai's voice was calm, "The market price is usually one Spirit Stone per bottle (ten pills)."

"I still have nearly a thousand bottles for sale here. If you're interested, you can take a look. It would be best if you could take them all with you, saving me the trouble of setting up a stall."

"Essence Replenishing Pill?" The round-faced female cultivator's eyes lit up. She quickly put down the water ladle and took the Jade Bottle with both hands.

She was at the Qi Refining Layer Five. Due to financial constraints, she usually alternated between taking Essence Replenishing Pill and Yellow Dragon Pill for cultivation.

Because I recently lost my job, I've switched entirely to taking Essence Replenishing Pill.

Therefore, she had a very profound understanding of the quality of the Essence Replenishing Pill.

The Essence Replenishing Pill given by this neighbor was obviously of exceptionally high quality.

"This... this quality!" The round-faced female cultivator was shocked. She had taken quite a few Essence Replenishing Pill, from cheap ones at street stalls to "premium" ones priced at 1.1 or 1.2 Spirit Stone a bottle in shops.

I have never seen such a perfect piece before!

Judging from its appearance and aroma alone, the quality of this Essence Replenishing Pill far surpasses that of similar products sold at inflated prices in shops!

"Senior, may I... may I try one?"

She looked up, asking with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

Su Bai nodded slightly.

Without further hesitation, the round-faced female cultivator picked up a Essence Replenishing Pill, put it in her mouth, sat cross-legged, and began to Refinement.

The Pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, and a pure and gentle medicinal power quickly spread, flowing into the Meridians and bringing a familiar feeling of nourishment and replenishment of Spiritual Power.

But soon, she noticed the difference. This medicinal power was unusually obedient, and it could be absorbed by the body efficiently with almost no effort to guide it. The conversion efficiency of Spiritual Power was significantly higher, and it had almost no irritation to the Meridians!

"Senior! This Essence Replenishing Pill... is of such high quality! It's even better than the one I bought at ' Hundred Herbs Pavilion ' for 1.2 Spirit Stone a bottle before!"

She said excitedly, then a little embarrassed, "But... senior, we really don't have that many Spirit Stone on hand, we can't buy nearly a thousand bottles at once..."

Her eyes darted around, taking in Su Bai, otherworldly profile and his detached, aloof demeanor. A thought raced through her mind: This senior's alchemy skills are so superb, producing Pill of exceptional quality, yet he doesn't seem particularly keen on selling them personally?

Seeing that he can casually produce nearly a thousand bottles, he must be incredibly wealthy... Perhaps this is an opportunity?

The round-faced female cultivator bit her lower lip, mustered her courage, and tentatively said, "Um... senior, if you trust me, I... I can try to help you sell these Essence Replenishing Pill!"

"My senior and Senior Sister sisters and I know some fellow cultivators who are also short on money. We can split up and go find them, or... or I can try renting a stall in the Stall Street!"

"I'll give you the full amount of Spirit Stone after I've sold them all. Is that alright with you?"

After speaking, she looked at Su Bai nervously, afraid that he would think she was being presumptuous.

Su Bai remained calm upon hearing this.

He was naturally aware of the quality and value of his batch of Essence Replenishing Pill.

If handled properly, selling them on the market for 1.2 or even 1.3 Spirit Stone, and after deducting costs such as stall fees, it is not difficult to earn a profit of 0.1 to 0.2 Spirit Stone per bottle.

A production run of nearly a thousand bottles translates to a profit of nearly a hundred Spirit Stone.

This amount of money is insignificant to his current wealth, but for the female cultivator in front of him, who is in the Mid Qi Refining Stage and needs to share an apartment to afford the cost of the cultivation academy, it could be a significant source of income that could change her current situation.

He had no desire to waste time setting up a stall to sell low-level Pill.

Since someone was willing to do it for him, and seemed to be of good character—at least with clear eyes and an uneasy expression that didn't seem fake—he didn't mind doing a favor and saving himself some trouble.

After a moment's thought, Su Bai said no more, took out a Storage Bag containing all the Essence Replenishing Pill, and casually tossed it over the courtyard wall.

"The Pill are all inside. Process them as soon as possible, and return the Spirit Stone."

His voice remained calm, as if he were throwing something insignificant, not goods worth nearly a thousand Spirit Stone.

After saying that, before the round-faced female cultivator could react, he raised his hand and unleashed a burst of Spiritual Power, temporarily shutting down the Guardian around his courtyard gate. Then, with a flicker, he transformed into a faint blue shadow, swept out of the courtyard, and disappeared into the alleyway.

The round-faced female cultivator blankly caught the heavy Storage Bag and subconsciously probed inside with her Divine Sense Consciousness.

Densely packed! Nearly a thousand jade Jade Bottle labeled "Essence Replenishing Pill" were neatly arranged, almost filling the entire Storage Bag!

"This... this is... given to me?"

She blinked in disbelief, staring in the direction Su Bai had disappeared, a surge of indescribable excitement welling up inside her. "This senior... actually trusted me so much? So many Pill, worth nearly a thousand Spirit Stone!"

She clutched the Storage Bag tightly, as if holding a heavy weight of trust.

"No! I must sell these Pill as soon as possible, and I must get a good price for them. I can't let the senior down! I also need to return the Spirit Stone to him as soon as possible!"

A moment later, the round-faced female cultivator also hurriedly left the cultivation academy and walked quickly towards the bustling and chaotic Stall Street area of Star Luo Market.

The Stall Street is located on the edge of Star Luo Market.

The place is bustling with people and full of lively atmosphere.

The ground was paved with rough stone slabs, and on both sides were densely packed temporary stalls of different sizes. Some had a cloth spread out, while others had a wooden frame, and they sold a wide variety of things.

Low-level Talisman, broken Law Artifact, materials of unknown origin, homemade Pill, secondhand Cultivation Method on Jade Slip... everything imaginable is available.

The sounds of bargaining, hawking, and greetings from acquaintances mingled together, creating a unique kind of clamor.

The round-faced female cultivator found the management office of the Stall Street with ease, paid a Low-grade Spirit Stone, and rented a small stall in the area where Pill were sold. The location was decent, and the rental period was one day.

She laid a clean blue cloth on the ground, then carefully took out one hundred bottles of Essence Replenishing Pill from her Storage Bag and neatly arranged them on the blue cloth.

After thinking for a moment, she borrowed a small wooden sign and a charcoal pencil from a nearby stall, and neatly wrote, "Essence Replenishing Pill, 1.2 Spirit Stone /bottle", then stood it up in front of the stall.

This price is truly exceptional on the Stall Street.

The price of Essence Replenishing Pill sold at nearby stalls generally fluctuates between 0.8 and 1 Spirit Stone, while those with dull color and mixed medicinal fragrances are even sold for only 0.7 Spirit Stone.

The price of 1.2 Spirit Stone is now on par with the price of "premium Essence Replenishing Pill" in some regular Pill in the Market.

As expected, the sign immediately attracted a lot of attention as soon as it was put up.

Some people curiously examined the Pill, but most shook their heads or were dismissive.

Behind a nearby stall sat an old Cultivator with a white beard and a cultivation level of the Qi Refining Layer Seven. In front of him were several bottles of what he called "Wu Clan Essence Replenishing Pill," priced at 1 Spirit Stone per bottle.

He glanced at the sign for the round-faced female cultivator, then at her overly young face, and couldn't help stroking his beard as he earnestly advised, "Young lady, there are rules for Stall Street Stall Street."

"You're selling these Essence Replenishing Pill for 1.2 Spirit Stone? You're unlikely to make any business. At that price, anyone with a modicum of taste would just buy them from a shop. Why bother coming to this noisy place?"

"Take my advice, lower the price to 0.9 Spirit Stone, and you might be able to sell some."

Upon hearing this, the round-faced female cultivator puffed out her chest somewhat Qi Ingestion and pointed to her Pill, saying, "Senior, the quality of my Essence Replenishing Pill is much better than those sold in the shop! They're worth the price!"

"Oh? Better quality?"

The old Cultivator clearly didn't believe it and chuckled, "Little girl, you've got quite the nerve. I've been refining pills for decades, and I've probably made thousands of batches of these Essence Replenishing Pill before I dared to set the price at 1 Spirit Stone."

"At your age and with your cultivation level, can your Pill be better than mine? If you truly had that kind of Alchemy Talent, you would have been recruited by the Starlight Academy long ago. Why bother setting up a stall here?"

Upon hearing this, several stall owners and passing Cultivator also let out good-natured laughter. They had seen this kind of "selling melons" scene many times on the Stall Street.

The round-faced female cultivator blushed slightly at what she was being told, and muttered angrily, "This... this wasn't made by me! It was made by a very skilled alchemist! If you don't believe me, try it and you'll see!"

The old Cultivator waved his hands repeatedly and laughed, "Alright, alright, want to try one? Otherwise, people will say I'm taking advantage of you, little girl."

"You should keep those Pill for yourself." The laughter around them grew even louder.

The round-faced female cultivator was both anxious and angry, but there was nothing she could do. She could only stand guard at her stall, watching people come and go, but no one paid any attention to her.

In the midst of this slightly awkward atmosphere, a middle-aged male cultivator, whose cultivation level was around the Qi Refining Layer Six of Qi Refining, who had been standing in front of a ore stall not far away, seemed to have his attention drawn to the commotion.

His gaze swept over the "1.2 Spirit Stone" sign in front of the round-faced female cultivator's stall, then looked at her face, which was slightly flushed with anxiety but still insisted on not lowering the price, and his brows furrowed imperceptibly.

He strode over and stopped in front of the stall, his voice low. "You just said I could try one first?"

The round-faced woman, feeling dejected, perked up when she saw someone finally take the initiative to ask, and it was this seemingly formidable Cultivator was considerably higher than hers. She nodded vigorously, "Sure, sure! Senior, please give it a try!"

She quickly took out a bottle of Essence Replenishing Pill, poured out one, and handed it over with both hands.

The middle-aged male cultivator took the Pill but did not take it immediately. Instead, he placed it in front of him and examined it carefully.

The Pill are round and smooth, with a uniform pale yellow color, without any impurities. The surface seems to have a very faint luster, and the medicinal fragrance is pure and mild, without any pungent or fishy smell.

Just by looking at it, it's far superior to the Essence Replenishing Pill he usually takes, which cost 1 Spirit Stone a bottle and he buys from a familiar shop!

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Without further hesitation, he put the Pill into his mouth, then closed his eyes, stood quietly in place, and carefully savored the experience.

In just a few breaths, he suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them. Before he could even fully Refinement the remaining medicinal power of the Pill, he urgently asked:

"1.2 Spirit Stone per bottle, right?" His tone clearly indicated his approval of the Spirit Pills's quality!

The round-faced female cultivator's heart leaped into her throat, only to be filled with immense joy.

She knew that the Essence Replenishing Pill refined by her predecessors had finally found someone who appreciated its value!

"Yes! Senior, it's 1.2 Spirit Stone per bottle!" she nodded vigorously.