Sustainable

"In short, since the Azure Fish Hall's mission hasn't arrived yet, let's keep refining the pills for now."

After drinking the Spirit Tea in one gulp, Su Bai got up and left the teahouse.

"Take care, senior~" The waiter, who Qi Refining Early Stage, warmly saw Su Bai to the door.

He naturally couldn't see through Su Bai's Cultivation Realm.

However, for him, it's perfectly acceptable to call anyone who comes to the store a "senior."

Su Bai went to [Blue Heart Pavilion] again, but this time he didn't bother Alchemist Lan and directly purchased Blue Origin Pill with his VIP Card.

After purchasing three bottles of Blue Origin Pill, only a little over three hundred Spirit Stone remained in his Storage Bag.

"Spirit Stone really don't last long."

"Especially after Foundation Establishment, cultivation is like consuming Spirit Stone."

With a slight sigh, Su Bai darted away from the Blue Heart Pavilion.

After leaving Blue Heart Pavilion, Su Bai did not rush on his way.

I strolled slowly through the streets of Heavenly Star City.

The Cultivator were in a hurry, either busy making a living or seeking fortuitous opportunity. The aura of the Foundation Establishment Realm was already quite conspicuous among them, but looking around, there were also many more obscure and profound powers hidden in the crowd.

"Heavenly Star City..." Su Bai murmured to himself.

The prosperity of this place far surpasses that of the Cultivation World where the Jade Mist Sect is located; resources converge here, and opportunities abound.

However, correspondingly, competition and consumption have also increased exponentially.

Moreover, after Su Bai Foundation Establishment, the Spiritual Qi energy required for each advancement in his cultivation far exceeded that of the Qi Refining Stage, making high-quality Pill almost a necessity.

In just half a month, a bottle of Blue Origin Pill worth five hundred Spirit Stone was already used up. The path of cultivation becomes increasingly expensive and demanding as one progresses.

He gathered his thoughts and moved nimbly through the wide streets and intricate alleyways.

Although they cannot fly, Foundation Establishment Cultivator ' control over their physical bodies and Spiritual Power allows them to traverse land faster than a galloping horse and with greater agility.

In the courtyard, Zhang Ying remained in almost the same position, her gaze fixed on the tightly closed gate next door.

The unnamed fruit tree sapling beside her, under the Spirit Gathering Formation and her careful care, sprouted two tender green leaves, swaying gently in the evening breeze.

Consciousness, she fiddled with the damp soil with her fingers, mentally calculating today's harvest and the words she would use when facing her seniors.

The sound of the courtyard gate opening startled Zhang Ying from her thoughts.

"Zhang Ying, if you don't go out and find some work instead of just standing there daydreaming, we won't have Spirit Stone to lend you for cultivation when the Spirit Pills run out!"

The other two female cultivators who shared the apartment with her returned together after finishing their shifts and spoke to her.

Zhang Ying was the name of this round-faced female cultivator.

Zhang Ying looked at the two female cultivators who entered the courtyard. The one with higher cultivation Lin Wan, who was at the Qi Refining Layer Six, and the other was named Shen Shuangshuang, who was at the Qi Refining Layer Five.

The three of them were all independent cultivators from the same region of the Demon Star Sea. They met by chance and then came to Heavenly Star City to make their way in the world.

They've known each other for over five years now, and despite Lin Wan's harsh words, the three of them still have a deep bond.

"Don't worry about me, you two hurry back to your rooms and cultivate." Zhang Ying naturally knew that after their shifts ended, the two of them wouldn't have much time to rest before having to go back to their shifts.

This time is just enough for cultivation; there's not much time left for other things.

"Yingbao, we're not trying to criticize you, but just find a decent job and sign a contract," Shen Shuangshuang said affectionately, calling Zhang Ying by her nickname.

Zhang Ying rubbed her forehead. She didn't know Su Bai's attitude, so naturally she couldn't tell her two older sisters directly that she had earned more than a hundred Spirit Stone today.

So he had no choice but to speak up again to comfort her, saying that he would go back to find work as soon as tonight was over.

Then Lin Wan and Shen Shuangshuang went back to their room to cultivate.

The Spirit Stone I worked so hard to earn, after paying rent, naturally had to be used entirely for cultivation; otherwise, there would be no point in coming to Heavenly Star City to work.

Zhang Ying remained in the courtyard.

Another half hour passed, and Zhang Ying finally saw a familiar figure appear in front of the neighbor's yard.

"Senior! Senior!" Her voice was slightly hurried with excitement as she leaned against the low wall between the two adjacent houses and waved vigorously.

Su Bai turned his head at the sound and saw the round face full of expectation. Only then did he realize the casual request he had made during the day.

He had spent a lot on shopping today and was indeed short of money at the moment. Although the profit from the Essence Replenishing Pill wasn't a huge sum, it came at a timely time.

Judging from the other person's expression, could it be that things went smoothly?

He walked slowly to the front of his courtyard gate, not activating the formation immediately, but calmly asking through the invisible barrier, "Hmm, have all the Spirit Pills been sold?"

"Sold out! All sold out!"

Zhang Ying nodded repeatedly, speaking rapidly, as if afraid that Su Bai wouldn't believe her. She then took out the familiar Storage Bag from her bosom, holding it with both hands to show her certainty.

Su Bai was slightly surprised. In just half a day, nearly a thousand bottles of Pill had been sold out on the Stall Street. This efficiency exceeded his expectations.

He raised his hand to remove the barrier around the courtyard gate, gesturing for Zhang Ying to come over.

Zhang Ying quickly ran out of her yard, came to Su Bai, and respectfully handed over the Storage Bag.

Her fingertips were a little cold from nervousness, but her eyes were bright and sparkling, filled with the joy of completing the task.

Su Bai took it and casually scanned it with his Divine Sense. The neatly stacked Low-grade Spirit Stone gleamed with a faint spiritual light, but the number was not the expected nine hundred and sixty, but a full one thousand one hundred.

His brow twitched almost imperceptibly as he looked up at Zhang Ying: "Why so much?"

Zhang Ying took a deep breath, and her prepared words flowed smoothly. "Replying to Senior, this junior... This junior has seen that the Essence Replenishing Pill you refined are of extremely high quality, far surpassing ordinary street vendor goods, so I have dared to try selling them for one and two Spirit Stone per bottle."

"I didn't expect... I didn't expect there to be so many discerning customers; it sold out so quickly."

"After deducting the stall fee of one Spirit Stone, the total amount received is one thousand one hundred and fifty Spirit Stone. This junior dares not take more than that; this is one thousand one hundred spirit stones for the senior, and I... have kept forty-nine spirit stones for myself as a reward for my hard work."

As she finished speaking, her voice trailed off as she cautiously observed Su Bai's expression, adding, "I hope you won't blame me for raising the price without my permission, senior..."

After hearing this, Su Bai's gaze lingered for a moment on Zhang Ying's round face, which was slightly tense due to nervousness.

This young female cultivator does possess some courage and business acumen. What's even more remarkable is her ability to make choices and know how to return most of the profits for the long term.

If she had only handed over 960 Spirit Stone today, Su Bai would have accepted them and probably wouldn't have asked her for any more favors. After all, for him, it would have just saved him some trouble of setting up a stall.

However, her willingness to give up most of the price difference demonstrates sincerity and a sense of propriety, which is worth noting.

"You've invested time and effort in setting up your stall; you've earned what you're entitled to."

Su Bai's tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger, but his words themselves constituted an agreement.

He put away his Storage Bag, and the number of Spirit Stone he had increased to just over 1,500. Although it was still not a lot, it was enough for the time being.

Considering the considerable amount of Yellow Dragon Pill Ingredients, and the even greater consumption in subsequent pill refining practice, a stable and reliable channel for selling the Pill would save me a lot of trouble.

"I'll be refining Yellow Dragon Pill for a while now," Su Bai said, looking calmly at Zhang Ying. "If you have time, please take some to sell for me."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ying's eyes instantly lit up with surprise. Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down, replaced by immense excitement.

She struggled to suppress the urge to jump up, nodded vigorously, and said in a clear voice, "Alright! Senior! You can rest assured that you will not be disappointed by entrusting your Pill to me!"

She paused, then seemed to remember something and quickly introduced herself, "By the way, senior, my name is Zhang Ying. Zhang means 'bow and long,' and Ying means 'intelligent.' If you find it hard to remember, you can just call me Round-faced Ying!"

After saying that, she smiled a little shyly, revealing two shallow dimples.

Su Bai glanced at her perfectly round face, offering no comment, only saying, "Whatever you like."

Whether it's a courtesy name or a nickname, to him it's nothing more than a convenient symbol for reference.

Overjoyed, Zhang Ying remembered something and tentatively asked, "By the way, senior, could my two older sisters know that I sold the Spirit Pills for you? They live with me and take great care of me. I... I don't want to keep it from them."

Worried that Su Bai disliked being in the spotlight, she quickly added, "They're very tight-lipped; they would never gossip!"

Su Bai frowned slightly. He had no interest in the prying eyes of irrelevant people, but since this matter was entrusted to Zhang Ying, she was in charge of the details.

"This matter is none of my concern; you can decide for yourself." His tone remained calm, yet carried a clear hint of detachment. "However, I also don't particularly enjoy being bothered."

Zhang Ying immediately understood the implication: It's best not to say it!

She repeatedly assured them, "I understand, Senior! I will be careful and will never let them disturb your meditation!"

Zhang Ying decided to follow Su Bai's wishes and keep it a secret.

Su Bai said no more, nodded slightly, and turned to walk into the courtyard. The courtyard gate closed silently, and the protective array lit up with a soft glow, isolating the inside from the outside.

Looking at the closed gate, Zhang Ying stood there for a while before letting out a soft sigh of relief and a radiant smile spreading across her face.

She touched the bag containing forty-nine Spirit Stone in her arms, and then remembered Su Bai's request for the Yellow Dragon Pill, her heart burning with excitement.

This is not just an extra source of income, but also a form of recognition and a sustainable, promising path!

This is clearly much more promising than the two older sisters' daily, repetitive labor in the shop and workshop.

She walked briskly back to her yard, looking at the vibrant sapling, and felt that the moonlight tonight was exceptionally bright.

Quiet Chamber, Su Bai had already taken out the twenty portions of Yellow Dragon Pill Ingredients and the Jade Slip containing the Pill Formula.

As Tier 1 Middle-grade Pill, the Yellow Dragon Pill has five main ingredients and seven auxiliary ingredients. Its processing methods and order of addition are more complicated, and it requires a higher degree of precision in controlling the heat.

The information from the jade slip flooded into his mind, and Su Bai calmly comprehended it, corroborating it with the basic medicinal texts he had read during the day.

"Dragon Whisker Vine is potent, containing both earth and fire elemental Spiritual Power. It needs to be calcined with alternating periods of fire (both gentle and vigorous) to remove its harshness and extract its rich medicinal properties..."

"A century-old Polygonatum sibiricum possesses a mild yet potent medicinal property. It is crucial for neutralizing other herbs and stabilizing the foundation of the elixir. It should be added when the liquid of other herbs has initially blended and is approaching stability..."

"The powder of Jade Marrow Mushroom has a binding effect, but adding it too early can cause the medicinal liquid to solidify prematurely, affecting the precipitation of impurities. It should be sprinkled evenly at the last moment before the pill solidifies..."

The characteristics, processing methods, and possible reactions of each medicinal herb in the Pill Furnace are far more complex than those of the Essence Replenishing Pill.

Su Bai did not act immediately. Instead, he took out each of the twelve medicinal herbs and examined them carefully under the lamp. He even used his Divine Sense to perceive the subtle differences in the flow of Spiritual Qi within them.

"Based on our estimates, it will take more than a dozen sets of materials to successfully refine it."

The thought flashed through his mind that any other Alchemist who heard it would surely be filled with rage and despair.

For him, this was already a conservative estimate based on his experience in refining Essence Replenishing Pill, taking into account his [Candle Heart Reflecting Fire] Talent.

After all, the "tenfold increase in base success rate" effect brought by the Yellow Tier Talent is enough to flatten out most of the daunting failure threshold for many beginners.

But for other Alchemist, being able to learn how to refine the Yellow Dragon Pill with just a dozen or so materials is simply the mark of a top genius in alchemy!