Medicine Elder Awakens, How to Refine Medicine Without Money?

"Could it be that my actions while simulating Xiao Xun'er have influenced this current simulation?"

After much deliberation, Xiao Chen felt this was the only reason that could explain what was happening now.

The simulation did not pause for Xiao Chen's thoughts; everything continued to unfold steadily.

[Under your desperate defense, this "Miss Xun'er" decides to hand you over to your father for punishment. You breathe a sigh of relief and abandon the thought of testing for Dou Power, as you have already witnessed the terrifying aura radiating from the old man, which nearly suffocated you!]

[Your father punishes you severely, leaving your skin torn and flesh mangled. He drags you before "Miss Xun'er" to apologize. You do not harbor resentment toward your father, nor toward "Miss Xun'er," for you know clearly that you brought this upon yourself!]

[Following this, you cultivate even harder, and your talent for cultivation gradually begins to shine!]

[Year 7]: You now possess three stages of Dou Power and have gained a small reputation throughout Wutan City. The clan disciples all envy your talent!

[Year 8]: This year, your mother passes away. You are devastated. After holding the ring she left behind for a long time, you finally calm your heart and continue your cultivation!

[Year 9]: Every night, you stroke the ring, missing your mother. No one knows what is hidden in your heart!

[Year 10]: Your internal Dou Power has reached the ninth stage. You are only one step away from becoming a Dou Practitioner, which drives you to work even harder!

[Year 11]: Finally, through your unremitting efforts, the Dou Power in your body is compressed into a vortex. You successfully condense a Dou Qi vortex and step into the Dou Practitioner realm!]

[An eleven-year-old one-star Dou Practitioner—this news shocks all of Wutan City. You become synonymous with genius. The entire clan is proud of you, and your father is so excited that he throws a grand banquet, showing you off in high spirits!]

[Year 12]: For some reason, you suddenly lose the ability to cultivate. Every bit of Dou Qi you absorb vanishes into thin air. This fills you with a trace of fear. You tell your father about the problem you encountered, but he cannot find anything wrong!]

[You have no choice but to bite the bullet and continue cultivating. However, not only does your internal Dou Qi fail to progress, it constantly diminishes, and even the condensed Dou Qi vortex shatters!]

[Year 13]: The Dou Qi in your body continues to dissipate, eventually settling at the third stage of Dou Power. Yet, you do not give up; instead, you cultivate even more diligently, hoping to break this curse!]

[Year 14]: The clan disciples who once swarmed around you gradually distance themselves. The way they look at you changes. You are no longer a genius, but a "trash" in their mouths!]

[You have grown accustomed to the cold sarcasm and remain indifferent to their mockery, silently cultivating. You firmly believe that your efforts will not be in vain!]

[Year 15]: No matter how hard you try, your Dou Qi does not grow at all. You feel a sense of collapse, feeling you have failed your mother. You take off her heirloom and throw it toward the cliff, but something unexpected happens: the ring begins to float!]

[An old man named Yao Lao appears, claiming he wants to take you as his apprentice. Through his explanation, you finally understand the reason for your vanishing Dou Qi!]

[You curse him fiercely, but in the end, you choose to become his apprentice because he claims he can return you to the Dou Practitioner realm within half a year. Things having reached this point, you have no choice but to believe him!]

[Yao Lao takes out two cultivation manuals...]

[Detected that Xiao Yan has entered a critical moment in his life. Immersive simulation activated!]

A familiar sensation of weightlessness strikes. When he opens his eyes again, a red scroll and a black scroll appear before Xiao Chen.

"Kid, have you considered which one you want to choose?"

Yao Chen looks at the youth before him with a serious expression, feeling somewhat nervous. He leans toward having Xiao Yan choose the Burning Mantra, as it is his chance to reshape his physical body.

Of course, if Xiao Yan chooses the Earth-tier cultivation manual, he will not stop him, though he will inevitably feel some disappointment.

"I choose the Burning Mantra!"

Xiao Chen thinks for a moment and ultimately decides not to change Xiao Yan's fate here, honestly choosing the Burning Mantra.

"Good!"

Yao Chen appears excited. He hands the Burning Mantra to Xiao Chen, gives "Xiao Yan" some instructions, and then slips into the ring.

"Teacher, you said earlier that you could help me return to the Dou Practitioner realm within half a year, right?"

Xiao Chen naturally knows what Yao Chen intends to do, but since he is simulating Xiao Yan, he asks the question anyway.

Yao Chen does not hide it, revealing his identity as an alchemist and asking Xiao Yan to prepare some medicinal herbs.

This puts Xiao Chen in a difficult spot. In the original story, Xiao Yan borrowed money from Xiao Xun'er, but now the relationship between Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er is quite hostile. Where is he supposed to get the money?

"Teacher, do you have any... good ways to make money?"

Helpless, Xiao Chen has no choice but to bite the bullet and ask Yao Lao. There is no other way; he truly has no extra money to buy medicinal herbs.

"Make money? As an alchemist, I have never lacked money. You ask me how to make money? Naturally, by refining medicinal pills!"

Yao Chen clearly does not realize the severity of the problem. He smiles and continues, "As long as you have enough herbs, I can make you the richest person in the Gama Empire in just three days!"

"Teacher, let's put being the richest person aside for now. I don't even have the money to buy herbs right now..."

Xiao Chen's words leave Yao Chen silent. As the renowned Medicine Venerable, he has clearly never encountered such a predicament and, for a moment, does not know how to resolve it.

After a long while, Yao Chen's voice comes from the ring again, "Fine, it was indeed my oversight. Tell me, do you know if there are any alchemists nearby?"

"Alchemists? I actually happen to know one. There is one in Wutan City—the consultant for the Mittal Auction House, a second-grade alchemist named Gu Ni!"

As a transmigrator who has read the original work, this problem does not stump him. However, he is curious about why Yao Chen is looking for an alchemist. Could it be that he has a way to make money from one?

"Second-grade? Fine... it's not easy for such a small place to have an alchemist. Second-grade will have to do!"

Yao Chen's tone carries a hint of disdain, as if he looks down on this second-grade alchemist. Xiao Chen understands this well.

After all, at his peak, Yao Chen was an eighth-grade alchemist. The famous Pill King Gu He of the Gama Empire was nothing before him, let alone a mere second-grade alchemist.

"Teacher, you wouldn't happen to be... wanting to sell pill formulas, would you?"

After thinking it over, Xiao Chen concludes this is the only possibility. There are only two ways to make money from an alchemist.

One is to sell them rare treasures, which they do not have, so the only remaining option is to sell pill formulas.