Don't be fooled by the fact that Pill Pattern rank was only one grade above superior quality.
Even the finest pills, the ones that contained only a trace of impurities, couldn't compare to Pill Pattern pills.
At Pill Pattern rank, not only were there no impurities whatsoever,
but a profound transformation took place, creating something from nothing. Every Pill Pattern pill contained medicinal power far beyond that of other pills.
Almost several times more.
Simply put, even a low-grade Pill Pattern pill could be worth as much as an ordinary Yellow Grade pill.
Any alchemist capable of producing a Pill Pattern held a lofty status.
Even a major sect like the Five Elements Sect would personally extend an invitation and welcome them as an honored guest.
"Cough, cough. Little Brother Lin Cheng, I sincerely apologize for my previous behavior. This old man was blind and failed to recognize a true dragon. I hope you won't hold it against me!"
The elder who had scolded Lin Cheng earlier stepped forward, his face flushed red, and apologized in front of everyone.
At the same time, he couldn't help staring eagerly at the pill in Lin Cheng's hand. "Little Brother Lin, do you have any interest in selling that pill? Name your price. If you're willing to sell it to me, this old man will owe you a huge favor."
The other two elders immediately caught on.
They cursed the old geezer for being underhanded,
then hurried to speak up as well.
"Cough, cough. Brother Lin, I'm willing to offer a volume of an innate martial art in exchange for the pill in your hand. I'll owe you a favor, too!"
"I'll trade you three spirit fruits. They can help cleanse the meridians and marrow..."
"Cleanse the meridians and marrow? Forget it. I remember the legends say that Pill Pattern pills can do that, too. They're definitely better than your spirit fruits."
"How can they be the same? I'm offering you a favor, too! Little Brother, just name whatever you want. Anything I have is yours... If all else fails, my granddaughter just turned eighteen..."
The elders argued until their faces were red.
Pill Patterns were the sort of thing one could only chance upon, never seek out. Even a master alchemist might produce only one or two Pill Pattern pills in an entire lifetime, and that would be the absolute limit.
Besides, alchemists usually kept them as treasured possessions.
Now that they had this opportunity, of course they had to try their luck.
After a while, the crowd gradually noticed that Lin Cheng seemed distracted.
They looked at him in confusion.
He was staring silently at the pill in his palm, brow furrowed, as if deep in thought.
The elders didn't know that Lin Cheng had barely heard a word of their argument.
At that moment, all his attention was focused on the pill in his hand.
"Holy crap..."
"What in the world is this..."
Just as the pill finished refining, the system had notified him that his Alchemist sub-profession proficiency had shot up by ten points, enough to raise his Alchemist level at any moment.
Afterward, whenever he refined pills of the corresponding level or lower, he would receive a special buff.
Lin Cheng had chosen to level up without hesitation.
The next second, the system showed that his Alchemist level had changed from none to low-grade apprentice.
Lin Cheng guessed that, in the system's eyes, anyone below Yellow Grade probably didn't count as a true alchemist at all. At best, they were apprentices.
Then the line of tiny text below the system left him stunned.
BUFF Bonus (Low-Grade Apprentice): When refining pills of this level, success is guaranteed; while refining, the quantity will randomly increase by 1–9; while refining, there is a 30% chance of producing a Pill Pattern.
Proficiency: 10/100.
A thirty percent chance of producing a Pill Pattern!
That one line alone nearly made Lin Cheng jump for joy!
And that wasn't even mentioning the other miraculous effects.
He'd spent most of his years in this world browsing miscellaneous books in the Library Pavilion. His knowledge far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Lin Cheng naturally understood how valuable a Pill Pattern pill was!
In his entire life, aside from the ones he'd obtained through the Sign-in System, he'd never even heard of pills of this quality!
And after testing one himself,
Lin Cheng understood even better than everyone else just how powerful a Pill Pattern pill was. This unremarkable Qi-Replenishing Pill had even had a slight effect on him.
He could hardly imagine what it would do for other people.
The effect was simply heaven-defying!
Lin Cheng was overjoyed. Now I won't have to worry about pills anymore. As long as I have enough materials, I can keep refining Pill Pattern pills. That won't be difficult for me.
It's a shame this pill is a little low-level. If it were a Yellow Grade pill and I could produce a Pill Pattern, it would help me quite a bit.
At that thought, Lin Cheng felt a little regretful.
To ensure a high success rate when producing Pill Pattern pills, he had to raise his Alchemist level as quickly as possible. That meant refining a large number of low-level pills to gain proficiency.
"Medicinal ingredients are a problem. Low-level ingredients should be easy enough to find in large quantities; the Jingyun Sect should be able to get plenty... But Yellow Grade pill ingredients are much harder to find. Relying on myself would be a hassle. I need to think of a solution that works for everyone."
Lin Cheng was deep in thought.
Suddenly, someone tapped him on the shoulder, jolting him out of it.
For a Foundation Establishment Venerable to be this absent-minded was no good habit.
"Junior Brother, what are you thinking about?"
He turned around and saw Meng Tangtang smiling at him as she asked with concern.
"Nothing. Oh, right, you can have this pill."
As he spoke, Lin Cheng casually tossed over the priceless pill, as if he were throwing away a pebble he'd picked up by the roadside.
His casual manner struck the elders right in the heart.
Those who understood the pill's value were even more alarmed, cursing furiously in their minds.
How could he just toss something so precious around?!
What if it broke?!
What a wastrel! What a way to squander a treasure!
"Junior Brother, this is a little too precious." Meng Tangtang hesitated. Though she coveted it, she firmly handed it back.
Her junior brother had worked hard to refine it, and it would be more useful to him. She couldn't take it!
Seeing her hesitation, Lin Cheng waved his hand dismissively and said casually, "If I'm giving it to you, then take it. As long as I have enough ingredients, I can make as many of these things as I want. They're not worth much!"
Only Lin Cheng could say something like that.
Meng Tangtang saw that he really didn't care. After a moment, she finally accepted the pill at his urging, delighted.
"Thank you, Junior Brother!"
The people around them were green with envy!
The three elders, for instance!
They were heartsick with jealousy, practically going mad with it!
They wanted a generous junior brother like that, too!
Forget being his junior brother—if he'd give them the pill, they'd kneel and become his disciples on the spot!
Besides, becoming the disciple of a master alchemist who could produce Pill Pattern pills would be their good fortune. They'd be thrilled beyond words.
"What a pity..."
Watching Meng Tangtang put the pill away, the elders all deflated and shook their heads silently.
There was no hope now.
Just then, they saw Lin Cheng walk toward them with a beaming smile, making their hearts pound.
It felt as though something momentous was about to happen.
"Elders, would you like some Pill Pattern pills?"
At those words, the three elders' drooping eyes suddenly lit up. Their hair stood on end, goosebumps rose across their skin, and they grew so excited they could hardly contain themselves!
"Could it be that we have a chance, too?"
One elder immediately asked, his voice full of cautious hope.
Lin Cheng nodded firmly, and the elders' eyes gleamed even brighter!
Just then, Lin Cheng had realized that although he was short on ingredients, he could simply have other people gather them for him. If all else failed, he could use the pills he refined as payment.
Those pills weren't useful to him anyway. He could treat it as doing something for the Jingyun Sect.
After all, if the Jingyun Sect grew stronger, he'd be able to sign in with even greater peace of mind in the future.
Given enough time, he'd eventually reach the day he became utterly invincible.
Then everything would be simple.
For now, the two sides were in a "partnership." A win-win outcome was the best result.
Lin Cheng spoke with an air of mystery.
"Not only that—I'm also going to offer you a huge business deal!"
Before you continue