Spirit Gathering Reforged

Wulin Marketplace, at Li Yuan's residence.

The Fourth-Order Alchemy Furnace stood beside the stone platform, its Alchemy Flame burning day and night.

Li Yuan fed in batches of Spirit Material bought across the Azure Profound Realm and the Lower Realm. Using his Proficiency Stage Fourth-Order Alchemy Art, he ran one batch after another: mainly Origin-Returning Infant-Nourishing Pills, supplemented by Yuan Condensing Powder and Heavenly Origin Meridian-Penetrating Pills.

The pills held steady at high grade, and the proportion of exceptional ones had risen again.

After several days, his stock of Medicinal Pills had doubled. He kept enough for himself and prepared to sell the rest in the Upper Realm.

One afternoon, just as Li Yuan extinguished the Alchemy Flame, footsteps sounded outside.

He opened the door to find Xuanpu standing there with a bamboo booklet.

"Fellow Daoist Li, there's something I'd like to discuss."

"Come in."

They sat beside the stone platform, and Xuanpu laid the booklet on the table.

"Right now, you're still a temporary Attendant of the Tianyue Sect, more in name than anything. The sect would like to know whether you're willing to become an official Attendant."

Li Yuan looked at him.

"What's the difference?"

"Quite a lot." Xuanpu opened the booklet.

"You'd receive a stipend, with Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills issued every month. More items would also become available in the sect's contribution exchange catalog."

"And the conditions?"

"You only need to handle assignments here in the Lower Realm," Xuanpu said.

"There's no need to concern yourself with the Upper Realm. Though we're now a subordinate sect of the Mingyuan Sect, they're mainly supporting us for the time being. They have no authority over Lower Realm Attendants, but Lower Realm Attendants can still receive Upper Realm benefits."

Li Yuan glanced over the terms in the booklet.