The Source of Vital Blood

Lin Changheng was a man who pursued stability, and he had made his decision.

It was indeed true; when inferior pills were formed, it was normal to lose some essence and blood during the process of handling pill toxins and the like. But to have nothing left at all—not even a trace of the bloody scent of essence—unless the Li family members were all fools, they would definitely discover it if he did this with too many pills!

Drawing their gaze and inviting suspicion would be even worse.

This did not align with Lin Changheng's fundamental policy of steady development.

No sooner said than done; his consciousness connected with the [Origin Cauldron], and his palm swept rapidly over the eight waste pills.

The next instant, the crimson treasure seed underwent a change, becoming slightly more solid.

[Fire Crow Treasure Seed: Spirit Snatch and Life Transformation in progress]

[Spirit Snatch: 5/100]

[Utility: Common-grade monster beast bloodline, naturally possesses fire affinity, harbors innate talents: Fire Control, Breath, Beak Strike. Upon successful Spirit Snatch, one may be chosen to be refined within.]

"Excellent!"

A flash of excitement crossed Lin Changheng's eyes.

However, he did not continue to extract the Fire Crow essence and blood contained in the remaining twenty inferior pills. Instead, he chose to "destroy the evidence" of the waste pills from which he had already drawn the essence first.

He had to avoid any possibility of being caught or discovered.

Even if it were only a sliver, the cautious Lin Changheng would not allow it to exist!

The waste pills were ground into fine powder, and after lighting the furnace fire, Lin Changheng manipulated the [Fire Gathering Array] to begin burning them away bit by bit.

Two sticks of incense later, the waste pills were processed, and the ashes were collected.

He then began preparing the neutralization method for the inferior pills. Fortunately, the shop had all the necessary materials in stock. He spent a full hour busy at work before the mixture was complete.

Lin Changheng could not spare a moment for fatigue. He took a deep breath, rubbed his hands in excitement, and began to extract the essence and blood one pill at a time!

Each held roughly fifty percent, occasionally fluctuating up or down, with no fixed amount.

He extracted from one, then neutralized it immediately.

The speed was fast, and he finished all twenty pills in one go!

[Fire Crow Treasure Seed: Spirit Snatch and Life Transformation in progress]

[Spirit Snatch: 10/100]

"Very good. In just a few days, the [Fire Crow Treasure Seed] has completed 'one-tenth' of its accumulation. The speed is countless times faster than the [Origin Treasure Seed]! Moreover, with the monthly processing of waste and inferior pills, if there are no accidents, I can complete the treasure seed's Spirit Snatch in ten months at the latest!"

"Within these ten months, relying on my current comprehension, I will surely master the refining method for the [Crimson Flame Pill]. Once the [Fire Crow Treasure Seed]'s 'Fire Control' is in my hands, I will certainly be able to succeed in one stroke, promote myself to a pill refiner, and no longer need to enter the wilderness! By then, I can just hole up in the Xu Family or the market to refine pills and collect essence and blood..."

Lin Changheng felt secretly excited in his heart, but he quickly took a deep breath and warned himself, "The world of immortal cultivation is fraught with crises. One must avoid strife and conflict; only by not becoming complacent can one travel far and steadily..."

After all, one only had one life.

Lin Changheng was very clear-headed.

When he emerged from the pill room, it was nearly the hour of Shen (3:00 PM to 5:00 PM).

Seeing that the day was still early, and knowing that if all went well tomorrow he would have to watch the furnace all day and likely have no time, Lin Changheng decided to make a trip to the "Li Family Spirit Meat Shop" now.

Although the security within the market was decent, Lin Changheng still wrapped the long wooden box tightly in a tattered cloth bag. After greeting the Xu family members in the shop, he stepped out onto the street.

There were quite a few cultivators on the street now, but compared to the bustling crowds of ten years ago, it was like heaven and earth.

The shopkeepers and assistants of many desolate storefronts were so bored they simply moved their stools to the doorway to chat and gossip with their neighbors. When the conversation grew heated, they would become animated, their spittle flying everywhere.

Some people recognized Lin Changheng and enthusiastically invited him to join them, but Lin Changheng had to decline, claiming he was busy and promising to do so next time, before hurrying on his way to the "Li Family Spirit Meat Shop."

"Customer, you've come at just the right time! If you had come any later, there wouldn't be a single cent's worth of this fine Savage Boar meat left!"

"Quick, take a look! Which piece do you want, or shall I just wrap up the whole lot?"

Before Lin Changheng could even speak, the burly man holding a cleaver at the entrance of the Li family shop began soliciting business.

"I'm not here to buy meat. I'm here from the 'Xu Family Pill Shop' to deliver pills."

Lin Changheng shook his head with a smile, indicating he wanted to see their shopkeeper.

"Come in, come in! My shopkeeper was just muttering about why the friend from the Xu family hadn't arrived yet..." The big man quickly put down his cleaver and led Lin Changheng inside.

A thick, pungent smell of blood immediately rushed to his nose.

In the past, Lin Changheng would have inevitably frowned, as it was truly suffocating, but now he found it extremely fragrant and sweet.

Lin Changheng had not expected the shopkeeper of this meat shop to be a man with a handlebar mustache, extremely thin, and quite ill-suited to the trade his shop conducted.

He quickly inspected the box of inferior pills in person. Lin Changheng appeared calm on the surface, but his heart could not help but thump a little.

"Not bad."

Clearly, the shopkeeper had not discovered anything unusual, or perhaps he simply did not value the meager essence and blood within the inferior pills.

"Silver and goods are settled."

With his business concluded, Lin Changheng did not rush to leave. Seeing that no one was coming to buy meat, he intentionally struck up a casual conversation with the burly man at the butcher shop.

Lin Changheng possessed quite a knack for conversation. He began by praising the quality of the meat and the man's knife skills, both overtly and subtly. Only when the man was in high spirits, feeling as though he had met a kindred spirit, did Lin Changheng slowly steer the topic toward "beast blood."

"Heh, so there really are people who have a taste for this beast blood, refined into Red Grease. If you like it, fellow Daoist, just let me know in advance, and I will certainly set some aside for you tomorrow."

"Many thanks!" Lin Changheng smiled. Feeling that the groundwork was sufficiently laid, he brought up the crucial point: "I wonder if you have any 'essence blood' for sale?"

A demonic beast's blood and its essence blood were not the same thing. The former was ordinary blood from within the beast's body, containing only a faint trace of demonic power and many impurities; the latter was the beast's vital heart blood, a concentration of its life essence and the very source of its power.

"Essence blood?"

The burly man was taken aback, but then he recalled the identity of the person before him and suddenly realized.

"Essence blood is naturally available, but all the essence blood in my shop is already reserved by several spirit wine distilleries and talisman workshops within the market; it is not sold to the public."

Fearing that Lin Changheng might not understand, he added, "I'm afraid it is difficult for an individual cultivator to obtain..."

"Thank you for the information."

Having received an answer that was not what he wanted, Lin Changheng still maintained his composure and performed the necessary social graces before taking his leave.

After all, the world of cultivation was not just about killing and fighting; it was also about human relationships and worldly wisdom.

"If you have any needs, fellow Daoist, feel free to come by! If I can be of help, Li will certainly not refuse!"

As the sound of the burly man thumping his chest echoed in his ears, Lin Changheng nodded with a smile, already walking away.

He had only asked on a whim; while it would have been better to open up a channel for obtaining demonic beast essence blood, he was not distressed by the lack of results.

Keeping a calm state of mind was more conducive to making judgments.

It was also a form of cultivation.

After handing back the spirit stones earned from selling the inferior pills, along with the old manual detailing methods for processing waste and inferior pills, to Master Mo, Lin Changheng had successfully completed the task he had been assigned.

"Not bad!"

Master Mo chuckled and offered a few words of praise.

Lin Changheng immediately expressed his "loyalty" and desire to share the burden for Master Mo, while subtly hinting in his words that Master Mo could give him more responsibilities!

Other responsibilities were a pretense, but he was truly, deeply interested in the waste and inferior pills of the Wood Origin Pill.