Cooperation

"Foundation Establishment Pills are the most effective pills for breaking through the Foundation Establishment barrier, but they are far too rare." Shopkeeper Xue sighed wistfully.

"A few years ago, I spent the sect contribution points I had accumulated over half my life to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill. Yet I still failed to establish my foundation. Although I kept my life, Foundation Establishment is little more than a distant dream for me in this lifetime."

"On one hand, my failed Foundation Establishment damaged the foundation of my cultivation. On the other, who knows what year or month it will be before I can gather enough sect contribution points to exchange for another Foundation Establishment Pill?"

"I no longer hold out any hope for my own Foundation Establishment. Little Lingyun has the best aptitude among my descendants. Once I save up enough sect contribution points in the future, I'll see whether I can exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill for her."

Though Shopkeeper Xue seemed somewhat sorrowful, a faint pride surfaced when he spoke of Little Lingyun.

Qin Huaian noticed that Shopkeeper Xue kept mentioning sect contribution points, so he asked, "Shopkeeper Xue, can't Foundation Establishment Pills be bought? Must they all be exchanged with sect contribution points?"

"Of course they can be bought, but Foundation Establishment Pills are something one may stumble upon but cannot seek. Only second-tier alchemists can refine them, and most second-tier alchemists have great sects or powerful factions backing them. Those great sects and powerful factions have countless disciples themselves, and the Foundation Establishment Pills they refine aren't even enough for their own use. That is why Foundation Establishment Pills rarely flow into the outside world."

"Foundation Establishment Pills found outside are generally auctioned off, and their auction prices are exceedingly high. Ordinary Qi Refining cultivators can hardly afford them."

"Shopkeeper Xue, are Foundation Establishment Pills difficult to refine? There should be quite a few second-tier alchemists in the cultivation world, shouldn't there?"

"The refining difficulty of Foundation Establishment Pills can only be considered average among second-tier pills. The reason they are so scarce is that the spirit herbs needed to refine them are rare, especially the two main ingredients: Profound Yang Flower and Violet Yin Fruit."

"The growing conditions for those two spirit herbs are extremely demanding, and they are exceedingly difficult to encounter."

Qin Huaian thought of the seven Profound Yang Flowers he had picked. According to the records in Fundamentals of Pills, one batch of Foundation Establishment Pills required five Profound Yang Flowers. The flowers he had picked had not fully bloomed yet, and he did not know whether they could be used in alchemy.

Judging from Shopkeeper Xue's description, Profound Yang Flowers were so rare that their price was surely astronomical. Yet Qin Huaian had no intention of selling them. When he needed Foundation Establishment Pills in the future, they would definitely come in handy.

"Shopkeeper Xue, does that mean cultivators who do not have Foundation Establishment Pills have no way to break through?"

"Of course they do, but that is limited to cultivation geniuses with exceptional aptitude. Some geniuses from great sects can establish their foundations naturally without taking Foundation Establishment Pills."

"But such geniuses are one in ten thousand even among cultivators."

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Shopkeeper Xue." Qin Huaian clasped his hands in salute. "There is one more matter I would like to ask you about."

"Please speak, Little Friend Qin." Shopkeeper Xue smiled, showing not the slightest impatience.

"Shopkeeper Xue, ever since I advanced to the sixth level of Qi Refining, I've found that Qi Replenishing Pills have become less and less helpful to my cultivation. Are there any other pills that can speed up cultivation?"

Shopkeeper Xue's gaze shifted slightly. It seemed the opportunity Little Friend Qin had encountered included quite a few Qi Replenishing Pills. No wonder his cultivation had soared by leaps and bounds. Shopkeeper Xue did not know that all the Qi Replenishing Pills Qin Huaian used had been refined by Qin Huaian himself.

Learning to refine Qi Replenishing Pills in two months was already impressive enough. If he could also refine large quantities of them for his own cultivation, wouldn't that be monstrously abnormal?

Shopkeeper Xue stroked his beard and said, "Little Friend Qin, you may not know this, but Qi Replenishing Pills are merely relatively low-grade pills. As your cultivation deepens, their effects will grow weaker and weaker."

"There are naturally better pills. True Essence Pills are the upgraded version of Qi Replenishing Pills. They are second-tier pills, and their effects are obvious for both late-stage Qi Refining cultivators and Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, but they are much more expensive than Qi Replenishing Pills."

"Furthermore, even if a Qi Refining cultivator consumes a great number of Qi Replenishing Pills or True Essence Pills, they can only pile up their realm to the ninth level of Qi Refining. To break through into the Foundation Establishment Realm, one must still rely on one's own cultivation aptitude."

"Shopkeeper Xue, how much do True Essence Pills sell for in Rosy Cloud Pavilion?"

"One bottle contains ten pills and costs one thousand low-grade spirit stones."

Qin Huaian clicked his tongue inwardly. Far too expensive. It truly was not something an ordinary rogue Qi Refining cultivator could afford.

"Shopkeeper Xue, I'd like to buy some more spirit herbs for refining Qi Replenishing Pills."

"Little Friend Qin, would you be interested in cooperating with my Rosy Cloud Pavilion?"

"Oh?" Qin Huaian asked in confusion.

"If not for the upcoming sect recruitment, I would invite Little Friend Qin to become a resident alchemist at my Rosy Cloud Pavilion. A resident alchemist would not only receive spirit herbs free of charge, but also enjoy Rosy Cloud Pavilion's protection."

"However, sect recruitment will begin in another month. With Little Friend Qin's alchemy skills, you will certainly be able to join a sect. If your cultivation aptitude is good enough, you may even become an inner sect disciple."

"If you do not become a resident alchemist, then the terms of our cooperation will be as follows: Rosy Cloud Pavilion will provide Little Friend Qin with the spirit herbs for Qi Replenishing Pills at fifteen spirit stones per portion, and buy back Qi Refining Pills at eighty spirit stones per bottle. However, on the condition that Little Friend Qin sells all the Qi Replenishing Pills you refine during this period to Rosy Cloud Pavilion."

After considering it briefly, Qin Huaian said, "All right. We'll do as Shopkeeper Xue says."

"Good! Little Friend Qin, you're straightforward!"

Qin Huaian agreed so readily partly because he was fairly familiar with Shopkeeper Xue and believed him to be trustworthy. More importantly, he wanted a stable means of converting his goods into spirit stones—a steady way to earn spirit stones without drawing attention.

He had already made up his mind: if he had the chance, he would certainly join a sect. A sect would have more abundant cultivation resources. Take Foundation Establishment Pills, for example. Even if rogue cultivators had spirit stones, it was difficult for them to find a channel through which to buy them. Within a sect, however, the avenues available would be much broader.

Moreover, within a sect, it would be easier to come into contact with all kinds of cultivation techniques, inheritances, cultivation experience, and more. These were things sects had accumulated over thousands of years, and rogue cultivators found it difficult to access them comprehensively.

After taking fifty portions of spirit herbs for refining Qi Replenishing Pills, Qin Huaian returned to his cave dwelling.

He did not have enough spirit stones to pay for those herbs, so the herbs were advanced to him on credit. Once he refined the pills, Rosy Cloud Pavilion would deduct the cost of the herbs when buying them back. Only because Shopkeeper Xue was familiar with Qin Huaian would he agree to such an arrangement; an ordinary shop would certainly not do so.

Qin Huaian had now reached the sixth level of Qi Refining. His spiritual energy was more abundant, and his alchemy speed had also increased. He could refine one batch of Qi Replenishing Pills in half an hour, and refining five batches a day posed no pressure at all.

Qin Huaian set himself the goal of refining five batches a day, using all his remaining time for cultivation. He did not have many spirit stones left, so he could only absorb spiritual energy to cultivate and grind away at the hours.

Although Qi Replenishing Pills had become somewhat less effective for cultivation, Qin Huaian still persisted in taking them to cultivate after finishing his daily alchemy. He still had a large number of Qi Replenishing Pills on hand. He would first turn those resources into cultivation; he knew that cultivation would always come first.

Ten days later, Qin Huaian had successfully refined thirty-seven bottles of Qi Replenishing Pills, while thirteen batches had failed. This success rate was already slightly higher than before. It seemed that using the mirror image body for simulations was not the only way to improve his alchemy skills—refining more himself could also farm experience.