Yi Wood True Formula

"They returned to Yellow Mountain Sword Sect yesterday. Qingxuan wasn't interested in alchemy, so it was better for her to cultivate in the sect. Jingwen should come again in a few days."

"Thank you, Senior. Then this junior shall take his leave first."

After leaving the Lin Family Pill Shop, Qin Huaian returned to his cave abode.

With food in hand, there was no panic in his heart!

"Deduce the Yi Wood True Formula!"

[Consume 500 Spirit Stones. The Mirror Body can deduce the Yi Wood True Formula to the introductory level, requiring 1 day; consume 1,000 Spirit Stones to halve the time.]

"Consume 500 Spirit Stones for the deduction."

A day later, Qin Huaian felt insights pouring into his mind like enlightenment striking from above. The Yi Wood True Formula had reached the introductory level!

He tried circulating the Yi Wood True Formula. The spiritual energy around him was swiftly drawn into Qin Huaian's body. As the technique circulated, the spiritual power entering his body was gradually transformed into his own and flowed into his dantian.

The cultivation speed of the introductory Yi Wood True Formula had already caught up to the mastery-level Azure Splendor Art. A Profound-grade technique was truly terrifying!

"Deduce the Yi Wood True Formula!"

[Consume 1,000 Spirit Stones. The Mirror Body can deduce the Yi Wood True Formula to the proficient level, requiring 2 days; consume 2,000 Spirit Stones to halve the time.]

"Consume 1,000 Spirit Stones for the deduction."

Qin Huaian then spent another 1,000 Spirit Stones and 2,000 Spirit Stones respectively, deducing the Yi Wood True Formula to the minor accomplishment level.

The proficient Yi Wood True Formula was inferior to the perfected Azure Splendor Art. However, the minor accomplishment Yi Wood True Formula had already slightly surpassed the perfected Azure Splendor Art.

After cultivating the Yi Wood True Formula to minor accomplishment, Qin Huaian's Spirit Stones were nearly exhausted.

He would first finish refining the remaining Qi Recovery Pills. Qin Huaian had the Mirror Body continue cultivating while his true body cultivated as it refined pills.

In the blink of an eye, nearly twenty more days passed. Qin Huaian had finished refining the remaining Qi Recovery Pills, and he now possessed 101 bottles of them.

But Qin Huaian also discovered a problem.

At this point, Qin Huaian's cultivation had reached Qi Refining Sixth Layer, 99/100. He sensed an invisible barrier between the sixth and seventh layers. This was likely the barrier between the Qi Refining Middle Stage and the Late Qi Refinement Realm.

This barrier had prevented countless cultivators from ever breaking through to the Late Qi Refinement Realm in their entire lives.

From the books in the Library Pavilion, Qin Huaian had learned of a medicinal pill called the Breakthrough Essence Pill. This pill was specifically used to shatter the barrier between the Qi Refining Middle Stage and the Late Qi Refinement Realm. So long as one's aptitude was not too poor, a Breakthrough Essence Pill could help a cultivator swiftly break through to the Late Qi Refinement Realm.

However, Breakthrough Essence Pills were exceedingly expensive. A single pill cost at least ten thousand Spirit Stones. For ordinary Rogue Cultivators, it was simply an astronomical price; even for disciples of major sects, it was no small expense.

Of course, inner sect disciples of a great sect like Yellow Mountain Sword Sect had no need for Breakthrough Essence Pills. With their aptitude, the barrier to the Late Qi Refinement Realm was no obstacle at all.

That day, Qin Huaian came to the Lin Family Pill Shop again. Lin Zhenglan was not in the shop today. The shop assistant recognized Qin Huaian and knew that he was their partner, so he smoothly purchased 100 bottles of Qi Recovery Pills at eighty Spirit Stones per bottle.

The assistant receiving Qin Huaian was also surnamed Lin and was likely a member of the Lin Family. Qin Huaian had come twice already and had become fairly familiar with this assistant.

Qin Huaian put away the Spirit Stones the assistant handed him and placed them in his storage bag. Then he asked, "Brother Lin, does your shop have Breakthrough Essence Pills?"

"Breakthrough Essence Pills are generally quite scarce. Only three to five are supplied each month, and they usually have to be reserved several months in advance. This month's batch was just delivered from the Lineage, but it was immediately bought by cultivators who had already reserved them."

They were that sought-after? Qin Huaian asked again, "How many Spirit Stones does one Breakthrough Essence Pill cost?"

"Our Lin Family Elixirs' Breakthrough Essence Pills cost 12,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones each. That is considered quite affordable in New Peace City. Not every pill shop can obtain pills like Breakthrough Essence Pills." Pride appeared on the assistant's face.

"Very well. Thank you, Brother Lin, for clearing up my doubts."

Qin Huaian only had 8,000 Spirit Stones now. Even if he wanted to buy one, he would need to earn more Spirit Stones first.

Now that he had Spirit Stones, he could choose to deduce the Essence Cultivation Pill and then refine Essence Cultivation Pills for sale. Qin Huaian was pondering whether to continue purchasing Spirit Grass for refining Qi Recovery Pills or buy Spirit Grass for refining Essence Cultivation Pills.

At that moment, Fu Jingwen entered from the back courtyard.

"Brother Qin, long time no see!" Fu Jingwen smiled and greeted Qin Huaian when he saw him there.

"Brother Fu!" Qin Huaian also cupped his fists.

"Brother Qin, there are only two months left until the end of the year. Have you returned to the sect recently?"

"No. Brother Fu, I plan to stay in New Peace City for a while longer."

"Brother Qin, have you used your two Trial Tower opportunities this year? Sect rules state that we can enter twice a year, and they reset at the end of the year."

"Brother Fu, have you entered it? What mysteries are hidden within the Trial Tower?" When Qin Huaian had first joined the sect, Elder Meng had specifically said that the Trial Tower was a good place, but he had not explained its mysteries.

Qin Huaian only knew that Qi Refining Stage disciples ranked in the top ten of the Trial Tower's yearly rankings could enter the inner sect directly. Those rankings were not limited to outer sect disciples; they were the combined rankings of all Qi Refining Stage disciples.

"Brother Qin, Elder Meng said that the top ten in the annual rankings could enter the inner sect, but those top ten are generally inner sect disciples, and usually disciples at the Ninth Qi Refining Layer or above. With our current strength, we naturally cannot enter the top ten. We might not even make the rankings."

"Although we cannot make the rankings, the Trial Tower has an even more important function: it can help us cultivate sword arts. Cultivating sword arts inside is ten or even a hundred times faster than outside."

"Brother Fu, have you entered before?" Once Qin Huaian heard that it was for comprehending sword arts, his interest immediately waned. He had the Seed Space; so long as he spent money, he could quickly learn all kinds of cultivation techniques.

"I have. When I returned to the sect some time ago, I used one Trial Tower opportunity. The Trial Tower truly contains inexhaustible wonders. Brother Qin, when you return to the sect, you must give it a try," Fu Jingwen said.

"Then when I return next time, I'll definitely go inside and undergo a trial." Qin Huaian replied perfunctorily.

"By the way, Brother Fu, do you know where I can buy Spirit Grass for refining Breakthrough Essence Pills?"

"The main ingredient of a Breakthrough Essence Pill is the Essence-Breaking Herb. Essence-Breaking Herbs are rather scarce, while the other supplementary ingredients are quite common. Generally, once shops obtain Essence-Breaking Herbs, they will not sell them. They will refine them into Breakthrough Essence Pills instead."

"When cultivators gather Essence-Breaking Herbs and sell them to pill shops, they can generally fetch four to five thousand Spirit Stones. Yet when refined into Breakthrough Essence Pills, they can sell for more than ten thousand Spirit Stones. A single batch can yield two pills; even with a fifty percent success rate in pill refinement, that is still an enormous profit."

"Therefore, ordinary pill shops generally will not sell Essence-Breaking Herbs. If you want to buy one, you can only try your luck at the market stalls where Rogue Cultivators gather," Fu Jingwen explained.

"What, Brother Qin, do you want to refine Breakthrough Essence Pills?"

"If I can obtain an Essence-Breaking Herb, I'd like to see whether I can refine one successfully."

"If Brother Qin wants to purchase Essence-Breaking Herbs, why not check the sect's trading hall? The varieties of medicinal herbs there are far more complete than those in ordinary pill shops in New Peace City. However, everything requires Sect Contribution Points to purchase."

"It is not easy for ordinary disciples to obtain Sect Contribution Points. Of course, with Brother Qin's alchemy skill, you should be able to gather enough if you spend some time."

Qin Huaian's eyes lit up. How had he not thought of that? He was no longer a miserable, penniless Rogue Cultivator—he had already become a disciple of the great sect he had once envied!