First attempt at a grade four pill! A chance to find a hidden treasure

"Yes, I'm confident."

Chu Zhou nodded slightly, circulated his cultivation art, and began.

This time, he was not going to continue refining Fire Cloud Pills. Instead, he would try refining a Blood-Suppressing Pill to get a feel for it, lest a failure waste the herbs needed for a Fire Cloud Pill.

The Blood-Suppressing Pill was a Grade Four Pill invented by Yao Chen. It replenished a great deal of blood and vitality. If someone was badly injured, had lost too much blood, and had exhausted much of their dou qi, taking one could rapidly heal their wounds while replenishing their dou qi and blood.

A few days earlier, Xiao Yan had visited the Mittel Auction House to request Ice Spirit Cold Spring, Ice Spirit Flame Grass, Spirit-Absorbing Stones, and other items. If the Mittel Auction House managed to collect them, they could approach him for a trade. He was willing to offer some valuable things left behind by a "senior."

Chu Zhou had immediately produced Ice Spirit Flame Grass and successfully traded with Xiao Yan for one Blood-Suppressing Pill and one Extreme Fire Pill, taking one each day.

Now, his mind held images of Yao Lao refining these two Grade Four Pills with Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

Whenever he had a spare moment, he would "play the footage," studying and analyzing the techniques and details frame by frame.

He had thoroughly mastered the techniques for refining both pills.

"Today, I'll refine a Grade Four Pill!"

"Condense!"

Half an hour later, Chu Zhou controlled the Mystic Yellow Azure Flame, drawing all the medicinal liquids together.

A ripple of energy spread through the Medicine Cauldron, accompanied by waves of medicinal fragrance.

A few breaths later, Chu Zhou casually waved his hand, and a pill flew out, wrapped in Mystic Yellow Azure Flame.

Xiao Yi Xian instinctively took a deep breath. The pill's medicinal fragrance was exceptionally rich, which meant this Grade Four Pill was of very high quality.

"It worked, and the quality is excellent." Xiao Yi Xian cupped her cheeks in both hands, gazing at Chu Zhou with admiration.

He had succeeded on his very first attempt at refining a Grade Four Pill, and its quality was remarkably high. He was simply incredible.

"I'm just standing on the shoulders of those who came before me." Chu Zhou held the Blood-Suppressing Pill he had refined between his fingers, equally pleased.

His success was thanks to the power of the Myriad Medicine Clarity Body, which had perfectly memorized and assimilated Yao Lao's refining process. This attempt was effectively the same as having Yao Lao guide him every step of the way.

Had he tried refining a different Grade Four Pill, things could not have gone so smoothly. Even success would have been uncertain, let alone producing a high-quality pill.

"I'll recover first, then try refining an Extreme Fire Pill." Chu Zhou put the pill away, formed hand seals, and circulated his cultivation art to restore his dou qi.

Refining a Grade Four Pill consumed considerable energy. With his cultivation approaching that of a three-star Dou Shi, even with the Mystic Yellow Azure Flame, he had used nearly half his dou qi. Continuing would leave him almost completely drained, and he would not put himself in such a relatively dangerous position.

With the Low Earth Tier Azure Flame Soul-Refining Art, fully restoring his dou qi would be quick. Refining the next pill afterward would be safer.

An hour later, having finished regulating his breathing without taking any pills to replenish his energy, Chu Zhou opened his eyes and began refining the second pill.

This time, he refined an Extreme Fire Pill.

The final result was the same as with the Blood-Suppressing Pill.

Xiao Yi Xian sat nearby, admiration almost spilling from her eyes.

A different kind of hope and trust rose within her. If anyone on the Dou Qi Continent could resolve the woeful poison body, it had to be Chu Zhou!

Three days passed in a flash, and the Magical Beast Carriage entered an enormous city.

This city was called Salt City, a major city in the Northeast Province of the Jia Ma Empire's eastern region.

Its city lord was a Nine-Star Dou Ling and the strongest fighter in Salt City, but the Mo Clan held the greatest influence within its walls.

The Mo Clan was one of the Northeast Province's four great families. Its grand elder, Mo Cheng, had once studied at the Misty Cloud Sect and was now an outer-sect deacon there, with the cultivation of a Five-Star Dou Ling.

Through its connection to the Misty Cloud Sect, the Mo Clan controlled nearly sixty percent of the Northeast Province's businesses.

Chu Zhou's destinations on this journey were the Tagor Desert, Stone Desert City, and Desert City. Salt City was merely a stop along the way.

He wanted to see whether he could buy anything worthwhile here and take an alchemist rank examination while he was at it.

Holding the status of a Third-Rank Alchemist would make many things easier while traveling.

"Aunt Luo, drive the carriage to the Mittel Merchant Guild's auction house here. I'll take Xiao Yi Xian for a look around," Chu Zhou said, lifting the carriage curtain.

"Yes, Young Master," Luo Lin replied, raising her whip.

Crack!

The magical beast horses began trotting rhythmically along the city's broad streets, taking them all the way to the Mittel Auction House.

"Let's go."

Once the carriage stopped, Chu Zhou took Xiao Yi Xian for a stroll through the city.

Salt City was far more prosperous than Wutan City, with more tall buildings and much heavier foot traffic.

Dressed in an Alchemist's distinctive robes, with a First-Rank Alchemist badge on his chest, Chu Zhou casually asked a passerby for directions before heading to the Salt City branch of the Alchemist Guild.

The branch president here was a Fourth-Rank Alchemist named Teras.

"President Teras, my son urgently needs Qi Gathering Powder to break through to Dou Zhe. Please refine it for him."

Chu Zhou had only just entered the Salt City Alchemist Guild with Xiao Yi Xian when he heard a loud, pleading voice nearby.

The guild building was large, with few people in its main hall. At the staircase leading to the second floor in the northeastern corner, a middle-aged man in luxurious robes stood in the way of an elderly man with white hair and a youthful face, pleading desperately.

"Elder Mo Xuan, I've already told you. As long as you gather three sets of ingredients for Qi Gathering Powder, I can refine it for you out of consideration for the Mo Clan. You only have two sets right now. I cannot break the rules," Teras said indifferently, his gaze haughty.

Three sets of ingredients were the generally accepted minimum price for having an Alchemist on the Dou Qi Continent agree to refine a pill.

If the Alchemist succeeded on the first attempt, neither of the remaining two sets would be returned. One served as the refining fee, and the other as payment.

If the first attempt failed, the Alchemist would try a second time. If that succeeded, the pill belonged to the client, but the client still needed to provide another set as the refining fee. Refusing was acceptable, but it would be difficult to persuade that Alchemist to refine anything for them again.

If the second attempt also failed, the client was simply considered unlucky, and the third set would not be returned.

Thus, the higher an Alchemist's rank and success rate, the more people came seeking their services.

Clients certainly did not want to spend two extra sets of ingredients and still fail to receive the pill they wanted.

But the more capable the Alchemist, the higher the payment they demanded.

Sometimes, without connections or personal ties, it was impossible to secure their agreement at all.

"President Teras, time is short. My son urgently needs Qi Gathering Powder to break through to Dou Zhe. Then he can practice a cultivation method and improve his cultivation to prepare for Jia Nan Academy's admissions examination."

"I have no intention of breaking your Alchemists' rules. There simply isn't enough time to gather a third set of ingredients for Qi Gathering Powder. Could I use something else to cover the payment or refining fee?"

"Of course you can substitute something else. I've already told you what I need," Teras said firmly. "If you want to offer a substitute, use those items."

"I can't find those things on such short notice either." Mo Xuan took a box from his Storage Ring and opened it. "Would this be acceptable?"

Chu Zhou glanced over out of curiosity, and his soul suddenly trembled.

The next instant, excitement surged within him.

It's actually that! I have to get my hands on it.