The instant the mote of light touched the plant, it melted into it.
Before long, the plant became lush and green, brimming with vitality.
"Looks like this thing can also replenish a plant's life force!"
Next, Zhou Xun tried the green mote of light on the wooden table beside him, the spirit rice in the jar, and the grand gate's restriction token.
None of them changed in the slightest.
Zhou Xun shook his head. Just as he was about to end this round of research, the back of his hand accidentally brushed against the pill bottle in his robes.
At that moment, inspiration struck Zhou Xun.
He immediately took out the bottle and poured out a refined Pigu Pill.
Then he controlled the mote of light and had it melt into the pill.
A marvelous scene unfolded.
The green mote of light actually merged with the pill as one.
A look of amazement appeared in Zhou Xun's eyes as he hurriedly picked up the Pigu Pill to inspect it.
"It seems its quality has improved!"
"The improvement is slight, though. Could it be because that spirit grain seedling was too ordinary?" Zhou Xun guessed.
"I'll test it again another day!"
Although he still had a stalk of Qi-Inducing Grass in hand, it was worth more than one hundred and fifty Spirit Essence. Even purchasing other spirit herbs would cost over one hundred Spirit Essence.
Zhou Xun could not afford to waste such an expense.
Over the following days, Zhou Xun spent his daytime refining Pigu Pills at Danbao Pavilion. He still had a monthly quota of fifty bottles.
At night, after returning home, he studied the Qi Induction Pill formula.
Quite a few of the techniques for refining Qi Induction Pills resembled those for Pigu Pills, so he learned much faster.
By the fifteenth day, Zhou Xun had committed the method of refining Qi Induction Pills to heart.
He decided to begin attempting refinement.
To be safe, Zhou Xun once again used the excuse of researching medicinal properties and spent two Spirit Essence to buy fifty spirit grain seedlings from that spirit farmer neighbor.
If he failed to refine the Qi Induction Pills, he could still extract the essence of the spirit grain seedlings to improve their quality.
The materials for Qi Induction Pills were worth nearly two spirit stones. If the refinement failed, it would be a tremendous loss.
Returning to the Alchemy Room, Zhou Xun prepared to begin refining pills.
During this period, the many prospective apprentices were all busy practicing the refinement of Pigu Pills.
Starting a furnace to refine pills now would not draw anyone's attention at all.
Moreover, disturbance was taboo during pill refinement, so Alchemy Rooms were locked from within and outsiders could not enter.
Thus, Zhou Xun was not worried in the slightest about being exposed.
He took out the materials for Qi Induction Pills, along with those several dozen spirit grain seedlings, and arranged them before him one by one.
Zhou Xun calmed his mind and focused his spirit, mentally simulating the process of refining Qi Induction Pills.
He considered every detail several times. Only after feeling there were no problems did he begin the refinement.
The process was the same: warming the pill furnace and condensing the medicinal liquid.
Everything went smoothly.
Everything remained within Zhou Xun's control.
He formed the final set of Mystic Gestures.
The pill furnace lid opened automatically, and only five pills flew out.
"Only two can barely be considered standard-grade. The other three can only be called inferior pills!"
"I barely preserved my capital," Zhou Xun sighed.
Zhou Xun thought back carefully.
It turned out that when condensing the medicinal liquid, he had not been skilled enough, causing the later fusion to be imperfect and ultimately resulting in the failure of part of the batch.
After all, one set of materials could normally produce ten pills.
With an exceptional performance—if the medicinal liquid was perfectly condensed and fused without wasting even a trace—twelve pills could be produced.
If one could achieve that, one could be called a master.
"If I did not possess divine sense and control things down to the finest detail, I fear this entire furnace would have been ruined!"
Having understood the reason, Zhou Xun used the Ningshun Sutra to extract the essence of the spirit grain seedlings and raise all five pills to standard grade.
During this extraction, Zhou Xun also discovered a limitation to condensing essence.
That was, the improvement in a pill's quality was not without limits.
He could clearly feel that the further it went, the improvement brought by fusing the essence had become negligible.
After refining this furnace of Qi Induction Pills, Zhou Xun's wealth was nearly swept clean.
Fortunately, two days later would be the fifteenth, the day of the transaction he had agreed upon with Hong San.
At Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, in the same private room as last time.
After completing the transaction, both men were in high spirits.
One had obtained Pigu Pills and confirmed that Zhou Xun could supply pills.
The other had obtained Spirit Essence and eased the emptiness of his purse.
"Pill Refiner Zhou truly keeps his word. You prepared the pills so quickly. Let me offer Pill Refiner Zhou a cup!" Hong San laughed heartily.
"They are only the most basic Pigu Pills. I gathered enough by asking a few colleagues," Zhou Xun said with a faint smile, raising his wine and draining it in one gulp.
This table of spirit cuisine was worth more than twenty Spirit Essence, and Hong San had paid for it.
After food and drink had satisfied them, Hong San borrowed a little courage from the wine. With a chuckle, he leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"Is Pill Refiner Zhou truly content with transactions that earn only one or two spirit stones a month? Counting the cost of purchasing them, the profit cannot be much, can it?"
"With spirit stones before me, how could Zhou not be tempted? I merely have the heart but lack the strength," Zhou Xun replied without changing expression.
"If Pill Refiner Zhou can provide pills such as Qi Induction Pills and Aura Concealing Pills, I can purchase them at five Spirit Essence below market price!" Hong San's expression struggled for a while. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said it.
"Oh?" Zhou Xun's expression shifted before he let out a sigh.
"Third Brother's price is truly tempting. Unfortunately, I too have the heart but lack the strength. How could the lucrative path of Danbao Pavilion's sale of discarded pills fall to a newcomer like me, whose assessment period has not even ended?"
Hong San merely shook his head at that.
After leaving Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, Zhou Xun went to Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
In the same inner room, Zhou Xun sold all the Qi Induction Pills to Hundred Treasures Pavilion for thirty-five Spirit Essence each.
Hundred Treasures Pavilion purchased countless treasures every day. A few Qi Induction Pills would not attract anyone's attention.
"Fellow Daoist's talent in pill refinement is extraordinary. In such a short time, you have successfully refined Qi Induction Pills!" the middle-aged shopkeeper praised repeatedly.
Originally, Hundred Treasures Pavilion paid thirty Spirit Essence for each Qi Induction Pill. However, he thought highly of Zhou Xun and had deliberately added five Spirit Essence, intending to befriend this absurdly young pill refiner.
"You flatter me, Shopkeeper. These five pills cost me the materials for three furnaces. I suffered a huge loss!"
Zhou Xun feigned dissatisfaction.
"Fellow Daoist has only just begun working with Qi Induction Pills, yet you achieved results with three furnaces of materials. That is already quite rare," the middle-aged shopkeeper consoled him.
As the most common low-grade pill, refining Qi Induction Pills after using three furnaces of materials was entirely within a reasonable range.
After chatting for a few moments and putting away the Spirit Essence, Zhou Xun took his leave.
From selling pills twice, Zhou Xun earned more than three spirit stones.
Yet he soon exchanged them for two more sets of Qi Induction Pill materials.
By his estimate, he would be able to produce ten pills in the next refinement.
However, he did not rush to begin refining.
Because the assessment that would determine whether he could truly become a Pill Refinement Apprentice had arrived.
Over the past two ten-day periods, people had gradually succeeded in refining Pigu Pills.
After eleven people had succeeded, Zhou Xun also announced that he had successfully refined them.
Twelfth place was right in the middle. It would neither attract attention nor prevent him from passing the later assessment as a matter of course.
By this day, seventeen people had successfully refined Pigu Pills.
The person ranked seventeenth was none other than Wei Shangyi.
With his current performance, it was likely somewhat uncertain whether he could remain after the assessment.
Before you continue