The Last Main Ingredient for Foundation Establishment

"Do I even need to introduce this Copper Field Stone? It's a top-tier material, suitable for crafting magical Law Artifact, puppets, and armor—"

The transaction is still ongoing.

A monk with a cloth covering his head carefully lifted the long box, revealing a small brown sapling with roots wrapped in soil.

"The saplings of the Snow Cherry tree, once mature, can produce Snow Cherry Fruit. Long-term consumption of this fruit can moisturize the skin and has a skin-preserving effect."

"To make it clear to everyone, if you go to buy the Appearance-Preserving Pill, it costs thirty Spirit Stone, and it only lasts for twenty or thirty years."

"Snow Cherry Fruit has seven advantages: first, its taste; second, its appearance; third, its affordability; and fourth..."

His presentation was so convincing, it was almost unbelievable.

The cultivators listened with growing displeasure. "What you said is correct, but don't you know how difficult it is to cultivate Snow Cherry saplings?"

"The entire region where Chen State can sustain this tree is monopolized by the major sects."

"Besides, your Snow Cherry seedling is barely clinging to life thanks to the spiritual soil; it will die in less than half a month, let alone flower and bear fruit—"

Zhou Ning gazed at the sapling and suddenly remembered the two large bags of Chen Earth he had dug up in the Withered Wood Grotto-Heaven.

Brother Zhuoran said that this soil is full of vitality, nourishing things associated with the element of Yi Wood.

It's worth buying and experimenting with. Besides, once I've Foundation Establishment and moved the Spring of the Spirit Eye, I'll eventually find another place to cultivate and establish my own sect.

The price of the Snow Cherry sapling is three Spirit Stone, which is too high.

Zhou Ning tossed out three bottles of Azure Essence Pill: "Want to trade or not?"

The veiled cultivator paused, then said, "Fellow Daoist, that's too cheap. Unless you use that Spirit Condensation Pill— "

Zhou Ning laughed in exasperation, "Spirit Condensation Pill? I also have Mystic Thunder Orb. Do you want them?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding cultivators all looked at him with caution and involuntarily took a few steps back.

The Mystic Thunder Orb is a specialty of the Lei Household. It is more powerful than the Thunder Explosion Pearl. If it hits someone at close range, it can kill an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator!

If this Alchemist can produce Spirit Condensation Pill, then it's not impossible for him to grit his teeth and purchase a Mystic Thunder Orb.

The cloth-clad cultivator coughed awkwardly, trying to smooth things over. "What would I do with that Mystic Thunder Orb? I can't eat it anyway. Fine, I'll take the loss today and exchange it for it!"

After saying this, he took the medicine bottle, pushed the long wooden box over, and reminded him, "Fellow Daoist, change the soil within half a month, otherwise you will bear the consequences."

Zhou Ning put it into his Storage Bag.

Based on his success rate, three bottles of Azure Essence Pill would only cost half a Spirit Stone, which would clear out his inventory.

Midnight.

In the southwest corner of Fortune Star Market, there is a small courtyard with red bricks and green tiles, inside which Alchemy Chamber.

Zhou Ning patted the black iron Pill Furnace, and four pink pills floated out, arranged neatly.

He glanced at the massive black figure opposite him and uttered its name: "Black Husband Daoist Hei Fu, are you satisfied?"

After the trade fair, he and Black Widow came to this place. He thought the place was full of male concubines, but there wasn't a single one.

"Fellow Daoist Ma is indeed exceptionally talented, but the Stasis-Clearing Pill— "

The Stasis-Clearing Pill is notoriously easy to make and inexpensive. One batch requires sixteen catties of spirit rice, but a batch of three pills only yields fifteen catties of spirit rice.

Except for beginners, no one trains dogs.

"Hehe, what if I told you that the Qi-Benefiting Pill can also produce four pills?" Zhou Ning's tone was calm.

The art of alchemy is vast and profound, with each practitioner possessing their own area of expertise.

An old Alchemist studies second-tier pills every day and a low-tier Alchemist has spent half his life Stasis-Clearing Pill might not necessarily win in a contest of Stasis-Clearing Pill success rate.

Of course, truly powerful Alchemist, whose skills have returned to simplicity and are effortless, completely overwhelm lower-level Alchemist in every aspect.

Black Husband: "Really?"

"Why would I lie to you? But Fellow Black Husband, shouldn't you show me your sincerity?"

Upon hearing the news of the essential materials for Foundation Establishment, Zhou Ning was willing to take a slight risk and reveal some of his alchemy skills.

With a flick of his sleeve, Black Husband revealed a leaf on the ground.

Zhou Ning looked over, his gaze shifting slightly. It was a purple leaf with curled petals—the withered leaves of the Purple Monkey Flower.

"Hehe, it's just a leaf, how can I convince Mr. Ma that you have a main ingredient?" Zhou Ning said cautiously.

He didn't lack Purple Monkey Flower and Earth Profound Fruit; what he wanted most was Jade Marrow Ganoderma or a finished Foundation Establishment Pill.

Of course, he didn't hold out much hope for the Foundation Establishment Pill; otherwise, the person in front of him would probably be Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"What about these?" Another stack of talismans appeared on the ground.

Zhou Ning picked it up and saw that it was the same type of Great Water Dragon Talisman he had used many times.

However, the talisman in his hand was very different from the ones he had used before.

First, the talisman paper is of a higher grade, and the spirit sand and jade powder are of higher quality. Second, the talisman ink has an extremely accurate trajectory and a stable Spiritual Qi energy circuit. Without a doubt, the activation speed is definitely faster and easier to control, and even the power is slightly increased.

It's practically a work of art.

He looked at several talismans in a row— the Fire Crow Talisman, the Vajra Talisman, and the Wood Vine Strangulation Talisman —and the more he looked, the more terrified he became.

This doesn't look like something hand-drawn by a monk; it looks more like something produced industrially.

"Do you think my talisman skills are sufficient to obtain the main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill?" Black Husband asked.

Zhou Ning suddenly said, "I want the Jade Marrow Ganoderma."

Black Husband paused for a moment, but did not suspect anything.

Jade Marrow Ganoderma Fungus is the rarest of the three main ingredients, Purple Monkey Flower is the cheapest, and Earth Profound Fruit can be replaced by the core of a second-tier Demon Beast.

"Sure, but you must hand over the pills in one hand and the medicinal herbs in the other," Black Husband said. She then asked, "When can you begin refining them?"

Zhou Ning thought for a moment and said, "This pill is extremely difficult to refine; it will take at least three years—"

His skills are still insufficient, even with the existence of the [Divine Cauldron Inner Landscape Scripture].

This lineage is not invincible; otherwise, the He Household members would all be alchemy masters, having developed a plethora of heaven-defying pills, and would have already trampled the Firmament Treasure Sect into chaos.

Black Husband then asked, "What if there's only one batch of materials?"

Zhou Ning remained silent for a long time before saying, "Five years."

It will take him at least five to seven years to complete the Qi Refining. During this time, he must simultaneously study the Thunder-Suppressing Meridian-Fortifying Pill and the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Both have only one chance to be refined; if a mistake is made, all previous efforts will be wasted.

Black Husband: "Come back here a year from now, and I will provide you with similar Pill Formula formulas and ingredients to help you practice."

"If you fail, the deal is void." Black Husband has been waiting for ten years to gather the medicinal herbs; this matter concerns her Dao Path.

She couldn't possibly entrust it to an unreliable Alchemist; it had to be absolutely safe.

Zhou Ning: "Okay."

The next day, the rising sun dispelled the mountain mist.

Zhou Ning, stepping on the most popular green leaf Law Artifact, transformed into Brother Zhuoran's appearance and leisurely flew out of Fortune Star Market.

Brother Zhuoran is dead. From now on, I am Brother Zhuoran!

He looked back and saw that the market gate was decorated with lanterns and colorful ornaments, and many star-shaped decorations were hung on it.

And you know what? He really was a lucky star; he found fortuitous opportunity on his very first visit.

"I have a connection with the Sun Household."

Zhou Ning flew forward for more than fifty miles and saw a figure running across the grassland in the distance.

When he flew close enough, the woman collapsed against the tree, barely breathing.

Zhou Ning was extremely cautious, thinking to himself, "Is this a honey trap?"

The beautiful woman lay on her side on the ground, her clothes ragged, her chest so heavy it bent the grass, her feet bare, truly alluring and captivating.

She struggled to lift her face, her expression one of utter weakness, and her red lips parted slightly. "Fellow Daoist, I have no strength left, could you help me?"

Would Zhou Ning fall for a trap?

He looked down at him and tossed out a pill. "Take this power pill, and I guarantee you'll be as vigorous as a dragon!"

Then, stepping on the green leaf Law Artifact, he quickly disappeared into the distance.

Beautiful woman. "?"

A dozen or so breaths later, two figures emerged from the woods.

The burly man in the lead spat, "Damn it, what bad luck!"

The beautiful woman straightened her face, frowned, and scolded, "Didn't you say you received news that the Alchemist from Little Willow Marsh has recently come to the market to buy things?"

"I've been acting for almost three days, and I haven't even seen a glimpse of him. Could I have been tricked?"

"Stay away from your shady friends from now on!"

The beautiful woman flicked away the grass clippings with disdain, then crushed the pill in her hand.

That's utter bullshit!

In the end, having no other choice, they decided to try and extort some spiritual materials from any cultivator, thinking that a thief shouldn't leave empty-handed. However, the cultivator simply ran away.

Of the three, the short female cultivator who held the knife asked, "Sister, didn't you say you wanted me to come out and enjoy life with you?"

The beautiful woman retorted angrily, "If you don't help me earn Spirit Stone, how can I take you to enjoy a life of luxury?"

"But are we running a legitimate business?" the short woman asked, bowing her head.

The beautiful woman put her dress back on, concealing her alluring body, and said, "We're just borrowing some Spirit Stone stones to spend, how is that improper?"

Zhou Ning's Divine Sense was incredibly powerful; he had already discovered the cultivators hiding in the woods.

He could have used swift and decisive methods to kill everyone and seize the Storage Bag.

There's no need for that; it's better to avoid trouble. If someone is carrying a treasure like the Mystic Thunder Orb, they might just blow him half to death.

Just like how he has Vine Puppet Seed, he can easily find a powerful Lineage or Aristocratic Clan noble clan to plant it on a genius and seize their Foundation Establishment materials.

But things weren't that simple. The Lei Household was so powerful, with several Core Formation Cultivator, but they wouldn't dare to kill and plunder without reason. Otherwise, the Azure Mystic Sect would immediately wipe them out and seize the Lei Household's accumulated wealth.

Even if a true immortal descends to earth and incurs public wrath, he can still capsize in a ditch.

Unless you're strong enough to break all the rules and be unrestrained.

--

Zhou Ning to a remote place, restored his appearance, put on the bamboo leaf Law Artifact, and returned to his unfaithful Little Willow Marsh.

From afar, he could see two heads floating on the surface of the water.

Zhou Ning was puzzled; it seemed to be Wang Guanhe and Chen Long.

As he flew closer, he was right. The two men, covered in mud and sand, were splashing around in the water, laughing heartily, like dirty ducks in a swamp.

Wang Guanhe exclaimed joyfully, "How delightful! To swim and play in the water during this sweltering heat is truly delightful!"

Chen Long, his face covered in mud and water, exclaimed, "That felt great!"

Zhou Ning couldn't hold back any longer, and a sentence tugged out from the corner of his mouth. "You two really have a refined taste—"

Wang Guanhe warmly invited, "Alchemist Zhou, would you like to join us for some fun?"

Zhou Ning quickly replied, "No, no, I have something to attend to today, I'll leave first."

Without further hesitation, he flew away on the bamboo leaf Law Artifact.

When he saw the mist rising from the villa, Wang Guanhe breathed a sigh of relief and remained calm, "He really didn't suspect anything."

Chen Long emerged from the water, giving a thumbs-up. "Old Wang, brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"

They pretended to play in the water during the sweltering heat, but in reality, they secretly scooped up Ceramic Crystal Sand from the bottom of the water—it was an impeccable scheme.

However—this person actually came back alive! Those fools got the news, but couldn't get anything done!

Chen Long was furious. "Those bastards! I'm never associating with them again!"

Two days later, a stone basin was placed in Zhou Ning's courtyard, containing bluish-black soil.

A small, brown sapling, standing alone and upright.

Zhou Ning clicked his tongue in amazement. "As expected of the ' Chen Earth ' from the grotto-heaven, it's still usable in this world."

He could sense that the Snow Cherry saplings, which were on the verge of withering, were gradually starting to recover and were brimming with vitality.

He was about to water it with some spiritual spring water when he suddenly sensed a fluctuation of spiritual energy coming from afar.

Zhou Ning deftly put away the flowerpots, wondering, "Who would come to this run-down place?"