《Scientifically Cultivating In An Unscientific World》 Chapter 1 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The Center Sect. Bihu Peak. ¡°The lesson is over. You can leave on your own after finishing the breathing exercise.¡± The middle-aged cultivator, Shen Zhong, who had just finished the lesson given to the Outer Disciples of the Center Sect, said this while standing in the pavilion. He finished his words. The dozens of Outer Disciples were all sitting steadily on the mats in front of the pavilion; none of them had left. Some of the disciples had already finished one round of breathing exercises but they were ready to do another round. Shen Zhong looked at the scene in front of him and nodded with satisfaction. This batch of newly recruited Outer Disciples was righteous at heart. To eliminate the heretics as soon as possible, they were all determined to break through to the Foundation Establishment and enter the Inner Sect within a year. Therefore, they could be said to be extremely diligent in their cultivation. Unfortunately, Shen Zhong knew that most of these disciples had mediocre talent. It was already considered good enough that they could break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm within three years. He hoped that this group of Outer Disciples could produce a prodigy. Then the sect would bestow him with the precious realm-breaking pill. If he could use the realm-breaking pill to break through to the next realm in the end, wouldn¡¯t he be able to return to the Inner Sect and kill the heretic cult together with his fellow disciples? That would be a supreme honor! Unfortunately¡­ Currently, Shen Zhong¡¯s thoughts were surging with emotions. At this time, a white-clothed youth sitting at the back of the pavilion suddenly stopped his breathing exercise and quickly got up to leave. This scene instantly pulled Shen Zhong back to reality. He saw the youth frown and subconsciously wanted to open his mouth to lecture him with a few words. However, he remembered that it was already past the lesson time and the youth had not come to the pavilion to find him to resolve his doubts before. Perhaps he was not a material that could be molded. Moreover, seeing that he was leaving and walking towards the Forging Body Field, he might have been just an ordinary disciple who knew that his chances of advancing were slim and wanted to focus on Body Refining. Forget it, forget it, let him be. Shen Zhong watched as the youth turned around to leave. Just as he was about to withdraw his gaze, he noticed that the youth was suddenly trembling violently and almost lost his footing. However, the youth did not stop because of this. He even supported himself against the wall and was persistent in leaving this place. When Shen Zhong saw this scene, his gaze instantly turned solemn. He was just about to open his mouth and ask the youth about the situation. He wanted to make sure that it was not because of the wrong breathing method that caused something to happen to his body. However, Shen Zhong considered that there were still many disciples who were doing the breathing exercise in front of him. He was afraid of disturbing them, so he hesitated for a moment and did not open his mouth. However, he also knew that if something happened to this youth, the latter would take the initiative to look for him. It was not because he wanted to leave this place immediately. Thus, Shen Zhong decided to forget about it and let nature take its course. But right at this moment! Within Shen Zhong¡¯s line of sight, the youth suddenly stopped in his tracks. After his body trembled violently, he emitted a spiritual energy fluctuation that only appeared after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage. Seeing this scene, Shen Zhong was stunned at first. Then, his eyes instantly widened to become incomparably round! Broke¡­ broke through to the Foundation Establishment?! He broke through while standing and walking?! What kind of exaggerated cultivation talent was this! Shen Zhong was stunned by this outrageous scene. After a few seconds, he reacted and immediately stood up to chase after him. At the same time, he shouted excitedly, ¡°Stop¡­ Stop in your tracks! Stop in your tracks!¡± ¡­ Lu Ming was very helpless now. That¡¯s right. He was the genius who ¡°performed¡± the act of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment while walking in front of Shen Zhong just now. In fact¡­ He had indeed broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage¡­ He was truly a disciple worthy of the title of prodigy. However, the reason he got up and left was not to perform the so-called breaking through while walking. Instead, he wanted to leave Shen Zhong¡¯s sight. It wasn¡¯t that he hated Shen Zhong very much. The two of them hadn¡¯t even spoken to each other before. Lu Ming simply wanted to find a place with no one around to see if he could continue to suppress his realm. As for the reason why he was suppressing his realm, it was very simple. That was because¡­ He did not want to advance to the Inner Sect! Lu Ming had transmigrated to this cultivation world half a year ago. After transmigrating to the Mortal Dynasty, because he had not awakened the Golden Finger that was widely rumored to be necessary for transmigration, he decided to lie low until the Golden Finger came out before deciding on his path. He didn¡¯t expect to find that there was a heretic force in this cultivation world. The heretic force often sent the cultivation practitioners who had fallen into the Devil Path to wreak havoc in the Mortal Dynasty and slaughter the common people, and this kind of situation happened frequently. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the major cultivation sects would ask their disciples to protect them, the consequences would be unimaginable. Therefore¡­ Lu Ming, who was staying in the Mortal Dynasty until the Golden Finger awakened, immediately left the place and came to the Center Sect which was known for killing many heretics and had the highest reputation among the cultivation sects. Lu Ming thought that he had to try his luck to see if he could pass the entrance qualification test. In the end, he passed the test. However, he regretted it the moment he entered the Center Sect! It was because he found out the reason why the Center Sect was able to kill so many heretics and was famous for it. It was because the cultivation practitioners of this sect didn¡¯t want to live forever; they only wanted to kill the heretics! The cultivation practitioners of the Center Sect and even the entire cultivation world were fanatical fighters. The cultivation practitioners only wanted to become stronger! After becoming stronger, they had to kill the enemies! They even thought that the best ending for the cultivation practitioners was to die in battle. This made Lu Ming numb. Especially when he learned that even the Inner Disciples of the Center Sect in the Foundation Establishment Stage had to inspect the sects of the Mortal Dynasty once every two months. He regretted it. He regretted it thoroughly. As a researcher of Physics and Chemistry in his previous life, he disliked reckless fighting and meaningless killing. Therefore, Lu Ming decided to stay in the Outer Sect of the Center Sect for as long as he could. The longer the better. In any case, his cultivation talent was moderate. However¡­ When Lu Ming started his cultivation, he was surprised to find that although his talent was moderate during the test, his cultivation speed was remarkable and his realm was much higher than that of his peers! Hence, he began to guess that perhaps his fast cultivation speed was his Golden Finger? Wasn¡¯t this a big joke? Lu Ming still remembered that there was once when Shen Zhong praised a prodigy who only used nine months to successfully attain Foundation Establishment in front of them. Then, one of the disciples asked him what realm the prodigy had reached now. Shen Zhong said that after this prodigy was heavily nurtured by the sect, he was sent out by the sect to patrol the Mortal Dynasty after only a month. In the end, he was killed by the heretics during the patrol because he was on the list of prodigies in the cultivation world. This made Lu Ming give up on the idea of becoming stronger by cultivating on his own. After all, no matter how talented he was and how much resources the Center Sect spend to nurture him, it would take Lu Ming at least thirty years to reach the Crossing Tribulation Stage. In these thirty years, according to the style of the Center Sect, he would have been sent to patrol at least hundreds of times? If his realm was high, wouldn¡¯t he have to face the heretics? If he was ranked on the list of prodigies, wouldn¡¯t those heretics in the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Stage frantically chase after him to kill him? Therefore, Lu Ming had always kept a low profile to conceal his cultivation talent and never talked to his peers. When he was at the pavilion and listening to Shen Zhong¡¯s teaching, he always hid in a corner. Lu Ming had a strong determination to live as long as possible. In the end, he did not expect it. He had never practised breathing in private and only went through the breathing exercise in front of Shen Zhong. His realm had advanced by leaps and bounds¡­ This¡­ Wasn¡¯t this pushing him into the fire pit? Thus, Lu Ming began to crazily suppress his realm. He did not expect that in the end, he still could not suppress it. He eventually exposed his cultivation talent! Chapter 2 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bihu Peak. In front of the teaching pavilion. ¡°Good! Good! Good!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that such a prodigy like you would be hidden among the Outer Disciples of Bihu Peak!¡± ¡°You used only half a year to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage!¡± ¡°Great talent, great talent!¡± Shen Zhong looked at Lu Ming who was in front of him. His eyes were overflowing with adoration and love, and he couldn¡¯t stop praising him. At the same time. The dozens of Bihu Peak disciples who had come to send Lu Ming off had only just recovered from the shock from yesterday. As the same group of Outer Disciples who had entered, they had never expected that the silent and reserved young man in front of them would be a genius. If it weren¡¯t for Lu Ming¡¯s good looks and refined temperament, otherwise, with his low profile, they probably wouldn¡¯t even have the slightest impression of him. For ordinary Outer Disciples to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Stage, most of them would need three years. Two years was already considered pretty good. Those who broke through in one year were called prodigies. But Lu Ming, this senior brother who was standing in front of them, actually only used half a year! ¡°Senior Brother Lu has advanced to the Inner Sect so quickly, it¡¯s truly amazing!¡± ¡°Senior Brother Lu has successfully reached the Foundation Establishment in half a year. He was able to break through the extremely difficult barrier just by walking. He¡¯s a genius! Senior Brother Lu is truly a peerless prodigy!¡± ¡°Senior Brother Lu, I admire you. I believe that your talent is better than Senior Brother Han Ri¡¯s. Perhaps the sect will send you out to patrol the sect in half a month!¡± ¡°Yes, I will use the number of heretics that Senior Brother Lu will kill in the future as my target to work hard!¡± Lu Ming could still smile and nod his head when he heard the compliments in the beginning. However, when he heard till the end, Lu Ming maintained his calm on the surface but was almost cursing in his heart. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°There is a long way to go on the path of cultivation.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to bring Lu Ming to the Inner Sect to report for duty. You all should continue to be diligent, and you will see this day coming.¡± Shen Zhong advised them with a smile. Then, he drew his sword out of its sheath and together with Lu Ming, headed toward Tianguang Peak where the Inner Disciples lived! ¡­ The Center Sect. Tianguang Peak. When Lu Ming stepped into Tianguang Peak, where the Inner Disciples lived, for the first time, his first reaction was that the spiritual energy on Tianguang Peak was much purer than that on Bihu Peak. Therefore, he hurriedly reduced the frequency of his breathing. He was afraid that he might accidentally break through to the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment. Then he would be in big trouble. Wouldn¡¯t the sect have to let him go out to patrol once a month instead? ¡°Such a precious place is suitable for cultivators.¡± ¡°Lu Ming, don¡¯t worry. You can cultivate your talent properly first. When you reach the late stage of the Foundation Establishment, you can participate in the Sword Trial Assembly.¡± ¡°By then, the elders will take you as their disciple, and you will be able to find another peak with a richer spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth.¡± Shen Zhong said this with a big smile on his face. Was that so? Then I¡¯d better not practise breathing exercises in the future. After entering Tianguang Peak, Shen Zhong didn¡¯t ride the sword anymore; this was the rule of the Center Sect. The two of them walked on the stone steps of the stairway leading up to the peak. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to register later. After you¡¯ve received your Inner Disciple token and the cultivation methods of the Inner Sect, you can officially stay on Tianguang Peak after you¡¯ve found your cave abode.¡± ¡°As your guide, I hope you can cultivate to the late stage of the Foundation Establishment as soon as possible and help the sect to eliminate evil!¡± Shen Zhong reminded Lu Ming earnestly while climbing the stairway. However, this sentence had a different meaning in Lu Ming¡¯s ears. ¡°Of course, because I found you, a good seedling, I can also get a share of the realm-breaking pill.¡± ¡°If I succeed in breaking through the realm, perhaps we will have a chance to meet in the Inner Sect.¡± Shen Zhong said with a smile. Hearing these two sentences, an idea suddenly flashed in Lu Ming¡¯s mind. He thought of a possibility and asked immediately, ¡°Master Shen, our Center Sect needs to send disciples to patrol the Mortal Dynasty frequently to prevent more civilians from being slaughtered.¡± ¡°Some of them will inevitably be injured, so the demand for healing elixirs will increase.¡± ¡°These alchemy disciples would have trouble balancing the time.¡± Hearing this, a smile appeared on the corner of Shen Zhong¡¯s mouth and he shook his head. ¡°No, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Alchemy disciples are an extremely rare and important part of our sect¡¯s disciples.¡± ¡°These alchemy disciples and the weapon refining disciples only need to participate in the patrol to encircle and annihilate the heretics once every three months. The higher the rank of their alchemy or weapon refining, the less they can participate in such a patrol to encircle and annihilate the heretics.¡± ¡°Rank 1 alchemists and weapon refining masters participate once every three months, Rank 2 alchemists and weapon refining masters participate once every four months, and Rank 3 alchemists and weapon refining masters participate in a patrol once every six months.¡± ¡°Rank 4 to Rank 6 alchemists and weapon refining masters will participate once a year.¡± ¡°Rank 6 to Rank 9 alchemists and weapon refining masters will participate once every five years.¡± ¡°Of course, they aren¡¯t willing to go out and kill the enemy only once in such a long time. However, after all, focusing on alchemy and spiritual weapons can bring out their true value. This is also their greatest contribution to the righteous path!¡± Hmm?! Yes. Lu Ming realised that he had finally found a way to get out of this situation. However, before he could even smile, Shen Zhong spoke again, ¡°However, the requirements for an alchemist¡¯s talent are very high. Very few people can be recruited.¡± ¡°Therefore, during the entrance qualification test, they often start to select all the disciples who have the talent for alchemy¡­¡± This¡­ This meant that he had already been eliminated. Lu Ming was completely at his wit¡¯s end. They did not give him any chance at all. If even this did not work, then he would only have half a month left before he had to patrol the Mortal Dynasty. In the case that he might have already been on the prodigy list¡­ It would be very difficult for those heretics not to make a move against him. Lu Ming gradually became restless internally. But at this moment¡­ A mechanical voice suddenly rang out in his mind. ¡°Detected that the host has successfully entered the 188-day lottery within the cultivation sects, meeting the activation criteria of the lottery system.¡± ¡°Gifted the host with a newcomer reward, you can choose from the following three options.¡± ¡°1. Scientific data-based breathing technique gift pack!¡± ¡°2. Scientific data-based sword control technique gift pack!¡± ¡°3. Scientific data-based alchemy technique gift pack!¡± Chapter 3 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Finally! When Lu Ming heard the sound of the system activating, he was excited. Half a year. One hundred and eighty-eight days! Do you know how I spent these one hundred and eighty-eight days? System, do you know?! I was watching my realm increase rapidly. It was too scary. If this was a different style of the cultivation world, it wouldn¡¯t be too bad. What a pity. No matter what, the system had finally been successfully activated. Moreover, it had solved his urgent problem right from the start. Lu Ming didn¡¯t make a decision right away. He was prepared to study it carefully after arriving at the cave abode. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± After Shen Zhong brought Lu Ming across the heavenly steps, they finally arrived at the disciple registration pavilion of Tianguang Peak. Inside the pavilion sat a young lady dressed in a long purple dress. Her black hair draped over her shoulders. Her skin was snow-white and delicate, and she had both looks and temperament. This also caused Lu Ming¡¯s eyes to subconsciously light up. ¡°En, it¡¯s you? Where¡¯s Elder Mo from the original registration pavilion?¡± As soon as he stepped into the pavilion, Shen Zhong saw that the person inside was already different. He spoke in a somewhat stunned manner. ¡°Disciple Lin Ciyue greets Master Shen.¡± Seeing Shen Zhong enter, the young girl immediately stood up and bowed. It seemed that she was also a disciple from Bihu Peak. ¡°Elder Mo died in action when he was hunting down heretics in the Nascent Soul Stage.¡± As soon as she finished her words, Lu Ming sighed in his heart. It wasn¡¯t that he was sentimental, but he just didn¡¯t want to end up like this after cultivating for a long time. Then, both their voices sounded together. ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s such a beautiful death!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the honor of the disciples of the Center Sect to die on the battlefield after encircling the heretics!¡± Shen Zhong didn¡¯t show any sadness on his face; in fact, he was feeling proud of it. ¡°Yes, honor!¡± Lin Ciyue echoed him. What? Was he serious about it? Lu Ming was shocked when he heard what Shen Zhong said. Yes, he was aware that disciples of the Center Sect advocated killing demons and dying in a glorious battle. But the normal procedure was to sigh and express regret before saying such words. Why were they all so proud of themselves? If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the disciples of the Center Sect were normal in other matters, Lu Ming would have doubted his life completely. ¡°Come, Yue¡¯er, help your junior brother register.¡± After ending the small talk, Shen Zhong immediately got down to business. ¡°Hmm? Register?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t this batch of Outer Disciples got recruited for only half a year? Could it be¡­¡± Lin Ciyue¡¯s beautiful eyes gradually lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right, this time it¡¯s my Bihu Peak¡¯s turn to produce a peerless prodigy!¡± Shen Zhong¡¯s face was beaming with joy. ¡°Lu¡­ Ming, Junior Brother Lu Ming, right?¡± ¡°Not only did junior brother successfully reach the Foundation Establishment in half a year, but he¡¯s also so handsome. He¡¯s truly a peerless prodigy.¡± ¡°This is your Heavenly Grade A cave abode token and the embroidered golden thread disciple clothes.¡± Lin Ciyue quickly completed the registration. While praising him, she took out the token and disciple clothes. ¡°Thank you, senior sister.¡± Lu Ming took them and nodded slightly. ¡°Okay, Master Shen, I¡¯ll take Junior Brother Lu Ming to his cave abode.¡± Lin Ciyue said to Shen Zhong as she stood up and left the registration pavilion. ¡°Okay.¡± In fact, Shen Zhong was also a little anxious because he had to go to Pill Peak to collect the realm-breaking pill. After the two sides said their goodbyes, Shen Zhong went to the Pill Peak. Lin Ciyue also brought Lu Ming to the Heavenly Grade A cave abode. ¡°Junior Brother Lu Ming, this is your cave abode.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how much I envy your talent. This is the cave abode that countless Inner Disciples want to get their hands on.¡± Lin Ciyue¡¯s entire body was exuding a faint fragrance. On the way, she would deliberately make physical contact from time to time, so it also disturbed Lu Ming somewhat. But he quickly suppressed it. Because after personally hearing this senior sister talk about ¡°honor¡±, he no longer had any interest in her. ¡°Especially this Grade A cave abode. Every day, it will automatically condense the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth, and it can also help you with your cultivation.¡± Lin Ciyue spoke with an envious tone. Hiss. This kind of cave abode, it was better not to live in it! Lu Ming cursed in his heart. He nodded slightly on the surface and politely brushed her off. Lin Ciyue left after explaining a few more things. Lu Ming finally entered the cave abode and checked his Golden Finger. ¡­ ¡°I will choose the scientific data-based alchemy technique gift pack!¡± Without any hesitation, when the gift pack options appeared in his mind again, Lu Ming chose the alchemy technique gift pack immediately. In the conversation just now, he had asked Lin Ciyue about the alchemy disciples. Although Pill Peak rarely made mistakes in the past when testing for alchemy qualifications, such situations still existed. If he obtained the alchemy qualification through the system, he still had a chance to become an alchemist. ¡°Ding.¡± ¡°Congratulations to the host for obtaining 100 alchemy experience points!¡± ¡°Officially becoming a Rank 1 alchemist.¡± ¡°Currently distributing scientific data-based alchemy techniques¡­¡± ¡°Unlocking system mission for becoming a Rank 2 alchemist¡­ unlocking completed.¡± The alchemy techniques were still in the process of being distributed. However, the system mission had already been unlocked and appeared before Lu Ming¡¯s eyes: [System mission: When you have successfully promoted scientific alchemy techniques to 1 person, you can obtain 500 alchemy experience points, officially become a Rank 2 alchemist and unlock all scientific alchemy methods for Rank 2 elixirs.] Tsk. After Lu Ming saw the system mission, he was a little hesitant. After all, he still did not know what scientific alchemy was all about. If it was a particularly outrageous one, then it would be impossible to promote it. If he was promoting the scientific alchemy technique in his sect, it would be even more troublesome if others mistook him as a heretic. It would be better to wait until he understood it first. ¡°Ding, scientific data-based alchemy knowledge has been distributed.¡± The moment the system sounded, Lu Ming felt two auras surging wildly in his body before slowly gathering together. After this feeling appeared, Lu Ming subconsciously looked inside his body and discovered that the five spiritual roots in his body were radiating light at the same time. Previously, his water spiritual root was dim and hadn¡¯t awakened yet. Could it be that the system defied the Heavens and changed fate to help him awaken his water spiritual root? Wait a minute. No. Combining this with the scientific data of cultivation that appeared in his mind at this moment, Lu Ming understood that an alchemist needed the water element released by the water spiritual root. Because he didn¡¯t awaken the water spiritual root, he was naturally tested to have no alchemy qualification. The water element could also be made from the oxygen element in the wood spiritual root and the hydrogen element in the metal spiritual root! And with the wood spiritual root and the metal spiritual root, he could naturally perform alchemy! The system did not help him awaken the water spiritual root but helped to solve this problem through a more reasonable scientific method. Moreover, the solution to this problem was of great practical significance! Chapter 4 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was a well-known fact. Among the five spiritual roots of the cultivation practitioners of the major sects, the water spiritual root was the least awakened one, which resulted in a very small number of alchemists. However, the sects that had been battling with the heretics for a long time were in great need of elixirs. This discovery could allow a large number of cultivators with metal and wood spiritual roots to refine elixirs, which could effectively solve the problem of the scarcity of elixirs. This was a great achievement! At the same time, the experience and techniques for Rank 1 alchemy appeared in his head. After these contents appeared, Lu Ming was amazed at what ¡°scientific cultivation¡± was and at the same time, he immediately materialized them: [When refining the most basic Rank 1 elixir, the most important thing to pay attention to is the control of the proportion of the output ratio of the pill fire output and the precise control of the quantity of the basic medicinal herbs.] [For example, when refining the spirit gathering elixir, one must accurately put in 135g spirit gathering grass and 380g hundred-year-old ginseng in the correct sequence¡­] [After placing all the medicinal herbs, to completely extract the essence of the hundred-year-old ginseng, one must first adjust the proportion of the pill fire output to 45% of the fire spiritual root¡¯s spiritual power output and 55% of the wood spiritual root¡¯s spiritual power output.] [At the same time, control the temperature of the pill fire between 60 degrees to 70 degrees.] [¡­if the constant temperature of the pill fire is set to X, the concentration of the spirit gathering grass is Y and the temperature of the pill fire during the refinement is Z, the final formula can be obtained: spirit gathering pill = ¡­] As Lu Ming was a researcher in Physics and Chemistry in his previous life, after seeing such a simple and easy-to-understand explanation of alchemy, he instantly understood all the problems related to refining a Rank 1 elixir. Science does not deceive me. This is the power of knowledge. Just as Lu Ming was feeling sentimental, a voice suddenly came from outside the cave abode. ¡°Fellow Daoist, are you in the cave abode?¡± Because the voice was mixed with spiritual energy, Lu Ming could hear the voice very clearly. There was already someone looking for him so quickly? A deacon of the sect? No, since he addressed him as a fellow Daoist, he should not be. If the sect had something or a mission to convey, they could use the disciple token. Lu Ming immediately got up to walk out of the cave abode. When he was near the cave abode, Lu Ming realized that it was already dusk. He had unknowingly immersed himself in the sea of knowledge for a long time. When he walked to the entrance of the cave abode, Lu Ming saw a medium-sized youth with an average appearance waiting for him. ¡°Fellow Daoist, who are you?¡± Lu Ming stood within the cave abode¡¯s restricted area and asked curiously. ¡°Junior brother, I am your Senior Brother Liu Feng, and I live in the cave abode on your left.¡± The youth smiled and said to Lu Ming. ¡°Today, I learned that someone had suddenly moved into our Grade A cave abode, so I came to pay a visit.¡± ¡°Perhaps one day, when we are appointed to patrol, we will be assigned together.¡± As soon as he finished his words, Lu Ming immediately realized what had happened. It was then that he remembered that Lin Ciyue had mentioned it at the registration pavilion. Usually, the disciples of the Center Sect who lived near each other in the cave abode would find an opportunity to get acquainted together. It was because they might be assigned together when they were out on patrol. He had forgotten about it because he had been preoccupied with alchemy and refining elixirs. In the Center Sect, the disciples would have conflicts over the distribution of resources or the number of patrols. But in fact, few of them would have feuds with each other. After all, the disciples of the Center Sect had contributed a lot to the outside world and the people around them kept changing frequently. In addition, those who had made feuds with each other might become life and death teammates in the blink of an eye. As a result, the disciples of the Center Sect tried their best to get along with one another. ¡°I see. Greetings, Senior Brother Liu.¡± Lu Ming greeted him with a bow. This person who was his neighbor should be a prodigy who had cultivated to the Foundation Establishment Stage within a year. He didn¡¯t expect this person to be a genius despite his plain appearance. Then, Lu Ming looked at the Grade A cave abode on his right side subconsciously. ¡°Junior Brother Lu Ming, you don¡¯t have to look at it.¡± ¡°You can look for your Senior Brother Gu Zecang after a few days¡­¡± Seeing Lu Ming¡¯s gaze fall on the Grade A cave abode on his right, Liu Feng opened his mouth and was about to tell him the reason why Gu Zecang didn¡¯t come, but he didn¡¯t finish his words. ¡°Bang!¡± The sound of an item exploding came from Gu Zecang¡¯s cave abode. ¡°This¡­This is?¡± After the explosion, Lu Ming curiously asked Liu Feng. Liu Feng revealed a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just that Junior Brother Gu Zecang blew up the cauldron again.¡± ¡°Blew up the cauldron? Senior Brother Gu is an alchemist?¡± Lu Ming, who had just unlocked his scientific alchemy experience and techniques, immediately understood the meaning of the explosion when he heard it. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This Senior Brother Gu is an amazing person.¡± ¡°When he entered the sect, he was tested to have talent in alchemy, but after his cultivation reached the Foundation Establishment Stage and he advanced to become an Inner Disciple, he rejected the invitation from the Pill Peak to go and cultivate alchemy there.¡± ¡°But you and I also understand that disciples who can enter the Grade A cave abodes like us have great talent in cultivation.¡± Liu Feng¡¯s temperament was very similar to his appearance, very moderate and amiable. Even when he spoke, he maintained a steady pace. ¡°Junior Brother Gu only wanted to cultivate and then go and kill the heretics. He didn¡¯t need to waste time on alchemy and his cultivation improved very quickly. Last month, he broke through to the Core Formation Stage in one go!¡± ¡°But after he broke through to the Core Formation Stage, he regretted it. Because he found that the resources the sect provided for him were simply not enough, he went to the Pill Peak to ask for elixirs, but was directly rejected by the disciples of the Pill Peak.¡± ¡°Then Junior Brother Gu thought that he had the talent for alchemy, so he began to learn alchemy secretly. However, after being discovered by the disciples of the Pill Peak, he was ridiculed by them. In the end, he refused to give in to them and was forced to make a bet.¡± ¡°The disciples of the Pill Peak bet that if he could learn alchemy by himself within this month, then in the future, they would give him twice as many elixirs every month.¡± ¡°If he didn¡¯t learn the alchemy technique by himself, then he would have to clean up the cauldrons¡¯ ashes for the disciples of Pill Peak for a year.¡± Liu Feng shook his head after he finished his last sentence. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Alchemy is such a difficult task. How could he learn it on his own? He blew up more than ten cauldrons in a month and almost used up all the spirit stones he had saved up.¡± ¡°I think Junior Brother Gu has to clean the cauldrons for a year for the disciples of Pill Peak this time.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Ming, who was listening by the side, had a thought. Hiss. Wasn¡¯t this a coincidence? Just now, he was still at a loss on how to complete the system mission. This was a good opportunity that came knocking on his door. ¡°I see, Senior Brother Gu is really interesting.¡± Lu Ming nodded his head in response to Liu Feng. But this Senior Brother Gu also sounded like a fascinating person. Now his system mission had something to work on. ¡°Mm, then I¡¯ll go back first.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need, as long as it¡¯s not the end of the month inspection, you can just come to me directly.¡± After saying this, Liu Feng turned around and left in the darkness of the night. As for Lu Ming, he came to the front of Gu Zecang¡¯s cave abode. Chapter 5 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Tianguang Peak. At Grade A cave abode. As the sun set, Lu Ming arrived before Gu Zecang¡¯s cave abode on his right. He saw green smoke rising from the top of his cave abode and there was the faint smell of medicinal herbs. ¡°Senior Brother Gu, are you in the cave abode?¡± Lu Ming¡¯s voice was mixed with spiritual energy as he asked directly. As soon as he finished speaking, a voice rang out. ¡°Who is looking for me?¡± Under the moonlight, a distinguished-looking young man with a dignified temperament, dressed in embroidered clothes and with a spirit sword tied to his waist, walked out. His visuals could be said to be second only to Lu Ming¡¯s. Of course, one had to disregard his black face from the explosion of the cauldron, as well as the mess caused by the explosion. ¡°Are you the new junior brother who moved in next door?¡± Gu Zecang looked at Lu Ming and suddenly asked as if he remembered something. ¡°That¡¯s right. I am your junior brother and my name is Lu Ming. I was just assigned here today.¡± ¡°Just now, Senior Brother Liu Feng came to visit me. During the conversation, I learned that senior brother is currently in closed-door cultivation.¡± ¡°Originally, I wanted to wait for senior brother to come out of closed-door cultivation before visiting you. In the end, I heard the sound of an explosion coming from Senior Brother Gu¡¯s cave abode. I was also a little curious, so I specially came to find out. Did something happen?¡± Lu Ming put on a serious look and cupped his hands. ¡°I see. Junior Brother Lu is thoughtful.¡± ¡°Senior brother is fine. The explosion is nothing. It¡¯s just that I accidentally blew up the cauldron when I was doing alchemy.¡± Hearing this, Gu Zecang put on a smile. At the same time, he used his spiritual power to clean the dirt and remove the blackness on his face. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°Senior Brother Gu¡¯s cultivation is in the Core Formation Stage, but you know alchemy. You are a rare genius in the sect.¡± ¡°I wonder which Pill Hall on the Pill Peak is Senior Brother Gu a disciple of?¡± Lu Ming pretended not to know and asked in a serious tone. Hearing this, Gu Zecang was slightly stunned at first, then he immediately shook his head, ¡°Neither.¡± ¡°I taught myself alchemy.¡± ¡°The elder of the Pill Hall once came to invite me, but I directly rejected him on the spot!¡± Gu Zecang first had a disdainful look on his face, then he immediately put on a serious expression as he looked at Lu Ming. ¡°Junior Brother Lu, listen to me. This Pill Peak isn¡¯t a good place to go. Do you know why I rejected the special invitation from the Pill Peak elder?¡± ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m unwilling to go to the Pill Peak even though I have the talent for alchemy?¡± Faced with Gu Zecang¡¯s questions, Lu Ming quickly shook his head. Because he felt that if he shook his head too slowly, Gu Zecang might just continue his lecture. As expected, the instant Lu Ming shook his head, Gu Zecang immediately let out a soft sigh. Under the moonlight, a regretful expression appeared on his face. ¡°I was strongly invited by the disciples of Pill Peak to visit Pill Peak and observe the alchemy techniques of the various Pill Halls. I told them about my alchemy experience and imparted it to them.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect that the alchemy techniques imparted by the Pill Peak were simply wrong. What a bunch of nonsense! I angrily reprimanded them!¡± ¡°Because of this, I even had a big fight with the Pill Peak elders because I discovered that there was a big problem with the Pill Peak¡¯s teaching methods and content.¡± ¡°If you ask me, Junior Brother Lu.¡± ¡°Pill Peak? Even dogs shake their heads when they hear it!¡± As the sound of his voice faded, Lu Ming almost laughed out loud when he heard Gu Zecang¡¯s version of the story. He could only suppress his laughter and put on an enlightened expression as he replied, ¡°I see. Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Gu.¡± ¡°I originally wanted to directly sign up for the Pill Peak. Since the Pill Peak is so unbearable, then I won¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t Senior Brother Gu teach me alchemy then?¡± Lu Ming thought about it just now. If he rashly ran over and told Gu Zecang how he should do alchemy, he could have aroused Gu Zecang¡¯s suspicion. It was just like how you couldn¡¯t achieve anything after trying so hard for a month and you were in a dilemma, and then someone suddenly came to you and helped you solve your problem accurately without getting any reward in return. Besides the initial excitement, anyone else would be suspicious and doubtful. Even the people in the normal world would have doubts. Not to mention that this was the cultivation world where the heretics ran rampant and the disciples of the Center Sect were all righteous. If this Core Formation disciple in front of him had a trace of doubt that he could be a heretic who had come to tempt him, he would be in big trouble. Therefore, Lu Ming chose to compromise. Hmm? After hearing Lu Ming¡¯s words, Gu Zecang was also a little dumbfounded. He didn¡¯t expect this reply. Then, he put on a sincere tone and said, ¡°Junior Brother Lu, there are many things in this world that you can¡¯t do just because you want to.¡± ¡°Alchemy is very dependent on talent. It¡¯s not like you can learn it just because you want to¡­¡± But before he could finish, Lu Ming continued to speak. ¡°I know, senior brother. I¡¯ve already awakened my water spiritual root. I can learn alchemy.¡± ¡°Originally, I planned to sign up for the Pill Peak because I didn¡¯t need to wait for the Sword Trial Assembly before I could directly join to learn alchemy.¡± ¡°But since there¡¯s a problem with their teaching methods and content, then I naturally won¡¯t go.¡± Uh. Gu Zecang was instantly silenced. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He didn¡¯t expect that a junior brother who came to visit him so casually, would have the talent for alchemy. ¡°That¡¯s true, but actually¡­¡± ¡°There are still some things worth learning about at the Pill Peak. Junior Brother Lu¡¯s thinking is still inappropriate.¡± ¡°I reprimanded them because of our differences in ideas about high-level elixirs.¡± Gu Zecang was a little flustered. He admitted he was a little pretentious. But if Junior Brother Lu gave up on the Pill Peak because of him, then he would be a sinner. But before he could finish, Lu Ming interrupted him again. ¡°There¡¯s no need, senior brother. I¡¯ve good judgment of people!¡± ¡°I believe what you said. Since senior brother can point out the Pill Peak¡¯s shortcomings, you must be very good in the area of elixirs!¡± Ah, this. What should he do? Wasn¡¯t this awkward? When Gu Zecang heard Lu Ming¡¯s words, he immediately regretted it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Senior Brother Gu? Is it very difficult? It¡¯s fine. If it¡¯s not convenient, then forget it.¡± Lu Ming saw that the other party was stunned. When he thought of Liu Feng mentioning that Gu had a face-saving character, he immediately spoke up. Gu Zecang saw that Lu Ming faintly revealed a disappointed expression. For a moment, he struggled internally. He thought to himself that if he had known earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have acted like this. He couldn¡¯t even refine a Rank 1 elixir, how could he teach Junior Brother Lu? However, his words once again caused this junior brother to misunderstand the Pill Peak and he wasn¡¯t going to register for the Pill Peak. Wasn¡¯t this cheating someone¡¯s feelings? He, Gu Zecang, definitely couldn¡¯t do such a thing. How about, in order not to cheat Junior Brother Lu, he would first agree to teach him some basic alchemy theories. After that, since he couldn¡¯t come up with any elixirs anyway, he would admit defeat and help those stinky brats on the Pill Peak clean up the ashes later on. Then, he would ask them about alchemy? Even though he was sure that he would be ridiculed like crazy! After hesitating for some time, Gu Zecang finally made up his mind and opened his mouth. ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s not inconvenient. I agree!¡± ¡°Junior Brother Lu, come inside the cave abode first. I¡¯ll teach you some basic things today.¡± ¡°Take it one step at a time. Don¡¯t aim too high.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Zecang suppressed the empty confidence in his heart and waved his hand to remove the restriction in the cave abode. Then, he turned around and went into his cave abode. Meanwhile, Lu Ming also revealed a satisfied expression on his face and followed Gu Zecang to his cave abode. Success! Chapter 6 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Zecang¡¯s cave abode was considered very clean. Other than the wall that had just been blasted black and the faint smell of medicinal herbs that had not completely dispersed. ¡°Take a seat wherever you like, Junior Brother Lu.¡± After entering the cave abode, Gu Zecang thought to himself that it was a good thing that he had just stored away all the cauldrons that had been blown up and the remaining medicinal herbs over the past few days. Otherwise, if he let Lu Ming see all the Rank 1 medicinal herbs, he would be exposed completely. Lu Ming walked inside the cave abode and sat down after hearing Gu Zecang¡¯s words. At the same time, he could tell from the smell of the remaining medicinal herbs that Gu Zecang was previously refining the spirit gathering elixir. ¡°Alright, since Junior Brother Lu is willing to let me teach you alchemy, I won¡¯t hold back.¡± ¡°However, the path of alchemy isn¡¯t easy, it¡¯s far more difficult than when you and I were cultivating.¡± ¡°Junior Brother Lu, are you mentally prepared?¡± Gu Zecang stood in the hall and said to Lu Ming with a serious expression. ¡°Of course, junior brother will remember.¡± Lu Ming also put on a serious expression and said with extreme solemnity. Hearing this, Gu Zecang waved his hand. ¡°Okay, then today I will first teach you the most basic and important thing.¡± ¡°That is, condensing pill fire!¡± Then, Gu Zecang raised his left hand and first used spiritual power to create a flame, then let the water element in his body surge. He began to condense pill fire in front of Lu Ming. Speaking of alchemy, Gu Zecang felt that he was still short of something. But when it came to pill fire¡­ Gu Zecang felt that no one knew better than him. When he first entered the sect, after Gu Zecang¡¯s passed the qualification test set by the Pill Peak elder, the elder taught him the method of pill fire. Therefore, when Gu Zecang first learned how to condense spiritual power from an Outer Disciple, he began to try to condense the pill fire. Because condensing the pill fire was not only useful for alchemy but also very helpful for a cultivator to control spiritual power, Gu Zecang never abandoned it. This was also the reason why he dared to bet with the disciples of the Pill Peak. The pill fire was a skill that an alchemist had to learn. If an ordinary alchemist could successfully condense the pill fire within a year, they would be considered qualified. Within a year, to be able to condense the pill fire within an hour was considered an excellent skill. And to condense the pill fire within half an hour, one would be considered a genius alchemist! Almost three years had passed since Gu Zecang started learning the art of pill fire. He had already completely mastered the art of pill fire. An hour later. Gu Zecang, who was drenched in sweat, successfully neutralized the water element with his spiritual energy flames. Finally, an exquisite blue ball of flame was formed. ¡°Junior brother, this is pill fire. It is the most important thing to an alchemist. The first thing you need to learn is this.¡± ¡°Considering that you didn¡¯t have the foundation to condense the pill fire before, there should be a lot of problems with condensing the pill fire for the first time. But don¡¯t worry, just practise diligently.¡± Gu Zecang swung his right arm and placed it on the back of his waist. Combined with his appearance and temperament, he did have the feeling of an alchemist. And condensing the pill fire was naturally his way of holding Lu Ming back, he estimated that Lu Ming would be able to successfully condense the pill fire, and then shorten the time to about an hour. Not to mention that Lu Ming had ordinary alchemy talent. Even if he was a true alchemy genius, he would need at least a year. This one year¡¯s time was just enough for him to ¡°return from his studies¡± at Pill Peak. By that time, it wouldn¡¯t be too late to teach Junior Brother Lu Ming. ¡°So this is the pill fire.¡± After Lu Ming heard this, he looked at the mottled pill fire in Gu Zecang¡¯s palm and nodded curiously. ¡°That¡¯s right. Come, Junior Brother Lu, I¡¯ll first tell you the Heart Sutra and formula to condense the pill fire. Then, you can try condensing it once so that I can give you some pointers.¡± As Gu Zecang spoke, he passed the pill fire technique that the Pill Peak elder had taught him to Lu Ming. Lu Ming took it and subconsciously began to compare the content on it with the content of scientific alchemy. After comparing them, he acted as if he suddenly understood. ¡°Senior brother, I¡¯ve remembered it.¡± ¡°Very good!¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve remembered it, then start condensing the pill fire.¡± Gu Zecang revealed a smile. This way, when Junior Brother Lu Ming failed to condense the pill fire, he would have the opportunity to let him go back and train properly. He also had time to think about how he could learn alchemy techniques from the disciples of the Pill Peak when he cleaned up the ashes in the future. It was not that he, Gu Zecang, was a saint and was willing to beg people for Lu Ming. It was that he had indeed lost the bet this time. Tomorrow was the day he would go to Pill Peak to perform alchemy. In the end, he had not even managed to refine a single elixir. Moreover, he wanted to learn. Ever since his cultivation base had reached the early stage of Core Formation, he had frequently encountered situations where he did not have enough elixirs when he fought against the heretics due to their higher realms. He had to learn about alchemy on his own! ¡°Senior Brother Gu, do you think this is¡­¡± Just as Gu Zecang¡¯s thoughts were churning, Lu Ming, who was behind him, suddenly opened his mouth and said to him. Upon hearing this, Gu Zecang planned to use his prepared script to directly exhort Lu Ming. ¡°That¡¯s normal. This is your first time condensing a pill fire. The condensation is¡­ Eh!?¡± Gu Zecang turned around and was halfway through his sentence. However, when he looked closely, he discovered that Lu Ming¡¯s palm had condensed a pill fire! Moreover, the pill fire¡¯s state was incomparably stable. The water element and spiritual flame had fused perfectly! Moreover, it was extremely pure, without a trace of mottling. It was many times stronger than the pill fire that he had repeatedly condensed for three years! This?! Was this a joke?! Just now, he, Gu Zecang, had turned around to think, and he hadn¡¯t even taken ten breaths. During this time, Lu Ming had already condensed a pure pill fire!? This was crazy! He remembered that the Pill Peak elder had immersed himself in the path of alchemy for fifty years. Even condensing a pill fire took sixty breaths of time! This Junior Brother Lu, who had just moved here, actually spent less than ten breaths of time! To be able to shorten the time for the formation of the pill fire to seven minutes, which was about four hundred breaths, was already considered a genius in the way of alchemy. What was this? If Heaven fails Lu Ming, would the way of alchemy be like the eternal night?! For a moment, Gu Zecang was completely stunned on the spot. There was no other way. To condense a complete pill fire at such a speed and to condense a pure pill fire for that matter, any disciple who had ever done alchemy would know how exaggerated this was. It was like someone telling those Outer Disciples who were cultivating and had to breathe in and out dozens of times a day before they finally broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage three years later, that there was one disciple who didn¡¯t do it much every day but in the end, he was able to reach the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment Stage in six months. When he finally broke through, he didn¡¯t even bother to sit down cross-legged. It was as if he had broken through while walking. Was this possible? It was simply impossible. This was simply too ridiculous! Phew. Gu Zecang let out a long breath and forcefully suppressed the shock in his heart! He looked at Lu Ming with a complicated expression. Chapter 7 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio But before Gu Zecang opened his mouth, Lu Ming asked first, ¡°Senior brother, I saw that you spent an hour condensing the pill fire just now. Did I lack any steps, that¡¯s why I condensed it so quickly?¡± Hearing that, Gu Zecang looked at the simple and naive Lu Ming. To not be exposed, he decided to reply directly to his queries. ¡°Uh¡­ Junior Brother Lu.¡± ¡°Actually, from what I see, there¡¯s no problem with your pill fire condensation this time. Senior brother can do it faster than you.¡± ¡°I spent an hour condensing the pill fire just now to let you see the steps of condensing the pill fire.¡± After hearing these words and seeing Gu Zecang¡¯s reaction, Lu Ming also understood that Gu Zecang was shocked by his actions. The effect was achieved. Lu Ming also took the opportunity to give him a way out. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is, senior brother.¡± ¡°However, when I was condensing the pill fire just now, although I was still using the pill fire technique that senior brother gave me, during the process of condensing, there was a moment when I felt a blockage.¡± ¡°My body subconsciously changed the method a little to condense the pill fire, and in the end, the blockage disappeared.¡± ¡°Could this be the reason why I was able to successfully condense the pill fire for the first time?¡± Hearing this, Gu Zecang was stunned, and an idea instantly appeared in his mind. Therefore, he quickly moved in front of the pill fire in Lu Ming¡¯s palm and looked at it carefully. Then, he deliberately made a slightly surprised sound. Tsk. ¡°Junior Brother Lu, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°When I looked at your pill fire just now, I found that the pill fire that you condensed was different from others.¡± ¡°How about this, you tell me your feelings in detail, and I¡¯ll help you analyze them after listening to them?¡± Gu Zecang maintained a serious look and said solemnly. ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Ming was waiting for the other party to ask, so he naturally didn¡¯t hesitate. Then, he combined the differences between scientific cultivation and the pill fire technique and spoke it in his language. ¡°Senior Brother Gu, according to the pill fire technique, condensing the pill fire requires spiritual power to first release the spiritual fire, and then use the water element in the spiritual root in your body to fuse with it.¡± ¡°Then, in the process of continuously releasing the water element, seek the balance between the two and then remove the mottled impurities.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°After I released the spiritual flame, I found that the fusion of the water element had a very astringent feeling.¡± Lu Ming looked at Gu Zecang and continued seriously, ¡°Then, I dispersed the spiritual flame.¡± ¡°I started condensing the spiritual fire again. While condensing the fire, I also released the water element in my body.¡± ¡°I let the two elements flow into the pill fire at the same time because when either of the two elements is out of proportion, I will feel blocked again.¡± ¡°In the end, I also succeeded in condensing the pill fire.¡± As the sound of his voice faded, Gu Zecang, who was listening by the side, was stunned. Good fellow. I call him ¡®good fellow¡¯ directly. This method seems to be feasible. Gu Zecang¡¯s eyes lit up. Since Junior Brother Lu Ming had successfully condensed the pill fire in less than ten breaths, then he was an alchemy genius! Since this alchemy genius had said so, what if it was true? As long as it was true. If he could learn it too. Even if he lost the bet, he could still mock the disciples of the Pill Peak! If he could turn his hand into a pill fire in front of the countless disciples of the Pill Peak, they would be so shocked that their jaws would drop to the ground. He, Gu Zecang, would no longer have to worry about cleaning up the ashes of the cauldrons. If the elders of the Pill Peak knew about this, they might invite him to the Pill Peak. At that time¡­ He would be the one to impart experience. He could find a disciple with good alchemy techniques and ask him to teach Junior Brother Lu Ming. He didn¡¯t have to be afraid of delaying Junior Brother Lu Ming. Yes. Awesome. Just thinking about it was awesome. Thinking of this¡­ Gu Zecang suppressed the joy in his heart and maintained a calm expression. No matter what, he had to give it a try first. ¡°Hmm, after listening to your explanation, I feel that your idea seems to make sense.¡± ¡°How about this, you continue to practice condensing the pill fire here and find the feeling just now.¡± Gu Zecang gestured for Lu Ming to stay where he was. Then, he slowly walked to another area and immediately began to try it himself. First, he used his spiritual power to condense the spiritual fire¡­ No. He had to use both spiritual power and water elemental power at the same time, and he had to use the same proportion. Gu Zecang carefully released both of them and let them gather together. As expected! Gu Zecang changed to the method of condensing the pill fire that Lu Ming had mentioned, and the efficiency was directly increased by several times. The two were even the reason for the simultaneous output of the pill fire. The mottled impurities in the blue pill fire were also greatly reduced! One hundred breaths later. Gu Zecang watched the pill fire in his palm turn into nothingness. Unfortunately, the first time, because he subconsciously released more spiritual fire, the pill fire didn¡¯t form. But Gu Zecang didn¡¯t have any disappointed expression because of this. Because he knew. This method of condensing the pill fire was absolutely useful. It was his first time using this method of condensing the pill fire, and he only used a hundred breaths of time. Not to mention anything else. Just this efficiency and the purity of the pill fire was absolutely a leap in progress. As long as he did this point well in the future, he would succeed! Hence. Gu Zecang immediately tried again. After three consecutive failures. Finally. On the fourth try. He only spent twenty breaths to successfully condense it!! This was too exaggerated. One had to know that an elder of the Pill Peak who had been doing alchemy for fifty years still needed thirty breaths to condense flames. Oh my god! Lu Ming! Junior Brother Lu! At this moment, the instant he returned to the main hall, the way Gu Zecang looked at Lu Ming changed. What kind of celestial talent was this! He had only heard that there were people with good talent who could successfully condense a pill fire for the first time. However. He had never heard of someone who felt uncomfortable with the way he was condensing it, changed the method and succeeded in condensing the pill fire for the first time. He was indeed a genius! This was too exaggerated. After that, the excited Gu Zecang calmed himself down and his expression returned to normal. He slowly returned to Lu Ming¡¯s side in the hall. Chapter 8 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After returning to the hall. Lu Ming, who was in front of Gu Zecang, had successfully condensed pill fire once again. ¡°You¡¯re back, Senior Brother Gu?¡± Lu Ming naturally knew what Gu Zecang had done just now, and the smile on his lips became even wider. ¡°Mm, you can put aside your pill fire technique for now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use the pill fire technique that I gave you in the future. Just do it your way.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have some talent in the way of alchemy, junior brother.¡± After Gu Zecang said that, he wished he could slap himself twice. Was this ¡®some talent¡¯? His talent was worth a hundred million points! Forget it. I¡¯ll hide this matter from junior brother for a few days. When the time comes, I¡¯ll settle all the matters on Pill Peak. I¡¯ll sincerely apologize to Junior Brother Lu by then. On Lu Ming¡¯s side, after hearing Gu Zecang¡¯s words, he immediately replied. ¡°No, no, no, I think it¡¯s because Senior Brother Gu had taught me well.¡± No, no, no. It¡¯s your teaching that¡¯s good. Hearing his reply, Gu Zecang almost wanted to blurt out these words. ¡°Oh right, senior brother, since I¡¯ve already successfully learned pill fire, why don¡¯t you teach me something else?¡± ¡°For example, alchemy.¡± Ah, this. Gu Zeyu only came back to his senses when he heard this. He had taught Junior Brother Lu how to condense the pill fire just now to stall for time. He didn¡¯t expect Junior Brother Lu to successfully condense it within a short time. He had no way to retreat now. What should he do? Gu Zeyu nodded his head when he heard this. Then, he began to quickly think of a way. He suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He took out the cauldron and placed it in front of Lu Ming. ¡°The most important thing in the path of alchemy is practice.¡± ¡°No matter how much others say, it can only serve as a reminder. Some mistakes can only be felt after you have made them.¡± ¡°This is the cauldron. After you condense the pill fire, directly wrap it with spiritual energy and place it under the cauldron.¡± ¡°This is the pill formula. I¡¯ll put the medicinal herbs aside for you.¡± ¡°You should practice here.¡± Gu Zecang decided to throw the challenge back to Lu Ming. At this moment, he no longer had the mood to do alchemy. He had to master condensing the pill fire with a flip of his hand. This wasn¡¯t just for the sake of acting cool. One had to know that if he reached the point where he could condense the pill fire with a flip of his hand, the disciples at the Pill Peak would be dumbfounded. By then, he would be able to fool the matter of not being able to master alchemy for at least a month. At the very least, he could be considered to have achieved something. As for Lu Ming, what if he succeeded on the first try, just like what he did with condensing the pill fire? Would he still be able to burst forth with his talent and teach him some things? Although he had fantasized for a moment just now, in reality, Gu Zecang deeply knew that it was impossible. The level of complexity for mastering alchemy and that of condensing pill fire was not the same. Condensing pill fire was only a small part of alchemy. Otherwise, he would not have had to blow up a month¡¯s worth of cauldrons. No matter how talented an alchemist was, he would only succeed after failing dozens of times. His medicinal herbs could be considered a gift to thank Junior Brother Lu Ming. Letting him practice properly could be considered as laying a foundation for him in the future. Soon after, Gu Zecang temporarily did not pay attention to Lu Ming who was starting to refine the elixir. Instead, he came to his residence from the hall of the cave abode. He began to crazily practice condensing pill fire! ¡­ Late at night. Pill Peak. At the banquet in the penthouse. Several Deputy Hall Masters of the Pill Halls sat around, clinking glasses and exchanging drinks. As one of the two most important peaks of the Center Sect, the Pill Peak, the disciples of the Pill Peak had many benefits that the disciples of the cultivation sects couldn¡¯t enjoy. For example, the sect would allocate some extra resources to the disciples every month because their cultivation process would be delayed while they were doing alchemy. For example, after their other disciples had been promoted to the Inner Disciples of Tianguang Peak of the Center Sect, they had to wait until they had reached the late stage of the Foundation Establishment before they could participate in the Sword Trial Assembly; and they would be selected by the elders of the various peaks after they had passed the Sword Trial Assembly. In this way, they could enter the peaks where the spiritual energy was denser and the cultivation methods were more abundant. However, they were different. As long as they had passed the external examination and reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, they could choose to enter the Pill Peak directly. The hundreds of alchemy disciples on the Pill Peak walked this path. For so many years, there was only one exception. And that was Gu Zecang. Therefore, the Deputy Hall Masters of the various Pill Halls, who were already faintly tipsy, had finished discussing the distribution quotas for the various peaks next month and began to talk about Gu Zecang. ¡°¡­ Oh right, Brother Li, isn¡¯t tomorrow the time for that silly kid, Gu Zecang, to come to my Pill Peak to prove his alchemy skills?¡± At the wine table, a fat man asked the person beside him. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I heard that he has been in closed-door cultivation for almost a month for this bet.¡± ¡°Oh? Then he can¡¯t have self-taught himself, right?¡± ¡°Hahahahaha, don¡¯t make me laugh. Have you forgotten how awkward he looked when he secretly came to learn alchemy and was discovered by me on the spot?¡± Hearing the worried tone of others, Li Ce almost laughed his head off. ¡°That¡¯s right, what are you worried about? Just think about it. With our talents, who knows how many times we failed before we became Rank 1 alchemists under the guidance of the elders.¡± ¡°He indeed went into seclusion for a month, but I heard that he blew up more than ten cauldrons in the past month. Hahaha.¡± Li Ce continued the conversation, and then he laughed wildly due to the alcohol. And then, he seemed to feel that he wasn¡¯t having enough fun. At the same time that Li Ce finished the wine in his cup in one gulp, he slapped the table and said, ¡°If that kid learned alchemy by himself tomorrow, I¡¯ll eat the pine tree at the entrance of my Pill Hall on the spot!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even need to chop it down first. I¡¯ll just hug it and eat it raw!¡± ¡°Hahahahahahahahaha.¡± As the sound of his voice faded, the people around them also burst into laughter. ¡°Brother Li, if you put it that way, then if that kid Gu Zecang can refine an elixir tomorrow, I¡¯ll directly eat the largest cauldron in my Pill Hall!¡± ¡°Just eat it directly while it¡¯s being roasted. There¡¯s no need to lower the temperature!¡± ¡°Hahahahahaha.¡± Laughter broke out at the banquet. The laughter came from the penthouse and disappeared into the moonlight. In the meantime, as the moonlight gradually became darker, Gu Zecang went through multiple tries and finally, he was able to reduce the time taken to condense the pill fire to eight breaths! Cool. At this time Gu Zecang¡¯s mind was occupied with the word ¡°cool¡±. His hidden card for tomorrow could be guaranteed. If a disciple of the Pill Peak ridiculed him¡­ He could retaliate on the spot. He didn¡¯t learn how to refine elixirs on his own yet, but he could dare the disciples of the Pill Peak to condense a pure pill fire within eight breaths. Gu Zecang let out a long sigh of relief. Then he suddenly remembered. Junior Brother Lu Ming was still in his cave abode at this time. He quickly walked out and prepared to comfort Junior Brother Lu. He had helped him so much, he couldn¡¯t ignore him. But¡­ Just as Gu Zecang walked out of his residence¡­ He suddenly heard the sound of a cauldron being struck. He subconsciously looked toward the hall. He saw Lu Ming¡¯s palm strike the cauldron, and spiritual energy was emitted. A golden light the size of a dragon¡¯s eye flashed out. Then, it emitted a rich pill fragrance!! Ah?! This scene appeared in Gu Zecang¡¯s line of sight. It was only for a moment. It was as if he had been deprived of the ability to speak. Standing in the corner of the hall, he looked at this scene with incomparable shock. He was stunned and didn¡¯t say a word! This Junior Brother Lu. Just what kind of celestial alchemy talent was that?! A crazy thought kept exploding in Gu Zecang¡¯s mind. What was he waiting for?! Since Junior Brother Lu Ming succeeded in alchemy for the first time, he must have his unique understanding! What if after he learned it later¡­ He could also successfully do alchemy for the first time? Gu Zecang¡¯s heart surged with emotions. If he could learn alchemy before tomorrow, then he wouldn¡¯t have to worry at all! Pill Peak? This time dogs would shake their heads! Chapter 9 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The sun rose in the east, and the sky gradually brightened. Tianguang Peak. Grade A cave abode. Lu Ming slowly woke up from his sleep. Last night in Gu Zecang¡¯s cave abode, he ¡®learned¡¯ until midnight before returning. Originally, as a cultivator who had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, Lu Ming did not need to rest at all. Fatigue and exhaustion could be recovered through cultivation and breathing exercises. It could improve one¡¯s cultivation and replace sleep. However, it was obvious that this was the reason why Lu Ming specialized in sleeping. The spiritual energy of Tianguang Peak and Grade A cave abode was so dense. If he didn¡¯t work harder and think of a way to spend his time elsewhere, how could he do it? Lu Ming had just woken up and sat upon his bed when he heard the voice in his mind. ¡°Ding, congratulations to host for completing the exclusive mission for newcomers!¡± ¡°Host has successfully promoted and taught scientific alchemy to one person. Obtained 200 alchemy experience points!¡± ¡°Congratulations to host for successfully advancing to Rank 2 alchemist!¡± ¡°All pill formulas for Rank 2 elixirs and the detailed analysis of the refining process based on scientific data have been distributed!¡± A smile appeared on Lu Ming¡¯s lips. Finally. After the series of operations he had performed last night, in the process of teaching¡¯ him, Gu Zecang had finally learnt the essence of refining Rank 1 elixirs. With the system¡¯s confirmation, he could finally be completely at ease. At the same time, for some reason, Lu Ming had a feeling. Gu Zecang was very likely to be his capable ambassador for the promotion of scientific alchemy in the future. Retracting his thoughts, Lu Ming no longer thought about anything else. Now that he had successfully completed the system¡¯s newcomer mission, he had officially become a Rank 2 alchemist! After that, as long as he went to Pill Peak to pass the assessment and registration, then his subsequent sect inspection interval could be decreased from once every two months to once every four months. It could be done. There was nothing else. Stable and steady. However, Lu Ming recalled the title of the previous system mission that it was exclusive to newcomers. It seemed to mean that the difficulty of the mission was not high. And the next official mission was likely to be more difficult. As expected. At the same time that this thought appeared in Lu Ming¡¯s mind, the system mission appeared again: [System mission: Successfully promote and let 10 people learn about ¡®scientific alchemy¡¯. You will receive 500 alchemy experience points and 1,000 lottery points!] [Judging criteria: You can use the ¡®scientific alchemy¡¯ steps to condense the pill fire alone, and successfully refine at least 1 type of Rank 1 elixir.] 10 people? Lu Ming looked at this number and frowned slightly. He quickly relaxed because he saw the generous rewards at the back. The system displayed his alchemy rank: [Host Lu Ming: Rank 2 alchemist, distance from Rank 3: 0/800] 500 alchemy experience points could supplement more than half of his alchemy experience. The rest should be done by himself. However, because of the scientific alchemy technique, his success rate was almost 100%, so alchemy experience should be easy to earn. The other thing was the most important part. 1,000 lottery points! After all, his Golden FInger was actually a [lottery system], and each lottery cost 200 lottery points. Then, if he completed the mission, he would have five lottery chances. The contents of the lottery pool were also very rich. There were many prizes, such as the [scientific sword control technique], the [scientific weapon refining technique], [scientific spiritual formation technique], [scientific breathing technique] and so on. Through the [scientific alchemy technique] this time, Lu Ming was certain that the prizes were of great value. Hu. Lu Ming let out a deep breath. He remembered that when he had just transmigrated here, he hadn¡¯t awakened the Golden Finger, so he hadn¡¯t planned his way in this world of cultivation. But now¡­ He had arrived at the Center Sect and had the Golden Finger, so he had figured out its great value. Therefore, he had to come up with a reasonable plan for the scientific cultivation path he would take in the future. First of all, the most important thing now was to improve his alchemy skills and extend the time he could cultivate in the sect in peace. At the moment, a Rank 2 alchemist could only extend the time he need to go on patrol from two months to four months. A Rank 4 alchemist could achieve the goal of not going out to patrol for half a year. This was his first goal. Secondly, it was to strengthen his ability to protect himself. After all, it was for his own safety. In order to avoid the sect¡¯s patrol mission, Lu Ming temporarily did not plan to continue to increase his cultivation through breathing exercises. However, under such circumstances, he still had to ensure his safety. After all, what if they had to mobilize all the disciples of the sect to fight the heretics one day? Therefore, the most important thing for Lu Ming was to earn a sum of spirit stones through alchemy and then purchase spiritual weapons and talismans. If he did not increase his own strength, then it would be very necessary to increase his strength through external items. While Lu Ming was sorting out his plan, at the same time in the cave abode on his right, a handsome young man who was eight feet tall, wearing an embroidered azure dragon robe with a sword at his waist, walked out. It¡¯s done! I¡¯ve finally succeeded! After last night¡¯s ¡°teaching¡± and practice, Gu Zecang was now full of confidence. Because this time, he had completely grasped the method of condensing pill fire and refining the spirit gathering pill that he had learned from Junior Brother Lu! Moreover, this method of refining pills wasn¡¯t just a method. The most important thing was to learn the method of controlling fire. He believed that even if he was given other elixirs, he still had the confidence to successfully refine them. This was enough for him, Gu Zecang, to become a true Rank 1 alchemist! Thus, he had completely accomplished the bet he had made with the Pill Peak disciples. His heart was filled with ecstasy. And all of this credit clearly came from Junior Brother Lu Ming. For this reason, before Gu Zecang left, he even took some of the extremely precious spirit gathering powder outside his Grade A cave abode and then put it into the restriction of Lu Ming¡¯s cave abode. The density of the spiritual energy gathered in Lu Ming¡¯s cave abode instantly went up another level. It could be considered as his initial intention. To thank Junior Brother Lu. Then, what Gu Zecang wanted to do next was very simple. That was.. To attend the appointment! To go to Pill Peak! ¡­ Above the Pill Peak. It was different from the past. At this moment, the Deputy Hall Masters of the various Pill Halls had brought over half of their disciples. These people gradually gathered together, and countless alchemy disciples gathered near Pill Hall No. 1. The reason why there was such a big commotion among the disciples of the Pill Peak this time was due to the following: Firstly, it was the uniqueness of the Pill Peak. Few disciples of the Center Sect were willing to offend the disciples of the Pill Peak; Gu Zecang was the first one. Secondly, the disciples of the Pill Peak were used to being arrogant. Gu Zecang was the first one to reject the recruitment of the disciples of the Pill Peak, which caused quite a stir at that time. However, at the same time, because Gu Zecang was an extremely talented genius in cultivation, no one belittled him because of this. However, there were still people who used this matter to mock the Pill Peak for a very long time. This also made the Pill Peak disciples very unhappy In the end, they didn¡¯t expect to encounter this matter again. They definitely had to properly mock this person. Hence. At this moment, in front of Pill Hall No. 1 on the Pill Peak, over a hundred people were waiting for that figure to appear. ¡°Come, come, come, place your bets!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see how far that idiot can go today!¡± ¡°I bet three spirit stones that he can at most go through the process of fusing the medicinal herbs into the pill!¡± ¡°Nonsense, I bet that he can at most condense one pill fire!¡± ¡°Interesting, then I bet that he will directly admit defeat!¡± ¡°What? No one bet that he will succeed today?¡± ¡°Good fellow, am I crazy or are you crazy? We, alchemy disciples, have been taught by our senior brothers for at least half a year before we became Rank 1 alchemists. Do you believe that he can succeed in a month of self-study?¡± ¡°That makes sense, then I bet that he can only condense one pill fire at most!¡± They started to wait. Because they were bored, the disciples of the Pill Peak even gathered together to make a bet with spirit stones. In the crowd. Most of the people around were betting that Gu Zecang would fail at a certain step. However, a female disciple called Shan Weizi didn¡¯t follow suit. Instead, she broke the deadlock and placed two spirit stones on Gu Zecang¡¯s winning option. The scene of Shan Weizi placing her bet also caused quite a bit of surprise. However, just as these people wanted to ask Shan Weizi what she was thinking¡­ Before they could say anything¡­ They heard a commotion around them! Everyone subconsciously looked towards the horizon. They only saw¡­ A figure riding on a green sword breaking through the clouds, floating over. The person who came was Gu Zecang! Chapter 10 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Pill Peak. Gu Zecang¡¯s face was as bright as a spring breeze today. He stepped on the spirit sword and arrived in a carefree and unrestrained manner. His Core Formation Stage cultivation base highlighted the high level of his cultivation talent. Gu Zecang, who had reached the peak of his cultivation this time, was very satisfied with his appearance. He believed that just his appearance and temperament today, would overwhelm everyone else. Of course. The prerequisite was that no one would directly spit at him the moment he landed. ¡°Yo yo yo, I wonder who it is? So it¡¯s the thief who secretly learned our Pill Peak¡¯s alchemy techniques?¡± ¡°Good fellow, how can there be such a shameless person?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this the Pill Peak¡¯s abandoned disciple? We haven¡¯t seen you for so many days, why is it so noisy?¡± While everyone was mocking, Gu Zecang didn¡¯t say anything nor did he refute at the beginning. He directly activated his Core Formation Stage cultivation base and his aura directly rose. ¡°Noisy!¡± ¡°Ask the person who made a bet with me a month ago to come out and see me.¡± With Gu Zecang¡¯s talent and cultivation, to reach such a realm at this age, he could indeed be considered a genius. But it was very obvious that the disciples of the Pill Peak wouldn¡¯t be frightened by this bit of cultivation. If Gu Zecang was a genius in cultivation, then they were all geniuses who could do alchemy. The crowd slowly retreated, and a path opened up in the middle. The few people at the banquet table from last night arrived one after another. The leader was the Deputy Hall Master of Pill Hall No. 1 ¡ª Li Ce. The three people behind him were the Deputy Hall Masters of Pill Hall No. 2, 3 and 4. There were five Pill Halls in Pill Peak and four Deputy Hall Masters were present today. It could be said that they valued today¡¯s bet. As for the Hall Masters of the Pill Halls, they were all elders of the Pill Peak. They didn¡¯t show up unless it was a major event. Normally, these Deputy Hall Masters would settle all matters. ¡°What? Are you not planning to prove your talent in alchemy and want to admit defeat directly?¡± Li Ce looked at Gu Zecang, who was exuding his cultivation and said with a sneer. As the Deputy Hall Master of the Pill Peak, not only did he achieve great success in the way of alchemy, but his cultivation was also good. He had also reached the early stage of the Core Formation. Naturally, he would not be intimidated by Gu Zecang¡¯s cultivation level. ¡°If you want to admit defeat, that¡¯s fine too. We agree. After all, the five great Pill Halls of the Pill Peak have hundreds of cauldrons waiting for you to clean up the ashes.¡± ¡°When the time comes, if you still want to secretly learn alchemy, how about we turn a blind eye?¡± ¡°Hahahahahaha.¡± As soon as these mocking words were spoken, the surrounding crowd also burst into laughter. Regarding whether or not one could secretly learn alchemy, the sect didn¡¯t have any explicit rules because things like alchemy couldn¡¯t be learned by those who didn¡¯t have talent. There was no use for it. If someone who didn¡¯t have talent could become an alchemist just by looking, then the sect would wish for those disciples who didn¡¯t have the alchemy talent to come and see it every day. Wouldn¡¯t it be good if there were many alchemy disciples? But how could the disciples of the Pill Peak be willing to let others take a share of the spoils? Even if they knew that these people wouldn¡¯t be able to learn it, they would still choose to give them a good beating after letting them see it. If it wasn¡¯t for Gu Zecang¡¯s high cultivation, they might have started fighting that day. ¡°Hmph.¡± Gu Zecang sheathed his sword and slowly walked forward. ¡°How can there still be people slandering me for secretly learning alchemy from your Pill Peak until now?¡± ¡°That day, I only took a glance at how you guys did alchemy and I was mistaken as having secretly learned it.¡± ¡°But you guys don¡¯t know. The reason why I rejected the Pill Peak¡¯s invitation before was that I heard that the Pill Peak¡¯s way of alchemy had many mistakes, so I wasn¡¯t willing to come.¡± ¡°That day, I thought that since I came to the Pill Peak, I¡¯d take a look to see if it was as the rumors said.¡± Gu Zecang shook his head lightly. ¡°As expected, the Pill Peak¡¯s Rank 1 way of alchemy is full of mistakes and is misleading their disciples.¡± As Gu Zecang¡¯s words fell, the attitude of the surrounding Deputy Hall Masters and Rank 1 alchemy disciples instantly changed from the initial scorn to slight anger. The atmosphere in the surroundings had also changed from a playful one to a serious one. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Gu Zecang, I thought you were a cultivation genius of our Center Sect. I didn¡¯t make things difficult for you when you were secretly learning the alchemy technique from us. It¡¯s already considered our magnanimity to let you clean up the ashes of the cauldrons for a year.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to spout such nonsense today!¡± Li Ce showed a furious expression on his face. As the Deputy Hall Master of the Pill Peak, he had a lot of power and benefits. He was respected everywhere he went. He had never heard of anyone slandering the Pill Peak, not even questioning it. Moreover, he was a Rank 3 alchemist. Even if the teaching method of the Pill Peak was wrong, how could he possibly become a Rank 3 alchemist? What a joke. ¡°Stop barking like crazy!¡± ¡°Our way of alchemy in the Center Sect has been passed down for so many years; how could there be any mistakes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are saying that my alchemy level as a Rank 1 alchemist is fake?¡± One of the Rank 1 alchemy disciples in the crowd burst out in anger on the spot after hearing this. Hearing this, Gu Zecang chuckled twice. Then, he looked around the crowd and said slowly, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about anything else. Even the cultivation methods of the Center Sect are reviewed by the Golden Core elders every five years.¡± ¡°If there are any mistakes or improvements, the sect will deal with them immediately and distribute the new cultivation methods to the new disciples.¡± ¡°The cultivation methods are the path to ascension, but there are still some mistakes.¡± ¡°Then how about your Pill Peak¡¯s way of alchemy? You do not allow even the slightest bit of doubt?¡± As the sound of his voice faded, the expressions of the surrounding spectators changed drastically. It was an honor for them to become disciples of the Pill Peak. The experiences imparted to them at the Pill Peak was something they couldn¡¯t wait to worship. How could they stand Gu Zecang¡¯s words? Even though they could hear some truth in his words, when someone walked to the door of their home and questioned them, no one could easily maintain their rationality. Even Shan Weizi, who had bet on Gu Zecang to win, was not as angry as the surrounding disciples after hearing these words. However, she was also very doubtful in her heart. This was because she did not know if this was an excuse by Gu Zecang to escape punishment for not successfully learning alchemy by himself. ¡°Gu Zecang, since you dare to speak such nonsense, I believe that your understanding of alchemy must have surpassed the Pill Peak.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s cut the crap and directly enter the Pill Hall.¡± Wang Yan, the Deputy Hall Master of Pill Hall No. 2, took a step forward and said in an icy tone. ¡°In any case, there was a bet between you and the disciples of our Pill Peak. Now that a month has passed, if you can refine a Rank 1 elixir, you can point out the mistakes of our Pill Peak¡¯s alchemy skills.¡± ¡°Forget about increasing the share of medicinal elixirs, how about we invite you to the Pill Peak to teach us alchemy?¡± Deputy Hall Master of Pill Hall No. 2, Wang Yan, also felt his blood boil as he spoke. At the same time, Li Ce seemed to have thought of something as he added, ¡°But if you fail in alchemy, then you must kneel in public and admit your mistakes to the Pill Peak, to the way of alchemy and us!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll immediately send someone to invite the Hall Master of the Pill Hall, Elder Han, over as a witness!¡± As his voice fell. ¡°Right, right, right. If you don¡¯t have the ability, then you must kneel and admit your mistake!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, let¡¯s see if you dare!¡± The surrounding disciples also began to get excited. Faced with the angry rebukes and angry gazes that filled the sky, at this moment, Gu Zecang had also changed his previous senseless attitude. He had always been out of character, but he was extremely serious when it came to formal matters. He had his considerations when it came to major affairs. If he had said before last night that there was a problem with Pill Peak¡¯s teaching, it was just an excuse. But last night, he had learned a lot from Junior Brother Lu. Especially after learning it, he felt even more so. Perhaps what he said wasn¡¯t wrong. The alchemy skills taught by Pill Peak were not correct. Even if they were correct, there must be better alchemy skills. He had known that Pill Peak disciples were arrogant and conceited, but he could still understand. After all, they had talent. However, he had not expected that after his reminder of the facts, he discovered that their current mentality had become so stubborn. After that, Gu Zecang flung his sleeves and did not say anything else. Under everyone¡¯s angry gazes, he calmly walked into the Pill Hall. Forget it. Then today, he, Gu Zecang, would be teaching the Pill Peak on behalf of his Junior Brother Lu, what true alchemy was! Chapter 11 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Elder Zhou has arrived!¡± Pill Peak. Pill Hall No. 1. A voice sounded from outside the Pill Hall. As the sound of the voice faded, an old man wearing a plain robe with white hair and beard arrived. He slowly walked into the Pill Hall. ¡°Hall Master Han, you¡¯re here.¡± Li Ce, Wang Lei and the other Deputy Hall Masters of the Great Pill Hall surrounded him. They first bowed respectfully before speaking. They were facing a Rank 5 alchemist. No one in the Pill Hall dared to question Elder Zhou¡¯s authority, especially since the other party was the Hall Master of Pill Hall No. 1. ¡°Mm, I already know about the matter.¡± Han Daobai stroked his white beard lightly and nodded his head in acknowledgement. In the face of such an incident, his expression remained calm, as if there wasn¡¯t the slightest ripple on his face. In the place where everyone was intentionally avoiding, Gu Zecang stood quietly. When he saw Han Daobai¡¯s gaze fall on him, he did not hesitate. He immediately bowed respectfully, ¡°Disciple Gu Zecang greets Hall Master Han.¡± Every Hall Master of the Pill Peak was a master of the way of alchemy who was at least a Rank 5 alchemist. Their contributions to the sect were enormous, so Gu Zecang naturally would not be negligent in this matter. Seeing this, Han Daobai¡¯s expression was calm, and even his tone was extremely gentle as he asked. ¡°Are you Gu Zecang who previously refused to come to Pill Peak?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Gu Zecang replied in neither servile nor overbearing manner. ¡°Alright, kid, your temperament isn¡¯t bad. You¡¯ve already reached the Core Formation Stage at such a young age. It seems like it wasn¡¯t a wrong thing to reject the Pill Peak¡¯s invitation.¡± ¡°I also know about the bet between you and Li Ce and the others. However, in the end, it was nothing more than some friction between you and your juniors. It was completely meaningless.¡± ¡°But why did you say that there was a mistake in the alchemy skills taught by the Pill Peak today? Is it because you want to say it out loud to make yourself feel better?¡± Han Daobai¡¯s attitude was beyond Gu Zecang¡¯s expectations. He originally thought that the people on Pill Peak were all overbearing and unreasonable. He didn¡¯t expect that the Hall Master of the Pill Hall No. 1, who was specially invited by a group of overbearing disciples, had such a gentle temperament. It should be known that the other party¡¯s words just now had given him a way out. It seemed, the elders of the Center Sect had their wisdom. Yet, for some reason. He still felt strange. Gu Zecang said calmly, ¡°Hall Master Han, the previous bet was indeed due to friction among us.¡± ¡°But I am not finding an excuse to slander Pill Peak because I have not learned alchemy by myself. I wanted to point out this fact.¡± ¡°The Pill Peak has made a huge mistake in the teaching of alchemy. At the very least, it has made a huge mistake in the teaching of Rank 1 alchemy.¡± ¡°Especially the most basic which is the technique of pill fire. It¡¯s fundamentally wrong.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding Pill Peak disciples were all gnashing their teeth. They were incomparably furious, and their eyes glistered with a fierce light. If Elder Han hadn¡¯t been present, they would have immediately rushed up to him and started cursing him. Li Ce, Wang Lei and the others were breathing so heavily that they were almost breathless. ¡°Gu Zecang, I¡¯ve specially invited Elder Han as a witness. With Elder Han¡¯s status, he even gave you a way out. How dare you spout nonsense. It¡¯s really¡­¡± Li Ce glared at him and wanted to continue. However, Han Daobai raised his hand to stop him. Han Daobai¡¯s expression was still calm. He only nodded at Gu Zecang. Then, he slowly and solemnly said, ¡°Since you¡¯re so persistent, you must have your reasons.¡± ¡°But you should know that Li Ce originally invited me here because he wanted to allow you to prove that self-taught alchemy can also be successful.¡± ¡°If you succeeded in making the pill, you win. If you failed in making the pill, you lose.¡± ¡°But now, you insist that there¡¯s a problem with the alchemy techniques of our Pill Peak and that we have taught the pill fire wrongly, this matter is not as simple as you being able to refine a pill.¡± ¡°Not only do you need to refine pills, but you also need to be stronger than our Pill Peak¡¯s Rank 1 alchemy disciples. You even need to be extremely obvious and prove to us that your alchemy techniques are truly better than the Pill Peak¡¯s.¡± ¡°Can you do it?¡± ¡°Do you dare to compete in alchemy techniques?¡± These words came from Han Daobai¡¯s mouth and fell into the ears of the disciples. The Pill Peak disciples all nodded in agreement. The style of the scene changed abruptly. Li Ce and Wang Lei, in particular, felt like prostrating themselves on the ground after hearing the words. As expected. If they wanted to make things difficult for others¡­ It would have to be the masters. It was no wonder that Elder Han had become Hall Master of the most important Pill Hall No. 1 among the ten Pill Masters of the Center Sect. After these words fell, the atmosphere on Pill Peak became more relaxed. It was because no matter how they looked at this matter, they were sure to win. Originally, when they saw Gu Zecang¡¯s confident appearance, they also started to wonder if this kid became a Rank 1 alchemist in one go, right? Wouldn¡¯t their Pill Peak be the laughing stock of others? They would also be ridiculed to death. That¡¯s why they started to panic a little. In the end, when Hall Master Han opened his mouth, he directly eliminated this possibility. Yes. It was possible for you to successfully refine the pill. But now, it wasn¡¯t as simple as just refining the pill. You, Gu Zecang, not only need to refine the pill, but you also need to refine it better than our Rank 1 alchemy disciples. And not only better, but it also has to be extremely obvious. Otherwise, even if you are a little better, on what basis do you say that the Pill Peak is wrong? Absolutely not. No wonder Li Ce specially invited Hall Master Han. ¡°Hahahaha.¡± A burst of laughter rang out. But the laughter wasn¡¯t from the surrounding spectating disciples but it was from Gu Zecang. ¡°Interesting, interesting.¡± ¡°As expected of the Hall Master of the Pill Hall. Your disciple admires you.¡± After saying these words, Gu Zecang¡¯s tone changed, ¡°Alright, I agree that you can send out a Rank 1 alchemist to carry out the competition.¡± ¡°However, I¡¯m a little doubtful now. If the pills I refined surpass yours, would you still deny the truth?¡± ¡°Or misinterpret the meaning?¡± Seeing that the Pill Peak elders had also laid out their true thoughts, Gu Zecang naturally didn¡¯t plan to hide it anymore. ¡°You can rest assured on this point. My Pill Peak hates people who are arrogant and cannot refine pills.¡± ¡°If you have such talent in alchemy, this old man will not only acknowledge it but will also not care about these frictions. I promise to give you the portion of pills you want, as many times as you want.¡± Han Daobai opened his mouth to speak. ¡°Is that so? Then I want twenty times the portion of pills.¡± Gu Zecang directly replied. As the sound of his voice faded, his sentence caused the surrounding crowd to burst into laughter. ¡°Did you hear that? He made his choice.¡± ¡°Where did you get your confidence from?¡± ¡°If you can still win this, I¡¯ll eat all the cauldrons in the Pill Hall!¡± Amidst a wave of ridicule, Han Daobai raised his hand, signalling for everyone to quiet down. Then he said, ¡°You can choose a Rank 1 pill.¡± Gu Zecang did not hesitate and immediately replied, ¡°Spirit gathering pill.¡± After he finished speaking, Han Daobai nodded and sat on the chair that Li Ce had brought over. ¡°Clear the area, move the cauldron and prepare the medicinal herbs.¡± Without needing Han Daobai to speak, Li Ce, who was the Deputy Hall Master of the Pill Hall No. 1, immediately opened his mouth and prepared to make arrangements. After that, Li Ce called a youth over and said to Gu Zecang, ¡°Gu Zecang, this is the Rank 1 alchemy disciple that we have sent out, Wu Hao. If you defeat him, we will give you twenty times your monthly share of the medicinal pills!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve even talked about it before. If you win, I will directly eat the tree at the entrance of the Pill Hall!¡± ¡°But if you lose, not only will you have to clean up the ashes for a year, you will have to kneel and worship the way of alchemy and the Pill Peak. Worship us as an apology.¡± ¡°Do you dare?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Zecang nodded and said, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s begin.¡± Seeing this, both sides didn¡¯t say anything more. Li Ce looked at the scene of Gu Zecang and Wu Hao sitting cross-legged in front of the cauldron, and a smile appeared on his lips. Although Wu Hao was still a Rank 1 alchemist, his alchemy skills were incomparably exquisite. He was almost at the bottleneck of becoming a Rank 2 alchemist. In their Pill Peak, he was an absolute genius in alchemy. Lose to Gu Zecang? This was completely impossible. Dong. A bell rang. This meant that the competition had officially begun. And at the instant, the bell rang, Wu Hao immediately began to condense the pill fire and spiritual flames rapidly formed. Then, he began to use the water spiritual root to export the water element. The entire process was extremely stable. There weren¡¯t any small flaws or mistakes. It was extremely smooth. It looked like it would take around 300 breaths for it to condense successfully. The surrounding disciples nodded their heads in satisfaction. Not bad. Among the Rank 1 alchemists, Wu Hao¡¯s talent could be said to be top-notch! On the other hand, Gu Zecang¡­ Not only did he not start to condense the pill fire, he even lowered his head and did not move. A disciple took a look and saw that he had fallen asleep?! What did this mean? He felt that he had made too big a joke and could not do it? He chose to directly give up?! The surrounding Pill Peak disciples all shook their heads in disdain while feeling puzzled. It was not until Wu Hao successfully condensed the pill fire that Gu Zecang slowly opened his drowsy eyes. Naturally, no one opened their mouths to remind him. It was even better if he really fell asleep and then they would have got victory directly. Wu Hao slowly wrapped the pill fire with spiritual energy and placed it under the cauldron. ¡°Good!¡± ¡°The purity of the pill fire that Junior Brother Wu Hao condensed this time is around 65% .¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! As a Rank 1 alchemist, it¡¯s already not bad to be able to reach 50%. It reached 65%!¡± The surrounding disciples said excitedly. On the other hand, Gu Zecang hadn¡¯t even started to condense his pill fire. This scene fell into Li Ce¡¯s eyes, so he naturally had to mock him. Today¡¯s matter had come to this point. It wasn¡¯t something that could be settled just by Gu Zecang showing off and then admitting defeat. ¡°Gu Zecang, do you still remember?¡± ¡°You just said that our Pill Peak¡¯s method of condensing pill fire is also wrong.¡± ¡°Remember to let us see the difference.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make it clear first. Pill flames that take more than 15 minutes to condense will be directly eliminated¡­¡± Li Ce had yet to say the word ¡®eliminated¡¯, in the next moment, he was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t finish what he wanted to say! At the same time, the surrounding disciples instantly froze and were silent. Even as a Rank 5 alchemist, Han Daobai¡¯s pupils instantly dilated. He stood up in disbelief! Everyone present was stunned. Because¡­ They had just seen Gu Zecang, whom they had always thought was showing off, did a flip of his wrist and a crystal clear pill fire suddenly appeared in his palm! He flipped his palm to condense pill fire?! How was this possible!?? Chapter 12 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Flipping the palm to condense pill fire? How was this possible!! On Pill Peak at this moment, all the surrounding disciples in Pill Hall No. 1 were watching this scene. They simply couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. After a few breaths, they finally reacted. ¡°This¡­ this is the instant condensation of the pill fire?!¡± ¡°Impossible, absolutely impossible! Our Pill Peak¡¯s Deputy Hall Master needs thirty breaths to condense a pill fire. How can he be faster?!¡± ¡°Something has gone wrong?¡± The surrounding disciples¡¯ voices of disbelief and doubt could be faintly heard. Li Ce¡¯s eyes widened when he saw this scene. Condensing a pill fire in a second? This wasn¡¯t something that could be learned through hard training. Even if he had stayed on the Pill Peak for ten years, condensing pill fire still took him 200 breaths. How could Gu Zecang condense pill fire in a second? But this scene before his eyes had happened. The Hall Master of Pill Hall No. 1, Han Dao Bai, had stood up in shock earlier on. At this moment, he slowly sat back in his seat. With his cultivation level, experience and vision in alchemy, he could naturally tell that the pill fire in Gu Zecang¡¯s palm was something he had just condensed. It was not something that could have happened with the use of hidden methods. Could it be that the young man in front of him was an alchemy genius? Han Daobai¡¯s heart gradually began to beat faster. At the same time, Wu Hao, who was sitting cross-legged next to Gu Zecang, was the person closest to the latter. He had just finished condensing the pill fire when he realized that Gu Zecang had not even condensed it. Because Li Ce had told him in advance to attack the other party, he initially wanted to take the opportunity to open his mouth to mock Gu Zecang. But just when Wu Hao turned his head, to his surprise, he found an exquisite blue pill fire appearing in front of his eyes. He immediately swallowed his words. And then after he took back his words, he noticed that the blue pill fire¡¯s mottled purity had reached 90%! 90%! Wu Hao was dumbfounded at this moment. What was this thing? Was this something that a Rank 1 alchemist could condense?! It was too fake! The surrounding noise turned into silence. Beside him, Wu Hao¡¯s gaze changed from slight mockery to shock. At this moment, there was only one word in Gu Zecang¡¯s mind, and that was: Awesome! The feeling of making someone who looked down on him for not being able to refine pills but now was watching him condense the pill fire with a flip of his palm and was rendered speechless¡­ This exact feeling was too awesome. And all this was something he had secretly learned from Junior Brother Lu Ming. What was a genius? Junior Brother Lu Ming was the genius. At this moment, in comparison to Lu Ming, the talent of all the disciples of the Pill Peak was only second-rate in Gu Zecang¡¯s heart. Junior Brother Lu Ming. God forever! At this moment, Gu Zecang¡¯s heart was filled with joy. As his thoughts surged, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He decided to scare the disciples of the Pill Peak again. Thus, he casually dispersed the pill fire just now. He muttered to himself. ¡°Eh, why is the purity of the pill fire condensed this time so low?¡± Then, he flipped his palm again. Another blue pill fire burst out! Hiss. Hiss. Hiss. As expected. Gu Zecang heard a series of gasps coming from his surroundings. Wu Hao, who was beside him, heard his words. He almost threw away the pill fire that he had painstakingly condensed. What a guy. That pill fire just now had a purity of 90% at the beginning. But you think the purity of the pill fire is too low? Then what becomes of my pill fire with a purity of 65%? Wu Hao was so depressed that he almost coughed. At the same time, the surrounding Pill Peak disciples heard Gu Zecang muttering to himself. And after seeing him condense the pill fire with a flip of his hand for the second time. they sucked in a breath of cold air at the same time. What remained in their hearts, the last bit of doubt that Gu Zecang had cheated, was gone. But it was precisely because of this that the shock in their hearts grew even stronger. Because most of them had personally witnessed Gu Zecang peeping at them refining pills the last time he came, as well as the subsequent conflict between the two sides. A month ago. Gu Zecang was just an ordinary Taoist disciple who had never learned any alchemy. Recalling the last time he condensed the pill fire, he seemed extremely unfamiliar with it and looked like it was going to take him at least half an hour to condense it. But now. It¡¯s only been a month. Gu Zecang, whom they treated as a joke for a month, had become a monster that could condense pill fire with a flip of his palm! Could it be¡­ At this moment, the expressions of many of the surrounding Pill Peak disciples gradually changed. A strong thought appeared in their minds. ¡°Cough, cough.¡± Just as all sorts of thoughts emerged in the minds of the surrounding disciples, a light cough sounded and then someone said, ¡°The pill fire is only the threshold and foundation of alchemy.¡± ¡°The true evaluation of alchemy is only until the pill is refined.¡± ¡°Without successfully refining the pill to the optimal level, no matter how much you know, you are just an empty shell.¡± The source of the voice was Li Ce. Just now, after seeing Gu Zecang condense the pill fire a second time. he had already deeply realized that this time, Gu Zecang had some real ability. That kind of pure pill fire. At that time, even Hall Master Han, who was sitting behind him, couldn¡¯t condense it. But¡­ It was precisely because of this reason, his side could not panic even more. Especially when he swept his gaze over the surrounding Pill Hall disciples, his gaze began to show uncertain thoughts. He had to quickly calm down and think of something to break this situation. As expected, after he said this, the gazes of the surrounding disciples also gradually calmed down. They shifted their attention from thinking to the pill refining competition in front of them. That¡¯s right. Everything still depended on whether the pill could be successfully refined in the end. As well as the completion rate of the pill after the pill was formed. This was the most important thing. The surrounding disciples thought in their hearts, and then their gazes fell onto the two people in front of the cauldron. At this moment. Bang! A soft sound was suddenly heard. Under the gazes of the surrounding alchemy disciples, Wu Hao had already completed the heating of the cauldron. He had officially started refining the pill! At the same time, he placed the medicinal herbs into the cauldron one by one. Then, according to his usual refining process, he began to wait for the medicinal essence of the pill to be extracted by the pill fire and then deconstructed within the cauldron. At this moment. Gu Zecang, who had completed condensing the pill fire at almost the same time as him, did not make any movement. He was still in the process of wrapping the pill fire with spiritual power and slowly heating it under the cauldron. This scene fell into the eyes of the crowd. It immediately attracted the attention of some onlookers. ¡°This¡­ the time for opening the cauldron has passed, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, the two of them heated the cauldron at the same time. The heat of the cauldron is enough now.¡± ¡°Junior Brother Wu Hao¡¯s timing is still very accurate. As expected of the most popular Rank 1 alchemy disciple of our Pill Peak recently.¡± ¡°Now it¡¯s exposed. I already said that Gu Zecang doesn¡¯t know alchemy at all. He doesn¡¯t even know the minimum time to open the cauldron and heat it.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be. Don¡¯t tell me that someone thinks that being able to condense a pill fire means that they know alchemy.¡± However, after witnessing two rounds of instantly condensing the pill fire, there was less ridicule towards Gu Zecang amidst these voices. However, most of them were still skeptical upon seeing this scene. Han Daobai stroked his beard and frowned, not saying a word. On the other hand, Li Ce was full of smiles. After seeing how Gu Zecang condensed the pill fire just now, he had to admit there were a few moments where he panicked. He really panicked. This matter was so huge. If Gu Zecang had the quality of a Rank 1 alchemist and refined a pill, then Pill Peak¡¯s reputation would be tarnished again. At the same time, Gu Zecang was a Core Formation cultivator. If he wanted twenty times more medicinal pill resources, then he would have to take them out of the resources of his Pill Hall. That would be a huge loss. Especially since he once said that he would eat the tree at the entrance of the Pill Hall¡­ But now, he could finally be at ease. Although the matter of opening the cauldron was small, it was extremely important. If the opening of the cauldron was brought forward, without properly heating the cauldron, it would be very difficult to extract the essence of the medicinal herbs. It would be extremely easy for inferior pills with extremely low completion rates to appear. And for someone like Gu Zecang who opened the cauldron too late, it would be extremely difficult to control the extraction of the essence of the medicinal herbs in the cauldron. It would be extremely easy for the pill refinement to fail. After seeing such an unprofessional method appear in front of him, Li Ce understood that in this alchemy competition, their Pill Peak would win in the end. The next moment. Gu Zecang, who had been sitting cross-legged, using the pill fire to heat the pill cauldron, finally made his move! Chapter 13 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bang! Just as Wu Hao was beginning to use the pill fire to extract the essence of the medicinal herbs he had put into the cauldron and the surrounding disciples were once again showing their interest in watching the show, Gu Zecang had officially ended his opening of the cauldron. He patted the cauldron and gently lifted the top of the cauldron. However, Gu Zecang did not put in all the medicinal herbs he had used to refine the spirit gathering pill as Wu Hao did. Instead, he did it according to the steps and methods that he had asked Lu Ming to explain to him last night. The first item that he needed to put in was the spirit gathering grass. Moreover, the quantity was not the two taels that Wu Hao had put in just now. Instead, it was a little less than half. Then. Gu Zecang recalled that he had asked (requested) Lu Ming to demonstrate to him how to refine the pill last night so that he could help him correct his mistakes. He remembered that at this time, Junior Brother Lu had reduced the spiritual power output of the water spiritual root by half. At the same time, he slightly increased the output of the spiritual fire formed by the spiritual energy in the pill fire. This continued for about fifteen breaths. Until all the medicinal essence in the spirit gathering grass was successfully extracted. The next step was to place nearly four taels of hundred-year ginseng into the cauldron. It was different from Wu Hao¡¯s three-and-a-half taels of medicinal herbs. It was still the same step¡­ After Gu Zecang entered the alchemy state, especially after he followed Junior Brother Lu Ming¡¯s alchemy method, to control the temperature of the pill fire and pay attention to whether the essence of the medicinal herbs had been completely extracted, Gu Zecang was completely immersed in it, reaching a state of selflessness. So, he didn¡¯t notice at all that when he was controlling the number of herbs earlier on, he had caught the attention of the surrounding Pill Peak disciples and their eyes were fixated on him. But these eyes have emotions. Then, when he was controlling the temperature of the pill fire to extract all the essence from the first type of herb, the spirit gathering grass, the eyes of everyone present, including Wu Hao beside him, were all deeply attracted by his actions. Their gazes were filled with doubt and solemnity. Because according to the normal process of refining spirit gathering pill on Pill Peak, all the medicinal herbs were directly put in and then the temperature of the pill fire was maintained for the first half an hour. In the next two hours, the temperature of the pill fire was doubled, and at the same time, the essence of the medicinal herbs would be condensed in the cauldron. Finally, one would slowly mold it into a pill and after that, it could be removed from the cauldron. After all, the spirit gathering pill was only a Rank 1 medicinal pill, so it wasn¡¯t too difficult. Other than the temperature of the pill fire rising once midway, there were no other actions required. But after seeing Gu Zecang¡¯s delicate technique on refining the essence of the medicinal herbs into the cauldron one by one, and the change in the temperature of the pill fire that could be said to be stunning, the surrounding Pill Peak disciples gradually fell silent. Because as they watched, although they couldn¡¯t understand the changes within, they still felt that it was a very powerful feeling. Especially when Gu Zecang flipped his palm to condense the pill fire, and the essence was even 90% high. They always felt that this method seemed to have some tricks up its sleeve. When this scene fell into the eyes of Li Ce, Wang Lei and the other Deputy Hall Masters, their gazes actually slowly turned from the initial joy to calmness, then from calmness to solemnity. Because for some reason, they vaguely saw traces of the Pill Peak elders refining pills from before. And when the Hall Master of Pill Peak¡¯s Pill Hall No. 1, Han Daobai, saw this scene, he was first surprised, then quickly turned into disbelief and surprise! His hands could not stop trembling. Because this scene completely solved a casual assumption that he had made when he was young and was doing alchemy. That was to extract the essence of the medicinal herbs one by one to improve the completion rate of the final pill. But it was a pity. After he experimented with it, he quickly gave up that kind of pill refining method and technique. There was no other reason. It was only because this pill refining method could not completely extract the essence of the medicinal herbs. The second reason was that using this method required very high control over the temperature of the pill fire. If the temperature of the pill fire suddenly increased or decreased during the refining process, the medicinal herbs would very easily be destroyed. Hence, he gave up back then. After all, this was a small idea he had in the past, furthermore, it was extremely difficult. It was a failed attempt. He didn¡¯t try it again after that. But after watching Gu Zecang¡¯s refining method today, Han Daobai realized that this was the perfect version of his original idea! It perfectly solved all the problems of his original idea! The first problem was that he was unable to completely extract the essence of the medicinal herbs. Gu Zecang provided a solution to this. That was to increase the heating time of the cauldron. Although this would cause the temperature of the cauldron to be too high, which might affect the medicinal herbs, it completely solved the problem of not being able to extract sufficient essence of the medicinal herbs. The second problem was in controlling the temperature of the pill fire. Changes in the temperature of the pill fire was a common occurrence in alchemy. But in reality, other than heating, it was still heating. For example, Gu Zecang¡¯s method of placing the medicinal herbs into the cauldron and then accurately controlling the output of the water element and the temperature of the spiritual flame at the same time, he didn¡¯t even dare to think about it. Although controlling the pill fire wasn¡¯t difficult to practice, who knew the most suitable temperature for each medicinal herb. Medicinal herbs were expensive and scarce. It was very difficult to test them one by one and find a fixed temperature. This was a difficult problem that even a Rank 5 alchemist like him couldn¡¯t solve. But Han Daobai was currently witnessing Gu Ze Cang, a young man who might have only studied for a month, doing what he couldn¡¯t do in the first place. This was simply too shocking! The way Han Daobai looked at Gu Zecang at that moment had already changed. It was no longer a look of indifference about the friction among the juniors. On the other hand, it was a look that was filled with high expectations. He was now incomparably hopeful that Gu Zecang would be able to refine this pill in the end. Of course. Even if Gu Zecang did not succeed in refining it, he would still help Gu Zecang settle all the matters on the Pill Peak. After all, he had said before that people on the Pill Peak loathed those who didn¡¯t have the talent and were arrogant. Since Gu Zecang had such a terrifying talent, he would recruit and treat him well. The Pill Peak also needed great talent. In addition, he also planned to ask around later. To see if Gu Zecang had met some reclusive almighty on the Pill Peak. It was because Han Daobai had a feeling that someone couldn¡¯t learn such a high-level alchemy method on his own within a month. There must be a hidden figure in the Center Sect who hadn¡¯t been discovered yet. And then, Wu Hao, who was sitting next to Gu Zecang, was dumbfounded by what he saw. Though he felt that he had done it according to the standard method taught on the Pill Peak, upon seeing Gu Zecang¡¯s method, he somehow felt that he had made a mistake somewhere. Wu Hao felt that his method of refining pills was too simple and straightforward. Because of this, some changes slowly appeared in his heart. ¡­ Bang! The sound of clapping the cauldron appeared again. Finally. After more than two hours. Wu Hao had officially refined the essence of the medicinal herbs and shaped it into a pill! The refining of the spirit gathering pill was completed! Chapter 14 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the Pill Hall. Wu Hao quickly stored the pills he refined into a porcelain bottle. There were two reasons why he stored them so quickly. Firstly, he had to ensure that the medicinal herbs in the medicinal pill would not be lost. Secondly, he saw that Gu Zecang¡¯s pill was already at the final stage. He wanted to see it. After seeing Gu Zecang¡¯s pill fire manipulation technique with his own eyes, Wu Hao was looking forward to seeing if Gu Zecang could form a pill in the end. After all, he had never seen a pill being refined with this kind of method. At the same time, the surrounding disciples also had various emotions in their eyes. Li Ce and Wang Lei looked at this scene with extremely serious expressions. Han Daobai¡¯s hand, which was stroking his beard, was faintly trembling. This was something he had imagined several decades ago. The result of this alchemy held extraordinary significance to him! In everyone¡¯s eyes, Gu Zecang, who was still in a state of selflessness, suddenly raised the temperature of the pill fire! The pure essence of the medicinal herbs in the cauldron had already slowly taken the shape of a pill. At this moment, under the high temperature. It suddenly condensed into a pill! Bang! Gu Zecang slapped the pill cauldron with his large hand, and a pill the size of a dragon¡¯s eye shot out from the pill cauldron. It landed on Gu Zecang¡¯s palm. ¡ª It was a success! Without any mishaps, the pill was completed! At this moment. Seeing that the pill in Gu Zecang¡¯s palm emitted a glazed color, everyone¡¯s gazes were practically focused on it. Han Daobai couldn¡¯t suppress the joy in his chest. Good! Very good! Just by smelling this rich pill fragrance, Han Daobai knew that this pill was certainly a success. At this moment, Gu Zecang also came out from his tranced state moments ago. When he saw the pill in his palm, his face also revealed a trace of joy. Finally. He was crazily practising how to refine a pill for a month and he finally succeeded in doing that in front of the Pill Peak disciples. Unfortunately, it was only a glass-colored pill. It should still be inferior to the golden pill that Junior Brother Lu Ming had refined. ¡°Since the pill has been successfully refined, bring it over and ask Hall Master Han to appraise it.¡± Li Ce spoke slowly, trying his best to maintain a calm tone. Now, the time to truly judge the outcome had come! Was it because their Pill Peak had to give Gu Zecang twenty times the additional pill resources¡­ Or was it because Gu Zecang was kneeling down and only paying attention to Hall Master Han¡¯s judgment? After Wu Hao smelled the rich medicinal pill fragrance just now and saw the glazed medicinal pill with his own eyes, his state of mind had completely collapsed. This¡­ this was what the Deputy Hall Master had said when he called him over, that he was competing with ¡®trash¡¯? At this moment, Wu Hao wanted to ask Li Ce what the definition of ¡®trash¡¯ was in his eyes. Was the person who was able to condense the pill fire in one second considered ¡®trash¡¯? Or was the person that was able to condense 90% purity pill fire rendered ¡®trash¡¯? Or was a person who was extremely skilled in alchemy called ¡®trash¡¯? Wu Hao thought helplessly as he and Gu Zecang handed the pill to Han Daobai. But no matter what, he still didn¡¯t know what the color of the glass represented. He still had a chance of winning. Han Daobai suppressed his emotions. This was the Pill Peak after all and he was standing in front of so many disciples of his own Pill Hall. No matter what, he had to act calm. In the end, Han Daobai gently took Wu Hao¡¯s medicinal pill and carefully examined it. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°The quality of the medicinal pill is not bad, it should have a completion rate of 73%!¡± As his voice fell, Wu Hao felt a sense of relief. After all, he had already done his best. And upon hearing this answer, most of the surrounding disciples and Li Ce all revealed satisfied smiles. A 73% completion rate for medicinal pills. An ordinary Rank 1 alchemist could only refine to a 50% completion rate. A 73% completion rate was already considered to be extremely exaggerated. Wu Hao was indeed worthy of being known as a top talent in alchemy! ¡°Next, it¡¯s Gu Zecang¡¯s medicinal pill.¡± Han Daobai¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but he was experiencing surging emotions internally. This was the result of his imagination and actual practice back then. Moreover. He had been refining pills for so many years, but he had never seen a glazed medicinal pill. He was also somewhat curious as to what this glazed medicinal pill¡¯s completion rate was¡­ Hiss! This! ¡°F*ck¡­ 91%!!¡± Han Daobai forced down his expletive and stood up on the spot. He stared at the medicinal pill and shouted! Hearing that. At this moment. Everyone present was completely dumbfounded this time! 91%?! This!! All the Pill Peak disciples had been refining pills for so many years, and they didn¡¯t even have a completion rate above 75%. Gu Zecang had only taught himself for a month. He could refine a pill with a 91% completion rate with a flip of his hand?! In just an instant, everyone present in the Pill Hall, including those waiting outside for the results, was immediately dumbfounded after hearing that it was a 91% completion rate! Where did this Gu Zecang come from? Deputy Hall Master Li and Hall Master Han had dug a hole for him. But in the end, he crawled out of it! ¡°Hahahahahahahaha.¡± ¡°Are Pill Peak disciples only at this level?¡± Everyone was too shocked for words. Gu Zecang, who had waited for an entire month for this moment to happen, would not let go of such an opportunity. He looked at the shocked expressions of the Pill Peak disciples beside him, as well as some of their fearful gazes. Gu Zecang felt so good that his entire body was super relaxed! ¡°Impossible!¡± ¡°How could Wu Hao lose?!¡± To others, if Pill Peak lost, so be it. After all, others could do so. At most, they would feel a little depressed and be ridiculed a little. But Li Ce couldn¡¯t accept it. ¡°Why is it impossible?¡± ¡°Hall Master Han personally appraised it. How could it be wrong?¡± Gu Zecang smiled slightly, then forced out a pose and said, ¡°Hiss, I don¡¯t know why, but I suddenly feel like watching someone gnaw on a tree.¡± ¡°I wonder, Deputy Hall Master Li, have you eaten breakfast?¡± As he finished speaking, Li Ce¡¯s expression froze! ¡°What?¡± ¡°Deputy Hall Master Li said it in front of so many people. Don¡¯t tell me that you are going back on your words?¡± Seeing Li Ce¡¯s expression stiffen, Gu Zecang immediately said with a smile. One had to know. On the way here today, Gu Zecang had rehearsed several times in advance the posture he should take after winning the bet. Originally, he had thought that just mocking the Pill Peak disciples back was a little too boring. He didn¡¯t expect Li Ce to make a huge bet just now. Li Ce was also panicking when he was directly called by name. This time, not only did Gu Zecang refine the pill, his completion rate reached an astonishing 91%. Especially now that this had happened in front of hundreds of Pill Peak disciples. So many people had seen it with their own eyes. There was simply no way to tamper with it. However, if he wanted to do something like eating a tree in front of so many people, wouldn¡¯t that be disgraceful? As the Deputy Hall Master of the Pill Hall, he would lose face as a result. Therefore, Li Ce began to quickly think of ways to make up for it. ¡°Uh¡­ Junior Brother Gu, I was joking just now. How can you take it seriously?¡± Li Ce smiled embarrassedly. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Deputy Hall Master Wang and the others. I often joke with them.¡± As he spoke, Li Ce turned to look at Wang Lei and the others. In the end, he discovered that Wang Lei and the other Deputy Hall Masters had already retreated two meters away from him. At this moment, he saw Li Ce¡¯s gaze fall on him. Seeing that he couldn¡¯t avoid it, Wang Lei braced himself and replied, ¡°Deputy Hall Master Li has always been cold-faced and serious when doing things. How could he possibly say such nonsense today?¡± You! Good heavens! Hearing Wang Lei¡¯s words, Li Ce almost cursed out loud. ¡°Deputy Hall Master Li, I told you so. How could you be joking?¡± Seeing this scene, Gu Zecang asked with a smile. ¡°Then¡­ There must be some of the Pill Hall disciples here who can testify for me, right?¡± Seeing that Wang Lei and the others didn¡¯t help him, Li Ce immediately began to divert his attention and turned to look at the surrounding Pill Hall disciples. In the end, after waiting for ten breaths, not a single disciple stood out to speak. Even the disciples who usually liked to flatter Li Ce didn¡¯t stand out at this time. They didn¡¯t even respond in the crowd. This time, Li Ce was completely dumbfounded. He never expected that the disciples on his Pill Peak would choose to remain silent at this time. What? Did they like watching him eat trees so much!? But what Li Ce didn¡¯t know was that, after the series of heaven-defying pill refining skills that Gu Zecang had displayed, the hearts of the surrounding Pill Peak disciples had long been set ablaze with earth-shaking waves. The gazes they looked at Gu Zecang were all different. Because. Not all of the alchemy disciples present were alchemy talents. Some had stayed on the Pill Peak for a few years but still ended up being the lowest-ranked pill servant. Thus, after personally seeing Gu Zecang use only a month to reach his current heaven-defying level, they associated it with what Gu Zecang had previously mentioned, that the alchemy techniques imparted by the Pill Peak were wrong. This undoubtedly confirmed this point. Thus, they would want to learn the correct alchemy skills. They also wanted to be like Gu Zecang, using only a month, to become a Rank 1 alchemist. To be able to condense the pill fire with a flip of the palm and to get a completion rate of 91% for refining a pill. Those disciples who had a rank in alchemy, as experts, would want to master that incomparably exquisite fire control skill. Therefore, when faced with Li Ce¡¯s signal, not a single one of them answered. At this moment, Li Ce looked at the Pill Peak disciples who were all silent, and he was slowly breaking down. He angrily took a step forward and slapped the table, ¡°F*ck it, say it, why don¡¯t you all say anything?!¡± ¡°All of you are playing with silence, right?¡± Li Ce looked around as he spoke. But before he could continue speaking, a voice sounded behind him. ¡°Noisy.¡± ¡°When has my Pill Peak ever broken a promise? Li Ce, you can go now.¡± When the voice entered his ears, Li Ce couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore, because these words were said by Han Daobai. Under such circumstances, after his Pill Peak¡¯s elder spoke, no one was helping him?! Li Ce felt that his sect had completely died. Then, without any hesitation, he took a deep breath. Step by step, he walked out of Pill Hall No. 1 and headed straight for the big tree at the door! Kacha! Sounds came in from outside the Pill Hall. ¡°Hahahahaha, I¡¯m dying of laughter.¡± ¡°Mm, Deputy Hall Master Li is indeed worthy of being a Deputy Hall Master. He has good teeth.¡± At this moment, Gu Zecang was completely elated. He laughed loudly as he looked at the scene in the distance. Then, he realized that the Pill Peak disciples who were scattered around were still surrounding him. After a flash of inspiration, he immediately turned around and looked at them, ¡°Hiss, why do I remember someone saying just now that if I win, he will eat the pill cauldron?¡± ¡°Was it you? Was it you?¡± After a round of teasing, the Pill Peak disciples around him felt helpless and were about to leave. Suddenly, Han Daobai¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Little friend Gu, don¡¯t make fun of them.¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with them.¡± Hearing this, Gu Zecang turned to look at Han Daobai. ¡°Hall Master Han.¡± ¡°You really should have said this a month ago. I feel like it¡¯s a little late to say it now.¡± ¡°Pill Peak, remember to prepare the extra monthly quota for later. I still have things to do, so I¡¯ll be going back first.¡± Although Gu Zecang said this with a smile, his words were not polite. Therefore, after saying those harsh words, Gu Zecang was ready to turn around and leave. After putting a front, he would run away. This was his way of survival. Later, no matter what the other party replied to him, he would not care! And just as he turned around, Han Daobai spoke again. But this time, Gu Zecang stopped in his tracks. He even looked at Han Daobai in disbelief! Chapter 15 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the Pill Hall. Gu Zecang¡¯s footsteps suddenly stopped as he was about to leave. This was because the words he had heard from Han Daobai had truly surprised him. ¡°Young friend Gu, twenty times the resources of medicinal pills is just a small profit.¡± ¡°I have a new gamble here. If you win, I¡¯ll give you a hundred times the resources of medicinal pills.¡± ¡°Do you dare?¡± 100 times the amount of medicinal pills?! Gu Zecang, who had always been itching for medicinal pills, immediately became interested after hearing these words. After all, that was 100 copies of medicinal pills for Core Formation cultivators. Among them were Rank 2 medicinal pills. The 20 medicinal pills he had before were equivalent to one and a half years worth of medicinal pills. This was already enough to make him extremely satisfied. And this time, it was a full hundred portions of medicinal pills! It was equivalent to seven to eight years worth of medicinal pills! ¡°Oh? I wonder what kind of gamble Elder Han is talking about?¡± ¡°This disciple is somewhat interested.¡± Gu Zecang immediately turned around and returned to the Pill Hall. At the same time, the surrounding alchemy disciples of Pill Hall No. 1 also subconsciously surrounded him. Because they hadn¡¯t expected it either. Hall Master Han wanted to gamble with Gu Zecang after the last gamble. But when they had just gathered, they were dismissed by Han Daobai with a glance. They all returned to their pill cauldrons in the Pill Hall and began to prepare for today¡¯s pill refining matters. At the same time, Han Daobai raised his palm slightly, and an invisible spirit wall formed, isolating their voices and creating a room for conversation. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Before we discuss the upcoming bet, I want to ask you first.¡± ¡°Did you learn this alchemy skill by yourself? Or where did you learn it from?¡± Han Daobai had been thinking about this question ever since he had seen Gu Zecang¡¯s fire-controlling alchemy skill. Although the fire-controlling alchemy skill, which was close to perfection, was still a little crude, it was obvious that it was the work of an expert. Gu Zecang, who had only learned alchemy for a month, couldn¡¯t have learned it out of the blue. Especially since he said that he had learned it by himself. How was this possible? He believed that one could learn the way of Daoism in a month, and also learn the way of alchemy in a month. But if you said that you developed a new alchemy method and technique within a month and that it had succeeded in the end, he didn¡¯t believe it. One had to know that Gu Zecang hadn¡¯t even learned the alchemy technique passed down from the Pill Peak, so how could he forcefully create an alchemy technique? In Han Daobai¡¯s opinion, behind Gu Zecang, there must be an unfathomable alchemy expert, who was proficient in alchemy, teaching him! Han Daobai wanted to know this person¡¯s identity. And at this moment, facing Han Daobai¡¯s inquiry, Gu Zecang didn¡¯t think too much at first moment. He replied, ¡°Of course, I taught myself.¡± ¡°When we set up the bet last time, we agreed that I had to prove that I could learn alchemy by myself, so of course, I taught myself.¡± As he finished speaking, Han Daobai frowned slightly. Taught himself? Really taught himself? Especially since the other party did not show any signs of nervousness. Could it be, that this Gu Zecang was a peerless genius in alchemy? He looked at Gu Zecang with a hint of surprise in his eyes. Then, he continued, ¡°Alright, since you taught yourself, then I¡¯m relieved. Let¡¯s talk about the contents of the bet.¡± ¡°What I want to bet is that you won¡¯t be able to teach my Pill Peak disciples to condense the pill fire and learn your fire control technique within a month!¡± As his voice fell, Han Daobai directly laid out his cards, indicating the reason for his bet this time. After Gu Zecang heard this, a look of sudden realization appeared on his face. What a good plan. At this moment, Gu Zecang had to admit that this Elder Han in front of him was terrifying. The competition had only just ended half an hour ago and he had ruthlessly ridiculed the Pill Peak in their face. Not only did Elder Han not leave in anger, but he could even think of a plan in such a short amount of time. That was to continue to use the way of gambling to get the new alchemy technique out from him. If he didn¡¯t want to, he could just say no. They had nothing to lose. Even if he didn¡¯t consent to the bet, Pill Peak had taken the initiative to seek advice from outsiders and failed. If he was willing, then a hundred portions of medicinal pill resources would be equivalent to thanking him for the reward of imparting the new alchemy technique to them. One had to say, this move was truly exceptional. ¡°Hall Master Han, I admire your gamble.¡± ¡°To be able to think of such a way to achieve the best of both worlds, you are truly worthy of being an elder of the Pill Peak.¡± Gu Zecang opened his mouth and said. ¡°Then, young friend Gu, what is your answer to this bet?¡± Han Daobai didn¡¯t say much and directly asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that one day the Pill Peak would ask an amateur alchemist like me for advice.¡± ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, but I won¡¯t take the gamble.¡± ¡°Since you all didn¡¯t like me before, why are you doing this now?¡± Facing Han Daobai¡¯s goodwill, Gu Zecang naturally wouldn¡¯t agree. Although he was a bit arrogant and wanted his face, he was still very determined when it came to matters. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to reject Pill Peak back then. Not to mention that he dared to set up a bet and went into seclusion for a month to learn alchemy by himself. ¡°There was friction between both sides and you all set up a bet. It has been resolved today and Pill Peak has kept their promise.¡± ¡°Even Li Ce, the Deputy Hall Master, really ate a tree.¡± ¡°Why do you have to hold on to this matter?¡± Han Daobai¡¯s expression was calm as he spoke in a gentle voice. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. I won¡¯t continue to gamble.¡± ¡°Your disciple will take his leave.¡± With that said, Gu Zecang didn¡¯t stay any longer. He turned around and was about to leave. Actually, after hearing Han Daobai¡¯s words just now, Gu Zecang was also hesitant as to whether he can teach alchemy to Pill Peak. After all, they were all disciples of the Center Sect. The alchemy taught to Pill Peak would naturally be good for the entire sect. But¡­ After all, he learned this alchemy from Junior Brother Lu Ming. Although Junior Brother Lu Ming might not have realized it, he still felt that it was very necessary to ask the other party about this matter. Especially Junior Brother Lu, under his own words. At this time, he should still hate the Pill Peak. But at the same time. Han Daobai¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Three hundred portions of medicinal pill resources.¡± Gu Zecang¡¯s footsteps paused, and then he continued to walk out. ¡°500 portions of medicinal pills!¡± Gu Zecang still didn¡¯t stop. Han Daobai looked at the other party¡¯s determined footsteps as he left. He was also panicking in his heart. If he missed this kind of alchemy skill and couldn¡¯t get it even if he loved it, people like them who had immersed themselves in alchemy for decades would be heartbroken. Moreover, this transaction would not be a loss. One had to know that pills with a completion rate of 70% or above were very rare. The 91% value of the pill just now was equivalent to three pills with a completion rate of 70%. After all, the higher the completion rate, the higher the medicinal efficacy of the pill. This might be fine for the spirit gathering pill, but what if this was the foundation establishment pill? A pill with a completion rate of 90% or above, the value had increased several times in one go. However, Han Daobai knew that there shouldn¡¯t be any hope of keeping the other party. So, in order not to let himself regret it, he finally shouted, ¡°10% of Pill Peak¡¯s annual medicinal pill resources!¡± As the sound of his voice faded, Han Daobai, who had originally wanted to put on an appearance of ¡°I tried hard but to no avail¡±, was stunned to see that Gu Zecang, who had already left the Pill Hall, had suddenly turned around and returned! At the entrance of Pill Hall No. 1, in the curious gazes of the surrounding disciples, Gu Zecang smiled and said, ¡°Deal!¡± ¡­ After Gu Zecang left the Pill Peak with great satisfaction, he also quickly rushed back to the Grade A cave abode. He felt that he couldn¡¯t hide such a big matter that involved huge benefits from Junior Brother Lu Ming. Otherwise, he would feel bad in his heart. He had specifically told Han Daobai that the bet was still to be discussed. He would give the other party an answer tomorrow. Therefore, Gu Zecang came to Lu Ming¡¯s cave abode. Chapter 16 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Tianguang Peak. At Grade A cave abode. Lu Ming sat quietly in front of the pill cauldron, shockingly refining ten pills at the same time. If other people who knew alchemy saw this scene, their jaws would drop. Because this scene was too outrageous. Every alchemist could only refine one pill at a time when refining pills. After all, this involved the refining of the essence of the medicinal herbs by the pill fire, as well as the control of the final pill formation. This was an iron rule recognised by every alchemist. Of course, if there was a great alchemist above Rank 6 who could refine three Rank 1 pills at the same time, they could barely do it. But no one would do that. If they had the time and energy, why not refine a Rank 6 pill? Even a Rank 6 great alchemist could barely refine three pills. Lu Ming, who was only a Rank 1 alchemist, actually refined ten pills at the same time. Naturally, it would be unimaginable! Bang! Lu Ming slapped the pill cauldron heavily, and the ten pills condensed into pills at the same time. Each of them flew out of the pill cauldron with a golden glow. Ten golden rays of light flew out and landed on the porcelain bottle in Lu Ming¡¯s palm. One hundred percent! All of them were one hundred percent! After keeping the porcelain bottle properly, Lu Ming also heaved a sigh of relief. After deciding on his future plans, Lu Ming immediately took action. The first thing he had to do was to refine pills to earn spirit stones and obtain the starting capital to purchase the first batch of talismans and spirit tools. As for the cost of refining pills, it was naturally the dozens of medicinal ingredients and pill cauldrons that Gu Zecang had forced him to bring back last night. Only one morning had passed, he had already refined seven spirit gathering pills, eight marrow cleansing pills, and the ten foundation establishment pills that had just come out of the cauldron. The number of medicinal ingredients that Gu Zecang had given him wasn¡¯t too much. According to an ordinary Rank 1 alchemist, it would be pretty good if he could refine ten out of twenty-five Rank 1 medicinal herbs. However, with Lu Ming¡¯s powerful Rank 1 scientific alchemy, he naturally wouldn¡¯t waste a single portion. As for whether the value of these medicinal pills would allow him to exchange for a large number of spirit stones, Lu Ming wasn¡¯t worried at all. When he obtained the scientific alchemy technique newcomer gift pack, regarding information about Rank 1 medicinal pills, no one understood more thoroughly than him. The value of the spirit gathering pill was still good. A 100% completion rate could increase the price by five times. However, the value of the marrow cleansing pill and foundation establishment pill would increase greatly. These pills, which were related to a cultivator¡¯s qualification and realm, had always been the most sought after. Currently, the highest completion rate of the marrow cleansing pill was 76%. This meant that after taking the marrow cleansing pill, there was a 76% chance to completely wash away the lead dust in one¡¯s body and raise one¡¯s aptitude. For example, one¡¯s aptitude could be raised from inferior to moderate, or from below average to above average. Don¡¯t look at this as a small step. It could decide how high a level a cultivator could reach. In addition, although the 76% chance seemed high, in the end, if one wanted to obtain the marrow-cleansing effect, they still had to rely on quantity. However, the amount of marrow cleansing pills a cultivator could consume in their lifetime was limited. Therefore, whether or not their aptitude could be improved, or to what extent, could only depend on whether the completion rate of the marrow-cleansing pills was high or not. Therefore, under such circumstances, even if Gu Zecang¡¯s 91% completion rate of the marrow-cleansing pills was already very high, in the end, it still had to fall into the probability category. It was considered to have a very good effect, but it still required the accumulation of quantity. It was just that the quantity was relatively much smaller. However, the eight marrow cleansing pills in Lu Ming¡¯s hands were different. 100% completion rate! The ultimate marrow cleansing pill! In other words, as long as a cultivator consumed it, their aptitude would increase by a small stage! Moreover, they only needed one! The value of the pill would increase by tens or even dozens of times! The same was true for the foundation establishment pill. There was nothing else to say, just one sentence. For other foundation establishment pills with a 70% completion rate, even cultivators with low aptitude might not be able to break through to the foundation establishment realm after taking 30 of them. As for Lu Ming¡¯s ultimate foundation establishment pill, it could directly enter one¡¯s soul. It didn¡¯t matter what kind of talent you had, as long as you had cultivated to the complete state, you would break through your current realm! This was a great temptation for those free-travelling practitioners in the secular world. At the same time, Lu Ming didn¡¯t intend to sell these magic pills in the sect. He wanted to go to the auction house outside the sect. It was because the Center Sect forbade the trading of the foundation establishment pill. The reason why the Center Sect, which had the Pill Peak, forbade the trading of these foundation establishment pills was very simple. They were afraid that the low completion rate of the foundation establishment pills would affect their disciples¡¯ aptitude. It would block their path of cultivation. However, even if Lu Ming took this foundation establishment pill, he didn¡¯t need to worry about the side effects of the pills affecting his aptitude. It was because the completion rate was 100%. It had a perfect medicinal effect and there were no side effects! After taking out these medicinal pills, Lu Ming wasn¡¯t worried about their value at all. In his cave abode, after storing the medicinal pills and the pill cauldron into the Heaven and Earth pouch that was given to him when he came to Tianguang Peak, Lu Ming, who had left his state of selflessness while refining pills, suddenly noticed something. Why was the rate at which the condensation of the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth in his cave abode so much faster than yesterday? It had directly doubled! What was the meaning of this? After entering the Foundation Establishment Stage, the body of a cultivator would automatically inhale and exhale. Of course, this kind of breathing was certainly not as effective as the formal practice of the breathing exercise. However, with such rich spiritual energy, Lu Ming was afraid that he would break through the minor realm in a month. Just as Lu Ming curiously got up and began to search for the reason, Gu Zecang¡¯s voice also came from outside his cave abode. ¡°Is Junior Brother Lu in the cave abode?¡± Hearing the voice, Lu Ming took the opportunity to walk out of the cave abode. Seeing that the other party¡¯s tone and expression were correct and confirming that it was Gu Zecang, he raised his hand and lifted the restriction. ¡°Senior Brother Gu is looking for me? Come in and have a chat.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Gu Zecang was both excited and nervous at the same time. After all, the matter of alchemy was too big. He really couldn¡¯t say anything. He had to think of a way to create a good impression for Junior Brother Lu first. Therefore, when the two of them walked into Lu Ming¡¯s cave abode, Gu Zecang, who had been pondering, suddenly had an idea. He smiled and said, ¡°Junior Brother Lu, do you feel that there are some changes in your cave abode today?¡± The two of them were talking and walking towards the hall of Lu Ming¡¯s cave abode. The hall was clean and elegant, with a mahogany chair and a long table. Lu Ming motioned for Gu Zecang to sit down, and at the same time, sized up his cave abode. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any changes.¡± After hearing this, Gu Zecang patiently said, ¡°Junior Brother Lu, do you feel that the spiritual energy in your cave abode has become much denser?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Ming recalled his experiences just now and his expression instantly changed. Alright. Hey, Senior Brother Gu, are you playing me? Chapter 17 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°It¡¯s like this.¡± ¡°Today, I have placed this month¡¯s portion of spirit gathering powder in Junior Brother Lu Ming¡¯s cave abode.¡± Gu Zecang sat on the mahogany chair and said with a smile. As his voice fell, Lu Ming suddenly came to a realization. He had never expected this. It turned out that there was a reason for the rich Heaven and Earth spiritual energy in his cave abode. In the end, it was still because of Gu Zecang. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Junior Brother Lu? Why do I feel that you¡¯re still a little unhappy?¡± After he said those words, Gu Zecang, who had relied on this to gain a good impression, was also a little surprised when he saw Lu Ming¡¯s expression suddenly change. He hurriedly asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Thank you, Senior Brother Gu.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m very surprised. Why did senior brother give me such a precious thing like the spirit gathering powder?¡± ¡°How about this, I will give my spirit gathering powder to Senior Brother Gu later as a token of my gratitude to you. After all, you taught me alchemy until late into the night yesterday, and you even gave me medicinal herbs and a pill cauldron.¡± Lu Ming also knew the reason why the Grade A cave abodes gathered the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth. He was prepared to use this opportunity to give it away. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Junior Brother Lu, I¡¯ve hidden something from you regarding alchemy. I¡¯ve come today to thank you.¡± Gu Zecang quickly shook his head first and then said in a serious tone. When Lu Ming heard this, although his expression didn¡¯t change but countless thoughts were surging in his mind. Could it be that the meaning of his teaching last night was too obvious? Tsk. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to find Senior Brother Gu to use for a mission. But in the end, he was discovered just like that? If that was the case, Senior Brother Gu should be in a state of ecstasy at the precise resolution of the matter. Would he start doubting himself after some time? No. He had to muddle through first. Therefore, he immediately put on a curious look and asked, ¡°Thank me? Senior brother, you taught me alchemy overnight. Why are you thanking me?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Zecang felt a little embarrassed for a moment, and then he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s like this.¡± ¡°Junior Brother Lu, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know that you¡¯re absolutely a peerless genius in alchemy!¡± ¡°And as your senior brother, I¡¯m just a person who just taught myself alchemy for a month. I know nothing.¡± Gu Zecang looked at Lu Ming with some guilt. ¡°What alchemy skills? Yesterday, I only pretended to know because I didn¡¯t want to be laughed at by you. In the end, I even pretended to teach you.¡± ¡°But what I didn¡¯t expect was that Junior Brother Lu, you¡¯re a genius in alchemy. You can condense pill fire at a glance, and you can even comprehend the way of alchemy just by looking at the pill formula!¡± ¡°But in reality, this kind of alchemy skill that you created yourself is even more amazing than the Pill Peak!¡± ¡°So, junior brother, I secretly learned it while pretending to teach you.¡± Hearing this, Lu Ming slightly let out a sigh of relief. He thought that he had taught him too obviously yesterday, and Gu Zecang knew that he was using the name of learning to teach him. ¡°Uh¡­ is that so?¡± ¡°So I also have some talent in alchemy?¡± At the same time he heaved a sigh of relief, Lu Ming opened his mouth and replied with a ¡°surprised¡± expression. ¡°Yes! You¡¯re too talented!¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more thing, junior brother, I still feel that it¡¯s more appropriate to discuss it with you.¡± Seeing that the atmosphere was good, Gu Zecang was ready to get straight to the point. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lu Ming didn¡¯t think that there would be anything else. Gu Zecang had learned alchemy because he had proven that he could learn alchemy by himself today. There shouldn¡¯t be anything else. Was he going to show off today¡¯s battle results to him? How ugly was the expression of the Pill Peak¡¯s disciples? ¡°It¡¯s like this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been studying alchemy for a month. Actually, the reason behind it was I had some conflicts with the Pill Peak disciples, hence I¡¯d set up a bet that I¡¯ll be able to learn alchemy by myself in a month.¡± ¡°After I secretly learned your alchemy skills yesterday, I immediately condensed the pill fire and refined a 91% completed pill today. It scared the people of the Pill Peak silly.¡± He was halfway through his sentence but because he was describing the part where he was being pretentious, Gu Zecang suddenly turned from serious to excited. Then, when he realised it, he kept his emotions in check and said, ¡°In the end, because Junior Brother Lu¡¯s heaven-defying alchemy skills were too exaggerated, a Hall Master of the Pill Peak wanted me to teach the Pill Peak disciples.¡± ¡°Then, he directly offered me 10% of the Pill Peak¡¯s pill resources each year!¡± ¡°Faced with such ridiculously generous conditions, I was very tempted, but when I thought about how I stole the alchemy skills from you, junior brother, I decided to ask for your opinion.¡± As the sound of his voice faded, this time, the person who slowly turned from being calm to excited was not Gu Zecang but Lu Ming. I didn¡¯t expect this. I really didn¡¯t expect this. When he heard Gu Zecang say that the Hall Master of the Pill Hall wanted him to teach the Pill Peak disciples, Lu Ming instantly thought of his new system mission. Originally, he was still a little worried about how he should continue to spread the scientific alchemy technique without being suspected. For example, he had thought about teaching through the Pill Peak. However, the Pill Peak would definitely conduct background checks and research on a new disciple who was originally not talented, but now had a sudden burst of talent and had even developed a new alchemy technique. It was very easy to arouse suspicion. But Gu Zecang was different. Although Gu Zecang had also suddenly learned alchemy, however, he was already talented in alchemy and all the disciples of the Pill Peak knew him. In addition, he had helped the sect kill heretics many times. He had a clean background and had been in the sect for several years. The opportunity brought about by the friction between him and the Pill Peak was perfect for him. This was a system mission related to scientific alchemy. There was no need for him to worry at all. Especially when he heard that the Pill Peak was willing to give him 10% of the resources every year, he couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. With these resources, wouldn¡¯t it be much easier for him to improve his strength? Very good. Lu Ming didn¡¯t expect Gu Zecang, the chess piece that he had accidentally selected, would bring him such a huge benefit. Lu Ming was silent for a long time. He made a thoughtful gesture and then slowly revealed a smile. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Senior Brother Gu is indeed worthy of being called senior brother. When he could have taken such benefits for himself, he took the initiative to tell me.¡± As he had transmigrated here, Lu Ming had always been wary of others because he was unfamiliar with them. Through this matter, this was the first time that he had let down his guard against Gu Zecang and had the intention of sincerely befriending him. After all, one had to know that not everyone could face such great benefits and still not lose their heads. They were talking about the resources of the Pill Peak. Moreover, it was 10% of the resources of the Pill Peak every year! After the transaction, the number of spirit stones would be a terrifying amount. Yet, Gu Zecang still chose to tell him about it. He even brought it up in a guilty tone. It was evident that he had a good character. ¡°This is what I should do. I, Gu Zecang, am not an ungrateful person.¡± Hearing the compliment, Gu Zecang, who had always cared about his reputation, didn¡¯t show a happy expression on his face; instead, he showed a serious expression. It was as if he was saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the most basic principle of being a human being?¡± ¡°Junior Brother Lu, the other thing is that although the disciples of the Pill Peak are a little arrogant and annoying, they are still disciples of our Center Sect.¡± ¡°I still want to agree to this deal. After all, the sect will still distribute the improved healing pills to the disciples so that they can better kill the heretics.¡± ¡°Of course, if Junior Brother Lu is unwilling, I have no objection to it and I won¡¯t bring it up again in the future.¡± Having said that, Lu Ming understood that he needed to make a statement. Though he didn¡¯t have much affection for the Center Sect at the moment, it would be beneficial for him to complete the system mission and he would be able to obtain such a large amount of resources. Lu Ming was still very satisfied. Hence, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. Since Pill Peak has offered such generous conditions, it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t teach the alchemy skills that I created by chance.¡± ¡°But Senior Brother Gu, do you guarantee that Pill Peak is willing to exchange 10% of the resources every year?¡± ¡°This is not a small amount.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Zecang¡¯s face did not show any hesitation because of this. It was obvious that he was thinking about this matter. He had thought about it before. Chapter 18 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Junior Brother Lu, you can rest assured.¡± ¡°Your alchemy skills have this value.¡± Sitting in Lu Ming¡¯s cave abode, Gu Zecang earnestly said to Lu Ming in front of him. About this matter, long after he said ¡°Deal¡± on the Pill Peak, Han Daobai forcefully pulled him into the Pill Hall¡¯s quiet room and began to discuss in detail. The reason why Han Daobai was able to mobilize 10% of the Pill Peak¡¯s resources was that he was only a Hall Master. It was because all the resources on the Pill Peak came from the five Great Pill Halls. Each Pill Hall¡¯s medicinal pills accounted for 20% each. Therefore, the 10% that Han Daobai spoke of referred to half of the resources extracted from Pill Hall No. 1. Han Daobai told Gu Zecang that he was very confident in his new alchemy technique. As long as it was promoted, the benefits obtained by the Pill Hall would probably increase by several times, far surpassing the present. When that time came, the refined pills would be exchanged for spirit stones and medicinal herbs. At that time, even if half of the pills were to be given to Gu Zecang and the others, the remaining half would still far surpass the present. As long as Gu Zecang promised not to trade with other Pill Halls, then Pill Hall No. 1 would become a golden signboard! Especially after Han Daobai personally witnessed the process of alchemy and the results. He was naturally very willing to make this deal with Gu Zecang. At the same time, after hearing Gu Zecang¡¯s words, Lu Ming nodded and then cautiously asked, ¡°Senior Brother Gu, can you guarantee that Han Daobai can complete this deal?¡± ¡°What if the disciples of Pill Hall No. 1 are prepared to break the contract after learning alchemy?¡± Lu Ming, who had lived two lifetimes, naturally thought of this. After all, he had seen too many cases of breaking contracts or betraying one¡¯s trust. ¡°I also thought of this at that time. We can make an oath of Heaven with Han Daobai.¡± ¡°This kind of oath can guarantee a deal. After all, anyone who violated the oath of Heaven will be immediately annihilated by the Heavenly Lightning.¡± Gu Zecang spoke of the practice of the cultivation world in the past. ¡°Good. Since that¡¯s the case, then I can be at ease.¡± ¡°I agree to senior brother imparting alchemy skills to the Pill Peak disciples, but don¡¯t reveal my identity for now. I prefer to be anonymous.¡± Lu Ming finally relaxed. In fact, Lu Ming wasn¡¯t worried that after Gu Zecang imparted alchemy skills, the medicinal pills he refined would depreciate. This kind of situation was impossible. For a Pill Peak disciple with no scientific alchemy technique, no matter how well he learned from Gu Zecang, 99% completion was already the limit. Although the value could also increase by several times, it was still within the range of failure. There was always a slight probability of failure. Even though the probability seemed low, in reality, it could only be made up by dozens of pills. However, Lu Ming was refining a pill with a 100% completion rate. At the highest level, the effect of consuming the pill would be effective, crushing them perfectly. Moreover, what Gu Zecang had learned was only Rank 1 scientific alchemy technique. After completing the system mission, Lu Ming would be able to unlock Rank 2, Rank 3 and higher rank pills. Without Lu Ming telling them the most suitable fire temperature for each medical herb used to make the Rank 2 pill, even after knowing the principle of controlling fire, it was still useless. Lu Ming was sure to make a profit without losing anything. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll leave the rest to Senior Brother Gu.¡± Lu Ming smiled at Gu Zecang. ¡°No problem, just leave it to me.¡± Gu Zecang was also extremely happy at this moment. ¡°Oh right, Junior Brother Lu, can we split this resource 30-70?¡± Gu Zecang was just about to leave when he suddenly thought of a crucial question. He opened his mouth a little embarrassedly. Hiss. 30-70? No way, Senior Brother Gu, are you kidding me? Isn¡¯t this a little too unfair? Lu Ming subconsciously thought that it was going to be 50-50. But he remembered that after all, teaching was a trivial task that Gu Zecang had to do. He had only helped him in the beginning to complete the mission. Moreover, if Gu Zecang didn¡¯t tell him, he might not have any at all. Thus, in the end, he still nodded. Alright. ¡°Alright, this is fine with me. I can agree.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Zecang immediately heaved a sigh of relief. When he saw Lu Ming¡¯s hesitation, he thought that he had gone too far. After all, Junior Brother Lu Ming had helped him a lot. Besides teaching others, he hadn¡¯t done anything else. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he wanted to increase his realm to kill more heretics, he was too embarrassed to ask. ¡°Thank you, Junior Brother Lu, for being willing to share 30% with me. When my realm rises, I¡¯ll kill more heretics!¡± Ah, this. Lu Ming hadn¡¯t expected this. So the 70% that Gu Zecang had mentioned was for him. Then, Lu Ming didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Fine. Senior Brother Gu was a good person, so he gave away his money! ¡­ After Lu Ming bid farewell to the joyful Gu Zecang, he took the opportunity to bring the healing pills to the registration pavilion on Tianguang Peak at noon. He applied for the token to leave the sect. After the disciples of the Center Sect had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, their cultivation state in the secular world was considered pretty good. Many free-travelling practitioners in the secular world were stuck in the Foundation Establishment Stage. Therefore, the sect allowed disciples above the Foundation Establishment Stage to go out. Of course. The auction house that Lu Ming was going to was not far from his sect. It was completely under the protection of the Center Sect, guarded by the disciples of the Center Sect. The heretics wouldn¡¯t be so unaware of that. It was reasonable to say that there wouldn¡¯t be any danger. Otherwise, Lu Ming wouldn¡¯t consider leaving the sect. Though the resources on the Pill Peak were a huge sum of money, he still had a year to get them. He couldn¡¯t help but improve his external power during this year. He still had to buy the talismans and spiritual tools. In addition, he was also curious about how many spirit stones his healing pills were worth at the auction house. Therefore, Lu Ming, a well-prepared practitioner from the Center Sect, went down the mountain. Chapter 19 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio A hundred miles away from the mountain gate of the Center Sect. Green Mountain City. The auction house of the star-picking pavilion. The heavy rain had caused a great deal of noise in the streets and alleys. The raindrops fell on the rubble like beads, creating petal-like ripples. This scene was witnessed by the cultivation practitioners walking in and out of the auction house of the star-picking pavilion, and they couldn¡¯t help but praise the overbearing background of the auction house. The star-picking pavilion was the most famous and powerful auction house in the Great Xia Kingdom. When opening each branch, to ensure safety, they would set up a forbidden array formation to prevent accidents. The ordinary array formation would often isolate all external objects. The array formation of the star-picking pavilion auction house could ensure safety, but it did not isolate the wind and rain. Both charm and bone-deep roots coexisted, and it was much better than the former. Moreover, although the array formation could accept the wind and rain, it could keep out the noise. The moment the cultivation practitioners stepped into the star-picking pavilion auction house, they didn¡¯t hear the sound of the wind and rain anymore. At this moment, on the third floor of the star-picking pavilion auction house, a middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe and a jade belt was standing in front of the door. He stood in front of a room with a strange expression on his face. After putting on a smile on his face, he began to knock on the door. This person was Sikong Xuan, the owner of the star-picking pavilion auction house in Green Mountain City. He had never shown his face before no matter how important the invitation was in the city. But this time, he came here in a hurry because of one thing. And that thing was the imperial family token of the Great Xia Kingdom! After he knocked on the door, the door opened. A man with an average appearance opened the door for him. Sikong Xuan nodded politely and walked in carefully with a smile on his face. In the room, a figure wearing a black robe was sitting in front of the table. When Sikong Xuan saw the figure in the black robe, he immediately bowed respectfully. ¡°I¡¯m Sikong Xuan. I rushed here after I saw your token. Did I waste your time?¡± Since the other party was able to take out the Great Xia imperial family token, his identity must be extraordinary. He would be at least a relative of the imperial family. Such a big shot suddenly coming to Sikong Xuan¡¯s auction house made him extremely surprised. After all, the auction house that he was in charge of was only a branch. The star-picking pavilion was located in the capital of the Great Xia Kingdom. The imperial family did not choose the main pavilion. Instead, they came to such a remote place. It was truly unbelievable. ¡°Don¡¯t say such meaningless words.¡± ¡°Sikong Xuan, let me ask you. I heard that the final item in this auction is a talisman from a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator. Is that true?¡± A neutral voice came from beneath the black-robed figure. One could not tell if it was a male or female, but it sounded very young. As the sound of his voice faded, Sikong Xuan¡¯s expression suddenly turned from respectful to extremely complicated. He remained silent and struggled for a few breaths. Then, he forced himself to speak, ¡°In reply to your question, this matter concerns the thousand-year-old rule of the star-picking pavilion auction house. I am unable to tell you, I hope you will forgive me.¡± The instant Sikong Xuan finished speaking, an enormous pressure of cultivation suddenly came upon him and the suppressed Sikong Xuan instantly knelt on the ground, looking extremely miserable. Even under this pressure, the heavy Sikong Xuan was unable to even beg for mercy. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± The voice of the black-robed figure sounded again. The aura that was giving off pressure gradually disappeared. Only then did Sikong Xuan heave a sigh of relief and begin to pant heavily. The middle-aged attendant immediately shouted coldly, ¡°Scram!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I hope you can forgive me.¡± Sikong Xuan struggled to get up from the ground and then quickly left. At the same time, he kept begging for mercy. He carefully closed the door of the room before leaving quickly. Bang. The fourth floor of the star-picking pavilion auction house. After Sikong Xuan closed his door, he let out a long sigh of relief. But his heart was still filled with terror. He had never thought that this risky move of his would attract such a person. The rumor of the Nascent Soul Stage talisman that the person mentioned earlier was spread by him. However, he didn¡¯t have such a talisman with him at the moment. He had made it up for the sake of tonight¡¯s auction. This was because he wanted to protect his position as the branch leader of the star-picking pavilion auction house. As the branch leader of the star-picking pavilion, he hadn¡¯t received any good treasures or talismans in the past three years. Although his business wasn¡¯t bad, there was a decline throughout the years. However, the Sikong clan of the star-picking pavilion would never allow such a thing to happen. They wouldn¡¯t allow any auction house to be performing poorly for three years in a row. When such a situation occurred, there was a need to change the branch head. Thus, tonight¡¯s auction house was Sikong Xuan¡¯s last chance. To attract a large number of dignitaries and itinerant cultivators, he used most of the resources left in the pavilion to purchase a batch of treasures. However, although these items were of high quality, they didn¡¯t have any truly exceptional treasures. Thus, they were unable to resolve the current situation. Therefore, he decided to use this method. He wanted to spread the news first, at the very least, to attract people over. At the same time, he would use all of his wealth to beg a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator to exchange for a talisman. There weren¡¯t many cultivators of the Nascent Soul Stage, and even fewer had learned the art of creating talismans. These powerful cultivators were also important figures in the various cultivation sects, and it was extremely difficult to meet them. If it weren¡¯t for the golden signboard of the star-picking pavilion¡¯s auction house, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have been able to get in touch with them. Right now, he was waiting for his trusted aide to send a message back, waiting to see if it was possible to obtain a talisman. Otherwise, he could only take out other items as the finale. To spread such a rumor, Sikong Xuan knew that if it came to this point, the consequences would be very serious. However, his business would be at risk if he were to advance or retreat, so he chose to gamble on this. However, he originally thought that this wave of his operations would only be able to deceive some itinerant cultivators and ordinary nobles. He never thought that he would actually attract people from the imperial family of Great Xia. He really couldn¡¯t answer that person under those circumstances earlier on. If he wanted to prove that the rumors were true but he couldn¡¯t get the talisman from the cultivators, the owner of the token would make a move against him. If he admitted that the rumors were false, then he was finished. If those itinerant cultivators and dignitaries found out that the last item wasn¡¯t a Nascent Soul talisman and realised that they were tricked, they would at most be disappointed, reprimand him and not patronise his auction house in the future. However, given the identity of the owner of the token, it was very easy to find out that he was the one who had released the news. Then, he would become the sinner who had taken the initiative to spread false news and deceived the dignitaries of the royal family. Under such circumstances, not only would it affect the position of the star-picking pavilion in the hearts of the royal family, when that time came, his life would be at risk due to the dual pressure of the royal family and the star-picking pavilion. The matter had blown up. Sikong Xuan only wanted his most trusted aide to get the talisman from a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator. Weng. A soft sound appeared on his waist token. Hearing this sound, Sikong Xuan¡¯s body trembled and he immediately took off his waist token. This waist token was a high-grade communication item and could be used within a hundred miles. Hearing this voice, Sikong Xuan knew that his confidant had returned. He had told him that regardless of whether it worked or not, he had to inform him in time. Sikong Xuan took a deep breath. He looked at the waist token shakily. Although he might have been nervous, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have been like this. Because if he had failed before, he would have admitted it. At most, he would have given up his status. But now, it was different. The imperial family had come, and they had seen him. If he failed, he would be finished. By that time, with the imperial family and the star-picking pavilion tracking him down, he would not even need to run. Finally. His gaze fell on the waist token: ¡°Failed¡± The word entered his eyes. Sikong Xuan¡¯s face instantly turned deathly pale. ¡­ At the same time. In the sky room on the third floor of the star-picking pavilion. At this moment, it was a little different from when Sikong Xuan was there. The figure in black robes stood up and quietly stood to the side. Instead, the man dressed as a middle-aged attendant sat down. In the next moment, the appearance of the middle-aged attendant started to change like ripples that were startled when a rock fell into a lake. Finally, he became a young man with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes. Looking at his appearance, he was none other than the seventh Prince of the Great Xia Kingdom! Chapter 20 - Why Were There Pretentious People Here? Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Star-picking pavilion. In the sky room. Fu Cheng, who was wearing a black robe and a hood, changed his previous posture. He respectfully said to the young man by the table, ¡°Seventh prince, I¡¯ve checked.¡± ¡°Among the people who have arrived at the star-picking pavilion, the one with the highest cultivation is in the middle stage of the Core Formation Stage. Moreover, you can rest assured that there are no other members of the royal family among them.¡± Hearing this, Jing Yuan nodded his head, but his calm face seemed to be shrouded in a layer of haze. Ahint of sadness showed on his face. He spoke slowly, his voice cold. ¡°Is it confirmed that the foundation establishment pills auctioned tonight have a completion rate of at least 75%?¡± Fu Cheng, the real bodyguard by the side, nodded his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, seventh prince. This star-picking pavilion has the backing of the Center Sect and half of the healing pills are purchased from the Pill Peak.¡± ¡°The lowest level is at least 70%, and there are also those with a completion rate of 76%.¡± Fu Cheng replied slowly, while a hint of heartache flashed in his eyes. As the personal guard of Jing Yuan, the seventh prince of the Great Xia Kingdom, Fu Cheng had watched the seventh prince grow up. ¡®There were thirteen people among the emperor¡¯s descendants. Among them, there were nine people with spiritual roots who could cultivate. Without a doubt, the future emperor of Great Xia would be chosen from among the nine people. In terms of cultivation talent and intelligence, it would be best if it was the third prince and the seventh prince. ¡®The Emperor of Great Xia had also hinted that the future Emperor would be among these two people. But Fu Cheng did not expect this. ¡®The seventh prince and the third prince were originally at the ninth level of the Qi Condensation Realm. One day, the third prince suddenly reached the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm and successfully broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. The third prince instantly became the ¡°favorite¡± of the Emperor, and his influence in the palace grew. ¡®The seventh prince had a problem because of this. ¡®They had originally thought that the breakthrough would be in a few days. But now, ten days had passed. Although the seventh prince had already reached the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm, there were still no signs of him breaking through. ¡®The seventh prince was a calm person and felt that there was no need to rush, but the pressure from the outside world was too great. So he secretly tried to break through. In the end, he failed! Moreover, it seemed that his foundation was slightly injured. To find out the reason, it took him a long time to find out that it seemed to be because the seventh prince was a premature child back then. His innate spirit embryo was somewhat lacking, and his breathing had wisps of spiritual energy. But it was precisely these wisps of spiritual energy that were the cause of the current situation. To break out of this situation, and at the same time protect the seventh prince¡¯s final reputation, the two of them could only seek the foundation establishment pill to break out of the realm. But they absolutely could not use the medicinal pills from the national treasury or the star-picking pavilion in the capital, because there were spies everywhere. As long as someone discovered that the seventh prince seemed to have once purchased the foundation establishment pill, then speculations such as ¡°The seventh prince¡¯s talent is very poor¡¯, ¡°The seventh prince relied on medicinal pills to break through¡¯ or ¡°The seventh prince is inferior to the third prince¡± would spread throughout the entire capital. They could only leave the capital secretly, but their tracks could not be hidden. Hence, they needed a legitimate reason. If they could not cover their tracks and were discovered that they had rashly headed to any of the star-picking pavilion¡¯s auction houses, they would still be suspected of buying the foundation establishment pills. At this moment, the rumor that the star-picking pavilion of Green Mountain City might have a powerful Nascent Soul Stage talisman gave them a reason. So even if they were found out and others would still be suspicious, at least they had a legitimate reason to justify their actions. This was also the reason why Jing Yuan asked Sikong Xuan to meet him. It was to bury this secret. If it was mentioned in the future, their attitude was also for the original Nascent Soul Stage talisman. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s wait for the auction to begin.¡± Jing Yuan had suffered a blow at this moment, and his usually gentle personality now carried a hint of decadence. He got up and walked to the bed, sitting in the middle with his legs crossed. He began to cultivate his spiritual roots and stabilize his cultivation base. Outside the star-picking pavilion. ¡®After four hours of trekking, Lu Ming arrived at Green Mountain City on his horse. The rain was still falling. But it was blocked off by the spiritual energy he was emitting. Lu Ming had made ample preparations before going down the mountain this time. For his safety, he bought a set of disguise powder from the Center Sect with the spirit stones he had on him. The disguise powder would change his appearance for a short period, lasting for ten hours. This was a special item created by the Center Sect on the Sword Peak. After all, the heretics were running rampant nowadays and they often avoided the disciples of the Center Sect on purpose. The disguise powder could conceal their identities well. Asa result, Lu Ming¡¯s originally gentle and handsome features had become more angular after he used the powder when he entered the city. His temperament had also changed from being lazy and casual to being extremely cold, keeping people at arm¡¯s length away from him. At the same time, during the entire process of galloping, he was repeatedly practising the basic fist techniques he had learned in the Outer Sect. After all, he hadn¡¯t reached the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment Stage, so he wasn¡¯t able to learn sword techniques or carry a sword. He arrived in front of the star-picking pavilion. The tall and slender Lu Ming, coupled with his embroidered clothes and folding fan, as well as his temperament, had the appearance of a young master from an aristocratic family. Seeing Lu Ming dismount, the attendant of the star-picking pavilion hurried over with an oil-paper umbrella in hand. He took the horse respectfully and led it to a distance. Lu Ming immediately entered the star-picking pavilion. ¡®As soon as he stepped in, Lu Ming found that the noise of the rain had disappeared in an instant. Nodding his head lightly, he used the corner of his eye to size up the star-picking pavilion. After entering, there was an independent, ancient-looking pavilion hall. Silk bamboos were entering one¡¯s ears and paintings entering one¡¯s eyes. A faint fragrance entered his nose, making him feel refreshed. ¡®At the same time, there were two doors in front of him as well as many handmaidens that were quietly waiting at the side. ¡®When they saw Lu Ming walk in, especially when he was dressed in extraordinary clothes, he looked like a cold young master. ¡®The handmaidens were all prepared to move and prepare to leave. ¡°Young master, are you preparing to participate in the auction or the transaction?¡± One of the maids quickly went up to Lu Ming¡¯s side and asked softly. ¡®The maid slightly shook her shoulders, revealing her voluptuous figure perfectly. But Lu Ming only thought of a word in his mind. Fake. This maid¡¯s voice sounded very fake. Why were there pretentious people around? ¡°Transaction.¡± To fit his current appearance and temperament, Lu Ming didn¡¯t say much. ¡°Okay, young master, please follow me.¡± The maid shook her body greatly, drawing out a shocking curvature. At the same time, she pointed the way and entered the star-picking pavilion with Lu Ming through the side door.. Chapter 21 - Triggered the Classic Plot of the Transmigrator at the Auction House Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After entering the star-picking pavilion, the maid guided Lu Ming to an extremely spacious hall. The hall was divided into dozens of smaller side rooms. ¡°This is it, young master.¡± ¡°You can wait inside. Someone will help you bring the items to the appraisal room.¡± The maid said with a gentle smile. Lu Ming nodded and walked in. In the room, a thin old man ina grey robe was waiting at the long table. He was playing with a jade pendant in his hand. ¡°Young master, please take a seat.¡± Seeing Lu Ming come in, the old man didn¡¯t greet him, but he still smiled and signalled Lu Ming to sit across the long table. Lu Ming looked around. After finding that there seemed to be no danger, he slowly sat down. ¡°May I know what item young master is planning to sell at the star-picking pavilion?¡± ¡°Take it out and I¡¯ll take a look. I¡¯ll bring it to the appraisal office for a final appraisal. You can sell it directly or auction it off.¡± At the same time, out of habit, the old man reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the appraisal item. Given the reputation of the star-picking pavilion, it¡¯s impossible to miss your item.¡± ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, you can provide a sample.¡± Hearing that, Lu Ming nodded casually and took out the porcelain bottle that contained the marrow cleansing pill. He was not being careless. It was just that refining pills was too easy for him now. Moreover, as long as the people from the star-picking pavilion weren¡¯t stupid, they would know that an alchemist was more valuable than a pill. ¡°Marrow cleansing pill.¡± Lu Ming was about to open the porcelain bottle as he spoke. However, the moment he finished speaking, the expression of the thin and frail old man opposite him suddenly changed. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no need to pour it out.¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking a sample of a Rank 1 marrow cleansing pill?¡± At this moment, the old man¡¯s smile not only disappeared, but even his voice had also become slender and long. Combined with his frail body and shrewd little eyes, he was completely unkind. He had originally looked at the other party¡¯s temperament and guessed that he was going to sell something good. In the end, he didn¡¯t expect it to be a Rank 1 pill. On the other side, Lu Ming was also stunned for a moment by this situation. It can¡¯t be it? He came to the auction house and triggered the pretentious face-smacking storyline? How many years had it been? ¡®The encounters of people who had been transmigrated hadn¡¯t changed at all. However, Lu Ming took into account his current cold and noble character setup. He also asked, ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t I take a sample of the marrow cleansing pill?¡± The old man wanted to flare up when he heard this. However, considering the other party¡¯s temperament and appearance, what if there was some kind of background? He decided not to escalate the conflict. His expression gradually returned to calmness, ¡°Young master, we don¡¯t accept pills with a completion rate below 65%. I¡¯m sure you know our rules. Since you dare to come, I¡¯ll treat it like a pill with a completion rate above 65%.¡± ¡°However, may I ask if your pill is 75%, 76% or 77%?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not, then there¡¯s no need to look at it anymore.¡± Lu Ming looked at the old man in front of him who seemed to look down on him. He suddenly understood. He understood why so many transmigrators liked to pretend to be dumb to take advantage of others, and just didn¡¯t want to show their strength in front of others. Indeed, sometimes the disposition of a villain was too annoying. Therefore, he decided to duplicate it. Lu Ming immediately revealed a look of wanting to say something but hesitating. Then, he averted his gaze and replied, ¡°None of them.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡®The thin and weak old man picked up the pill on the table, stood up and left the room. He only said one sentence, ¡°Just wait. As long as the appraisal is true, I¡¯ll settle it for you directly.¡± If not for the star-picking pavilion¡¯s rules, he felt that there was no need to make another trip. But after all, he was only an ordinary person who had seen many medicinal pills. He didn¡¯t know about alchemy. The matter of appraising still had to be handed over to that person in the pavilion¡­ ¡­ No, that¡¯s not right. It¡¯s those two Rank 3 alchemists who could appraise it. Once you entered the star-picking pavilion, you would be brought to the main entrance by a maid from the partition hall, and then arrive at the auction hall. The auction house was surrounded by private rooms that only distinguished guests could stay in. The higher the floor, the more distinguished one¡¯s status was. However, the highest floor was the third floor, and the fourth floor was the position of the Master of the star-picking pavilion. If one was led to the side door by a maid, they would come to a trading house that had dozens of private rooms. Inside the trading house was the appraisal office that was housed by various appraisers. At this time, in the star-picking pavilion appraisal office. Inside the medicinal pill appraisal office. ¡°Rank 2 realm-breaking pill, completion rate 62%.¡± The white-bearded and white-haired Tan Gusong sat steadily in front of the table. On the table were all sorts of marked medicinal pills and porcelain bottles. At the same time, pill attendants were waiting by his side and they were constantly changing the medicinal pills on the table so as not to delay Tan Gusong¡¯s time. ¡°Rank 1 foundation establishment pill, completion rate 74%.¡± ¡°Rank 1¡­¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Just as Tan Gusong was appraising the pill, a burst of laughter with a complicated tone suddenly interrupted him. Tan Gusong frowned slightly and looked at the other person on his right. ¡°Wang Yanqing, what is the meaning of this laughter?¡± He looked at the other person in disgust and asked with anger in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Ljust want to laugh.¡± ¡°What can I do for you, Alchemist Tan?¡± ¡®Wang Yanqing, who was wearing a golden robe, sat at another table. Not only did he not appraise the pill bottle in front of him, but he also began to drink tea in satisfaction. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s why you¡¯re laughing.¡± ¡®Tan Gusong¡¯s tone turned cold. Ten days ago, Rank 3 alchemist Wang Yanqing was suddenly transferred from the main pavilion in the capital of the Great Xia Kingdom. However, the reason was unknown. Originally, it was a good thing to have another Rank 3 alchemist. However, after the other person arrived here, there was no sign of him being demoted at all. His actions were casual, and he even had a look of disdain in his eyes. He even ridiculed his own age and alchemy skills. ¡®That laughter just now was clearly because the pills that the star-picking pavilion received today had a low completion rate. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Lmight as well tell you directly. The reason why I¡¯m laughing is that this star-picking pavilion is too inferior!¡± ¡°The pills that they collect every day are all trash. The highest completion rate is only 77% and the Rank 2 pills didn¡¯t even reach 65%. It¡¯s simply tarnishing the star-picking pavilion¡¯s reputation.¡± Seeing Tan Gusong¡¯s old-fashioned attitude, his tone became even more impolite. ¡®Wang Yanqing thought that it was about time anyway so he had no intention of maintaining politeness. Tan Gusong couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so he also started to curse. ¡°Shut up! Then who are you? Trash that was eliminated by the main pavilion?¡± The pill attendant at the side hurriedly lowered his head and stopped what he was doing. ¡°Curse, I¡¯ll let you curse today.¡± ¡°Wait until tomorrow, when you get lost with your star-picking pavilion Master, I¡¯ll see how you can still curse?¡± ¡®Wang Yanqing said sarcastically, ¡°You must not know the rules of the star-picking pavilion. After three consecutive years of declining performance, the Master of the pavilion has to be replaced and everyone in the pavilion has to leave!¡± ¡°What do you think I¡¯m here for? I¡¯m here to familiarize myself with the environment.¡± ¡°Today¡¯s auction will be your last. I¡¯ve seen the auction list for tonight and there is nothing of high value. Even the finale item is not written clearly!¡± ¡°Guess why? Because there isn¡¯t any! If there were, it would have been taken out ten days ago.¡± ¡°although there are many rumors outside, I¡¯m very clear about the situation of the star-picking pavilion here.¡± Having stayed in the star-picking pavilion in Green Mountain City for so long, Wang Yanqing, who had been keeping this secret all this time, finally couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. He said it out loud. It could be said that he felt very comfortable all over. As his voice fell, Tan Gusong¡¯s expression gradually turned ugly! He had no idea that there was such a rule. ¡°Now do you know why I am transferred here?¡± ¡®Wang Yanging said with a sneer, continuing to drink the tea from his cup. ¡°I think it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t know this rule. It¡¯s because, among the hundred branches of the star-picking pavilion, the branch at Green Mountain City is the first to have its performance declining for more than three years.¡± Hearing this, Tan Gusong finally understood everything. He became more and more agitated, but in the end, he didn¡¯t say a word. Just as the pill appraisal office fell silent, the thin and weak old man who helped Lu Ming deliver the pills had also arrived. He knocked lightly on the door and entered. He walked up to Tan Gusong and respectfully handed the pills over. ¡°Alchemist Tan, there¡¯s a bottle of marrow cleansing pills here. Please appraise it.¡± However, Tan Gusong wasn¡¯t in the mood at the moment. He didn¡¯t even open his mouth. He only continued to remain silent with a complicated expression. ¡°Hahaha, another Rank 1 pill. Come, come, come, bring it to me.¡± ¡°Alchemist Tan already has enough Rank 1 pills.¡± ¡®Wang Yanqing couldn¡¯t stop laughing and took the opportunity to mock. Hearing this, the thin elder saw that Tan Gusong didn¡¯t speak and didn¡¯t signal for him to put it down. He brought the pill to Wang Yanqing¡¯s table. ¡°Come, take one out. Let me properly appraise the Rank 1 pill for you.¡± ¡®Wang Yanqing continued to speak loudly at this moment. He deliberately emphasized that it was a ¡®Rank 1 pill¡¯. ¡®The thin and weak old man naturally didn¡¯t dare to say anything in front of Wang Yanqing. After hearing Wang Yanqing¡¯s words, he did as he was told. He slowly opened the porcelain bottle. Then, he carefully poured out a medicinal pill. But then, a sudden change occurred! Just as the medicinal pill left the mouth of the porcelain bottle and came into contact with the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, the medicinal pill instantly burst out with a golden light! ¡®An extremely dense medicinal fragrance spread out! The pill fragrance dispersed in the air. Faced with this scene, Wang Yanqing¡¯s expression froze. His body could not help but tremble. His lips could not stop trembling as he opened his mouth. He wanted to say something, but just as he was about to make a sound, Tan Gusong¡¯s pleasantly surprised voice directly resounded within the pill room. ¡°100%?!¡± ¡°Ultimate marrow cleansing pil Chapter 22 - Right?? Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Ultimate marrow cleansing pill!!¡± In the pill appraisal room, Tan Gusong, who was originally dejected and silent, didn¡¯t have time to emo after seeing this pill and immediately jumped up. The white-haired and white-bearded Tan Gusong directly rushed over and snatched the pill from the other party¡¯s hand. ¡°The completion rate is really 100%!¡± Tan Gusong was incomparably excited. He no longer had the airs of a Rank 3 alchemist. At the same time, he suddenly remembered that there was still a porcelain bottle, so he snatched it again! Then, he carefully poured it out. Two¡­ five¡­ Eight!! Including the pill in his hand, the porcelain bottle contained a total of eight marrow cleansing pills with a completion rate of 100%! ¡°B*stard! Do you see this?!¡± ¡°Do you still think that our Green Mountain City¡¯s star-picking pavilion only accepts trash pills?¡± ¡°No way, no way, don¡¯t tell me that there are other star-picking pavilions that accept pills with a completion rate below 100%?¡± Tan Gusong seized this opportunity and spat it out in one breath! Tan Gusong, who had been enduring Wang Yanqing¡¯s cynical remarks for the past ten days, finally let out all the resentment within him. He felt extremely comfortable after that. He felt so good that he wanted to sit on the ground and improve his alchemy skills by two ranks. ¡°You¡­¡± At this moment, because everything in front of him was happening too fast and dramatic, Wang Yanqing was stunned and could not say anything. ¡°Idiot! Let me tell you that just these eight marrow cleansing pills are enough for our star-picking pavilion!¡± ¡°These are our finale items!¡± ¡°You said our performance has dropped? It¡¯s skyrocketing now!¡± Tan Gusong continued to berate Wang Yanqing. If it was in the past, when Wang Yanqing heard these words, he would ridicule him endlessly. This was because he had never, or even heard of using a Rank 1 pill as the finale item. Even if this Rank 1 pill had an 88% completion rate, it was impossible! This was too embarrassing for the star-picking pavilion, which could even take out a Rank 5 pill. But now, Wang Yanqing couldn¡¯t say a single word! Because that was a pill with a 100% completion rate! Even for a young Rank 3 alchemist like him, who had boundless potential, his completion rate would be around 77%. This couldn¡¯t be the work of a Rank 8 Great Master of alchemy, right?! Wang Yanqing understood too well what a perfect completion rate meant. It would lead to a 100% increase in one¡¯s aptitude! In other words, if someone managed to obtain these eight marrow cleansing pills, as long as he could cultivate on his own, even if it was an inferior low-grade spiritual root, he would directly increase by eight small stages! His aptitude would directly become an excellent mid-grade spiritual root! This was a heaven-defying level! A sect would recruit several hundred people a year, and more than five of them had excellent low-grade spiritual roots. The sect couldn¡¯t wait to form a group to go out and kill the heretics to celebrate. Now, they only needed these eight pills. They represented the future path of cultivation, unimpeded! It was a clear and crystal fact. He almost could not help but snatch it over just now. Numb. ¡®Wang Yanqing was completely numb at that moment. ¡°Oh right, where¡¯s my star-picking pavilion¡¯s distinguished guest?!¡± The excited Tan Gusong only realized after a while that he had to hurry up and meet the person. ¡°Quickly, bring me to see him!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the thin and frail old man, who had been in a daze from beginning to end, came back to his senses. With an extremely complicated expression, he nodded. ¡°lL¡­ I¡¯l bring you there¡­¡± With that said, the thin and frail old man¡¯s body began to move stiffly, and his movements were extremely slow. ¡°What are you doing? Can you move faster?¡± ¡°Today is such a big day for my star-picking pavilion. Why¡¯s your expression so ugly?¡± Tan Gusong, who had white hair and a beard, was also an old man. At this moment, he was in high spirits. Seeing the thin and weak old man staggering, Tan Gusong asked with great puzzlement. Then, before the thin and weak old man could speak, Tan Gusong, who recalled that this old man would judge people based on the items they brought to the star-picking pavilion, suddenly thought of a possibility. Tan Gusong asked, ¡°Did you offend him?!¡± The thin and weak old man nodded his head with difficulty. ¡®As soon as his head was down, Tan Gusong gave him a kick which sent his body flying to one side. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°Which room?!¡± Tan Gusong was so angry that he couldn¡¯t help but kick the man. It should be known that to be able to refine the marrow cleansing pill to the highest level, he must be at least a Rank 8? How many Rank 8 alchemists were there in the cultivation circle? Even the Center Sect, which had the Pill Peak, had to pay their respects to them! Offending a Rank 8 alchemist or someone close to a Rank 8 alchemist, the old man would have to be thankful that he only received a kick. Not to mention Tan Gusong, even Wang Yanqing, who had a different standpoint, was stupefied. How could he offend someone like that? No wonder the performance of the star-picking pavilion in Green Mountain City had declined. ¡°No. C6!¡± The thin and weak old man received a kick without any spiritual power, so he was naturally fine. He got up from the ground and hurriedly replied. As soon as he finished his words, Tan Gusong rushed out of the tasting area like the wind and rushed toward room No. C6.. Chapter 23 - If Theres Anyone Who Can Help Me, I Can Even Call Him Father! Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Star-picking pavilion. ¡®Tan Gusong rushed out of the appraisal area and rushed toward No. C6 room not too far away. After arriving in front of the room in one breath, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. After tidying up his appearance, he returned to his hundred-year-old, Rank 3 alchemist appearance. ¡°Dong, dong.¡± He knocked on the door lightly with two fingers. ¡®The knocking sounded in the room. Lu Ming, who was sitting inside the room, couldn¡¯t help but be stunned for a moment. What a guy. This was the first time he saw someone knocking on the door of his residence. ¡°Lam star-picking pavilion¡¯s guest alchemist Tan Gusong. I wonder if I can come in for a chat?¡± Tan Gusong¡¯s voice came from outside the door. Facing such a terrifying alchemist, Tan Gusong naturally didn¡¯t dare to announce his rank. After all, it might be a little too embarrassing. Hearing the voice from outside the door, Lu Ming couldn¡¯t help but nod. Looks like everything went smoothly. ¡°Sure, come in.¡± ¡®As he opened the room door, Tan Gusong naturally saw Lu Ming. His eyes suddenly trembled for a moment before quickly returning to calmness. ¡°May I ask if the young master is the person who brought the marrow cleansing pill with 100% completion?¡± Tan Gusong looked at Lu Ming¡¯s young age and naturally classified him as a descendant of the Great Master of alchemy. He knew that the descendants of influential figures were probably not willing to exchange pleasantries with a nobody like him, so he went straight to the point. ¡°Mm, sit down. We should have a good chat.¡± Lu Ming gestured for him to sit down. After all, they were about to discuss the price. ¡°Good, good, good! I am so grateful to young master!¡± ¡°The medicinal pills you brought are perfect! Absolutely perfect!¡± ¡°In addition, I also thank young master for letting me vent my anger.¡± After confirming the other party¡¯s identity, Tan Gusong also somewhat could not suppress the excitement in his heart. Only then did he realize that the thin and weak old man who had offended the other party just now had yet to give a response. ¡°also, don¡¯t worry, our star-picking pavilion will immediately fire the member who offended you.¡± ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ve already given him a kick on your behalf just now. If you want to teach him a lesson, I can immediately call him over¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Lu Ming shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s a small matter. Let¡¯s not talk about that.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about these medicinal pills. What price can the star-picking pavilion offer?¡± Tan Gusong became more and more excited when he heard this. ¡®As long as the person in front of him was still willing to invest his time in the star-picking pavilion, it would be fine. Right now, he felt like he was worried about his gains and losses. ¡°May I know your surname, young master?¡± ¡°My surname is Gu, Gu Zecang.¡± Long before he left, Lu Ming had already thought of his alias. It was his Senior Brother Gu. This was because this was one of the few names he remembered. ¡°alright, Young Master Gu, I¡¯m going to ask you a question. If it¡¯s not convenient, you don¡¯t have to answer. I wonder if the marrow cleansing pill you brought here was refined by your master or your clan¡¯s elders?¡± As an alchemist, no one could stop them from saying no to a pill that was 100% completed. Tan Gusong was also very curious. But he knew that he couldn¡¯t ask too much. ¡°Oh, this was refined by chance when my teacher taught me alchemy.¡± ¡°L originally planned to throw it away, but then I thought that it was a rare pill with a 100% completion rate, so I proposed to keep it.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m still very curious about the current value of this marrow cleansing pill.¡± Hearing the other party take the initiative to ask, Lu Ming, who had lived two lifetimes, immediately understood the other party¡¯s thoughts. He took the opportunity to accept it. Tsk tsk. Look at his master¡¯s realm. This was the ultimate marrow cleansing pill. He had casually refined it and originally planned to throw it away. ¡®Tan Gusong¡¯s thoughts surged for a moment before he finally calmed down. After all, he was already informed by this young man that he was going to sell it. ¡°Young Master Gu, if you were to directly sell it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to give you a suitable price.¡± ¡°Because these pills are too, too precious.¡± ¡°How about this, our star-picking pavilion will use this as the finale item for tonight. The highest price will be obtained from the auction. In the end, our star-picking pavilion will have to charge you 20% of the price according to the rules of the past thousand years.¡± ¡°Young Master Gu, do you think it¡¯s okay?¡± Since Young Master Gu Zecang might have an extremely powerful Great Master of alchemy backing him, Tan Gusong naturally didn¡¯t dare to have the slightest idea of cheating him. He wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to do something like purchasing a few hundred spirit stones. This was undoubtedly attracting enemies to himself. Hearing this, Lu Ming nodded. He also had the appearance and temperament of an ice-cold young master. He couldn¡¯t show any hesitation at this time. First, he was playing a cold-blooded character. Second, he was also playing the role of a disciple of the Great Master of alchemy and wouldn¡¯t place too much importance on worldly possessions, because this kind of identity couldn¡¯t lack spirit stones. Finally, the rules of the star-picking pavilion had been passed down for thousands of years. If he questioned them, he would be suspected instead. ¡°Okay, by the way, Young Master Gu, I¡¯ll take you to see our Pavilion Master Sikong.¡± ¡°After all, it¡¯s most appropriate for you to hand this kind of item to the pavilion master personally.¡± Seeing that the matter had been discussed and settled, Tan Gusong suddenly thought that he had to inform the pavilion master of this matter. Especially after he received the news from Wang Yanqing, he needed to inform the pavilion master about this. For this, he could also make some publicity. He would try to reverse the decline of the star-picking pavilion in Green Mountain City tonight. ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Ming immediately stood up. Then, under Tan Gusong¡¯s continuous courtesy, he came to the area of the auction house through the secret door. He walked step by step to the fourth floor and arrived in front of the side room of the pavilion master of the star-picking pavilion in Green Mountain City. Bang! Sikong Xuan smashed the communication token into pieces with a slap. The word ¡°failed¡± also shattered together with the token. But it was obvious that this slap couldn¡¯t completely dispel the panic and fear in Sikong Xuan¡¯s heart. He paced anxiously in the huge room on the fourth floor. His face alternated between pale and livid. He was trying to think of a way to remedy the situation, but it was obvious that he had no way to save himself. The heavy Sikong Xuan wished that someone could help him get through this difficult situation. No matter what price he had to pay, even if it meant that he had to acknowledge him as his father! But unfortunately¡­ ¡°Dong, dong.¡± There was a knock on the door. Sikong Xuan¡¯s heart tightened!! Who could it be? Half of the people in the room did not dare to come up, and those who knew the rules would not come up either. If it was a VIP guest, the guards wouldn¡¯t let them pass the stairs leading from the third floor to the fourth floor. Could it be¡­the guest with the royal token?! ¡®When Sikong Xuan thought of this possibility, his entire body immediately trembled. However, he still forced himself to walk step by step toward the door. He squeezed out a smile and looked outside¡­ ¡®The person he saw was Tan Gusong. ¡°Tan¡­ Alchemist Tan, why are you here?¡± Seeing that the other party was Tan Gusong, Sikong Xuan almost cursed out loud. After all, what he had imagined just now scared him. If it wasn¡¯t for Tan Gusong being an esteemed Rank 3 alchemist, he would have started cursing long ago. However, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to do so now. ¡°It¡¯s like this, pavilion master. I just heard from Wang Yanqing today that the performance of the pavilion is declining, and there might be a need to change the pavilion master and everyone in the pavilion.¡± ¡°Icame here this time to tell you, I¡¯ve already found a peerless treasure. It will bring about a change in the fortune for Green Mountain City¡¯s star-picking pavilion!¡± Tan Gusong, who was on the verge of a joyous occasion, was full of energy at this moment. He said to Sikong Xuan with a smile. ¡°Oh? What kind of peerless treasure?!¡± ¡°Can it be used as the finale item?¡± ¡°A grandmaster talisman? Or an earth grade spirit tool?¡± Hearing this, Sikong Xuan, who had been waiting for hope all this while, instantly became excited. Could it be? ¡®Tan Gusong was the person who could save him from his crisis? ¡°No, it¡¯s a medicinal pill. As a guest alchemist elder, I naturally found a medicinal pill.¡± ¡®Tan Gusong said with a smile. ¡°This¡­¡± Sikong Xuan was instantly embarrassed on the spot. Medicinal pill? ¡®What medicinal pill? At most, you can only refine a Rank 3 medicinal pill. Isn¡¯t it insane to make a Rank 3 medicinal pill the finale item? Or did you receive a medicinal pill with an 80% completion rate? ¡®The quantity of a Rank 4 medicinal pill isn¡¯t sufficient either. It¡¯s all useless. ¡°Forget it, Alchemist Tan. Since you already know about this matter. There¡¯s no need for me to hide it from you. You can leave this place now.¡± ¡°Trust me, leaving early today will be beneficial to you. I will not harm you.¡± Sikong Xuan said weakly. Seeing this, Tan Gusong felt helpless. Thus, he didn¡¯t waste any more words. He directly took out a marrow cleansing pill and handed it to Sikong Xuan. ¡°pavilion master, how about a marrow cleansing pill with a 100% completion rate and will allow you to raise your aptitude by one stage?¡± As soonas he finished speaking, Sikong Xuan was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t utter a word. Then, Sikong Xuan snatched the marrow cleansing pill and sized it up as though he had gone mad. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± ¡°Alchemist Tan, I¡¯m saved!¡± ¡°Eight¡­ eight pills?! I will be able to continue being the pavilion master of the star-picking pavilion!¡± ¡®The agitated Sikong Xuan kept shouting. If not for the soundproofing system in every room, the entire auction hall would have been filled with noise. ¡°Good, you did a good job, Alchemist Tan¡­¡± ¡°alright, don¡¯t thank me.¡± ¡°That VIP who came with the marrow cleansing pill is still being blocked by your guards on the third floor.¡± Seeing that Sikong Xuan had finally calmed down, Tan Gusong hurriedly reminded him. He didn¡¯t dare to neglect that kind of VIP. As soon as he finished speaking, Sikong Xuan rushed out of the room with an excited expression, ¡°Who dares to stop my father?!¡± Chapter 24 - I Still Have Two Types of Pills that Are 100% Completed Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Ina room on the fourth floor of the star-picking pavilion. Sikong Xuan had just scolded the guards and then invited Lu Ming over respectfully. ¡°Young Master Gu, I am truly grateful to you!¡± ¡°Your marrow cleansing pill is truly a peerless pill!¡± At this moment, he was moving his heavy body as he spoke to Lu Ming with a smile. Lu Ming didn¡¯t say anything to maintain his appearance. He simply nodded and then asked, ¡°Master Sikong, when is the next auction? I don¡¯t want to waste too much time here.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Sikong Xuan handed over the tea carefully and replied, ¡°Young Master Gu, the auction of the star-picking pavilion will begin in two hours.¡± ¡°However, it will take some time. Why don¡¯t you take a room on the fourth floor to rest? I¡¯ll arrange some singers to relieve your fatigue.¡± Sikong Xuan revealed a meaningful smile at the end of his speech. Although the room on the fourth floor was where Sikong Xuan usually stayed by himself, there were still several side rooms. In the past, they usually received the masters of the star-picking pavilion or the elders of the Center Sect and other distinguished people. Seeing the smile on Sikong Xuan¡¯s face, Lu Ming shook his head with a grim expression. ¡°There¡¯s no need for a singer.¡± He was quite picky about women. Although Sikong Xuan wasn¡¯t stupid enough to find a prostitute for himself, he wasn¡¯t interested in the girls of the star-picking pavilion. Seeing that Young Master Gu refused, Sikong Xuan suddenly realized that Tan Gusong had reminded him. Gu Zecang was a disciple of the Grand Master of alchemy, so his taste and status were all very high. He had misspoken. Therefore, he immediately changed the topic, ¡°I was rude. How about I take Young Master Gu to pick a room?¡± Lu Ming naturally wouldn¡¯t go to rest right away, because he still had the other two pills with 100% completion rate. As for the talismans and spiritual tools he wanted to buy, he wasn¡¯t sure which type he should choose. These were the things he needed to know in advance. ¡°No, actually, I brought not only the marrow cleansing pill but also two other pills.¡± ¡°Since the last auction is tonight, I might as well auction them off together.¡± ¡®When these words entered their ears, Sikong Xuan and Tan Gusong who were both sitting at the side, instantly started to fidget. ¡°There are two more types of pills? And they are all 100% completion rate?!¡± At the mention of pills, Tan Gusong was more excited than Sikong Xuan. With his white robe, white beard and white hair, he asked Lu Meng and his bright eyes were filled with incomparable anticipation. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lu Ming nodded and took out two types of pills from his Heaven and Earth pouch at the same time. ¡°Really!¡± At this moment, Sikong Xuan was so excited by this reveal that his entire body trembled. What a good guy. Just a while ago, he coldly rejected the arrangement of a singer to his room. Then, in the next moment, he took out two types of pills with a completion rate of 100%! One had to know that the main reason why Sikong Xuan was so respectful to ¡°Gu Zecang¡± today was that the latter took out a type of pill with a 100% completion rate. This would directly bring his star-picking pavilion to life. This type of ultimate pill with the highest completion rate could change his fortune around. But now, he offered two more types of pills out of the blue!! An auction of this level was almost comparable to an auction of the main pavilion! ¡°Could you please tell me what kind of medicinal pills they are?¡± Tan Gusong¡¯s attitude was different from Sikong Xuan¡¯s when it concerned medicinal pills. As an alchemist, his greatest wish was to see the medicinal pills first. Hearing this, Sikong Xuan gradually calmed down. Because he thought of an extremely crucial thing, which was the type of medicinal pills that Lu Ming had brought. In reality, half of the reason why the marrow cleansing pill could be used as the finale item was due to its 100% completion rate. ¡®The other half of the reason was that the marrow cleansing pill was related to aptitude. Medicinal pills that increased aptitude and realm were the things that countless cultivators paid the most attention to. ¡®As long as these two types of medicinal pills were related to one of the above, the value of the medicinal pills would multiply by several times. After that, there were medicinal pills that could increase longevity and heal wounds, as well as medicinal pills that had detoxification effects. ¡®There were too many types of pills. The young master had taken out a marrow cleansing pill, which should be his limit. Sikong Xuan felt that he should calm down. At this moment, Lu Ming, who was sitting in the armchair, unhurriedly opened a bottle of pills and took out one pill. A golden glow appeared! ¡°This is the spirit gathering pill. Its completion rate is also 100%.¡± ¡°There are seven pills in total.¡± Looking at the golden light, Sikong Xuan and Tan Gusong could not help but breathe a little harder. After all, they had never seen a pill with an 80% completion rate before. Now, all they could see were pills with the highest completion rate. But they could not help but sigh. Both of them still felt an inexplicable sense of disappointment in their hearts. Although the two of them were disappointed for different reasons, there was no doubt that they both wanted to see higher value pills. The function of the spirit gathering pill in medicinal pills was usually to recover the spiritual energy that had been exhausted in the body. After taking the ordinary spirit gathering pill, one would recover the amount of spiritual energy one had exhaled ten times and convert it into spiritual energy. ¡®Tan Gusong was very clear that if he had taken the ultimate spirit gathering pill, then he would recover the amount of spiritual energy he could hold. The value was also very high, especially during a life-and-death duel between cultivators. But the essence of this ultimate spirit gathering pill was to recover more spiritual energy than ordinary spirit gathering pills in the end. Some cultivators with a lower cultivation realm might be able to recover their spiritual energy after taking three or four ordinary pills. ¡®There was no need to spend a lot of money to buy the spirit gathering pill. For cultivators with a high cultivation realm, it was indeed very useful and very valuable! After all, the battle between life and death could be determined within a split second. However, for the customers of Green Mountain City¡¯s star-picking pavilion, who were all in the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment Stage, the profits couldn¡¯t be completely optimized. However, Sikong Xuan and Tan Gusong naturally wouldn¡¯t reveal their emotions at this time. This was because they were all too clear about the rarity of pills like the marrow cleansing pill. It was impossible for them to casually take out a bottle of pills of the same level. ¡°Good, another bottle of excellent pills.¡± ¡°Young Master Gu, don¡¯t worry. Your spirit gathering pill will be a hot item at the auction house tonight.¡± Sikong Xuan said with a smile. Meanwhile, Lu Ming nodded and put the spirit gathering pill into a porcelain bottle. Then, he opened another bottle of pills. ¡°This bottle has the most pills. There are ten of them.¡± Lu Ming proceeded to pour out the pills as he said this. ¡®When he heard ten pills, Tan Gusong¡¯s heart tightened. He subconsciously thought that the type of pills in this bottle was not very good. After all, things were expensive when they were rare and precious. In addition, he hoped to continue to broaden his horizons and see pills that were even more difficult to refine. However, Sikong Xuan did not think too much about it. ¡®This was because the first two types of pills were enough for him to save his face as the pavilion master of the star-picking pavilion. He would not die. He believed that as long as he took out an item that was as valuable as a Nascent Soul Stage talisman, even if he was facing an important guest of the Great Xia Kingdom¡¯s imperial family, he would at least be able to keep his life. What else could he ask for? At the same time, Lu Ming had poured out the medicinal pill from the porcelain bottle and placed it in his hand. A golden glow appeared once more. His voice sounded at the same time. ¡°.. a Foundation Establishment pill with 100% completion rate.¡± As the sound of his voice faded, Sikong Xuan and Tan Gusong¡¯s eyes almost pop out of their sockets in an instant! ¡°Foundation Establishment pill!!¡± Chapter 25 - Life Is Really Unpredictable Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Sikong Xuan and Tan Gusong¡¯s surprised voices sounded almost at the same time. However, they didn¡¯t look at each other because of the tacit understanding. Their eyes were almost locked on the pill in Lu Ming¡¯s palm. This was the Foundation Establishment pill! ¡®What did the Foundation Establishment pill with a completion rate of 100% represent? You could break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm after eating it, no matter what your aptitude was! How could they be so certain that the marrow cleansing pill would be the finale item? After all, there were very few people with excellent aptitude. There wasn¡¯t a cultivator who didn¡¯t want to improve his aptitude for cultivation. The same was true for the Foundation Establishment pill. After reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, not only would one¡¯s strength increase, but their lifespan would also increase by 200 years! How many cultivators were stuck at the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm and couldn¡¯t break through? That was 200 years¡¯ worth of wasted lifespan. They would definitely buy it with a large sum of money! At the same time, even cultivators who had already broken through would prepare Foundation Establishment pills for their clan¡¯s descendants. Moreover, this was a pill that could 100% guarantee that one could reach the Foundation Establishment Stage. No cultivator could refuse it. What was even more ridiculous was, there were 10 pills in all. Young Master Gu actually brought 10 pills! Sikong Xuan felt that the world was truly unpredictable. Fifteen minutes ago, he had been at a loss to the point of despair. Fifteen minutes later, he had actually obtained three Rank 1 pills with the highest completion rate! ¡°Young Master Gu!¡± ¡°My respect for you is truly like the surging Yellow River. It¡¯s unstoppable.¡± ¡°This is my Green Mountain City¡¯s star-picking pavilion¡¯s supreme customer token. Please keep it well.¡± ¡°When you come to the star-picking pavilion in the future, no matter if you want to sell, trade or participate in the auction, I will arrange everything for you, 30% off.¡± After Sikong Xuan handed over the token, he shakily took the porcelain bottle with the ten Foundation Establishment pills in it. His face was filled with an expression that said that he had no regrets in this life. Today was like a roller coaster of emotions and he had fully experienced life¡¯s ups and downs. They were enough for him to reminisce about for the rest of his life. After that, Sikong Xuan didn¡¯t wait for Tan Gusong to open his mouth and directly put away the two types of pills. He also put away the marrow cleansing pills on the table and carefully put them into the storage ring between his fingers. Under Tan Gusong¡¯s regretful gaze, Sikong Xuan said to him, ¡°Alchemist Tan, don¡¯t wait anymore.¡± ¡°There are still four hours before the auction. Quickly release the news that our finale items are these three types of pills!¡± ¡°This is our only chance to make a comeback. We must seize it!¡± Hearing this, Tan Gusong could only go and make arrangements. After all, his status was the lowest in the room. ¡°alright!¡± Tan Gusong turned around and left the fourth floor of the auction house to spread the news. ¡®At the same time, seeing that the matter of the pills had been settled, Lu Ming began to ask about the talisman and spiritual tools that he wanted to buy. ¡°pavilion Master Sikong, I didn¡¯t come to the star-picking pavilion just to sell the pills.¡± ¡°At the same time, my master did not want to delay his cultivation while refining the pills, so he sent me out for training. Therefore, I wanted to see if you have any suitable spiritual tools or talismans.¡± ¡°After all, there are heretics in Great Xia and the surrounding states, and some things are too precious. It would be too wasteful to use them on the low-level heretics.¡± Lu Ming¡¯s words were also very clear. After making it known that he had a powerful backer, no one should try to cheat him or harbour ulterior motives towards him. He intended to buy talismans and spiritual tools because he did not want to waste the high-level protective trump cards that his master had given him. ¡°Young Master Gu, I really have to thank you for giving me a chance to help you.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, I will get the catalogue for today¡¯s auction. At the same time, I will make a list for you.¡± ¡°Please drink your tea and wait for a moment.¡± After Sikong Xuan heard this, he naturally did not hesitate to take action. If he could tie in with Gu Zecang, wouldn¡¯t this be an opportunity to befriend the Grand Master of alchemy behind him? After leaving his room, he set off quickly but did not leave immediately. He dragged his fat body into a room with a restriction at the door. He immediately forced out a drop of blood and tapped it on the door. After the door was opened, he walked in and entered a secret compartment. He took out the pavilion master¡¯s jade token and inserted it into the groove in the secret compartment. Two formation eyes appeared in front of him. Without hesitation, Sikong Xuan activated another layer of the hidden formation of the star-picking pavilion! At the same time, he summoned the elders of his clan who were hiding in Green Mountain City. He wouldn¡¯t allow any accidents to happen in tonight¡¯s auction. After doing all this, Sikong Xuan let out a long sigh of relief. He walked out of the hall while wiping the sweat off his forehead. He went to get the catalogue that Lu Ming needed. At the same time. The Center Sect. The Pill Peak. The tall and handsome Gu Zecang arrived at the No. 1 Pill Hall on his sword.. Chapter 26 - Start Teaching! Chapter 26 Start Teaching! On the Pill Peak. Because the disciples of the Pill Hall hadn¡¯t finished refining the pills they needed for today, Gu Zecang felt that the front of Pill Hall No. 1 was extremely spacious. Especially after the green vine tree in front of the Pill Hall that was originally used to embellish the scenery disappeared, the surroundings became even more spacious. Gu Zecang walked to the front of the green vine tree stump with his head held high, looking at the faint bite marks left on it. ¡°Tsk tsk tsk.¡± ¡°Good teeth, hahaha, Deputy Hall Master Li has good teeth.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha.¡± Seeing this, Gu Zecang laughed out loud. Until a shout came from Pill Hall No. 1: ¡°It¡¯s almost done. Li Ce isn¡¯t in the Pill Hall. He went into seclusion after returning at noon.¡± The voice belonged to the Hall Master of Pill Hall No. 1, Han Daobai. Gu Zecang stopped smiling this time and nodded his head in satisfaction. He turned around and walked into the Pill Hall. Since he had already made an agreement with Junior Brother Lu Ming and it wasn¡¯t time for him to leave the sect for his inspection, naturally, he had to quickly confirm this matter with Han Daobai. After entering the Pill Hall, a disciple of the Pill Hall led him into the side hall. Han Daobai was waiting for him by himself. ¡°Young friend Gu, have you figured it out?¡± Seeing Gu Zecang come over, Han Daobai was quite satisfied and happy. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve thought about it for a while.¡± ¡°Although the Pill Peak has offended me, the matter has been resolved, and we are all disciples of the Center Sect.¡± ¡°If the agreed share of 10% of the Pill Peak, which is half of the resources of your Pill Hall, is used in exchange, I can agree to teach the alchemy skills.¡± Coming in front of outsiders, Gu Zecang naturally wouldn¡¯t be obsequious and directly said what he wanted. ¡°Good, good, good.¡± ¡°Young friend Gu still has a sense of responsibility.¡± Seeing that the other party had personally agreed, Han Daobai also revealed a smile. Directly cupping his hands and giving away half of his Pill Hall No. 1¡¯s resources was still the same as every year. Han Daobai was somewhat reluctant to part with it in his heart. However, this kind of alchemy was indeed fulfilling an assumption he had made two hundred years ago, which made him highly appreciative of this alchemy. At the same time, he believed in his judgment. As long as the disciples of the Pill Hall mastered this new alchemy technique, they would be able to obtain ten times more resources in the future! Even if he were to give half of it to Gu Zecang and the Alchemy Master behind him who refused to reveal his identity, he would still be able to obtain at least five times the benefits he had today. As for the reason, it was very simple. Because this alchemy technique allowed the disciples of the Pill Hall to condense the pill fire in seconds, greatly increasing their efficiency. One must know that the pill fire could only refine one pill at a time. After refining one pill, it had to be condensed again. Now that they had learned it, the disciples of Pill Hall No. 1 not only would be able to turn their palms over to condense the pill fire, but they could also successfully condense it within three to five breaths. At the same time, this alchemy technique could directly increase the completion rate of the pill from 70% to 90%! This was a huge leap. With the current 70% completion rate being considered good, when Pill Hall No. 1 became the only Pill Hall on the Pill Peak that could refine pills with over 90% completion rate, the auction houses, trading firms and the royal families of various countries under the protection of their sects would probably only buy from their Pill Hall in the future. And the last point was because this was only a Rank 1 alchemy technique, if Pill Hall No. 1 grasped a Rank 1 to Rank 3 new alchemy technique, it would directly monopolize the market. The other Pill Halls on Pill Peak, and even other orthodox sects, would probably find trouble with him. However, it was precisely because this was only a Rank 1 new alchemy technique, Han Daobai directly made it clear to the other four Pill Halls that he would voluntarily give up the market for Rank 2 and Rank 3 pills, and that he would only refine Rank 1 pills. One had to know that the higher the grade of the pill, the greater the profit. It could be considered as compensating them. In this way, his Pill Hall No. 1 could monopolize the surrounding countries¡¯ royal families and itinerant cultivators¡¯ Rank 1 pill market. It wouldn¡¯t be pushed aside by the four great Pill Halls of the Pill Peak because of its dominance. At the very least, it could maintain the balance on the surface. The sect wouldn¡¯t force him to hand over a new pill refinement technique because of this matter. It could be said that he had killed two birds with one stone. ¡°Since Elder Han has no problem with it, shall we start to take the Oath of Heaven?¡± Seeing that Han Daobai had confirmed that there was no problem with the distribution of resources, Gu Zecang immediately asked. ¡°Okay,¡± Han Daobai replied. In fact, in the cultivation world, the Oath of Heaven was a conventional method. Therefore, the two of them didn¡¯t feel that there was anything wrong with it and quickly made the Oath of Heaven. After the Oath of Heaven was made, the two of them no longer had any worries about alchemy. After all, the consequences of breaking the Oath of Heaven had always been death. Actually, before noon, Han Daobai was still a little suspicious about Gu Zecang¡¯s alchemy skills which had improved by leaps and bounds. After Gu Zecang left at noon, Han Daobai went to the sect¡¯s archives to investigate. He did not find any problems with Gu Zecang¡¯s background or cultivation skills in the sect¡¯s archives. He wasn¡¯t severely injured or captured by the heretics, nor would there be a situation where he would disturb the internal affairs of the Pill Peak with the evil alchemy techniques bestowed by the heretics. It was obvious that either Gu Zecang had figured it out by himself, or there was an elusive Alchemy Master within the sect who lived in seclusion and knew about Gu Zecang¡¯s talent. After all, the Center Sect had existed for more than five thousand years, so it was normal for there to be such a grandmaster. Now that he had sworn the Oath of Heaven, Han Daobai could completely let Gu Zecang teach his disciples. ¡°Then, when will young friend Gu start teaching the alchemy skills to the disciples of the Pill Hall?¡± Han Daobai asked Gu Zecang when he saw the aura of the Heavens around him slowly dissipating ¡°Why not do it now?¡± Seeing that everything had been settled, Gu Zecang thought of the large number of resources he would have in the future and replied cheerfully. Han Daobai nodded his head. Then, he called the ten most outstanding disciples of Tainan Prefecture into the Pill Hall and asked Gu Zecang to teach them in front of him. It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid that Gu Zecang would have promiscuous relationships. After all, he had sworn to the Oath of Heaven. In reality, he was indeed very interested in this alchemy skill. Green Mountain City. Outside the star-picking pavilion. In a restaurant not far away. Many guests were sitting on the first floor. The aroma of wine and meat mixed in the restaurant. Since most of them were men, after drinking wine and getting blushed cheeks, the noisy discussions started. ¡°Have you heard? When I passed by the star-picking pavilion, the servant at the door was talking to the disciples of the Kunlun Sect about the auction of the finale item tonight.¡± ¡°The finale item? I know. It¡¯s the talisman of a powerful cultivator in the Nascent Soul Stage.¡± ¡°Yes, I know about this too, but that kind of thing isn¡¯t something we can think of.¡± ¡°No! That was just a rumor before. Now that the star-picking pavilion has confirmed the catalogue for the auction, tonight¡¯s finale item is the foundation establishment pill with a 100% completion rate!¡± ¡°What?? 100%!? That¡¯s impossible, did you hear wrongly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true¡­¡± At this moment, two figures were sitting on the second floor of the restaurant. Amidst the continuous sounds of astonishment coming from below, the two people who had already heard the important news instantly looked at each other. Then, they quickly got up and left the restaurant, heading straight for the star-picking pavilion. Chapter 27 - The Heretics Appeared Chapter 27 The Heretics Appeared Star-picking pavilion. On the fourth floor of the pavilion. ¡°Young Master Gu, sorry for the wait.¡± The fat Sikong Xuan dragged his body and returned to the room with a smile on his face. At the same time, he handed over the catalogue in his hand. Lu Ming put down the tea in his palm and took it. ¡°Tonight, there are three types of talismans and four types of spiritual tools in our star-picking pavilion¡¯s catalogue.¡± ¡°At the same time, we have recorded the spiritual tools and talismans in the catalogue for you.¡± ¡°You can look through them.¡± Sikong Xuan sat on the armchair next to Lu Ming and explained to him. ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Ming nodded and started to look through the catalogue. He didn¡¯t look at the spiritual tools and talismans in the catalogue directly. Instead, he started to look through the items in the catalogue of the star-picking pavilion. The reason was very simple. The disguise powder on Lu Ming¡¯s face had a total of ten hours. When the auction started, it would take another four hours, and the auction would last at least two hours. With his cautious personality, he naturally felt that it was good to only sell medicinal pills. As soon as the auction ended and he received the spirit stones, he would quickly leave. Otherwise, if something were to be delayed in the remaining four hours, it would be troublesome. His true identity would also be exposed. Since the items in the auction had been listed in the catalogue, even if he had taken a fancy to them, Sikong Xuan still had to go through the auction process for the sake of the rules. As for the items on the star-picking pavilion¡¯s inventory list, there was no need to go through the process. If Lu Ming had taken a fancy to any of them, Sikong Xuan would have sent them over directly. This way, he could obtain better spiritual tools and talismans without appearing at the auction. This was because if he were to trigger a conflict during the auction, it would be very disadvantageous to him, who was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage. ¡°There are more than 300 talismans for the later-stage of Foundation Establishment Stage, and more than 200 talismans for the completed Foundation Establishment Stage.¡± ¡°It looks like all the talismans above the Core Formation Stage should be on the auction catalogue.¡± ¡°There are more than 30 spiritual tools in total, of which there are more than 20 offensive spiritual tools, and only a dozen defensive type talismans? Moreover, they are all yellow-rank top-grade talismans.¡± While flipping through the inventory list, Lu Ming¡¯s thoughts kept surging. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t very satisfied with these talismans and yellow-rank top-grade talismans. However, after deliberating for a while, Lu Ming still said, ¡°Prepare two hundred talismans for those that have completed the Foundation Establishment Stage. One hundred for each of the two types.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Sikong Xuan subconsciously raised his eyebrows. ¡°Uh¡­ Okay, okay.¡± Two hundred talismans? And to prepare two hundred talismans first? Even though he had been the pavilion master of the star-picking pavilion of Green Mountain City for many years, he had never experienced so many surprises like today. What did two hundred talismans mean? A talisman for the completed Foundation Establishment Stage was worth about one hundred spirit stones, which was considered very expensive. The attack and defense talismans were equivalent to the full-strength attack and defense of a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator. It was already good enough for an ordinary cultivator to keep two talismans on him. The disciples of the aristocratic families in Green Mountain City usually had at most ten talismans with them. He had managed the star-picking pavilion for so long, and there were only around 200 completed Foundation Establishment Stage talismans in total. Yet, this Young Master Gu had almost bought them all in one go. Although he still had the Core Formation Stage and a small amount of Golden Core Stage talismans, the star-picking pavilion¡¯s inventory of talismans could be said to have been cleared by quite a bit. If the person who had spoken wasn¡¯t Young Master Gu, who had come over with medicinal pills, then he had some doubts as to whether the other party would be able to pay this sum of money. But before his thoughts were over, he heard another voice: ¡°The yellow-rank top-grade defensive spiritual tools on the inventory list, choose ten of the best ones to keep on hand.¡± Hiss. Ten¡­ Ten? A yellow-rank spiritual tool that cost at least five thousand spirit stones, and he was asking for ten? And they were all defensive spiritual tools. The inventory of his star-picking pavilion¡¯s defensive spiritual tools was emptied at one go. As expected. The vision of the disciple of the Alchemy Master was indeed different from those rogue cultivators. One yellow-rank spiritual tool from those itinerant cultivators was enough for them to fight for it with all their might. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send someone to fetch it for you right away.¡± Sikong Xuan nodded his head, indicating for the beautiful maid who had just been transferred to come in from outside the door and make the arrangements. With these ultimate medicinal pills, he was completely not worried that he would suffer a loss in this transaction. ¡°Mm.¡± Lu Ming nodded his head lightly. However, after flipping through a few pages of the catalogue, he felt that there were quite a few spiritual treasures in it. Therefore, he stood up and said, ¡°Since there are still four hours before the auction, I¡¯ll slowly flip through it later.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll arrange a private room for you to rest on the fourth floor.¡± Seeing this, Sikong Xuan also quickly stood up. He allocated a very elegant and quiet private room for Lu Ming and said to him at the same time, ¡°Young Master Gu, you can rest here for a while.¡± ¡°When the auction begins, I¡¯ll come to find you and bring you all the spiritual tools and talismans that you¡¯ve taken a fancy to.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Ming nodded. Then, after he coldly refused the beautiful maid to serve him, Sikong Xuan gently closed the door and left. Lu Ming finally had some time to himself. After confirming that there were no problems with the surrounding restrictions and that they could be controlled through the token in the room, he put away his cold expression. He lazily sat on the armchair in the room. At the same time, he began to think about what he was going to do next. The first thing was to confirm what he had his eyes on during the auction. He was not able to leave the sect frequently, so this time he had to buy more spiritual tools and talismans to increase his combat power and ensure his safety. The items on the inventory list just now were not the ones he was interested in. The most important items were still in the auction. At the same time, before he left, he still needed to buy some Rank 1 and Rank 2 medicinal materials. Ultimately, after he gave the order, his senior brother, Gu Zecang, would sooner or later promote his alchemy skills on the Pill Peak. After successfully promoting it, he would combine it with his current alchemy value. His alchemy skill level should be able to rise to the level of a Rank 2 alchemist after some time. Meanwhile, he would also be able to carry out five system lottery draws. This was the most important thing. Just the scientific alchemy techniques for newcomers had brought him huge benefits. Then, the value of other things would not be bad. If he could extend the time he spent outside the sect to eight or ten years, by then he could improve his cultivation state. Lu Ming nodded with satisfaction. At the same time, outside the star-picking pavilion, two people came to the auction house under the guidance of a maid. As they had suppressed their cultivation state to the Qi Condensation Stage and were not from the clans of Green Mountain City or famous free-travelling cultivators, they were only arranged to stay on the first floor. After activating the only soundproof barrier in the room, one of them, an extremely tall man, said, ¡°Batu, since the news is confirmed to be true, if there is a marrow cleansing pill with a 100% completion rate in tonight¡¯s auction, then we might have to make a move.¡± Batu, the other man with average height and appearance, nodded and said, ¡°Yes, we must find an opportunity to make a move.¡± ¡°The biggest reason why the barbarians have been procrastinating and not cooperating is because of the cultivation aptitude of their barbarians¡¯ young master.¡± ¡°If the two of us can snatch three marrow cleansing pills, our race will be able to cooperate with the barbarians and attack the Central Region in one fell swoop.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the thin and tall man, Yelulan, nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. In that case, our race won¡¯t have to lure and drive these people with inferior bloodlines again and again.¡± ¡°I often come into contact with them. I feel that my bloodline is dirty.¡± After making the plan, the voices of the two slowly disappeared into the restriction in the room. Four hours passed in the blink of an eye. The star-picking pavilion auction was about to begin! Chapter 28 - The First Item of the Star-picking Pavilions Auction Chapter 28 The First Item of the Star-picking Pavilion¡¯s Auction ¡°Seventh prince, the auction is about to begin.¡± In a private room on the third floor, Fu Cheng, who was dressed in a black robe, stood respectfully in front of Jing Yuan¡¯s bed and reminded him. Jing Yuan, who had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, stopped breathing. His aura slowly calmed down, and his eyes opened. ¡°Is there anything on the way?¡±. Jing Yuan slowly stood up in his formal clothes, and then used his spiritual energy to activate a black-rank mid-grade spiritual weapon that he was carrying His appearance changed again magically. He returned to the appearance of the middle-aged attendant, and his temperament changed as well. ¡°No.¡± Fu Cheng, who was wearing a black hood, also returned to his arrogant temperament as soon as he finished his words. The two of them then lifted the restriction and left the loft. They slowly walked towards the open auction area below the loft. At the same time, there was a light knock on the door from outside Lu Ming¡¯s room. ¡°Young Master Gu, the auction is about to begin.¡± The person who came was indeed the master of the star-picking pavilion, Sikong Xuan. Lu Ming, who had just finished flipping through the catalogue, was resting his mind with his eyes closed. After hearing the voice, he immediately used the token in the room to remove the restriction and said, ¡°Enter.¡± Sikong Xuan had also changed out of his jewellery-like clothes and into a green-ink robe. He walked into the room and immediately handed the storage ring in his palm to Lu Ming. ¡°This is the spiritual tool and talisman that you took a fancy to before. I¡¯ve helped you store it in this storage ring.¡± ¡°This storage ring is considered a gift from the star-picking pavilion to you. You can check if there are any unsuitable spiritual tools later.¡± Lu Ming took it and put it on his left finger. At the same time, he used his spiritual power to force out a drop of blood to recognize him as its owner. After checking that there were no problems, he took it off and put it into the Heaven and Earth pouch on his waist. Lu Ming thought of this. Since he was going to disguise himself as a disciple of an Alchemy Master, he naturally wouldn¡¯t say that he didn¡¯t even have a better storage spiritual tool like the storage ring. What he did was tell Sikong Xuan that he didn¡¯t just have a Heaven and Earth pouch, but he was only using the Heaven and Earth pouch for the sake of safety. Who knew how many storage rings there were in this Heaven and Earth pouch? ¡°Hmm, there are no problems with these spiritual tools and talismans. Is the auction about to begin?¡± Lu Ming returned to his icy crown prince appearance and looked at Sikong Xuan. ¡°Yes, Young Master Gu, you don¡¯t have to go down either.¡± ¡°As an honored guest, you can stay in the reception hall on the fourth floor to join in the auction.¡± The rules of the star-picking pavilion were that guests below the third floor had to go to the auction hall on the first floor before they could participate in the auction. However, honored guests in the private rooms on the fourth floor could sit in the reception hall on the fourth floor and did not have to go down. This was because the status of most of the guests who could stay on the fourth floor were elders of the major sects and even the peak masters of the various peaks. Their status was extremely high. Originally, after the imperial family of the Great Xia Kingdom took out their tokens on the third floor, they could also stay in the private rooms on the fourth floor. After all, although the Great Xia Kingdom wasn¡¯t a cultivation sect, it was still the largest secular dynasty in the Central Region. However, it was obvious that the other party didn¡¯t want to completely expose his identity. It was too eye-catching, so he rejected his previous inquiries and arrangements. Following that, the two of them went to a specially built hall on the fourth floor. The interior of the hall was decorated with exquisite decorations, and there were various kinds of spirit fruits and wines. Lu Ming sat down and found that the view here was wide, facing the auction platform in front of him. At this moment, all the guests from each storey of the pavilion, including those who had just arrived from the outside, had gathered in front of the auction platform on the first floor. It seemed that there were nearly a hundred cultivation practitioners, including several disciples of the big aristocratic families of Green Mountain City. The noisy conversations continued below. Jing Yuan, who was disguised as a middle-aged attendant, and Fu Cheng, who was wearing a black robe, had already sat far away from the high platform. After all, their goal today was just to get a batch of Foundation Establishment pills. There was no need to show off too much. At the same time, Yelulan and Batu, who had heard about the pill news in the restaurant, also found a corner and sat down and were very quiet. When the auction hall was already filled with people, Sikong Xuan also revealed a smile on his face. Although his star-picking pavilion would normally be full, that would usually take a long time. How could it be that it was already packed with people in less than fifteen minutes? As expected, the medicinal pill advertisement with a completion rate of 100% was still extremely effective. At the same time, after Sikong Xuan inspected the reception hall on the fourth floor, he also saw the two people who had taken out the imperial family token. When he saw that the other party was currently sitting peacefully, he also let out a long sigh of relief in his heart. Although he did not know if the two of them had heard the news that the finale item was not a rumor, or if they would continue to come after him because of it, however, he believed that the value of the finale item was not lower than the value of a Nascent Soul Stage talisman. Especially since there were many descendants of the Great Xia royal family, these pills might be of some use. Even if a pill like the spirit gathering pill was auctioned off and the imperial family¡¯s personal guards brought it with them, it would still be of great use in the face of danger. Sikong Xuan believed that the star picker from the star-picking pavilion could explain the value of all sorts of auction items. As the only person who had obtained the auction catalogue, Lu Ming was also taking the opportunity before the auction officially began to confirm the items that he had his eyes on and the order in which they would be auctioned. The items that he had his eyes on were not all extremely popular items. After all, he was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage right now, and his focus was on defensive spiritual tools and talismans. Therefore, the first item in the auction was his target. Right at this moment, the door of the star-picking pavilion closed and tonight¡¯s auction officially began. On the high platform of the auction hall, two figures emerged with swords on their backs. They were in the middle stage of the Core Formation Stage! At the same time, several obscure auras appeared in the depths of every corner of the auction hall. The huge star-picking pavilion of Green Mountain City showed its true colors. Therefore, the auction hall became quiet in an instant. Then, a woman wearing a purple dress, revealing her beautiful shoulders and legs, with a voluptuous figure and stunning appearance, slowly walked onto the high platform. She was Situ Muxue, a star picker from the star-picking pavilion of Green Mountain City. As she walked, her curvaceous figure became more obvious under the tight wrap of the dress. A few gazes below the auction platform became heated because of this. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that with the reputation of our star-picking pavilion, we don¡¯t need to worry about the value of the items auctioned today. You are all people of noble status, and I don¡¯t want to waste time talking nonsense.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s directly look at the first item of our star-picking pavilion¡¯s auction today.¡± ¡°A black-rank mid-grade defensive spiritual tool ¡ª water-rock armor.¡± Under the gazes of over a hundred people, Situ Muxue¡¯s slender jade-like finger pointed at the spiritual tool that the attendant had brought up and said with a gentle smile. Chapter 29 - The Auction Began! Chapter 29 The Auction Began! Inside the star-picking pavilion. On the auction stage. ¡°The first item is a black-rank mid-grade defensive spiritual tool, water-rock armor.¡± ¡°This armor can completely block attacks below the Foundation Establishment Stage and weaken the power of middle stage Foundation Establishment spirit skills. The starting bid is 5,000 spirit stones.¡± ¡°Each time, it can not be lower than 200 spirit stones!¡± Situ Muxue, who had a soft voice, stood on the auction stage and said. As she was a member of the Situ clan which was only a branch clan, she wouldn¡¯t have come here to be a star picker. However, she still belonged here. The people below the stage only took a few more glances at her figure. Then, the auction officially began. ¡°5,300 spirit stones!¡± A disciple of the Green Mountain City family who was close to the auction stage opened his mouth. ¡°5,500 spirit stones!¡± ¡°5,800 spirit stones!¡± ¡°6,000 spirit stones!¡± Voices rose and fell in the auction hall one after another. On the fourth floor of the pavilion. ¡°7,000 spirit stones.¡± Seeing the voices gradually decreasing, Lu Ming immediately opened his mouth. As soon as he finished speaking, Sikong Xuan looked at the maid who was waiting at the side. The latter then spoke with a bit of spiritual energy, ¡°7,000 spirit stones!¡± The voice came from the fourth floor. The people in the hall were stunned at first, and they couldn¡¯t help but turn their heads to look at the fourth floor. Most of the people who came to the star-picking pavilion knew the rules, and they understood that those who could sit on the fourth floor must have an extremely noble status. They were a little surprised with Lu Ming and then gave up on bidding at the same time. ¡°Good, congratulations to the distinguished guest on the fourth floor for buying the water-rock armor with 7,000 spirit stones!¡± Situ Muxue¡¯s soft voice rang out, and they continued to bid for the second item. However, Lu Ming did not take a fancy to the next few items, so he did not pay any attention to them. At the same time, Jing Yuan, who was sitting at the back of the auction table, curiously sized up Lu Ming on the fourth floor. The other party was very young, about the same age as him, but he was being served by the star-picking pavilion. He must have a noble status. However, Jing Yuan didn¡¯t recognize the man at all, as he was too unfamiliar with the latter¡¯s appearance. As a prince, especially a prince who might become the crown prince, Jing Yuan had no idea what the man looked like. Besides cultivating, Jing Yuan also remembered the portraits of the elders and their sons and daughters of the cultivation sects. However, he had no impression of the man¡¯s face at all. The man might have used the same method as Jing Yuan. But logically speaking, why would someone of such a high status come to the star-picking pavilion in Green Mountain City? Jing Yuan¡¯s thoughts started to flow. Besides the news that the star-picking pavilion had the talismans of the Nascent Soul Stage, they hadn¡¯t heard of anyone else who was worthy of such a high status coming here. Moreover, the talismans of the Nascent Soul Stage were just rumors. Jing Yuan became more and more curious about Lu Ming¡¯s identity. In the blink of an eye, most of the items in the star-picking pavilion¡¯s auction catalogue had already been auctioned off. During this period, there weren¡¯t any items that couldn¡¯t be auctioned off. After all, before Lu Ming arrived, Sikong Xuan had also treated this as his last auction. Those that could enter the auction catalogue were all extremely precious spiritual tools and heavenly treasures. Meanwhile, the fifty spirit skill talismans that Lu Ming had taken a fancy to were at the late stage of the Core Formation Stage, and the twenty spirit skill talismans that were at the completion stage of the Core Formation Stage as well as the ten defensive talismans were all sold to him for 40,000 spirit stones and 50,000 spirit stones respectively. Among them, the Crown Prince of the Green Mountain City family also had his eyes on the thirty talismans of the completed Core Formation Stage. Under such circumstances, he only bid them for 47,000 spirit stones and gave up. After all, the person standing on Lu Ming¡¯s side was Sikong Xuan. Sikong Xuan had told Lu Ming that he could add whatever he wanted. At the same time, a few defensive black-rank spiritual tools were all bought by Lu Ming. Every time, the price of the spirit stones made everyone stop in their tracks. Rich. Too rich. Such a rich person was making such a bold move. Looking at the confused crowd made the people on the first floor auction hall even more curious about his identity. Jing Yuan, who had disguised himself as a middle-aged guard midway, successfully bought the Foundation Establishment pill that had a 77% completion rate tonight. There were very few bidders. Jing Yuan and Fu Cheng were also puzzled. Logically speaking, this pill should be extremely popular. Why did the star-picking pavilion customers look down on it? One had to know that the completion rate of the Foundation Establishment pill was almost the same as the star-picking pavilion in the capital of Great Xia. However, they did not leave just because they got the pill. That was because it was too obvious. Moreover, they were indeed curious about the finale item. After all, Nascent Soul Stage talismans were extremely rare. On the auction stage, Situ Muxue changed her soft voice and became slightly more formal. She swayed her surging body and walked to the front of the auction stage. ¡°Alright, next is the finale item of our star-picking pavilion!¡± ¡°I know that many people here are here for this final finale item.¡± She turned around and walked to the front of the three pavilion attendants, picking up the porcelain bottle on the first tray in their hands. ¡°I believe that all of you are cultivators, so you are naturally very familiar with medicinal pills. Today, the finale item of our star-picking pavilion is precisely three types of medicinal pills!¡± ¡°You should know that the star-picking pavilion rarely uses medicinal pills as the finale item, but I want to tell you that today, our star-picking pavilion not only uses medicinal pills as the finale item, but we are using Rank 1 medicinal pills!¡± She finished her words. At first, there wasn¡¯t much noise in the hall, because most of the people who came were attracted by the news of the ultimate medicinal pills with a 100% completion rate. The reason why they didn¡¯t say anything now was that they wanted to see with their own eyes if this was true. Those words of doubt and discussion were used up when they told everyone around them about the news. After all, this matter was truly too unbelievable. However, when these words fell into the ears of Jing Yuan and Fu Cheng, who had already arrived at the star-picking pavilion long ago, as well as those who did not know about the news due to the soundproof barrier in their private rooms, their expressions changed. After all, the biggest reason why they had come to the star-picking pavilion earlier was because of the Nascent Soul Stage talisman. But now that they were told that the finale item wasn¡¯t the Nascent Soul Stage talisman, their expressions turned ugly. Although they knew that this was a rumor, most of the rumors in the star-picking pavilion were true. After all, this was also a gimmick. But what they didn¡¯t expect was that the finale item this time was actually a medicinal pill, and it was the lowest Rank 1 medicinal pill! This difference was too great. There were even faint signs of anger on the faces of these people. One of them was Jing Yuan. Although he didn¡¯t care whether or not he had a Nascent Soul Stage talisman, this was the reason he came here. In the end, the reason for him coming here was to get a Rank 1 medicinal pill? This was too far-fetched already. Wasn¡¯t this confirming the fact that he came here to the star-picking pavilion was to buy medicinal pills? Jing Yuan frowned. However, just as these uninformed people¡¯s negative emotions continued to swell to the extreme, wanting to give a cold reprimand, the next moment, Situ Muxue¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°¡­ But, the completion rate of these Rank 1 medicinal pills is 100%!¡± ¡°100% completion rate!¡± As the sound of her voice faded, the negative emotions that those cultivators who wanted to give a cold reprimand instantly turned into astonishment and disbelief! 100% completion? How is this possible?! Chapter 30 - Madness! The Ecstatic Jing Yuan! Chapter 30 Madness! The Ecstatic Jing Yuan! ¡°100% completion rate?¡± ¡°This old man has cultivated for over 80 years, but I¡¯ve never heard of a pill with a 100% completion rate.¡± Beneath the star-picking pavilion¡¯s auction stage, an old man at the early Foundation Establishment Stage suddenly spoke. He had heard that the finale item was a pill with 100% completion rate, which was why he had rushed here. Because he was a Rank 1 alchemist himself, he was very clear about the difference in the completion rate of refining pills. His talent in alchemy and cultivation was not high, but it was precisely because of this that he immersed himself in refining Rank 1 pills for decades. The pills that he refined were generally at a 75% completion rate. This was enough for him to be proud of many Rank 1 alchemists in the world. Just like how he was able to break through from the peak of the Qi Condensation Stage to the early stage of the Foundation Establishment Stage, it was also because he ate dozens of Foundation Establishment pills that he refined. Therefore, he understood the concept of a completion rate of 100% too well. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Today, the three Rank 1 pills from our star-picking pavilion, the spirit gathering pill, the marrow cleansing pill and the Foundation Establishment pill, all have a completion rate of 100%!¡± Situ Muxue¡¯s voice became even more melodious, and the smile on her face turned from gentle to dignified. At the same time, she opened the porcelain bottle containing the spirit gathering pill and poured out a pill. When the golden patterns on the pill came into contact with the spiritual energy of Heaven and earth, they instantly emitted a golden light! A rich medicinal fragrance spread out and filled the auction hall. After smelling this medicinal fragrance, the early Foundation Establishment Stage old man was instantly intoxicated. ¡°This¡­ This! It really has a completion rate of 100%!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, this was appraised by our star-picking pavilion¡¯s Rank 3 alchemist, Alchemist Tan!¡± Situ Muxue immediately added. As soon as she finished speaking, the mood of the people present instantly changed from shock to surprise. It¡¯s real! It¡¯s actually real! The atmosphere in the auction hall instantly became frenzied. ¡°This is a spirit gathering pill with a 100% completion rate. After consuming it, one¡¯s spiritual energy will immediately recover to the maximum!¡± ¡°This is the marrow cleansing pill with a 100% completion rate. After consuming it, no matter how bad the cultivation aptitude is, it will definitely increase by a small stage!¡± ¡°This is the Foundation Establishment pill with a 100% completion rate. After consuming it, no matter how many years you are stuck at the bottleneck of the Qi Condensation Stage, you will definitely be able to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage without any side effects!!¡± Situ Muxue¡¯s voice was getting louder and louder. At the same time, the emotions of everyone sitting in the star-picking pavilion¡¯s auction hall were in sync. If the heated up emotions just now were only because they had never seen a high completion level pill before, now that they completely understood the value of these pills. The atmosphere within the star-picking pavilion instantly exploded! Everyone¡¯s emotions became fanatical! Especially when the seventh prince of the Great Xia Kingdom, Jing Yuan, heard it, his entire body trembled with excitement. Even Fu Cheng, who had always been disguised as the crown prince, couldn¡¯t help but turn his head to look at Jing Yuan. One had to know that the two of them had traveled thousands of miles to come here just so that he could break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm! This time, not only did the star-picking pavilion¡¯s grand finale item not disappoint him, it could be said that it was tailor-made for him! He was originally worried that taking a large amount of Foundation Establishment pills would leave behind side effects and affect his future cultivation career. But what was happening now?! After consuming the Foundation Establishment pill with a completion rate of 100%, it would allow him to break through to Foundation Establishment Stage! And there were no toxic side effects! There was even the marrow cleansing pill with a completion rate of 100%! The reason why his cultivation speed was not as fast as the third prince was because his spiritual root was damaged innately and his spiritual energy wasn¡¯t pure enough. This was just right for him! Jing Yuan¡¯s breathing began to become hurried and heavier. He had to get these pills! These were pills that he had never seen before in the main star-picking pavilion!! On the auction stage, Situ Muxue looked at the fervent gazes of the crowd. As a seasoned star picker, she immediately understood and said, ¡°The first type of pill to be auctioned, the spirit gathering pill, if consumed at the crucial moment of the battle, can change the situation.¡± ¡°A total of five pills. The starting price is 30,000 spirit stones!¡± Just as she finished speaking, voices rang out at the same time! ¡°31,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°34,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°38,000 spirit stones!¡± II II ¡°45,000 spirit stones!¡± As the effects of the spirit gathering pill were still quite lacking compared to the other two types, Sikong Xuan had arranged for the first five pills to be auctioned together. The number of bidders gradually decreased. During this period, three groups of people had been bidding. It seemed that they would need this type of pill very much in the near future. In the end, the spirit gathering pill was auctioned off by the second-largest aristocratic family in Green Mountain City for 86,000 spirit stones. Following the end of the auction for the spirit gathering pill, the atmosphere in the star-picking pavilion became more lively than usual! This was because the practical effects of the next two pills were extremely strong! ¡°Alright, let¡¯s auction the second pill with a 100% completion rate, the Foundation Establishment pill that will help you break through after consuming it, and there are no toxic side effects!¡± ¡°There are a total of five pills. Let¡¯s auction the first one first. The starting price is 50,000 spirit stones!¡± The starting price of 50,000 spirit stones was only for one pill. The starting price of the Foundationtion Establishment pill was extremely shocking, but almost no cultivators hesitated. Dozens of people crazily opened their mouths to bid. Most of them were Qi Condensation Stage cultivators. Those who were stuck at the peak of the Qi Condensation Stage became even crazier. Because once they entered the Foundation Establishment Stage, they could obtain 200 years of lifespan! ¡°55,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°59,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°63,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°70,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°78,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°88,000 spirit stones!¡± All the Qi Condensation Stage cultivators began to bid crazily! Right at this moment, a thick middle-aged voice sounded: ¡°200,000 spirit stones!¡± It was the seventh prince, Jing Yuan, who was disguised as a guard! As soon as he finished his words, the star-picking pavilion fell silent for a moment! One could hear a pin drop! 200,000 spirit stones! Vad er This was equivalent to the profit earned over five years by the number one family in Green Mountain City! ¡°You¡­!¡± Dozens of Qi Condensation Stage cultivators stared at Jing Yuan angrily. But when they thought about the fact that they still had four Foundation Establishment pills left, they held back in the end. ¡°Alright, the first Foundation Establishment is taken by these two young masters!¡± ¡°Next is the second Foundation Establishment pill!¡± ¡°The starting price is 60,000 spirit stones, and each increment must be no less than 3,000 spirit stones!¡± As Situ Muxue¡¯s voice rang out, the second Foundation Establishment pill was sold for 120,000 spirit stones. The third Foundation Establishment pill was sold for 150,000 spirit stones! The fourth Foundation Establishment pill was sold for 200,000 spirit stones! And just as Situ Muxue opened her mouth for the fifth time for everyone to start bidding, Jing Yuan¡¯s voice rang out once again. ¡°280,000!¡± His voice reverberated in the star-picking pavilion, and more than a hundred people turned to look at him! ¡°What do you mean? You already have one and you still want to continue?!¡± ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to leave a way out for others?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of having two?!¡± In the hall of the star-picking pavilion, all the itinerant cultivators who didn¡¯t manage to get their hands on the pills immediately let out all kinds of angry voices. Seeing this, the two middle-stage Core Formation cultivators on the star-picking pavilion¡¯s auction stage took a step forward one after another and were about to release their aura to make everyone quiet down. But in the next moment, an aura that was unexpectedly stronger than the two of them combined was instantly released from the middle-aged man¡¯s position! The Golden Core Stage! On this day, a powerful cultivator with the cultivation of Golden Core Stage came to the star-picking pavilion of Green Mountain City! Who was that person wearing a black robe and a hood? At this moment, everyone present fell silent and they immediately averted their gazes. ¡°Does anyone else have any objections?¡± Fu Cheng, who was beside Jing Yuan, spoke arrogantly. He acted as if he was a noble. Although Fu Cheng knew that under his deterrence, no one would have the intention to attack them. But for absolute safety, he had to act as if he was the son of a noble who was being guarded. If he encountered trouble, the others would attack him first. As soon as his voice fell, no one dared to respond. The people present could do nothing but gnash their teeth in hatred. ¡°Deal!¡± Situ Muxue had seen too many such scenes. As long as they did not make a move in the star-picking pavilion, they would not maliciously lower the price. They would not interfere at the same time. In the end, the fifth Foundation Establishment pill also fell into Jing Yuan¡¯s hands. If they were to really compare their worth, none of the guests present could compare to a prince of the Great Xia Kingdom. At the same time, in the fourth-storey loft, Lu Ming was watching this scene. The more intense the competition among the people below, the greater the benefits he would gain. At this moment, he almost couldn¡¯t control his current appearance and temperament. Meanwhile, Sikong Xuan, who was beside Lu Ming, was completely relieved of his own safety. Since the imperial family of the Great Xia Kingdom had bid so aggressively for the finale item, it meant that it was still very much to their liking. Then, he basically didn¡¯t have to worry about getting himself killed. Immediately after, the marrow-cleansing pill was the last item in tonight¡¯s auction. There were countless cultivators in this world, and those with excellent or higher spiritual roots were rare. No one would complain that their cultivation talent was too high or that their aptitude was too good. Except for Lu Ming. There might be some itinerant cultivators who had already reached the Foundation Establishment Stage and had no children who wouldn¡¯t participate in the auction for the marrow cleansing pill. However, in the world of cultivation, no cultivator could refuse the marrow cleansing pill! Chapter 31 - Fu Cheng, Who Was Crazily Imagining and Thinking! Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Star-picking pavilion. Along with Jing Yuan¡¯s bid of 280,000 spirit stones for the fifth Foundation Establishment pill, the first batch of spirit gathering pills and the Foundation Establishment pills provided by Sikong Xuan had all been auctioned off. Tonight¡¯s auction had also come to the finale item. The marrow cleansing pill! The gazes of everyone in the star-picking pavilion were all focused on Situ Muxue, who had a voluptuous and graceful figure. This woman, who exuded an endless amount of charm while walking, placed the last bottle of pills between her slender fingers. ¡°This is the last item up for auction tonight ¡ª the marrow-cleansing pill!¡± ¡°The most important thing in cultivation is talent. Just like how the city lord of Green Mountain City has only cultivated for over thirty years, why was he able to break through to the Golden Core Stage as easy as drinking wine? He has never experienced a bottleneck before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the city lord has superior aptitude and talent!¡± ¡°He is the dragon among men!¡± Situ Muxue¡¯s voice became even more alluring as she held the marrow cleansing pill in her palm. The breathing sounds of countless people in the room became heavier. Ina corner of the star-picking pavilion, Batu and Yelulan were also looking on with intense gazes. Because they felt that this was an opportunity to cooperate with the barbarians! The two of them belonged to the demon heretics¡¯ faction. Their bloodlines originated from the union between demons and humans over a thousand years ago. Due to the power of the demons back then, they considered themselves to be of a high-class bloodline. Back then, they even automatically abandoned their human identity and joined the demons. Then, a thousand years ago, the demons were exterminated by the great cultivators of the human race. To survive, these mixed bloodlines hid in the human lands of the Central Plains, accumulating their strength and passing down the sorcery of the demons at the same time. After accumulating their strength for a thousand years, these mixed bloodlines began to wantonly use the art of seduction to drive the human race to bring disaster to the Central Plains. However, because they knew how powerful the human race was, they did not have the intention to officially attack. They wanted to ally with the spirit demons of the barbarian race, who did not have a good relationship with the human race of the Central Plains. The spiritual energy of the world where the spirit demons of the barbarian race lived was thin, and the environment was harsh. They coveted the spiritual region of the Central Plains, but first of all, there was a huge gap between the two sides. If they wanted to enter, they would have to pay a huge price. On top of that, the king of the barbarians, who valued bloodlines the most, realized that his only son¡¯s aptitude for cultivation was extremely poor. He thought that even if he had to pay a huge price to come to the Central Plains, his only son would not be able to cultivate and take over the race. On the contrary, it might make the other spirit demons in the barbarian race, who had an excellent aptitude for cultivation, become stronger. It would affect their status, so they had been hesitating and did not agree to cooperate. The heretics had sent countless pills like the marrow cleansing pill over, but in the end, they still could not change the aptitude of the young master of the barbarians. But now, it was different. As long as the two of them could snatch the marrow cleansing pill, they would have a chance to cooperate with the spirit demons of the barbarian race. The Central Plains¡¯ spiritual realm would be conquered by them sooner or later! Greed appeared in their eyes. At the same time, they used the bloodline resonance technique to spread the news. At the same time. Situ Muxue also started the auction of the marrow cleansing pill. ¡°The marrow cleansing pill with 100% completion rate will definitely increase one¡¯s aptitude by a small stage after consuming it!¡± ¡°The auction of the marrow cleansing pill is divided into two auctions. The first batch will have two pills, and the second batch will have three pills!¡± ¡°The first two marrow cleansing pills will be officially auctioned. The starting price will be 100,000 spirit stones, and each increment must not be lower than 10,000 spirit stones!¡± As Situ Muxue¡¯s voice fell, everyone present started bidding crazily. ¡°120,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°130,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°150,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°200,000 spirit stones!¡± Jing Yuan was sitting in the back row, but he didn¡¯t say anything immediately. What he valued were the last three marrow cleansing pills. Although he wanted to bid for all five marrow cleansing pills, he knew that his aptitude wasn¡¯t that bad, but he had the aptitude of an excellent mid-grade spiritual root. It was only because his innate spirit root had some flaws, but one marrow cleansing pill could solve the flaws of his spiritual root while raising his spiritual root¡¯s aptitude to excellent top-grade. After all, the essence of the marrow cleansing pill was to remove the impurities in his spiritual root and nurture his spiritual root. He would use the remaining two [ marrow cleansing pills ] as a bargaining chip to compete for the throne. At the same time, just two Foundation Establishment pills had already cost him 400,000 spirit stones. Thinking of the astronomical amount of spirit stones he would have to bid for three marrow cleansing pills later, even though he was a prince with real power, there was a limit to how many spirit stones he could use. After all, the Emperor of Great Xia had more than ten sons. ¡°330,000 spirit stones!¡± The bidding for the marrow cleansing pill continued. ¡°350,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°410,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°450,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°¡­ 500,000 spirit stones!¡± The second family of Green Mountain City, the Gongsun family head, also revealed his background. Just now, he didn¡¯t open his mouth to compete for the Foundation Establishment Pill because his children had already reached the Foundation Establishment Stage. However, it was obvious that he wouldn¡¯t miss out on the marrow cleansing pill. He also knew that there were still people in the star-picking pavilion whose wealth wasn¡¯t inferior to his. For example, the figure in the black robe who had spent 400,000 spirit stones to bid for the Foundation Establishment Pill, accompanied by a Golden Core Stage cultivator. Or another example was the cold-looking young man who was in the fourth storey loft. These 500,000 spirit stones were already half of his family¡¯s savings. He had to take the pills. As expected. Under the dual pressure of the 500,000 spirit stones and his identity, the star-picking pavilion finally became quiet. ¡°Congratulations, Master Gongsun, for obtaining two marrow cleansing pills.¡± The smile on Situ Muxue¡¯s face grew wider. She had been in the star picking-pavilion of Green Mountain City for many years and she had never seen such a grand occasion. Below the auction stage, Jing Yuan, who was acting as the guard, could look around without any scruples. In contrast, Fu Cheng had been sitting quietly with his hood on while the seventh prince was doing all the bidding. What he needed to do was to protect the seventh prince and also make a judgement. He was constantly using his spirituality to observe the star-picking pavilion auction today. He was wondering if there was any hidden danger. When he thought of the noble youth sitting on the fourth storey, he suddenly realized that after the pills were being auctioned off, there was no movement from him at all. This was very illogical. Even though that young cultivator¡¯s cultivation had already reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, it was very clear that this type of Foundation Establishment pill or marrow cleansing pill, which had a completion rate of 100%, would be able to display its value as long as it was auctioned off. Even with Prince Jing Yuan¡¯s identity, he had also bid for an additional Foundation Establishment pill and two marrow cleansing pills. However, the powerful young man who was able to get Sikong Xuan to accompany him didn¡¯t do anything. Fu Cheng tried to recall the portrait of this person, but he and Jing Yuan had never seen him before. He hadn¡¯t heard of any other important figures coming to the star-picking pavilion in Green Mountain City. n addition, the news that the star-picking pavilion had sent out was that the original Nascent Soul Stage talisman had become three Rank 1 pills. A thought formed in his mind. Could it be? This young man was sitting on the fourth storey of the pavilion. If he was not the heir of any influential families and could let Sikong Xuan sit beside him, could it be that he was the seller who had brought the pills! He would wait a little longer. If the other party still did not bid for the last batch of marrow cleansing pills, then he was able to confirm the identity of the seller. Regardless of whether the other party¡¯s identity was an obscure alchemy genius or the apprentice of an Alchemy Master, these were not important. What was important was, if the seventh prince could establish a friendship with such a person, that would be of absolute help to the prince in his struggle for the throne! With such a big figure, he and the seventh prince absolutely could not miss the opportunity to make friends with him!. Chapter 32 - Torture, this Was Pure Torture! Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Next is the final item for this auction. Three marrow cleansing pills!¡± ¡°The starting price is 150,000 spirit stones. Each increment must not be less than 10,000 spirit stones.¡± Situ Muxue¡¯s eyes lit up. There was no doubt that the next auction item was going to fetch the highest bid. Compared to the bidding voices of the itinerant cultivators earlier on, at this moment, the star-picking pavilion was much quieter than before. This was because those itinerant cultivators knew that they no longer had the opportunity to participate in the bidding. As expected. After a short period of silence, an aged voice sounded from a corner in front of the arena. Just this voice attracted the gazes of everyone present. ¡°500,000 spirit stones.¡± At the same time that the three marrow cleansing pills were bound together, the price that the first person opened his mouth to bid directly cut off most of the other people¡¯s thoughts of bidding. The old voice was hidden in the black robe. Yet, it made Sikong Xuan¡¯s body tighten abruptly. It was because he could tell that this voice was most likely the voice of an elder of the West Ocean Sword Sect. It was also a distinguished guest who was worthy of being on the fourth storey of this building. The West Ocean Sword Sect was a sect second only to the Center Sect. ¡°550,000 spirit stones.¡± Another voice rang out and it belonged to the middle-aged man who had bid for the Foundation Establishment pill earlier on. it drew the sidelong glances of over a hundred people present. tt was then that they realized that the latter had taken off his mask. He was the treasurer of the Ye family, the number one family in Green Mountain City. But the crowd didn¡¯t pay much attention to him. Because Jing Yuan spoke up again. ¡°700,000 spirit stones!¡± He raised the price by 150,000 spirit stones. The treasurer of the Ye family and the elders of the West Ocean Sword Sect frowned at the same time. At this moment, they were not stupid enough to show their identities to persuade the other party. Since the other party dared to make a bid at this time and was confident that he could take away the marrow-cleansing pill, then they were not afraid of being threatened. Making a bid at this time was purely for effect. The only thing they could do now was to raise the bid! ¡°750,000 spirit stones!¡± ¡°¡­ 800,000 spirit stones.¡± ¡°880,000 spirit stones!¡± The treasurer of the Ye family and the elders of the West Ocean Sword Sect kept increasing the bid. It was 900,000 spirit stones now. This was the highest price they could offer each. The Ye family allowed him to offer 900,000 spirit stones to bet that the young master of the Ye family could have a meteoric rise in the Center Sect. The West Ocean Sword Sect also had alchemists; the purpose of bidding for the medicinal pills was to better understand how the medicinal pills were successfully refined. The two of them fell silent for a moment, and no one was willing to raise the price of the spirit stones. Right at this moment, Jing Yuan¡¯s voice rang out again. ¡°1,000,000 spirit stones!¡± One¡­one million?! Hearing this number, the people of the star-picking pavilion were astonished. They were now very curious about this person¡¯s identity. First, he bought two Foundation Establishment pills for 400,000 spirit stones. Then, he bought three marrow cleansing pills for 1,000,000 spirit stones. This kind of wealth was truly unimaginable. The Ye family could afford 900,000 spirit stones and this was the family¡¯s heritage accumulated over decades. The West Ocean Sword Sect could afford 900,000 spirit stones because they were a sect that had existed for 500 years. And that person under the black robe and hood¡­ What was his true identity? Different from the first storey of the star-picking pavilion, on the fourth storey of the pavilion and in the reception hall, Sikong Xuan was overjoyed. One million spirit stones. The previous auctions of the star-picking pavilion in Green Mountain City only amounted to one million spirit stones. And this was just a small item, yet it was sold for such a high price! At this moment, Sikong Xuan¡¯s worried heart finally relaxed. By auctioning off the three types of medicinal pills, the auction this time had directly secured his position as the pavilion master of the star-picking pavilion in Green Mountain City. Similarly, Lu Ming was also very satisfied with this move of his. His scientific alchemy technique was indeed a blow to the other alchemy techniques! He didn¡¯t stiffen his emotions. A faint smile appeared on his face. ow that he had the spiritual tools, talismans and spirit stones to back him up, he could now stabilize his ability to survive. What he needed to do next was to wait for his senior brother, Gu Zecang, to finish his teaching. When the rank of the pill was raised, he could use these spirit stones to buy those expensive high-grade materials. Although with the scientific alchemy technique, Lu Ming could know all kinds of pill formulas of different ranks. But after all, the higher the rank of the pill, the more rare the materials needed. These spirit stones could pave the way for him. ¡°Young Master Gu, today, our star-picking pavilion is indebted to you.¡± ¡°T¡¯ll arrange for the spiritual tools and talisman that you bought to be sent to you together with today¡¯s spirit stones.¡± Sikong Xuan stood up and bid farewell with a smile. Lu Ming nodded and didn¡¯t stay there any longer. He turned around and returned to his room. As Situ Muxue gave the last call, the auction of the star-picking pavilion was officially over tonight. Those who didn¡¯t get the spiritual tools, talismans and elixirs could only leave with envious gazes. Those who got all kinds of items returned to their rooms one after another according to the rules. They waited for the attendants of the star-picking pavilion to bring the items they got, and the two parties would do an exchange face to face. Lu Ming was waiting quietly in the room. Not long after, Situ Muxue of the star-picking pavilion of Green Mountain City came to his room. At this moment, Situ Muxue had removed her provocative clothes and changed into a green cheongsam. However, under the outline of the tight-fitting cheongsam, the curves below Situ Muxue¡¯s neck were even more obvious and her two beautiful slender legs shone like white porcelain under the light. Coupled with her pure and innocent makeup at this moment, it gave her a unique charm. ¡°Young Master Gu, I¡¯ve already brought the talismans and spiritual tools that you wanted.¡± ¡°As for the spirit stones for the pill auction, they will be sent over after the pills are handed to the other guests.¡± ¡°Pavilion master is afraid that you¡¯ve waited for too long, so he asked me to come over and sit with you for a while to relieve your boredom.¡± A gentle and charming voice entered his ears and a faint fragrance entered his nose. Lu Ming looked at her body that was intentionally sticking close to him. Torture. Pure torture. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he was educated, he really wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself. At the same time, on the third floor of the star-picking pavilion, in the room of the seventh prince, Jing Yuan. Sikong Xuan respectfully received the storage ring that Jing Yuan handed over. After removing the restriction and inspecting it, his smile returned. Then, he handed over the two porcelain bottles. Although the other party¡¯s identity was the imperial family of the Great Xia Kingdom, Sikong Xuan was well aware of the thousand-year-old rules of the star-picking pavilion. Although he respected the imperial family of Great Xia, however, he still need to follow the rules regarding this transaction. The customer had to hand over the spirit stones first before obtaining the goods. ¡°Alright, it had been a smooth transaction.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Sikong Xuan knew that his safety should be fine, so he said this with a smile. But at this moment, the figure in the black robe suddenly spoke. ¡°Sikong Xuan, I want to see the person whom you received today in the fourth storey loft.¡± Sikong Xuan¡¯s smile suddenly froze.. Chapter 33 - A Storm Is Coming Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Green Mountain City. Outside the star-picking pavilion, in a private room of a restaurant, three figures were gathered here. They were Batu and Yelulan, who had just walked out of the star-picking pavilion, and a scholar-like person. ¡°Is what you said true?!¡± The scholar¡¯s brows were furrowed after hearing their accounts. Even though Batu and Yelulan repeated the matter to him, he was skeptical. Seeing that the scholar still didn¡¯t believe him, Yelulan swore with his blood that what he said was true. Seeing this, Ya Yin, the scholar-like person, nodded his head. The three of them were of the same race, and they were all descendants of the demon heretics. Ya Yin was sent to Green Mountain City by the chief a few years ago. As this place was relatively close to the Center Sect, he was responsible for monitoring the movements of the Center Sect. Like Batu and Yelulan, his cultivation state was at the completed stage of the Foundation Establishment Stage. However, Ya Yin belonged to a purer bloodline of the demon race and he was also a wise general. Therefore, after Batu and Yelulan left the star-picking pavilion, they arrived in front of Ya Yin quickly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that someone in this world could make the perfect marrow cleansing pill and the Foundation Establishment pill.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the pill, but I don¡¯t believe it. But since you¡¯ve sworn on your bloodline, then I believe you.¡± ¡°I have to say, this is indeed a good way to win over the Barbarian King. If this matter can be completed, then the two of you will have made a great contribution.¡± Looking at the two people sitting opposite him, a smile appeared on Ya Yin¡¯s face. He had not expected this matter to happen so suddenly. ¡°Yes, Batu and I plan to directly attack the head of the second aristocratic family in Green Mountain City.¡± ¡°Just as I said earlier, he has two marrow cleansing pills in his hands. After he comes out of the star-picking pavilion, we will make our move.¡± Once Yelulan thought of making a great contribution, he would be able to raise his demon bloodline and gain even more sorcery as his reward. Hence, he immediately decided to take action. However, in the next moment, he saw Ya Yin directly shake his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s better to take action against the two people who have three marrow cleansing pills.¡± After Ya Yin shook his head, he muttered to himself for a moment before speaking slowly. However, just as he finished speaking, the average-sized Batu retorted, ¡°Ya Yin, that guard of the black-robed figure¡¯s cultivation is at the Golden Core Stage!¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for us to snatch it from their hands!¡± Batu, who had personally felt the guard¡¯s aura, immediately rejected Ya Yin¡¯s suggestion. The almighty Golden Core Stage was two realms higher than them. It was not something that could be made up for by sorcery. This was undeniably impossible. ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°In comparison, it¡¯s even more impossible for you all to snatch anything from the Gongsun family head.¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re lucky enough to get it, you¡¯ll still be surrounded and exposed. You won¡¯t be able to survive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because this is Green Mountain City, and the Gongsun family is the second largest family here.¡± As soon as Ya Yin finished speaking, they sensed dozens of figures with cultivation fluctuations passing through the streets beside the restaurant, heading toward the star-picking pavilion not far away. Just as Ya Yin said, they were all from the Gongsun family. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°But with such an almighty human at the Golden Core Stage, the three of us cannot snatch the marrow-cleansing pill.¡± Yelulan¡¯s expression was a little dejected and he could only speak helplessly. ¡°Listen to me, I have full confidence that you can snatch the marrow cleansing pill.¡± Ya Yin maintained his smile as if he was not worried at all. Then, he said, ¡°You mentioned earlier that you sensed an aura of a Qi Condensation Stage cultivator next to that human in the Golden Core Stage¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s very obvious that it¡¯s that person in the black robe. Since he has the protection of a Golden Core Stage cultivator, his identity must be very noble.¡± ¡°As a noble who is protected, it¡¯s very likely that he kept the marrow cleansing pill and Foundation Establishment pill with him after he obtained them.¡± ¡°The two of you should not have any thoughts of killing the other party. When you encounter them, immediately use our nightmare invasion technique. Batu will drag that guard into the illusion while Yelulan will snatch the pills from the other!¡± ¡°After snatching the pills, switch to Yelulan to cast nightmare invasion. After that, the two of you will quickly escape.¡± ¡°Although casting nightmare invasion will consume fifty years of lifespan, for our clan to regain control of the Central Plains spiritual realm as soon as possible, you have to do this. I will report about your merits.¡± Like a wise general, Ya Yin quickly formulated a plan and organized it in an orderly manner. ¡°Okay!¡± Batu and Yelulan agreed without any hesitation. They were willing to pay this price for the sake of the demon heretics. ¡°Since we have finished discussing, we will wait near the star-picking pavilion to see when those two will come out.¡± Yelulan stood up and prepared to leave with Batu. ¡°Wait, I need to confirm with you two again.¡± ¡°Was there any difference between the star-picking pavilion¡¯s auction this time and the previous one?¡± Ya Yin thought about the medicinal pills that suddenly appeared, but he still faintly felt that something was wrong. He once again gestured for the two to sit down. He was very clear that this involved important figures with millions of spirit stones. Logically speaking, they should all know the pavilion master of the star-picking pavilion. In addition, a Golden Core Stage cultivator would have nothing to fear and wouldn¡¯t leave so quickly. ¡°Different?¡± ¡°The difference between this auction and the previous ones we participated in was the appearance of medicinal pills with a 100% completion rate. Then there was also a stranger who came to the fourth storey loft and no one knew his identity.¡± Yelulan thought for a moment and slowly replied. Previously, when they participated in the star-picking pavilion¡¯s auction, the fourth storey loft had been occupied by other people. Moreover, even if Yelulan did not know the identities of those people, the itinerant cultivators around him would often mention their identities. However, this time, no one recognized who that young man who did not even cover his face was. ¡°A stranger? What did he do in the star-picking pavilion¡¯s auction today? What¡¯s his cultivation level?¡± Ya Yin also understood the same logic, so he continued to ask. ¡°Today, Batu and I were too agitated. All we thought about was the Foundation Establishment pill, so we didn¡¯t pay too much attention to him. His cultivation level seems to be around the Foundation Establishment Stage.¡± ¡°Other than that, I only know that he seemed to have bought some talismans, and then there were no other movements from him.¡± Yilulan pondered for a moment and then wanted to say something. Ya Yin felt that something was not right and interrupted, ¡°There was no movement after that? What about the auction for the marrow cleansing pill?¡± ¡°There was no movement.¡± Batu suddenly spoke. Ya Yin nodded and then began to think. A person who could appear on the fourth storey loft only bought some talismans in the auction but did not compete for precious pills? If it was not for the medicinal pills with a 100% completion rate, there was nothing else that could attract people of such status to suddenly come here. Other than these things that were not right, the finale item of this auction had suddenly changed from talismans to medicinal pills. Ya Yin¡¯s eyes lit up. He thought of a possibility. Then, he began to ask Yelulan about his specific appearance and temperament. After getting the answer, Ya Yin quickly said, ¡°We¡¯ll act immediately. The two of you go and snatch the marrow cleansing pill from those two people. I¡¯ll follow the person on the fourth storey loft.¡± ¡°According to my speculation, this person is very likely to be the person who provided the pills to the star-picking pavilion. Although I can¡¯t be sure, I have to give it a try.¡± The person who provided the pills with 100% completion? Yelulan and Batu quickly realized the importance of this matter. Right now, just a few pills were enough to cause such a big fuss. If the other party was the person who provided the pills to the star-picking pavilion, then what Ya Yin wanted to do could be said to be related to the entire demon heretics. The three of them crossed eyes with one another. Then, they quickly left the restaurant. Star-picking pavilion. The fourth storey loft. Knock knock. Aseries of knocks came from outside Lu Ming¡¯s room. Lu Ming immediately lifted the restriction. ¡°Come in.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Sikong Xuan respectfully opened the door. Fu Cheng, who was wearing a black robe, and Jing Yuan, who was disguised as a guard, walked in.. Chapter 34 - Im the Seventh Prince Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Sikong Xuan waited for the two to enter the room, then he immediately motioned for Situ Muxue to leave. He smiled apologetically and said, ¡°Young Master Gu, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Although it¡¯s a little presumptuous, these two honored guests want to see you so they asked me to introduce them to you.¡± Hearing this, Lu Ming met their gazes. He was still seated on the armchair and didn¡¯t do anything to welcome them. He simply nodded his head. ¡°What can I do for you two?¡± He still maintained his cold appearance and spoke indifferently. Seeing this, Fu Cheng didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and sat down as well. After that, his gender-neutral voice sounded from under the black robe. ¡°I heard from Pavilion MasterSikong Xuan that you are the one who provided the medicinal pills with 100% completion rate today?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lu Ming was fully aware of his value in Sikong Xuan¡¯s heart. The latter couldn¡¯t tell others about him so easily. As a result, either the two of them came from a powerful force, forcing Sikong Xuan to speak up; or they had to be of the same rank as the West Ocean Sword Sect. Sikong Xuan had been very polite to Lu Ming. o matter how the people of Green Mountain City tried to be nice to him, Sikong Xuan didn¡¯t even bother to pay them a glance. [t must be that these two people had guessed his identity, therefore, he had admitted it frankly. ¡°Good. Young Master Gu has mastered such a terrifying alchemy skill at such a young age. Have you ever thought of finding a backer?¡± Because of the hood, he couldn¡¯t see Fu Cheng¡¯s emotional changes. As soon as he finished his words, Sikong Xuan¡¯s expression turned ugly. it was because when these two people had asked him to bring them here, they had only asked about Young Master Gu¡¯s identity. He didn¡¯t even say anything else. However, to his surprise, at this moment, Young Master Gu didn¡¯t directly agree or deny it. nstead, he asked with interest, ¡°Backer? What backer? What kind of backer?¡± Lu Ming was still a little curious about the other party¡¯s identity. n addition, compared to others trying to get information out of him, he preferred to get information out of others. Following Lu Ming¡¯s question, the middle-aged guard who had been standing behind Fu Cheng in the room suddenly moved. Under the shocking eyes of Sikong Xuan, the middle-aged guard slowly came to the table and sat down. As he sat down, the environment around him changed like a ripple caused by a falling bluestone. ¡°The seventh prince of the Great Xia Kingdom.¡± The moment Jing Yuan sat down, he changed back to his original appearance and his voice rang out. As this scene appeared before Sikong Xuan, his pupils started to quiver. Seventh¡­ Seventh prince?! After he had seen the token, he had thought that the other party might be the son of the prince or a relative of the emperor. But he had never expected that the person who came was a prince. And it was the seventh prince who was extremely famous! This¡­ Sikong Xuan felt the surprises he had experienced today were more than what he could have in his lifetime. ¡°Sikong Xuan greets the seventh prince.¡± Seeing that the other party had suddenly revealed his identity, Sikong Xuan, who was born in the Great Xia Kingdom, naturally chose to bow at once. As he bowed, his thoughts surged. He became even more curious about the reason why these two people appeared here. Before the auction started, he thought that these two people were aiming for the Nascent Soul Stage talisman. However, after the auction ended, as he watched the other party bid for the Foundation Establishment pill and the marrow cleansing pill, he was a little puzzled as to why a member of the royal family was here. Even after knowing the other party¡¯s identity, Sikong Xuan was still a little confused. Of course, he knew that the seventh prince¡¯s current cultivation level was only at the peak of the Qi Condensation Stage, so these two types of pills were very suitable. However, he had only learned about Young Master Gu after Alchemist Tan brought him here four hours earlier. As for the seventh prince, he couldn¡¯t know that there were pills with a 100% completion rate earlier than he did. ¡°Get up.¡± Jing Yuan, with his straight brows and starry eyes, said with a smile. He chose to reveal his identity at this time because he had already obtained the marrow cleansing pill and Foundation Establishment pill. He no longer had to worry about his identity being exposed. If someone found out that he had consumed the Foundation Establishment pill, which had a normal completion rate of only 75%, he might be doubted by many people in the capital. But it was different now. In his hands was the Foundation Establishment pill which had a completion rate of 100%. After he consumed the marrow cleansing pill again, his cultivation aptitude would rise to another level. Then it would be impossible to hear about rumors of him being inferior to the third prince in the capital again. Jing Yuan knew very well that after the auction of the medicinal pills in Green Mountain City, news of it would spread throughout Great Xia. Since he couldn¡¯t hide it, he might as well use it to pave the way for himself. At that time, he could openly use the remaining pills in his hands to do some things. Then, Jing Yuan turned his head to look at Lu Ming. ¡°What do you think?¡± Of course, Lu Ming wouldn¡¯t bow. Seeing that the other party was looking at him, he replied, ¡°Seventh prince?¡± ¡°This is indeed a pretty good backer.¡± Of course, Lu Ming didn¡¯t know or care who this person was. But seeing Sikong Xuan¡¯s behaviour and that the other party was a prince, he considered Jing Yuan to be a pretty good backer. ¡°However, in reality, these medicinal pills weren¡¯t refined by me, but by my master.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just making a trip on behalf of my master.¡± ¡°My master likes peace. He should be in seclusion right now.¡± Lu Ming replied to them. He made it clear that he wasn¡¯t the person who refined the medicinal pills and also implied that they could cooperate. The seventh prince, Jing Yuan, observed that after Lu Ming had revealed his identity, the latter was neither servile nor overbearing, and was as calm as water. Furthermore, when he heard Lu Ming mention his master and combined with Fu Cheng¡¯s previous speculation, he immediately deduced that Lu Ming should be the disciple of an Alchemy Master and he often came into contact with important figures with noble identities. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t act so calmly at this time. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°It is fate that we get to meet each other today. How about we become friends?¡± After discerning the meaning behind Lu Ming¡¯s words, the seventh prince immediately changed his stance. Although his true goal was to make friends with the other party¡¯s master, he was ultimately not stupid enough to directly say it out loud. In the face of the seventh prince¡¯s initiative to express goodwill, Lu Ming knew his true intentions. However, wasn¡¯t he also luring the seventh prince into taking the bait? ¡°Gu Zecang.¡± He opened his mouth and said his name. ¡°Jing Yuan.¡± The seventh prince did not get angry because of Lu Ming¡¯s attitude. Instead, he replied amicably. After all, Lu Ming had revealed his identity. In addition, there were many small dynasties now and cultivation sects were everywhere. Before he officially became the emperor of the Great Xia Kingdom, his identity as a prince was not enough to be respected to the extreme. ¡°Good, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet Brother Gu.¡± ¡°This is my royal family¡¯s token. If anything happens in the future, or if Brother Gu comes to the Great Xia Kingdom, we can meet at any time.¡± After Jing Yuan handed over the token, he immediately stood up and his appearance began to change. He was fully aware that he had said enough and this was the best time to end it here. ¡°Definitely.¡± Lu Ming stood up to receive the token and spoke courteously. Of course, he would keep this token and this was also one of his goals. After all, if it was time for him to leave the sect to patrol, wouldn¡¯t it be wonderful to have a backer? ¡°Take care.¡± Sikong Xuan originally wanted to send them off but was stopped by Jing Yuan with a glance. The two of them disappeared outside the room and then left the star-picking pavilion. At the same time, seeing the two of them leave, Lu Ming suddenly remembered that his disguise powder seemed to only have two hours left. He looked at Sikong Xuan. Then, without waiting for him to speak, Sikong Xuan took the storage ring from Tan Gusong who was standing outside and said with a smile, ¡°Young Master Gu, please receive the spirit stones from the pill auction.¡±. Chapter 35 - The "Lord of the Rings", Lu Ming Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Inside the star-picking pavilion, Sikong Xuan smiled as he removed the restriction on the storage ring and respectfully handed it to Lu Ming. ¡°In this auction, Young Master Gu, your five spirit gathering pills were sold for a total of 86,000 spirit stones.¡± ¡°Five of your Foundation Establishment pills were sold for a total of 950,000 spirit stones.¡± ¡°Your marrow cleansing pills were sold for a total of 1.5 million spirit stones. The three types of pills were sold for a total of 2.54 million spirit stones.¡± When these words came out of Sikong Xuan¡¯s mouth, his face was brimming with an incomparably brilliant smile. Just the price of these three types of pills was already comparable to the price of the previous ten auctions. He used this auction to completely stabilize his position as the pavilion master. ¡°In addition to the spiritual tools and talismans that you¡¯ve bought from us, as well as the medicinal materials that you¡¯ve asked us to prepare just now, there¡¯s still a total of ,500,000 spirit stones.¡± At the same time, in order to store the huge amount of medicinal materials that Lu Ming had taken a fancy to, Sikong Xuan gave him another storage ring for this purpose. Lu Ming took the storage ring and examined it, then put it back into his Heaven and Earth pouch. ¡°Hmm, what are your plans for the remaining pills?¡± He gave the star-picking pavilion seven spirit gathering pills, eight marrow cleansing pills and ten Foundation Establishment pills. The star-picking pavilion took fifteen pills for the auction. There should be ten pills left with them. ¡°Yes, Young Master Gu, How about this? We will auction these ten pills in batches.¡± ¡°If possible, we can keep the spirit stones from the auction for you. In the future, no matter which star-picking pavilion you go to, they can hand over the spirit stones to you when you take out this jade token.¡± Sikong Xuan had previously informed the other party about the auction of the pills in batches. ¡°Of course, if it¡¯s not convenient, our star-picking pavilion will buy the spirit gathering pills at the price of 25,000 spirit stones each, the Foundation Establishment pills at the price of 150,000 spirit stones each and the marrow cleansing pill at the price of 200,000 spirit stones each.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Compared to the latter, there was no doubt that the former would allow Lu Ming to get more spirit stones. However, he still resolutely refused the jade token and took the fourth storage ring given to him by the star-picking pavilion. ¡°Let¡¯s go with the second method.¡± Lu Ming took the storage ring from Sikong Xuan¡¯s hand and said at the same time. As for the issue of cooperating with Sikong Xuan about refining pills, he had discussed it with the latter earlier on. However, since he didn¡¯t agree to the seventh prince¡¯s request, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t agree to Sikong Xuan¡¯s request as well. This was because he understood the logic of marketing. The reason why he was able to sell the pills at such a sky-high price in one go was that the people had never seen a pill with a 100% completion rate on the market. When Pill Peak officially refined the first batch of pills with a 90% completion rate, the price of his ultimate pills would be impacted. Although it wouldn¡¯t drop drastically, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be as valuable as it was now. This was also the reason why he chose to directly take the spirit stones from the star-picking pavilion instead of waiting for the subsequent auctions. In the future, the pills on the Pill Peak would also be very effective, but the 90% completion rate pills, which were only a few times more expensive, would be the mainstream. This could also be considered as taking care of his own business. After all, half of his shares were in there. ¡°Alright, Pavilion Master Sikong, happy working together.¡± At this time, there were only two hours left before his disguise powder lose its effectiveness. Lu Ming did not plan to stay any longer and stood up to leave. ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s getting late today. Why don¡¯t Young Master Gu leave tomorrow?¡± ¡°After tonight¡¯s feast, my little sister, Muxue, can help to relieve Young Master Gu¡¯s fatigue?¡± Sikong Xuan naturally still had the intention to deepen their relationship. ¡°There¡¯s no need. In the future, I still have the opportunity to meet Pavilion Master Sikong.¡± Lu Ming shook his head, put away the folding fan and walked out of the room. At the same time, he seemed to have thought of something as he looked at Sikong Xuan and said, ¡°In addition, I prefer to be alone, do you understand?¡± Seeing the cold gaze on him, Sikong Xuan, who had stayed in the star-picking pavilion for so long, immediately understood what the other party meant. ¡°I understand, I understand. The star-picking pavilion has always been honest and upright.¡± Considering that he had the Alchemy Master backing him, Sikong Xuan didn¡¯t have any other ill intentions. He had actually thought of sending someone to follow Lu Ming just now. Of course, this was definitely not to kill him and get back the spirit stones. He wanted to use the excuse of protecting the other party to leave Green Mountain City safely to find out the other party¡¯s follow-up actions and his true identity. After all, he was somewhat unwilling to let Lu Ming go without establishing a friendship with the latter. He was the one who helped him bring about a net profit of hundreds of thousands of spirit stones in one night. After that, the ¡°Lord of the Rings¡±, Lu Ming, left the star-picking pavilion with 2.6 million spirit stones, dozens of spiritual tools, hundreds of talismans and countless medicinal materials. At this moment, dusk was getting darker on the streets of Green Mountain City. The rain was still falling. Lu Ming took out an umbrella-shaped spiritual tool from one of his storage rings and rode out of Green Mountain City on his horse with the umbrella in hand.. Chapter 36 - Activating Nightmare Invasion Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At the same time, Fu Cheng and the seventh prince, Jing Yuan, who had left before Lu Ming, were already several miles away. They were heading toward the East Gate of Green Mountain City. Because Green Mountain City was close to the Center Sect, there were restrictions set around the city. Under the restrictions, the cultivation practitioners couldn¡¯t ride on their weapons. Jing Yuan and Fu Cheng had strolled to the city gate. ¡°Stop.¡± When they were about to reach the city gate and were near an inn, Fu Cheng, wearing a black robe, raised his palm and signalled Jing Yuan to stop. As they were outside the capital, Fu Cheng naturally assumed the role of assessing the surrounding for hidden dangers. ¡°Seventh prince, do you plan to take some magic pills to break through the state after you return to the capital, or do you plan to choose a safe place to break through the state first?¡± Fu Cheng lowered his voice and asked Jing Yuan beside him. ¡°It¡¯s better to wait until we return to the capital.¡± ¡°The news of Green Mountain City¡¯s star-picking pavilion will still take some time to spread in the capital, so there¡¯s no rush. It¡¯s naturally safer to break through in the palace.¡± On this trip to Green Mountain City, Jing Yuan¡¯s state of mind also gradually returned to normal. He had struggled with repressed emotions earlier on. But now that he had the Foundation Establishment pills and marrow cleansing pills, it could be said that he had a huge trump card. Whether it was his cultivation path in the future or the fight for the throne, he was full of confidence. ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing that Jing Yuan had made his decision, Fu Cheng no longer hesitated. He gave up on the idea of staying in the city tonight and prepared to leave quickly. But as he looked around at the prosperous market and the people coming and going, an obscure and complicated feeling suddenly rose in Fu Cheng¡¯s heart. In the next moment, among the people who were walking past, a figure suddenly seemed to come toward them. It was Batu, who had used sorcery to hide his cultivation aura! Ever since these two people left the star-picking pavilion, he had been following them all the way here. At the same time, he knew that once he left the city, it would be useless to hide his cultivation in the vast wilderness. And now was the best time to make a move! The moment his cultivation erupted, Batu did not hesitate to use sorcery that would cost him fifty years of life. Nightmare invasion! As for his target, it was naturally the middle-aged guard who had erupted with the cultivation of the Golden Core Stage during the auction today!. Chapter 37 - Crushing! The Overbearing Cultivation of the Golden Core Stage! Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As Batu activated the nightmare invasion technique, waves of blood-black color surged out from Batu¡¯s body and the blood demon appeared and spread at an extremely fast speed. It directly wrapped around the middle-aged guard. Amidst the surrounding shock and noise, Jing Yuan instantly found himself dragged into a blood-colored illusion. He was in a large blood sea, struggling weakly. Then, he sank to the bottom of the blood-colored sea. At the same time, these inky colors filled his vision. Outside the illusion, Jing Yuan, who had been hit by Batu¡¯s sorcery, stood rooted to the ground in a daze. ¡°Go!¡± n the next moment, seeing that Batu had succeeded, Yelulan¡¯s figure flashed out of the crowd in an instant! Facing an opponent who was only at the peak of the Qi Condensation Stage, he naturally did not need to use the nightmare invasion which would consume his lifespan. He could crush his opponent with just his cultivation alone. His cultivation, which was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage, exploded! His palm edge that contained overbearing spiritual power fiercely charged toward the wrist of the hooded figure! A trace of a smile appeared on Yelulan¡¯s face as he was about to successfully chop off the opponent¡¯s palm that had the storage ring. Facing an opponent whose cultivation level was only at the peak of the Qi Condensation Stage, he was full of confidence. At the same time, his heart was filled with admiration for Ya Yin who was able to think of such a scheme in such a short period. For him and Batu to successfully snatch the storage ring containing the marrow cleansing pill in the presence of a Golden Core Stage powerhouse within twenty breaths, Ya Yin was indeed worthy of being called the wise general of the clan! However, in the next moment, as the smiling Yelulan was about to cut off the palm of the black-robed figure, he discovered that the edge of his palm had slashed onto the body of the Qi Condensation Stage cultivator and the sound of metal clashing against each other rang loudly! Dang! n the next moment, a domineering and vast cultivation base burst forth from the black-robed figure! Yelulan instantly froze on the spot! Golden¡­ Golden Core Stage?! The moment he felt the other party¡¯s cultivation base, Yelulan was instantly stunned! Following that, he and Batu were sent flying by the shock of this cultivation base aura! ightmare invasion was also instantly interrupted! Jing Yuan¡¯s stunned expression gradually returned to normal. n the streets and alleys that were filled with astonishing voices, Fu Cheng¡¯s hood slowly faded away, revealing an aged face. His cold gaze fell on the two of them. ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± Fu Cheng did not need to conceal his voice at this moment. He did not think that there would be someone who dared to continue attacking them after he revealed his cultivation. Moreover, he recognized that it was the alien race¡¯s sorcery, nightmare invasion, that was used on the seventh prince! if they had not exchanged their identities, they might have succeeded in their misdeeds! Moreover, they were heretics! ¡°Die!¡± At the same time, Fu Cheng locked onto the aura of the two of them, raised his palm and pointed out two fingers. After sensing the overbearing cultivation base from the other party¡¯s fingertips, Batu and Yelulan¡¯s expressions changed drastically. The two of them instantly took out their protective spiritual tools. However, it was all futile in the end. The overbearing spiritual power directly crushed their spiritual tools. Panic and fear were all over their faces and then they were gone. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jing Yuan immediately shouted to Fu Cheng after he had finally come back to his senses. Given the heretics¡¯ sudden appearance in Green Mountain City, if it were any other day, Jing Yuan wouldn¡¯t mind having Fu Cheng investigate Green Mountain City and kill them all. However, he was carrying the marrow cleansing pill and Foundation Establishment pill. He couldn¡¯t allow any accidents to happen. The danger just now had also made him extremely vigilant. Because if they hadn¡¯t swapped identities and deceived these heretics, he would have lost his storage ring! The two of them immediately rushed toward the East Gate of Green Mountain City.. Chapter 38 - The Conflict Broke Out! Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Green Mountain City, at the West Gate. Lu Ming rode his horse to the West Gate with his low-grade black-rank spiritual tools. Now that he had purchased the talismans and spiritual tools, he felt more secure in his heart. After he left the city, Lu Ming immediately rode his horse to the side of the Center Sect. Though he believed that Sikong Xuan wouldn¡¯t dare send someone to follow him under his threat, he was still cautious. However, he decided to make a small detour first. At the same time, at the West Gate, Ya Yin walked out of the city gate and locked onto Lu Ming¡¯s energy from a distance. Seeing that Lu Ming was still riding his horse after leaving Green Mountain City, a smile appeared on his face. ¡°He didn¡¯t hide his cultivation.¡± Ya Yin followed the fourth storey noble that Yelulan mentioned out of Green Mountain City. Along the way, he also rode his horse and chased after him. The cultivation state he sensed from the other party was indeed only in the early stage of the Foundation Establishment Stage. However, out of caution, he didn¡¯t choose to act directly. Firstly, he was afraid that the people of the star-picking pavilion would protect him in secret. Secondly, he did not know if the other party was hiding his strength. After all, this could be the person who provided the pills to the star-picking pavilion. However, at this moment, Ya Yin saw that the other party did not choose to ride his weapon. Instead, he continued to ride his horse. It was very obvious that the other party¡¯s cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Then, he would be able to capture this person alive! As for the spiritual weapon and talisman that Yelulan mentioned, the other party had bought them. They were completely useless to him. He had lived in Green Mountain City for so many years and he had a total of fifteen talismans! And he even had a yellow-rank top-grade red blade sword! What kind of damage could the other party cause? If the other party was an alchemist who could refine pills with a completion rate of 100%, then he would also be able to raise his aptitude and obtain a large sum of spirit stones! He could squeeze out all the benefits from this guy and then hand them over to his clan. Perhaps he could also exchange it for an improvement in his bloodline. Thinking of this, a greedy smile appeared on Ya Yin¡¯s face. At this moment, his smile appeared particularly ferocious under the contrast of his scholarly attire. He patted the Heaven and Earth pouch on his waist. Ared longsword flew out. He lightly stepped on his sword and rode towards the direction where Lu Ming was. Lu Ming was riding his horse in the wilderness. The sky had turned completely dark. However, he had already reached the Foundation Establishment Stage. With the support of spiritual energy, he wouldn¡¯t be affected by the night. At this moment, the disguise powder on his face had only one hour left. He didn¡¯t want to take a roundabout route, so he turned the horse around and headed toward the Center Sect. All of a sudden, he heard a piercing sound by his ear! Lu Ming turned his head around quickly and saw a scholar riding his sword toward him. The distance between them was decreasing quickly. it can¡¯t be. ¡®ve kept such a low profile all this time. How can I encounter danger now? [tt can¡¯t be a heretic? Seeing the red eyes of the other party, Lu Ming was startled. Was it true that the main character would meet the villain when he left the sect? Lu Ming was about to raise his whip and increase his speed when the red sword arrived! As Ya Yin¡¯s cultivation base erupted, he retracted his sword into his palm and stood in front of Lu Ming! His cultivation base, which was the Foundation Establishment Stage, was revealed in an instant! The cultivation base that he unleashed shocked the horse so much that it stopped moving and started to tremble slightly. Lu Ming, who was on the horse, felt this pressure and frowned slightly. But in his heart, he didn¡¯t panic too much. Although the other party was strong, his cultivation was still within the Foundation Establishment Stage after all. He had just come out of the star-picking pavilion at this time and was equipped with several spiritual tools and talismans in his storage ring. He even had a low-grade black-rank defensive spiritual tool in his hand that looked like an oil paper umbrella. At the same time, Ya Yin did not make a move immediately. The blood-colored spirit sword in his palm faintly emitted a red glow. ¡°You¡¯re the person who traded pills to the star-picking pavilion?¡± Hearing this, Lu Ming revealed a puzzled expression. ¡°What dignitary? I didn¡¯t buy anything from the star-picking pavilion today.¡± He had also inspected everyone in the star-picking pavilion today but he did not find anyone dressed like Ya Yin. So he decided to act dumb. Of course, he couldn¡¯t be so dumb as to think that the other party wouldn¡¯t attack him because of this. It was only a while ago that Lu Ming finally reacted to what was going on. All this while, he had been muddling in the Outer Sect and only just became an Inner Disciple of the Center Sect. He had not even started to learn any sword techniques yet. Though he had the cultivation state of the Foundation Establishment, his only offensive method was introductory fist techniques!. Chapter 39 - Brazenly Attacking, a Fierce Attack! Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Ming only knew one type of introductory fist technique. Moreover, it was a close combat type. In other words, he could only passively wait for his opponent to make a move. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± ¡°But this makes me very unhappy. I can let you leave with the Heaven and Earth pouch I left behind.¡± As he spoke, a hint of mockery appeared in Ya Yin¡¯s eyes. He knew that Yelulan couldn¡¯t give him a wrong description, especially since he could faintly sense that the umbrella in the other party¡¯s hand was a spiritual tool. It seemed to be a black-rank spiritual tool. To be able to protect himself with such an expensive spiritual tool, it was definitely something he had obtained from the star-picking pavilion¡¯s auction. He definitely had not mistaken him for someone else. Ya Yin could have directly attacked, but his true goal was not to kill the other party. What he wanted to do was to heavily injure the latter. Then, he would lure him into a confused state. If the other party was really someone who could refine a medicinal pill with a completion rate of 100% or find a medicinal pill with a completion rate of 100%, then he could reap many benefits through this person. Even if the other party wasn¡¯t the person who traded the pills to the star-picking pavilion, it was fine. He originally wanted to lure other human cultivators. Moreover, this person in front of him was holding a black-rank spiritual tool. As the sound of his voice faded, Lu Ming slowly got down from his horse and said at the same time, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll give it to you right away.¡± At this moment, Lu Ming had been wondering why the other party hadn¡¯t made a move yet. So he decided to deliberately create an opportunity. His palm landed on his Heaven and Earth pouch. At the same time he took it down from his waist, he deliberately showed the action of taking out the storage ring from inside. Sure enough, the moment he saw the storage ring, Ya Yin¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. ¡°You dare to play tricks? You¡¯re courting death!¡± Ya Yin also decided not to play tricks on his opponent. The blood spirit sword suddenly burst out with a dazzling red light. He raised his wrist and slashed out! Ya Yin did not fully unleash his spiritual power of the Foundation Establishment Stage with this sword strike. After all, his goal was to seriously injure his opponent. Finally! As he watched his opponent attack, the spiritual power in Lu Ming¡¯s body also began to surge. The oil-paper umbrella in his palm was immediately activated, and a spiritual power barrier immediately appeared on the surface of the umbrella. The two powers suddenly collided! Acrack appeared on the surface of Lu Ming¡¯s umbrella, but it still completely blocked Ya Yin¡¯s sword slash and didn¡¯t cause any damage to him. Seeing this scene, Ya Yin revealed a strange look on his face. He originally wanted to withdraw his strength to prevent himself from killing his opponent with one sword strike. But he didn¡¯t expect that this low-grade black-rank spiritual weapon blocked his attack completely. However, Ya Yin didn¡¯t stop his attacks. The cultivation of the perfect Foundation Establishment erupted once again, and the blood spirit sword in his hand shone brightly! The fierce sword intent combined with the sword move landed on Lu Ming¡¯s umbrella like a hurricane! That crack on the barrier also continued to expand. Ya Yin¡¯s sword intent swept through the gap and he looked at the umbrella that was about to shatter. He immediately opened his mouth and shouted, ¡°Hand over the medicinal pills with 100% completion rate and I can spare your life!¡± ¡°The pill is right here, come and take it.¡± Facing the gap of almost an entire major realm, Lu Ming didn¡¯t panic at all. In fact, he was still a little worried just now, but when he saw that the other party actually spent dozens of breaths to just barely break his first spiritual tool, he immediately calmed down. ¡°Die!¡± The eyes of Ya Yin revealed traces of ruthlessness. Then he took a step back and struck with his blood spirit sword. At the same time, the blood spirit sword turned into a blood-red light and struck Lu Ming¡¯s umbrella. The next moment, the umbrella suddenly burst!. Chapter 40 - Just This? Then Its My Turn! Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Ya Yin unleashed his full Foundation Establishment Stage strength and directly shattered the black-rank spiritual tool in Lu Ming¡¯s hands. However, a trace of heartache flashed across his eyes. After all, he only had one black-rank spiritual weapon and that was the blood spirit sword. The strength of a spiritual weapon of the same rank naturally depended on the user¡¯s realm. Now that the umbrella had been personally destroyed by Ya Yin, it also made him a little agitated. Therefore, he decided to directly injure Lu Ming and then use the art of seduction so as not to waste any more time. The blood-colored flowing light once again appeared under the moonlight. But just as it was about to hit Lu Ming, there was a loud sound. Dang! Ya Yin was stunned to find that his blood spirit sword was directly knocked off and sent flying in the air!? What was that? He looked closely and found dozens of protective talisman shields formed around his opponent! Judging from the number of protective talisman shields, there must be more than 30 talismans!! Under the moonlight, Lu Ming looked at the spirit sword that was knocked away and a relieved smile appeared on his cold face. ¡°Just this?¡± ¡°Come on!¡± After activating more than 30 complete Foundation Establishment Stage talismans, the blood spirit sword only broke two talismans and was sent flying by the third one! ¡°This¡­¡± The expression on Ya Yin¡¯s face changed gradually. More than 30 talismans?! And it was used in one activation? He had been in Green Mountain City for so many years, and he had only obtained fifteen talismans in total! What was this?! But at this moment, under the provocation of the opponent, Ya Yin once again performed a sword gesture. The blood spirit sword turned into a blood-red flowing light and kept attacking the opponent. At the same time, he activated his main cultivation technique, the Yimu essence thunder technique. In the night sky, ink clouds condensed. His aura locked onto Lu Ming and a bolt of lightning instantly struck down! In an instant, the protective talisman shields around Lu Ming began to rapidly break! After a few breaths, there were only two layers left! Seeing that after using up more than half of the spiritual energy in his body, this kid¡¯s talismans had finally been exhausted, Ya Yin immediately opened his mouth and said, ¡°Kid, I want to see if you still have the guts to taunt me?!¡± Up until now, he had yet to injure the other party. This was simply an insult to him. He was a whole realm higher than his opponent! Lu Ming looked at Ya Yin, who seemed to have let out a deep breath, and a smile appeared on his face once again. At this moment, the frequency of the other party¡¯s lightning strikes and flying swords had decreased. t was obvious that he had used up quite a bit of his spiritual power. ext, it was time for him to counterattack! The storage ring between his fingers lit up slightly, and more than thirty talismans appeared in his hand. eng! Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! Layer after layer of protective talisman shields suddenly appeared! The light of the talisman shields directly suppressed the blood light of the flying sword. This!! At this moment, Ya Yin¡¯s state of mind had completely changed! What was this thing?! Why were there more talismans?! As a cultivator with decent cultivation, Ya Yin originally thought that it would be good enough for him to accumulate fifteen talismans after so many years. Why was his opponent using his talismans as if they were free? Even if he knew that the other party had used medicinal pills to exchange for a large number of spirit stones, a logical move would be to buy the spiritual tools. Who would go and buy talismans that could only be used one time? Ya Yin immediately activated the thunder technique once again. This time, a purple thunderbolt descended from the ink cloud! Eight talisman shields were blasted down in one go! However, Lu Ming still had more than twenty talisman shields on him. ¡°It¡¯s my turn!¡± Seeing that the other party¡¯s spiritual power was almost exhausted and that he might want to consume pills to recover, Lu Ming no longer hesitated. The storage ring between his fingers lit up again. Ten complete Foundationtion Establishment spirit skill talismans appeared in his palm. He threw out three of them in an instant! The tide was turning! The talismans were ignited by the spiritual energy. The moment the spirit skill contained within the talismans came into contact with the spiritual energy of Heaven and earth, it began to rapidly gain momentum! Following that, three sword auras directly fell towards the place where Ya Yin was located! How could there be even spirit skill talismans?! Ya Yin¡¯s eyes started to tremble slightly. He was going to be grinded to death by the opponent¡¯s talismans alive. Ya Yin immediately gave up controlling the flying sword and used the Yeshi step spirit skill, narrowly avoiding the three sword auras! But he did not have the time to continue activating the thunder technique to counterattack because another five sword auras condensed together! ¡°He must be crazy!¡± Ya Yin was constantly being forced to move around. He did not even have the chance to take a breath to consume the medicinal pills midway. The Yeshi step was almost draining his remaining spiritual power. After Ya Yin dodged the five sword auras, he looked at Lu Ming again and saw ten sword auras condensing this time! This?! Ya Yin was completely stunned! Didn¡¯t Yelulan say that he only took a few talismans? How could there be more?! Faced with the overwhelming bombardment of talismans, Ya Yin could only change his position again. And this time, he had unknowingly arrived at a location not far from Lu Ming. With his spiritual power bottoming out, he finally managed to dodge the sword aura that was as powerful as his full-powered attack. Suddenly, he saw a thin figure appear in front of him. This person was Lu Ming! Lu Ming had twenty talismans on his head, and at this moment, he had forty defensive light shields on his body. The effect of his disguise powder had just disappeared. A familiar smile appeared on Lu Ming¡¯s face. He could finally take down this person personally! Introductory fist technique! Lu Ming aimed at Ya Yin¡¯s face and punched out! The power of this punch wasn¡¯t great, but after being wrapped by 40 layers of talisman shields, it increased the power by several times. Ya Yin was stunned by this punch. He did not even recognize who this person was at the first moment. If not for the shiny talismans, he would be full of question marks! After being sent flying by the strong punch, Ya Yin subconsciously prepared to fight back. But when he looked at the forty layers of talisman shields, he did not know where to start. In addition, the spiritual energy in his body was almost exhausted. So he took this opportunity to start taking the spirit gathering pill, but what he didn¡¯t expect was that as soon as he took out the pill, the other party delivered his fist again! The porcelain bottle containing the spirit gathering pill in his hand was shattered by the other party¡¯s storm-like fist! He was almost on the brink of losing his mind. Will it ever end?! However, Lu Ming was currently brandishing his introductory fist technique vigorously. He was not going to give any chances to him. After the storm of fists, he grabbed onto Ya Yin and started to hammer him! Ya Yin suffered injuries on his body but there was nothing he could do. Even if he fought back with all his might, it would be useless. Two layers of talismans were broken. u! u! He spurted out large mouthfuls of blood. At this moment, Ya Yin was extremely regretful that he had chosen to pursue this person! He had never imagined that this child would be able to force him to this final step! After Ya Yin was knocked down once again, his eyes were tightly shut. He burned the demon race bloodline in his body and his body began to undergo drastic changes! Two green demon horns appeared above his head! His eyes opened, but they were red! The muscles all over his body began to expand! A deathly aura spread out! This was a state that every demon heretic would only display when they were on the verge of death. Because once they displayed this state, the noble demon bloodline in his body would be completely burned, and it would be irreversible! At this time, combined with his scholar¡¯s attire, Ya Yin had the appearance of a bulky scholar! ¡°Since you have forced me to this point, then I can only kill you and bury you here!¡± Ya Yin¡¯s figure expanded to three meters tall! This time, he began to crazily counterattack! ¡°Die!¡± After the increase in strength, Ya Yin was able to directly shake off Lu Ming. He started to punch at the protective talisman shields around Lu Ming again and again. Forty layers of protective talisman shields! Thirty layers of protective talisman shields! Twenty layers of protective talisman shields! Ten layers of protective talisman shields! Ya Yin fought with Lu Ming crazily. After sensing the sudden change in the opponent¡¯s strength, Lu Ming watched the protective talisman shields disappear quickly. The storage ring between his fingers lit up. Two high-grade yellow-rank defensive spiritual tools appeared in his hands. Bang! Bang! Ya Yin¡¯s fist, which contained the power of the demon race, continuously bombarded the defensive spiritual tools that had suddenly appeared. After a short period of frenzied venting, Ya Yin felt that the power of his physical body was slowly fading. The demon race¡¯s bloodline was about to be burned up by him! Thus, he increased his speed and increased the power of his fist. Finally, he shattered the two defensive spiritual tools. ¡°Without these two spiritual tools, I want to see what you can use to block!¡± ¡°Die!¡± Aruthless smile appeared on Ya Yin¡¯s face. In this final moment, he had to kill the youth before him! Bang! Bang! Looking at the heretic who was already laughing loudly, Lu Ming was not flustered at all. With a flip of his hand, he took out another two low-grade black-rank defensive spiritual tools! ¡°T¡¯ll use these to block.¡± The next moment, Ya Yin fell silent. The joy in his eyes turned into fury! ¡°Why are there still more?!¡± Finally, after shouting these words, Ya Yin was in despair. He was completely at a loss. What kind of human had he met? The muscles on his body began to contract slowly. His bloodline and life force were slowly exhausted. Before he died, Ya Yin was still lamenting that he, a complete Foundation Establishment cultivator, had actually died at the hands of an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. He had never expected that he, a cultivator and a wise general, would die at the hands of the most basic fist technique. ¡°Hu¡­¡± Looking at the heretic who had already died, Lu Ming finally let out a long sigh of relief. As expected, his trip out of the sect this time was not in vain. The increase in his combat strength was top-notch! He kept the intact black-rank spiritual tool in his storage ring, and in a classic way, he took off the other party¡¯s Heaven and Earth pouch and put it into his pouch. Until now, Lu Ming was finally sure that the route he had taken was not wrong. Since his cultivation was not enough, then he would use spiritual tools and talismans to make up for it! After that, Lu Ming found the horse that had run away in fear. He changed back into the clothes of the sect and rode back to Tianguang Peak through the night. The Center Sect. Tianguang Peak. The Grade A cave abode. After the battle last night, Lu Ming had a good sleep today. Using breathing exercises as a substitute for sleep did not exist at all. In the early morning, Lu Ming woke up groggily from his sleep. Then, he suddenly heard the system¡¯s voice. ¡°Congratulations to the host for completing the mission to promote scientific alchemy technique to 10 people!¡± ¡°System rewards are being distributed¡­¡±.