Chapter 216: Chapter 216: An Alchemy Master Has Arrived in the City

Li Ping was a man who did things with a plan.

After breaking through to the Late-stage of Foundation Establishment, he began preparing for his breakthrough to Core Formation.

Due to the unique properties of the Wetland Water Nourishing Skill, if he wanted to break through the Core Formation bottleneck, he had to absorb enough Innate Qi from Tier Two Upper Grade pills.

Therefore, in the years to come, he would have to spend more time on alchemy.

Based on past experience, the spirit medicines he had collected over the years to refine Tier Two Upper Grade pills were not yet sufficient. He needed to gather more.

However, the Land of the Far North was barren, its resources not as abundant as in the Western Wilderness.

Gathering spirit medicines was destined to be a long process. Fortunately, he still had nearly thirty years before he would reach the Peak of Foundation Establishment.

Thirty years was enough time for him to refine a sufficient quantity of Tier Two Upper Grade pills.

Next was the matter of the spiritual land environment required for the Core Formation breakthrough.

Flying Snow Immortal City spanned hundreds of thousands of li, but its center held the only Tier Three Spirit Vein. Li Ping feared this was his only choice for attempting his Core Formation breakthrough.

So, he had to find a way to build a relationship with the upper echelons of the Flying Snow Sect as soon as possible to borrow the spirit vein in the future.

As for other matters, like his puppets and obtaining the complete version of the Ten Thousand Spirits Divine Communication Skill, a divine sense cultivation technique, they could be put aside for now.

...

Not long after, as Li Ping successively sold Tier Two Upper Grade pills in Flying Snow City, he inadvertently revealed his alchemy skills.

The Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the city soon learned through various channels that a high-tier Alchemist had arrived in Flying Snow City.

Under the rule of the Flying Snow Sect, though cultivators were numerous, the vast majority were low-tier.

Aside from the two Elders, there were no other Core Formation Cultivators, and there were fewer than a hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Whether in terms of local resource production or frequency of contact with the outside world, it couldn’t compare to Fenglan Immortal City, which was nestled between the Western Wilderness and the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

Naturally, high-tier artisans in the city were pitifully few.

This was especially true for a high-end profession like alchemy, which consumed vast resources and demanded immense talent. The Flying Snow Sect simply didn’t have enough resources to cultivate such individuals.

The most skilled Alchemist within the Flying Snow Sect had only just entered Tier Two.

The alchemists nurtured by the affiliated families were basically all at the Tier One level.

As for loose cultivators? A loose cultivator dared to learn alchemy?

A loose cultivator should just obediently learn spirit planting techniques. Diligent farming was the Righteous Dao for them.

Under such circumstances, the arrival of a Tier Two Upper Grade Alchemist was, without a doubt, a sensational event for all the powers and Cultivation Clans in the city that were presided over by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

At the center of Flying Snow City, the City Lord’s Mansion and the Sect’s residence were both enveloped by a single Tier Three Array.

In a silver-white hall, two figures sat cross-legged.

Although the hall’s decorations were simple, the concentration of Spiritual Qi was astonishing. Clearly, this was the Spiritual Eye, where the Spiritual Qi from the Tier Three Spirit Vein beneath Flying Snow City converged.

To be qualified to cultivate in the Spiritual Eye, the identities of these two were beyond question. They were precisely the two renowned Core Formation Elders of the Flying Snow Sect.

Mu Yun Master and Qianxue Master.

Suddenly, the faint figure sitting in a corner of the hall abruptly opened his eyes. With a grasping motion of his hand, a Sound Transmission Talisman fell into his palm.

The figure listened silently to the voice from the Sound Transmission Talisman, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes.

"Brother Yun, what is it? We arranged everything before entering seclusion. Given Tong’Er’s personality, she wouldn’t disturb us with a transmission unless she encountered something she couldn’t handle. Is she in some kind of trouble?" As he was pondering, a cool, clear voice drifted from another corner of the hall. Its tone was as nimble and graceful as the gentle dripping of melting snow on a mountain.

The figure shook his head and spoke calmly, "Tong’Er hasn’t run into any trouble. She just learned that a Tier Two Upper Grade Alchemist has come to the city. She sent this message to inform us, as she plans to offer a high price to recruit him into the Sect as an Honored Guest Elder."

As he spoke, the figure lifted his head, revealing a handsome middle-aged man with a three-pronged mustache.

Anyone familiar with him would recognize him at a glance as the Flying Snow Sect’s Supreme Elder, Mu Yun Master. The identity of the woman speaking with him was self-evident: she was the other Supreme Elder, his wife, Qianxue Master.

Hearing Mu Yun Master’s words, Qianxue Master’s heart stirred. She looked up, revealing eyes as bright as stars and long, elegant eyebrows. Anyone who saw her would have to praise her stunning beauty.

She said with some surprise, "An Alchemy Master has come to the city? A Tier Two Upper Grade Alchemist? With such skill, he is indeed worth recruiting."

Mu Yun Master nodded, agreeing with her.

To cultivate its younger generation of cultivators, the Flying Snow Sect had specially planted a batch of Golden Marrow Jade Ginseng to refine Foundation Establishment Pills.

However, because Golden Marrow Jade Ginseng required a harsh growing environment and would damage the spirit vein in the process, the Flying Snow Sect didn’t dare to plant too much of it.

Considering sustainable development, they could harvest at most two thousand-year-old stalks of Golden Marrow Jade Ginseng every century.

Logically, with these two thousand-year-old stalks of Golden Marrow Jade Ginseng, the Flying Snow Sect should theoretically be able to refine two batches of pills every hundred years, yielding a maximum of twenty Foundation Establishment Pills.

But because the Flying Snow Sect had no Tier Two Upper Grade Alchemists, they were forced to send the materials to other Main Cities presided over by such alchemists, paying a great price to have the pills refined.

As a result, they usually only received between twelve and fourteen Foundation Establishment Pills, which severely impacted the Flying Snow Sect’s ability to nurture its disciples and indirectly hindered the sect’s growth.

If they could recruit a Tier Two Upper Grade Alchemist into the sect, leaving all else aside, just having him refine the pills to obtain more Foundation Establishment Pills would greatly enhance the sect’s strength.

Thinking of this, Mu Yun Master smiled and said, "If he really is a Tier Two Upper Grade Alchemist, he is naturally worth recruiting. My only fear is that it’s just a rumor. Let’s do this... have Tong’Er investigate his background and true skill level first. If there are no issues with his background and his skills are genuine, then in three years, I won’t have to make a special trip to Blue Rainbow City to ask Fellow Daoist Xingyun to refine the Foundation Establishment Pills."

Qianxue Master nodded, approving of Mu Yun Master’s plan.

Immediately after, however, she added a reminder, "By the way, Brother Yun, Tong’Er has already reached the Late-stage of Foundation Establishment. In twenty or thirty years, she might be able to attempt Core Formation. We need to find a way to prepare the resources she’ll need for the breakthrough."

"Don’t worry, I already have a plan for this. Tong’Er has an Ice Spiritual Root. I intend to make a trip to the Ice Sea in a while to collect a piece of thousand-year-old Ice Jade for her. With its assistance, plus other Spiritual Objects, Tong’Er’s chances of successfully forming her core can reach over thirty percent..."

As the two continued to talk, the voices in the hall gradually faded.

...

Changping Square Estate.

In the courtyard, Li Ping was receiving a gaunt, elderly man dressed in off-white robes.

This gaunt old man had sought him out through Ji Shu Xuan. He appeared unremarkable on the surface, but he was actually a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

According to his self-introduction, his name was Mei Hao, and he was the Logistics Steward of the Flying Snow Sect.

The main reason for his visit was to request that Li Ping refine a batch of pills.

After hearing his introduction, Li Ping nodded nonchalantly. "What kind of pill does Fellow Daoist Mei wish to refine?"

Before Mei Hao could speak, he added coolly, "My rules for alchemy are as follows: if the pill you wish to refine is one I have mastered, then you need only provide the spirit medicines and the corresponding payment. If the pill you wish to refine is too obscure, then please provide your own Pill Formula."

These were the rules most alchemists followed when refining pills for outsiders. As for the fact that the Pill Formula provided would be learned by the alchemist for free, causing a loss for the one making the request?

The alchemists’ attitude was: take it or leave it. If you don’t want it refined, don’t stand in the way of others.

"That is only proper." Mei Hao quickly nodded with a smile, a hint of sycophancy in his expression.

As he spoke, he quickly stated his request. He wanted to refine a Tier Two Middle Grade pill called the ’Golden Crane Pill’.

This pill could be consumed by early- and mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators to advance their cultivation.

The Golden Crane Pill was a recipe Li Ping had already mastered, so Mei Hao did not need to provide the Pill Formula.

In truth, Li Ping was not particularly willing to refine Tier Two Middle Grade pills.

But Mei Hao’s identity was the Logistics Steward of the Flying Snow Sect. Considering he could use this as an advertisement, Li Ping reluctantly agreed to his alchemy request.

The two parties agreed that Mei Hao would first pay half as a deposit, with the other half to be paid upon successful refinement.

If the alchemy failed, the deposit would not be refunded; it would be considered payment for Li Ping’s trouble.

As a high-tier Alchemist, when dealing with cultivators seeking pills, he enjoyed many privileges due to the vast disparity in their status. A non-refundable deposit was one of them.

After accepting the deposit, Li Ping led Mei Hao to his alchemy room. He gave a light cough, and Mei Hao, taking the hint, quickly took out the spirit medicines required to refine the Golden Crane Pill from his storage bag. Among them was a particularly special item: a fist-sized Tier Two Middle Grade Demon Core.

After inspecting and putting away the spirit medicines, Li Ping spoke coolly, "The materials are fine. I will now begin the alchemy. Fellow Daoist Mei may observe from the side, but you must not disturb me. Otherwise, if there are any losses, you will bear all responsibility. I will not be held accountable."

Mei Hao quickly nodded with a smile. He then took out a cushion from his storage bag, sat down about ten feet away from the pill furnace, and patiently watched Li Ping begin the refinement process.

Li Ping spat out a mouthful of Innate True Flame, raising the temperature of the pill furnace.

When he felt the temperature was right, he took out the materials provided by Mei Hao from his storage bag and quickly tossed them into the pill furnace one by one.

His casual manner made Mei Hao’s heart pound with fear.

Although he had come to ask Li Ping to refine pills under the Sect Leader’s orders to test his alchemy level—and the materials weren’t his own, so it wouldn’t matter if they were lost—every other alchemist he’d seen was meticulously careful.

But this Alchemist Yan’s movements were so nonchalant. It looked less like he was performing alchemy and more like he was feeding pigs.

Mei Hao shook his head inwardly. ’This man is probably a fraud.’

Amid Mei Hao’s worries, two days passed in a flash.

"Rise!"

Li Ping suddenly let out a low shout. The lid of the pill furnace flew open, and a scorching heatwave rolled out in all directions.

Ten pills flew out from the furnace and landed in a jade bottle Li Ping had already prepared.

He then tossed the jade bottle directly to Mei Hao. "There. Fellow Daoist Mei, please inspect them."

Mei Hao was momentarily stunned. "It’s... done already?"

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