Qin emerged from the Azure Pill Scripture Pavilion, his heart heavy, and walked slowly towards the Beast Hall, intending to return to Green Spring Mountain. During this time, he needed to focus his efforts on gathering the spiritual herbs required to concoct the Foundation Establishment Pill.
He had just glanced hastily over the formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill, noting the necessary ingredients.
To refine a single pill actually required nearly a hundred types of medicinal herbs.
It was still uncertain whether he could collect all these spiritual herbs, or if his current alchemy skill was sufficient to successfully refine the Foundation Establishment Pill. However, things had to be taken one step at a time; first, he would find all the spiritual herbs he could, then prepare for the next stage of alchemy.
Generally, the older the spiritual herb, the higher its grade. They were most likely to be found in the private medicinal gardens belonging to Martial Uncles and Elder Brothers at the Foundation Establishment stage. Furthermore, the Azure Pill Sect’s own medicinal gardens held a considerable number of spirit herbs—large-scale medicinal grounds like the Azure Pill Sect's were rare, typically situated only in the areas of the Azure Mountain Range where the spiritual energy was the most concentrated.
“Spirit White Fruit requires three hundred years of maturity. Spirit Yellow Ginseng requires seven hundred years. Seven-Leaf Lotus Seed requires three hundred years. Nearly all of the hundred-plus ingredients listed in this formula have requirements this high. Truly, aside from the major Immortal Cultivation Sects, no one else could possibly gather a complete set like this.
Even the great Immortal Cultivation Families of the various kingdoms face the same issue. They might possess wealth, but they lack the Heavenly Spiritual Treasure Lands necessary for large-scale cultivation of these herbs. Moreover, even if they managed to gather materials for several batches, it would only yield a few pills, all while facing the risk of refinement failure. The Foundation Establishment Pill is a high-grade spiritual elixir. The notoriously high failure rate for high-grade spiritual elixirs is a universally acknowledged truth in the cultivation world.”
Even if the Azure Pill Sect were to cultivate these herbs on a massive scale across their Seven Great Main Peaks, filling every available space, they would still be constrained by the finite size of their Heavenly Spiritual Treasure Lands. Even employing the Sect’s most accomplished Alchemy Grandmaster, they could only refine about three hundred pills every three years—that was the absolute maximum yield, and no more was possible.
“Go to the General Affairs Office, take on handyman tasks, look after the private medicinal gardens for the Martial Uncles and Elder Brothers, and while I’m there, dig up a few to replant in my Purple Mansion.”
Ye Qin shook his head, immediately dismissing the thought.
It wasn’t that he feared these Martial Uncles and Elder Brothers. It was just that this method was too troublesome. Time-consuming and laborious.
He thought of an easier approach—purchasing the seeds of the spiritual herbs directly.
Spiritual herbs with medicinal power dating back four or five centuries or more were rarely put up for sale by cultivators. However, obtaining their seeds was much easier. Their seeds didn't require such long cultivation periods.
The Azure Mountain Range had seven main peaks, each possessing a small market where many disciples sold seeds. If he searched carefully, he should be able to gather the majority of what he needed.
With this thought, Ye Qin paused his steps, decisively turning around and heading directly towards the small market on Azure Pill Peak. He would first browse the market on Azure Pill Mountain. He arrived at a pavilion most favored by Qi Refining stage disciples on Azure Pill Mountain.
He suddenly stopped, astonished. Inside the spacious, multi-story pavilion, he heard loud clamor. Numerous green-robed disciples were loosely gathered in a large circle, watching the few people in the center of the hall with expressions ranging from excitement to indifference.
In the middle of the first-floor hall, seven or eight blue-robed disciples, divided into two factions, were loudly arguing over something clustered around a table.
“I’ll take this jar of Hundred Blossom Brew made by this Junior Sister,” a young man, whose face was as thin as a monkey's, said with a fawning grin to an ordinary-looking female disciple standing near the center table.
On the table before the female disciple rested an unopened jar of spiritual wine—this was naturally not ordinary wine, but a spirit wine that restored magical power, otherwise it wouldn't have garnered so much attention from the disciples.
“Hmph, on what grounds do you get to claim it just because you want it? I saw this jar of spiritual wine first!” countered a clear-featured young blue-robed disciple on the opposite side, shouting indignantly.
“On no grounds, except that my magical arts are superior to yours! What, you disagree? If you disagree, let’s fight. Zhao Qiankun has beaten you, pretty boy, for three years running, and I don't mind knocking you down again this year! In our last match, if my father hadn't intervened, I would have kept you bedridden for half a year.”
The monkey-faced youth called out triumphantly.
The clear-featured young disciple’s face instantly flushed red, trembling with rage. A haughty young man standing next to him, however, placed a hand on his shoulder and sneered, “Zhao Qiankun, what skill is there in bullying Zou Yu? Do you dare contend with me!”
The monkey-faced youth frowned upon seeing this arrogant young man step forward. “Hmph, Xiao, you have some skill, but don’t forget, your father is currently serving under my father. Be careful I don’t make you regret it.”
The arrogant young disciple said coldly, “So what? We are taking this spiritual wine! If you disagree, let’s have a duel. Four against three, let’s see who walks away with the spiritual wine!”
Their side consisted of the clear-featured young man, the arrogant youth, and a middle-aged couple, all cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refining.
The other side only had three blue-robed disciples, but they were also at the ninth level of Qi Refining, meaning their strength could not be underestimated.
The monkey-faced youth became suspicious. Usually, when he tried to snatch something, neither Zou Yu nor this Xiao would fight him over it. Why were they acting as if they had gunpowder in them today, insisting on fighting him for this jar? Could there be something special about this jar of spiritual wine? His suspicion grew, and he became even more unwilling to yield the wine.
Ye Qin entered the hall and glanced at the two groups in the center. His eyebrows twitched slightly. He had seen those four blue-robed disciples not long ago on Green Spring Peak, overhearing them mention some dangerous mission. He hadn't expected to run into them again on Azure Pill Peak less than half a day later.
What puzzled him was why they had traveled all the way to Azure Pill Mountain to buy spiritual wine?
Ye Qin knew a little about this Hundred Blossom Wine. "Hundred Blossom Brew" required gathering a hundred kinds of spiritual flowers and brewing for thirty years. Collecting these hundred spiritual flowers was not easy, as flowers don't bloom arbitrarily. Even when they did bloom, they were usually used for seed production, not for brewing wine.
Most disciples of the Azure Pill Sect studied alchemy; very few chose to study brewing, as brewing offered little benefit to cultivation progress. A jar of Hundred Blossom Brew, therefore, appeared extremely precious.
Among the green-robed disciples watching around the hall, some murmured in astonishment, “Zou Yu is Vice-Sect Master Zheng’s personal disciple. Who is that skinny fellow daring to fight Zou Yu over that jar of spiritual wine?”
The person next to him immediately snorted, “You are truly ignorant of current affairs. Vice-Sect Master Zheng has plenty of personal disciples, at least a dozen. What is Zou Yu in the grand scheme of things? The one confronting him now is Zhao Qiankun, the direct son of the Azure Pill Sect’s Third Elder; his status is hardly inferior to Zou Yu’s.”
“These blue-robed disciples all have powerful backgrounds—either they are the sons of Elders or personal disciples of the Vice-Sect Master. They usually walk with their noses in the air, looking down on everyone else. Not like us green-robed disciples, who come from Immortal Cultivation Families and can’t even hold our heads up here,” the speaker said with a sour tone. This fellow likely hailed from an ordinary Immortal Cultivation Family in some nation; though usually quite proud, compared to these high-ranking disciples of the Azure Pill Sect, he was nothing, left only with envy.
There were many disciples from various peaks present. Most were watching the spectacle, some even egging them on, hoping for further chaos.
As for the cultivators of rogue origin, they were entirely unqualified to participate in such a dispute, only managing to interject with occasional cold sarcasm. “Let them fight amongst themselves; we’ll watch the show!”
“If they want to fight, let them! Who’s afraid of whom!”
“Boom!”
A large fireball collided with a wind blade, causing flames to explode outwards.
The green-robed disciples watching nearby quickly cast protective shields around themselves and scattered in alarm. They hadn't expected these two factions of blue-robed disciples to start fighting so quickly, utterly disregarding the fact that they were inside a pavilion surrounded by many other disciples.
In just this short time, the seven blue-robed disciples had paired off and begun to battle, each taking out their spiritual artifacts, unleashing spells while striking at each other with their artifacts. Fireballs, wind blades, and water arrows flew everywhere.
The might displayed by these high-level cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refining was anything but ordinary.
Ye Qin hurriedly chanted an incantation to cast a protective shield on himself and retreated towards the exit of the pavilion along with the other green-robed disciples. When he looked back, he was dumbfounded. These blue-robed disciples were too arrogant; they had nearly destroyed the tables, chairs, and flooring on the first floor. Even though the pavilion was built with ordinary timber, did they really need to cause such wanton destruction?
Ye Qin frowned deeply. With their ruckus, his plan to purchase spiritual herb seeds here was ruined. It seemed he would have to check the other peaks.
The seven blue-robed disciples leaped out of the pavilion onto the open ground outside and fought fiercely. Soon, the monkey-faced youth’s side began to falter, their protective shields battered by successive heavy strikes, forcing them to retreat repeatedly. They were at a significant disadvantage, being outnumbered.
“Xiao, you people are too tyrannical! What skill is there in four fighting three? Have the guts to fight us one-on-one!” the monkey youth cried out in rage.
Just as they were about to be overwhelmed, several sharp sword lights suddenly pierced the air from a distance. A handsome, imposing young disciple, radiating a sense of authority, descended first from a flying sword. Following closely behind him were two or three other blue-robed male and female disciples, also riding swords.
Ye Qin was surprised. These Qi Refining stage disciples were actually using Magic Artifacts, not the commonly seen Spiritual Artifacts! Magic Artifacts were forged by Core Formation stage Martial Ancestors, and among Qi Refining stage disciples in the Azure Pill Sect, those possessing Magic Artifacts were exceedingly rare.
The surrounding green-robed disciples exclaimed in awe, “Senior Brother has arrived!” “The Sect Master Wu’s son! This fight probably won’t continue. Among the high-ranking disciples of the Azure Pill Sect, who can compare to the Sect Master’s son!”
The authoritative young disciple, seeing the chaotic fighting, immediately roared, “Stop! What kind of decorum is this!”
His words indeed carried extraordinary weight.
The three on the monkey youth’s side, as well as Zou Yu, Xiao Tian, and the middle-aged couple, quickly retracted their spiritual artifacts and ceased fighting upon hearing the young disciple’s angry shout, bowing in greeting.
“Greetings, Senior Brother!”
“Senior Brother, you must uphold justice for this junior brother!” The monkey youth, spotting the sword-riding young man, was overjoyed and rushed to complain, “This junior brother took a fancy to a jar of spiritual wine and wanted to buy it. But these few interfered and tried to steal my spiritual wine.”
Zou Yu nearly sputtered with rage, “Senior Brother, he is falsely accusing the injured party! I saw the spiritual wine first!” (To be continued. To find out what happens next, please log on to www***, chapter support the author, support genuine reading!)
First published.