Having sorted this out in his mind, Ye Qin made up his decision and stepped out of the seclusion chamber. He entered the micro-teleportation array within the cave dwelling on Huo Hai Island.
With a flash of white light from the array, Ye Qin, clad in a white robe with an indifferent expression, materialized inside a small villa in Baifu City. This small courtyard was enveloped by a faint layer of white radiance.
He pressed a palm-sized golden spiritual artifact in his hand against the white light barrier of the courtyard, opening a passage large enough for a person to pass through onto the street. Ye Qin had no intention of directly using the high-grade spiritual herbs from his Purple Mansion to refine pills for Huangfu Bing'er; instead, he came to Baifu City to procure a batch of high-grade spiritual herbs from the city's various shops to take back.
He arrived at the Exquisite Jade Pill Pavilion within the city. This pavilion was a mid-sized spiritual pill establishment in Baifu City.
Under the extremely respectful welcome of several female attendants in the Qi Refining stage, Ye Qin settled into a luxurious rattan chair in the VIP chamber, sipping the mellow and palatable Ling Yun Fragrant Tea. Before long, Pavilion Master Wang hurried into the VIP chamber.
Upon seeing Ye Qin, he immediately burst into hearty laughter, "Brother Ye's visit honors our pavilion; I have failed to welcome you from afar!" Ever since Ye Qin claimed to be an Alchemy Grandmaster last time, only to refuse his invitation, Pavilion Master Wang had felt deep regret, lamenting not having offered a higher price to win Ye Qin over sooner. The Exquisite Jade Pill Pavilion was not short of alchemists, but it sorely lacked cultivators at the level of Alchemy Masters or above.
There were several Alchemy Masters within the pavilion, the most skilled among them being the old man Wang Chen, whom Ye Qin had met before. Unfortunately, Wang Chen’s innate talent for alchemy was somewhat limited; even after decades of cultivation, he had only reached the standard of a Spiritual Pill Master and could not break through to higher realms.
The disparity in alchemy, especially in refining high-grade spiritual pills, between an Alchemy Master and an Alchemy Grandmaster was strikingly obvious. A mere ten percent difference in pill success rate translated to countless spirit stones.
In the entire Baifu City, Alchemy Grandmasters were exceedingly rare, having long been secured by the major Immortal Palace factions. Lesser powers found it nearly impossible to invite cultivators of the Grandmaster tier.
When Pavilion Master Wang heard his subordinates report Ye Qin’s arrival, he disregarded several major clients who were about to purchase high-grade spiritual pills and personally rushed to greet Ye Qin. If he could successfully persuade Ye Qin to become an alchemist for the Exquisite Jade Pill Pavilion, why would he ever worry about a shortage of major clients?
Moreover, Pavilion Master Wang had already heard the news that Ye Tai and Madam Ye had won the Second Fire Spirit Island in the Island Seizing Competition. Two Golden Core Dao Companions, outstanding in both alchemy and combat strength, were certainly worth befriending.
Ye Qin clearly understood the high status of an Alchemy Grandmaster. When he was merely at the Alchemy Master level on the Great and Lesser Liu Man Islands, he was sought after by the two Island Masters, who were both in the Golden Core stage—how much more so now.
It was natural for a Golden Core cultivator to show him favor at this time. He wasted no time with pleasantries with Pavilion Master Wang, stating plainly, "Pavilion Master Wang, I need to purchase an alchemy furnace of the very best quality.
I would like to know what your pavilion offers. Additionally, I have a set of seventh-tier spiritual herbs here, along with a batch of seeds.
Could the Pavilion Master check this batch of high-grade spiritual herbs and tell me the required spirit stones?" Ye Qin presented a list to Pavilion Master Wang. Upon reviewing the list, Pavilion Master Wang was momentarily stunned.
He swiftly performed a calculation with his fingers, then exclaimed in shock, "This batch of seventh-tier spiritual herbs will cost approximately three hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones. Brother Ye, are you planning to refine enough spiritual pills to yield three hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones in one go?" He had only heard Ye Qin claim to be an Alchemy Grandmaster but had never witnessed his actual skill, so some doubt regarding the true level of his alchemy remained.
If the refinement went awry, losing spiritual herbs valued at three hundred thousand would be devastating even for a Golden Core cultivator, causing immense heartache and requiring a significant period to recover their financial standing, severely hindering their cultivation progress. "Pavilion Master Wang need not worry.
I require exactly these spiritual herbs. Six months from now, I will send my wife here to sell you a batch of seventh-tier spiritual pills.
At that time, Wang Dou Ren can purchase them back at the current market rate," Ye Qin chuckled, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Of course, of course.
As long as the pills are refined by Brother Ye, this pavilion will acquire them at a preferential, high price. Please wait a moment; I will send someone to the warehouse to retrieve this batch of spiritual herbs." To curry favor with Ye Qin, Pavilion Master Wang spared no expense.
He instructed the elder Wang Chen, who was waiting outside, to retrieve both the spiritual herbs and the alchemy furnace from the warehouse. "Oh, by the way, Brother Ye, what is your expected success rate for refining this batch of seventh-tier pills this time?" Pavilion Master Wang asked cautiously.
If he knew the success rate, he could roughly gauge Ye Qin’s true alchemical strength. "Did I say I was refining the pills?" Ye Qin took a sip of the light tea and glanced at Pavilion Master Wang, speaking indifferently.
"If not Brother Ye, then who is it?" Pavilion Master Wang paused, perplexed. "I am no longer interested in refining pills for others.
Recently, my wife has taken an interest in alchemy; she intends to refine them. All these spiritual herbs are prepared for her," Ye Qin stated casually, as if discussing an insignificant matter.
Shortly thereafter, the elder Wang Chen arrived at the VIP chamber, carrying several storage bags brimming with spiritual herbs, and presented them. He dared not show the slightest disrespect toward Ye Qin, this significant patron.
After paying a substantial sum of spirit stones, Ye Qin departed from the Exquisite Jade Pill Pavilion. Pavilion Master Wang remained in a daze, watching Ye Qin leave the pavilion, speechless for a long moment.
Such a quantity of seventh-tier spiritual herbs, valued at three hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones, being handed over to a novice alchemist—it was sheer extravagance! Brother Ye’s self-proclamation as an Alchemy Grandmaster was likely true; what non-wealthy Grandmaster would dare such wastefulness?
Ye Qin was quite satisfied with the alchemy furnace the Exquisite Jade Pill Pavilion sold him. The finest one available was the Phoenix Pattern Alchemy Furnace, a top-tier cauldron artifact that greatly assisted in improving pill success rates.
His high-profile appearance at the Exquisite Jade Pill Pavilion, spending a massive amount of spirit stones to procure these herbs, was a calculated move with deeper intentions. After acquiring the batch of high-grade spiritual herbs, Ye Qin returned to the small villa, used the golden light spiritual plaque to open the courtyard's barrier, and teleported back to his cave dwelling on Huo Yun Island via the array.
Huangfu Bing'er was waiting by the teleportation array, and upon seeing Ye Qin's figure appear, she immediately rushed to meet him. "I made a trip to Baifu City and bought a batch of high-grade spiritual herbs for you.
Bing'er, starting today, you will devote all your time outside of your cultivation entirely to alchemy, striving to elevate your skill level with all your might." Ye Qin declared, "Until you become an Alchemy Grandmaster, you are not to leave this island even half a step! Follow my arrangements completely." "Yes, my Lord Husband!" Huangfu Bing'er pouted coquettishly, casting him a look tinged with playful resentment due to his domineering manner.
Yet, deep inside, her heart was filled with a sweet warmth. To be cared for and looked after by the one she loved—how many could experience such a feeling on the long path of immortal cultivation?
With Ye Qin handling everything, Huangfu Bing'er had no other worries. She moved between the seclusion chamber, the alchemy room, and the bedroom, dedicating herself to alchemy and cultivation, occasionally enjoying the pleasure of dual cultivation with her Dao companion.
The level an alchemist could reach generally depended on their innate talent and the quantity of refinement materials available. It must be said that Huangfu Bing'er’s talent for alchemy was unexpectedly fierce—so strong that it left even Ye Qin dumbfounded.
She started at the level of a mere alchemist, attempting to refine seventh-tier spiritual pills directly, resulting in an extremely high failure rate. The initial one hundred-plus batches of high-grade spiritual pills ended in failure; not a single success was achieved.
This nearly made her believe she possessed no talent for alchemy. Through repeated failures, she shed tears when Ye Qin wasn't looking, but she quickly wiped them away, gritting her teeth and persisting.
She could not disappoint her husband, nor could she let his considerable investment be wasted. Using high-grade spiritual herbs to improve alchemy skills was an extraordinarily extravagant approach, causing her proficiency to advance rapidly.
Ye Qin cared little for the consumption of spiritual herbs; he was only concerned with how quickly Huangfu Bing'er’s alchemy skill increased. A month later, Huangfu Bing'er accidentally refined a successful batch of seventh-tier Fire Dragon Pills, causing her immense joy.
This surprised Ye Qin greatly; it had taken him several years to advance from Alchemist to Alchemist Master. Of course, in this single month, the thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones' worth of herbs had been completely used up by Huangfu Bing'er's "prodigal" efforts.
The only tangible reward was that single batch of Fire Dragon Pills. Such a meager yield would bankrupt even a major family through such wasteful refinement.
Fortunately, the wasted herbs were not entirely lost. Nor did this bankrupt Ye Qin.
Ye Qin directly took the usable portions of these discarded spiritual materials and placed them in his Earth Mansion, re-condensing them into spirit stones, which he then used to cultivate more high-grade spiritual herbs for Huangfu Bing'er to refine repeatedly. In the following months, Huangfu Bing'er's success rate began to surge dramatically.
By the end, she could achieve roughly one successful batch out of every ten attempts, instantly jumping to the level of an Alchemist Master. Thus, although it was only an investment of thirty thousand worth of spiritual herbs, the actual benefit it provided far exceeded that value—at least five times the effect.
It provided enormous assistance in elevating Huangfu Bing'er's alchemy mastery. Thus, the two of them spent their days on Huo Yun Island immersed in cultivation and alchemy.
Half a year flew by in a blink. Six months later.
Ye Qin instructed Huangfu Bing'er to take a batch of seventh-tier spiritual pills to Baifu City and sell them to the Exquisite Jade Pill Pavilion. Inside the pavilion, from the Pavilion Master down to the junior alchemists, everyone was astounded.
A pill success rate exceeding twenty percent for seventh-tier pills rivaled that of an Alchemy Master—such skill commanded a small reputation within Baifu City's alchemy circles. Overjoyed, Pavilion Master Wang immediately invited Huangfu Bing'er to register under the Exquisite Jade Pill Pavilion’s name.
If any cultivator brought herbs to commission pill refinement, the pavilion could ask Huangfu Bing'er to undertake the task. Under Ye Qin's implicit guidance, Huangfu Bing'er did not refuse.
The status of an Alchemy Master came with high rewards and extremely flexible terms, allowing her to choose whether or not to accept commissions from other cultivators. With her Golden Core cultivator status, Huangfu Bing'er enjoyed a lofty position within the pavilion.
Huangfu Bing'er’s alchemy skills gradually began to spread within the small sphere of Baifu City. Ye Qin, possessing his own Purple Mansion, did not require fame as an alchemist.
The lower his profile and the less attention he attracted, the better for him. But Bing'er needed renown.
The more famous an alchemist becomes, the more cultivators will seek them out, bringing vast amounts of high-grade spiritual herbs to request their services. Only then can Bing'er easily earn spirit stones through her superior alchemy.
In a few years, she would have a strong chance of becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster. Otherwise, who would entrust precious refinement materials to an alchemist with no reputation?
This was precisely why Ye Qin purchased such a large quantity of herbs at the Exquisite Jade Pill Pavilion and then had Huangfu Bing'er sell the pills, creating a stir. Certain measures were necessary to establish a strong reputation for Bing'er within Baifu City’s alchemy community.