Free Web NovelChapter 37: Chapter 36: Commissioned Alchemy
"Fellow Daoist Luo, you’ve come at just the right time. This is this month’s Guest Minister Fee."
Xi Wenyu smiled and handed him fifty Lower Grade Spirit Stones, then offered him a Pill Formula and said,
"Just yesterday, a certain Fellow Daoist Duan came to commission us to refine some pills. As for this Pill Formula, I think you’re the only one who can refine it with any certainty. Its tier is quite high. Take a look."
Yu Changsheng took it for a look and was somewhat surprised.
"Scattered Demon Essence Pill. Tier Two Middle Grade. A single batch can produce three pills. Each pill contains a hidden mechanism: it can be thrown, and its medicinal properties can be detonated using one’s Divine Sense. Any Demon Beast that inhales the scent will lose its Demon Power within minutes, leaving it completely defenseless. It takes half a day for their Demon Power to recover."
"This elixir is quite interesting," Yu Changsheng commented. "It’s less of an elixir and more of a one-time-use Magical Treasure, similar to a Thunder Shocking Pearl, but it specifically targets Demon Beasts."
He raised his head and asked, "Is this elixir effective against Tier Two Demon Beasts?"
"Yes. I had some other Pill Masters study it. If it hits a Tier One Demon Beast, it will lose its Demon Power within minutes and even fall unconscious. For a Tier Two Demon Beast, the effect depends on the dosage absorbed; it usually takes over ten minutes to kick in."
"However, refining it is extremely difficult. Even a Tier Two Alchemist can’t guarantee success. That Fellow Daoist Duan brought two sets of ingredients and requires at least two pills to be successfully formed. The rest can be kept by the Pill Master. In addition, he will pay an alchemy fee of eight hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones!"
Xi Wenyu took out the ingredients and explained the details to Yu Changsheng. "If the alchemy fails, the First-Grade Medicine Hall will compensate him with two hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones. If you succeed, we’ll give you, Fellow Daoist, five hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones. How about it?" freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Yu Changsheng smiled with great interest. "It seems this Fellow Daoist Duan wants to use this elixir to capture a Tier Two Demon Beast. He’s quite the big spender."
"Alright. I’ll take the commission. I’ll have an answer for you within a week."
A delighted expression appeared on Xi Wenyu’s face. "Then I wish you a successful refinement, Fellow Daoist!"
"Mm, these are the Spirit Enhancement Pills I refined recently. They’re of One Pill Pattern quality. Please exchange them for five sets of ingredients for me."
"Of course!"
Soon enough, Yu Changsheng returned to his wooden cabin from the First-Grade Medicine Hall.
’I’ve never seen this Scattered Demon Essence Pill before. It must be because it’s difficult to refine and incredibly expensive.’
’If it could be mass-produced, I’m sure many Loose Cultivators would buy it, and the number of Tier One and Tier Two Demon Beasts in the Fish Market would also increase.’
’I could even use this elixir myself to capture a suitable Demon Beast.’
He studied the Pill Formula for a bit. The most crucial and difficult part was leaving a ’primer’ inside the elixir that would allow one’s Divine Sense to detonate the medicinal properties within.
’The person who created this Pill Formula was a genius, using Pregnant God Shy Grass as the primer. I wonder if a Demon Beast afflicted by this medicinal poison can be cured with an Antitoxic Pill.’
’With my current Tier Two Alchemy Dao proficiency, refining it will be difficult. But the Three-coin Fire Refining Technique is the most stable among all alchemy techniques, with the highest success rate. As long as I take my time, there’s still a hope of success.’
’I’ll ask Master for his opinion tomorrow. It would be best if I could comprehend the next stage, "Static."’
Currently, Yu Changsheng had skillfully mastered the essence of "Slow," but he only had a slight inkling of the next stage, "Static." He would need a certain amount of time to comprehend it fully.
The next day at the Alchemy Hall, it was once again time for his private lesson.
Only Yu Changsheng and Gongsun Yang were in the Alchemy Room.
To protect Yu Changsheng, Gongsun Yang had never revealed his talent in Alchemy to outsiders. This was because he was currently just a servant disciple, and his Realm was only at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. Too much fame could easily attract animosity, leading to his death in some forgotten corner.
Therefore, Gongsun Yang was very low-key about it; even that Inner Chamber Disciple, Tang Xing, had no idea of the true extent of Yu Changsheng’s skill in Alchemy. freewebnovel.cσ๓
"The Scattered Demon Essence Pill... hmm, this Pill Formula was likely created by some Tier Three Alchemist. Its effects are sound, but mass-producing it for sale isn’t very realistic. The price is just too high."
"My apprentice, think about it. The ingredients and the alchemy fee alone cost over a thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones. Furthermore, the difficulty of success is high; even a Tier Three Alchemist might not succeed with two sets of ingredients."
"After succeeding, if you were to sell them, wouldn’t a single pill have to fetch a thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones?"
"If you can’t make at least a threefold profit, what’s the point of refining it?"
"So, in the end, this elixir is just a specialty item, a little toy. With that kind of money, other Loose Cultivators would be better off just buying a Tier Two Demon Beast’s corpse, which also costs around a thousand Spirit Stones."
Gongsun Yang explained with great care and patience, "Of course, it’s not a bad thing if you use it yourself. At the very least, if you run into a Tier Two Demon Beast in the wild, this item could save your life."
Yu Changsheng nodded. It would indeed be impossible to sell to those poor-as-dirt Loose Cultivators. No wonder he’d never heard of a similar elixir out in the world; the market was too small. It was less profitable than him refining Spirit Enhancement Pills.
"Alright, let’s fire up the furnace and begin the Alchemy. I will teach you how to refine this pill. You will assist with Fire Control from the side and gradually take over. If you do anything wrong, I will promptly correct your Fire Control."
With a single-handed gesture, Gongsun Yang conjured a flame beneath the Pill Furnace before them.
Yu Changsheng closed his eyes, formed a hand seal, and began his Fire Control.
Beneath the Pill Furnace, the fire’s intensity gradually increased as ingredients were added one by one.
Just as the fire was about to rage, Gongsun Yang gently tapped a finger, and the flames subsided. He spoke slowly.
"Slow down. Quiet your mind. Don’t be rash."
"Clear your mind of distractions. Let the Static Fire be still."
Yu Changsheng’s Divine Sense grew tranquil, and his entire body relaxed.
He could clearly feel the temperature of the flame, and the shape of the elixir seemed to materialize before his eyes.
The once-unsteady flames also stabilized under his focused control.
At this, Gongsun Yang narrowed his eyes, inwardly shocked.
’My apprentice’s talent is truly terrifying. After just over a month of teaching, he’s already begun to understand the feeling of "Static." Give him another two or three months, and I’m afraid he’ll achieve full comprehension.’
’I recall how it took me a full five years to reach that comprehension. When you compare people... some comparisons just can’t be made.’
At that thought, Gongsun Yang began to chuckle to himself.
Such an outstanding alchemy prodigy was his apprentice. If his own master knew from the heavens, he’d probably laugh out loud.
The Three-coin Fire Refining Technique could finally be passed down.
「One day later.」
"Withdraw the fire! The pills are formed!"
Following Gongsun Yang’s shout, Yu Changsheng formed a hand seal and swiped. The flame under the Pill Furnace was extinguished, revealing three pills radiating a black light within.
"The Scattered Demon Essence Pills are a success!"
Yu Changsheng stood up, his face full of joy. He hadn’t expected to succeed on the first try. Moreover, his progress in the Tier Two Alchemy Dao had increased by nearly a hundred points.
Indeed, having a master to guide him step-by-step made all the difference.
He eagerly picked up a Scattered Demon Essence Pill to examine it. It was truly profound; with his Divine Sense, he could feel the primer inside, which could be triggered to detonate the medicinal properties.
"Master, this elixir should be harmless to humans, right?" Yu Changsheng asked, looking at Gongsun Yang.
Gongsun Yang couldn’t help but laugh. "What do you think this is, some kind of knockout drug? Don’t worry, it’s ineffective against humans, only Demon Beasts."
As he spoke, he suddenly remembered Yu Changsheng’s identity as a Beast Master and hesitated before adding, "However, if this elixir is used in a fight against a Beast Master, it would probably cause their contracted Spirit Pet to lose its ability to fight as well."
"You need to be careful with this. When you use it, make sure you don’t hit your own Spirit Pet."
Yu Changsheng nodded in sudden realization. "This apprentice understands. Thank you for your guidance, Master."
Gongsun Yang smiled. "Rest for a bit, then we’ll refine the second batch."
