Chapter 159: Exchange
Although this Insect Egg was obtained from the Hundred Touch Shadow Spider’s Cave, it may not necessarily be its Offspring.
Moreover, Insect species differ from ordinary Beasts; even Offspring may not inherit the full Bloodline.
The Green Horned Giant Eagle passed through the mountains, encountering no dangers along the way.
Within the Hundred Peaks Barrier is human Territory, occupied by various Sects of Lingnan Prefecture.
There are Feral Beasts, but they are merely Beasts subservient to humans.
Though they possess some power, they absolutely dare not easily provoke humans and must live with their tails between their legs.
The Green Horned Giant Eagle landed on the Nine Tablet Spirit Platform, where Disciples came and went, Mounts flowed like carriage traffic, and it was bustling with people, just as usual.
The Hundred Peaks Barrier originally isolated the Feral Beasts of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, with endless battles for a millennium; though there was a battle between Dan Qiao True Persons, it did not shake the entire Beast King Sect.
The group dismounted the Green Horned Giant Eagle, and Wang Xiaohu let out a long breath: “Finally back; this time, Great Accomplishment of Heart Ape Stage means no leaving seclusion.”
Zheng Yan glanced at him: “First condense the Beast Taming Seal, Contract a Feral Beast, and then talk; Sect skills all rely on Contracted Beasts.”
Fu Xuejing watched the two bicker and smiled: “This time’s Contribution Points will last for a while.”
After bidding each other farewell, Su Yan headed directly up the mountain.
Though the Huang Meng Mountain Hunting was only a few days, with his own Mountain Hunting methods, the Medicinal Herbs and Feral Beasts he obtained were not few.
There were three or four Second-order Feral Beast Corpses, and over ten Late First Order and First-order Perfection ones.
Treasure Plants and Spirit Herbs were slightly fewer, but there were two or three Second-order quality ones, especially the Upper Second-order Golden Aperture Fruit, whose preciousness would tempt even those in Condensing Momentum Stage or Spirit Merging Stage.
In the Sect Affairs Pavilion, the assessment hall bustled with Disciples; the vast hall was divided into eighty-three compartments, each with a number plate, doors open or closed.
This was the place for assessing Treasures; the first eighty compartments were each hosted by a Shopkeeper or Steward Disciple for assessments.
Feral Beast Materials, Treasure Plants and Spirit Herbs, Artifact Refining Treasure Artifacts, Ore, Pills, and all sorts of miscellaneous items were assessed by their expert eyes, then awarded Contribution Points.
The remaining two rooms belonged to the presiding Elders, handling assessments of Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills classics and pricing of precious items.
Su Yan entered the assessment hall and found an unoccupied assessment Room, walking inside.
As soon as he entered, the door closed automatically; a female Steward in purple robes with embroidered sash, of proper appearance, sat behind the desk.
“Take out the items for assessment; Sect assessments can yield Origin Stones or Contribution Points, decide for yourself.”
Su Yan nodded: “For Feral Beast Materials, I need a Senior Brother who understands processing; keep the Bones and Flesh and Blood, exchange the rest. Please appraise, Steward Senior Sister.”
Bai Xiaolan merely raised her eyes slightly; a one-year Disciple’s sleeve had only one silver Beast Pattern embroidery, and she immediately saw Su Yan’s status.
She shook her head inwardly; a new Disciple likely couldn’t exchange much.
“Fine, but if not much, suggest handling it yourself; hiring handlers costs Contribution Points…”
Before she finished, Su Yan released the Feral Beast Corpses from the Insect Realm Space, piling them into a small mountain.
Bai Xiaolan was dumbfounded, reacting after a long moment and immediately calling for help.
By the time Su Yan exited the assessment hall, an hour had passed.
“Four Second-order Feral Beast Materials, fourteen First-order Feral Beasts, plus various Treasure Plants, totaling just over four thousand Contribution Points exchanged, plus three thousand from the task; Contribution Points are truly hard to obtain.”
Su Yan sighed inwardly; though this exchange rate was due to retaining Bones and Flesh and Blood, even exchanging whole Feral Beasts wouldn’t yield much premium.
After paying for dismantling Feral Beasts and exchanging some Origin Stones, his current Contribution Points totaled 5400.
Su Yan headed straight for the Pill Refining Pavilion; Disciples coming and going here were far fewer than at the Sect Affairs Pavilion.
The pavilion was grand; upon entering, a faint Medicinal Fragrance wafted.
The Pill Refining Pavilion had five floors; the underground level connected to the Earth Vein for earthfire Alchemy, saving manpower with stable flames, and infusing surrounding Spiritual Energy into Pills, a prime spot for many Disciples to refine Pills.
The first floor was for Pill selling and consignment, with reception for commissioned refining, the busiest area.
From the second floor up were Pill Prescriptions classics, Alchemy Skill insights, various miscellaneous books, and some test-Pill Rooms; aside from Pill-refining Disciples, few others came.
Su Yan was familiar with the Pill Refining Pavilion and headed straight to the second floor.
Just reaching the second floor, he faced a deep red high counter; behind it sat a black-robed dark-faced Old Man with thick brows and high nose, who raised his head slightly, eyes flickering upon seeing Su Yan.
“New Disciple?”
“Guizang Valley Disciple Su Yan greets the Elder.”
“Do you know the rules for the Pill Refining Pavilion’s books?”
“Not much.”
“Misc books like Pill miscellany, Herbology Hundred Notes require no Contribution Points if no copying needed. Pill Prescriptions, Alchemy Techniques, Alchemy Experience classics are charged by grade, but depends on your Alchemist rank. If unranked, first study at the academy on the third floor for a time.”
Su Yan was slightly surprised; even the Pill Refining Pavilion had such divisions, as expected of a great Sect.
“This Disciple can refine Second-order Pills; does that count as Second-order Pill Master?”
“Hm?”
Deng Rongqiu looked up at Su Yan: “A new Disciple can refine Second-order Pills? You came with skills; which family’s Disciple?”
He saw Su Yan was at most twenty, yet a True Intent Martial Artist, able to refine Second-order Pills; where did he find the time?
“Yun Cang Town native.”
“Heh, rare.”
Deng Rongqiu grew interested, pointing to the man-high Alchemy Furnace beside the counter: bronze-colored and immensely heavy, three-legged two-eared, with Beast Patterns carved on sides, faintly emanating Spiritual Charm fluctuations.
“Artifact Refining Pavilion make, infused with two strands of Fire Crow True Intent; activated by True Essence to ignite truefire. Inside is a crystal fused from eighteen Metals; separate them one by one, let me see your technique.”
Su Yan listened curiously; such an Alchemy examination, though not real materials, was akin in principle.
“Do all Sect Pill Masters undergo such assessment?”
“No, this is set by the Pavilion Master.”
Deng Rongqiu smiled: “Pass, and you’re a registered Pill Master of the Pill Refining Pavilion. First-order: 50 Contribution Points monthly; Second-order: 300; Third-order: 1000.”
“And Fourth-order?”
Deng Rongqiu snorted: “Think you’re the Pavilion Master?”
Fourth-order Pill Masters were at least Dan Qiao Realm third layer or above, and deeply cultivated ones.
Higher-grade Pills fused not just Medicinal Potency but Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy; poor control meant explosion.
A Fourth-order Pill explosion rivaled a Dharma Aspect True Person’s Attack; who could refine it casually?
Su Yan’s expression was odd; this registration felt like credential hanging.
“Elder, any specifics to this registration?”
“To motivate Disciples; of course, in true crises, it aids Sect mobilization.”
Deng Rongqiu spoke tactfully, but Su Yan seemed to understand.
In true crises, certain Pill refining became wartime preparations; one more Pill Master meant more strength.
If the Sect faced collapse, it would prioritize protecting Alchemy talents.
“Condense three Metals into a pill: roughly First-order Alchemy skill. Nine Metals: Second-order. All eighteen separated: barely Upper Second-order Pill Master.”
A simulation furnace couldn’t properly test Third-order Pill Masters, but gauging Second-order level was fine.
“Want to try?”
Su Yan came seeking an Alchemy Technique superior to Basic Alchemy, plus two Second-order Pill Prescriptions.
One for Hardening, further Tempering his Physical Body.
One for True Essence and True Intent Cultivation; previous Upper First-order True Essence Pills no longer sufficed.
With assessment first, higher rank meant greater exchange privileges.
“This Disciple wants to try.”
“Go ahead.”
With permission, Su Yan approached the Alchemy Furnace.
The Fire Crow Beast Patterns grew clearer, Spiritual Charm and True Intent vivid, as if about to emerge.
‘During Artifact Refining, fusing True Intent and forging it in?’
He focused his Mind, palms channeling; vast True Essence surged from his palms, activating the Fire Crow Patterns, swiftly merging into the furnace.
‘Such thick True Essence, foundation so solid, yet only Heart Ape Stage—odd.’
Deng Rongqiu’s eyes flickered; Guizang Valley had many odd Techniques; among Eight Meridians, Fuyue Peak led in solid Foundation and Body Refining Physical Body, Overturning Sea Peak and Azure Dragon Peak in vast True Essence.
Yet Su Yan matched in Physical Body and True Essence, from Guizang Valley—how strange?
As a Dan Qiao True Person who’d seen countless Disciples, Deng Rongqiu’s eyes merely flickered as he watched Su Yan’s movements.
Su Yan’s hands shifted techniques, controlling True Essence, mobilizing furnace heat to assail the fist-sized Metal lump.
Eighteen gold-attributed Metals, differently fused with varying bond strengths—not simply lumped together.
Deng Rongqiu watched Su Yan’s technique, frowning slightly: extremely basic, no special True Essence control, confirming small-place origins.
Different True Essence control yielded different Pill fusion effects, a ten or twenty percent difference at Pill Sealing.
Basic Alchemy could refine Pills but was utterly ordinary.
Yet Su Yan’s next actions made Deng Rongqiu’s eyes widen.
Furnace control masterful, True Essence flowing as Desired; strands of True Essence carried heat, melting the Metal block.
True Essence infiltrated, constantly dividing; with slight manipulations, a Metal pellet flew from the furnace.
“One refined iron.”
Refined iron separated first; Deng Rongqiu thought inwardly: technique ordinary but solid enough.
After half a tea’s time, whoosh—a second Metal pellet flew out: Red Gold.
Another half tea later, cold iron emerged as a pale blue Metal pellet.
After a quarter-hour, black iron, red whisker copper, black obsidian steel flew out successively, up to the ninth Metal.
Su Yan’s face serious, ignoring everything around him, including the Old Man Deng Rongqiu.
At the tenth Metal, the rest fully fused, visually indistinguishable.
In this state, extracting each and condensing into pellets was as hard as Alchemy.
Su Yan was cautious, wrapping heat in True Essence to hair-strand precision, gradually teasing out the tenth Metal with countless threads.
‘Unfair test; only technique, no use for Herbology or Herb Identification skills—Artifact Refiners know Metal properties better…’
Su Yan cursed inwardly; this time it took a full half-hour to extract the tenth Metal.
At the eleventh, he slipped, failing to fully remove impurities; the Metal melt shook and exploded in the furnace with a muffled bang.
“This Disciple did his best.”
Su Yan showed regret; Deng Rongqiu waved, vast True Essence drawing the eleven Metal pellets back into the furnace; Fire Crow lit, scorching flames swirling like a vortex, instantly remixing all Metals into a fist-sized Metal sphere.
“Enough; first try separating eleven Metals. First time seeing Basic Alchemy Technique practiced to this level.”
He stopped there; poor origins meant better choices might yield superior techniques.
“Purely technique: Second-order Pill Master level. What do you want to exchange? Any ideas?”
Su Yan pondered; Pill Refining Pavilion books vast as sea smoke, no less than Martial Arts Pavilion.
But unlike Main Cultivation Technique, no way to browse each.
“This Disciple wants a Second-order Alchemy Technique, two Pill Prescriptions: one for True Intent and True Essence Cultivation, one focused on Body Refining. Please advise, Elder.”
“For personal use?”
Su Yan looked stunned; Deng Rongqiu said: “Many Disciples sell Pills for Contribution Points and Origin Stones; no need to be surprised.”
Bulk ones used commoner Materials but weren’t top-tier effects.
“For personal use.”
Deng Rongqiu said: “Techniques independent, but different Alchemy Techniques affect categories differently. Suggest starting with balanced ones like Two Forms Alchemy Technique or Five Elements Alchemy Technique, later supplementing with Nine Dragon Pill Seal or Mysterious Bird Pill Arts to expand methods.”
Fuse myriad schools to become master.
These many Alchemy Incantations summarized by various Pill Masters.
“As for Pill Prescriptions, among Second-order, Return Intent Yuan Pill and Dragon Tiger Golden Pill are Mid-grade Second-order Pills, fine quality. Your choice.”
Su Yan’s eyes flickered, pondering before saying: “Any difference between Two Forms and Five Elements Pill Arts?”
“Former divides yin-yang, latter Five Elements; difference not great.”
Su Yan thought then said: “This Disciple wants to exchange Five Elements Alchemy Technique, plus Return Intent Yuan Pill and Dragon Tiger Golden Pill Prescriptions; how many Contribution Points?”
“Two thousand five hundred Contribution Points.”
