Seeing this extravagant display of medicinal wealth, the Elder's breath caught in his throat, his finger instinctively twitching as he was taken by the urge to refine these herbs into pills.
Which was a normal reaction, after all, what kind of alchemist would one be if, after seeing such high-quality Spiritual Plants, their first thought wasn't to refine them into pills?
Ding.
A clear chime rang out, pulling the Elder from his 'musing' as the formation flashed orange once, sending the appraised information directly into his mind.
After absorbing the details transmitted by the formation, the Elder gave Mikael—who was calmly watching the process—a measured look.
"Disciple, the contributions that can be given in exchange for these Spiritual Herbs is 10,300 contribution points. But to make sure the formation didn't make an error, as it is often an approximation, I will need to manually examine your Spiritual Herbs, in the meanwhile…"
He took out a booklet from his Storage Ring before handing it to Mikael, "…you can take the time to look through this book, it's where the pills sold in our Alchemy Hall are recorded, their prices, effects, and more all written in detail."
Mikael gave him a small nod as the Elder began manually analysing the Spiritual Plants while he skimmed through the booklet.
Swish.
'Healing Pill, Detoxification Pill, Qi Absorption Pill… everything is more or less as I expected,' he thought as his eyes moved across the pages.
As he did so, he was able to recognize and understand everything written in the book, showing that the last two months spent 'studying' had propelled his knowledge in the field of alchemy to an extremely high level, to the point that even some certified alchemists would be jealous.
And it showed, as he was able to mentally create multiple combinations and potential ways to use different pills together to obtain the maximum and most efficient result for his subsequent Qi Control training.
But for that to work, these pills needed to be in the Alchemy Hall's stock, or else no matter how much knowledge he had, it would amount to nothing.
Fortunately, the pills listed in this book were numerous, and soon enough he picked out two that, in his mind, belonged on his 'list' for having the exact effects and properties he needed for his Qi Control training.
{Pill Name:Lucid Mind Pill
Tier: Early-Grade – Spiritual Foundation Realm
Effect: Prevents mental fog and reduces fatigue during extended cultivation sessions or prolonged combat engagements. Ideal for maintaining clarity in repetitive Qi circulation exercises.
Compatibility: Best suited for cultivators from the Late Body Forging Realm to the Early–Mid Spiritual Foundation Realm. Still offers mild benefits to higher-realm cultivators when used in endurance-based scenarios.
Dosage & Caution: One pill lasts approximately four hours. Excessive consumption within a short period may cause overstimulation and restlessness.
Market Value: 5 Contribution Points per pill, 45 per bottle of 10.}
{Pill Name:Clearheart Pill
Tier: Mid-Grade – Spiritual Foundation Realm
Effect: Dissolves stray thoughts and external mental noise, allowing cultivators to enter a state of pure focus. Particularly effective for deep meditation or high-level technique comprehension.
Compatibility: Most effective for cultivators from the Early Spiritual Foundation Realm up to the Core Formation threshold. Ineffective against deliberate mental attacks or soul-based techniques.
Dosage & Caution: One pill induces deep mental stillness for one to three hours depending on the user's mental resilience. Overuse may lead to emotional detachment for several days.
Market Value: 12 Contribution Points per pill, 100 per bottle of 10.}
Mikael's mood imperceptibly improved as he caught sight of both pills, and suddenly the heavy herbal scent in the room seemed surprisingly pleasant.
'Nice! This means that even if the Sect's pill reserve is incredibly poor and there isn't a single other pill except for those I've already seen, I wouldn't be fucked since I'd still have this option.
'It's really not incredible as an option, but at least it's one…' he thought, feeling somewhat relieved that a lack of pills wouldn't end up slowing his progress.
Earlier, he had been somewhat worried about the Sect's pill stock; after all, as a Sect of 'Sword Fanatics' and not an Alchemy Sect, the Wandering Sword Sect likely wouldn't have a highly developed alchemy sector, so he had been concerned about it lacking high-tier pills.
While Mikael considered both pills to be 'not incredible,' they were in truth quite precious, being respectively at the Early and Mid Grade of the Spiritual Foundation Realm, which was nothing to scoff at.
They were certainly not the kind of pills any Sect could casually produce—it was only because of the Wandering Sword Sect's Overlord status in the Suncrest Region that these pills were so easily obtainable and even 'cheap.'
Understanding this, Mikael's following reaction was… understandable.
'What the?!'
He nearly exclaimed aloud but controlled himself, his gaze fixed on the booklet in his hands, and more particularly on two pills.
{Pill Name:Constricting Meridian Pill
Tier: Low-Grade – Spiritual Foundation Realm
Effect: Slightly narrows the meridian channels, making Qi circulation more difficult. This deliberate restriction forces the cultivator to exert greater precision and efficiency, serving as a harsh but highly effective method to improve in the rare art of Qi Control.
Compatibility: Best suited for cultivators from the 7th Layer Body Forging Realm to the Mid Spiritual Foundation Realm. Higher-realm cultivators can still benefit for specialized control training, though the strain is reduced.
Dosage & Caution: One pill lasts roughly two hours. Prolonged or repeated use without adequate rest may cause meridian strain, numbness, or minor blockages. Should not be consumed before combat or during breakthrough attempts.
Market Value: 8 Contribution Points per pill, 70 per bottle of 10.}
{Pill Name: Wisdom Dew Pill
Tier: Late-Grade – Spiritual Foundation Realm
Effect: Temporarily heightens mental acuity and accelerates comprehension speed, making it invaluable for studying complex techniques, formations, or profound cultivation methods. The enhanced clarity allows cultivators to perceive intricate details and underlying principles that would otherwise take weeks to grasp.
Compatibility: Most effective for cultivators in the Mid to Late Spiritual Foundation Realm, though it retains significant value for higher-realm experts when tackling highly advanced or obscure knowledge.
Dosage & Caution: One pill lasts for approximately 24 hours. Overreliance may lead to mental fatigue, headaches, or difficulty focusing without the pill's effects. Best taken before dedicated study sessions rather than in combat or high-pressure environments.
Market Value: 280 Contribution Points per pill, 2400 per bottle of 10.}
"This…" at this moment Mikael really didn't know whether he should be jumping in joy or crying…
'The good news is that the pill reserve of the Sect is of a higher quality than I expected, the bad…' his gaze returned to the price listed for the various pills he had found, and he felt his heart bleed, '…is that these prices are atrociously high!!!!'
Mikael's expression twisted in pain.
'If I want to progress at the fastest speed possible, I would need to have each of these four pills' effects active 24/7 , which would deal a devastating blow to my wallet…'
His fingers twitched slightly as he quickly ran some calculations, trying to estimate how much these pills would cost him, but as he arrived at a result his jaw tightened and his expression darkened.
'431… 431 fucking Contribution Points per day for my Qi Control training! Which means that in not even an entire month the 10,000 Points obtained from selling these Spiritual Plants will entirely disappear, and considering that cultivation is generally a process of years…'
Sigh.
'Yeah, I think I will become homeless, no other chance for me…' he thought, 'dejectedly.'
'At least for now I am still rich, I should enjoy it while it still lasts…' he thought as his Divine Sense entered his Storage Ring, where far more Spiritual Plants and Herbs were stored, the ones he had taken out earlier only being a 'small' part of his total 'wealth.'
But even seeing how rich he was didn't reassure him, as he knew it would melt like snow under the sun, but, 'No choice—this is for my growth, and if there is a single thing where no expense can be spared, it's on this point… and if one day I lack "money"…'
A fierce smile momentarily appeared on his face. 'I can always pay another visit to my good friends, the demonic beasts of the Savagefang Mountain Range—I am sure they will generously contribute to the cause…'
Of course while Mikael accepted to spend his wealth to grow stronger it was only as long as the price/performance ratio of the cultivation resources, in this case pills, were reasonable enough or else… forget it.
And considering the fact that the more powerful and precious a pill/cultivation resource was, the more disproportionately unreasonable the price became, with the ratio heavily skewing in favor of the price for an often not so high increase in the performance domain…
He wasn't willing to buy other more precious pills except for the four he had currently selected.
The Wisdom Dew Pill was already at the limit of what his wallet could endure, any further and he just wouldn't be able to afford it!
"Disciple, I have finished my manual analysis of the value of your Spiritual Plants and Herbs," declared the Elder.
Snap.
Mikael snapped the book closed, having just finished reading it in its entirety in the short moment the Elder was analysing his Spiritual Herbs and Plants.
After all, Mikael's internal debate and him eyeing various pills might have looked as if they had taken a long time, but in truth it had all happened in a moment, thanks to his monstrously enhanced mind.
If it wasn't for Mikael deliberately pacing himself to finish at the same time as the Elder so he wouldn't have to wait, he could have been done in a couple of seconds at most.
"In the end, the price we can offer for your Spiritual Plants is 10,678 Contribution Points, is it acceptable for you?"
'Nice, the price rose a little,' he thought before giving a small nod. "It is, but would it be possible that, instead of receiving payment in Contribution Points, I receive it in pills?"
"More specifically, I would like 2 bottles of Wisdom Dew Pill, 24 bottles of Constricting Meridian Pill, 16 bottles of Clearheart Pill, and 12 bottles of Lucid Mind Pill, with the rest given out in Contribution Points. Would something like that work?"
The Elder raised an eyebrow in surprise. "This combination… could work pretty well for mental train—no, Qi Control training, and the complexity and meticulousness of the combination…"
He gave Mikael a more serious look before breaking out in a smile. "It's always pleasant to see a fellow alchemist!"
Mikael answered with a faint smile, neither denying nor affirming.
Which seemed to confirm to the Elder that Mikael was indeed a 'fellow alchemist'; instantly his attitude became more friendly. If earlier he had merely been 'going through the motions,' now it was as if he had discovered a stranger sharing the same 'hobby' as him after a long time, and he consequently shed his professional demeanor for a warmer, more personal one.
"Fellow Daoist, as an alchemist you should know the potential danger of accumulating impurities if you use these four pills in conjunction—which is what you want, right?" he inquired, seeming sure of himself and not waiting for an answer, "Knowing the risk, why do so?"
"If this isn't impudent of me to ask!" he quickly added, not wanting to seem rude, as what he asked could be taken pretty badly depending on who was in front of him.
"It isn't a secret, it's simple, I plan to use a mix of some herbs to fight against these impurities, notably Iron Blood Paste and…" Mikael launched into a detailed explanation of how he planned to combat the impurities that would inevitably accumulate in his body as he consumed these four pills.
Initially, the reason the Elder asked his question wasn't so much because he wanted to know the answer, but rather because he loved alchemy and was always enthusiastic at the idea of talking about it, but—
The more he listened to Mikael speak, the more his expression changed.
Author Note:
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We saw some worldbuilding in this chapter with the Alchemy Hall being more fleshed out and how the transaction work in a way that make sense.
I don't know if you remarked but the Contribution Points are a pretty valuable resource with him only gaining 10,000 with the hundreds of Spiritual Herbs he sold and the fact that the Wisdom Dew Pill which act a temporary comprehension boost is only at 480 per pills.
For the pills description and them being rather lengthy I honestly nearly cut them in half to create something shorter but in the end I kept the long version because while somewhat heavy at the same time it's more complete and I prefer it like that.
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— End of Chapter —