The bright Fire Room, the sudden surge of flames rose high.
In the next moment, a puff of black smoke billowed from the Pill Furnace in front of Ye Jingcheng.
A faint stench began to permeate, remaining unpleasant even under the searing heat of the flames.
The temperature was too high, the Alchemy had failed!
And it was his most practiced Spirit Nourishing Pill.
Yet Ye Jingcheng showed not a hint of disappointment; instead, his eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Because within him, an ancient and simple book had its first page fully lit and formed.
Ye Jingcheng was a transmigrator, having crossed into the Ye Family for over ten years—from the initial phase of having no one to rely on, to becoming a venerated Immortal Master of the Ye Family, only to learn that he was merely of Four Spirit Roots, with an incredibly slow cultivation speed.
The challenges within were more tumultuous than the ups and downs of his past life.
This world belonged to the Cultivators, where Cultivation Masters could command the wind and rain, omnipotent, and those who reached the pinnacle could even live as long as the heavens!
His sole reliance and greatest secret was the mysterious Ancient Book within him, embedded with unknown Spirit Patterns.
Just now, when the Ancient Book emitted Spiritual Radiance and drew his entire Heart Spirit, it caused the familiar Alchemy to go awry.
Half a day's work was ruined.
The faint Spirit Patterns on the book twisted and turned, resembling various strange and exotic beasts, each page unique from the others.
The Spiritual Light from the book he had tested before, was extremely helpful in healing and growing some poultry; he'd even tried to save a dying bird.
But the Spiritual Light consumed was tremendous.
Fortunately, it could recover slowly, though it never fully replenished; today was the first time it emitted a brilliant glow.
Regrettably, although Ye Jingcheng belonged to a Beast Taming Clan, he hadn't yet had the opportunity to acquire a truly potential-filled Demon Beast cub.
Ye Jingcheng contemplated for a long time, but as the sound of bells began to ring.
Ye Jingcheng pinched out a Spirit Technique, Artifact Manipulation Skill activated, deftly dismantling the Pill Furnace, and then taking out the Cold Silkworm Cloth, carefully wrapping the scorching large furnace handle.
Only then did he pour the remaining Pill Liquid from the Pill Furnace into a wooden box he had prepared.
Packing it away in his Storage Bag, he used the dedicated Furnace Cleaning Brush to scrub the walls of the furnace until they were spotlessly clean.
Only now was it invisible to the naked eye.
Ye Jingcheng then fondled the somewhat hot furnace handle and sighed.
"I wonder when I will have a Pill Furnace of my own."
This was the Ye Family's Pill Furnace. As a disciple of the Ye Family, he could borrow it, but each Spirit Pill refined with it must be sold to the Ye Family at half the normal price.
If he had his own Pill Furnace, he could sell to the family at eighty percent of the normal price.
The bell outside rang again.
"Coming!" Ye Jingcheng responded, hurriedly using a special broom to sweep.
He looked around, ensuring the Alchemy Room appeared no different than before, then stepped outside.
The outer hall was extremely spacious, and due to the cultivation Array, it wasn't the least bit hot, a stark contrast to the world inside.
An elderly man in a gray Daoist robe was tapping the bell outside his Alchemy Room with his hand.
Behind the elder were three or four Ye Family Members dressed like him.
These people had obviously waited a long time; their faces appeared somewhat sullen due to prolonged exposure to the heat.
Ye Jingcheng smiled wryly, knowing that Grandpa Nine, Ye Haitian, who guarded the Pill Pavilion, had secretly given him extra time again.
The elder then walked to the table in the hall, took out pen and ink, and began recording one by one:
"Alright, come over quickly. Count your harvest; the next batch is about to enter!"
"Jing Yun, refined thirty Spirit Nourishing Pills, used the family Pill Furnace, one counts as 1 Contribution Point, totaling 30 Contribution Points, rent for three days, 6 Contribution Points, remaining 24 Contribution Points!"
…
Very soon, it was Ye Jingcheng's turn to be counted.
As always, he took out five palm-sized Pill Bottles and placed them before the elder.
Each Pill Bottle was fully filled and exuded a faint Pill Fragrance.
The elder raised his head, and instead of praising, he looked at Ye Jingcheng with surprise: "Going to buy a Spirit Beast?"
In the past, three days were enough for Ye Jingcheng to refine seven furnaces; Spirit Nourishing Pills, like Fasting Pills, were mass-produced pills, each furnace yielding at least ten pills, sometimes even fifteen or sixteen.
So, he thought, Ye Jingcheng had kept some for himself.
The Ye Family was a Beast Taming Clan. Compared to other families that only considered Spirit Roots, the Ye Family valued the quality of Spirit Beasts as well.
In fact, if a Spirit Beast was well cultivated, the Ye Family would focus on training you, even if you had Five Spirit Roots.
"Grandpa Nine is indeed wise beyond measure!" Ye Jingcheng scratched his head, nodded, and smiled, showing an unusual simplicity.
"Let me calculate your Contribution Points!" Ye Haitian took Ye Jingcheng's Clan Token, then began the standardized process, saying:
"Jingcheng, refined fifty Spirit Nourishing Pills, used the family Pill Furnace, one counts as 1 Contribution Point, altogether 50 Contribution Points. Additionally, Spirit Nourishing Pills have Pill Fragrance, an extra reward of 30 Contribution Points, three-day rent, 6 Contribution Points, remaining 74 Contribution Points!"
Ye Haitian softly said.
Ye Jingcheng was shocked—Pill Fragrance in Spirit Nourishing Pills, although better, definitely wasn't enough for a reward.
The Ye Family didn't have such a rule; this was Ye Haitian privately assisting him.
"Grandpa Nine..."
"Jingcheng, remember, in the Cultivation Realm, absolute fairness is unfairness, and the Ye Family is no exception!" Ye Haitian didn't explain further, merely waved him off.
He continued organizing the scrolls that recorded Contribution Points.
Ye Jingcheng held his Clan Token and bowed deeply.
The exchange ratio for Ye Family Contribution Points was one to one Lower Grade Spirit Stone.
But in reality, Contribution Points were more valuable than Lower Grade Spirit Stones.
The family's treasures and Spirit Beast cubs required Contribution Points for exchange.
Though the Ye Family wasn't considered large, within the Foundation Establishment Clans, it was only somewhat famous—in the Spirit Beast realm, the whole Taihang Mountain recognized it.
Ye Jingcheng had Four Spirit Roots, lacking only Metal in Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. He went up the mountain at eleven; now twenty-one, Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, due to his diligence, he understood the preciousness of cultivation better than peers.
Even so, he lagged far behind other Three Spirit Root Cultivators of his age.
That's why he diligently practiced Alchemy Skill these past three years, saving Contribution Points to trade for a good Spirit Beast.
Now his Clan Token had exactly 400 Contribution Points.
But don't think 400 is little—know that the Ye Family Mid-stage Qi Cultivation Cultivator's annual pay was only five Lower Grade Spirit Stones, even if he was an Alchemy Master, it was only two more a year.
To get more Spirit Stones, one must stand out in the family competitions or partake in family chores to earn them.
Having 400 Contribution Points in addition to cultivation was because he had a small talent in Alchemy.
He couldn't use them all for a Spirit Beast cub; he needed Contribution Points for personal cultivation, Pill Materials purchase, future Spirit Beast cub's food...
His only hope was the Jade Book within him, which, after emitting the brilliant Spiritual Light, had more than just healing effects on Spirit Beast cubs!
Thinking of this, Ye Jingcheng felt another wave of headache.
As he wandered on, soon he arrived at the family's Demon Hunting Hall.