"Condense!"
Wei Zhong pinched a hand seal, and a medicinal pill flew out of the Pill Cauldron, landing in his palm.
The pill was greenish-blue, with a rough, uneven surface, clearly of poor quality. Yet its grade was undeniable: a low-grade First-Tier pill.
Wei Zhong glanced at his status panel:
Alchemy (Water): First-Tier (Initiation 1%)
'As expected, I've reached the initiation stage.'
After several days of relentless effort, Wei Zhong had finally refined a Qi Nourishing Pill, marking his mastery of the initial stages of the Water Refinement Pill Technique.
Unlike the conventional Fire Refinement Method, which extracts the essence of spirit medicines through intense heat, the Water Refinement Technique relies on nurturing the ingredients within a sphere of spiritual energy-infused water.
Though time-consuming, this method rarely fails during the extraction phase. It trades time for success in the initial stage, with the true challenge lying in the pill condensation step.
Determining the precise ratios and sequences in which the refined essences of various spirit medicines coalesce is the true crux of alchemy.
Wei Zhong had failed countless times at this critical stage, but today, he had finally produced a low-grade Qi Nourishing Pill, officially becoming a First-Tier Pill Refiner.
Having mastered the initiation stage of Water Refinement Alchemy, Wei Zhong had yet to study the Fire Refinement Method.
Years of cultivating Water spiritual power had made him exceptionally adept at manipulating it, explaining his initial success with the Water Refinement Technique. The Fire Refinement Method could wait.
After all, biting off more than one can chew only leads to indigestion. He could always revisit it later if he encountered a bottleneck in his progress.
After storing his Pill Cauldron, Wei Zhong turned to the table in his cultivation chamber. It was covered with jade slips of varying sizes, all containing records of the various cultivation arts he had collected from the Li Family over the past few days.
Without exception, they were all First-Tier inheritances, and many were severely incomplete.
Only one Talisman inheritance managed to catch Wei Zhong's eye. It detailed the methods for crafting Talisman Skin and Ink, along with instructions for creating several types of First-Tier talismans.
These included household talismans like the Dust Cleansing Talisman and House Blessing Talisman, as well as combat talismans such as the Qi Recovery Talisman and Wind Blade Talisman.
Despite acquiring this inheritance, Wei Zhong had no immediate plans to begin crafting talismans.
First-Tier talismans offered too little practical benefit for his current needs. Even if he mastered them to Grandmaster-level, their power would still be limited by the quality of the Talisman Ink and Paper.
Rather than waste time on talismans, Wei Zhong decided to learn a few new Second-Tier techniques instead. He reasoned that the qualitative leap in power from these higher-tier techniques would likely yield unexpected surprises.
Weaving a hand seal, Wei Zhong was instantly enveloped in a thin, dark film—one of the supplementary techniques recorded in the Spring and Autumn Water Refinement Manual.
Second-Tier Defensive Technique:
Blackwater Spirit Garment - Entry Level (17%)
Wei Zhong already possessed the Flying Throwing Technique for offense, the Cloud Soaring Technique for escape, and the Breath Concealing Technique and Invisibility Technique for stealth. His only deficiency lay in defense.
Thus, he had chosen this technique from the Spring and Autumn Water Refinement Manual to complete his repertoire.
No longer needing to rely solely on magic tools for defense, Wei Zhong could now withstand a significant portion of incoming damage himself.
He condensed a water bullet at his fingertip and fired it at his chest. Upon impact, a ripple spread across the surface of the Blackwater Spirit Garment.
Against a sharp blade, the supple water cloak would transform into hardened steel, blocking the blade's advance.
This was the essence of the Blackwater Spirit Garment: blunt force was dissipated, and sharp blades met unyielding resistance. The garment continuously adapted its form to counter each assault.
Satisfied with its performance, Wei Zhong deactivated the garment and stepped out of the Cultivation Chamber. He stretched languidly as he gazed at the newly planted Second-Tier spirit rice in the Grotto-Heaven.
He had personally planted these Second-Tier spirit rice seedlings recently, knowing he couldn't entrust the secrets of the Grotto-Heaven to outsiders.
Beyond its role as a key ingredient for Second-Tier Azure Vine Intoxication spirit wine, Wei Zhong wanted to observe whether cultivating Second-Tier spirit rice atop a Third-Tier Spirit Vein would yield higher quality crops compared to those grown on Black Lake Island.
If successful, he could use the improved rice for both spirit wine brewing and as a staple food source.
Although Foundation Establishment cultivators had achieved Bigu (grain avoidance), Wei Zhong still missed the simple pleasure of a satisfying meal.
Moving to a secluded corner of the Spirit Field, he found a cluster of low-growing Lingzhi mushrooms.
These were the Flesh-Eating Mushrooms gifted to him by Luo Mingyan. Following Luo Mingyan's advice, Wei Zhong had transplanted them into the spiritually dense environment of the Grotto-Heaven.
Parting the Lingzhi cluster, Wei Zhong spotted the remains of spirit fish beneath—the very fish he had caught from the lake to nurture the Flesh-Eating Mushrooms.
"I'll let them grow a bit longer," he mused. "Then I can harvest the Lingzhi and try brewing Azure Lingzhi Wine."
Compared to advancing his Alchemy to the Second-Tier to refine Qi Harmonizing Pills, Wei Zhong believed brewing Azure Lingzhi Wine offered a faster path to success.
Exiting the Grotto-Heaven, Wei Zhong tidied his appearance and sent a telepathic message to Xie Linghua, informing her of his impending trip to the Azurewood Sect to deliver his congratulatory gift. He instructed her to oversee affairs on Black Lake Island in his absence.
He then flew to the cliff's edge and retrieved Big Gold and the Primordial Water Pearl. After several days of condensation, the pearl had grown noticeably heavier.
Ultimately, self-condensation isn't as efficient, he thought. If I could directly manipulate the process, it would accelerate significantly.
But that would be a waste of effort. I need to focus on my cultivation, including practicing techniques and refining my Pill Dao. I can't afford to divert my energy to this pearl.
Slow progress is fine. This item won't be needed anytime soon anyway.
Stowing the pearl, Wei Zhong summoned a Green Boat—a Second-Tier flying magical artifact he had acquired from the Li Family. This vessel could be powered by a cultivator's spiritual energy or by spirit stones, making it a superior grade compared to the flying artifact Luo Mingyan had once used.
Wei Zhong steered his Green Boat toward the Azurewood Sect. In less than a day, he arrived at his destination.
Looking at the bustling Bright Moon Market ahead, Wei Zhong felt a wave of nostalgia, as if he had been transported back to his Qi Refining days, when he first visited this place.
When did Bright Moon Market become so lively? he wondered.
Wei Zhong entered the market, secured lodging, and then paid a visit to Ning Cankun. He learned that the upcoming Core Formation Ceremony had attracted not only various factions from around the Azurewood Sect but also many cultivators who had been fighting in the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, all eager to partake in the grand spectacle.
There's an auction in three days, Wei Zhong realized, his heart leaping with excitement. An auction serving as a prelude to the Core Formation Ceremony was bound to feature numerous treasures.
As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Wei Zhong finally had the opportunity to truly flex his financial might at an auction.
Taking advantage of the bustling atmosphere of Bright Moon Market, Wei Zhong strolled through the surrounding stalls, pleasantly surprised by the abundance of valuable items on display.
He spotted ample quantities of the three crucial spirit medicines required for crafting the Foundation Establishment Pill.
These must have all come from the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, he mused.
Approaching one particular stall, Wei Zhong's gaze was drawn to the Green Bamboo Swords laid out in neat rows. Each blade seemed identical, as if mass-produced from a single mold. He had never encountered such uniformity in magic swords before.
"Senior, are you interested in purchasing a magic sword? These Green Bamboo Swords were personally crafted by Master Jiang of Han Bamboo City and his disciples. They're of excellent quality and reasonably priced..."
Wei Zhong turned to the young stall owner and asked, "Are you from Han Bamboo City?"
The stall owner nodded.
After a few more questions, Wei Zhong learned that the young man was indeed one of Master Jiang's disciples and had personally forged all the swords himself.