The heart was in turmoil.

"Master Chu’s place here is too terrifying. Both Spirit Beasts are actually at Foundation Establishment level.

Especially the little Spirit Beast with three tails; just one look from it made me feel as if I had fallen into an icy abyss."

Watching Wang Ping quicken his pace, Ling Xiaobai blinked with a look of keen interest.

"Master, I’ve brought all the Spirit Medicines you asked for, but the Alchemy Pavilion is missing Butterfly Dance Flower, Concentration Grass, and Earth Store Flower.

I inquired at the Alchemy Pavilion, and among the Spirit Grass with similar efficacy, only the Qi Dun Fruit is akin to the Butterfly Dance Flower.

I wasn’t sure if you wanted to find any other Spirit Medicine substitutes, so I didn’t collect them."

Chu Ning took the Spirit Medicine from Wang Ping, shook his head, and said:

"Though Qi Dun Fruit is similar in effect to the Butterfly Dance Flower, it does not match completely when used in combination and cannot fully replace it in alchemy."

As Chu Ning spoke, he couldn’t help but furrow his brow; the three missing Spirit Medicines belonged to two different pill formulas.

Without these Spirit Medicines, not even one kind of pill could be refined.

Lifting his gaze again, Chu Ning asked Wang Ping:

"If the Alchemists of the Alchemy Pavilion previously lacked Spirit Medicines, and the Pavilion didn’t have them, how would they usually find them more easily?"

"There are generally two places," Wang Ping answered immediately.

"One is Jiuhua City, where many Loose Cultivators and family cultivators come and go; some Spirit Medicines the Sect lacks can sometimes be found there.

The other is to issue tasks within the Sect, offering Contribution Points or Spirit Stones as a reward.

A cultivator like me at the Qi Refining stage or even some Foundation Establishment Cultivators might take on tasks to help find the Spirit Medicines.

Of course, there are also some masters and uncles who trade privately."

Chu Ning nodded and said to Wang Ping:

"Go to Jiuhua City first to see if you can find these three Spirit Medicines."

He paused slightly and then continued:

"Also, check if there’s any Dragon Saliva Fragrance, Cangman Vine, or Black Flood Dragon Blood."

These three were materials Chu Ning had previously considered for refining Body Refining Elixirs, which the Alchemy Pavilion also lacked.

This wasn’t entirely the fault of the Jiuhua Sect’s Alchemy Pavilion.

The Spirit Medicines for body refining that Chu Ning wanted were too niche for the Jiuhua Sect.

And Spirit Medicines that augment Spiritual Sense are scarce to begin with.

Butterfly Dance Flower, Concentration Grass, and Earth Store Flower are among the more effective ones; surely, they were timely acquired by others at times too.

Chu Ning took some Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag and threw them to Wang Ping, then added:

"If you return from Jiuhua City without finding these Spirit Medicines, we’ll post a task in the Sect."

"Yes, Master," Wang Ping responded and turned to leave.

As he passed the Medicinal Garden, his gaze swept over the Iron Rock Beast and Ling Xiaobai, and his steps quickened once more.

It wasn’t until Wang Ping’s figure disappeared that Chu Ning muttered.

"Peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer; it looks like he’ll reach Qi Refining Perfection in three to six months.

Wang Ping’s cultivation aptitude isn’t bad either."

With that, Chu Ning withdrew his gaze again.

Picking up the two pill formulas that augment Spiritual Sense, Chu Ning began to ponder and study them.

Given the rarity of these Spirit Medicines, he needed to consider whether other Spirit Medicines could be substituted.

Over the next days, Chu Ning stayed in his own courtyard; besides cultivation, he continued to study the pill formulas.

Ten days later, holding a newly handwritten pill formula, Chu Ning’s eyes twinkled.

"Using Qi Dun Fruit to replace Butterfly Dance Flower is feasible, especially when paired with Flowing Light Leaf, potentially enhancing the efficacy.

Flowing Light Leaf isn’t hard to find, as I’ve used it before when refining the Six Spirits Pill.

In this way, as long as one can find either Concentration Grass or Earth Store Flower, the pill can be refined."

As Chu Ning was contemplating this, he lifted his gaze to look outside the Cave Mansion.

Then he directly opened the Cave Mansion’s restriction and said:

"Come in."

The words fell into the ears of Wang Ping, who was just outside the restriction of Chu Ning’s Cave Mansion and about to speak, causing him to pause slightly.

However, Wang Ping quickly walked in.

Looking around, not finding the two Spirit Beasts with Foundation Establishment strength, Wang Ping felt much more at ease.

Seeing Chu Ning standing with hands behind his back in the Medicinal Garden, Wang Ping immediately took a Wooden Box and a Jade Box from his Storage Bag.

"Master, I stayed in Jiuhua City for several days and only found Dragon Saliva Fragrance and Cangman Vine.

Butterfly Dance Flower, Concentration Grass, Earth Store Flower, and Black Flood Dragon Blood were nowhere to be found.

Afraid that you might be delayed, Master, I came back first."

"Oh, you found Dragon Saliva Fragrance and Cangman Vine?" Chu Ning, a bit surprised, took them.

Indeed, the Wooden Box contained more than ten thumb-thick vines, which were Cangman Vine.

The other Jade Box held Dragon Saliva Fragrance.

Although he hadn’t found the Spirit Medicines for refining the pills to augment Spiritual Sense, Chu Ning was still delighted.

At least with this Cangman Vine and Dragon Saliva Fragrance, if he could collect Black Flood Dragon Blood from a Tier Three Black Flood Dragon, he could refine the Celestial Spirit Pill.

This pill is excellent for Body Refining, and it’s been a long time since any progress has been made in his Body Refinement.

And in the Jiuhua Mountain Range, there seem to be several places where Black Flood Dragons reside, which might make collecting this easier. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Let’s go!" With this thought, Chu Ning headed outside.

"Wang Ping, lead the way to the Task Hall by the main peak to post a task, and I will also take a look at the main peak.