Cultivation Starting from Choosing Augments-Chapter 38: Junior Brother Xiao, You’re Going the Wrong Way
"Although I do know Alchemy, according to the sect’s rules, Magic cannot be taught privately."
"So, we still have to follow the proper procedure to avoid any gossip."
As Elder Chen spoke, he handed over a Token. "Since the Scripture Pavilion is making things difficult for you, use this as proof and go to the Alchemy Hall to select an Alchemy technique."
Xiao Chen thanked Elder Chen and then went to the Alchemy Hall, where he met another Elder Chen.
The Chen Family had practiced Alchemy for generations, and the person in charge of the sect’s Alchemy Hall was none other than Chen Tianyang’s older brother—Chen Tianyuan.
After his Token was inspected, a senior brother from the Alchemy Hall guided Xiao Chen to the storeroom.
"Junior Brother Xiao, on these shelves are the sect’s complete and distinctive Alchemy techniques. They are also divided into Profound and Yellow Levels." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
"These two rows on the left are all Profound Level Alchemy techniques, while the row on the far right contains the ordinary Yellow Level Alchemy techniques practiced by the Alchemy Apprentices."
Hearing this, Xiao Chen walked straight to the far right.
"Junior Brother Xiao, you’re going the wrong way. Those are the Yellow Level techniques over there."
Xiao Chen smiled faintly. "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother, but I’m not mistaken. You may not know this, but I actually prefer these simpler techniques. They’re easier for an entry-level practitioner."
Huh?
The Pill Hall senior brother couldn’t comprehend such a bizarre idea, but he was utterly shocked.
’Would someone really pass up a Profound Level technique for a Yellow Level one?’
’No, no, no, he must just be curious.’
"Senior Brother, I’ve made my choice. I’ll take this one."
This wasn’t the Scripture Pavilion, after all; there were only four Yellow Level techniques available. While all were centered on fire, each was compatible with a different element: Metal, Wood, Water, or Earth.
Xiao Chen had a low-grade Wood Spirit Root, so he naturally chose the *Evergreen Pill Technique*, which focused on the Wood Attribute. He didn’t need to hesitate at all.
"Junior Brother Xiao, are you sure you don’t want to pick another technique? You didn’t even glance at the Profound Level ones."
Even as they walked out of the Alchemy Hall and stood at the entrance, the senior brother still found it hard to believe.
"I appreciate your good intentions, Senior Brother, but I’m not very talented. I wouldn’t be able to understand a technique that’s too complex, so I’ll stick with this one."
His mind made up, Xiao Chen strode down the mountain to the Marketplace, intending to purchase a suitable Pill Furnace.
Of course, the Li Huo Sect didn’t lack Pill Furnaces. However, in the Alchemy Hall, even apprentices aspiring to become Alchemists would purchase their own personal furnace.
This was because the sect’s public Pill Furnaces were not only insufficient in number, often requiring a long wait to use.
They were also old and worn out. Using such furnaces for Alchemy would inevitably make Pill Formation significantly more difficult.
Elder Chen had told him about this before and recommended he choose an ordinary, low-grade Pill Furnace.
A brand-new one cost around one hundred Spirit Stones. Although a bit pricey, it was the tier most Alchemy Hall disciples used.
If one was willing to buy a second-hand model, the price could be several dozen Spirit Stones cheaper depending on its condition, and these were mostly sold to the Alchemy Apprentices.
After all, even a second-hand furnace was far better than the sect’s public ones.
As for high-quality Pill Furnaces that aided in Pill Formation, their prices were exorbitant and not very cost-effective for a novice. The choice ultimately depended on one’s willingness to spend and the number of Spirit Stones they had.
As the saying goes, a craftsman must first sharpen his tools to do a good job.
If he could get a good Pill Furnace, learning Alchemy would certainly be much more convenient and easier.
After some thought, Xiao Chen decided that certain expenses were unavoidable. He headed straight for the largest and most popular shop in the Li Huo Market—the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Of course, following the principle of not flaunting his wealth, he had deliberately put on his Stealth Cloak to conceal his appearance.
Living up to its grand name, the Hundred Treasures Tower was enormous in scale.
Magical Artifacts for the Qi Refining Stage alone occupied an entire building.
From the first to the ninth floor, the sections were, in order: Flying Swords, Magic Robes, Talisman Making, Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Array Formation, Beast Taming, and Curiosities.
When Xiao Chen arrived on the fifth floor, a Loose Cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining was already haggling with the Hundred Treasures Tower’s manager over a red Pill Furnace.
"Six hundred Spirit Stones, minimum. This is the absolute lowest price; we’re already selling it at a loss."
"Fellow Daoist, can’t you go any lower? The prices of all sorts of Spirit Grass have been rising recently, and I really don’t have enough Spirit Stones. Just knock off another fifty Spirit Stones. Only fifty."
The manager shook his head repeatedly. "No, absolutely not. Six hundred Spirit Stones is our most sincere offer."
He then turned and called out to Xiao Chen with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, the rows in the back and on the right are all high-quality, new-model Pill Furnaces. If you see one you like, just give me a call."
The Stealth Cloak hid his appearance, but the cloak itself implied that the visitor’s purpose was anything but simple.
If it weren’t for the fact that customers hiding their identities generally don’t wish to be disturbed, especially not probed for information.
The manager would have run right over to give Xiao Chen recommendations instead of continuing to haggle over there.
Xiao Chen carefully examined several Pill Furnaces, comparing the text descriptions for the Middle Grade and low-grade models.
He discovered that the main advantage of a Middle Grade Pill Furnace was its ability to help a Cultivator maintain a more stable Spiritual Fire. It could also hold more medicinal ingredients and withstand higher temperatures than a low-grade one.
For a novice Alchemist, controlling the size of the Spiritual Fire by regulating the input speed of Magical Power was a rather difficult task.
However, a Middle Grade Pill Furnace could use its pre-engraved Artifact Patterns to set a maximum limit for Magical Power input.
This way, even if an Alchemist injected too much Magical Power, the temperature would remain below a preset threshold, ensuring it wouldn’t overheat.
The Three-legged Spirit Refining Furnace in front of him could even store some Magical Power in advance or be powered by inserted Spirit Stones.
This way, an Alchemist only needed a tiny amount of Magical Power to operate the furnace, greatly reducing the strain on their reserves during Alchemy.
It also had a function to prevent the Spiritual Fire from being interrupted; once activated, the Spiritual Fire would remain stable, supported by Spirit Stones, even if the user’s Magical Power input was cut off.
This way, if an urgent matter came up in the middle of Alchemy, the Alchemist could lower the heat and step away for a moment, which was incredibly convenient.
A low-grade Pill Furnace, on the other hand, basically only converted Magical Power into Spiritual Fire. The Alchemist had to remain completely focused throughout the entire process, unable to afford the slightest mistake.
Naturally, since a Middle Grade Pill Furnace’s functions were superior to a low-grade one’s, its price was also significantly higher.
The cheapest model cost 499 Spirit Stones, while this Three-legged Refining Furnace required nine hundred Spirit Stones.
Xiao Chen looked it over again and again. Although the Three-legged Refining Furnace was a bit expensive, its features were comprehensive. For a novice Alchemist like him, who was just preparing to get started, it was undoubtedly a much-needed item.
He glanced back. The Hundred Treasures Tower manager was still haggling with the Loose Cultivator; they were now down to 599 Spirit Stones.
Xiao Chen called out directly, "Manager, what’s the lowest price for this Pill Furnace?"
"My, what excellent taste you have, customer!" The manager immediately rushed over enthusiastically upon hearing him. "This Pill Furnace was crafted by an Artifact Refining master..."
Xiao Chen raised a hand, cutting off the sales pitch. "Enough. Just give me the price."
The manager extended his index finger and thumb. "If you’re truly interested, I can make an executive decision and sell it to you for 888 Spirit Stones. It’s an auspicious number, signifying that your future will be filled with wealth..."
Xiao Chen’s tone was stern. "That’s enough. I am busy picking out a gift for my disciple and can’t be bothered to haggle. Give me a real price."
"If I’m satisfied, we have a deal. If you try to overcharge me again, I will take my business elsewhere."
This was the disguise Xiao Chen had prepared. With the Stealth Cloak, the other party couldn’t see his age anyway.
He was hinting to the manager that he was an Alchemy Master capable of taking on disciples, only here to buy a Pill Furnace for his apprentice. He knew the market well, so the manager shouldn’t even think about tricking him.
The manager was indeed bluffed and didn’t respond immediately.
After a moment of thought, he proposed a new deal. "Master, since you’re buying this for your disciple, I also have a batch of high-quality Incense Sticks made from Agarwood Incense."
"The price of 888 was set by the Shopkeeper, but I have the authority to include three bundles of Incense Sticks and a top-quality Warm Jade Meditation Mat as a gift. What do you think?"
This batch of incense had been ordered a year ago by another Alchemist, but he had vanished without a trace after leaving on a trip, so the incense had been sitting here ever since.
Ordinary Cultivators couldn’t afford such a high-end product, while the great families looked down on such a small quantity. It had been a constant headache for the manager, and it looked like he was going to be stuck with it.
He was just trying his luck, bringing out the incense and the meditation mat, hoping this mysterious Alchemy Master would take them off his hands.
These two items, if purchased separately, would cost around 160 Spirit Stones, mainly because the Agarwood Incense was truly expensive.
Xiao Chen inspected the Incense Sticks, which seemed to be of high quality. So, with a wave of his hand, he said, "Wrap them up for me!"
"Right away!" The manager’s face bloomed into a wide smile. He not only packed everything for Xiao Chen in a large wooden crate but also assigned an assistant to help carry it to the Marketplace exit, free of charge.
If Xiao Chen hadn’t been wearing the Stealth Cloak, they would have even offered to deliver it directly to his home.
The Loose Cultivator, who had been a little unhappy when he saw the manager abandon him, immediately put aside his petty thoughts upon seeing Xiao Chen’s extravagant purchase. His eyes were now filled with nothing but curious speculation.
’There weren’t many people who could casually use Agarwood Incense worth hundreds of Spirit Stones.’
’Could this person be a Foundation Establishment senior?!’
’And remembering that the man was buying a Pill Furnace for his disciple, he could probably rule out the possibility of him being a clan Alchemist.’
’Could it be that a new Loose Cultivator Alchemist at the Foundation Establishment stage has arrived in Li Huo Market?’
’This was important news; he had to pay close attention.’
