My Informative Cultivation Life

During this period, Yang Ji enjoyed ample top-grade Spirit Enhancing Pills for his cultivation, which was quite pleasant.

As expected, his cultivation level had reached the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining.

[Cultivation Level: Seventh Layer of Qi Refining (450/6400)]

In those two years, nothing significant happened; everything was as usual.

However, a minor incident occurred today, two years later.

The Mo Family Shop came to Myriad Treasures Tower, and initial thoughts led Yang Ji to believe it was because his Medicine Pills were of such high quality that they had usurped the Mo Family's business.

Upon inquiry, Jin Dafu revealed to him, "Your Medicine Pills are indeed of slightly better quality; we are all selling them for five hundred and twenty Spirit Stones per bottle."

With different pricing for the Medicine Pills, the consumer audiences varied, leading to not so much competition.

Upon further questioning, Yang Ji learned that it was actually about He Gu who couldn't stand that the Medicine Pills sold by Myriad Treasures Tower were of better quality than those he had refined, so he had come to pick a fight.

The target was unmistakably identified as the source of fire used in pill production.

Huo Yuan, who had ascended to become a Peak Alchemy Master, had finally caught up with He Gu, who had once been leagues ahead of him. Feeling triumphant, he was, of course, not pleased.

He thus engaged in a contest with He Gu. Both of them performed alchemy in public on Nanfeng Island's plaza, drawing many cultivators to watch.

For such a minor competitive display, Yang Ji naturally couldn't be bothered to observe, so the result remained unknown to him.

However, in the evening, when he saw Huo Yuan return, humming a tune with a face glowing with triumph, he knew that Huo Yuan had won.

Of course, this was also within his expectations.

After all, the Pill Recipe he had provided to Huo Yuan had been meticulously refined by him, with the medicinal liquid mix close to perfection, which resulted in even better quality Medicine Pills.

So the victory was not a surprise.

On the same day that Huo Yuan was celebrating, Yang Ji also received some good news.

Jin Dafu had at last gathered forty portions of Spiritual Medicine needed for the Refining of Spiritual Origin Pill from various places. The Spirit Origin Pill was a mid-grade Medicine Pill, several times better than the Spirit Enhancing Pill.

If he could consume Spirit Origin Pills, Yang Ji's cultivation would undoubtedly progress even faster.

At this moment, he, with the newly acquired Spiritual Medicines and Pill Recipe from Jin Dafu, couldn't wait to enter the alchemy room.

With a flick of his Storage Bag, he took out the Pill Furnace, and after enlarging it, he enveloped the Earth Fire completely and began preheating the furnace.

Taking advantage of this interval, Yang Ji began to study the Pill Recipe, memorizing the order in which the Spiritual Medicines should be added, then started inspecting the medicines himself.

The cost for one portion of Spiritual Medicine needed for the Spirit Origin Pill was three thousand Spirit Stones, totaling one hundred and twenty thousand Spirit Stones for forty portions.

It took Jin Dafu over two years to gather these forty portions, highlighting the preciousness of such aged Spiritual Medicines.

Firstly, Spiritual Medicines grew slowly, requiring a long period of time to mature.

Secondly, top-tier cultivation resources like these were monopolized by major families and the three great Sects, who rarely released much to the outside world.

After all, top-tier cultivation resources equate to faster cultivation, and with faster cultivation, one can outrun their mortal fate. If the mortal fate is outpaced, it translates to a longer life.

Hence, top-tier cultivation resources are akin to life, and anything tied to life is exceedingly precious.

After some inquiries, Yang Ji learned that Jin Dafu had managed to obtain these dozens of portions through his network of connections.

Therefore, he was treating the process with much more gravitas than when he had previously refined the Spirit Enhancing Pills.

One incense stick's time later, Yang Ji had thoroughly reviewed the Pill Recipe and the Spiritual Medicines in his hand.

Once everything was ready, he slapped the lid of the furnace and threw in the Spirit Origin Fruit.

However, as time passed, his brows furrowed ever deeper.

He found that although the Spirit Origin Fruit in the fire had melted, the potency was nowhere near optimal, and the impurities were too numerous; the fire just wasn't capable of refining them away.

Yang Ji frowned and peered at the message, "The spirit energy within the Earth Fire is insufficient to fully smelt the medicinal power of the Spirit Origin Fruit, currently unleashing only 60% of its potency, with 60% impurities present."

Lacking spirit energy from the Earth Fire?

Yang Ji was taken aback. This was not simply an issue of inadequate fire intensity; the Spirit Origin Fruit was able to melt, which clearly meant the temperature was reached, yet the medicinal power within the fruit could not be fully unleashed.

"Only 60% of the medicinal power released, refining forty portions, would nearly result in a loss of half," Yang Ji shook his head, obviously unable to accept such a loss. He immediately began collecting the liquefied Spirit Origin Fruit from the Pill Furnace into a vessel.

Spiritual medicines required for refining mid-grade Spirit Pills are already hard to find, losing more than half was not what he wanted, and he had to find another way.

Yang Ji put away the Pill Furnace and walked out with a gloomy face. Huo Yuan caught sight of this scene; his eyes flashed, and he approached with a chuckle, "Master, did you encounter a problem with alchemy?"

Hm? Yang Ji's gloomy expression paused as he saw the seven words atop Huo Yuan's head, "Hehe, insufficient spirit energy, right?"

Did this little old man guess the problem I encountered with alchemy this time?

Indeed!

Although Huo Yuan's alchemy skills were mediocre, he had lived for several decades, seen much, and could naturally think of the flaw of insufficient Earth Fire spirit energy.

Yang Ji glanced at him and sighed. Then he spoke, "As you guessed, this Earth Fire simply cannot completely smelt the Spirit Origin Fruit."

"Master, I know of a flame that can definitely smelt the Spirit Origin Fruit completely," Huo Yuan said with a mysterious smirk.

"A Spiritual Fire? Or perhaps a Beast Flame?"

Yang Ji looked at him indifferently and asked casually.

His expression didn't change much because he knew that only these two kinds of flame that contained more spirit energy could fully smelt the Spirit Origin Fruit.

But both Spiritual Fire and Beast Flame were extremely difficult to find.

As for the former, natural-born Spiritual Fires are exceedingly rare, and whenever word of one spread, alchemists would lead people to swarm to it in droves.

The latter is the same; if an alchemist discovered a Demonic Beast with a Beast Flame, they would certainly take action to capture it.

Because these two types of flame are necessities for becoming a high-level Alchemist.

Just from the fact that the Spirit Origin Fruit couldn't be fully smelted by the Earth Fire shows the importance of flame to alchemists.

"Hehe, Master, you need not be disheartened. I know the whereabouts of a Beast Flame," Huo Yuan said with a sycophantic smile.

"Oh?" A flicker of interest crossed Yang Ji's eyes as he raised his head to stare at Huo Yuan, "Please do tell."

"Ten years ago, I set out to sea with others to find spiritual medicines. That night, I witnessed a magical scene on the ocean surface."

"Despite the bright full moon shining above and the moonbeams spilling down, I noticed that the moonlight on the sea surface nearby was even denser."

"That moonlight first fell gently like wisps of blue smoke, but in the end, it surged down like thick smoke, straight towards the bottom of the sea."

"Surprised beyond belief, I drove the Water Boat beneath the waves to check, and I discovered that the power of the moonlight pouring into the sea was being absorbed completely by a small sun, and that small sun was none other than a Level Seven Flame Beast hidden within the ocean."

"As it opened its mouth to absorb the power of the moonlight, I knew it was attempting a breakthrough."

"Because whenever a Blazing Beast is on the verge of a breakthrough, it absorbs moonlight to regulate the volatile Blazing Sun power within its body, and that was also its weakest moment."

"Gathering my courage, I immediately approached to launch an attack on it."

"But the Blazing Beast was incredibly vigilant and sensed the danger. Ignoring that its breakthrough was at a critical moment, it twisted its head and plunged into the deep sea."

"Sitting in the Water Boat, I intended to kill it while it was in a weakened state during its breakthrough, so I continued the pursuit."

"However, the Blazing Beast was fast. After fleeing into a volcanic vent at the bottom of the sea, it vanished from sight."

"As an alchemist, I couldn't forget about this Blazing Beast and waited on the vast ocean for a whole year, yet I never saw it emerge again."

"It wasn't until I arrived at the Myriad Treasures Tower and had access to the Earth Fire that I gradually forgot about it."

"But seeing you encounter a setback in refining medicine just now brought all those memories rushing back," Huo Yuan said with a smile.

"An event from ten years ago?" Yang Ji frowned, "It's been ten years, is that Blazing Beast still there?"

(How do you like the recent plot? I'd really like to hear your opinions. I'm quite confused now; even though I have an outline, I'm afraid the story I write won't be appealing to you, and I'm torn. I've never been so troubled writing a book because I'm eager to write this one well.)