Eight Treasures Restaurant.
Gu Zhengshun arrived as promised, meeting Wang Yu in a private room. The second-grade, ice-attribute, serpent-type demon beast core he had requested was ready, along with three thousand spirit stones.
Gu Zhengshun said with a smile, "I had my master pull some strings to get this Frost Python core from the sect's second-grade treasure vault. Inspect it."
Wang Yu took the bluish, ice-qi emanating core. A small, snake-like phantom resided within—the remnant essence of the core's original owner, proving its authenticity and making forgery impossible.
The Frost Python Pill was only a first-grade pill, yet it required second-grade materials, highlighting its unique nature. If he could successfully condense the [Seed of Frigid Flame] within his Dantian sea, this method could potentially accompany his growth all the way to the Golden Core stage!
It was a rare growth-type spell. However, he felt this art could be classified as a [Treasure Art]; it had a feeling of borrowing power from a demonic beast.
Satisfied, Wang Yu set it down. With the Frost Python core and the Yin Marrow Liquid, the two main ingredients were now assembled. The rest were common first-grade spirit herbs.
"The items are satisfactory. This is the Foundation Establishment corpse. With its soul dispersed, it's very suitable for refining into an armored corpse. At the very least, it will become an Iron Armored Corpse."
Hearing this, Gu Zhengshun showed no disgust at the corpse's hideous appearance. Instead, he caressed it lovingly, a perverse behavior that sent a chill down one's spine.
"Excellent, excellent. The transaction is complete."
Each stowed their respective items. Wang Yu hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Brother Gu, could you do me a favor? Inquire about the situation at the Ice and Snow Pavilion over the last five years."
"Oh?"
Gu Zhengshun rubbed his fingers together.
"That's simple. I can have a clear report within a month at most. But why should I help you?"
Wang Yu took out a storage pouch filled with the spoils he intended to sell and tossed it directly to Gu Zhengshun.
"Brother Gu holds a decent position on Corpse Peak and must have aligned yourself with a True Disciple, right? You likely have channels to handle these items. Regardless of how much you sell them for, just give me eight thousand spirit stones."
The implication was that anything earned beyond that would be the reward for gathering the intelligence. By Wang Yu's estimate, although these items were second-hand, their total value was just over ten thousand spirit stones.
Gu Zhengshun knew his goods. Hearing this, he immediately agreed.
"Easily done. I didn't expect Junior Brother Wang to have so many spoils. It seems your Profound Bone Mountain trip was quite fruitful."
Wang Yu smiled. They understood each other without words.
"I also have a batch of Profound Essence Flowers. Is Brother Gu interested?"
"Come now—"
"Do tell."
As wine was poured, the two chatted harmoniously for a long time, only parting as dusk began to fall.
By entrusting these matters to Gu Zhengshun, Wang Yu's current spirit stone holdings reached over thirty-six thousand. Among Qi Refining disciples, this absolutely placed him in the wealthy category.
With just four thousand more, he could already use the Ice and Snow Pavilion's internal channels to exchange for a high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. This had been Zhao Shang's wish, now on the verge of being fulfilled by him—a twist of fate.
But he had killed so many late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, essentially seizing the wealth others had accumulated. It was only because they also harbored ambitions for Foundation Establishment that such a large sum had been pooled.
Alas, a high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill was far too ineffective for his Waste Spiritual Root.
If he truly wanted to prepare for his breakthrough, he needed to focus on Demonic Path secret arts.
Over the next month, while waiting for news from Gu Zhengshun, he also waited for the [Frost Python Pill] in the placement slot to reach perfection. Every day, vast amounts of refinement experience flooded his mind.
Combined with his knowledge of the related alchemy technique, the efficiency was extremely high!
While completing his daily cultivation routine, he also found time to visit the Alchemist Association he had founded. However, the situation was vastly different. In just five years, it had absorbed a large number of low-level alchemists.
The membership had exploded from four to over a hundred. The leader was now Zhou Tao, at the ninth layer of Qi Refining. Compared to Wang Yu's time in charge, its money-making ability had reached new heights, truly stepping into the spotlight.
It was more famous than pill shops opened by ordinary Foundation Establishment alchemists.
This situation quickly dissolved Wang Yu's thoughts of catching up. Even if this weren't the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, such a desire to show off was inadvisable.
Moreover, the sect's pill business had long been monopolized. One needed certification from the Alchemy Hall to operate related businesses.
When Wang Yu initially discovered the opportunity, aside from the unified pill prices, he also noticed that low-level alchemists all worked for established pill shops, earning only a crafting fee.
They didn't set up stalls to sell their own, cheaper pills at lower prices.
Zhou Tao stepping into the spotlight like this was pure arrogance. He likely thought he was under True Disciple Su's protection and nothing would happen.
He had expanded the business from Coldblood Market to the surrounding areas. The more he earned, the more his eyes were blinded by spirit stones, and he couldn't stop.
Such rampant wealth accumulation, once it crossed a certain line, would inevitably lead to death.
Of the original four founders of the Alchemist Association, the other two besides Wang Yu and Zhou Tao had withdrawn when Wang Yu left for Profound Bone Mountain. The taciturn Huang Kai had also quit. Only Luo Pinghu remained, serving under Zhou Tao.
After understanding the situation, Wang Yu could only sigh.
Developing at this pace, they probably wouldn't even make it through the year.
If he were ruthless, he could use this as another 'golden key' to hand to Enforcement Hall's Steward Zhuo Shouqing, perhaps profiting even more. However, after some thought, he abandoned the idea.
They were, after all, former colleagues. Only that Huang Kai seemed to have potential worth salvaging.
He put the matter aside.
...
...
5th month of his 8th year as an outer disciple. Exactly one month since returning to the sect.
On this day, magpies called at his door—an auspicious sign.
**[Placement Slot 4: Frost Python Pill (Perfected)]**
`Frost Python Pill (100/100): Thirty-six cycles per day. Estimated completion in thirty years.`
The pill formula reaching Perfection meant Wang Yu's familiarity with this pill had reached a masterful level of proficiency.
Previously, the placement slot cycled twenty-four times a day, equivalent to another version of him refining twenty-four batches of 「Frost Python Pills」 daily in an unknown location. All that experience and technique was completely inherited by him.
Over four months, that was equivalent to 2,880 batches of refinement.
This level of experience couldn't be described as merely masterful; it was transcendent. Few could boast such assisted experience.
Wang Yu, long prepared, specially spent a portion of his contribution points from the Profound Bone Mountain mission.
He rented an earthfire chamber in the Alchemy Hall located in the [Halls and Markets District]. Speaking of which, for a top-tier first-grade alchemist like himself, he still didn't have a proper pill furnace of his own.
This was the norm for most first-grade alchemists.
Practicing fire refinement required a fire source. Before learning flame-exhaling techniques, one could only borrow earthfire for pill refinement, which imposed location requirements. Thus, pill furnaces were often just temporarily used.
Once he refined the 「Frost Python Pills」 and condensed the Frigid Flame Seed, he could consider carrying a personal pill furnace.
For now, his focus was entirely on alchemy.
Herb washing, spirit cleansing... Using the power of the earthfire, he meticulously removed the unwanted medicinal properties from the ingredients—the so-called impurities—leaving only the parts he needed.
Wang Yu's techniques were skilled, his timing exquisite. Each time he added ingredients for extraction, it was nearly perfect.
After extraction came fusion!
His fire control art was also remarkable. The medicinal properties merged smoothly without the slightest waste. Supplemented by various [Pill Condensing Seals], the refinement process quickly entered the pill nurturing stage.
**(End of Chapter)**