Chapter 108: You Are Too Arrogant

Chapter 108: Chapter 108: You Are Too Arrogant

Yao Jin walked over to a dark-red Pill Furnace in the corner, which looked quite clean. He patted the side of the furnace and said to Chen Yue,

"Junior Brother Chen, this Pill Furnace isn’t being used by anyone at the moment. Its quality is decent, so you can use it for now. If you need a better one later, you can use Contribution Points to get one from the Affairs Hall or buy one at the Marketplace outside."

Yao Jin paused for a moment before adding,

"However, there’s one thing you must remember, Junior Brother. Any Elixirs you intend to refine for the purpose of exchanging for Contribution Points must be made here in the Hundred Herbs Pavilion. You are not allowed to refine them privately in your residence and then hand them in."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yue’s brow twitched. He instantly understood the purpose behind this rule. It was obviously to prevent people from tampering with the Elixirs and to ensure that there were no issues with the ones being submitted.

’Perhaps there’s some kind of special Spirit Soldier set up inside this Hundred Herbs Pavilion to monitor the alchemy process.’

’The management of a Major Sect is truly thorough, with such strict rules.’

"I understand," Chen Yue replied with a nod.

Seeing that Chen Yue understood, Yao Jin nodded and said,

"By the way, I haven’t asked yet, which Elixirs can you currently refine, Junior Brother Chen?"

Chen Yue thought for a moment and decided not to hide the Elixirs he knew how to make. He answered frankly,

"Senior Brother Yao, I can currently refine the Blood Circulation Pill, Solid Essence Pill, Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill, Bone-Enhancing Pill, Antitoxic Pill, and Blood Nourishing Pill."

After hearing the list, Yao Jin was visibly stunned. A look of surprise crossed his face, quickly followed by a laugh. "I didn’t expect you to know so many Pill Formulas at such a young age, Junior Brother Chen! It seems you had already dabbled quite a bit in the Alchemy Dao before joining the Sect. That’s a good thing!"

"You flatter me, Senior Brother. The Pill Formulas I’ve learned are a bit of a mixed bag," Chen Yue said, cupping his hands.

Yao Jin waved his hand dismissively, his expression turning serious as he said,

"Here on Dan Peak, different Elixirs are exchanged for different amounts of Contribution Points, and we don’t buy unlimited quantities of every Elixir.

"For instance, the most basic Blood Circulation Pill—Dan Peak doesn’t accept it. As for the Solid Essence Pill, three pills are worth one Contribution Point. The demand for this Elixir is high, so as long as the quality is acceptable, we’ll basically take as many as you can make."

"As for Elixirs like the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill, the peak accepts them, but there’s a limit on the quantity we’ll purchase. Once the monthly quota is met, we stop accepting them for that month."

Yao Jin paused. Seeing that Chen Yue didn’t seem confused, he continued,

"For pills like the Bone-Enhancing Pill, Antitoxic Pill, and Blood Nourishing Pill, the demand is even more unstable. The peak might only post missions to acquire small batches every once in a while, or they might not accept them at all.

"Of course, you can still refine them on your own, but you’ll have to find your own market for them, for example, in Celestial State Prefecture City."

Chen Yue nodded. ’That’s very reasonable. As part of the Sect, Dan Peak also needs to consider its reserves, consumption rate, and the cost of Elixirs.’

’Their priority is to ensure a stable supply of the basic, high-demand Elixirs.’

Yao Jin looked at Chen Yue and said,

"Junior Brother Chen, given that you can refine the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill, your Talent for the Alchemy Dao is clearly quite good. I suggest you try studying how to refine the Spirit Condensing Pill soon.

"It’s a common Elixir used for cultivation by those in the Bone Forging realm, so the demand is huge. A single qualifying Spirit Condensing Pill is worth one Contribution Point! If you can produce them consistently, you’ll accumulate Contribution Points much faster."

"The Spirit Condensing Pill?"

A slight smile touched Chen Yue’s lips when he heard the name.

’Back in the Youlin County black market, the Pill Formula I wanted to buy was for the Spirit Condensing Pill. But by a strange twist of fate, I ended up getting the formula for the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill first.’

’Who would have thought that after all this time, here in the Panshi Sect, the Spirit Condensing Pill would once again be recommended as a top priority.’

"Senior Brother Yao, to be honest, I previously obtained a Pill Formula for the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill. I was wondering what the peak’s policy is for acquiring this Elixir? And how are the Contribution Points calculated?"

"The Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill?" Upon hearing this, Yao Jin’s eyes widened slightly, his face filled with unconcealed astonishment.

"Junior Brother Chen, you’re studying that? The difficulty of refining that Elixir is a huge step up from the Dan Yang Pill! It’s incredibly demanding when it comes to controlling the heat and timing the fusion of the herbs. The slightest mistake means all your effort is wasted. Many senior Inner Sect Pill Masters don’t even dare to attempt it lightly!"

Chen Yue nodded, his expression serious.

"I understand it’s a difficult Elixir to refine. It’s just that I’ve been studying it for a long time and have invested a lot of effort into it, so I’m not willing to give up halfway. Even if it’s hard, I still want to give it a try."

Seeing Chen Yue’s earnest expression, Yao Jin slowly reined in his surprise, his brow furrowing slightly.

"That Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill is indeed extremely popular within the Sect. After all, it has the dual wondrous effects of both nourishing the Heart Spirit and enhancing one’s Cultivation. It holds immense appeal for Martial Artists at the Marrow Refining Realm and even those just entering the Refining Organ Realm. But it’s just too difficult to refine."

Chen Yue nodded slowly at his words.

’Even though I’m only in the Bone Forging realm, I long ago marked the Dan Yang Pill I take daily as a target for replacement.’

’After cultivating the Heart Nourishing Technique, I understand the profound importance of the Power of Heart and Spirit better than anyone.’

’The Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill can both enhance my Cultivation and nourish my Heart Spirit. For me, its value far surpasses that of a simple Dan Yang Pill. It’s one of the most ideal Elixirs for my current stage.’

Seeing that Chen Yue didn’t seem to have dropped the idea, Yao Jin stopped trying to dissuade him.

"Since you’re set on trying, Junior Brother, I’ll be blunt. If you can truly succeed in refining a qualifying Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill, a single finished pill can be exchanged for six Contribution Points!"

Yao Jin pointed to another area of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion. "That’s where you exchange Contribution Points for herbs. There are disciples on duty. The exchange rates for various herbs are posted on the wall. Just use your Identity Token to get whatever you need. However..."

He paused to add a word of caution, "The more precious the herbs, the more Contribution Points they require, and there are also limits on the quantity you can exchange for. This is to prevent people from wasting or hoarding them."

With that explained, Yao Jin said no more. He turned and walked over to the Pill Furnace he usually used, focused his Heart Spirit, and began to prepare for his own Alchemy practice for the day.

As a senior outer sect disciple of Dan Peak, he had his own tasks and goals to accomplish.

Chen Yue thanked Yao Jin and headed toward the herb exchange counter.

Yao Jin looked up and glanced at Chen Yue’s retreating back. He couldn’t help but shake his head inwardly as his perception of this new junior brother underwent a subtle change.

’Sigh. Yesterday, I thought he seemed calm and grounded, with a decent foundation in Alchemy Skill. I didn’t expect him to reveal such an overly ambitious streak today.’

Yao Jin sighed to himself. ’He hasn’t even tried to make a Spirit Condensing Pill, and he likely knows nothing about refining a Dan Yang Pill, yet he wants to jump straight to an Elixir as difficult as the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill...’

Yao Jin didn’t dwell on it. He lowered his head, focusing all his attention on the Pill Furnace and herbs before him, and began to skillfully process the ingredients and control the fire to heat the furnace.

’For an Alchemy Master, staying grounded is the only true path. As for Chen Yue... maybe it’s for the best if he learns the hard way.’

’The ingredients for a single batch of Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill are quite valuable. After he fails a few times, he’ll learn to feel the sting of wasting Contribution Points.’

’Besides, Dan Peak doesn’t have an unlimited supply for exchanges involving such precious herbs.’

’Once the disciple on duty notices someone from Dan Peak exchanging large quantities of a specific precious herb without ever submitting the corresponding finished Elixirs, they’ll start limiting the amount that person can exchange.’

’It’s not about making things difficult on purpose; it’s to prevent resources from being senselessly wasted on a disciple who clearly doesn’t have the necessary skill.’

’Sect resources, after all, must be used where they’re most effective.’

Chen Yue, of course, had no idea what Yao Jin was thinking. He arrived at the herb exchange counter, which looked more like a small storeroom lined with all sorts of Herb Cabinets.

A disciple with a stern expression looked up at Chen Yue and said, "Name, Token, and what do you need to exchange?"

Chen Yue handed over his outer sect disciple Token. "Senior Brother, I am Chen Yue, a new disciple on Dan Peak. Excuse me, is the Hundred Herbs Pavilion still accepting Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills today?"

The disciple took the Token, quickly checked it against a thick ledger, then shook his head. He handed the Token back, his tone flat.

"The quota for Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills for this month has already been met. You’ll have to wait until the start of next month when the limit is reset."

Chen Yue’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. After a moment of thought, he continued, "In that case, if I wanted to exchange for the herbs needed to refine the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill, how many Contribution Points would one set of ingredients cost?"

’On my panel, the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill has already reached Minor Success (1103/5735). I can already try refining it, and there’s a high probability I’ll succeed on the first attempt.’

"Ingredients for the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill?"

Upon hearing this, a clear look of surprise finally appeared on the disciple’s face. He sized up the new outer sect disciple before him once more.

’A brand-new disciple is asking to exchange for ingredients to refine the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill?’

The disciple suppressed his strange feeling and said matter-of-factly, "One set of ingredients for the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill costs three Contribution Points. These ingredients cannot be purchased with silver taels; they must be exchanged for with Contribution Points."

’The rules are clear. Precious ingredients are only available to disciples who have contributed to the Sect.’

Chen Yue nodded, unsurprised by the price. ’Three Contribution Points for the ingredients, and if I can successfully form one pill, it’s worth six Contribution Points.’

’But my Contribution Points are currently at zero, so that path is closed for now.’

"I understand. Thank you, Senior Brother."

Chen Yue took back his Token and said, "Then, what about exchanging for the ingredients for the Solid Essence Pill? I don’t have any Contribution Points at the moment."

Hearing "Solid Essence Pill," the disciple’s expression visibly relaxed. He even seemed to think that this new disciple was finally acting normal.

His tone softened as he explained, "Since you’re a new disciple, for your first month, you can purchase the ingredients for Elixirs like the Solid Essence Pill and Spirit Condensing Pill with silver taels at market price. However, there’s still a limit on the quantity.

"After your first month, you’ll have to use Contribution Points for everything."

"I see."

Chen Yue understood and no longer hesitated. "Could I trouble you for three sets of ingredients for the Solid Essence Pill, Senior Brother?"

Hearing this, the disciple turned and began to retrieve the ingredients from the Herb Cabinet behind him. A moment later, he handed them to Chen Yue.

Chen Yue paid the silver coins, picked up the three oil-paper-wrapped sets of ingredients for the Solid Essence Pill, and walked back to the Pill Furnace that had been assigned to him within the Hundred Herbs Pavilion.

Yao Jin, who was concentrating on controlling his fire, heard the commotion. He caught sight of Chen Yue’s return out of the corner of his eye and glanced at the ingredients revealed in the unwrapped oil paper. Recognizing them as materials for the Solid Essence Pill, he couldn’t help but crack a smile.

Yao Jin said nothing, merely focusing more intently on his own Pill Furnace and carefully adjusting the heat.

’In his view, while this Junior Brother Chen might be a bit too ambitious, at least he knew to keep his feet on the ground. Starting with the most basic Solid Essence Pill to get familiar with Dan Peak’s procedures was the proper way to do things.’

Chen Yue paid no mind to Yao Jin’s gaze. He first carefully inspected the Pill Furnace, confirming that the chamber was clean and the fire vent was unobstructed.

Then, he took one set of the Solid Essence Pill ingredients and meticulously sorted them on the table, his movements fluid and natural.

’I already mastered the Pill Formula for the Solid Essence Pill to the Perfection Realm back in Youlin County.’

’Refining an Elixir like this poses no difficulty for me now.’

’Besides, by appropriately demonstrating my skill with a basic, high-demand Elixir like this, I can quickly earn some initial Contribution Points and establish a good first impression on Dan Peak as someone with a solid foundation. There’s no need to deliberately hide my abilities here.’