Chapter 290: Refining Alchemist

Taking advantage of the night, he entered the Outer City District, and Jiang Cheng did not immediately return home.

Instead, he drove toward the direction of the Black Market.

The last time he heard the other side mention thirty years, a desire to retreat sprouted in his heart, and later comments from others further shook him.

But the current situation is different; the circumstances are becoming increasingly urgent.

That failed mission already made Bing Li distrust him; he took no action, merely considering the other side arrogant, thinking he was just a Second-level Force Warrior who couldn't stir any waves.

The next mission won't be easy to fool around with.

Moreover, during the day he will eradicate the Iron Fist Gang entirely; even if some fish slip through the net, they will no longer be a threat.

Logically, a normal person wouldn't think this matter involves him, after all he killed the Martial Arts Hall's Gym Master with a knife right under many people's eyes.

But it's not fearing ten thousand; it's fearing the "what if."

It's still better to find an exit early and withdraw from the Dawn Society.

The Black Market now is one such way out.

The other way is the Rebel Army.

He plans to study both sides in detail before making a decision.

The car stopped not far from the Black Market; Jiang Cheng got out and walked toward his destination.

The surroundings were oddly quiet; not a single human shadow, not even a ghostly silhouette.

Outside the Black Market courtyard, two lanterns emitted red light; in the dead of night, it felt unsettling.

Jiang Cheng concealed his footsteps and reached the door, knocking on it.

After several knocks, a man's voice sounded from inside.

"This place is not open to the public normally; come back on the first day of the next month."

"I heard you are recruiting Spiritual Thought Masters; I'd like to inquire about the situation," Jiang Cheng said.

The voice inside fell silent.

Immediately, a series of footsteps approached from afar.

Then the door opened, revealing a middle-aged man in a long robe.

"Are you a Spiritual Thought Master?"

The other side showed a hint of suspicion.

"Level 1 Spirit Mind Practitioner."

Jiang Cheng nodded.

"Very well, come in."

The man stepped aside; after Jiang Cheng entered, he closed the door.

Compared with his last visit, the interior was far more desolate; even the courtyard fountain was silent.

Of course, the Spiritual Grandmaster was absent, because he hadn't sensed anyone watching.

"Please demonstrate first."

The man pointed at the pen on the table.

"Alright."

Jiang Cheng's thoughts flickered, causing the pen on the table to levitate, then accelerate sharply; Puff— it pierced a branch outside. The robed man looked surprised.

His attitude immediately became much friendlier.

"Please wait a moment, friend; I'll go notify Li Guanshi right away."

Jiang Cheng nodded and waited quietly.

After about two minutes, a man in a blue robe emerged from the house, his face full of smiles, "Friend, I heard you want to join our Black Market?"

"I have that idea, but I need specifics—what I can gain after joining you, and what I must do?" Jiang Cheng said bluntly.

This time he wore a Human Skin Mask different from before, so as long as he doesn't produce the Bid Token, the other side won't know his true identity.

"Sure, please follow me."

The two returned to the same private room as before; Li Guanshi poured them each a cup of tea. The opening remarks were much the same as last time, but the latter part added a lot more content.

"Friend, once you join us, we will first provide a Refining Alchemy room, including alchemy formulas and various herbs, and try to cultivate you into a Refining Alchemy master, just as we would train a sentient Force Warrior into a Seal Maker."

"Is it because this is more profitable?"

Jiang Cheng smiled.

Li Guanshi was taken aback by the remark, apparently not expecting Jiang Chen to be so blunt, and let out a hearty laugh.

"It's not entirely that; mainly, such matters benefit both sides. Spiritual Thought Masters and sentient Force Warriors are so scarce that describing them as one in ten thousand is not an exaggeration; losing them in battle would be a great waste. Take, for example, a Force Warrior who follows the energy path: by using the Force within his body to craft simple Talismans, he can earn a fortune, so why bother risking lives? The same applies to Spiritual Thought Masters."

It's just like a Force Warrior who follows the energy path; by using the Force within their body to craft some simple Talismans they can make a fortune, so why bother risking lives? The same principle applies to a Spiritual Thought Master.

He had long been puzzled that, after all this time, he had never encountered a Force Warrior on the energy path.

Not even within the Dawn Society.

Turns out, they were all busy behind the scenes forging Talismans to make money.

Li Guanshi took a sip of tea and continued, "Now that technology has advanced, traditional methods of Refining Alchemy are unnecessary. There are specialized devices for making elixirs; just press a button to process herbs, or add herbs during the process, control temperature. At first glance, it seems much simpler. However, the alchemy furnace changes in an instant; a slight difference in timing can make the resulting elixir's quality completely different. Therefore, for a Refining Alchemy practitioner, one must keep Spiritual Power highly focused throughout the process, and most importantly, be able to see inside the furnace via Spiritual Power. Only a Spiritual Thought Master can do that, which is why only Spiritual Thought Masters can practice Refining Alchemy."

Li Guanshi took the opportunity to sip his tea and continued: "Now that technology has advanced, there is no need to use traditional methods for Refining Alchemy; there are dedicated devices for producing elixirs, and simply pressing a button can process the herbs, or during the process add ingredients and control temperature. At first glance it seems much simpler, but the alchemy furnace changes in an instant, and a slight difference in timing can make the resulting elixir's quality completely different. Therefore, for those who practice Refining Alchemy, they must keep their Spiritual Power highly focused throughout the process, and most importantly, be able to see inside the furnace with Spiritual Power. Only a Spiritual Thought Master can do this, which is why only a Spiritual Thought Master can practice Refining Alchemy."

Jiang Cheng asked again, "But not every Spiritual Thought Master can become a Refining Alchemy master, right?"

Jiang Cheng asked again, "But not every Spiritual Thought Master can become a Refining Alchemy master, right?"

Li Guanshi smiled.

"Each person's talent differs; only a few Spiritual Thought Masters have an aptitude for Refining Alchemy and progress quickly, able to produce high-grade, higher-quality elixirs. Most Spiritual Thought Masters can only produce First-grade elixirs, and their quality isn't high, though they can still make some profit. Others are completely clueless; no matter how many herbs they use, it's all waste."

"But that doesn't matter much; we recruit Spiritual Thought Masters primarily to train them into Refining Alchemy masters. If not, we can also develop them for combat, such as using Psychic Weapons, or even piloting mechs with Laser Cannons,"

But that doesn't matter much; we recruit Spiritual Thought Masters, and it's better if they can be trained into Refining Alchemy masters, if not, we can also train them toward combat, such as fighting with Psychic Weapons, or simply piloting mechs and using Laser Cannons in battle,

The Laser Cannon's speed approaches light speed; as long as it can lock onto an enemy's position it is almost certain to hit, which sets very high demands on the operator, because Spiritual Power is strong, and a mecha controlled by a Spiritual Thought Master can easily lock onto an enemy's position, so its battlefield performance will be far stronger than a Force Warrior's, of course.

Li Guanshi gave an awkward smile.

"We don't often use mecha here; being able to fight with a Psychic Weapon is enough. When carrying out ordinary missions, a Force Warrior will also be nearby for protection, so you can rest assured about safety."

"What if a Spiritual Thought Master has no talent in Refining Alchemy or combat?"

"This …"

Li Guanshi shrugged.

"Then they can handle some relatively simple tasks, but still, they're Spiritual Thought Masters, and we won't shortchange them here."

(End of Chapter)