Chapter 102: Spirit Pills are Easy to Refine, Longevity is Hard to Obtain

Spirit Pills, or rather, low-grade Spirit Pills that simply increase cultivation and assist in practice, do not actually have a very large market in Xishan Prefecture; at the very least, the volume of low-grade Spirit Pills sold by the several pill pavilions in Fuyun Market is enough to cover the buyer's market, with plenty to spare.

As for Xishan Market, the cultivators who often hang around here are even less focused on Longevity; with Spirit Pearls and Divine Sand in hand, isn't it better to go to the gambling dens and brothels to take a gamble and have some fun?

Using silver and money for cultivation is just throwing it down the drain.

"How could the things in Xishan Market be the same price as those sold by the legitimate firms in Fuyun Market? Only a fool would buy them."

The shopkeeper of Baibao Pavilion gave a dry laugh: "A novice like you, even if you manage to refine a Spirit Pill, who would buy it if it has no name or reputation? Unless you lower the price. By the way, at the level of Spirit Pills, alchemists generally engrave their own name on the bottom of the pill bottle to indicate which master refined this pill."

Speaking of this, the shopkeeper's tone was somewhat mocking as he smiled: "By the way, this small shop also accepts custom orders for high-end pill bottles and engravings. Would this Alchemist Master like to order a batch? The price is negotiable."

Chen Ci: "."

Bah, just wait until Chen Heavenly Venerable returns after achieving the Dao; you crooked merchant will get what's coming to you.

"Shopkeeper, what is the selling price of low-grade Spirit Pills in Xishan Market? Can it reach eighty percent of the price at the pill pavilions?"

Chen Ci calculated silently in his heart; if the price were lowered to eighty percent, given the exorbitant profits of medicinal pills, it wouldn't be impossible to make a profit. It mainly depends on the success rate and how many pills are produced per furnace.

"Eighty percent? You're dreaming, fifty percent!"

The shopkeeper rolled his eyes: "For the same type of pill, it has to be fifty percent of the price at the Fuyun Market pill pavilions. In the beginning, you might even have to throw in an extra pill per bottle to attract people to buy; once your reputation in Xishan Market grows and you are addressed as Alchemist Chen, then you can sell it for sixty percent; if you can be respectfully called Master Chen, then you can sell it for eighty percent."

This is so damn competitive!

It's one thing for Bigu Pills to be competitive, but why are low-grade Spirit Pills so competitive too? Fifty percent—that means in the beginning, it's basically selling at a loss just to shout for business.

Better to honestly sell my own health-preserving pills; grow big and strong, and create new brilliance.

"Do you still want this pill formula?"

The shopkeeper glanced at Chen Ci and asked indifferently, though he was actually quite regretful inside.

A miscalculation.

I acted too cocky and forgot to settle the money and goods before showing off; these pill formulas were gathering dust at the bottom of the box.

"Want it, why wouldn't I want it? At worst, I'll produce and sell it myself."

Chen Ci gritted his teeth: "Give me a Yellow Sprout Pill formula."

Just consider it an investment in myself.

I've tasted that Xiaohuan Dan, the taste wasn't great and the effect was just so-so; better to try the Yellow Sprout Pill.

"Five bottles of health-preserving pills."

Chen Ci thought for a moment and decided to drive a hard bargain.

The shopkeeper glanced at Chen Ci with an expressionless face, then quickly and decisively said: "Deal!"

Chen Ci: "."

Wait, wait, there seems to be something wrong here.

Did I quote too high?

Crooked merchant!

"Here, the Yellow Sprout Pill formula. The pill materials and the method of taking the pill are correct, but the dosages of the materials are quite rough; you'll have to adjust them slowly yourself."

The shopkeeper pulled a yellowed piece of parchment from behind him and handed it to Chen Ci: "Honest business, no cheating."

Chen Ci muttered to himself and handed over the five bottles of health-preserving pills: "Shopkeeper, there are fifteen more bottles of health-preserving pills, eighty taels of gold per bottle, do you want them?"

"Eighty taels, fine."

The shopkeeper pondered for a moment and agreed. For one, the price of grain in Xishan Prefecture has risen sharply, and even Miscellaneous Pills like Bigu Pills have gone up; for another, these health-preserving pills are indeed quite pleasant to eat. The shopkeeper... ahem, he has many friends.

"Good, Shopkeeper, then convert them all into Xiaohuan Dan and Yellow Sprout Pills for me."

Chen Ci said righteously: "Hey, I don't care for those with big reputations; I just want the ones at fifty percent price. Remember to throw in an extra one per bottle for me. Such a large Baibao Pavilion, you wouldn't be unable to scrape together a few bottles of low-grade Spirit Pills, would you? Surely not, surely not, you wouldn't really be unable to sell them, would you?"

The shopkeeper: "."

Damn it, this kid is actually using my own tactics against me!

This big mouth of mine, why did I say so much? I really deserve a beating.

After the two haggled for a long time, Chen Ci finally bought three bottles of Yellow Sprout Pills at sixty percent of the price and even got three extra pills, feeling very satisfied.

"You kid, don't come back next time."

The shopkeeper looked speechless: "Is it easy for an old man like me to do business? Hmph, but if you really want to earn resources through pill methods to nourish your cultivation, there is one kind of Spirit Pill that has a market. If you have the heart, you could learn it."

"Longevity Pill?"

Chen Ci was walking in Fuyun Market, preparing to buy some Yellow Bud Spirit Rice. This spirit rice is a main ingredient for the Yellow Sprout Pill, and even Baibao Pavilion didn't have any in stock, but he was pondering what the shopkeeper had just said.

Just as the He Mountain Sect has the Seven Kill Primordial Spirit Method and Ma Family Village has the Copper Corpse Longevity Method, there are naturally Longevity Spirit Pills within the path of alchemy.

However, the major orthodox sects of this world generally do not encourage their disciples to forcibly extend their lives or defy life and death. This act is not only unhelpful to cultivation and easily damages the spirit of Longevity, but living a few extra years in a withered state can also corrupt the upward-striving atmosphere within the sect, which is disliked by the upper echelons.

Therefore, alchemists of major sects generally do not refine Longevity Spirit Pills. Even if they open a few furnaces, the pills are taken by close relatives or fellow disciples and friends, and they basically do not circulate in the outside world.

However, side-door sects, miscellaneous schools, and rogue cultivators have no such scruples. Since there is no hope for Longevity anyway, living a few more years is good, so Longevity Spirit Pills are very popular in the market and will never fail to sell.

The only problem is that even Baibao Pavilion does not have the formula for this kind of pill; it was just that the shopkeeper felt the health-preserving pills might be somewhat similar in approach to Longevity Spirit Pills, which is why he mentioned it to Chen Ci.

"Whether it's Bigu Pills or health-preserving pills, taking them for a long time only cleanses the flesh and activates vitality, but it cannot truly extend life. However, the path should have some connection."

Chen Ci rubbed his chin: "Actually, my original line of thinking was slightly wrong. Low-level cultivators seek more enjoyment, side-door cultivators seek to live a little longer, and orthodox cultivators have a greater demand for spirit medicines that improve cultivation. This is the result of not targeting the right market."

But now he hasn't even refined the Yellow Sprout Pill yet, so thinking about Longevity Spirit Pills is a bit too far off.

While thinking about something, Chen Ci turned into the Food Immortal Pavilion. Don't look at this place as just an eatery in the cultivation world; if you want to sell or purchase spirit rice, this is actually the most convenient place.

In a small storefront opened at the side door, Chen Ci spent ten Spirit Pearls to buy a hundred catties of Yellow Bud Spirit Rice, and he was emptied out again; the proceeds from the grain sold by Sanyin Temple a few days ago were completely spent.

The spirit food in this Food Immortal Pavilion is truly fragrant. Chen Ci carried the spirit rice, his nose twitching slightly, and a thought even sprouted in his heart to sneak in and learn a trick or two.

This so-called spirit food, apart from the ingredients, the cooking method is actually not much different from the pill method; it's just that the focus is different, leaning more towards color, fragrance, and taste rather than the changes in the spirit energy within the ingredients.

With Chen Ci's cultivation in the Small Heavens Qi Absorption Pill Method, refining Spirit Pills might not be effective, but cooking spirit food should be something he can handle with ease.

"Go back and try refining the Yellow Sprout Pill to improve True Qi cultivation. I can't go to Fuhu Altar these days; that cheap senior brother has been targeted and must be full of anger."

Chen Ci let out a slow breath. Don't hit the diligent, don't hit the lazy, just hit the blind. If it were some small matter, he would go up and strive for progress, but this might involve high-level figures of the Dao Foundation and the secrets of forming a Golden Core; it's better for a small shrimp like him to keep a low profile.

He vaguely felt that on the day Hutou Daoren achieved an Upper Grade Dao Foundation, some friction would likely erupt between Fuhu Altar, Nine Springs Temple, or that Waterway Superintendent.

"Superior Grade Qi Refining Method, Dao Foundation Catalog"

Chen Ci touched the White Bone Heart-Lock Hammer at his waist; he had originally thought that if his senior brother achieved an Upper Grade Dao Foundation early, he could take him to advance within the He Mountain Sect, but now it seemed it would be better to delay it a while.

(End of this chapter)