Chapter 15: Overseas Unorthodox Sect

Damn it.

This chicken soup is poisonous.

Chen Ci spent the entire night on the toilet.

"This Corpse Ganoderma cannot be swallowed directly, and boiling it into soup makes it impossible to absorb its spirituality. No wonder the pill method requires using a medicine-extraction spell to extract the essence of the pill materials while discarding the dross."

Chen Ci's face was somewhat pale; even with a cultivator's physique, he could barely handle it.

Every medicine has its toxicity, and Spirit Materials are no exception, let alone a fierce, unorthodox medicine like Corpse Ganoderma. If one's pill-making technique isn't refined, one cannot process the materials; let alone advancing one's cultivation, it's a blessing just not to damage one's vital energy.

"A night of bitter cultivation with zero progress, and I even lost two parts of my vital energy. This wave, this wave is a total loss."

Chen Ci took a sip of health-preserving tea. As the hot water entered his stomach, the color in his face improved slightly: "However, I have understood a bit of the mystery of the Small Heavens Qi Absorption Pill Method. I always said that no matter how wealthy a family is, they wouldn't let a novice start by refining pills; one must always start by practicing the basics."

Even a cook starts by practicing cutting vegetables and tossing the ladle; it is impossible to start stir-frying the moment one picks up a tool.

Chen Ci looked at the steaming hot tea in his hand, pondered for a moment, and tried to use his True Qi to grasp it, but he ended up scattering it instead.

Like a fierce general trying to use an embroidery needle.

Chen Ci thought to himself: "Opening the furnace to condense pills is also a technical job. If one cannot condense the medicinal properties the moment the furnace is opened, all previous efforts are wasted."

But since there is a direction, just keep practicing.

"Ten catties of snake bone, ten catties of tiger bone, not a single scrap of meat allowed, boiled down into a paste."

Inside the pill room, Chen Ci used the Fire Control Method to fan True Qi into the furnace to control the heat, while using the Observation Qi Method to sense the degree of melting of the bone materials in the cauldron.

This is not a pill method, but merely a common prescription called 'Dragon-Tiger Paste'. It takes the bones of a ten-year-old old snake and boils them with tiger bones. Mortals can consume it to strengthen their tendons and bones, and long-term consumption is quite beneficial for those practicing martial arts.

It's just not very valuable; one catty of 'Dragon-Tiger Paste' only sells for five taels of silver, far worse than Frost Sugar.

"The Fire Control Method is inherently labor-intensive. If one also has to use the Observation Qi Method to check the situation of the pills in the furnace, the difficulty is doubled. No wonder many pill masters have dedicated boys to fan the fire. It seems this Fire Control Method is the easiest of the four methods to master and the one with the widest applicability."

Chen Ci felt the consumption of True Qi in his body, and his thoughts drifted inexplicably.

If one cannot become a pill master, one can go be a tool master, or at the very least, a cook.

An hour later, Chen Ci lifted the cauldron lid, looked at the white-and-yellowish paste inside, and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

A mortal pharmacy would take three days and three nights to boil this batch of Dragon-Tiger Paste. He used True Qi to maintain the furnace fire, shortening the boiling time to one hour, but his True Qi was also depleted by two apertures.

Taking some honey and mixing it in, Chen Ci poured the bone paste into a mold and rolled it while it was hot. Before long, dozens of pills were formed.

Chen Ci took one and swallowed it with water; it was a bit bitter, but not hard to eat.

Stone Lock Hunyuan Art: 7/100 (Consume this pill, five pills a day, three months of bitter cultivation can advance it by one point)

What trash~

But after all, it is a mortal ointment; being able to increase a few points is already quite good. At least it has some use.

Chen Ci shook his head and took out a porcelain bottle to store these pills. Although they didn't have much effect, they were just right for practicing.

Fire Control Method: Not yet entered/9/100

Observation Qi Method: Not yet entered/3/100

The 'Dragon-Tiger Paste' produced can also be given to the Apprentices under his command; it won't be wasted. Pretty good.

It's just too time-consuming. If practiced diligently every day, the four pill methods alone would take about three hours, and that's not counting the practice time after mastering the Small Heavens Qi Absorption Pill Method. It will inevitably drag down the progress of other cultivation.

If Chen Ci's Gold Finger were a Longevity Dao Fruit, then it wouldn't matter; he could just slowly grind it out. A pill master is like an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor—the older they get, the more valuable they are.

But he only has a cultivation of twenty-nine apertures of Qi Refining, and at most he can live another eighty or ninety years. That's even excluding the effects of old age and infirmity. How to make trade-offs is a big problem.

"I didn't expect Daoist Chen to be so obsessed with the Dao of pills; it's somewhat beyond my expectations."

The door had opened slightly at some point, and a figure stood at the entrance, looking at the decorations inside the pill room with interest.

Chen Ci was first startled, then half-terrified and half-respectful, answering honestly: "This Immortal Master is joking. I am the third Apprentice of my master, Long Xianzhi. I wonder what business you have with my master?"

"Daoist Chen need not be like this. You can move your hand away from the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag. I came by appointment and have no ill intent."

Chen Ci sighed slightly and glanced at his waist. Next time, he must cover this Five Yin Evil Qi Bag; otherwise, others will see it at a glance, which is meaningless.

"Cough, this Immortal Master, you really have the wrong person."

"I am Lin Banshan, a Deacon of the Wenxiang Sect. Greetings, Daoist Chen."

Uh.

Chen Ci thought for a moment and made a gesture of invitation: "Daoist, you came uninvited; that is not reasonable."

"My apologies. I should have visited tomorrow, but I have urgent matters, so I had to be quick."

Lin Banshan stepped into the room with a loud voice.

"His cultivation seems to be much higher than mine."

"But his aura is quite erratic. I don't know if it's because his foundation is unstable or if it's some kind of spell or supernatural power he is practicing."

Two thoughts flashed through his mind, and Chen Ci's palms were inexplicably sweating.

"I was in a hurry on this trip and didn't bring any precious gifts. This is Azure Sea Sand, one of the Five Elements Divine Sand. It is still worth a look. I hope Daoist Chen will forgive me."

Lin Banshan took an exquisite gift pouch from his bosom and placed it on the table with both hands.

Chen Ci:.

"Brother Lin and I are like old friends at first sight... You've spent too much, you've spent too much."

Chen Ci enthusiastically served a cup of hot tea. He had just quietly weighed it; it was at least two catties. This Daoist Lin is truly generous.

"Daoist Chen, I don't want to hide it from you. I have already been to your sugar workshop to take a look. The cost of your He Mountain Frost Sugar is shockingly low. My previous offer was too high; this matter needs to be discussed again."

Lin Banshan's first sentence made the atmosphere that had just been warmed up by the two catties of Divine Sand turn cold.

Lin Banshan, however, seemed not to feel anything amiss and continued on his own: "For this He Mountain Frost Sugar of yours, priced at one tael of silver per catty, I will provide the raw materials and collect eight thousand catties per month."

"Or, priced at three taels of silver per catty, I will collect five thousand catties per month, but you must teach me this method. I will set up my own shop, and I can sign a three-year legal contract with you. As for anything longer, I cannot say for sure."

Chen Ci pondered for a moment and asked: "Daoist Lin, since you have already seen the sugar workshop, what is the meaning of this?"

With the simple facilities in the sugar workshop, one could understand seven or eight out of ten with a casual glance. Why would this person want to discuss it with him again?

"If I were to deceive you directly, you would certainly not be convinced. Once a dispute arises and others in the sect intervene, the two of us might not even be able to drink a drop of soup."

"The current method of making Frost Sugar is either time-consuming or requires the assistance of Dharma Artifacts, making the cost too high."

Lin Banshan spoke rapidly: "Your sugar-making method is too simple; there is no way it can be kept hidden. Either you keep it small-scale and hide it within a few counties, or you must seize the time to make a profit while you can. In three to five years at most, this method will inevitably spread. I still have to grease the palms of the merchant houses behind me; I won't be earning much more than you, Daoist."

It must be said that these cultivators are truly shameless; they speak so righteously even when snatching things, yet there is actually some truth to it.

However, one point was indeed correct: earning small money is fine, but if he earned a lot, Chen Ci would certainly be unable to hold onto it. This activated carbon filtration method is truly too simple; it can be learned easily, and there is simply no technical barrier.

"Agreed."

Chen Ci did not dawdle, but asked another question: "What is the use of this Dharma Contract?"

"Those who break the contract will suffer damage to their heart and spirit; additionally, the other party will sense it. Beyond that, it has no great effect."

Lin Banshan was truly efficient in his actions, immediately pulling out two Dharma Contracts and holding a brush to write down the contents: "Furthermore, this Dharma Contract can be regarded as black and white in writing. If a dispute arises, the elders of the sect will hold this contract for confrontation, and the one who is not in the right will be a notch weaker in spirit."

No, what about the functions of being unable to advance in cultivation, developing inner demons, or Heavenly Dao oaths?

So it's just two pieces of paper as a contract?

"Just use your own True Qi to sign the contract."

One copy for each person; in just a quarter of an hour, the matter was actually settled.

Chen Ci felt a bit dazed; he had anticipated several situations, but he truly hadn't thought of this one.

"Daoist Lin, I don't seem to have heard the name of the Wenxiang Sect within the Liang Kingdom. I wonder where your sect's immortal mountain is located?"

Chen Ci put away the Dharma Contract, feeling relaxed all over, and asked curiously.

"My Wenxiang Sect is not a sect of the Jade Vase Continent, but comes from the region of the East Sea."

Lin Banshan thought for a moment and replied: "If subdivided, it is also considered to be in the ranks of the heterodox sects."

The East Sea is the sea to the east of the East Sea, right?

But where is the Jade Vase Continent?

I'm afraid I'm a fake disciple of a major heterodox sect!

Chen Ci touched his head, sinking into doubt.

(End of this chapter)