Chapter 139

Zhou Kang knew that the reason why Liao Lao, the chief steward, had a high status in Wuling Market and could be compared with some Core Formation elders was 90% because of this pair of eyes. Every day, he practiced his eyes facing the rising sun, warmed his eye apertures, and cultivated a divine ability called "Cave-Bright Dharma Eye."

It is rumored that this divine ability can peek through the changes of essence, and even look directly at the subtle changes of essence in the alchemy furnace.

Poison pills, fake pills, refined waste magic treasures, and spirit talismans without spiritual response sent to the market could not escape this pair of eyes. This earned Liao Lao, the chief steward, the reputation of "Seeing the Subtle."

But as the old chief steward's experience became more and more abundant, there were fewer and fewer things that made him feel unsure and use divine abilities.

Zhou Kang had been a deacon in the market for thirty years, and this was the third time he had seen the old chief steward so solemn.

In Liao Lao's Dharma eyes, this red spirit pill emitted an incomparably pure faint light. The pill was mixed into one, and the purity of the color was simply like a fake.

"This... perhaps it is a pill of essence!"

Liao Lao couldn't help but rub his eyes and said somewhat uncertainly: "With such pure medicinal properties, I haven't detected any impurities with my eye technique divine ability. Forgive my shallow knowledge, I have only heard of such pills and haven't really seen them!"

"Legend has it that there are four types of alchemy techniques passed down by the Supreme: Blood-Qi Pill, which can fight dragon elephants, but still has a time of exhaustion; Grass-Wood Pill, which is wise and penetrates the law, but can it be immortal if it is solid and long-lived? Gold-Stone Pill, although it can be immortal, it is like a stubborn stone and hard to penetrate the Great Dao; only the Essence Pill, which is divine and immortal, and the creation is self-formed. It governs the sun, moon, and stars, carries wind and thunder, calls for clouds, and inhales wind!"

"According to the 'Pill Quality Theory,' this is the four-fold Jin Dan Great Dao. It refers to the lower grade of Core Formation, imitating the internal pills of demons, condensing mixed essence by instinct, or directly refining demon pills into pills. The quality is the lowest, the blood qi is strong, and the lifespan is the lowest. And those of the middle grade of Core Formation imitate the monarch, minister, assistant, and guide of spirit herbs, and harmonize internal medicine into pills. Although they can live long, the internal pill is like grass and wood, which will wither and flourish, and will still age."

"Only those who adopt a trace of gold nature that is immortal can hope for longevity... this is the upper grade of Core Formation."

"But to truly compare with gods and demons, one must give birth to divinity in the golden core without dying, and cultivate into a primordial spirit. This requires swallowing essence and understanding the Great Dao."

"What is said in the 'Pill Quality Theory' is the basis for the current immortal sects and aristocratic families to divide the grades of Core Formation and for the middle-official evaluation of Dao seeds and immortal materials."

"But others say that these four alchemy techniques correspond to Supreme Alchemy, which can use demon pills, spirit herbs, gold stones, and essence as materials. Finally, one furnace can refine the sun, moon, stars, and the universe. Demon pills are various methods of forming cores with gu and using demon pills to assist in forming cores in the heterodox path today; spirit herbs are the mainstream alchemy today; gold-stone pills have transformed into the path of weapon cultivation and sword cultivation; essence pills, the lower ones are like spirit herb pills, but more pure, the middle ones are called external alchemy techniques, which can refine yuan pills in the furnace outside the body, and the highest ones are the current Jin Dan Great Dao."

"This kind of pill without any impurities or pill poison, as pure as a strand of essence!" Liao Lao carefully put the pill back into the jade bottle with trembling hands, handed it back to Qian Chen, and said: "I can only guess that it might be an Essence Pill."

"Taking demon pills can strengthen blood qi and cultivate the divine abilities of the demon race. Taking grass-wood pills can help cultivation and prolong life. Taking gold-stone pills can spit out sword qi and entrust one's life. Taking essence pills can make one divine and immortal, which is the way to imitate the ancient innate gods and demons to eat qi and refine qi, and prove the supreme Great Dao. It is also the pill that current practitioners dream of most."

Qian Chen nodded slightly, this person still had some knowledge. Qian Chen also knew how to use the essence and blood of various demon beasts and demon lords to refine blood pills, but now he estimates that only the savage Wu Sect would take blood-qi pills. Even gold-stone pills, including life-bound flying swords and sword pills like Yan Shu's, are external pills.

Qian Chen can refine life-bound flying swords because the ancient sword cultivation lineage actually originated from gold-stone alchemy, using sword embryos as pills.

It's just that later, weapon cultivation rose, and the method of forbidden laws became popular. Today's mainstream flying swords are no longer just external pills refined from gold stones, but mixed with forbidden Dao laws. And the place where Qian Chen is least good at refining weapons is this forbidden Dao law.

If he only refines sword embryos, it is really the same principle as refining pills.

Zhou Kang heard Liao Lao's cautious words and couldn't help but tremble. He asked anxiously: "Liao Lao doesn't even recognize this pill, can it still be sold for a price?"

Liao Lao sneered and said: "Although I have some eye for goods, I am just a rogue practitioner. This kind of pill is usually only secretly passed down and circulated in the true transmission lineage of the Dao Sect. I don't recognize it, but those aristocratic immortal sects may not necessarily not recognize it. You call over the few Core Formation elders in the sect, or ask the sect master to come forward, and I guess they will recognize this pill."

"Those who recognize this kind of pill will definitely be willing to spend a lot of money, and those who don't recognize this pill can't afford that price. In this way, what is the difference between recognizing it or not? Just sell it to someone who knows the goods."

"This kind of pill is not for daily consumption!" Liao Lao said: "Only the disciples of the Wang, Xie, Sima, Li, Qian, Cui, and Qin families will take it at critical moments such as sensing, penetrating the law, and core formation to help. Ordinary pills have pill poison and impurities, which can be slowly resolved and excluded on weekdays. When breaking through the realm, if you are not careful, you will stain your magic power and Dao foundation, and fall short. Who is not afraid?"

"Only this kind of neutral and peaceful essence pill without impurities is useful."

"Otherwise, who would be willing to use this kind of pill for daily cultivation... they can't afford it! The Wang and Xie families can't afford it, unless they are willing to exhaust the power of the whole family to support Wang Longxiang or Xie Lingyun, that's about it."

"Not necessarily..." Qian Chen thought to himself: "I know a girl who can afford it, and she ordered a lot from me!"

"Then how many letter talismans can this kind of pill be exchanged for!" Zhou Kang's attitude was very consistent.

He didn't care at all how difficult it was to obtain this pill, or how big Qian Chen's background might be. He just thought about making money. As a welcoming deacon, it was most important to do his job well. As for the rest, thinking too much would be harmful.

Liao Lao frowned, looking quite embarrassed.

Zhou Kang looked at Qian Chen cautiously and reminded Liao Lao sideways: "Is it because Liao Lao is still not sure? If you are 80% sure, you can accept it! Don't miss the opportunity!"

Liao Lao glared at him and said: "What do you know?"

"I am inferring its origin based on the high quality of the pill, not judging its quality because of its possible origin. Even if this is a grass-wood pill, with this quality, it is still something everyone will scramble for."

"It's different!" Zhou Kang said: "With the name of Essence Pill, I can make the price of this pill float by 60%. I know many direct descendants of local aristocratic families. Just by the name of this pill, I can make them sell their cloud carriages!"

"Since this is the case, why doesn't Liao Lao accept it?" Zhou Kang reminded in a low voice.

Liao Lao was very straightforward and confessed to Qian Chen: "To put it plainly. Things like Wuling letter talismans are waste by comparison, it's not worth exchanging for so many!"

Zhou Kang's face changed suddenly when he heard this, and he secretly pulled Liao Lao's sleeve.

The pills Qian Chen took out were just the second batch of qi pills refined by adopting star essence. Although he said it was an Essence Pill, it was actually refined with spirit herbs, just that the spirit herbs were refined into essence and then combined into pills. The ones he took out were ordinary pills that supplemented true qi, harmonized magic power, and increased cultivation, not essentially unique, pure yin or pure yang, or rebirth holy fetus spirit pills.

It was not essentially unique, pure yin or pure yang, or rebirth holy fetus spirit pills.

So he was generous when spending them. Hearing this, he just smiled: "If you can purchase spirit materials with this, it's a matter of mutual willingness, so why talk about whether it's worth it or not?"

He casually pushed the jade bottle back.

Zhou Kang nodded like a garlic-pounding machine and said: "Of course you can purchase spirit materials, you can use them no matter how many."

Liao Lao still had the idea of this world, and didn't know that in Qian Chen's heart, this Wuling letter talisman was a general equivalent. To say that the qi pill was at least the US dollar, it was a top currency. The market in the Central Lands world was not open, and many transactions had invisible obstacles...

Holding gold and silver, you couldn't buy various cultivation resources.

Similarly, things that rogue practitioners used for trading and bartering couldn't enter the circle of aristocratic immortal sects.

Rogue practitioners holding their own painstakingly refined heterodox magic treasures couldn't exchange for resources like Purple-Patterned Dragon-Tooth Rice, Clear-Nether Cold Spring, and Jade-Scrap Jade-Sand... Not for anything else, just because they looked down on you.

And the spirit pills Qian Chen took were hard currencies that could be used anywhere. In Liao Lao's view, exchanging for credit currency like Wuling letter talismans, which could only buy lower-grade resources, was a huge loss.

It's like exchanging US dollars for Zimbabwean currency.

It's a good thing that the Zimbabwean foreign exchange market doesn't count...

Zhou Kang also seemed to know that he had gone too far. He gritted his teeth and said: "If the Daoist friend feels it's not worth it, I can also take out a batch of San Shan Talismans..."

Liao Lao shook his head slightly and said: "The batch of talismans you can withdraw is not worth that much!"

Zhou Kang's face turned pale and he said: "What kind of spirit pill is this, such a large sum of money, can't buy one?"

"One is enough!" Liao Lao nodded, and then handed it to him to see the bottle mouth of the jade bottle: "Do you only want one? It's not impossible to discuss with this Daoist friend."

Zhou Kang saw the pill color in the jade bottle and felt dizzy. He barely supported himself on the counter next to him before standing firm. Holding his forehead, he said: "Liao... Liao Lao, just say how many can be exchanged here?"

"About a quarter?" Liao Lao thought for a moment and said.

"Liao Lao! You are really honest and fair. Open and aboveboard..." Zhou Kang said with a bitter face: "I will accept a quarter first, and please let the Immortal Friend stay in the elegant pavilion, I will ask the elder to come again..."

"Then I can set off to purchase first, and come back to exchange for the rest when you have enough money!" Qian Chen nodded slightly. He didn't have to exchange for San Shan Talismans. Anyway, they were all general equivalents. American merchants purchasing in Zimbabwe don't necessarily have to use US dollars! Anyway, some natives don't recognize these colorful paper pieces.

Exchanging for Zimbabwean currency in the local foreign exchange market, as long as they are all traded for goods, there is no hindrance.

But since they all misunderstood, and Qian Chen didn't suffer a loss, let them misunderstand!

Liao Lao called him to stop: "Wait!"

He handed over a jade talisman and said: "I should still be able to use a batch of San Shan Talismans, you take it and withdraw it!" Zhou Kang was astonished: "Liao Lao... is this enough?"

"It's ten times yours!" Liao Lao said faintly.

Zhou Kang's legs went soft, and he finally knew the status difference between him and Liao Lao among the high-level officials of Wuling Immortal Sect.

"This business is stable and profitable, it's their loss if they miss it!" Liao Lao chatted with Qian Chen there: "Is this Essence Pill refined by the Daoist friend himself?"

Qian Chen didn't answer directly, but smiled: "If I take out the San Shan Talisman, does it mean I can draw talismans?"

Liao Lao thought he had cleverly answered his question, and laughed: "The Daoist friend is a true transmission of the Dao Sect! Speaking of which, a few true transmissions of the Dao Sect also came to Guangling not long ago."

Qian Chen had heard the news from Cui Dan long ago. In order to investigate the robbery of the Louguan Sect, quite a few true transmissions of the Dao Sect entered the world, but he asked himself that his identity had already been washed clean. This time, heading to Jiankang was to faintly reveal that the Louguan Sect still had inheritance.

Of course, to truly start this matter, he had to wait until he took Miaokong's head and completely eradicated this hidden danger.

By then, if the Dao Sect wanted to intervene, he would just throw Miaokong's head out and say that the culprit of the Louguan Sect's great robbery had been eliminated.

At that time, Qian Chen would naturally occupy the orthodoxy of the Louguan Sect, and even if someone wanted to intervene in the Louguan inheritance, they would have no excuse.

Qian Chen nodded, as if he had known it long ago, and said calmly: "The orthodoxy of the Supreme Dao suffered a demonic robbery, which is indeed outrageous. Even if there is the Nine Heavens Blood Sea supporting it from behind, this matter will definitely not end there! Daoist friend can watch... there will only be more true transmissions of the Dao Sect entering the world next. If your Wuling Immortal Market can take out real treasures, maybe you can exchange for more good things!"

He said it as if he knew that those few Daoist lineages would send people out, but in fact, it was just a casual guess, and he was not responsible.

But Liao Lao seemed to have regarded him as a true transmission of the Dao Sect walking in the world.