Chapter 32: 【Equivalent to Printing Money, Yet the Sword is Not Sharp】 (Seeking Recommendation Votes)

The "Ziyao Immortal Sect and Jinfeng Immortal Sect Elite Disciple Exchange Meeting" was held as scheduled, one and a half months after Lu Chengtong received the news.

At this time, nearly four months had passed since Lu Chengtong bestowed the Supernatural Power upon Hou Zhao. In these four months, Lu Chengtong had completed the memory implantation for Chen Sanqing and the other two, collected some information regarding the True Disciples of the Jinfeng Immortal Sect, and Hou Zhao had not been idle either.

Hou Zhao did not start investigating anything, nor did he go to cultivate spirit herbs as Lu Chengtong had anticipated; he simply focused more intently on alchemy.

The Divine Soul Power of the Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage allowed his control to increase significantly, while the 【Spring Breeze Turns to Rain】 Supernatural Power allowed him to better regulate the vitality of the materials, causing his alchemy efficiency to jump by a large margin.

Alchemy itself is a highly profitable industry.

Once the success rate increases, alchemy is as lucrative as printing money.

Ten Gathering Qi Pills equal one Low-grade Spirit Stone; this is equivalent currency.

Hou Zhao is a disciple of Danquan Peak, having been taught by seniors and practicing the art of alchemy for many years, and his specialty is refining Gathering Qi Pills. Now, with his alchemy success rate significantly increased and the sect providing a sufficient source of raw materials, he is well-positioned.

Even if the price of materials like Baiyuan Fruit is higher when purchased directly from the sect, the profit generated from every batch is enormous.

His success rate now reaches eighty percent, with an average yield of five and a half pills per batch, allowing him to net one-fifth of a Low-grade Spirit Stone per furnace.

Supported by powerful Divine Soul Power, he can easily refine twenty batches a day, earning four Spirit Stones daily.

The sect does not charge fees for buying back pills, because if they dared to charge, the alchemists would dare to collectively raise the prices of the pills.

Originally, the sect controlling the prices of raw materials was just to keep the low-level alchemists barely maintaining their livelihoods while slowly honing their alchemy techniques; if they were to be any greedier, people would flip the table.

The current Hou Zhao appears entirely devoted to alchemy, having completely abandoned cultivation. Lu Chengtong does not know what his plan is and can only watch how he proceeds in the future.

He turned his attention to the exchange meeting.

Lu Chengtong obtained an identity that could get him close to those Jinfeng Immortal Sect True Disciples: the blood of a food-delivery disciple responsible for bringing meals to those Qi Refining Realm True Disciples daily.

Qi Refining Realm disciples still need to consume Spirit Rice and other spirit foods to replenish their blood and Qi, helping to refine essence into Qi and supplement their cultivation.

He planned to replace this person to deliver food, so that he could get close to those Qi Refining Realm disciples.

There were only three True Disciples in the younger generation of the Jinfeng Immortal Sect: one at the ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm named Cong Yi, and the other two, one at the eighth level of the Qi Refining Realm named Zhao Shanyue, and one at the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm named Feng Yinan.

Cong Yi is a Talisman Cultivator, Zhao Shanyue is a Sword Cultivator, and Feng Yinan is an Array Cultivator.

People with such outstanding talent will choose an auxiliary direction to cultivate; on one hand, it increases their means of protecting the Dao, and on the other, it can provide an extra source of income.

Any auxiliary path is a way to generate wealth.

Because few people can master side paths, for most cultivators, they wish they could use every moment to perform Qi Refining and breathing exercises, and to comprehend profound methods.

For example, the former Lu Family Ancestor Lu Yuantu, who lived a mediocre life, was the portrait of most sect disciples.

Such people mean they are not easy to deal with.

If Lu Chengtong wants to succeed, finding the right timing is most important.

The battles are randomized, but the hundred-year-old category will fight first, and the fifty-year-old category will fight later.

All disciples can go to watch the battles.

Lu Chengtong is not interested in the fighting, but he went to watch specifically, mainly to see the reactions of Chen Sanqing and the others.

There was no intense display.

As the Garrison Elder of the border region, Zhao Yongcheng naturally came.

Chen Sanqing and the others all saw him, but this existence, set as their greatest enemy, did not cause them to have any special reaction.

This was also normal.

None of the three are pushovers; it is impossible for them to wear their hearts on their sleeves, at least knowing how to hide themselves when they are weak.

There was nothing to see.

Lu Chengtong continued to wait for an opportunity, and finally, it arrived.

Zhao Shanyue was the first to fight among the True Disciples under fifty years old.

For True Disciples, the age of fifty is already enough to reach Foundation Establishment, or even reach the third level of Foundation Establishment, which is the peak of the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.

For them, one hundred years old is the threshold for attempting the Golden Core.

The first one to appear must be under great pressure; she is only at the eighth level of the Qi Refining Realm, so it was indeed somewhat surprising that she came out first.

"Chen Sanqing, I challenge you."

Hearing this sentence, Lu Chengtong suddenly recalled a memory of Chen Sanqing.

Although the memory he obtained was intermittent, he could vaguely see the entanglement between the two.

A year ago, Chen Sanqing followed a senior brother out for training and encountered Zhao Shanyue, who was also out for training.

Chen Sanqing and the others were hunting a demonic beast, but later lost track of it; they were encountered by Zhao Shanyue and her group, who killed it. Just as they were about to harvest it, Chen Sanqing and his group arrived.

A conflict arose, and both sides decided to let the juniors determine the ownership of the demonic beast through a duel.

Zhao Shanyue lost to Chen Sanqing.

She had been bitterly cultivating for over a year just to wait for this day, to challenge Chen Sanqing and wash away her shame.

Both being in the Qi Refining Realm, the challenge could not be refused.

Chen Sanqing had no choice but to accept the challenge.

He had broken through to the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm half a month ago, and now his cultivation was one level lower than Zhao Shanyue's, but he held his sword and said calmly:

"Your sword is not sharp enough!"

As he spoke, the Sword Intent on his body erupted, and the air seemed to begin to fill with a layer of water vapor, vaguely forming thin threads of rain; within the rain threads, golden sword light flickered.

Zhao Shanyue's expression changed; she felt that Chen Sanqing's Autumn Water Sword Intent was stronger, and the metal-attribute enhancement brought by his Heavenly Spirit Root gave him his unique Autumn Water Sword Intent.

While she only had Water and Earth Double Spirit Roots, despite having a higher cultivation, she could not receive the enhancement from the Spirit Root direction.

But, a Sword Cultivator can be defeated, but cannot admit defeat!

Zhao Shanyue did not answer; she leaped up holding her sword, and in an instant, arrived beside Chen Sanqing, quickly thrusting several swords at him.

There is another way to distinguish between a Sword Cultivator and an ordinary sword-using cultivator: look at how they use their Flying Sword.

Sword Cultivators generally do not let go of their swords, because they rely on the sword to attack and also rely on the sword to defend; ordinary cultivators mostly rely on the Flying Sword for long-range attacks, while they themselves must use a spiritual energy shield to block attacks.

Zhao Shanyue's Sword Intent is "Mountain and River Sword Intent"; the name is very ordinary, but to master it, one needs to comprehend the Qi of mountains and rivers, attaining the Dao between great rivers and high mountain ranges; when the sword falls, it is like a mountain pressing down, with the great river surging.

The main focus was on a magnificent and imposing momentum, fierce and grand yet carrying a sense of gentleness, continuous and unending.

Chen Sanqing's Sword Intent was the exact opposite; within the drizzling rain were threads of sharp golden light, appearing soft and powerless, yet once they coiled around, they transformed into an edge capable of shattering gold and splitting stones.

As both sides exchanged blows, sword shadows flashed incessantly, and disciples in the Qi Refining Realm could not see the actual situation of the battle at all.

Their combat power had already reached the Foundation Establishment level, and even Lu Chengtong found it blurry when looking on.

He suddenly thought of utilizing the recording function of the Treasure Mirror; as he recorded and watched, it was indeed very clear.

An unexpected joy, discovering another use for the Treasure Mirror, he recorded it first.

(End of this chapter)