Chapter 33 : A Priceless Oath and Ancient Tome

"Hmm?"

Eldrin Chen raised an eyebrow, giving the youth a measured look. Noting the nervous tension in his expression, Eldrin gave a slight nod.

"I will accept it, but I must verify its authenticity first."

"This..."

The young man cast a fearful glance at Eldrin Chen. The items he carried were far too valuable. If others saw them, they might very well be tempted to kill him and seize the treasures.

He hesitated for a moment. He recalled the inquiries he had made before coming: the Xuanming Pavilion of the Mu Clan had been in operation for over five hundred years, amassing a reputation and credibility built over five or six centuries. Surely such an establishment could be trusted.

Furthermore, the man before him had an upright bearing and an air of nobility; he did not seem like a villain.

Thinking this, he gritted his teeth and finally handed over an ancient tome.

"This is my family's heirloom Alchemy Tome [a book containing profound knowledge of pill refinement]. I assure you, it is genuine."

"I will sell it to you for five hundred Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation]." Continue your cultivation journey at https://audio-novel.com.

Eldrin Chen opened the Alchemy Tome [a book containing formulas and techniques for crafting spiritual pills], gave it a cursory glance, and promptly snapped it shut.

He fixed his gaze on the youth and spoke without preamble.

"I will give you one thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation], but you must swear a Heart Demon Oath [a binding vow where breaking one's word invites inner demons and cultivation backlash]. You must swear that you will never sell this Alchemy Tome to anyone else, nor teach its contents to another soul."

"This..."

The youth hesitated. The pill formula was immensely valuable, and he had indeed entertained the thought of selling it to multiple buyers.

Seeing his hesitation, Eldrin Chen let out a derisive snort. "If this formula is sold too many times, it becomes nothing more than a piece of paper anyone can copy. Its worth will plummet."

"Moreover, you must understand the principle that 'treasure invites disaster.' With your level of cultivation, every additional sale increases the risk of someone killing you to seize it."

"Sell it too widely, and even if someone later wished to avenge you, they'd have no way of knowing which of the many potential buyers was your murderer."

Hearing this, the youth found the man's logic sound. He glanced once more at the sign of the Xuanming Pavilion [a prominent establishment in the cultivation market, likely dealing in rare goods], then finally nodded.

"I agree to sell it to you. But the payment and the goods must be exchanged simultaneously."

"Agreed!"

Eldrin Chen gave a nod and directly retrieved one thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] from his Storage Bag.

Seeing the Spirit Stone, the youth's eyes lit up, and his anxious, fluttering heart finally settled.

"For someone to produce so many Spirit Stone at once, his status within the Mu Clan must be extraordinary."

"With the Xuanming Pavilion's five-century reputation, and given his standing, it's unlikely he would deceive me."

With this thought, the youth swore a Heart Demon Oath [a solemn vow that, if broken, invites inner demons and cultivation backlash], and the transaction was completed, payment and goods exchanged.

By the time the female shopkeeper emerged, she saw the youth bidding farewell to Eldrin Chen and departing from the Xuanming Pavilion.

"Who was that?" the shopkeeper couldn't help but ask.

"An old friend I happened to run into. We merely exchanged a few words."

Eldrin Chen declared with an air of impeccable righteousness and unwavering conviction.

He then took the Bellheart Herb with one hand, paid the Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy], and turned to leave the Xuanming Pavilion [a pavilion or establishment within the cultivation market] with quick steps.

After leaving the Xuanming Pavilion, he returned to his dwelling with a heart full of excitement and opened the Alchemy Tome [a book containing profound knowledge of pill concoction].

This was a complete set of Pill Formula [recipes for concocting various spiritual pills], compiled by a senior Alchemist [a master of the art of pill refinement] in his later years, who integrated all the various pill recipes he had mastered into a single volume.

Within this set of Pill Formula, there were a total of twenty-six different recipes: seventeen for First Rank pills and nine for Second Rank pills.

Leaving aside the First Rank formulas, among the nine Second Rank ones, five were Second Rank Low Grade [of the lowest quality tier within the Second Rank], three were Second Rank Middle Grade [of the middle quality tier within the Second Rank], and one was Second Rank High Grade [of the highest quality tier within the Second Rank].

Among the five Second Rank Low Grade pill formulas in this set, two overlapped with recipes already held in the Chen Clan's collection. Join our community of readers at audio–novel.com.

The other three formulas were respectively for the Essence Gathering Pill [a pill that gathers and concentrates spiritual essence], the Stasis-Dispersing Pill [a pill that disperses blood stasis and heals wounds], and the Origin-Breaking Pill [a pill that aids in breaking through cultivation bottlenecks].

The Essence Gathering Pill was a pill that greatly replenished a cultivator's true essence [the refined spiritual energy within a cultivator's body], capable of instantly restoring a massive amount of it. In essence, this pill was an aggregation of spiritual energy; its concoction difficulty was not high, but it required a rare Second Rank spirit fruit.

Furthermore, this Essence Gathering Pill could increase a cultivator's chance of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment [the realm where a cultivator solidifies their spiritual foundation] by ten percent. Though the increase was modest, it was exceptionally precious.

The Stasis-Dispersing Pill, meanwhile, was a Second Rank healing pill that could repair physical injuries and had a notable effect even on Foundation Establishment Cultivator [cultivators who have established their spiritual foundation].

The Origin-Breaking Pill [a pill that aids cultivators in breaking through cultivation bottlenecks] can assist a Foundation Establishment Cultivator in overcoming their bottlenecks. When a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment, Early Stage seeks to advance to the Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage, they must refine and polish their True Essence [the purified energy cultivated within a practitioner's body]. Cultivators with slightly inferior aptitudes often find themselves stuck in this process for several decades.

With the Origin-Breaking Pill, this process can be greatly accelerated, significantly increasing the probability of a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage.

Among the three Second Rank Middle Grade pill formulas, only one overlapped with those already possessed by the Chen Clan. The other two were respectively the Spirit-Concentrating Pill [a pill that enhances spiritual sense] and the Essence Burst Pill [a pill that temporarily surges a cultivator's True Essence].

The Spirit-Concentrating Pill is a pill that enhances spiritual sense [a cultivator's extrasensory perception and awareness]. This pill can increase a Foundation Establishment Cultivator's spiritual sense by thirty percent. Cultivators with powerful spiritual sense often see a slight increase in their success rate when attempting to break through to the Purple Mansion [the realm following Foundation Establishment].

This illustrates the preciousness of this pill. Unfortunately, a cultivator can only consume one such pill in their entire lifetime; otherwise, its value would be multiplied several times over.

As for the Essence Burst Pill, it is a pill that can temporarily amplify a cultivator's True Essence. After consuming it, a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage can experience a fifty percent surge in their True Essence, reaching a level comparable to a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment, Late Stage.

However, this pill carries severe side effects. After consuming a single pill, a cultivator's meridians [the energy channels within the body] often suffer grievous damage. They cannot engage in serious combat for ten years, lest they risk their meridians shattering completely.

The final Second Rank High Grade pill formula was the first Second Rank High Grade formula the Chen Clan had ever obtained.

This pill was none other than the renowned Foundation Establishment Pill [a crucial pill aiding Qi Refinement cultivators in achieving Foundation Establishment]. The Foundation Establishment Pill is the most widely circulated pill formula, as its importance compels many Alchemist to seek and preserve it.

However, the Foundation Establishment Pill is notoriously difficult to refine. Although it is a Second Rank High Grade formula, its refinement difficulty rivals that of ordinary third-rank pills.

Generally speaking, an Alchemist capable of refining the Foundation Establishment Pill [a rare and potent pill that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm] could already be considered, albeit barely, a third-rank Alchemist.

Furthermore, he discovered that this set of pill formulas also contained the compiler's Alchemy Notes [detailed records of an alchemist's experiments and insights]. The youth's ancestor must have been a highly skilled Alchemist.

The alchemist had personally refined every pill listed in the formulas, meticulously recording the key points for each and noting down potential pitfalls an Alchemist might encounter.

"This time, I've truly stumbled upon a priceless treasure," he murmured to himself.

"If the Mu Clan ever found out, they'd likely cough up blood in sheer frustration."

Eldrin Chen closed the Alchemy Tome [a book containing alchemical formulas and knowledge], a faint, satisfied smile gracing his lips. The Alchemy Notes from a high-level Alchemist alone were invaluable, offering him profound inspiration.

The worth of this Alchemy Tome, if brought to an auction, would likely fetch at least six thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation]. The Foundation Establishment Pill formula alone was probably worth over three thousand Spirit Stone.

It was only because the young man didn't recognize its true value, boldly asking for a mere five hundred Spirit Stone, that Eldrin Chen felt almost guilty about the bargain. He had raised the price to one thousand Spirit Stone.

This act, in a way, had also saved the youth's life. Had he tried to hawk such a treasure to multiple buyers, with his level of cultivation, he wouldn't have made it ten steps out of the Yuyang Market before meeting a grim end.

"The reason my Alchemy [the art of refining spiritual pills and elixirs] has advanced so swiftly is partly due to the Alchemy Notes left behind by Uncle Cedric," Eldrin reflected.

"With this Alchemy Tome now in hand, my future progress in Alchemy [the art of refining spiritual pills and elixirs] is likely to advance by leaps and bounds." This chapter appears courtesy of https://audio-novel.com.