Chapter 33 : A Priceless Alchemy Manual

"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 here: the Mu Family's Xuanming Pavilion had been in operation for over five hundred years, amassing a reputation and credibility built over five or six centuries. It seemed trustworthy enough.

Furthermore, the man before him had an upright bearing and an Baelon [peerless, extraordinary] aura; 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 Manual [a book detailing the art of crafting spiritual pills and elixirs]. I assure you, it is genuine."

"I will sell it to you for five hundred Spirit Stones [minerals that store and radiate spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation]."

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

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

"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 absolutely cannot sell this Alchemy Manual to anyone else, nor are you permitted to teach its contents to another soul."

"This..."

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

Seeing his hesitation, Eldrin Chen let out a derisive snort. "If you sell this formula too many times, it becomes nothing more than a piece of paper that can be copied. Its value will plummet."

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

"Sell it too widely, and even if someone later wished to avenge you, they likely wouldn't know who exactly was responsible for your death."

Hearing this, the youth felt the man's words held truth. He glanced once more at the signboard of the Xuanming Pavilion [a shop or establishment], then finally nodded.

"I can sell it to you, but I want payment and goods exchanged simultaneously."

"Agreed!"

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

Seeing the Spirit Stones, the youth's eyes lit up, and his anxious, unsettled heart finally calmed.

"For someone to produce so many Spirit Stones at once, his status within the Mu Family must be quite Baelon [extraordinary or distinguished]," he thought.

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

With this thought, the youth swore a Heart Demon Oath [a binding vow where breaking it risks cultivation deviation or demonic possession], 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 leaving the Xuanming Pavilion.

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

"An old friend of mine. We happened to run into each other just now and exchanged a few words."

Eldrin Chen declared with an air of utmost righteousness and conviction.

He then took the Bellheart Grass with one hand, paid a Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation], and turned to leave the Xuanming Pavilion with hurried steps.

After departing the Xuanming Pavilion, his heart brimming with excitement, he returned to his residence and opened the Alchemy Manual.

This was a complete set of alchemical formulas, compiled in the twilight years of a senior alchemist who had consolidated all the various pill recipes he had mastered into a single tome.

Within this manual were a total of twenty-six pill formulas: seventeen of the First Rank and nine of the Second Rank.

Setting aside the First Rank formulas, among the nine Second Rank ones, five were Second Rank Lower Grade, three were Second Rank Mid-Grade, and one was Second Rank Superior Grade.

Of the five Second Rank Lower Grade formulas, two overlapped with those already in the Chen Family's collection.

The other three formulas were respectively the Essence Gathering Pill, the Stasis-Dispersing Pill, and the Barrier-Breaking Pill.

The Essence Gathering Pill was a potent tonic for True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within a practitioner's body], capable of instantly replenishing a vast amount of a cultivator's True Essence. In essence, it was a pill of condensed spiritual energy; its refinement was not overly complex, but it required a Second Rank Rare Spirit Fruit.

Furthermore, this Essence Gathering Pill could increase a cultivator's chance of a Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one solidifies their spiritual foundation] breakthrough 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 heal physical injuries and proved quite effective even for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

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

With the Barrier-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 Mid-Grade [mid-grade pills of the second rank] pill formulas, only one overlapped with those possessed by the Chen Family. The other two were the Spirit-Concentrating Pill [a pill that enhances spiritual sense] and the Essence Burst Pill [a pill that temporarily amplifies True Essence].

The Spirit-Concentrating Pill is a pill that enhances spiritual sense. It 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 Violet Sanctum [the Violet Sanctum realm, also known as the Purple Mansion realm].

This demonstrates the pill's precious value. Unfortunately, a cultivator can only consume one such pill in their entire lifetime; otherwise, its worth would be multiplied several times over.

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

However, this pill carries significant side effects. After consuming one, a cultivator's meridians [the energy channels within the body] often suffer severe damage. They cannot engage in strenuous activity for ten years, or risk having their meridians shatter completely.

The final pill formula, of Second-Rank Superior [superior-grade, second rank] quality, was the first Second-Rank Superior formula ever obtained by the Chen Family.

This pill was none other than the renowned Foundation Establishment Pill [a crucial pill for aiding Qi Condensation cultivators in establishing their foundation]. The Foundation Establishment Pill is the most widely circulated pill formula, as its importance compels many alchemists to seek and collect it.

However, the Foundation Establishment Pill is exceedingly difficult to refine. Although it is a Second-Rank Superior formula, its refinement difficulty rivals that of ordinary Third-Rank Pill [pills of the third rank].

Generally speaking, an alchemist capable of refining the Foundation Establishment Pill [a crucial pill that helps a cultivator solidify their foundation for the next realm] can already be considered, albeit barely, a third-rank alchemist.

Furthermore, he discovered that this set of pill formulas also contained the alchemical notes of its compiler. The youth's ancestor must have been a highly skilled alchemist.

The compiler had personally refined every pill listed in the formulas, meticulously recording the key points for each and annotating common pitfalls an alchemist might encounter.

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

"If the Mu Family were to find out, they'd likely cough up blood in sheer frustration."

Eldrin Chen closed the Alchemy Manual [a tome containing pill formulas and alchemical knowledge], a genuine smile touching his lips. The notes of a high-ranking alchemist alone were an invaluable treasure, offering him profound insights.

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

It was simply that the youth didn't recognize its true value, boldly asking for a mere five hundred Spirit Stones. Eldrin Chen felt almost guilty taking such advantage and raised the price to one thousand.

This act incidentally saved the young man's life. Had he dared to shop the manual around to multiple buyers, with his level of cultivation, he likely wouldn't have made it ten steps beyond the Sunward Market before meeting his end.

"The reason my alchemy skills advanced so rapidly has much to do with the alchemical notes left behind by Uncle Kylan," Eldrin reflected.

"With this Alchemy Manual now in hand, my alchemical arts are likely to advance by leaps and bounds in the days to come."