The second floor of the Gray Mouse Elixir Shop.
"Just one more Spiritual Material to go!"
Xu Chang’an muttered to himself as he took stock of the Spirit Medicine and Spiritual Materials he had collected.
Over the past year, his Alchemy Skill had also improved significantly.
He had mastered the refining methods for several types of Tier Two Low Grade Elixirs.
For a common Tier Two Cultivation Elixir like the Nourishing Essence Pill, his success rate was already quite high.
Whenever he succeeded in refining them, he would consume every last one.
By accumulating Energy this way, he ensured no middleman took a cut.
’I still haven’t fully mastered the refining method for the Transformation Pill.’
’I’m still missing one Spiritual Material, so there’s no rush to collect it.’
...
For the next several months, Xu Chang’an’s life continued in its extremely regular pattern.
He diligently studied the Alchemy Dao, consulted Pill Master Ye, and gathered information on Spiritual Items to improve his bloodline’s Talent and on Spiritual Materials for the Transformation Pill.
Business at the Gray Mouse Elixir Shop had picked up considerably.
It was likely due to the superior quality of his Elixirs, which had gradually earned him repeat customers.
After deducting the rent for the storefront, Xu Chang’an was actually able to earn some Demon Stones.
One day, Xu Chang’an went to the Flame Leaf Alchemy Workshop as usual to ask Pill Master Ye some questions.
After his questions were answered, Xu Chang’an was about to take his leave.
But Pill Master Ye asked him to stay.
"Grey Rat, I’m just about to refine a batch of Foundation Establishment Pills. Stay and observe; you might learn something."
When it came to Alchemy Skill, Xu Chang’an’s rate of progress was extremely fast.
Every time Pill Master Ye cleared up his doubts, he was often able to extrapolate and understand the broader principles.
After a few such sessions, Pill Master Ye was extremely pleased with Xu Chang’an. He developed an appreciation for his talent and considered making a special effort to cultivate him.
Although Pill Master Ye had many apprentices, their Talent was average, and their Alchemy Skill was mediocre.
He had yet to find a Demon he considered a true successor to his legacy.
Given his lifespan as a Foundation Establishment Great Demon, this wasn’t an urgent matter, but since a suitable candidate had appeared, he was inclined to nurture one or two.
Right now, Xu Chang’an’s Talent had clearly caught his eye, making him a prime candidate for consideration.
’It’s just a shame his Cultivation is a little low!’
Pill Master Ye sighed inwardly.
Although Cultivation Realm and Alchemy Skill were not directly related,
they were inextricably linked to one’s lifespan. With more time to study and delve into Pill Art, the upper limit of one’s Skills should be higher.
Moreover, the energy and perspective of a Foundation Establishment Great Demon were clearly far superior to those of a Qi Refining Demon.
’I’ll just wait and see.’
Pill Master Ye led Xu Chang’an into a VIP reception room on the third floor of the Flame Leaf Alchemy Workshop.
There were a total of five Demons in the room.
Seeing Pill Master Ye enter, they all immediately cupped their hands and greeted him.
"Pill Master Ye."
Their words were respectful, holding him in extremely high regard.
Pill Master Ye nodded lightly.
Xu Chang’an observed them and found that all five Demons were at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer of cultivation; there were no Foundation Establishment Great Demons among them.
There was a Tiger Demon, a Macaque Spirit, a Bear Demon, a Wolf Demon, and a Spirit Bee Spirit.
The Tiger Demon and the Macaque Spirit were a pair. The other Demons stood in different spots, suggesting they were not associated with each other.
Five Demons, four separate parties.
With the exception of those with Demon King Bloodlines and a few extraordinarily gifted Demons, the vast majority of Demons who wished to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm and become a Foundation Establishment Great Demon needed the help of a Foundation Establishment Pill.
There were generally only two ways to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill: buy it or have it refined.
Foundation Establishment Pills were precious and simply not available on the open market.
And while they were often auctioned, the prices were too high, and the competition was fierce.
A single misstep could mean offending other Demons and inviting disaster.
Even if one successfully won an auction, it was easy to be targeted by ill-intentioned Demons, leading to unnecessary trouble.
Thus, many Demons chose to collect the refining materials themselves and find a suitable Alchemist to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill.
However, the refining materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill were quite rare.
Most were monopolized by major powers.
It was extremely difficult for an Independent Cultivator Demon to gather all the necessary materials for a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Therefore, the common practice for Independent Cultivator Demons was to find other Demons and cooperate in having an Elixir refined.
The White Wolf Demon Xu Chang’an had encountered earlier in Peacock Demon City was a case in point.
Because of this demand, Demons like the Beijing Spirit, who specialized in brokering these connections, had emerged.
They integrated resources, coordinated distribution, allowed each party to get what they needed, and earned Demon Stones by exploiting information gaps and leveraging their Demon Vein connections.
"Take out all the Spirit Medicine and Spiritual Materials you’ve collected. I will inspect them."
Pill Master Ye said to the Demons from his seat.
He was a Foundation Establishment Great Demon and, more importantly, a renowned Second-Order High-grade Alchemist.
When facing a few mere Qi Refining Ninth Layer Old Demons, he didn’t need to be overly courteous.
Hearing Pill Master Ye’s words, the Demons took out the refining materials they had prepared.
With a sweep of his Demon Sense, Pill Master Ye had a clear grasp of the state of the Spirit Medicine and Spiritual Materials.
"Not bad. It’s all here!"
Pill Master Ye nodded.
The refining materials the Demons had gathered were complete in variety and sufficient in quantity.
The age and quality of one or two of the materials even slightly exceeded the refining requirements.
"Follow me."
After collecting the refining materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill, Pill Master Ye said this and led the way out.
Xu Chang’an and the other Demons naturally followed.
The Flame Leaf Alchemy Workshop naturally had a dedicated Alchemy Room.
Since the various Demons were cooperating on this Alchemy, they also needed to watch the refining process from the side.
When the refining was complete, they needed to promptly inspect the results.
This was so they could distribute the Foundation Establishment Pills according to the outcome of the refining.
This was a matter of transparency, to prevent any trickery.
Pill Master Ye entered the Alchemy Room; he needed to make some preparations.
The other Demons, meanwhile, waited quietly in an observation room to the side of the Alchemy Room.
"Everyone, before Pill Master Ye begins refining the Foundation Establishment Pills, let’s reconfirm each party’s contribution to avoid any disputes over the Elixir distribution later," the Tiger Demon suggested.
"Indeed, that’s how it should be."
"Agreed."
The Bear Demon, Wolf Demon, and Spirit Bee Spirit all voiced their agreement.
According to what Pill Master Ye had said previously, a complete set of refining materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill should yield four pills if the process went smoothly. This was why four parties were cooperating on the refinement, and not more.
From a practical standpoint, it was naturally better to have more Demons cooperating in the refinement.
But from a cost-benefit perspective, that was not the case.
Normally, it was true that four Foundation Establishment Pills could be produced.
But as long as one was starting a refinement, there were always risks involved.
If the refinement failed, then everything would be for naught.
However, with Pill Master Ye’s level of skill, a complete failure was unlikely.
But there was still the question of how many pills would be formed.
A normal outcome was four pills, but what if it went poorly?
It was possible to end up with three, two, or even just one pill!
On top of that, there were differences in quality: superior-grade, standard-grade, and inferior-grade.
Of course, it was also possible that the refining would go exceptionally well, yielding five Foundation Establishment Pills.
But since the outcome of the refining involved risk, it was only natural for the cooperating Demons to clarify the terms beforehand.
They would rank themselves according to their contributions in collecting the materials, and the distribution of the Foundation Establishment Pills would follow that order.
This way, if a superior-grade Foundation Establishment Pill was produced,
the one ranked first by contribution would have priority in claiming it.
If they did not want the superior-grade pill, the Demon ranked second could choose it by making up the difference in value.
The Demons quickly reconfirmed their contribution rankings.
With all parties as witnesses, the matter was settled.