"Buying or selling items?"
Dong Rou glanced up at Wang Jianqiang, her beautiful face indifferent.
"I wish to purchase the pill formulas for the Body-Nourishing Pill and the Azure Spirit Pill."
Wang Jianqiang didn't mind the tone of the outer sect elder.
Elder Dong's personality was just like that, not targeting him specifically, but treating everyone the same way.
Hearing Wang Jianqiang's words, Dong Rou's expression shifted slightly.
The Hall of External Affairs was the only place in the Hehuan Sect's outer sect for buying and selling items. Ever since he started studying the Dao of Alchemy, Wang Jianqiang frequented the Hall of External Affairs quite often.
Moreover, he was quite well-known in the outer sect.
Even though Dong Rou was indifferent by nature and never paid special attention to any outer disciple, she still had a deep impression of him.
If she remembered correctly, Wang Jianqiang was only a First-Rank Junior Alchemist, right?
The Body-Nourishing Pill and the Azure Spirit Pill were both First-Rank Intermediate Elixirs, and top-quality ones at that.
Ordinary First-Rank Intermediate Alchemists found it extremely difficult to refine them.
What was he, a First-Rank Junior Alchemist, doing buying the formulas for these pills?
Could it be that his cultivation in the Dao of Alchemy had broken through?
Thinking of this, Dong Rou shook her head slightly.
Unfortunately, being a First-Rank Intermediate Alchemist wasn't much.
Not to mention First-Rank Intermediate Alchemists, even First-Rank Advanced Alchemists were plentiful in the outer sect, with at least eighty to a hundred of them.
Among them, a few were quite talented, even under forty years old.
She knew Wang Jianqiang was extremely diligent in his cultivation, but sometimes effort alone wasn't enough.
In the path of cultivation, talent was especially important.
Whether in the Dao of Alchemy or the path of cultivation, Wang Jianqiang's talent was too lacking.
Often, his ten years of hard work couldn't compare to a month of cultivation by someone with outstanding talent.
She could even foresee the scene a few years later when Wang Jianqiang's lifespan limit arrived, turning him into a mound of yellow earth.
Cultivation was like crossing a single-log bridge; some fell off at the start, while others persisted longer, but if they couldn't completely cross it, they were ultimately failures.
Thinking of this, a hint of dimness flashed across her face, but she quickly returned to normal.
She retrieved two jade slips from her storage ring and tossed them casually, "Two hundred spirit stones."
"Thank you, Elder."
Wang Jianqiang accepted the two jade slips, purchased some spirit herbs, and then bowed to Dong Rou before taking his leave.
As he turned, his gaze discreetly swept across Dong Rou's chest before he hurried away.
***
[Name: Dong Rou]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 175/200]
[Spiritual Root: Metal-Type Heavenly Root]
[Cultivation Base: Foundation Establishment Perfection]
[Current Favorability: 0]
After leaving the Hall of External Affairs, recalling the data that appeared in his mind when he saw Dong Rou, a hint of surprise flashed across Wang Jianqiang's face.
This Elder Dong was actually a rare Heavenly Spiritual Root!
Normally, someone with a Heavenly Spiritual Root could easily break through to the Core Formation Stage.
Yet, Elder Dong was stuck at Foundation Establishment Perfection, unable to break through even as her lifespan limit approached.
This was unusual.
After pondering for a moment, Wang Jianqiang shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it.
For him now, nothing was more important than improving his cultivation base.
***
Back at his residence, Wang Jianqiang took out the Body-Nourishing Pill formula.
He was too old, and his body had long been eroded by decay.
Not only was his physical body weak, but his meridians had also hardened significantly, lacking the vitality of youth.
With such a physique, breaking through was naturally extremely difficult.
The Body-Nourishing Pill could heal and improve his aged body, aiding in breakthroughs.
If he wanted to break through quickly, this pill was absolutely essential.
He placed the jade slip containing the Body-Nourishing Pill formula against his forehead.
In the next moment, a stream of information flooded into his mind.
This information was the method for refining the Body-Nourishing Pill.
Just as Wang Jianqiang was about to study it carefully, the system's voice suddenly sounded.
[Ding, inferior pill formula detected. Optimization upgrade requires 10 cultivation points. Optimize and upgrade?]
Wang Jianqiang was momentarily stunned but made his choice without hesitation.
"Yes."
"Ding, Body-Nourishing Pill formula successfully optimized and upgraded to Perfect Body-Nourishing Pill formula."
A stream of information appeared in his mind out of nowhere.
Wang Jianqiang immediately focused and read it.
After comparing, he found that the efficacy of the Perfect Body-Nourishing Pill was several times higher than the ordinary one, yet the difficulty of refining it hadn't increased.
The spirit herbs required for refining were even more simplified, reducing the cost of refining.
Most astonishingly, the Perfect Body-Nourishing Pill had no pill poison!
All elixirs had pill poison.
High-quality elixirs only meant they contained less pill poison, not that they were completely free of it.
If a cultivator consumed a large amount of elixirs in a short period, pill poison would accumulate in their body.
The pill poison accumulated in the body was extremely stubborn and difficult to dissolve.
If not eliminated quickly, at best, it would halt cultivation progress; at worst, it could corrode cultivation, causing regression.
Under normal circumstances, after refining a certain number of elixirs, cultivators would promptly expel the pill poison to prevent accumulation.
Moreover, the time spent expelling pill poison often exceeded the time spent refining elixirs for cultivation, thus slowing down cultivation efficiency.
However, the elixirs optimized and upgraded by the system not only had stronger efficacy and lower cost but also eliminated concerns about pill poison, allowing for unrestrained refining, increasing cultivation efficiency by more than tenfold.
If this were to spread, it would surely drive any cultivator mad!
"As expected of a system product!"
Wang Jianqiang exclaimed in admiration, took out the pill furnace, and began refining.
***
Half a day later.
The elixir was complete. Wang Jianqiang waved his hand, and three perfectly round pills shot out from the pill furnace.
He caught the three pills in his hand.
Before he could take a closer look, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Explore the extended edition on p𝑎wre𝑑d.com
[Ding, pill refining successful, gained 1 cultivation point.]
Wang Jianqiang was momentarily stunned, then revealed a look of delight.
So pill refining counted as cultivation?
He had been worried about finding ways to earn cultivation points, and this sudden discovery solved his biggest problem.
Coming back to his senses, he took out a Perfect Body-Nourishing Pill and consumed it.
After refining, he clearly felt his body being nourished.
His vital blood energy regained some vitality, and even his body felt lighter.
"What potent efficacy."
Wang Jianqiang's eyes lit up, and he continued to consume the elixirs.
Half a day later, the remaining two Perfect Body-Nourishing Pills were fully refined.
He felt his physical condition had improved significantly.
If Chen Jiaojiao were here, he would surely let her know what it meant to be vigorous in old age, what it meant not to underestimate the elderly.
However, there would be plenty of time to teach Chen Jiaojiao a lesson later. For him, the most important thing was to reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible.
Otherwise, having just awakened the system, he might die of old age in a couple of years.
That would be a joke.
Thinking of this, he was instantly filled with motivation.
He took out another jade slip.
After reading the information in the jade slip, the system's voice unsurprisingly sounded again.
[Ding, inferior pill formula detected. Optimization upgrade requires 10 cultivation points. Optimize and upgrade?]
"Yes."
[Ding, optimization upgrade successful. Azure Spirit Pill formula has been optimized and upgraded to Perfect Azure Spirit Pill formula.]
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan