"That Li Lie... he seems a bit different today." Chen Lin muttered to himself as he watched Li Lie’s back. He then smiled at Chen Yue and said, "Chen Yue, just focus on your Alchemy. We’ll be strengthening the pharmacy’s security. What happened today won’t happen again!"
"I understand," Chen Yue replied.
Chen Yue returned to his small courtyard, bolted the door, and completed his daily task of producing twenty Blood Circulation Pills.
After finishing his official duties, Chen Yue didn’t relax in the slightest, immediately diving into his own cultivation.
He first practiced the Mountain Shattering Technique. At the Great Success Realm, his Qi and Blood Circulation was vast and heavy, and every punch and kick produced a dull thud.
Next was the Wind Chasing Technique. Although this newly acquired Body Technique was only at the Entry Level, it combined the strengths of five basic Body Techniques. When he used it, his figure dodged and weaved within a small space, already showing signs of agile speed.
Then came the Furious Wave Saber Technique. He used his hand as a saber, practicing the forms. Though he held no real blade, the ebb and flow of his Power could already simulate some of the Saber Technique’s fierce and violent intent.
Finally, Chen Yue attempted to cultivate the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield, which required a staggering 3,000 experience points just for the Entry Level.
Even just following the Entry Level technique—using a specific breathing rhythm combined with slight bodily vibrations to stimulate his muscles, bones, and membranes—he could feel a tempering effect completely different from that of the Mountain Shattering Technique.
With so many Cultivation Techniques to practice, Chen Yue pushed his schedule to the absolute limit.
He knew full well that if he hadn’t broken through to the Refining Flesh Realm and mastered several Cultivation Techniques last night, he would likely be a cold corpse lying in a pool of blood right now.
He cultivated until night had completely fallen and the sky was full of stars. Only then did Chen Yue stop, exhaling a long, white stream of air tinged with scorching heat.
When the moon hung high in the sky, Chen Yue cautiously left the pharmacy. Partway there, he changed into an inconspicuous set of dark, coarse clothes, put on a bamboo hat and a mask, and headed familiarly toward the black market in the eastern part of the city.
After breaking through to the Refining Flesh Realm, the daily cultivation points he gained from practicing the Mountain Shattering Technique and taking a Solid Essence Pill had plummeted from 15 points in the Skin Refining Realm to a mere 6.
The panel showed [Refining Flesh Realm (18/1000)]. At this rate, even if he trained without interruption, it would take him nearly six months to reach the full 1,000 points and attempt to break through to the Bone Forging Realm.
For an ordinary Martial Artist, of course, this speed was already astonishing.
But Chen Yue, living in these chaotic times fraught with peril, knew that a crisis could strike at any moment. Six months wasn’t a long time, but he wanted to be faster!
’If I could cultivate the Mountain Shattering Technique to the Perfection Realm, my daily cultivation growth would increase by another point or two, which would shorten the time a bit. But... it’s still not fast enough.’
Chen Yue pondered as he moved through the darkness. ’To get faster, I need to take better Elixirs!’
The Solid Essence Pill was already a high-quality Elixir for Martial Artists in the Refining Flesh Realm, but there were even higher-grade Elixirs, such as the Spirit Condensing Pill.
That was an Elixir specifically for the cultivation of Bone Forging Realm Martial Artists, and its effects were far beyond what the Solid Essence Pill could offer.
It was just that the medicinal ingredients were expensive, and the refinement process was even more difficult.
Chen Yue’s trip to the black market was to try his luck and see if he could find the Pill Formula for the Spirit Condensing Pill.
With a slight thought, Chen Yue called up the panel that only he could see.
After breaking through to the Refining Flesh Realm, not only had his cultivation growth requirements increased, but Chen Yue had also discovered a huge change. During the daily settlement, the Experience Points he gained for each Cultivation Technique and skill had skyrocketed compared to when he was in the Skin Refining Realm!
For example, with the Mountain Shattering Technique, a hard day’s practice in the Skin Refining Realm had yielded around 50 experience points, but now he could consistently gain over 90.
Gaining Entry Level experience for new Cultivation Techniques like the Wind Chasing Technique and the Furious Wave Saber Technique was also faster. Even the refinement experience for the Solid Essence Pill had increased by more than ten points in the daily settlement.
Chen Yue guessed it was because his realm had advanced, strengthening the foundation of his body and mind. This caused the same amount of effort to have a more significant multiplied effect during the settlement.
If that was true, then as Chen Yue continued to break through to higher realms, the skill experience gained from the daily settlement would continue to grow, and his speed at cultivating various Cultivation Techniques and arts would only increase!
This was perhaps one of the panel’s most heaven-defying aspects: the stronger he became, the more efficient he was at getting stronger.
The black market in the old eastern district, after all the recent events, had not quieted down. On the contrary, it had become even more active than before.
Chen Yue lowered his bamboo hat and silently blended into the stream of hurried people.
He didn’t rush toward the stalls selling Secret Manuals or Elixirs. Instead, he slowed his pace as if just strolling, stopping near a few relatively busy corners to eavesdrop on the scattered conversations drifting from the darkness.
"...Did you hear? Huichun Hall was hit last night! A lot of people died, and I heard even a few Alchemy Masters were kidnapped!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! I have a relative who works for the Chen Family. He said the attackers were disciplined in their approach and utterly ruthless."
"Could it have been the refugees from outside the city?"
"Hard to say. But that soup kitchen outside the city has been getting more and more popular lately. More and more people are going. I heard they’re even giving out grain, not just thin porridge!"
"Giving out grain? For real? Who’s so generous?"
"Who knows? Something feels off, anyway. But I heard you really can get food there, so a lot of people who can’t survive have gone..."
The fragmented whispers continued, the tone of most speakers heavy.
After listening for a while, Chen Yue stopped in front of a stall.
The stall was a simple platform made of a few wooden planks. On it were more than ten jars and bottles of various sizes, and next to them lay a few scrolls of old parchment or silk and brocade tied with leather cords.
Chen Yue glanced at the medicine bottles. Their labels were blurry, but the faint medicinal scent that occasionally wafted from them suggested they weren’t all fakes.
"Boss," Chen Yue said, lowering his voice to a hoarse whisper. "Do you have any Pill Formulas for sale here?"
The stall owner cracked an eyelid open. His cloudy eyes scanned Chen Yue before he slowly said, "Pill Formulas? I’ve got a few. What kind of Elixir formula are you looking for?"
"The Spirit Condensing Pill. Do you have it? If you have something better than the Spirit Condensing Pill, I’ll take a look at that too."
"The Spirit Condensing Pill?"
The stall owner seemed to sober up a bit. He sat up straight and carefully looked Chen Yue up and down. "The Spirit Condensing Pill helps Bone Forging Realm masters cultivate. I... actually do have one. But the price..."
’He really has one?’
"Let me see the goods first," Chen Yue said, his voice steady. "I need to verify if it’s authentic before we can talk price."
"I can’t let you see the complete Pill Formula."
The stall owner gave a sly chuckle and turned to rummage through a worn-out wicker chest behind him. A moment later, he pulled out a piece of paper with frayed edges and handed it over.
"This is a partial outline of the Pill Formula. If you know what you’re looking at, you’ll be able to tell."
Chen Yue took the paper and began to read it, word by word, line by line.
He had never actually seen a real Pill Formula for the Spirit Condensing Pill. Even Lin Quan had never refined an Elixir of this level in front of him.
However, his skill with the Solid Essence Pill had now reached the Great Success Realm. The formulation principles and ingredient processing for the Spirit Condensing Pill should share some similarities with the Solid Essence Pill, only be far more complex and refined.
At first glance, the contents recorded in this outline were logically consistent. The combination of medicinal ingredients showed no obvious conflicts. There was at least a seventy to eighty percent chance it was genuine.
Chen Yue’s heart stirred. He looked up at the stall owner. "This outline looks interesting. Name your price."
A glint flashed in the stall owner’s eyes. He rubbed his fingers together. "You’re a man who knows his goods, sir. Why don’t you make an offer? If it’s right, it’s yours."