Shen Dujiang’s eyes widened, and he nearly choked on his own saliva. "One tael? What do you take this for?"
"Two taels, then."
Chen Yue’s expression didn’t change as he named a new price. "Two taels is the most I’ll pay. After all, this is just a Pill Formula. Besides, you said yourself that business has its risks. I’m the one assuming the risk of a failed refinement and the loss of ingredients, so the formula’s price should naturally be lower."
The two went back and forth, arguing in low voices for a few moments.
Shen Dujiang clearly hadn’t expected someone as young as Chen Yue to be such a tenacious haggler. Finally, Shen Dujiang waved his hand in resignation. "Fine, fine! Five taels it is. Take it, just take it!"
"Not so fast. I’m going to check the other stalls first." Chen Yue grinned and turned to leave.
Shen Dujiang stood there, stunned. He almost couldn’t stop himself from chasing after Chen Yue and beating him up.
Chen Yue wandered through the winding alleys of the black market for a while, deliberately making his way to several other stalls selling Elixirs and Secret Manuals to ask about the Pill Formula for the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill.
The results were just as Shen Dujiang had said. Stalls selling a Pill Formula of this level were extremely rare. Even the one or two that claimed to have it were asking for exorbitant prices, with the lowest being eighty taels.
With Chen Yue’s current finances, he couldn’t afford it at all.
Chen Yue returned to Shen Dujiang’s stall. Seeing him, Shen Dujiang couldn’t help but purse his lips. "Finished confirming?"
Chen Yue didn’t respond, simply taking out five taels of Broken Silver with a calm expression and handing it to Shen Dujiang.
The transaction was complete, but Chen Yue didn’t leave immediately. He thought for a moment and asked, "Boss, do you have a Secret Manual for a Disguise Technique?"
"A Disguise Technique?"
Shen Dujiang glanced at Chen Yue and nodded. "I have one, but for a Disguise Technique to truly fool anyone, you need to be an expert at the Refining Flesh Realm, or even the Bone Forging Realm, to really bring out its wondrous effects."
"No matter. Let me see it first," Chen Yue said.
’In this world fraught with danger, having an extra skill to change my appearance and hide my tracks means an extra layer of security.’
"Alright." Shen Dujiang didn’t say more. He turned and rummaged through his wicker chest for a while before pulling out a small booklet, even thinner than the previous Secret Manuals, and handing it over.
"Here, this is it."
Chen Yue took it and quickly flipped through. It was illustrated with both pictures and text. Although crude, it was indeed a Technique for disguise, including how to use a special medicinal paste to alter facial contours and how to use Inner Breath to slightly adjust one’s voice.
It was perfect for the current Chen Yue.
"Consider this a little extra?" Chen Yue closed the booklet, looked up at Shen Dujiang, and said half-jokingly.
Shen Dujiang was taken aback, then he pointed at Chen Yue and couldn’t help but burst out laughing. He quickly lowered his voice, "You’ve got some nerve, kid! Alright, I’ll throw it in as a bonus for you!"
"Thanks, Boss." Chen Yue didn’t stand on ceremony and carefully put away the Disguise Technique booklet.
His trip to the black market tonight had yielded far more than he expected. Without further delay, he confirmed no one was tailing him and silently left the black market.
Shen Dujiang watched Chen Yue’s retreating figure, the smile vanishing from his face.
He needed the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill. The Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill didn’t just perform Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging; it could also expel poison from within the bone marrow. However, the supply of Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills in Youlin County was extremely limited, and there was nowhere to buy more.
Shen Dujiang didn’t know if the kid could actually refine the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill, but it was a desperate gamble. At least it left a possible path open.
Besides, a thing like a Pill Formula is valuable, to be sure. But it’s also worthless—someone who doesn’t need it would never buy it.
...
After scaling the wall back into the courtyard, Chen Yue returned to his small Alchemy Room, bolted the door, and lit the oil lamp. Only then did he truly relax.
He first took out the paper recording the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill formula. By the lamplight, he began to study and ponder it, word by word, sentence by sentence. This time, he wasn’t just trying to determine its authenticity; he was also simulating the entire refinement process in his mind.
He combined his experience refining the Solid Essence Pill and ran simulation after simulation in his mind. Although it was only theoretical, each mental run-through deepened his understanding of the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill.
Time passed quietly. At the exact moment day turned to night, a familiar ripple appeared in Chen Yue’s perception.
[Daily Settlement]
[Diligently cultivated Mountain Shattering Technique, Mountain Shattering Technique Experience +90]
[Diligently studied the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill Formula, Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill Experience +1]
[Diligently studied Disguise Technique, Disguise Technique Experience +1]
[Diligently cultivated Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield, Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield Experience +50]
...
[Skill: Mountain Shattering Technique (Great Success 880/900)]
[Skill: Wind Chasing Technique (Minor Success 50/600)]
[Skill: Furious Wave Saber Technique (Minor Success 10/600)]
[Skill: Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield (Entry Level 150/3000)]
[Skill: Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill (Entry Level 1/600)]
[Skill: Disguise Technique (Entry Level 1/300)]
...
A massive flood of insights, like a bursting dam, surged into Chen Yue’s Sea of Consciousness.
These insights were rapidly absorbed and digested, beginning to transform into muscle memory and bodily instinct. Chen Yue closed his eyes and focused, taking a full incense stick’s worth of time to digest it all before slowly opening his eyes.
His Mountain Shattering Technique was now just one step away from reaching Perfection. Both his Wind Chasing Technique and Furious Wave Saber Technique had reached the Minor Success Realm.
What let Chen Yue breathe a sigh of relief was that his skill in refining the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill had reached Entry Level, which undoubtedly confirmed that the Pill Formula he had obtained was real.
The most eye-catching skill on the panel was undoubtedly the terrifyingly high-level Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield. Between his bitter daily training and the settlement bonus, he could gain about 50 Experience Points a day.
But looking at the massive 3,000 experience points needed just for Entry Level, even at his current pace, it would take a full two months to reach the cultivation of Minor Success. And the experience required after Minor Success would only be greater.
’However, once I break through to the Bone Forging Realm, the settlement efficiency should increase again. At that point, my cultivation speed for the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield should pick up,’ Chen Yue calculated in his mind.
Moreover, even though he had only cultivated the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield for a short time, its effects were already beginning to show.
When cultivating the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield, the subtle vibrations that radiated from the inside out felt as if they were reorganizing the connections between his flesh, muscles, bones, and even his internal organs.
The human body is an integrated whole, but ordinary people, and even many Martial Artists, cannot perfectly coordinate and mobilize every ounce of their strength.
The Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield was now doing just that, making his body’s coordination more tightly-knit and efficient.
At the same time, Chen Yue could feel that his skin and flesh seemed a tiny bit tougher than before. It wasn’t obvious, but the feeling was real.
This was just after starting his Entry Level cultivation. As time went on, he might truly be able to withstand blades and swords.
The next day, when Chen Yue practiced his newly advanced Wind Chasing Technique in the courtyard at dawn, he could clearly feel that his movements were much faster than the day before.
The gap between Minor Success and Entry Level was immediately apparent.
When the settlement occurred that night, the panel displayed: [Skill: Mountain Shattering Technique (Perfection 70/1200)].
This fused Cultivation Technique had finally entered the Perfection Realm of cultivation.
When he cultivated again the next day, Chen Yue immediately felt the difference the Mountain Shattering Technique made. It wasn’t just another increase in strength; more importantly, his Qi and Blood Circulation was now smooth and unimpeded.
While cultivating, his efficiency in absorbing the Medicinal Power of the Solid Essence Pill seemed to have increased, and the daily circulation of his Qi Blood to nourish his body also went more smoothly.
At the settlement that night, his daily Cultivation increase had risen from 6 points to 7.