However, if Foundation Establishment Pills were required to become Foundation Establishment, and refining them required Foundation Establishment’s Innate True Fire, then they were truly interlocked in a vicious, unbreakable circle.
This made Han Li depressed to the point of wanting to knock his head against the wall!
To find a Foundation Establishment Expert to help him refine pills was completely unacceptable. This was equivalent to exposing the secret of the small bottle to them. That assistant he asked for help would be likely to become his very own murderer.
Distraught, Han Li stood anxiously in front of the desk for a long while, before returning it to its original spot. Then he absent-mindedly picked up another jade cylinder and wiped it clean, exposing a fiery color.
“The matter of Foundation Establishment Pill can only be reconsidered in the future! Let’s first take a look at what’s inside here. Perhaps there is a wondrous medicine pill formula within!” Han Li was a bold and decisive person, having immediately put away the Foundation Establishment Pill cylinder to the side. He then turned to examine the red-colored jade cylinder, hoping for a pleasant surprise.
“Face Setting Pill.” Just as Han Li pushed his consciousness into the jade cylinder, those three words entered his mind, causing him to immediately feel a trace of disappointment. However, Han Li reassured himself for a moment. “Although this may be its name, this medicine pill effect might not necessarily be what I believe it to be. Perhaps it has some strange effect!”
However, the following words completely crushed Han Li’s extravagant hopes: It can cause one’s appearance to remain young forever. The descriptions of the pill’s effect was of no use to him.
Han Li stood there motionless and said nothing. His mind still continuously suppressed the scathing threads of an evil flame’s smoke as he inwardly cursed without restraint.
‘What kind of trashy book collection is this? It doesn’t have any recipes that it should. It’s actually just a hideous mess of a collection! How could they wrongfully treat us cultivators to these acupuncture needle secret technique, these Face Setting Pills and such! They even arrogantly arranged all this here….”
When Han Li felt that this trip was nearly a complete waste, that loathsome voice spoke.
“Your time has ended. If you want to extend….”
“I am heading down!”
Han Li did not feel like wasting another spirit stone and prepared to leave, taking the jade cylinder containing the Foundation Establishment Pill refining formula with him.
However, just as he walked to the stairs, he hesitated. He felt that although the ‘Face Setting Pill’ was of no use in progressing one’s magic power, it could still be sold to other cultivators. Most importantly, this Face Setting Pill did not require the so-called Innate True Fire. It was something he could create right now.
With this thought, Han Li returned to the front of the table and took the red jade cylinder. He then quickly returned to the stairs and climbed down.
“How was it, Young Friend? Have you made any gains?” When the old man saw Han Li, he asked Han Li with a smile on his face. However, why did Han Li find those words so false?
“Elder Xu, is the floor above truly the sect’s medicine pill formula storage? How could there be so much rubbish and trash? Is there some other collection room?” Han Li didn’t care about mocking the old man and instead asked the question he had been holding back for quite a long time with a depressed face.
Seeing Han Li’s expression, he could not help but laugh with an evil smile.
“Ever since this old man began taking care of this place, Young Friend was not the first to ask this question. Almost every disciple who arrives at Yue Lu Hall for the first time and looks upstairs asks this old man that same question. However, if you want to know the entirety of this matter…” This Elder Xu deliberately dragged out his sentence, but the meaning of his words could not be more obvious.
He had a rigid expression that demanded payment, truly rendering Han Li speechless. This person before him, a Foundation Establishment Expert, was clearly a profiteer from the secular world with the appearance of stingy cheapskate.
Currently, Han Li finally realized why he did not want him to call him “Martial Senior” and instead address him as “Elder”. If he were to perform those actions as a Martial Sect Senior then, he would not be able to brazenly profit from these small tricks with his superiors pretending not to notice.
Han Li’s raised his eyebrows for a moment. Without saying anything further, Pa-pa, he placed the two jade cylinders in front of the old man’s table.
“This Junior originally thought to copy these jade cylinders. However, it seems that I currently do not have enough spirit stones! Since its like that, this Junior will only copy one. As for the other, this Junior will save it for the next trip.” Having lived in the secular world for so long, Han Li slightly struck back to avoid his appetite from growing larger.
“Young Friend wants to duplicate two of them?” The Elder Xu greatly smiled and widely opened his eyes.
“Originally, yes. However, this Junior wishes to learn the answer to the previous question, and he doesn’t have enough!”
“Hehe, Since Young Friend is this frank and straightforward, I will naturally answer that previous question free of charge. Let this old man first give copies to this Young Friend!” The old man hastily grabbed the two jade cylinders and took two white jade cylinders from the shelf behind him. He hastily duplicated them, fearful of Han Li going back on his word.
“The duplication is complete, take care of them well!” The old man’s movements were incomparably quick, leaving Han Li dumbstruck until he received the jade cylinder copies. After Han Li received the duplicates, the old man then looked at him with a ‘why are you still not quickly taking out the spirit stones?’ expression.
The corner of Han Li’s mouth twitched, then he opened his mouth to say something. However, he didn’t say anything. After a moment of silence, he neatly took out twenty low-grade spirit stones from his storage pouch and wordlessly handed them over to the old man.
The old man took the offered spirit stones with a happy grin, and for a short while, he was unable to conceal his happiness. Only after he counted the spirit stones three to four times did he notice Han Li waiting to his side for a reply.
At this moment, Elder Xu was perfectly content with the spirit stones he received and sized Han Li up with a gaze like Han Li was a rich man.
“You truly cannot judge a person by their appearance! Young Friend’s background was unexpectedly this profound and was truly to this old man’s surprise. Although this old man is greedy, he is a man who keeps his promises. Today, if Young Friend has a question, do not hesitate to ask. This old man will definitely satisfy and repay Young Friend!” After the old man returned his gaze toward him, he solemnly said this with an unexpectedly serious and proper image,
Han Li was slightly surprised, but without a trace of politeness, he requested the answer to the previous question.
“The answer is quite simple. The majority of medicine pill recipes were lost long ago. Not only for our Yellow Maple Valley Sect, but also for the other sects…even the entire cultivation world is like this!” The old man leisurely answered.
When Han Li heard this, he was startled and looked at the old man with a puzzled gaze.
“Young Friend, calm down. It will be clear once you think about it. Why are medicine pill recipes valuable? Naturally it is because they are capable of using heavenly materials and earthly treasures to create medicine pills for us cultivators to consume.”
“However, Young Friend did not think about this before. In this world, heavenly materials and earthly treasures are quite limited. In addition, each plant requires hundreds if not thousands years to mature and be of use. During this time, the amount of cultivators do not decrease but instead increase year after year. As a result, the materials used in these pill recipes gradually grow sparse, even
tually becoming completely extinguished. By the time the people of the cultivation world took noticed of this grave problem, the heavenly materials and earthly treasures of this earth were long gone. Only a few particular regions still have a few of these ingredients remaining. These regions are incomparably dangerous even for us cultivators and are not easily braved.”
“Thus, we were thoroughly severed from a source of raw materials, and the medicine formulas became worthless. Who would attach value to them? After an extremely long period and several great calamities upon the cultivation world, these medicine pill recipes gradually disappeared from history. The few that remain could be counted upon one’s fingers, and the Foundation Establishment Pill was merely one of those that remained.”
Chapter 156: Earth Lung Fire
After Han Li heard the old man’s reason, his face’s expression did not change, appearing neither accepting nor denying those words. He nodded his head and said nothing. He picked up the jade cylinder duplicates, and turned around, walking toward the passage.
“Since Young Friend wants to refine pills, would you like to come again and buy a few pill furnaces? I will sell them a bit cheaper.” The old man saw Han Li leaving and hastily offered to sell his own goods.
“I do not need them. For the time being, I cannot use them!” Han Li did not turn around and simply waved his hand goodbye.
“That is truly unfortunate. This pill furnace of mine can bear the high temperatures of earth fire!” Elder Xu regretfully said, having seen that his business was not successful.
“Earth fire?” Han Li stopped at the entrance of the passage.
“It is Earth Lung Fire, a bit more impressive than Innate True Fire.” The old man indifferently mentioned.
“Isn’t it said that pill refinery requires Innate True Fire? Can this Earth Fire replace it when refining pills?” Han Li tried his best to keep his voice calm. However, his heart was thumping greatly. He knew that he might’ve already found a solution out of his Foundation Establishment Pill refinery predicament.
“Hehe! It seems Young Friend is completely ignorant that Earth Fire has long replaced Innate True Fire in pill refinery! However, this is nothing serious. Basically, those who have learned a thing or two about pills should all know this. I will explain this to Young Friend free of charge!” The old man saw Han Li’s interest, causing his spirit to stir. He even deliberately added the words ‘free of charge’ as an especially heavy bait.
How could Han Li not hear the meaning in the other party’s words? He could not help but bitterly smile. The old man clearly implied that although he would tell him free of charge, he would only speak a sentence for free. To say seven or eight sentences free of charge, the difference was far too great.
However, this matter was of great importance, and Han Li would not be able to tangle with him once more.
As a result, he directly walked back and instantly agreed, “So long as Elder Xu’s words about Earth Fire are true, then I will select one of your pill furnaces!”
“Hehe! My pill furnaces are absolute top quality goods. They are certain to satisfy Young Friend!” Elder Xu saw that an agreement was smoothly met and could not help but smile with squinted eyes.
“At first, Innate True Fire was used to refine pills, but this was during an ancient time long ago! The current pill refinery of the cultivation world borrows the Earth Lung Fire from Profound Yang Earth to temper and refine medicine pills. Long ago, our ancestors already discovered that Earth Fire not only had purer essence and higher temperatures than True Fire, it was also longer lasting and more stable. Its success rate was usually much greater than when using True Fire to refine pills. Furthermore, it was also equivalently effective when used to refine tools. That is the reason why so long as cultivation sects and a few of the larger cultivation clans have the qualifications, they will all have their own Profound Yang Fire Earth to provide their younger generations with refined pills and refined tools. Only wild cultivators, those whose powers are truly alone and are unable to borrow Earth Fire, would use the more highly likely to fail True Fire method to refine pills.” The old man shook his head as he narrated a large speech that passed through his mind.
“Then this sect also has Earth Fire that can be borrowed for use? Elder Xu should definitely know where.” Han Li was elated, but he resisted the excitement in his mind and preserved his reason in order to ask about the crucial location.
“Hehe….”
When the old man heard Han Li’s question, he couldn’t help but laugh heartily. He smiled at Han Li and blinked his eyes, as if he were puzzled!
“When Young Friend had just entered Yue Lu Hall, didn’t he see a passageway without any signs? That passage leads to the Profound Yang Earth Fire. If you pay a few spirit stones, you will be able to borrow some Earth Fire for use!” After an easy smile, the old man eventually told Han Li the truth.
“Is this really true?” Han Li could not help but expose a happy expression, and the corner of his mouth slightly rose.
“This old man is already this old, how could he cheat a junior such as yourself?” Elder Xu replied, somewhat annoyed.
“It was this Junior’s slip of the mouth! Please forgive me, Elder Xu!” Although Han Li felt that the old man was greedy, he would not deceive a junior in this matter like that. He sincerely said this with a modest tone.
“Humph! Seeing that Young Friend’s age is so young, this old man will forgive you this once!” The old man’s expression eased. However, his face stiffened immediately after. “However, it would be favorable if you were to purchase a pill furnace. This old man might not offer them anymore.”
When Han Li heard this, Han Li could not help but bitterly smile. This Elder truly won’t neglect this advantageous moment of vulnerability!
“Are those the pill furnaces?” Han Li asked, pointing to the shelves behind the old man. They held cauldron furnaces of various sizes.
“Obviously not. Those are simply common trash. They are only capable refining some inferior medicine pills. How could they withstand the heat of Earth Fire? Genuine quality pill furnaces are all here!” The old man recovered the true qualities of an unscrupulous businessman and gleefully patted the unremarkable gray pouch at his waist.
The old man took off the gray pouch and lightly patted it as he looked to the ground beside him. Then an azure light swept out a row of interesting, antique-styled, unusual pill cauldrons on the floor.
“How about it? This is the old man’s collection of pill furnaces. Every single one is a work of quality, absolutely not some common trash!” The old man said somewhat complacently. He picked up the nearest cauldron furnace and lightly struck it.
“They are truly quite good!” Once the cauldron furnaces appeared, Han Li sensed that they emitted traces of Spiritual Qi. He couldn’t help but let out a soft “Yi”.
However, this actually made him more interested in the old man’s unremarkable pouch. This was absolutely a high-grade storage pouch that exceeded the capabilities of his own storage pouch. Otherwise, it would be impossible to hold such a great volume of goods.
“Hehe! This old man wasn’t boasting. Xu Mou is truly an expert at refining cauldron magic tools. Most of the sect’s low level disciple’s cauldron furnaces come from this old man’s hand. These few are the finest of the finest!” The old man saw Han Li become somewhat moved and was unable to contain his joy.
Han Li faintly smiled and did not speak any words of retort. He calmly walked next to the cauldron furnaces and looked down, beginning to choose.
“This is a Rahu Cauldron. It is capable of absorbing a flame’s high temperature, generally increasing the success rate of medicine pills… It can also….”
Every time Han Li picked up a cauldron furnace to examine it, Elder Xu would stand to the side and jabber incessantly praises, wishing he could talk about each one of these rare and incomparable treasures all day long. If Han Li didn’t immediately buy one, it would be as if he would be wronging the Heave
ns! Han Li could not help but bitterly smile.
“It’s this one!” Han Li took every cauldron furnace and examined them all once through. After he muttered to himself for a moment, he pointed to the smallest silvery cauldron furnace.
“Clicks tongue! Young Friend truly has a good eye. This silver threaded cauldron is the best among the pill cauldrons, a rarely produced magic tool. Among all of my pill cauldrons, this treasure is the best among them!” When Elder Xu saw Han Li raise the smallest cauldron, he was somewhat astonished. However, he immediately resumed his normal expression and rambled a mouthful of praises.
‘What does this have to do with a good eye? I have to think about the limited space in my storage pouch. It can only hold this cauldron!’ Han Li unhappily thought when he heard the old man’s noisy words.
Finally, after haggling over the price with the old man, Han Li settled on the price of thirty-two low-grade spirit stones and purchased the object. Then he departed without the slightest hesitation.
Although the time Han Li was in contact with Elder Xu was short, he had already spent over fifty spirit stones. Even though it could be said that he was considerably wealthy, it still greatly caused his heart to ache. As a result, he was truly unwilling to stay here any longer, even if the old man were to passionately urge him to stay.
After exiting Elder Xu’s room. Han Li returned to the hall with the transportation formation. However he didn’t immediately leave the palace hall, but after a moment of consideration, he instead walked through the passageway that wasn’t marked with a character.
At the end of the passageway appeared a huge stone door barring the way. A rainbow luster continuously circulated through the stone door. With just a look, one would know that it had an extremely impressive restrictive spell so that one wouldn’t dare to act without thinking.
To the side of the stone door, there was another small stone room. Within the room was an ugly man with lumps across his face. This ugly man was merely at the peak of Qi Condensation. However, he looked at Han Li with a proud and cold gaze, leaving Han Li in a bad mood!
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 75