Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation Chapter 27

"Let's proceed with the test."

"Very well, please follow me."

With the agreement reached, the young noble in luxurious robes no longer pressed the issue. Wang Yu, on the other hand, became even more curious.

"Senior, how long have you been with Deacon Xu? And how should I address you?"

"The old man’s surname is Zhu. You may call me Elder Zhu.

"As for following Deacon Xu, it's only been a few days. The Xu Family's Pill Shop just opened, and since I am somewhat well-known within the shopkeeper circle, I was invited to temporarily manage the shop."

"I see."

Every profession has its own circle. Eloquence is a form of talent, and having a circle of shopkeepers is quite normal. However, appointing someone to act as a temporary manager might be somewhat improper.

Elder Zhu led Wang Yu into the back courtyard, pointed to a room, and said, "Inside is a first-grade Earthfire Chamber. The medicinal ingredients are all prepared. I’ll be waiting outside while you refine the pills."

Wang Yu was confident and unafraid of any test. After all, in the past two months, he had fully mastered two basic pill recipes.

[Idle Slot 2: Cold Chi Pill Refining Technique (Incomplete)]

Cold Chi Pill Refining Technique (35/100): 12 session per day, master in 8 months.

At this level, the pill refining art could be considered to have reached the minor completion stage. Combined with a thoroughly comprehended recipe, there was no reason for failure.

So even though it was his first time refining officially, everything felt incredibly familiar.

Pill refining is divided into four steps:

Extraction, Fusion, Pill Formation, and Tempering.

The so-called Extraction is the most widely known step—removing impurities and refining the essence.

These "impurities" are often misunderstood as being toxic or harmful, but that’s not entirely accurate. Spiritual herbs gather the essence of heaven and earth and are naturally pure, almost free from true impurities. They are the most spiritually refined substances.

Extraction is about removing certain properties that do not align with the needs of the pill recipe—like earthy smells, or portions of roots affected by the local qi during growth.

Due to varying growth environments, different parts must be removed. This is a field of study in itself.

Everything outside the properties required by the recipe is considered an impurity.

That is true extraction.

The second step, Fusion, as the name suggests, involves merging the medicinal properties of various ingredients. This demands deep knowledge of pharmacology, a clear understanding of the principles and order of ingredient pairing. A single misstep increases the difficulty of pill formation.

Understanding medicinal properties, herbal interactions, and ingredient processing can take ordinary people twenty or thirty years to master. Fire control techniques also play a crucial role in this step—they are the core of fire-based refinement.

The third step, Pill Formation, mainly involves the Pill Formation Seal, used to condense the medicinal liquid into pill form. This step requires both skill and cultivation. One must use spiritual sense to control the process and spiritual power to merge the ingredients.

This is why the noble youth’s doubt about Wang Yu wasn’t unfounded. Wang Yu only revealed Qi Refining Layer Three. Without the ability to project his spiritual sense externally, how could he possibly control the intricate details of pill refining?

The fourth step, Tempering, comes after pill formation. A low flame must be used to slowly refine the pill, allowing the medicinal properties to fully unify under spiritual power. Only then is it a success.

Any mistakes in earlier steps can result in cracks in the pill or conflicting medicinal properties turning it into waste. One must aim for steady speed and ordered patience.

To refine a single furnace of Fasting Pills takes one-quarter of an hour, or half an hour.

The main ingredients are Five-Essence Grass and Spirit Grain, supplemented by Spirit Spring Water, Rotproof Root, Long Fragrance Fruit, and Nectar, all of which are ordinary first-grade spiritual items.

The Cold Chi Pill Refining Art, before it produces the Cold Chi Pill and condenses the Cold Flame Seed, is simply a very ordinary pill refining technique without any special properties.

Thus, Wang Yu refined them in an equally ordinary way.

Half an hour later, a batch of Fasting Pills was completed. Five pills were formed, all of mid-grade quality. Due to his still-developing fire control skills, the pill formation rate was somewhat affected.

In truth, a deep understanding of the recipe improves the pill’s quality.

Of course, the proficiency of the refining technique also impacts both the pill’s quality and success rate—it’s a comprehensive matter.

Overall, Wang Yu had mastered the knowledge in his mind, but his hands were slow. This would gradually improve with further practice.

Next, he refined a batch of Spirit Recovery Pills.

The process was calm and smooth. Six pills formed in total—two top-grade, four mid-grade. The results were noticeably better.

Looking at the two bottles of spirit pills in his hand, Wang Yu secretly withheld one Fasting Pill and two high-grade Spirit Recovery Pills, only handing over four of each.

A reasonable amount of "fire loss" was necessary—how else was he supposed to get rich?

Even so, when he stepped out and handed the pills over for inspection by Elder Zhu, he still received amazed praise.

"Excellent technique. It's not impossible for you to refine high-grade spirit pills in the future."

"This is the employment contract from the Xu Clan's Pill Shop. It is certified by the sect. If you agree, you can sign it directly."

Wang Yu took it and looked through it. He was immediately stunned by the income of an alchemist. No wonder it was considered a rare production-type profession—it could make serious money.

The Xu Clan's Pill Shop offered two hundred spirit stones per month. It seemed low at first glance, but in the Tantai Herb Garden, he had worked for half a year to earn only two hundred contribution points. While the latter was more valuable, this was a monthly wage. In half a year, that would be twelve hundred spirit stones, which definitely counted as high income.

That was enough to buy two high-grade Cold Blood Pills.

Of course, there were requirements for alchemy: ten furnaces a day, with Fasting Pills and Spirit Recovery Pills split evenly. The low-grade rate must not exceed 20 percent, and each furnace must yield at least three pills.

Considering the two and a half hours of alchemy time, plus the time needed for recovery between sessions, the daily workload came to about five hours—almost the entire daytime.

Calculating it like that, he suddenly felt the pressure of being squeezed dry.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Yu spoke.

"Elder Zhu, the contract looks fine, but the term needs to be changed to one year. Ten years is too long."

"That can be discussed."

Elder Zhu, smiling, invited Wang Yu to a reception room to the side and said directly.

"The pill shop wants to profit, but it will also provide you with some free pill recipes. In other words, there is a nurturing aspect to this position. Alchemist Xu will occasionally give you guidance, saving you a lot of time."

Wang Yu still shook his head.

"Ten years is too long. I’ll only sign for one year."

"Eight years."

"One year."

"Six years."

"One year."

Seeing that Wang Yu was completely unmoved, Elder Zhu added.

"The high salary is offered because we value long-term returns. The pill shop doesn’t profit from this and may even lose money while nurturing you.

"If you want to shorten the duration, the monthly pay must also be reduced."

Hearing such familiar corporate rhetoric, Wang Yu almost had a stress reaction. Taking a deep breath, he asked.

"How much of a reduction?"

"One hundred."

"Goodbye!"

Wang Yu didn’t fall for pressure or flattery. With a clear “then I’m leaving” attitude, Elder Zhu gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, fine, fine. Just one year. No cut in pay. But you won’t receive any training from the pill shop."

"That’s fine."

After amending the contract terms, Wang Yu checked everything repeatedly before signing and placing his fingerprint. The contract came in triplicate—one for him, one for the pill shop, and one for the sect's Law Enforcement Hall.

With his position at Xu Clan's Pill Shop, he would be able to save enough spirit stones within a month to buy a high-grade Coldblood Pill. By then, he wouldn't have to worry about slow cultivation progress anymore.

"A pleasure working with you."

"A pleasure working with you."

After parting ways, Wang Yu returned to the ordinary disciple cave residence. After another year or so, his strength would undergo a transformation. On top of that, he could consider buying a magic artifact as well.