After taking the elixir, the injuries of the Golden-eyed Fire Eagle noticeably improved, its once rapid breathing became stable, and the injuries to its internal organs also stabilized.

Elixir pills are divided into nine grades, with grades one to three being common and sold in various merchant houses and associations.

Grades four to six are relatively rare, and cannot be bought with money alone.

Fourth-grade elixirs are placed at the top tier of the association and can only be purchased by those with over 100,000 contribution points.

Fifth-grade elixirs are only owned by forces like the Five Great Daoist Schools and are occasionally seen in their treasure vaults.

This means that with Lu Hongfei's authority, he can at most obtain fifth-grade elixirs.

As for sixth-grade elixirs, only Soul King level powerhouses have the right to purchase them, provided they join the alliance.

Seventh-grade elixirs are only available to those beyond the Soul King level, and the acquisition channels are the same as the sixth-grade.

As for eighth and ninth-grade elixirs, they are still just a concept.

This shows how precious the sixth-grade elixir that Zhang Yuyan took out is.

There are reasons why high-grade elixirs are so precious.

One reason is the materials; the materials required for high-grade elixirs are naturally not common, and there are only three ways to acquire them.

The first is the wild forest, a method that is the least stable, with an extremely scarce quantity.

The second is the secret realm, but it has the downside of limited variety and quantity.

The third is cultivation, a stable method with potential for quantity, but requires an environment of extremely high demand, making it expensive to create a suitable environment.

The second reason is refining; the higher the grade of the elixir, the harder it is to refine.

It is said that the pill formation rate for fourth-grade elixirs is only 30%, while for fifth-grade elixirs it is only 10%, and for sixth-grade elixirs, it might not even reach 50%.

This means that most materials become waste.

Although the alliance has spent a lot of manpower and resources to research methods to increase the pill formation rate, the effects of improvement are quite limited.

To become a high-rank alchemy master, the first condition is to become a powerful beast master, followed by mastery over one's own soul power; the higher the mastery, the higher the pill formation rate, and lastly, possessing a high-rank fire element Guardian Beast, whose flames are different from ordinary fire, with higher quality producing better elixir effects.

So far, the only different flames that Chu Chen has seen are from Lu Hongfei's Golden-eyed Fire Eagle, whose talent is the Star Fire, with flames colored in white and blue, and several times hotter than ordinary flames, making its power extremely formidable.

Under such harsh conditions, one can become a high-rank alchemy master, which is why high-grade elixirs are so precious.

After flying out of the Earth Dragon Forest, the Golden-eyed Fire Eagle settled down by a cliff.

Lu Hongfei quickly took out some food and water for it to consume.

Once the Golden-eyed Fire Eagle had eaten its fill, it squatted on the ground to start refining the elixir.

The power of the sixth-grade elixir was extremely potent, and just after digesting the elixir, a large amount of medicinal power was dispersed within its body and needed to be refined with star power to fully unleash it.

Lu Hongfei glanced at Chu Chen and said irritably, "Now take out the food."

Upon hearing this, Chu Chen scratched his head awkwardly, but still quickly took out the food.

Having been chased three consecutive times, each caused by three meals.

If this were to be told, it would certainly shock everyone; most people wouldn't believe it, as such coincidences are too unlikely.

After filling themselves, the three took a rest.

Lu Hongfei, having exhausted a lot earlier, was meditating to recover his soul power.

While Chu Chen and Zhang Yuyan, both still shaken, were rather tired and leaned back for a quick nap.

An hour later, the three set off again, the sixth-grade elixir had a very strong effect, and once the Golden-eyed Fire Eagle absorbed the potion's effect, its internal injuries had healed.

Lu Hongfei's depleted soul power was also fully restored.

The subsequent journey was uneventful, allowing Chu Chen and his companions to appreciate the magnificent scenery.

When the trio, dusty from their travels, finally reached Black Mist City, it was already the third day.

Lu Hongfei pointed to the city shrouded in black mist below and said, "We've finally arrived, that's Black Mist City."

Upon hearing this, Chu Chen and his companions quickly looked in the direction he pointed.

They discovered a gigantic city cloaked in black mist, appearing like a colossal beast lying there from afar.

"How is the black mist here formed?" Zhang Yuyan asked in confusion.

Lu Hongfei chuckled and explained, "There's an interesting story behind it. The black mist is actually formed by an overly strong concentration of dark elements. The powerful individual who established this city happened to pass by and, coincidentally, his Guardian Beast was a Dark Element Dark Night Monarch. He intended to build a city anyway, which led to the creation of Black Mist City."

The explanation made Chu Chen smile, finding the city lord's decision quite casual. Building a city requires consideration of many factors, primarily resources; there must be sustainable resources nearby such as water, timber, minerals, as well as star beasts in quantity and strength, all need to be accounted for.

Population is the next consideration; people are the foundation of a city's development, and without them, everything else is futile.

Lastly, the proximity to other cities is important. To convert surplus resources into scarce ones, there needs to be trade exchanges, and without nearby cities, development is difficult.

Soon, the trio arrived in Black Mist City; the Golden-eyed Fire Eagle's arrival at the city gates did not cause much commotion.

Because it's a common sight to them, though they don't see Soul Master level powerhouses every day, they do occasionally, so over time, it's not considered unusual.

Lu Hongfei stored the Golden-eyed Fire Eagle into his Soul Sea and led Chu Chen and Zhang Yuyan to the city gate.

However, they were intercepted by a few city defense soldiers.

The leader was a burly middle-aged man who raised his hand to stop them and said sternly, "Show your documents. What brings you to Black Mist City?"

The documents he referred to were the Beastmaster qualification certificates issued by the Beastmaster Association.

Chu Chen and his companions promptly handed their documents to the man.

The man placed the documents on an electronic device, and soon, their information was displayed before him.

"You come from Celestial Star City?" the man asked in surprise.

Lu Hongfei smiled, replying, "Yes, we were invited by the Cyan Dragon Daoist School to partake in the secret realm exploration."

The man nodded in acknowledgment, saying, "Your identity checks out, but before you enter the city, a word of advice: do not cause trouble in Black Mist City, or the consequences will be severe."

Lu Hongfei's expression remained unchanged as he retrieved his documents, smiling as he replied, "Rest assured, I understand the rules."

"Alright, go ahead and enter."

Upon entering the city, the trio was again stunned by Black Mist City's prosperity.

The streets here were several times wider than those in Celestial Star City, with the buildings alongside more magnificent, and the street crowd much larger.

"We should hurry along, lest we be late," Lu Hongfei reminded them solemnly.

Upon hearing this, Chu Chen and Zhang Yuyan quickly refocused and hurriedly followed Lu Hongfei's lead.

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