.......

Three months later.

Ten thousand miles from Giant Whale City.

Celestial Lake City.

Celestial Lake City was about one-fifth the size of Giant Whale City.

There were four small cultivation clans here, and these four clans joined forces to control a small cultivation marketplace—the Celestial Lake Marketplace.

Marketplace, east side.

[West Garden Elixir Shop]

A moderately built, short-bearded, thin middle-aged Confucian cultivator at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement sat inside the shop, with an ancient pill furnace featuring three legs and two ears set before him. With a wave of his hand and a technique, eight Dragon Blood Pills flew out of the furnace.

They landed on a porcelain dish to the side, producing crisp 'ding ding ding' sounds.

Rich pill fragrance wafted through the air.

"No wonder he's called Alchemist Zhang—his alchemy technique is just so smooth!"

"Yeah, eight Qi Blood Pills formed in one go—so impressive!"

"......"

Beside the West Garden Elixir Shop, more than ten cultivators at the fourth and fifth layers of Qi Cultivation were murmuring with excitement and awe.

"Alchemist Zhang, could you help me refine another batch of Spirit Storage Pills?"

At that moment, a middle-aged cultivator at the sixth layer of Qi Cultivation stepped forward and respectfully asked.

"Sure. As usual—three sets of ingredients, enough for one batch."

The middle-aged Confucian cultivator sized up the sixth-layer cultivator and spoke in a deep voice.

This Confucian cultivator was Lin Chang'sheng, who had used the Bone Transformation Technique. Going by the name Zhang Han, he was known as 'Alchemist Zhang' in Celestial Lake Marketplace, running a small alchemy room and taking on pill-refining commissions.

To attract business, he demonstrated making a batch of low-level Dragon Blood Pills daily. As for higher-level Energy Condensing Pills or Energy Storage Pills, he definitely wasn't going to show those off publicly.

"Alright, thank you, Alchemist Zhang!"

The cultivator at the sixth layer stepped forward, handing over three sets of ingredients for the Spirit Storage Pill to Lin Chang'sheng.

"Okay. The Spirit Storage Pills—come pick them up tomorrow morning."

Lin Chang'sheng nodded, pulling out a wooden token. One side was marked [West Garden Elixir Room], and the other bore the words 'Energy Storage Pill'.

"Great!"

The cultivator nodded, took the token, and left.

This was already the third time this cultivator had come to Lin Chang'sheng for pill refining. The first time, with a set of Spirit Storage Pill ingredients, Lin refined ten pills, gave the guy three, and the cultivator was overjoyed and came back again.

"Alchemist Zhang, I'd like to have an Energy Condensing Pill refined, please!"

This time, a female cultivator at the third layer of Qi Cultivation approached, handing over three sets of ingredients for the Energy Condensing Pill.

"All right, excellent—come get your pills tomorrow morning."

Lin Chang'sheng nodded and handed her a wooden token too, with 'Energy Condensing Pill' inscribed.

"Thanks!"

The female cultivator took the token and turned to leave.

After this, three more cultivators presented their ingredients, asking Lin Chang'sheng to help with pill refining. These were all regular customers. Seeing no one else step forward, Lin began both his meditation and pill sales.

As for the commissions, he'd work on those at night.

Lin Chang'sheng focused his mind and opened his panel.

[Qi Refining Ninth Layer (163000/256000)]

"Still a long way to go—I've got to push harder!"

Staring at the panel, Lin muttered to himself.

Over three months, his cultivation had broken through to the ninth layer of Qi Refining.

Plus, with spirit stones earned selling pills, he'd buy ingredients for Essence Pills to further raise his cultivation.

At the ninth layer of Qi Refining, one Essence Pill only gave a bit over 400 experience points.

A level higher was the Foundation Establishment Pill, and beyond that—the Yuan Condensing Pill, which was taken by Foundation Establishment cultivators. It cost a whopping 32 spirit stones apiece, but each granted almost 2000 experience points.

So practically all the spirit stones he earned went right back into buying Yuan Condensing Pills and Essence Pills to level up.

"Hello, Alchemist Zhang!"

At that moment, a fifty-ish elder at the fifth layer of Qi Refining walked over and cupped his hands.

"Fellow Daoist, you looking to commission alchemy or buy some pills?"

Lin Chang'sheng looked at him and asked.

"Our patriarch invites you to be our guest. Would Alchemist Zhang be free to honor us?"

The elder respectfully put down a red invitation card.

"Oh?"

Lin Chang'sheng's eyes lit up at the words. He picked up the card and looked.

It turned out to be from the Wang Family of Celestial Lake City, inviting him to attend the betrothal ceremony of their young master, Wang Teng, three days from now.

"Alright, I'll be there in three days."

Lin nodded.

Celestial Lake City had four major families: the Dugu Family, Chen Family, Jiang Family, and Wang Family.

Of these, only the Dugu Family had a near-lifespan-end Foundation Establishment cultivator presiding; the other three were led by Peak Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivators.

The marketplace was jointly run by all four clans.

The Dugu Clan held forty percent, the other three families each held twenty percent.

Lin Chang'sheng set up his alchemy room here and paid his rent as required, but when Wang Family held a betrothal, it was expected he'd make an appearance.

Night fell.

Lin sat in the alcove behind his alchemy room.

Laid out on the table before him were formulas for the Dragon Blood Pill, Energy Condensing Pill, Spirit Storage Pill, Essence Pill, and Nourishing Spirit Pill.

[Detected: Perfect Dragon Blood Pill, Perfect Energy Condensing Pill, Perfect Spirit Storage Pill, Perfect Essence Pill, Perfect Nourishing Spirit Pill—five formulas. You may expend 50 spirit stones to fuse them into a new pill formula. Fuse now?]

Just then, a red prompt popped up on Lin's panel.

"Fuse!"

Lin Chang'sheng responded immediately in his mind.

[Perfect Dragon Blood Pill Formula, Perfect Energy Condensing Pill Formula, Perfect Spirit Storage Pill Formula, Perfect Essence Pill Formula, and Perfect Nourishing Spirit Pill Formula—fusing....... Fusion complete... Acquired Divine Essence Pill Formula!]

Within moments of confirming, another red prompt flashed across his panel.

"Divine Essence Pill."

Seeing the simplified formula, Lin's eyes sparkled.

Divine Essence Pill: can nourish divine sense, restore magical power, and bring clarity to the user's mind!

"Nourishes divine sense."

Reading the effects, Lin's interest perked up—this was a good pill. As a cultivator, the stronger your divine sense, the better. Powerful divine sense lets you manipulate multiple magical artifacts and gain tons of advantage in combat.

Plus, the stronger your divine sense, the better odds for breaking through Foundation Establishment.

To refine the Divine Essence Pill: the main ingredients are Dragon Blood Grass, five-hundred-year Blood Red Reishi, White Jade Root, Purple Chrysanthemum, and forty-nine auxiliary herbs.

[Detected: Divine Essence Pill enhances divine sense and cultivation. You may expend 50 spirit stones to simplify. Simplify now?]

At that moment, another red prompt appeared on Lin's panel.

"Simplify."

Lin Chang'sheng hit confirm.

[Great Dao is Simple: Divine Essence Pill simplifying....... Simplification complete...... Divine Essence Pill == Intently Drawing Circles]

Lin confirmed, and moments later, the panel gave yet another prompt.

"Drawing circles?"

Lin was stunned. But drawing circles sounded pretty easy.

Immediately, he pointed his finger and carefully drew circles on the table.

Divine Essence Pill Experience Points +1!

Divine Essence Pill Experience Points +1!

"Nice. This is easy!"

Seeing the red prompt, Lin felt very pleased.

.......

Liuyun Immortal Sect.

Sect Leader's Hall.

"It's been nearly half a year, and Lin Chang'sheng still hasn't been found?"

"Strange."

Su Changkong stood at the front of the hall, frowning deeply.

Just days ago, Li Jiantang, Ji Ruyan, Liu Jinyan, Liao Bugui and several other elders, along with many Foundation Establishment disciples, had sent word that they still hadn't found any sign of Lin Chang'sheng.

This Lin Chang'sheng, it was as if he'd just vanished after obtaining eight strands of Heaven and Earth Qi.

"It's impossible that there's not a single clue. The Heaven and Earth Qi is just too valuable—we have to find Lin Chang'sheng!"

Su Changkong looked resolute; after sending out a few Communication Talismans, he gazed into the distance, lost in thought.

He knew all too well the power of Heaven and Earth Qi. Remembering how he'd acquired it years ago, his thoughts drifted far away.

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