Qin Ming followed Gu Qingzhao to the elegant room on the seventh floor of Mirror Snow Pavilion.

"Fellow Daoist Gu, you really didn't need to go to such lengths."

Although Qin Ming sent a Communication Talisman to Gu Qingzhao as soon as he arrived at Vast Sea Immortal City,

he didn't expect that she, a dignified Pavilion Master, would come out to greet him.

It truly took him by surprise.

Gu Qingzhao's starry eyes secretly sized up Qin Ming. She vaguely felt that he had undergone some change since the last time they met, but she couldn't quite pinpoint it.

Aside from that,

Qin Ming also exuded an ethereal aura.

With her cultivation at the Foundation Establishment Stage, she found it hard to see through him.

Gu Qingzhao's voice, like the sound of a clear stream, replied, "Fellow Daoist Qin is an important collaborator of our pavilion and an Honorary Guest Elder."

"It's your first time at Vast Sea Immortal City; naturally, everyone in the pavilion should come to know you."

Qin Ming could only nod and smile.

Inside the elegant room,

the air was filled with a delicate fragrance.

Gu Qingzhao poured Spirit Tea for Qin Ming and then said, "Is Fellow Daoist Qin here for the Jade Marrow Mushroom this time?"

"That's correct," Qin Ming replied after taking a sip of the Spirit Tea.

"Ah, this item is truly hard to find, monopolized by the upper sects."

"It's rarely seen outside."

Qin Ming had already anticipated this, but still said, "No matter, Fellow Daoist Gu has helped me gather so many spiritual materials. I'm already deeply grateful."

"Fellow Daoist Qin, no need to be so polite. For me, it's just a small matter," Gu Qingzhao responded nonchalantly with a smile.

She continued.

"Besides the spiritual materials we previously collected, we've recently added a new batch. I'll have Shopkeeper Liao bring it over now."

Qin Ming's face lit up with joy, "That would be wonderful."

A moment later,

Shopkeeper Liao received Gu Qingzhao's instructions and entered the room.

He first greeted Qin Ming enthusiastically,

then took out various sizes of jade boxes from his storage pouch, filled with numerous materials for refining Foundation Establishment Pills.

Some Spirit Medicines had three or four portions, some only one. Additionally, some were not mature enough, and some were dead materials, having lost their efficacy.

Gu Qingzhao couldn't understand why Qin Ming would also collect ineffectual materials.

Perhaps he intends to experiment with them.

After all, an Alchemist has many ideas.

Qin Ming waved his hand, and all the spiritual materials on the table vanished, stored in his storage pouch.

Then he asked Shopkeeper Liao:

"Shopkeeper Liao, what is the price for these spiritual materials? I'll take them all."

Shopkeeper Liao smiled and said, "The total cost for these materials, after an eighty-percent discount, comes to over thirty thousand Spirit Stones."

"The Pavilion Master specifically instructed that Fellow Daoist Qin could settle for just thirty thousand Spirit Stones."

Qin Ming knew that Gu Qingzhao was showing him goodwill by offering a special discount.

Not only that, Gu Qingzhao leveraged Mirror Snow Pavilion's resources to gather materials for him, incurring a significant favor.

Given this,

during the transaction, he happened to repay her favor.

Under the gaze of Gu Qingzhao and Shopkeeper Liao,

two exquisite porcelain bottles appeared in Qin Ming's hand.

He presented one to Gu Qingzhao first, saying, "This is my token of appreciation for Fellow Daoist Gu, for the trouble you've taken with my matters."

Then he placed the other bottle on the table, calmly stating, "Additionally, I entrust this bottle of pills for auction, and you can deduct the thirty thousand Spirit Stones from the proceeds."

Shopkeeper Liao nearby couldn't help but twitch at this.

He couldn't understand what kind of pills would be worth over thirty thousand Spirit Stones for a single bottle.

Gu Qingzhao's beautiful eyes also showed a hint of doubt as she took the porcelain bottle with her alabaster-like, soft hand, gently opening the seal.

A rich and exotic fragrance burst forth, filling the entire elegant room.

Gu Qingzhao tilted the porcelain bottle, and a snow-white, jade-like Spirit Pill rolled into her palm.

The Spirit Pill emitted a remarkable spirit essence, its aura clearly exceeding that of a Tier One pill.

Instead, it was a Tier Two Spiritual Pill!

Gu Qingzhao gazed at the pill in her hand, countless thoughts racing through her mind.

She recalled having seen such a pill auctioned somewhere before.

Soon,

she remembered, it was during a major auction in Vast Sea Immortal City when this Spirit Pill had been auctioned.

Known as the Youthful Appearance Pill, its sole effect is to preserve youth and maintain eternal beauty.

Even someone as experienced as Gu Qingzhao couldn't help but feel a flutter of emotions.

She naturally knew that the difficulty in refining this Tier Two Youthful Appearance Pill was no less than that of the Foundation Establishment Pill.

In fact, it might even surpass it.

Faced with Qin Ming's heartfelt gesture, even the typically aloof Gu Qingzhao felt a stir of excitement in her heart.

No woman can resist the allure of eternal beauty.

The rarity of the Youthful Appearance Pill is no less than that of the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Gu Qingzhao's beautiful eyes sparkled as she smiled gracefully and said, "Then I shall accept unreservedly. Thank you for your kind gesture, Fellow Daoist Qin!"

"Also, congratulations to Fellow Daoist Qin for advancing to a Tier Two Alchemy Master!"

Shopkeeper Liao, listening to this, couldn't help having a surge of thoughts.

He, too, had considerable experience.

When Gu Qingzhao poured out the Spirit Pill, he understood why a single bottle of pills could equate to numerous materials.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, is this the Tier Two Youthful Appearance Pill?" As the Mirror Snow Pavilion's shopkeeper, he naturally recognized the item.

"Did you refine it yourself?"

Qin Ming nodded lightly, neither confirming nor denying.

Receiving Qin Ming's confirmation, Shopkeeper Liao earnestly congratulated him, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Qin, for breaking through to Tier Two Alchemy Master and furthering your journey on the Immortal Dao."

He remembered something and hesitantly asked, "Fellow Daoist Qin, isn't it said that refining Tier Two Spiritual Pills requires the Innate True Flame from the Foundation Establishment Stage?"

"I was fortunate enough to refine a Tier Two Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire, thus enabling me to refine Tier Two Spiritual Pills," Qin Ming explained.

Gu Qingzhao also revealed a look of realization.

"I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Qin to so quickly break through to a Tier Two Alchemist. Currently, in Vast Sea Immortal City, there are only three Tier Two Alchemists."

"If Fellow Daoist Qin can refine the Youthful Appearance Pill, refining the Foundation Establishment Pill will be no problem."

"Of the three Tier Two Alchemists now, only Alchemist Sunx Jinnian can refine Foundation Establishment Pills, and his reputation and status among the alchemists in the Immortal City are the highest."

The transaction concluded.

Qin Ming learned much about Vast Sea Immortal City from Gu Qingzhao.

He subsequently stayed in the inn at Mirror Snow Pavilion.

For the next two days.

Qin Ming kept searching for clues about the Jade Marrow Mushroom.

However.

He found nothing.

Just when he planned to return to Wangyue Island,

Gu Qingzhao sent news that thrilled him.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, the latest intel indicates that in Vast Sea Immortal City, some loose cultivators are organizing to crowdsource materials and invite Alchemist Sunx Jinnian to refine Foundation Establishment Pills."

"Next, those loose cultivators likely have traces of the main materials."

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