Chapter 233: Chapter 233: Refining a Tier Three Pill

The seven figures in the air stared at each other in dismay as they looked upon the empty cave residence.

"Where did Li Ping go? Don’t tell me he ran off," Bai Yi said, puzzled.

Upon seeing the empty cave and hearing Bai Yi’s words, the burly Barbarian at her side couldn’t help but complain, "I told you we should have just attacked, but you wouldn’t listen. Great, now the bird has flown the coop!"

The other six didn’t look too pleased either.

Over the past two days, they, the Seven Immortals of the North Pole, had naturally taken part in the free-for-all.

However, because the Flying Snow Sect had initiated the withdrawal, many of its precious resources had been taken by its Cultivators into the Sect’s inner grounds.

As a result, their gains were meager—at least, not as great as they had imagined.

As for the shops in the market district, the Cultivators running them had sensed the danger the moment the Flying Snow Sect withdrew. They either fled or robbed their own stores.

Take the renowned ’Cloud Commerce Association,’ for example. It was an enterprise of the Cloud Sect, with branches in eight Main Cities across the Land of the Far North, and could be called the number one chamber of commerce in the Western Wilderness.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the Seven Immortals of the North Pole had set their sights on plundering the Cloud Commerce Association.

But by the time they arrived, the Cloud Commerce Association was already a ruin, its goods long since looted.

At first, they thought they had just arrived a step too late.

But they later learned from a familiar Cultivator that it was the Cloud Commerce Association’s own people stationed in Flying Snow City who had divided the shop’s many resources among themselves.

After all, with such a major internal conflict breaking out in Flying Snow City, all they had to do was invent some excuse and blame the losses entirely on the Loose Cultivators.

As long as they presented a united front, the upper echelons of the Cloud Commerce Association would never find out a thing.

Not only that, but these Cultivators weren’t even satisfied after carving up the Cloud Commerce Association’s wealth.

They went on to participate in the looting of other shops, as well as the Flying Snow Sect’s resources.

This couldn’t help but make the Seven Immortals of the North Pole curse their shamelessness.

It was precisely because they hadn’t reaped many benefits from the preceding chaos that they thought of Li Ping, the High-tier Alchemist.

But as it turned out, after they went to all the trouble of forcing open Li Ping’s cave residence, they discovered that Li Ping, whom they had already considered a prize in their pocket, was also gone.

...

"Fellow Daoist Che, long time no see!"

Just as the seven were stewing in their frustration, a flippant voice echoed from the darkness, startling them all.

"Who’s there?"

The triangle-faced old man looked in the direction of the voice and saw a figure in a white Magic Robe flying over at a leisurely pace. He was the one who had just spoken.

A mocking expression appeared on his face. "Oh, so it’s Fellow Daoist Long. I heard your Cloud Commerce Association was plundered as well. How is it that you seem so relaxed? Aren’t you worried about punishment from your Sect?"

This Fellow Daoist Long’s name was Long Jie. His Cultivation had already reached the Late-stage Foundation Establishment. He was a Cultivator from the Long family, a Cultivation Clan in Cloud City, and one of the Cloud Sect’s candidates for the Golden Core.

The triangle-faced old man had dealt with him back in Cloud City, so they were acquaintances.

It was unclear whether he failed to detect the old man’s sarcasm or simply pretended not to understand.

Long Jie shook his head helplessly. "You jest, Fellow Daoist Che. I am, of course, heartbroken that the shop was looted by Loose Cultivators. But in the chaos of the other night, I was lucky just to escape with my life. How could I have been concerned with mere worldly possessions? If the Sect truly decides to punish me, I can only accept it."

His words left the triangle-faced old man momentarily stunned.

If he hadn’t already known that Long Jie had orchestrated the inside job, he might have actually admired the man’s magnanimity.

"Heh heh..." The triangle-faced old man chuckled coldly before asking bluntly, "You didn’t come looking for me just for a chat, did you, Fellow Daoist Long? If you have something on your mind, you might as well say it."

Long Jie smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist Che..."

As he spoke, his voice trailed off, and he switched to a voice transmission.

And as the triangle-faced old man listened, his expression gradually began to change.

After hearing him out, he asked cautiously, "How confident are you about this, Fellow Daoist Long?"

"If you all join, I’m at least fifty percent confident," Long Jie replied, his expression calm.

The triangle-faced old man was still hesitant. "I heard that Qianxue Master is still alive?"

"Rest assured. According to the message from my inside source, Qianxue Master hasn’t made an appearance since Mu Yun Master’s death. She must have truly suffered a cultivation deviation." Long Jie shook his head slightly, a look of disappointment on his face. "The great Seven Immortals of the North Pole, afraid to take even this small of a risk? How disappointing!"

"You don’t need to provoke me," the triangle-faced old man said slowly. "However, I am indeed quite interested in your proposal. There’s no harm in cooperating this one time."

Hearing this, Long Jie couldn’t help but smile. "Excellent. Please follow me, Fellow Daoist Che. A few other fellow daoists are waiting for us. We can discuss the detailed arrangements later."

...

The night passed, and the sun rose as usual.

Cultivators from the Flying Snow Sect delivered another batch of Spirit Medicine ingredients. Li Ping didn’t immediately start his Alchemy, but instead went out for a walk.

Along the way, he constantly scanned his surroundings, observing everything carefully.

Eventually, Li Ping stopped outside the secret chamber where Xiao Yunzhi was in seclusion.

He didn’t disturb Xiao Yunzhi, however, only watching silently for a moment before turning to leave.

If Xiao Yunzhi could trigger the celestial phenomenon for Core Formation in the near future, the situation in Flying Snow City would stabilize immediately, even if she didn’t emerge from her seclusion.

Unfortunately, there was no sign of any activity from her.

He had finally found a place where he could cultivate in peace, and the matter of borrowing a Tier Three Spirit Vein to attempt his breakthrough to Core Formation had already been settled. Li Ping truly did not want to flee.

If possible, he hoped to cultivate peacefully in Flying Snow City all the way to the Core Formation Stage.

But things rarely go as one hopes, and if there was truly no other choice, he would have to flee whether he wanted to or not.

After making his rounds and checking on Xiao Yunzhi’s progress toward Core Formation, Li Ping returned to the main hall. But just as he stepped through the door, he found a graceful figure waiting for him.

The one waiting for Li Ping in the hall was Shi Yutong. Seeing him return, she managed to force a smile. "Brother Li!"

Li Ping glanced at her and could see the deep exhaustion in her eyes.

In truth, Li Ping could well understand how difficult things were for her.

A young woman from a once happy family, her father had fallen overnight and her mother had succumbed to a cultivation deviation, yet she still had to force herself to stay strong and lead the Sect forward.

Anyone with a weaker mentality would have had a mental breakdown and given up long ago.

The fact that she could still handle the Sect’s affairs in an orderly manner was a testament to her inner strength and resilience.

Li Ping smiled and asked, "Sect Leader Shi, you came looking for me specifically. What can I do for you?"

Facing Li Ping, Shi Yutong took a deep breath before speaking cautiously, "Brother Li, before we discuss business, there is a question I must ask you first. I hope you won’t mind."

Seeing her solemn expression, Li Ping’s smile vanished.

Although he understood her plight and sympathized with her, he would never agree if she wanted him to risk his life for the Flying Snow Sect.

He pursued cultivation for the sake of longevity, not to get involved in some other chaotic business.

In this world, nothing was more important to him than his own life.

Having decided in his heart that he would refuse outright if Shi Yutong asked him to do anything dangerous, Li Ping finally spoke slowly, "Please ask, Sect Leader Shi."

Shi Yutong nodded, then looked at Li Ping with an expectant expression. "Brother Li, I want to know, what is your true skill level in Alchemy? Are you confident you can refine Tier Three Pills?"

After personally witnessing Li Ping refine a Foundation Establishment Pill, Shi Yutong had guessed that he was no ordinary Tier Two Upper Grade Alchemist and that his true skill was likely not far from Tier Three.

But a guess was just a guess, and with so much at stake, she had to ask him directly.

"Refine Tier Three Pills?"

Hearing Shi Yutong’s question, Li Ping pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "It would depend on the type of Tier Three Pill. If it’s not an overly complex one, I might have some confidence."

The moment Li Ping finished speaking, Shi Yutong’s face lit up with joy. She said eagerly, "The Pill I’d like to ask you to refine, Brother Li, is the Tier Three Lower Grade ’Profound Heart Pill’!"

"The Profound Heart Pill?"

Li Ping nodded to himself. ’Not only can I refine the Profound Heart Pill, but my success rate is one hundred percent.’

However, he was slightly hesitant about whether to reveal his true skill in Alchemy.

His Cultivation was only at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, yet his skill in the Alchemy Dao had reached Tier Three.

That was far too conspicuous and would likely bring him unnecessary trouble.

Normally, out of an abundance of caution, Li Ping would have refused Shi Yutong’s request without a second thought.

What truly gave him pause was the Profound Heart Pill itself.

The Profound Heart Pill was a Tier Three Pill, and its main effect was to heal spiritual damage. He didn’t even need to think to know who Shi Yutong wanted the Pill for.

If he were to refine the Profound Heart Pill for Shi Yutong and heal Qianxue Master, the situation in Flying Snow City would stabilize the moment she made an appearance.

If that happened, Li Ping wouldn’t have to think about fleeing and could continue to cultivate peacefully in Flying Snow City!

Furthermore, Qianxue Master and the Flying Snow Sect would owe him a huge favor. In the future, when he borrowed the Flying Snow Sect’s Spirit Vein to attempt his breakthrough to Core Formation, there would be no complications whatsoever.

After a moment of thought, Li Ping sighed inwardly but kept his expression impassive as he asked, "May I ask how many sets of ingredients you’ve prepared, Sect Leader Shi?"

Hearing this, Shi Yutong’s expression became uneasy. "The Spirit Medicines required for the Profound Heart Pill are extremely precious. In my haste, I was only able to gather a single set."

Li Ping nodded. "To be frank, Sect Leader Shi, with my current skill in the Alchemy Dao, I only have about a thirty-percent chance of successfully refining the Profound Heart Pill."

Seeing her expression fall, he changed his tune with a smile. "However, you are absolutely right, Sect Leader Shi. The Spirit Medicines required for Tier Three Pills are very precious. Therefore, I will use a single-pill refinement method for the Profound Heart Pill. Producing at least one finished Pill shouldn’t be a major issue."

According to the normal Pill Formula, a single batch of Profound Heart Pills can yield up to ten Pills.

The method Li Ping proposed was to divide one set of Spirit Medicines into ten equal portions and only use the raw ingredients for a single Pill each time.

This way, he could make ten attempts with a single set of ingredients. He would only need to succeed a couple of times to fulfill his end of the bargain.

This approach would allow him to produce a finished Pill without revealing his true skill in Alchemy—the best of both worlds.

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