All-class Gu Immortal

Chapter 157 The Mysterious Art of Condensing Essence, the Divine Ape Technique! (4000-word long chapter)
"Alchemy is really just burning money!"

Looking at the five oval-shaped scarlet pills in the alchemy furnace, Zhou Qing couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

A 10% increase in the success rate may seem small, but it is extremely crucial.

He picked up a scalding hot Qi-Nourishing Pill, smelled its pungent and spicy aroma, and then popped it into his mouth.

After the pill enters the stomach, its medicinal properties are quickly digested, forming a wisp of pure qi and blood.

Back when Zhou Qing took the Peiyuan Pill, it took him almost half a month to digest its medicinal power. Now, with his improved cultivation level, he has completely refined the medicinal power of the Peiyuan Pill in just a short while.

"Mastering alchemy can really make you money!"

Zhou Qing put the remaining four Qi-cultivating pills into a porcelain bottle. He felt that the Qi-cultivating pills he had refined were of good quality, even slightly better than those he had bought in Ping'an County.

When I first bought the Peiyuan Pill, it cost sixty taels of silver per pill.

The main ingredients for refining the Nourishing Essence Pill are Blood Cinnamon, Snow Ginseng, and Ape Demon Blood.

One serving costs nearly four hundred taels of silver.

One dose of medicinal herbs can be used to start the furnace at least ten times.

After successful refining, each batch will yield approximately four to eight Qi-Nourishing Pills.

Taking a middle number, if each batch yields six Peiyuan Pills, and all ten batches are successful, that's sixty Peiyuan Pills, which can be sold for at least 3,600 taels of silver, resulting in a net profit of over 3,000 taels.

Of course, in actual alchemy, not all attempts can be successful.

However, if only one out of ten batches of pills is successful, the cost can be broken even.

Two furnaces can net a profit of several hundred taels of silver.

Among first-tier pills, the Peiyuan Pill is of medium to low difficulty. A qualified alchemist must have a success rate of over 20% in refining the Peiyuan Pill.

Generally speaking, a pharmacy of any decent size will definitely have its own alchemists and a stable supply chain, so the cost of alchemy will certainly be much lower.

Therefore, the cost of the medicinal materials for a single Peiyuan Pill, which is worth sixty taels of silver, may be less than one-tenth of the total cost.

Of course, if you factor in labor costs, the actual profit might not be that high, but making several times the profit is still achievable.

If someone like Zhou Qing invests several thousand taels of silver, he can quickly recoup his investment simply by learning how to refine the Qi-Nourishing Pill.

[Effect: For those just beginning to grasp the basics, the success rate of refining first-tier pills increases by 10%.]

"It seems I do have a talent for alchemy." Zhou Qing nodded secretly, looking at the bonus effects of the [Alchemist] profession.

Without talent, even with a 10% success rate bonus, he wouldn't be able to refine the Qi-Nourishing Pill.

His success rate in refining the Peiyuan Pill has approached one-quarter in recent days.

He had only been learning alchemy for about twenty days and had no prior experience in this area.

It must be related to his strong mental strength and abundant internal energy.

Although special charcoal is now used for alchemy, controlling the heat and condensing the liquid into pills still requires the full participation of true qi.

As for having strong mental power, it means being able to sense the changes in the medicinal materials inside the alchemy furnace at any time.

In any case, things are finally back on track.

Although alchemy and Gu cultivation are different, they also have similarities. Practice alchemy first, and then practice Gu cultivation.

"Wow~"

After the alchemy furnace cooled down slightly, Zhou Qing rinsed it with clean water and then put it away.

He walked out of the room, ready to get some fresh air.

At this moment, a slender girl dressed in blue walked quickly into the courtyard and bowed to Zhou Qingfu.

"Lanlan greets Young Master Zhou."

Zhou Qing lived alone in a small house in the outer city and had not had time to buy maids and servants. After Han Qingqing learned of this, she sent her personal maid Lanlan over to take care of Zhou Qing's daily life.

Zhou Qing was initially unwilling, but he couldn't refuse the hospitality, and besides, Lanlan was very perceptive and basically stayed in the front yard.

She usually helped Zhou Qingjiang with laundry and delivered three meals a day. She would go into the backyard, but she wouldn't look around or ask any questions, so Zhou Qingjiang kept her around.

"Miss Lanlan, you may dispense with the formalities." Zhou Qing nodded.

Lanlan stepped forward and presented the beautifully designed invitation.

[Respectfully welcoming Young Master Zhou]

Zhou Qing opened the invitation; the lettering was entirely in gilded gold, making it look extremely luxurious.

"Banquet." Just by looking at the invitation, Zhou Qing felt that the banquet would be very grand. To be honest, he didn't really like such a scene.

"The Fourth Miss said that this banquet was held by the younger generation of martial artists in the county to celebrate the breakthrough of Su Wuhen, the eldest son of the Su family, into the Blood Exchange Realm."

Besides the opportunity to meet many talented young people, a small exchange event will be held after the banquet, where participants can exchange rare treasures and resources.

Seeing Zhou Qing's hesitant expression, Lanlan explained.

"An exchange program?" Zhou Qing's eyes lit up.

The Han family is a top power in the county. As the fourth young lady of the Han family, Han Qingqing naturally associates with the scions of wealthy and powerful families in the county. These people should have a lot of good things in their hands.

During this time, Zhou Qing went to Wanbaoge, the largest merchant house in the county town, to buy medicinal herbs. He could buy almost all kinds of medicinal herbs and pills, and even pills that could strengthen the soul.

Among first-tier pills, the most valuable one is the 'Soul Nourishing Pill,' which can strengthen the power of the soul, costing six thousand taels of silver per pill.

Besides nourishing the soul, this elixir also has a certain chance of enhancing perception.

It also has a certain auxiliary effect on helping martial artists in the Bone Refining Realm break through the major bottleneck of the Blood Exchange Realm.

Therefore, the Soul Nourishing Pill has always been in high demand but priceless; even if you have money, you can't buy it. It is usually auctioned off at Wanbaoge Auction House.

The auction price is usually over ten thousand taels of silver.

Ten thousand taels of silver is naturally an astronomical price, but there are quite a few forces in the county town that can afford it.

What if I'm just one Soul Nourishing Pill away from breaking through to the Blood Exchange Realm?
Many forces hoard Soul Nourishing Pills with this idea in mind. Even if they don't need them, they still have to buy them at a high price, so that other forces can't buy them.

Similarly, the reason why the Wuxi barbarians were able to grow stronger despite the imperial court's years of suppression was because they possessed the resources needed for a large force.

Zhou Qing had previously spent a lot of money at Wanbaoge, but only managed to buy a recipe for Peiyuan Pill.

The recipes for slightly more valuable first-tier pills are never offered for sale.

As for the Wanbaoge auction, there will be pill formulas available, but the prices are simply outrageous. Moreover, Zhou Qing doesn't have the financial strength to compete with the major powers in the county for a pill formula that he might not even need.

"Then go and prepare the carriage." Zhou Qing decided to go.

"The carriage is already waiting at the door," Lanlan said respectfully. Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing returned to his room, took off his plain clothes, and changed into a lake-blue gown. After all, he was attending a banquet, and wearing plain clothes would only be seen as 'showing off'.

After changing his clothes, Zhou Qing left the house. A magnificent carriage pulled by two tall horses was parked at the gate. The coachman, dressed in a black outfit, stood by and looked like a martial artist.

Zhou Qing boarded the carriage and, seeing that the slender and petite Lanlan couldn't climb up, reached out and pulled her up.

After entering the carriage, Zhou Qing closed his eyes to rest, while Lanlan sat quietly beside him, glancing at him from time to time.

More than fifteen minutes later, the carriage arrived at the Su residence in the inner city.

Outside the Su residence at this time, carriages and sedan chairs were everywhere, servants were numerous, and young masters and ladies dressed in fine clothes came and went in an endless stream, attracting the attention of passersby.

The Su family of Nanli County is the power of the county governor and the most powerful family in Nanli County.

It is said that the Su family patriarch became famous earlier than the leaders of the three major forces: the Witch God Sect, the Giant Kun Gang, and the Five Poisons Sect. However, he did not appear in public for many years, so his reputation was gradually overshadowed by the other three.

However, with the support of the prefectural city and the imperial court, the Su family's foundation is not something that other forces can easily shake.

Su Fu, the head steward of the Su family, stood at the entrance to greet the young masters and ladies who came to attend the banquet. Facing the scions of a prestigious family, he naturally led them with humility and respect, fearing that he might be slighted in the slightest.

As for ordinary family members, he naturally greeted them with a smile, but he didn't have time to personally entertain them, so he had his servants lead them to their seats.

As the steward of the Su family, Su Fu's insight and judgment were naturally far beyond that of ordinary people. He would definitely remember those from prominent families.

As the neighing of horses rang out, a magnificent carriage stopped at the gate of the Su residence. A tall, handsome young man dressed in a lake-blue robe stepped down, followed by a charming maid.

Li Fu frowned slightly. The young man looked imposing and was not from an ordinary family, but he only brought a coachman and a maid. They looked unfamiliar, so he must not be from a wealthy family. So, although he accepted the invitation with a smile, he casually pointed in a direction to the servant next to him, indicating that he should take the young man to the seats at the back.

However, just as the servant bowed to the boy and led him through the gate, a young girl who had been craning her neck to look ahead stood up from the VIP seats in the main hall, and walked to the door while holding the hem of her skirt.

"Young Master Zhou, it's really not easy to get you out here!"

The person who arrived was Han Qingqing. She smiled and teased Zhou Qing.

"Greetings, Miss Han." Zhou Qing's eyes lit up. Han Qing was only sixteen years old. When they met before, she was always dressed in a Taoist robe. Although it could not hide her beautiful appearance, she always had a bit of a spoiled air about her.

At this moment, she was dressed in a white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a light blue shawl over it. With a touch of makeup, her eyebrows resembled crescent moons, her eyes were like morning stars, and her pretty red lips were lightly touched. She exuded a dignified and gentle beauty, displaying the demeanor of a well-bred lady.

"Brother Zhou!" Lu Yan, also dressed in fine clothes, came to Zhou Qing and clasped his hands in greeting.

“If my cousin hadn’t said you would definitely come, I wouldn’t have wanted to join in the fun. Speaking of which, we have similar personalities; neither of us likes to go out.”

"During this trip, I had some insights, so I've been cultivating behind closed doors. I apologize for neglecting Brother Lu and Miss Han," Zhou Qing said with a smile.

"Who could it be that our 'little firecracker' is so concerned about? It turns out to be such a handsome young man."

At this moment, a beautiful woman who looked to be in her early thirties stepped forward and made a sarcastic remark.

The woman bore a slight resemblance to Han Qingqing, but she exuded a mature charm, her eyes and brows brimming with allure.

"Big sister~" Han Qingqing hugged the beautiful woman's arm and said coquettishly.

"This is my older cousin, Han Li," Lu Yan introduced.

"Greetings, Miss Han." Zhou Qing bowed respectfully.

"Young Master Zhou is indeed a handsome man. No wonder Fourth Sister and Cousin are so close to you." Han Li paused deliberately when she mentioned Han Qingqing, which made her playfully complain again.

"Young Master Zhou, let's take our seats first." Han Li stopped teasing Han Qingqing.

At this moment, the servant standing nearby was stunned, but Li Fu reacted quickly, and he hurriedly stepped forward with a smile, saying:
"Mr. Zhou's seat is right next to Miss Han's. Is this arrangement acceptable?"

"Hmm." Han Li nodded slightly, and when facing Li Fu, her noble air was revealed.

Zhou Qing followed the three of them through the courtyard and into the main hall.

The seating at the banquet was clearly divided into three classes. The first class, the seats for honored guests, were naturally located at the very front of the main hall, with only a dozen or so seats.

As for the second-class seats, which are considered regular VIP seats, there are dozens of them located behind the main hall.

Finally, there were the third-class seats, arranged on both sides of the courtyard, numbering over a hundred.

However, even in the ordinary seats of the third class, the young masters and ladies sitting there were all dressed in fine clothes, and each of them was accompanied by at least two maids and servants.

Zhou Qing followed the three to the seats on the left side of the main hall and took his seat. He was seated on the left, with Han Li in front of him and Han Qingqing and Lu Yan on his right.

There were only a dozen or so guests in the VIP section, and those sitting there were all scions of the most prestigious and powerful families in the county, and they all knew each other.

At this moment, many young men from prominent families couldn't help but curiously scrutinize Zhou Qing, who was treated like an honored guest by the Han family but was completely unfamiliar with him.

However, since Zhou Qing came with the Han family, no one objected.

As time went on, only one seat remained in the VIP section.

At this moment, two young men dressed in purple robes entered the main hall. Seeing that there was only one seat left, they asked their servants to add another seat, one of which was right behind Lu Yan.

"Brother Zhou, you don't mind sitting at the same table with me, do you?"

At this moment, Lu Yan suddenly stood up, walked past Han Qingqing, came to Zhou Qing's left side, and said with a smile, "Brother Zhou, you don't mind sitting at the same table with me, do you?"

“This…” Zhou Qing was taken aback, then nodded and said, “Brother Lu, please.”

"Then I'll sit with you all," Han Qingqing suddenly giggled, and made as if to get up.

Although the table was large, over six feet long, it was still a bit crowded for three people to sit at it together.

"No!" Lu Yan quickly waved his hand.

Upon hearing this, Han Qingqing sat down again.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing became curious and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Lu, what's wrong?"

"My cousin is trying to avoid this ill-fated relationship!" Han Qingqing whispered.

"What do you mean by that?" Zhou Qing turned to the right and looked at Han Qingqing.

"That's a long story," Han Qingqing said, glancing at Lu Yan.

"Oh, you!" Lu Yan was no longer as calm and wise as before, and looked embarrassed.

Han Qingqing smiled faintly, "Previously, the young lady of the wealthy Wang family in the city was deeply in love with my cousin. She even jumped into the lake to prove her loyalty. My cousin was devoted to cultivating Taoism and did not get close to women."

But Miss Wang was persistent and insisted on joining the Fulong Temple to cultivate alongside her cousin.

Left with no other choice, her cousin could only tell her that his aversion to women was not because of his Taoist practice, but because he was attracted to men.

Unexpectedly, Shangguan Hong of the Divine Ape Sect learned of this and repeatedly invited his cousin to cultivate the Divine Ape Sect's secret technique, the 'Divine Ape Art'.

It is said that this technique can solidify more than 50% of one's true essence, making it a miraculous art to aid in internal energy cultivation.

It is said that even the Qi Condensation Technique cultivated by the Xuanzhu Venerable, who once dominated the southern borders, was not as powerful as the Divine Ape Technique.

(End of this chapter)