Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Chapter 193 Lian Yan
The next morning, Chen Yuan arrived at Sun Congyao's cave at the agreed time.

Sun Congyao personally went out to greet and lead Chen Yuan into the mansion.

The two of them sat down as host and guest. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Yuan got to the point: "I just returned to the sect yesterday and have not yet paid my respects to Master. When I came out of retreat, Master said that he would leave the sect for a while. I wonder if he is still in the mountain gate?"

Sun Congyao shook his head and said, "Junior brother, you came back a little late. I was summoned by Master a few days ago, and then Master left the sect."

Chen Yuan frowned slightly. He had been away from the sect for only a month this time. He thought Jin Luoheng was still in the mountain gate. He wanted to give him the five hundred year old spiritual herb, but he didn't expect that he had already left the sect.

Since Jin Luoheng is not here, how can he exchange for the three hundred year old spiritual herb?

More than 90% of the three hundred year old spiritual herbs in Qi State's immortal cultivation world are in the hands of the six major sects. Even if one wants to buy them in the market, they are priceless.

The Alchemy Pavilion stipulates that an alchemy master can only exchange three hundred-year-old spiritual herbs every five years. If he wants to exchange for more hundred-year-old spiritual herbs, he needs to obtain approval from the two heads of the Alchemy Pavilion.

The even rarer three hundred year old spiritual herbs can only be exchanged by alchemy masters. Disciples of Lingyun Sect can only exchange them for elixirs for the middle and late stages of foundation building, and the required merits are extremely high.

Chen Yuan is qualified to exchange spiritual herbs, but he is a casual cultivator and has no friendship with the two masters of the Alchemy Pavilion. Even if he has done good deeds, he cannot exchange them.

Sun Congyao noticed that Chen Yuan looked strange, so he asked, "Brother Chen, do you want to see Master for something?"

Chen Yuan suppressed his turbulent emotions and said, "I do have a small matter that I would like to ask Master for help."

Sun Congyao said seriously, "Brother Chen, if you have any questions, just tell me."

"Before Master left, he specifically told me that if you and Junior Sister Shen have any problems, you can come to me directly."

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Then I'll be frank. I completed the sect's mission this time and got some good deeds. I want to exchange some three hundred year old spiritual herbs and one hundred year old spiritual herbs for alchemy. Senior brother, do you have any connections?"

Sun Congyao frowned and asked, "How many spiritual herbs do you want to exchange for?"

Chen Yuan lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Ten three-hundred-year-old spiritual herbs and twenty one-hundred-year-old spiritual herbs."

He now has five furnaces of spiritual herbs for making elixirs. Among them, the Zengyuan Pill has little effect on a cultivator in the middle stage of foundation building. The other four furnaces of spiritual herbs can be used for cultivation after being refined into elixirs.

Chen Yuan's current cultivation level is at the beginning of the middle stage of foundation building. If he simply absorbs the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, it will take about eighty years to cultivate to the peak of the middle stage of foundation building.

This is the impact of aptitude on cultivation. Chen Yuan is a cultivator with five spiritual roots. If he does not rely on elixirs, he will never be able to form a golden elixir even if he practices hard in seclusion day and night.

These four furnaces of pills can equal about twenty-five years of hard training. Together with the three pills obtained from Wang Ran, it is only about twenty-eight years.

There is also a furnace containing Yuliang Pills. One pill is equivalent to two years of hard training for Chen Yuan. The amount of spiritual herbs required is more and more difficult to obtain.

If one were to practice with the three mid-stage foundation-building elixirs, Qingning Dan, Nanguang Dan, and Heqi Dan, one would need to refine at least nine furnaces of elixirs.

These three kinds of elixirs use a three-hundred-year-old spiritual herb as the main ingredient and two to three hundred-year-old spiritual herbs as auxiliary ingredients. A rough estimate will give you the answer.

Sun Congyao was surprised when he heard this: "So many spiritual herbs require at least 30,000 merits. Junior brother, you just completed a sect mission and got so many merits as a reward?"

Chen Yuan said: "I still have some mid-grade spirit stones in my hand, which can be exchanged for good deeds, enough to exchange for spirit herbs."

According to the rules of Lingyun Sect, two low-grade spirit stones can be exchanged for one good deed, one medium-grade spirit stone can be exchanged for one hundred good deeds, and one high-grade spirit stone can be exchanged for ten thousand good deeds.

Sun Congyao suddenly realized: "I forgot that you are an alchemist, so you naturally have no shortage of spiritual stones."

Chen Yuan smiled without saying anything, picked up the spiritual tea and took a sip.

Some alchemists, when making elixirs for others, not only withhold the elixirs but also collect spirit stones. Sun Congyao apparently thought that this was also the way he acted when he made elixirs for outsiders.

Chen Yuan put down the teacup and said, "Brother, you just asked me how many spiritual herbs I want to exchange. Do you know how to get them?" Sun Congyao hesitated and said, "I happen to have some friendship with Junior Sister Lian Yan from the Alchemy Pavilion, but the number of spiritual herbs you want to exchange is too large, which is a bit difficult to handle. I can only come forward to speak for you. Whether it can be done or not, you still need to discuss it with Junior Sister Lian."

Chen Yuan's eyes lit up, and he cupped his hands and said, "Please help me make some connections. I will discuss the specific conditions with Senior Sister Lian."

Sun Congyao said, "I will tell Junior Sister Lian that you should come to my house again at noon tomorrow."

Chen Yuan agreed immediately and stood up to say goodbye.

……

The next day, Chen Yuan arrived at Sun Congyao's cave house two quarters of an hour early. Sun Congyao welcomed him into the house and said, "Junior sister Lian hasn't arrived yet. Please wait for a moment, Junior Brother."

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "It's okay, I just came a little early."

The two sat down and waited. Sun Congyao poured spiritual tea for Chen Yuan and said, "Junior Sister Lian is one of the two masters of the Alchemy Pavilion. She is very skilled in alchemy. Junior Brother can have some exchanges with her."

Chen Yuan asked in confusion: "Since Senior Brother is acquainted with Senior Sister Lian, why did you ask me to make the elixir before?"

Sun Congyao was startled, picked up the teacup and took a few sips, remaining silent.

Chen Yuan knew that he had said something wrong, so he changed the subject: "When I was practicing before, I encountered a difficulty..."

The two drank tea and chatted, exchanging their experiences in cultivation.

While speaking, Chen Yuan did not forget to spread out his spiritual sense, covering an area of ​​more than three hundred feet in radius, so that he would not be unable to greet Lian Yan in time when she arrived.

Suddenly, Chen Yuan's expression changed. After a moment, Sun Congyao suddenly said, "Junior Sister Lian is here. Junior Brother, follow me out of the house to greet her."

The two men stood up and walked outside the mansion. A ray of light happened to fall, revealing the figure of a female cultivator.

Chen Yuan looked at her intently. The woman had a pretty face, a single bun on her head, and wore a lavender pleated dress. She had a pair of big, bright eyes. After she landed, she slowly walked towards the two of them.

Sun Congyao took the initiative to greet her, expressionless, and said with a cupped hand: "Junior Sister Lian, thank you for taking this trip."

Lian Yan looked at Sun Congyao, bowed profusely, and said softly, "I haven't seen you for five years. Senior Brother Sun is still as charming as ever."

Chen Yuan took a step forward and bowed, "I am Chen Yuan, nice to meet Senior Sister Lian."

Lian Yan looked away and saluted Chen Yuan in return: "Junior Brother Chen, you are polite."

After saying this, she turned her gaze back to look at Sun Congyao.

Sun Congyao coughed lightly and raised his hand to invite her in: "Junior Sister Lian, please come in."

Lian Yan nodded slightly and walked towards the cave.

The three of them walked into the cave and sat down as host and guest. Sun Congyao poured spiritual tea for Lian Yan and said expressionlessly, "Junior Sister Lian, please."

Lian Yan raised the teacup and drank the tea in it, but her eyes never left Sun Congyao.

Chen Yuan looked at Sun Congyao, then at Lian Yan, and felt that the atmosphere was a little strange.

Sun Congyao said expressionlessly, "Junior Sister Lian, Junior Brother Chen wants to exchange some spiritual herbs from the Alchemy Pavilion. I wonder if Junior Sister is willing to help?"

(End of this chapter)