I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

The second floor of Miaodan Pavilion.

"Master Zhou, you've really worked hard."

The manager of Miaodan Pavilion personally poured Zhou Yuan a cup of spiritual tea, his face full of eagerness.

Just now, Zhou Yuan handed over all the Jin Yuan Dan quota he was required to submit over the past two months.

Each one is of superior quality and full of spiritual energy.

This further elevated the shopkeeper's regard for Zhou Yuan.

With this batch of Golden Source Pills, his sales performance this month will increase significantly.

"As a retainer of the Lin family, this is Zhou's duty."

Zhou Yuan picked up his teacup but didn't drink. He simply looked at the other person calmly and asked, "I wonder if there's any progress on the matter of entering Yellow Maple Valley?"

The shopkeeper quickly put down the teapot and solemnly replied, "The Lin family has already contacted that Foundation Establishment expert in Huangfeng Valley. Please rest assured, Master Zhou, we believe we will receive a definite reply soon."

Zhou Yuan nodded slightly and did not ask any further questions.

Since the other party said that, they must be somewhat confident, so there's no point in urging them.

Then, the shopkeeper carefully took out two jade slips from his storage bag, placed them on the table, and pushed them in front of Zhou Yuan.

"This is what Master Zhou instructed me to find. I don't know if it suits your taste."

After moving to Miaodan Pavilion, Zhou Yuan made a rather strange request to the manager.

Ask the other party to help collect some jade slips, of any kind, including spells, pill recipes, or tips on talisman making and weapon crafting.

However, there is one strict requirement.

It must be an "old object" that is very old, has been handled by many people, and is even somewhat damaged.

Of course, this only applies to things at the Qi Refining stage.

As for those in the Foundation Establishment stage, even if Zhou Yuan made such an "unreasonable request," the shopkeeper wouldn't have the ability to fulfill it.

Although the request was strange, the shopkeeper readily agreed to it, as the alchemist could consistently produce top-quality pills, and immediately sent someone to carry it out.

Zhou Yuan picked up one of the jade slips, probed it with his divine sense, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

These two jade slips did not disappoint him.

The scroll, titled "Basic Magic of the Five Elements," is a dark grayish-yellow jade slip covered with fine scratches, indicating that it is quite old.

It records more than a dozen Five Elements spells suitable for Qi Refining stage cultivators, ranging from the most basic Fireball and Water Arrow spells to slightly more complex Earth Wall and Golden Blade spells, it has everything.

More importantly, behind each spell, there were densely packed cultivation tips and usage techniques in different handwriting, clearly indicating that it had been written by more than one cultivator.

Another volume is titled "Introduction to Basic Alchemy".

This jade slip is even older, with some wear and tear on the edges.

In addition to basic pharmacological knowledge and alchemy techniques, the above content has been supplemented by a great deal of insights and experiences from later generations, and even some ideas for improving and innovating low-level pill formulas.

"Thank you for your trouble, Manager Wang. I am very satisfied." Zhou Yuan put away the jade slip, a perfectly timed smile appearing on his face.

Seeing this, Manager Wang beamed from ear to ear: "I'm so glad Master Zhou likes it! If you need anything else in the future, just let me know!"

A moment later, Zhou Yuan returned to his alchemy room.

He closed the door, set up a protective barrier, and eagerly took out the jade slip containing the "Basic Five Elements Spells".

A thought crossed my mind.

"equipment!"

The next moment, he immediately focused his mind and looked at the pale blue light screen.

【Equipment 1: Five Elements Basic Spells (Tier 1, High Grade)】

[Effect 1: Improves talent in cultivating the Five Elements spells.]

[Note: This is a widely circulated introductory text on the Five Elements magic, recording the insights and efforts of many cultivators regarding the Five Elements magic, and bearing their hopes and struggles.]

Sure enough!

Suppressing a hint of excitement, Zhou Yuan picked up another jade slip.

I replaced "Basic Five Elements Spells" with "Introduction to Basic Alchemy".

The properties panel then refreshes.

【Equipment 1: Basic Alchemy Introduction (Tier 1, High Grade)】

[Effect 1: Improves alchemy talent.]

[Effect 2: Increases the success rate of first-tier pills by 20%.]

[Note: This was an introductory tool for an alchemist, and later passed through the hands of more than a dozen people, each leaving their own understanding and questions on it. It bears witness to the hardships of alchemy.]

A smile finally broke out on Zhou Yuan's face.

His suspicion was perfectly confirmed at that moment.

During this time, he did try equipping other items.

He had also gone to the shops in the market to buy several new volumes of alchemy manuals and cultivation techniques, but he was greatly disappointed.

Those brand-new jade slips, unused by anyone.

Either the effect is limited, or it has no effect at all.

From that moment on, he made a bold inference.

This equipment slot has certain requirements for item quality, but it places more emphasis on the "story" and "history" that the items carry.

The more people an item has passed through and the older it is, the richer its "charm" becomes, and the more significant the effect of equipping it.

His own red gold furnace was opened more than three thousand times by three alchemists.

That scroll, "Insights into Alchemy," is the culmination of a lifetime of effort by an alchemist.

These are not ordinary objects; each one holds a story within it.

"It seems I need to pay more attention to old items that others have used in the future."

Zhou Yuan muttered to himself, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

This discovery seemed to open a completely new door for him.

He then calmed his mind and temporarily suppressed these distracting thoughts.

He had already informed Manager Wang that he was going into seclusion to cultivate for a while and break through his cultivation bottleneck after submitting the task.

Manager Wang readily agreed and even offered to send someone to guard outside the courtyard to prevent anyone from disturbing them.

Through these two months of embezzlement, Zhou Yuan had accumulated enough Golden Source Pills to support him in a long period of seclusion.

Cultivation is the foundation of everything.

With a thought, he removed the "Basic Introduction to Alchemy" from his equipment inventory and replaced it with the jade slip containing the "Fire Cloud Technique" manual.

Immediately afterwards, he took out a Golden Source Pill from his storage bag.

"Golden Source Pill detected. Equip?"

"equipment!"

[Equipment 1: Jade slip containing the "Fire Cloud Technique" cultivation method (Mid-grade Tier 1)]

[Effect 1: Increases the cultivation speed of the Fiery Cloud Technique.]

[Note: This is a cultivation technique passed down by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, containing their insights and reflections.]

【Equipment 2: Golden Source Pill (Tier 1 Excellent)】

[Effect 1: Increased cultivation speed during the Qi Refining stage]

[Effect 2: Increases the success rate of first-tier pills by 20%]

[Effect 3: Improved Alchemy Talent]

Looking at the two complementary pieces of equipment on the panel, Zhou Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

He sat cross-legged, poured out a Golden Source Pill from the jade bottle, and put it into his mouth without hesitation.

Everything is ready.

Zhou Yuan slowly closed his eyes and entered a state of seclusion.