Cultivation begins with forming a bond with a spirit bee.

Chapter 91 Old Han

Qu Ye nodded, thinking that this was quite normal.

The more skilled an alchemist is, the less likely they are to open a furnace for someone else.

After all, alchemy is time-consuming and laborious, and a slight mistake can damage one's mental state. If the alchemy rank is too low and the reward is insufficient, no one will bother with it for nothing.

Xu Qing thought for a moment, scratched his head, and seemed a little embarrassed: "Senior, could you please tell me what grade of elixir it is? That way I can think carefully about how to ask."

Qu Ye pondered for a moment, then said without hiding anything, "It should be a high-grade first-rank pill."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing smiled and said, "Since it's a top-grade elixir, it's most likely to be successful."

He paused for a moment, then added, "However, senior should also be prepared. Asking a master alchemist to refine pills is not as simple as just asking someone to do it."

"You usually need to provide the main spiritual materials yourself, and if any auxiliary materials are missing, you also need to make up for them. In addition, you also need to pay the furnace opening fee."

"Even if Mr. Han is willing to take it, the price will probably not be low."

Qu Ye calmly said, "I understand. As long as it succeeds, a higher price is acceptable."

Seeing his resolute attitude, Xu Qing said no more, but stood up and said, "Alright, then when I go to Huichunzhai today, I will ask for you on your behalf, senior."

"At the latest by tomorrow morning, I will give you a definite answer."

Upon hearing this, Qu Ye also stood up and cupped his hands in greeting: "Then I will trouble Fellow Daoist Xu."

Xu Qing quickly returned the greeting: "Senior, please don't flatter me. I merely asked a question. Besides, you have already given me three spirit stones as a token of your gratitude. I am truly unworthy of such a gift."

This fellow Daoist Xu is quite interesting.

Qu Ye smiled and waved his hand: "Then we will await Fellow Daoist Xu's news."

After saying that, he left Xu Qing's courtyard directly.

Back at Junzhu Residence, Qu Ye stood by the shallow well, feeding giant pig meat to Ju Yu while lost in thought.

It turns out that refining the Marrow Cleansing Fruit into the Marrow Cleansing Pill is not so easy.

The alchemist, auxiliary materials, furnace start-up fees, and even whether the other party has the formula for the Marrow Cleansing Pill are all unknown.

"Hopefully, Mr. Han will accept this order—"

Qu Ye shook his head, composed himself, and turned back to the quiet room.

There's no use thinking about it now.

However, if this succeeds, he will have gained a connection with a master alchemist, making it much easier for him to refine pills in the future.

A few hours later, Xu Qing came to visit, saying that Elder Han had agreed, but he needed to meet with Qu Ye first to understand the specific pills to be refined.

Qu Ye readily agreed, and after resting for a night, he headed to Huichunzhai under Xu Qing's guidance.

Huichunzhai is located on a bustling street in the southern district, with a constant flow of people and good business.

Xu Qing led Qu Ye to a quiet room, brewed a pot of spiritual tea for Qu Ye, and then turned to report to the authorities.

Qu Ye didn't touch the pot of spiritual tea, but closed his eyes to regulate his breathing and quietly waited for the person to arrive.

A moment later, footsteps were heard outside the door.

Xu Qing pushed open the door, looking reserved, and stepped aside, followed by an old cultivator in a blue robe.

Old Xiu was not tall, slightly thin, with clear eyes, and exuded a calm and composed demeanor.

As soon as this person appeared, a subtle fragrance of elixir spread out, carrying a faint aroma of medicinal herbs.

Qu Ye immediately stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Greetings, Elder Han."

Han Songling didn't rush to reply, but instead stood at the door and glanced at Qu Ye twice.

After a moment, he gave a faint "hmm" and walked to the head seat to sit down.

Xu Qing carefully closed the door, bowed to the two men, and said in a low voice, "Elder Han, Senior Zhang, I will be waiting outside. Please call me if you need anything."

Han Songling waved his hand: "Go ahead."

After Xu Qing left, only Qu Ye and Han Songling remained in the room.

Han Songling didn't mince words; he went straight to the point: "Xu Qing said that you have a spiritual fruit and would like to ask me to refine it into an elixir."

"

"Tell me, what is it?"

Seeing that the other party was so straightforward, Qu Ye didn't beat around the bush. He raised his hand, patted his storage bag, took out the jade box containing the Marrow Cleansing Fruit, and gently placed it on the table.

"Please take a look, Mr. Han."

Han Songling reached out and pulled the jade box in front of him, opened the lid, and raised his eyebrows slightly after just one glance.

"Marrow Cleansing Fruit?"

Qu Ye nodded: "Exactly."

Han Songling didn't say anything immediately. Instead, he used his magic to wrap his two fingers, gently picked up the pale blue fruit, and held it up in front of his eyes to examine it closely.

It took him a while to put down the marrow-clearing fruit.

"The medicinal properties are well preserved, and only a very small amount of spiritual energy has been lost, making it more than enough to serve as the main ingredient."

"However, this fruit was picked a bit too early and is not fully ripe yet. If it were to be refined into a pill, I'm afraid its medicinal effects would be much weaker, only suitable for cultivators in the mid-stage of Qi Refining. Do you understand?"

Qu Ye remained expressionless and nodded slightly: "This junior understands."

"In that case," Han Songling nodded, "I obtained the formula for this Marrow Cleansing Pill years ago, and I have prepared several batches before, so I am confident that the success rate is not low."

"Moreover, I have all the necessary ingredients for this elixir here, so you don't need to go to great lengths to collect them."

Upon hearing this, Qu Ye felt a sense of relief.

His biggest worry was that even if the alchemist was willing to help, he would still have to slowly collect the auxiliary materials himself.

Firstly, it is time-consuming and laborious; secondly, over time, unforeseen complications may arise, and unpredictable situations may occur.

Now that Han Songling says the prescription and auxiliary materials are all ready, things are much simpler.

Although Qu Ye was secretly pleased, he asked on the surface, "That's good. May I ask how much Elder Han plans to charge?"

Upon hearing this, Han Songling looked at Qu Ye and suddenly smiled.

"Even if you hadn't asked, I would have brought it up first. When it comes to buying and selling, let's clarify the price first before making a decision."

He held up one finger.

"First item: Cost of auxiliary materials."

"Your Marrow Cleansing Pill is only at the first-grade high-level, its medicinal properties are insufficient. Therefore, when refining the Marrow Cleansing Pill, the amount of auxiliary materials required will be less than that of a first-grade top-level Marrow Cleansing Pill."

"The amount of pills is a bit less. All things considered, the cost of the auxiliary materials is approximately ten low-grade spirit stones."

Qu Ye silently made a note of it.

The cost of auxiliary materials, which is ten spirit stones, is not expensive.

After all, it is a first-grade high-quality spiritual pill.

Han Songling continued, "The second item is the cost of starting the furnace."

"Among the many first-grade high-quality spiritual pills, the difficulty of refining this Marrow Cleansing Pill is considered to be above average. Even though I have successfully refined it a few times, it still takes a lot of effort."

"This item will also be worth twenty low-grade spirit stones for you."

"That's all the cost."

The furnace opening fee is twenty coins, and with the cost of auxiliary materials, it comes to thirty low-grade spirit stones.

Including the eighty spirit stones needed to purchase the Marrow Cleansing Fruit, it would take a total of one hundred and ten spirit stones to attempt to refine a batch of Marrow Cleansing Pills.

However, if it can be successfully refined, clearing the toxins from the body and helping one break through to the late stage of Qi Refining, then this amount of spirit stones will still be worthwhile.

Isn't the point of saving spirit stones to spend them at crucial moments?

Han Songling could tell he was pondering, so he didn't urge him. He simply picked up the teacup beside him, took a sip, and then slowly said, "Don't think I've taken too much."

"If we used some mediocre alchemists, they might offer a lower price, but their success rate might not be as high as mine."

"Now that I've said this, the decision of whether or not to refine it is yours."

The art of alchemy is indeed incredibly profitable; a single business deal can earn more than what one could accumulate spiritual essence over two or three months.

Qu Ye sighed inwardly and nodded: "I understand what Elder Han means."

Han Songling put down his teacup: "If you've made up your mind, I'll take the Marrow Cleansing Fruit. Come back in a month, and then we'll see whether you've succeeded or not."