Fantasy: Starting with a bowl, you can exchange it for endless cultivation.

The next day.

Gu Chen received the ten Qi and Blood Pills that he could receive each month from the Treasure Medicine Pavilion.

Since the Qi and Blood Pills were no longer effective for Gu Chen, he turned to Cheng Mengling for help.

He resold it to her for nine taels of silver each.

Qi and Blood Pills can be purchased from Baoyao Pavilion; each pill costs ten taels of silver.

If it's sold for ten taels of silver without a discount, why wouldn't people buy it from Baoyao Pavilion instead of his?

He received ninety taels of silver.

Gu Chen went to find Su Ming.

He explained his purpose for coming.

"Brother Gu, you want to learn alchemy?" Su Ming asked, somewhat surprised.

It's true that Gu Chen is fast in cultivation, but alchemy is not something that can be done just by having cultivation talent.

It also depends on alchemy talent.

It's hard to say what kind of talent this is. Some people are born with an advantage in this area. With a little practice, they can master the timing of alchemy, the proportion of medicinal materials during fusion, and the time it takes to produce the elixir.

Some people have tried countless times, wasting countless medicinal herbs, but still haven't been able to master it.

He hadn't expected Gu Chen to be interested in alchemy.

Gu Chen nodded. His copper bowl could be exchanged for martial arts insights, so he figured that as long as he obtained a pill recipe, he could exchange it for pill refining insights.

If he could learn alchemy, he could earn an extra income.

"I am now a retainer of the Precious Medicine Pavilion and wish to learn alchemy. I wonder if I can directly consult with one of the alchemists in the pavilion?" Gu Chen asked.

Su Ming shook his head and said, "Unless you find an outside alchemist to learn from, if you want to learn from the alchemists in my Treasure Medicine Pavilion, you must first become a disciple of the Pill Sect."

"Whether it's outside alchemists or alchemy sects, they all have very strict control over their pill formulas and strictly forbid them from being passed on. Even the simplest Qi and Blood Pill formula is subject to this rule," Su Ming explained. "Finding someone to teach you alchemy isn't difficult; I can teach you."

"I am a disciple of the Dan Sect and have mastered the methods of refining Qi and Blood Pills and Qi and Blood Elixirs, but I cannot teach you without permission," Su Ming said.

"How can one become a disciple of the Pill Sect?" Gu Chen asked Su Ming.

"To become a disciple of the Pill Sect, you must first pass the Pill Sect's examination. You can apply at the Treasure Medicine Pavilion in our Chiyang City," Su Ming explained. "Since you are a retainer of the Treasure Medicine Pavilion, it will be even easier for you to apply. Just tell Manager Xiang."

"After you apply, the Treasure Medicine Pavilion will give you a simple pill formula. There will be a professional alchemist to guide you in refining the pill. As long as you can refine the pill in this formula within a month, you will pass the test and become a disciple of the Pill Sect," Su Ming said.

"During your application period for the assessment, you will be responsible for all the costs of the medicinal materials used in alchemy. In addition, you will need to pay an application fee of one hundred taels of silver and an alchemist guidance fee of one hundred taels of silver for applying for the Dan Sect assessment," Su Ming said.

"If you have a foundation in alchemy, you don't need to pay the 100 taels alchemist guidance fee. You only need to pay the 100 taels application fee. Of course, in this case, you won't be able to get guidance from the alchemists at the Treasure Medicine Pavilion. You'll need to figure out the pill formulas yourself," Su Ming explained the rules to Gu Chen.

"I see, I understand." Gu Chen nodded and said to Su Ming, "Thanks."

"No need to be polite. If Brother Gu is interested in alchemy, I can be your mentor alchemist, and I won't charge you any fees," Su Ming said.

"I want to give it a try," Gu Chen said.

"Alright, then I'll go with you to find Manager Xiang to apply for the assessment," Su Ming said.

The two found Xiang Dezhou and explained their origins.

Hearing that Gu Chen wanted to apply for the Dan Sect's assessment to learn alchemy, he was somewhat surprised.

However, considering Gu Chen's terrifying talent for cultivation...

He then understood Gu Chen's plan: to test whether he had any talent for alchemy.

So they arranged it for Gu Chen.

However, he felt that Gu Chen probably didn't have the talent for alchemy, as there were too many geniuses with talent in cultivation.

However, very few people know how to refine pills.

Heaven rarely allows people to have their cake and eat it too.

But he wouldn't dampen Gu Chen's enthusiasm.

It's worth a try, and there's no loss if you don't succeed.

If he has one, it will be more beneficial to his future development, as he will have a decent side job.

After applying for the assessment.

Xiang Dezhou gave Gu Chen a pill formula that the Dan Sect used specifically to assess people's talent in alchemy.

The pills produced by this formula are not very useful; they are only used to test whether a person has a talent for alchemy.

The Precious Medicine Pavilion named it the Test Pill.

The test pill formula consists of six common medicinal materials, and it details the entire process of making the test pill.

I obtained the prescription.

Su Ming said, "Brother Gu, I know how to refine this testing pill. You can go down and familiarize yourself with it first. If you don't understand anything, I will guide you."

"Okay, I'll go down and familiarize myself with things for the next few days," Gu Chen said.

She separated from Su Ming.

Gu Chen returned to his small courtyard.

Take out the copper bowl and put the elixir formula directly into it.

Then we received feedback from the copper bowl:

[Testing the elixir recipe costs one tael of silver, which can be exchanged for complete insights into alchemy.]

"Okay." Gu Chen was delighted and put in one tael of silver to exchange.

The silver disappeared, but he successfully gained complete insight into refining this test pill.

It was as if he had successfully refined this test pill a thousand times, knowing the method of refining this kind of pill by heart, ensuring a 100% success rate.

However, Gu Chen did not immediately go to find Xiang Dezhou to pass the test.

It's unbelievable that he could so easily refine the pills so soon after receiving the formula.

Let's go in a few days.

Three days later.

The alchemy room of the Precious Medicine Pavilion.

Su Ming, Xiang Dezhou, and Xu Kun, the third-grade innate alchemist who was in charge of the Treasure Medicine Pavilion.

The three of them gaped in disbelief.

In just three days, Gu Chen mastered the formula for the test pill and successfully refined the pill through his own comprehension.

genius.

A true genius in alchemy.

Gu Chen not only possesses powerful cultivation talent.

He also possesses terrifying talent in alchemy.

Gu Chen successfully passed the examination for a registered disciple of the Dan Sect.

The Treasure Medicine Pavilion issued him a token identifying him as a registered disciple of the Pill Sect.

Danzong's registered disciples can enjoy a 5% discount when purchasing alchemy ingredients from all the Treasure Medicine Pavilions within the Divine Dynasty.

By becoming a disciple, Gu Chen was able to learn alchemy from the alchemists at the Treasure Medicine Pavilion.

Given Gu Chen's terrifying talent, Xu Kun, the chief alchemist of the Treasure Medicine Pavilion in Chiyang City, was happy to teach Gu Chen alchemy.

"Master Gu, you have a great talent for alchemy, but you must start with the Qi and Blood Pill from the very beginning." Xu Kun said, "Here is the formula for the Qi and Blood Pill. Take it and study it first."

"If you have any questions, come and ask me again." Xu Kun handed Gu Chen a pill formula.

"Disciples of the Dan Sect who are registered can enjoy a 5% discount when purchasing medicinal materials from the Treasure Medicine Pavilion. The pills you refine can also be sold by the Treasure Medicine Pavilion, but the Treasure Medicine Pavilion will take a 20% commission."

"If you sell it directly to the Treasure Medicine Pavilion, they will buy it at 75% of the market price," Xu Kun explained to Gu Chen, revealing the survival strategy of alchemists.

"Of course, you can also sell it to outsiders; the Treasure Medicine Pavilion won't interfere."

"Understood, thank you, Master Xu." Gu Chen thanked Xu Kun.

"You're welcome. I'm also a disciple of the Dan Sect. You can call me Senior Brother Xu." Xu Kun said.

"Yes, Senior Brother Xu, I hope you will give me more guidance in alchemy in the future," Gu Chen said.

"No problem." Xu Kun thought for a moment, then said, "You've just embarked on the path of alchemy, so you probably don't have your own alchemy furnace yet."

"I have a spare furnace that can refine all pills up to the fifth grade of the Innate Realm. If you are interested, I can sell it to you for five hundred taels of silver," Xu Kun said. "I bought that furnace for eight hundred taels back then, but I only used it for a few years. After I became a third-grade Innate Realm alchemist, I stopped using it."

"Five hundred taels." Gu Chen thought for a moment and then said, "Okay, thank you, Senior Brother Xu."

"You're welcome." Xu Kun waved his hand. "The alchemy furnace is in my courtyard. I'll take you to get it."

We arrived at Xu Kun's courtyard.

Gu Chen then saw two alchemy furnaces standing in the courtyard.

One is rather old, the other is brand new.

The old one should be the idle alchemy furnace that Xu Kun mentioned.

He gave Xu Kun five hundred taels of silver.

Gu Chen simply moved the alchemy furnace to his own courtyard.

A top-tier expert can possess the strength of two thousand jin.

A strong person at the first level of the Innate Realm has a strength of between five thousand and twenty thousand jin.

A strong person at the second level of the Innate Realm has a strength of 20,000 to 40,000 jin.

A strong person at the third level of the Innate Realm has a strength of 40,000 to 60,000 jin.

A strong person at the fourth level of the Innate Realm has a strength of 60,000 to 80,000 jin.

A strong person at the fifth level of the Innate Realm has a strength of 80,000 to 100,000 jin.

This alchemy furnace weighs around 4,000 jin.

Gu Chen only needed to use his cultivation at the first level of the Innate Realm to lift it up and carry it back to his residence.

Next, Gu Chen went to Dezhou to purchase forty-six portions of medicinal materials for refining Qi and Blood Pills.

The ingredients for refining Qi and Blood Pills cost sixty taels, but with a 5% discount, it cost him a total of over two thousand six hundred taels.

Then he spent another ten taels of silver to buy enough special wood to refine fifty doses of pills.

Including the 100 taels he spent on the application and assessment, and the 500 taels he spent on the alchemy furnace, he has already spent more than 3,200 taels before he has even started refining pills.

In an instant, he only had a little over a hundred taels of silver left on him.

However, Gu Chen believed that once he refined and sold these pills, he would definitely make back the profits.

Gu Chen placed the formula for the Qi and Blood Pill directly into the copper bowl.

The copper bowl indicates that ten taels of silver are needed to exchange for insights into alchemy.

Gu Chen directly deposited ten taels of silver to exchange.

Master the method of making Qi and Blood Pills.

The next day.

The forty-six portions of medicinal materials for refining Qi and Blood Pills, which Gu Chen had ordered from Baoyao Pavilion, were delivered.

He immediately began refining pills.

Other beginners have a very low success rate when they first start refining Qi and Blood Pills. They may only succeed in one or two out of ten batches, and the number of pills produced will not exceed five.

In the early stages, alchemists are essentially burning money when trying to improve their proficiency in a certain type of pill.

Gu Chen, however, did not have this problem.

In one morning, he successfully refined a batch of Qi and Blood Pills, producing ten pills.

The ability to refine ten pills represents a level of mastery achieved only by perfecting the refining method of a particular elixir.

The insights into alchemy he gained through exchanging the copper bowl would allow him to directly reach this level.

One Qi and Blood Pill costs ten taels of silver in the market.

Ten coins equal one hundred taels of silver.

At his alchemy speed, he can refine two batches a day, which is twenty pills.

It's two hundred taels.

Of course, ten taels is the retail price. He simply doesn't have time to set up a stall for retail. If his retail price were the same as Baoyaoge's, people would definitely prefer to buy from Baoyaoge instead of him.

If he gives the pills to the Treasure Medicine Pavilion and uses their channels to sell them, the Treasure Medicine Pavilion will take a 20% commission, which is two taels of silver. On average, he can earn two taels of silver in profit for each pill sold.

However, the process takes a long time, and it's unclear when the Treasure Medicine Pavilion will be able to sell all of his pills.

If he were to sell the pills directly to the Treasure Medicine Pavilion, they would fetch seven taels and five mace of silver per pill, from which he would make a profit of one tael and five mace.

The advantage is that it can be sold directly in a package, and the money can be received immediately without any time cost.

Another method was for him to find Cheng Mengling and sell her the pills.

They sold it to the Cheng family at 90% of the market price.

Each one could earn three taels of silver, but it's unclear whether the Cheng family can afford to consume so many pills.

"Forget it, I'll refine the pills first, then consider the sales channels. As long as I refine them, I'm sure I won't have to worry about sales. It's just a matter of making a little more or a little less profit." Gu Chen made up his mind.