"Although I do know Alchemy, according to the sect’s rules, Magic cannot be taught privately."
"So, we still have to follow the proper procedure to avoid any gossip."
As Elder Chen spoke, he handed over a Token. "Since the Scripture Pavilion is making things difficult for you, use this as proof and go to the Alchemy Hall to select an Alchemy technique."
Xiao Chen thanked Elder Chen and then went to the Alchemy Hall, where he met another Elder Chen.
The Chen Family had practiced Alchemy for generations, and the person in charge of the sect’s Alchemy Hall was none other than Chen Tianyang’s older brother—Chen Tianyuan.
After his Token was inspected, a senior brother from the Alchemy Hall guided Xiao Chen to the storeroom.
"Junior Brother Xiao, on these shelves are the sect’s complete and distinctive Alchemy techniques. They are also divided into Profound and Yellow Levels."
"These two rows on the left are all Profound Level Alchemy techniques, while the row on the far right contains the ordinary Yellow Level Alchemy techniques practiced by the Alchemy Apprentices."
Hearing this, Xiao Chen walked straight to the far right.
"Junior Brother Xiao, you’re going the wrong way. Those are the Yellow Level techniques over there."
Xiao Chen smiled faintly. "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother, but I’m not mistaken. You may not know this, but I actually prefer these simpler techniques. They’re easier for an entry-level practitioner."
Huh?
The Pill Hall senior brother couldn’t comprehend such a bizarre idea, but he was utterly shocked.
’Would someone really pass up a Profound Level technique for a Yellow Level one?’
’No, no, no, he must just be curious.’
"Senior Brother, I’ve made my choice. I’ll take this one."
This wasn’t the Scripture Pavilion, after all; there were only four Yellow Level techniques available. While all were centered on fire, each was compatible with a different element: Metal, Wood, Water, or Earth.
Xiao Chen had a low-grade Wood Spirit Root, so he naturally chose the *Evergreen Pill Technique*, which focused on the Wood Attribute. He didn’t need to hesitate at all.
"Junior Brother Xiao, are you sure you don’t want to pick another technique? You didn’t even glance at the Profound Level ones."
Even as they walked out of the Alchemy Hall and stood at the entrance, the senior brother still found it hard to believe.
"I appreciate your good intentions, Senior Brother, but I’m not very talented. I wouldn’t be able to understand a technique that’s too complex, so I’ll stick with this one."
His mind made up, Xiao Chen strode down the mountain to the Marketplace, intending to purchase a suitable Pill Furnace.
Of course, the Li Huo Sect didn’t lack Pill Furnaces. However, in the Alchemy Hall, even apprentices aspiring to become Alchemists would purchase their own personal furnace.
This was because the sect’s public Pill Furnaces were not only insufficient in number, often requiring a long wait to use.
They were also old and worn out. Using such furnaces for Alchemy would inevitably make Pill Formation significantly more difficult.
Elder Chen had told him about this before and recommended he choose an ordinary, low-grade Pill Furnace.
A brand-new one cost around one hundred Spirit Stones. Although a bit pricey, it was the tier most Alchemy Hall disciples used.
If one was willing to buy a second-hand model, the price could be several dozen Spirit Stones cheaper depending on its condition, and these were mostly sold to the Alchemy Apprentices.
After all, even a second-hand furnace was far better than the sect’s public ones.
As for high-quality Pill Furnaces that aided in Pill Formation, their prices were exorbitant and not very cost-effective for a novice. The choice ultimately depended on one’s willingness to spend and the number of Spirit Stones they had.
As the saying goes, a craftsman must first sharpen his tools to do a good job.
If he could get a good Pill Furnace, learning Alchemy would certainly be much more convenient and easier.
After some thought, Xiao Chen decided that certain expenses were unavoidable. He headed straight for the largest and most popular shop in the Li Huo Market—the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Of course, following the principle of not flaunting his wealth, he had deliberately put on his Stealth Cloak to conceal his appearance.
Living up to its grand name, the Hundred Treasures Tower was enormous in scale.
Magical Artifacts for the Qi Refining Stage alone occupied an entire building.
From the first to the ninth floor, the sections were, in order: Flying Swords, Magic Robes, Talisman Making, Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Array Formation, Beast Taming, and Curiosities.
When Xiao Chen arrived on the fifth floor, a Loose Cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining was already haggling with the Hundred Treasures Tower’s manager over a red Pill Furnace.
"Six hundred Spirit Stones, minimum. This is the absolute lowest price; we’re already selling it at a loss."
"Fellow Daoist, can’t you go any lower? The prices of all sorts of Spirit Grass have been rising recently, and I really don’t have enough Spirit Stones. Just knock off another fifty Spirit Stones. Only fifty."
The manager shook his head repeatedly. "No, absolutely not. Six hundred Spirit Stones is our most sincere offer."
He then turned and called out to Xiao Chen with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, the rows in the back and on the right are all high-quality, new-model Pill Furnaces. If you see one you like, just give me a call."
The Stealth Cloak hid his appearance, but the cloak itself implied that the visitor’s purpose was anything but simple.
If it weren’t for the fact that customers hiding their identities generally don’t wish to be disturbed, especially not probed for information.
The manager would have run right over to give Xiao Chen recommendations instead of continuing to haggle over there.
Xiao Chen carefully examined several Pill Furnaces, comparing the text descriptions for the Middle Grade and low-grade models.
He discovered that the main advantage of a Middle Grade Pill Furnace was its ability to help a Cultivator maintain a more stable Spiritual Fire. It could also hold more medicinal ingredients and withstand higher temperatures than a low-grade one.
For a novice Alchemist, controlling the size of the Spiritual Fire by regulating the input speed of Magical Power was a rather difficult task.
However, a Middle Grade Pill Furnace could use its pre-engraved Artifact Patterns to set a maximum limit for Magical Power input.
This way, even if an Alchemist injected too much Magical Power, the temperature would remain below a preset threshold, ensuring it wouldn’t overheat.