Zou Renhe smiled as he pocketed the spirit stones and said,
"Crimson Blood Liquor isn't hard to brew—it'll be drinkable in just two months. But as with any wine, quality depends not only on the ingredients but also on aging. The older, the better!"
Wang Hao nodded.
"No problem. Business here is slow. Once the wine is ready, put a few jars out on the shelves and let the rest age gradually."
Zou Renhe agreed, then produced the Heaven-Turn Seal and handed it to Wang Hao.
"Boss, I haven't deceived you. My grandfather found this seal in the ruins of an ancient cultivator's estate. It was originally a spirit artifact, but it was damaged and downgraded to a magic item. Grandpa always said that if someone could find earthy spirit materials to repair it properly, it might be fully restored! Unfortunately, neither my father nor I ever advanced past mid-Qi Refinement, so we lacked both the power and the need to fix it. Now that I've entrusted it to you, I hope you'll treat it well!"
Wang Hao considered the seal in his hand.
"There's certainly a story behind it. But earth-attribute spirit materials are expensive, and you'd still need a skilled craftsman to repair it. The cost might be nearly as much as buying a brand-new second-order spirit artifact."
Zou Renhe laughed sheepishly. He'd tried for years to sell it, to no avail. In truth, he would have accepted a mere hundred spirit stones.
After introducing Zou Renhe to Wang Yanzhi and handing over further arrangements, Wang Hao returned to his chamber to prepare for pill refinement. A fresh batch of farm-grown spirit herbs had just ripened, and he was ready to attempt the next breakthrough: becoming a low-grade second-order alchemist.
He summoned his Purple Radiance Furnace, which hummed to life, expanded in the wind, and settled firmly on the floor. Alchemy was now familiar territory, but past failures taught him caution.
As he added the herbs one by one, the medicinal broth swelled. In the past, mixing the preliminary decoction would have overwhelmed his spirit-perception and led to failure in the final condensation step. But now, with his enhanced perception, he remained composed. Only in the very last pill-condensation phase did his control slip. He had been refining continuously for three hours, and his mana and sensory reserves were nearly spent. Resolving to press on, he sacrificed most of the decoction—leaving only a small core—to stabilize the process. Finally, when the pill's fragrance filled the air, he extinguished the furnace and unveiled a solitary, perfect pill: the Qi-Convergence Pill!
He inhaled its rich aroma: no off-notes, just a powerful sense of condensed energy. But the true test lay in its effect—and that, he would leave to Old Wang.
Wasting no time, he leapt to Wang Yanzhao's chamber.
"Old Wang, take a look at this!"
Wang Yanzhao frowned, ready to scold him, but a round, jade-white pill flew into his hand. He examined it carefully.
"The Qi-Convergence Pill!"
He looked at Wang Hao in astonishment.
"You actually refined this yourself?"
"Yes! Taste it and let me know how it feels; I can make adjustments." Wang Hao beamed with pride.
This time, Wang Yanzhao refrained from reprimanding him. After inspecting the pill and finding no flaws, he swallowed it and closed his eyes. A full quarter-hour passed before he opened them and declared:
"Not bad—but your heat control is a bit off. That comes down to your cultivation. Once you reach the eighth level of Qi Refinement, your spiritual perception and power will be greater, and controlling the furnace heat will be much easier!"
Over the rest of the night, Wang Yanzhao quizzed Wang Hao on every step of his process and offered detailed guidance. Only late, late that night did Wang Hao stagger back to his room and fall into a deep, satisfied sleep.
Early the next morning, Wang Hao emerged to find Chu He and Chen Qing waiting for him.
"Brother Chu, Senior Chen—anything urgent this early?"
Chu He greeted him warmly.
"Actually, there's something we'd like to discuss with you."
"By all means—let's hear it." Although they'd only met twice, he would help with any reasonable request. Danger, however, he would refuse.
Chen Qing spoke first: the Qingyuan Sect stored the fruits of its Yuan-Condensing Tree and, after gathering third-order demon cores every few years, used them to refine a single batch of Foundation-Establishing Pills for disciples. But the sect had tens of thousands of disciples; they needed a fair way both to test and to train applicants. So, beyond the usual 10,000 contribution points required to redeem a Foundation-Establishing Pill, candidates had to undertake a dangerous mission—one that could be completed in groups of up to four, aided by Qi Refinement cultivators.
The distribution date loomed. The Wang family's awaited auction would follow. Every auction featured at least one Foundation-Establishing Pill, drawing participants to Qingyuan City.
"So, Brother Chu, you're seeking a Foundation-Establishing Pill?" Wang Hao asked.
Chu He nodded.
"I've been at the ninth level of Qi Refinement for years. I'd be honored to enlist your help."
Wang Hao hesitated. Such missions carried real risk. He was about to decline when Chu He added:
"It's a hunt for a venomous, low-tier second-order python. I've prepared the Four Symbols Formation, so danger is minimal. And as thanks for your help…" He handed Wang Hao a map."This shows the location of an ancient cultivator's cavern I stumbled on. I lacked the mana to breach its defenses then—maybe together we can. Whatever we find, we split four ways, and you choose first!"
"An ancient cultivator's cavern?" Wang Hao's eyes lit up."It's been years—who knows if it's even still there? Even if it is, who knows what awaits inside?"
"Worried about the loot?" Chu He frowned, then offered:"If nothing's there, I'll give you two low-grade second-order talismans as compensation. Deal?"
Wang Hao still hesitated. Two talismans were only worth a few hundred stones. He countered:
"May I ask why you chose me? We barely know each other. So many stronger brothers in the sect could help—why me?"
The three companions fell silent as Wang Hao awaited their reply.