The last item made Qin Guiya's eyes light up.
The Blue Sprout Pill was precisely the Medicinal Pill he had fully mastered through the Enlightenment Leaf, and the “perfect” quality required by the task was not difficult for him now.
“Is this Junior Brother here to accept a task?”
A round-faced Cultivator wearing an Alchemist robe approached. His sleeve was embroidered with a small, single-line bronze cauldron—the symbol of a First Rank Alchemist.
Qin Guiya nodded: “The Blue Sprout Pill task. Are there any special requirements?”
“Oh, you've got guts!”
The round-faced Cultivator laughed, “This task has been posted for a long time. Many First and Second Rank Alchemists have accepted it, but few have completed it. The requirements are strict; the Medicinal Pill must be of perfect quality.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Guiya pretended to be shocked.
“I'll take it.”
He took out his identity jade token, swiped it below the task, and accepted the challenge.
The round-faced Cultivator's eyes widened:
“Junior Brother looks quite unfamiliar. A newly promoted Alchemist?”
“Just a superficial understanding, that's all.”
Qin Guiya said modestly, but in his heart, he had already begun to calculate the Materials he needed to prepare.
The main Spirit Medicine for the Blue Sprout Pill was blue heart grass, which was coincidentally planted in the Ancient Tree Space, but it had not yet matured. He would still need to spend Spirit Stones to purchase a batch.
Before leaving Danxia Hall, he exchanged for one hundred sets of Materials for refining the Blue Sprout Pill, totaling fifteen thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
In the Qin Family, Low Grade Spirit Medicine could be directly purchased with Spirit Stones, without the need for contribution points. Only some rare resources required contribution points.
“Senior Brother Guiya!”
Just as Qin Guiya was about to head to the teleportation plaza, Qin Muqing's voice came from behind, “Are you done with your business?”
Qin Guiya turned around and saw a distinguished middle-aged man standing beside her, a Late Stage Golden Core Cultivator!
“This is my uncle, Qin Zhaoyan, a Family-certified Third Rank Alchemist.”
Qin Muqing introduced, “I heard Senior Brother is interested in the Dao of Alchemy, and my uncle would like to exchange pointers with you.”
A warning bell rang in Qin Guiya's heart.
Although the branch families appeared harmonious on the surface, resources were limited, and the competition in secret was fierce.
This Alchemist Qin's sudden show of goodwill probably had ulterior motives, perhaps to gauge his Alchemy skill.
“I've long admired Alchemist Qin's great name.”
He bowed calmly, “It's just that this Disciple is new to the Dao of Alchemy, I'm afraid...”
“Hey, it's just an exchange.”
Qin Zhaoyan smiled kindly, “I heard you exchanged for the ‘Divine Sense Flame Control Art’? That technique is extremely difficult to master. If you have any doubts, this old man might be able to offer some guidance.”
So that's how it is!
Qin Guiya secretly sighed.
The exchange records of the Scripture Pavilion were not a secret. The other party must have seen him, someone who had never touched the Dao of Alchemy, suddenly invest such a large sum, which aroused his curiosity.
“Thank you for Alchemist Qin's kind offer.”
He politely declined, “It's just that this Disciple still needs to rush back to Peach Forest Island today. I will definitely visit you for guidance another day.”
When he left Thousand Eye Island, the setting sun had already dyed the sea golden.
Qin Guiya stood on the green jade boat, looking back at the magnificent island in the distance, a mix of emotions in his heart.
The gap between the Main Branch and the side branches was so obvious; no wonder his second uncle often told their branch to strive for success.
“The Dao of Alchemy...”
He clenched his storage ring, and fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.
With the Ancient Tree Space and the Enlightenment Leaf, this might be his best path to Breakthrough the limitations of his Four Spiritual Roots!
By the time the flying boat landed on Peach Forest Island, dusk had already deepened.
Qin Guiya saw a warm light shining in front of the Immortal Cave from afar, and a slender figure was looking out from the entrance.
Upon seeing the flying boat, the figure immediately waved excitedly.
For some reason, a warm current surged in Qin Guiya's heart.
The feeling of being waited for... seemed quite nice.
“Husband is back!”
Liu Qingchan came forward, her eyes full of joy, “This concubine has prepared dinner, and... and even tried to process some Spirit Medicine according to the methods in the ‘Basic Alchemy Formulae’...”
Looking at her displaying the neatly cut medicinal Materials like a treasure, Qin Guiya suddenly felt that the day's rush was all worth it.
He reached out and brushed a blade of grass from Liu Qingchan's hair, saying softly:
“You've worked hard. I have some Alchemy insights, and I'll share them with you when I have time.”
...The next day, Qin Guiya woke up from meditation, and the first thing he did was to examine his Sea of Consciousness.
The tender sprout had indeed grown another circle, its emerald green leaves edged with a hint of golden threads, trembling slightly when touched by his Divine Sense, as if responding to his attention.
“It really has grown again...”
The corners of his mouth curved slightly.
After an intimate night with Liu Qingchan, he had specifically paid attention to the changes in the tender sprout, and it had indeed grown faster than in previous days.
This discovery made him both happy and a little guilty.
His initial approach to Liu Qingchan was just to cultivate the Ancient Tree, but now... Shaking his head to dispel distracting thoughts, Qin Guiya got up and walked towards the secret chamber deep within the Immortal Cave.
This stone room was usually used for storage, its four walls carved with isolating Formations, and it was once his Alchemy room.
“Is Husband going to use the Alchemy room?”
Liu Qingchan's voice came from behind him.
She was holding a cup of Spirit Tea, her hair simply tied up, with a few strands of dark hair falling by her ears.
Qin Guiya took the tea cup, his fingertips brushing her wrist:
“Yes, I failed to Breakthrough to the Middle Stage Golden Core this time, and I no longer have extra Spirit Stones or contribution points, so I plan to refine some Medicinal Pills.”
The Spirit Tea was just the right temperature, and it had a calming flower added—exactly the flavor he liked.
Liu Qingchan's eyes lit up: “Does this concubine need to help? The ‘Basic Alchemy Formulae’ says that Alchemy is best done with the assistance of a medicine boy...”
Looking at her expectant eyes, Qin Guiya pondered for a moment:
“Not yet. Once I'm familiar with the Alchemy process, I'll teach you.”
Seeing a hint of disappointment flash in Liu Qingchan's eyes, he added, “You can help me process the medicinal Materials first; this is equally important for Alchemy.”
This promise made Liu Qingchan smile again.
She followed Qin Guiya into the Alchemy room with light steps, curiously examining the items he took out from his storage ring.
A three-foot-tall bronze Pill Furnace was placed in the center of the stone room. The furnace body was carved with mountain and sea patterns, its three legs were shaped like Dragon heads, and the ventilation holes on the furnace lid were arranged in a Big Dipper pattern.
Despite being sealed for many years, the furnace body still glowed with a faint, dark luster.
“A Second Rank top-grade Pill Furnace!”
Qin Guiya gently stroked the patterns on the furnace body, memories flooding his mind.
This “Mountain Sea Qi Furnace” was exchanged from the Family when he was one hundred and thirty years old.
At that time, he was ambitious to learn Alchemy, but due to limited talent, he eventually gave up in disappointment.
Liu Qingchan keenly noticed her husband's change in mood and said softly:
“Such a beautiful Pill Furnace...”
Qin Guiya regained his composure, smiled faintly, and began to set up the Alchemy environment.
He took out a hundred portions of blue heart grass, the raw Materials for the Blue Sprout Pill, from the newly purchased Materials, and then took out a small Spirit Gathering Array Plate to place under the Pill Furnace.
Liu Qingchan, meanwhile, consciously went to process the Spirit Medicine, her technique already quite skilled.
“You're improving very quickly.”
Qin Guiya watched her movements as she removed impurities from the blue heart grass and praised her.
In just one day, Liu Qingchan's mastery of the “Basic Alchemy Formulae” had already surpassed the level of ordinary apprentices after several months.
Liu Qingchan's ears turned slightly red:
“This concubine... used to secretly watch Alchemists from the Liu Family process medicinal Materials...”
Qin Guiya's heart stirred.
Liu Qingchan's identity in the Liu Family was probably not as simple as a Spirit Medicine garden servant. How could an ordinary servant have the opportunity to observe Alchemists at close range?
This thought flashed through his mind, but he had more important things to do now.
“I'm about to start the furnace. Please step back to the doorway.”
