novelapdf Chapter 150: Variables
Chapter 150: Variables
Nothing happened the following day.
No one in the entire Black Wind City, or even the Li family, knew that a Xuanbing Jade Python had once taken away Liu Yuelong's immortal body.
Yang Jiuli continued refining pills and drawing talismans as usual, without showing any abnormality.
However, with the deaths of Liu Yuelong, Ding Xiaoyan, and Liu Heyan, the supply of medicinal pills in Black Wind City's markets was insufficient.
Li urged Yang Jiuli several times to refine more elixirs.
Yang Jiuli used the excuse that he was improving his alchemy skills and was about to break through to refine two more batches of pills.
In the end, Li Jun met with him in person.
Inside the main hall of Blackwind City.
Li Jun sat upright in the main seat.
Li Wannian is to the left.
Yang Jiuli was drawn into the group.
"Greetings, Elder, Steward Li!" Yang Jiuli bowed, his attitude calm, poised, and without a trace of humility.
"Haha, Master Yang, please sit!" Li Jun stroked his beard and laughed, gesturing for Yang Jiuli to sit down at the lower seat.
Yang Jiuli bowed and stepped aside to sit in the lower seat.
"Jiuli, how many years have you been refining pills for my Li family?" Li Jun asked with a gentle smile, stroking his long beard.
"Reporting to the Grand Elder, it has been more than 19 years!" Yang Jiuli said, bowing.
"In just 19 years, you've already become a top-tier first-order alchemist. Your talent is truly wasted in my Li family!" Li Jun said.
"I wouldn't dare!" Yang Jiuli said. "Without the Li family's cultivation, where would I be today?"
Upon hearing this, Li Jun nodded with satisfaction.
"The Li family has always valued talent. As long as you are willing to join the Li family at the summit, we will never treat you unfairly!" Li Jun said.
Upon hearing this, Yang Jiuli understood.
He knew that Li Jun wanted to tie him to the Li family's warship again.
"Thank you for your kindness, Elder!" Yang Jiuli said. "I will never forget the kindness of the Li family, but I do not want to waste my life and want to see a wider world!" The implication of his words was that he remembered the kindness of the Li family, but he was not willing to be tied to the Li family's warship.
In this way, it can be considered that some room for maneuver has been left for both sides.
"Hehe, you're a talented person, with a heart set on the vast sky. I naturally support you." Li Jun stroked his beard and laughed, saying, "Young man! Of course you should go and explore. But the doors of the Li family are always open for you... This is the 'Great Blood Qi Pill Formula'..."
He smiled slightly, and with a flick of his hand, a jade slip with a restriction was sent flying towards Yang Jiuli in the main hall.
"The Great Blood Qi Pill Formula..." Yang Jiuli took the jade slip, looking flattered and surprised, and looked at Li Jun.
"The family will prepare medicinal herbs for you... so you can learn how to refine them..." Li Jun said, stroking his beard.
"I am unworthy of this honor!" Yang Jiuli stood up and declined.
"Don't refuse. I've long intended to pass this pill formula on to you, but the family needed to discuss it, and the process was complicated, which is why it's been delayed until now," Li Jun said. "I hope you can practice diligently and become a second-tier pill master as soon as possible... In that case, you will also have a place in the cultivation world of Chu..."
"Rest assured, Elder, Jiuli will certainly live up to everyone's expectations!" Yang Jiuli said.
"Good, very good! I believe you can do it!" Li Jun nodded with satisfaction and gestured for Yang Jiuli to sit down.
Yang Jiuli retreated to his seat.
"Hehe, Wannian, go and fetch two portions of the 'Great Blood Qi Pill' ingredients for Master Yang to practice with!" Li Jun said.
"Yes!" Li Wannian stood up and then looked at Yang Jiuli.
Yang Jiuli rose, bowed to Li Jun to take his leave, and walked out of the main hall with Li Wannian.
"If there were no one else in the clan who could do it, how could you, you wolf cub, have gotten away with this!" Li Jun said coldly after Yang Jiuli's figure disappeared. The death of the three non-Li clan alchemists not only left them with no one to use, but also made the Li clan realize their own shortcomings.
If the clan had a few more Foundation Establishment cultivators, things wouldn't be like this.
Therefore, the Li family decided to train a second-level alchemist as soon as possible.
Therefore, even if the materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill cannot be collected, one can start with second-tier pills such as the Great Blood Qi Pill.
If you let several potential foundation-building seeds try, eventually one of them will achieve foundation building.
……
"Congratulations! You have a good chance of advancing to the second-tier alchemist!" Li Wannian congratulated him in a warehouse training ground in Black Wind City.
"The path to becoming a second-tier alchemist is similar to that between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment; there is a seemingly insurmountable chasm between them, and whether one can succeed is still unknown!"
Yang Jiuli said.
"Master Yang is too modest!" Li Wannian laughed. "Your talent is extraordinary, and your alchemy skills surpass You Rong's. In my Li family, if you cannot succeed, who else can attempt to become a second-level alchemist?" As he spoke, he handed two portions of 'Great Blood Qi Pill' ingredients to Yang Jiuli.
Yang Jiuli put it into his storage bag.
After exchanging a few polite words, Yang Jiuli took his leave and returned to his residence.
"It's a pity that such a talented person is unwilling to get married!" Li Wannian sighed repeatedly as he looked at Yang Jiuli.
……
Yang Jiuli returned to the villa.
"The Great Blood Qi Pill..." he murmured to himself, a slight smile appearing on his lips.
I still remember that two years ago, Ms. Li asked him to renew her contract.
After Yang Jiuli refused, Elder Li Jun was furious and wanted to suppress him.
In just two short years, Li Jun not only did not mention renewing the contract, but also took the initiative to let him learn the second-tier "Great Blood Qi Pill Formula".
Such a change truly proves the ancient saying, "Times change."
"If one truly possesses skills, one should remain hidden in obscurity when one's talents are not recognized, and wait for the opportune moment when one's time will come to take flight."
Yang Jiuli murmured, reciting the wise sayings of the ancients.
In his previous life, he witnessed the vicissitudes of human life over several hundred years.
Having witnessed the ebb and flow of life, one naturally becomes as steady as an old dog, taking the words of one's ancestors as one's motto.
"With this 'Great Blood Qi Pill Formula,' I can rightfully advance to the second-tier alchemist!"
Yang Jiuli passed through the corridor and entered the cave.
He took out the two portions of medicinal herbs given to him by Li Wannian and began to refine the "Great Blood Qi Pill".
Since Yang Jiuli successfully refined the "Dragon Ginseng Soul-Strengthening Pill", he has recovered to the level of a second-tier alchemist.
In recent years, his extensive refining of the Lesser Blood Qi Pill has further perfected his alchemy skills.
This time, the refining of the Great Blood Qi Pill was successful in one batch, producing three pills, each with a pill pattern, making them high-quality pills.
The two batches of medicinal herbs have been prepared.
There are six pills in total.
Of course, Yang Jiuli would naturally tell Li Wannian that he had failed in his refining and that he still needed to work harder.
As for these six Great Blood Qi Pills, they naturally became Yang Jiuli's possession!
"Although this premium-grade Blood Qi Pill is not as precious as the Foundation Establishment Pill, it is still worth five thousand low-grade spirit stones."
Yang Jiuli flicked his hand, rolling out the pills from the alchemy furnace and placing them into a jade bottle on the table.
This is just the normal selling price.
If it were put in an auction house, a single "Great Blood Qi Pill" could fetch between eight thousand and twelve thousand low-grade spirit stones.
This pill is highly sought after by Qi Refining cultivators who are over fifty years old, whose blood and energy are gradually weakening, but who still want to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
……
The next day, early in the morning.
Huang Cheng came to find Yang Jiuli with great excitement.
Yang Jiuli welcomed him into the courtyard, and the two sat down in the pavilion.
The wine is poured full, and its aroma fills the air.
Huang Cheng didn't bother to savor the wine, he drank it all in one gulp, then put down the wine cup and looked at Yang Jiuli.
"Ninth Brother, yesterday Steward Li summoned me and gave me the 'Minor Blood Qi Pill Formula' to study... saying that he would do his best to train me."
Huang Cheng said with great excitement.
His eyes shone brightly, and his excitement was palpable.
He even felt a little uneasy, as if everything was happening in a surreal way.
"Little Blood Qi Pill"...
This is a top-grade first-tier pill.
The next step is the enhanced version of the "Great Blood Qi Pill".
How could Huang Cheng not be excited?
"The Li family alchemists are scarce these days, so this is indeed a rare opportunity!" Yang Jiuli said, taking a sip of wine.
"It's a pity about Brother Long. If he hadn't gone..." Huang Cheng said with a mix of excitement and regret.
He and Liu Yuelong had a fairly good relationship.
They often came to see Yang Jiuli together on weekdays.
Now that one person is missing, he feels empty inside.
"There's no going back on a move... That's life, and you should remember that!" Yang Jiuli said.
"Yes!" Huang Cheng said, "I will definitely keep Ninth Brother's teachings in mind!"
Yang Jiuli nodded slightly.
He had a rather good impression of his younger brother, Huang Cheng.
He was originally of mediocre talent.
In order to refine elixirs, he did not hesitate to dissipate his cultivation and start over.
He can be described as having great courage and determination.
He then worked diligently and focused on alchemy, and his achievements surpassed those of Liu Yuelong.
When faced with problems, he was more willing to listen to Yang Jiuli, who was more steady and mature than himself.
Rather than being driven by short-sighted gains.
It can be said that Huang Cheng's success was also related to his own composure.
Sometimes, talent is not only reflected in training.
Determination, perseverance, self-discipline, and self-awareness are also qualities.
If one can acquire even one of these, one can achieve extraordinary success.
"Ninth Brother, I'm having a few difficulties refining this Lesser Blood Qi Pill. Could you please offer some guidance?"
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Huang Cheng scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly.
"Alright!" Yang Jiuli said, "I'll refine a batch of Lesser Blood Qi Pills, and you can watch from the side."
He also happened to be refining elixirs.
"Thank you, Ninth Brother!" Huang Cheng was overjoyed.
In the following days, Huang Cheng would come to watch Yang Jiuli refine the Lesser Blood Qi Pill.
Refining elixirs is extremely difficult without guidance; success is virtually impossible.
Currently, the only top-tier alchemists in the Li family are Yang Jiuli and Li Yourong.
Li Yourong is preparing to establish her foundation, but she has no time to teach others.
Therefore, Huang Cheng seized the opportunity to observe Yang Jiuli refining elixirs.
Yang Jiuli did not refuse this opportunity to study such a diligent scholar.
As time went by, three months later, Huang Cheng was able to refine inferior versions of the Lesser Blood Qi Pill.
Given time...
He could also become a top-tier alchemist of the first rank.
This stirred Huang Cheng's emotions, and he began to devote himself to refining pills, gradually putting aside the grief brought about by Liu Yuelong's death.
……
Three days later, Liu Yuelong's wife, Li Fen, came to visit Yang Jiuli with their son, Liu Hu.
She brought some local specialties from Longhu Town.
It seems that this was an attempt to rekindle the affection between Yang Jiuli and Liu Yuelong.
Yang Jiuli welcomed Li Fen into the living room and brewed her some tea.
Li Fen took a sip, then gestured for Liu Hu to step forward and said, "Ninth Brother, Yue Long respected you the most when he was alive. He said you were steady in your actions and had extraordinary insight. He was sure you would achieve great things in the future. He often mentioned to Hu'er that he should take you as his role model."
"Now that Yuelong has left, Hu'er is left without anyone to teach him. I wonder if Ninth Brother could take him under his wing and instruct him in the art of alchemy!"
As she spoke, she stood up, walked to Yang Jiuli, and pulled Liu Hu to kneel down.
Liu Hu knelt down with his mother.
Yang Jiuli immediately waved his hand, and a surge of green wood magic power swept out from his palm, supporting the two of them.
They didn't let him actually kneel down.
Seeing this, Li Fen looked up at Yang Jiuli with anticipation.
Yang Jiuli gestured for the two to stand up.
Li Fen had no choice but to pull her son up.
"I have known my virtuous brother Yuelong for nearly twenty years, and I am deeply saddened by his passing," Yang Jiuli said. "Xiaohu was his son, and as an elder, I should take care of him. However, I am currently focusing on improving my alchemy skills and have no time to teach others."
"Xiao Hu following me will only ruin his future."
"If he really wants to refine pills, he can first find a pill refiner from the Li family to learn from and see if he has the talent."
Teaching others requires a lot of effort.
Yang Jiuli himself still needs to improve his skills in talismans and formations, so naturally he doesn't have much time to teach others.
Moreover, he has many secrets and doesn't want anyone around him.
Therefore, he did not even keep any maids.
"This..." Seeing Yang Jiuli's tactful refusal, Li Fen frowned, knowing that the matter was most likely to fall through.
Liu Hu, standing next to him, also looked regretful.
He was also aware of Yang Jiuli's reputation, and it would be a wonderful thing to become his disciple.
"This is a high-quality 'Qi Condensation Pill,' which will help Little Tiger break through to the next level..." As he spoke, Yang Jiuli waved his hand.
Light patterns flickered in front of him, and a bottle of pills flew towards Li Fen.
In addition, there is a storage bag.
There are one hundred low-grade spirit stones inside.
"There are some spirit stones inside, so let's use them to buy a magic weapon for Xiao Hu!" Yang Jiuli said.
Upon seeing this, Li Fen accepted the storage bag and the pill bottle.
"Thank you, Ninth Brother!" She immediately pulled Liu Hu to bow and pay her respects.
"Thank you, Uncle Yang!" Liu Hu also bowed in thanks.
"The Li family has a second-tier spiritual vein. As long as you cultivate diligently, you will eventually rise above your circumstances!" Yang Jiuli stood up and patted Liu Hu on the shoulder to encourage him.
"Little Tiger will certainly live up to Uncle's expectations!" Liu Hu said.
Yang Jiuli nodded slightly, and after offering a few words of encouragement, Li Fen took her leave with Liu Hu.
As she left the courtyard, Li Fen turned back and sighed deeply. She knew that her son could not become a disciple of Master Yang, and that it would be difficult for him to climb up to this great tree in the future. She also knew in her heart that her husband and Master Yang were just casual acquaintances.
It's quite generous of Yang Jiuli to gift him spirit stones and pills this time!
Immediately, Li Fen's divine sense moved and seeped into the storage bag in her palm.
After seeing the hundred low-grade spirit stones inside, the worry on his face lessened somewhat.
For her now, one hundred low-grade spirit stones is quite a lot!
Moreover, there is also a premium-grade "Qi Condensation Pill," which is a rare find even on the market.
"With this 'Qi Condensation Pill,' Tiger's path to the mid-stage of Qi Refining will be smoother than that of ordinary people."
Li Fen murmured something to herself, then left with her son.
……
Three days later, Huang Cheng visited and told Yang Jiuli that he had taken Liu Hu under his wing and was passing on his alchemy skills to him.
Yang Jiuli did not say much about this.
This is a personal choice.
Huang Cheng and Liu Yuelong both lived in Longhu Town, and their families were somewhat related by marriage, so he naturally couldn't refuse.
At the same time, whenever Huang Cheng looked at Liu Hu, he would think of Liu Yuelong and feel a pang of sadness.
The latter has a better talent for alchemy than I do.
The same applies to talent for cultivation.
Unfortunately, Liu Yuelong was more arrogant than composed.
Although he seemed to respect Ninth Brother, he still had his own ideas and could not put his words into action, which led to his tragic end.
Huang Cheng deeply agreed with this and constantly urged himself to learn from it and act prudently.
He kept Liu Hu by his side, partly as a reminder to himself.
……
The ninth of September.
The bright moon hangs high in the sky.
Blackwater Cave.
The following night, late at night.
Yang Jiuli dispatched Xiao Bing to the Blackwater Cave to inspect the 'Yin Sha Xuan Ling Fruit'.
When they arrived at the cave, Xiao Bing hadn't even poked her head out yet when she sensed something unusual underground.
Beside the Yin Sha Xuan Ling Tree, there were actually two black centipedes with green stripes, each about ten feet long, coiled up.
They all possessed cultivation at the late stage of the first tier.
"They're actually two late-stage Tier 1 demonic insects!" Upon seeing this, Yang Jiuli's heart sank.
The two black centipedes were coiled around the Yin Sha Xuan Ling Tree, appearing quite docile, and were most likely already owned.
"Someone has their eye on the 'Yin Sha Xuan Ling Fruit'..." Yang Jiuli whispered.
The other party must also be waiting for the fruit to ripen before picking it.
The 'Yin Sha Xuan Ling Fruit' is only a few days away from ripening.
The fruit will ripen on the fifteenth of September, when the Yin energy is at its strongest.
"If we had known this would happen, we should have picked them sooner. Even if their medicinal effects were weaker, it would still be better than the current situation."
Breaking through to the second level of mental power is of paramount importance.
Yang Jiuli naturally didn't want any flaws.
Even the wisest person can make a mistake.
Even though Yang Jiuli was cautious and sent Xiao Bing to probe regularly, he couldn't have predicted that someone else was also eyeing this thing.
But upon closer reflection, he suddenly realized that the group of cultivators from the previous Black Wind Thirty-Six Caves must have known about this item long ago.
Therefore, it will appear at this time.
"No matter what, we must get our hands on this 'Yin Sha Xuan Ling Fruit'," Yang Jiuli murmured.
Even if it means revealing our hand and being forced to flee to another place, we must get our hands on this item.
His mind settled, and a determined look appeared in his eyes.
Only by raising his mental strength to the second level could he have the confidence to attempt to establish his foundation.