However, the other two are extremely rare alchemical recipes. One is called the "Qi Replenishment Returning Essence Pill." This pill greatly replenishes vitality and spiritual energy, allowing even those with severe essence loss to recover rapidly after taking it.
Most cultivators burn their life essence blood in a desperate attempt to break through to the Purple Mansion. Even if they succeed, their essence is severely damaged.
With the Qi Replenishment Returning Essence Pill, they could save thirty years of recovery and gain an additional chance to break through to the Golden Core.
Elian remembered that the main ingredient for this pill, the Third-Rank Returning Essence Ginseng, was planted in the family's spirit herb garden, and its age should be sufficient after these years.
The other recipe is for the Green Jade Barrier-Breaking Pill, which increases the chance of breaking through to the Purple Mansion by ten percent and can be stacked with the Five Elements Crystals.
This recipe had long been the exclusive trade secret of the Yuan Clan in the Yan Kingdom. Unexpectedly, it was also included in this alchemical manual.
Among the remaining four recipes, two were for mid-Third-Rank pills, and the other two were for high-Third-Rank pills.
Of the mid-Third-Rank recipes, one was rather obscure and not very practical, but the other delighted Elian.
That recipe was for the Spirit Nourishment Pill, which could heal a cultivator's soul injuries, making it a priceless treasure for Purple Mansion cultivators.
After reaching the Purple Mansion stage, cultivators needed to start cultivating techniques to refine their spiritual consciousness. Without a sufficiently strong spiritual consciousness, breaking through to the Golden Core stage would be impossible.
Although these techniques strengthen the spiritual consciousness, they often cause significant damage over time.
With the Spirit Nourishment Pill, training would be twice as effective, and it might even allow one's spiritual consciousness to be refined to the peak of the Purple Mansion in a short period.
The two high-Third-Rank recipes were even more valuable.
One recipe was for the Purple Qi Cloud Pattern Pill, a precious barrier-breaking pill that required Purple Sun Jade and Cloud Spirit Fruit to refine.
Once refined, consuming one pill could increase a Purple Mansion Sixth Stage cultivator's chance of advancing to the late Purple Mansion stage by thirty percent.
Due to its extraordinary effects, each Purple Qi Cloud Pattern Pill was priced at around 100,000 spirit stones—equivalent to half the value of a high-Third-Rank magic treasure.
However, the cost of Purple Sun Jade and Cloud Spirit Fruit was extremely high. Refining a batch of these pills cost 200,000 spirit stones, and one would need to produce at least two pills per batch to break even.
In the entire Chu Kingdom, only a Fourth-Rank alchemist from the Celestial Sky Sword Sect could refine this pill.
Even Jiang Linglong had not obtained this recipe until Elian gifted it to her.
The other high-Third-Rank recipe was also extraordinary. It was for the Essence Cultivation Pill, a rare pill capable of enhancing cultivation.
Taking this pill could grant a Purple Mansion cultivator the equivalent of thirty years of cultivation effort. Even a late Purple Mansion cultivator could likely advance by one stage after consuming it.
What truly shocked Elian, however, was that this alchemical manual was not limited to Third-Rank recipes.
The manual's owner, Chen Qianyuan, was clearly a high-level Golden Core expert, as it even included a low-Fourth-Rank recipe.
"Golden Core Condensation Pill."
Elian's eyes lit up with joy. Alongside treasures like the Five Elements Spirit Fruit and Fourth-Rank Earth Vein Essence Beads, the Golden Core Condensation Pill could assist cultivators in breaking through to the Golden Core stage.
This recipe was so crucial that Golden Core-level families and sects sought to collect it at all costs, making it one of the most widely circulated Fourth-Rank recipes.
After recording a copy of the recipe for backup, Elian carefully stored it and let out a sigh of relief.
"This trip to the Yan Kingdom has been an unprecedented success."
Elian was overjoyed. Besides these treasures, he also acquired a high-Third-Rank formation.
The formation tool, the Grand Plough Celestial Sword, was a true high-Third-Rank magic tool. After breaking through to the Purple Mansion, it would likely become one of his trump cards, its destructive power rivaling the Flaming Goldfire Dragon Shears.
He visited Pingyang City and delivered the Green Jade Barrier-Breaking Pill to the Patriarch.
Seeing the Patriarch's delighted expression, Elian smiled and asked, "Patriarch, how is your meridian recovery?"
"My last breakthrough to the Purple Mansion was over ten years ago. With two more years of rest, I should be able to attempt another breakthrough," the Patriarch said while stroking his beard.
"With this Green Jade Barrier-Breaking Pill, I should have a five to six-tenths chance."
"Five to six-tenths?"
Elian frowned slightly. Recalling Wei Xuyuan's failed attempt, he felt that a mere five to six-tenths was not secure enough.
After all, if the Patriarch failed, another twenty years would be wasted. At over 150 years old, the Patriarch did not have many more decades to spare.
"If only the chance could be higher," Elian said.
"Unless we had treasures like the Crystal of Blazing Flame," the Patriarch said with a wry smile.
"Such treasures are incredibly rare."
"Though we may not find a Crystal of Blazing Flame, there might be other options," Elian said suddenly, locking eyes with the Patriarch.
...
After half a day, the two arrived at Xuantie Mountain's Daoist temple.
Elian and the Patriarch carefully examined the land veins, and after a moment, they exchanged a delighted glance.
The Patriarch pondered for a moment, then suddenly nodded and said, "Indeed, it is a Metal Earth land vein. With our current level of formation mastery, it will take us just one month to set up the great formation and open the Metal Earth land vein."
Elian nodded. Back then, Jiang Linglong had been able to cut open the Wood land vein with a single sword strike, while Elian and the Patriarch would need a month to set up a formation to open the Metal Earth land vein, showing the vast difference in their abilities.
He thought for a moment and then asked, "Is there any danger in the Metal Earth land vein?"
Patriarch Chen Changxuan shook his head, smiling, "Compared to the Wood land vein, there will be far fewer demon clans in the Metal Earth land vein."
"After all, the Wood land vein naturally nurtures life, making it easier for Wood demon clans to be born."
"But in Metal Earth land veins like the ones with Fire of Metal, below the fifth rank, it's much harder to find demon spirits. Even if there are any, there will be very few."
"…"
After making the decision, the two began to mobilize their forces to prepare for opening the Metal Earth land vein.
Now that the eleven Foundation Establishment Pills obtained from the Beast Tide had been distributed, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Chen family had increased from eight before the Beast Tide to fifteen.
With the increase in Foundation Establishment cultivators, the number of Qi Refining cultivators in the Chen family also began to grow exponentially. Currently, the Chen family's cultivators had surpassed five hundred.
With personnel continuously being moved, a large number of Chen family cultivators took the Seven-Star Demon-Slaying Boat to Xuantie Mountain, already prepared for battle.
While the personnel were being mobilized, Elian picked three Spiritual Apricots and sent them to the Wei Immortal Clan for Wei Xuyuan.
Naturally, the Wei Immortal Clan was deeply grateful. With these three Spiritual Apricots, Wei Xuyuan's lifespan was extended by thirty years, and his chances of breaking through to the Purple Mansion now stood at eighty to ninety percent. This was enough to change the Wei family's fate.
To return to the main story, three months passed in the blink of an eye.
That day, outside the Metal Earth land vein at Xuantie Mountain, Elian and the Patriarch stood side by side. Behind them, a dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators and several hundred Qi Refining cultivators showed solemn expressions.
The Patriarch, with a smile on his face, looked at the successfully set up formation and said with a grin, "The time is almost here."
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D