The bright Fire Room, with sudden, soaring flames.
The next moment, a puff of black smoke emerged from the Pill Furnace in front of Ye Jingcheng.
A faint stench began to spread, unpleasant even under the roasting flames.
The temperature was too high, the alchemy failed!
And it was his most proficient Spirit Nourishing Pill.
However, Ye Jingcheng was not the least bit dejected; instead, his eyes sparkled, full of anticipation.
Because within his body, at this moment, the first page of an incredibly ancient book was completely glowing and forming.
Ye Jingcheng, a transmigrator, had crossed over to the Ye Family for more than ten years, from being alone with no support, to becoming a revered Immortal Master in the Ye Family, only to learn that he was just of Four Spirit Roots, with a painfully slow cultivation speed.
The hardships along the way were even more tumultuous than the ups and downs of his previous life.
This world is a world of cultivators, great powers of cultivation can call the wind and summon the rain, do anything; if one cultivates to the end, they can live as long as the heavens!
His sole reliance and greatest secret is the mysterious ancient book embedded with unknown spirit patterns within his body.
Just now, the ancient book glowed, emitting spiritual radiance, which absorbed all his heart spirit, causing him to make a mistake in the otherwise familiar alchemy.
Half a day's effort was destroyed in an instant.
On the surface of this ancient book, faint spirit patterns, twisting and turning, outlined strange and exotic beasts, each page different from the other.
The spiritual light from the spirit book he also tested, and found it very helpful for healing and growing some poultry. He even once tried to heal a dying bird.
But it expended a considerable amount of spiritual light.
Fortunately, it could slowly replenish itself, though it never fully restored. Today was the first time it gleamed with brilliant radiance.
It's a pity that, although Ye Jingcheng is in a Beast Taming Clan, he hasn't yet had the opportunity to obtain a demon beast cub with real potential.
Ye Jingcheng pondered for a long time, but as the sound of bells rang out.
Ye Jingcheng formed a spirit technique, the Artifact Manipulation Skill descended, he skillfully removed the Pill Furnace, then took out the Cold Silkworm Cloth, carefully wrapping the scalding large furnace ears.
Only then did he pour the remaining pill liquid from the Pill Furnace into a wooden box he had prepared.
After storing it in a storage bag, he used a dedicated furnace cleaning brush to scrub the inside of the Pill Furnace until it was spotless.
Until no flaws were visible to the naked eye.
Ye Jingcheng then rubbed the still somewhat hot furnace ears and sighed.
"I wonder when I can have a Pill Furnace of my own."
This furnace belonged to the Ye Family, and as a member of the Ye Family, he could borrow it, but every time he used it to refine spirit pills, he had to sell half of them to the Ye Family at a standard price.
If he had his own furnace, he could sell at 80% of the standard price to the family.
The bell sounds from outside rang again.
"Coming!" Ye Jingcheng responded, hurriedly cleaning with a special broom nearby.
After glancing around and feeling the Alchemy Room was no different than before, he stepped outside.
The hall outside was extremely spacious, and because of the cultivation array, it was not hot, entirely different from inside.
An elderly man in a gray-white Daoist robe was striking the bell outside his Alchemy Room with his hand.
Behind the elder were three or four other similarly dressed Ye family members.
Those people had clearly been waiting a long time, their faces appearing a bit gloomy, likely due to the prolonged heat.
Ye Jingcheng smiled wryly, fully aware that Grandpa Nine, Ye Haitian, guarding the Pill Pavilion, had private extended his time again.
The elder then walked to the table in the hall, took out a brush and ink, and started recording one by one:
"Alright, come over now, tally up the yield; the next batch is about to come in!"
"Jing Yun, refined thirty Spirit Nourishing Pills, using the family Pill Furnace, each appraised at 1 Contribution Point, totaling 30 Contribution Points, three days rent, a total of 6 Contribution Points, remaining 24 Contribution Points!"
...
Soon, it was Ye Jingcheng's turn for the tally.
As usual, he took out five palm-sized pill bottles and placed them in front of the elder.
Each pill bottle was very full, emitting a faint pill fragrance.
The elder looked up, instead of praising, he unexpectedly cast a glance at Ye Jingcheng, "Planning to buy a Spirit Beast?"
Previously, three days were enough for Ye Jingcheng to refine seven furnaces, Spirit Nourishing Pills being a bulk-type elixir, with at least ten pills per furnace, and sometimes fifteen to sixteen.
So, in his view, Ye Jingcheng had kept some back for himself.
The Ye Family is a Beast Taming Clan, placing importance not only on spirit roots, like other families, but also on the quality of spirit beasts.
It could be said that if the spirit beast is well nurtured, the Ye Family would prioritize cultivating you even if you possess Five Spirit Roots.
"Grandpa Nine, you truly predict accurately!" Ye Jingcheng scratched his head, nodded with a smile, showing a rare genuine warmth.
"Let me calculate your contribution points!" Ye Haitian took Ye Jingcheng's Clan Token, then routinely stated:
"Jingcheng, refined fifty Spirit Nourishing Pills, using the family Pill Furnace, each appraised at 1 Contribution Point, a total of 50 Contribution Points, additionally, due to a pill fragrance, an extra reward of 30 Contribution Points, three days rent, 6 Contribution Points, remaining 74 Contribution Points!"
Ye Haitian said slightly.
And Ye Jingcheng was shocked; Spirit Nourishing Pills with fragrance were indeed better, but not enough to warrant a reward.
The Ye Family had no such rule; this was Ye Haitian privately aiding him.
"Grandpa Nine..."
"Jingcheng, remember, in the Cultivation Realm, absolute fairness is unfairness, the Ye Family is the same!" Ye Haitian did not explain further, merely waving Ye Jingcheng away.
He continued sorting the books recording contribution points.
Ye Jingcheng also gripped his Clan Token, giving a deep bow.
The exchange rate for Ye Family's contribution points was one for one lower grade Spirit Stone.
But in fact, contribution points were more precious than lower grade Spirit Stones.
Some treasures of the family, some spirit beast cubs, required contribution points to redeem.
The Ye Family, though not a great clan, just a minor prominence within the Foundation Establishment Clans, but ranked notably in Spirit Beasts throughout the Taihang Mountain.
Ye Jingcheng is of Four Spirit Roots, lacking only metal among gold, wood, water, and fire; at eleven years old he ascended the mountain, now twenty-one, at Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, this due to his diligence and hard work, more appreciative of cultivation's rarity than peers.
Yet even so, he lagged far behind other same-aged Three Spirit Roots cultivators.
Therefore, these three years he devoted himself to alchemy skills, storing contribution points, to exchange for a good spirit beast.
Now, his Clan Token fortunately held exactly four hundred contribution points.
Do not underestimate four hundred; know that a mid-stage Qi Cultivation cultivator's annual salary in the Ye Family is only five lower grade Spirit Stones, even for an Alchemy Master, it only increases by two annually.
To acquire more spirit stones, one must either stand out in family competitions or engage in family chores to earn independently.
Having four hundred besides cultivation is due to his small talent in alchemy.
Moreover, he cannot use it all for spirit beast cubs; his own cultivation needs contribution points, purchasing pill materials requires contribution points, future spirit beast cubs' feed also requires contribution points...
His only hope is that the Jade Book within him, after revealing its brilliant spiritual light, offers more than just healing efficacy for spirit beast cubs!
Ye Jingcheng thought of this and felt a bit of a headache.
As he strolled, Ye Jingcheng soon arrived at the family Demon Hunting Hall.