Yang Jing had a deep understanding of the High Tier Techniques in the Chen Kingdom region. In the Nine Heavens World game, players valued proficiency in Magical Combat far more than achieving immortality, so most also practiced Body Refining Techniques.
Because Body Cultivators were rare, their breakthroughs were difficult, and they consumed an extreme amount of resources, Body Refining Techniques were much easier to obtain than Qi Cultivation Techniques of the same level.
Yang Jing had already chosen a technique for himself called the "True Yang Body."
This technique focused on using one's own qi and blood to refine the world's Yang Qi, transforming it into True Yang. By accumulating this True Yang, one could continuously open the Acupoints throughout their body. The end goal was to forge a True Yang Body capable of tearing Demon Fiends apart with bare hands, which strongly suppressed most demons, fiends, and monsters.
The "True Yang Body" was derived from the "Nine Yang Body," the Sect's Foundation Method of the Nine Yang Sect, a Major Sect that had been wiped out a thousand years ago. The original text had been lost. This "True Yang Body" was a version supplemented and revised by the great cross-state Taichang Trading Company, based on a recovered fragment. The portions from the Qi Cultivation Stage to the Foundation Establishment Stage were mostly original with only minor modifications, but the Golden Core Stage part was largely a shoddy continuation.
A Sect's Foundation Method that could be bought directly with Spirit Stones was a rarity, something only possible for a special technique like the True Yang Body. Besides, there was always a chance he might find the complete version in the future.
As Yang Jing thought of this, he turned his gaze to Iron Head. The dog was currently toying with a beetle he had caught in the Spirit Field. He kept letting the beetle go, allowing it to fly away, only to pounce and swat it out of the air again.
Its little tail wagged happily, completely unaware of what was in store for it.
'If Iron Head doesn't work hard, how am I supposed to achieve Core Formation?'
"Iron Head, do you want some roasted meat?"
The moment it heard "roasted meat," Iron Head's tail started wagging like a fan. It swatted the beetle dead with one paw, then trotted over to Yang Jing's feet, tongue out, fawning over him.
"Once you've refined all the Yellow Bud Pills, I'll go sell them at the Marketplace. With the Spirit Stones I get, I'll buy you some top-quality Demon Flesh."
Yang Jing said, stroking Iron Head's head.
Iron Head's tail shot straight up. Instantly filled with motivation, it started stoking the fire for Alchemy and completed two batches of Yellow Bud Pills. It produced eight Lower Grade pills and four Middle Grade pills.
It wanted to refine more, but Yang Jing stopped it.
Alchemy required constantly forming seals to control the Alchemy Cauldron's Restrictions and circulating Magical Power to extract the essence of the Spirit Medicine, which consumed a great deal of both Magical Power and mental energy.
If Iron Head kept depleting its Magical Power for Alchemy, it could easily damage its meridians and exhaust its essence.
Over the next few days, Iron Head worked with astonishing enthusiasm, refining all the Spirit Medicine into pills. It produced a total of one hundred sixty-five Yellow Bud Pills: fifty Middle Grade and one hundred fifteen Lower Grade.
Yang Jing put on a veiled hat to conceal his face and headed to Huangyuan Marketplace.
He didn't go to the Celestial Treasure Tower to sell them. Even an alchemical genius would have to waste over a dozen batches of elixirs before occasionally succeeding. For an average talent, failing a hundred batches in a row was common, and this was for a simple elixir like the Blood Circulation Pill.
After paying one Spirit Crystal, Yang Jing found a clean spot on the bluestone path, spread out a burlap cloth, and arranged the Blood Circulation Pills, Water Cloud Pills, and Yellow Bud Pills on top.
He set his prices at the standard market rate, which was significantly lower than the prices in the Great Trading Houses.
The demand for Yellow Bud Pills and Blood Circulation Pills was quite high. Within a single hour, the dozen or so bottles Yang Jing had brought were sold out. The Water Cloud Pills were harder to sell; it took another three hours before they were all gone.
During this time, many people asked all sorts of questions, but Yang Jing simply responded with cold indifference. He remained on high alert, keeping his Bright Qi Talent active at all times, afraid someone might secretly try something.
After selling all the elixirs, Yang Jing packed up his cloth and left the Marketplace immediately. He shook off a few Independent Cultivators who seemed to be tailing him, then changed his attire before returning to the Marketplace to buy a new batch of Spirit Medicine for Alchemy.
Many Demons lived and bred within the Huangyuan Mountain Range, but their numbers were controlled by Cultivators who periodically cleared them out. Independent Cultivators often hunted these Demons, and after stripping them of hides and organs useful for Artifact Refining or Talisman Making, they would bring the rest to the Marketplace to sell.
Yang Jing bought about twenty pounds of a Tiger Demon's prime meat from a stall and had the owner throw in two of the Tiger Demon's bones before returning to his Cave Mansion.
The moment he took out the Tiger Demon's prime meat, Iron Head started circling his feet incessantly.
The hierarchy in the Demon Country was strict. Innately weak Demons like the Sheep Demon and Rabbit Demon could only become food for the likes of a Tiger Demon. Although the Mingyi Dog's situation was better, Iron Head had never eaten the flesh of a Tiger Demon before.
The two of them ended up eating only two pounds of the tiger meat before they were too stuffed to eat any more. Iron Head's constitution was weaker, and the nourishing meat made its whole body burn with heat, forcing it to jump into the Spiritual Spring to cool down.
For the next two months, Iron Head refined two to three batches of elixirs every day, mostly the more profitable Yellow Bud Pills.
Each time, Yang Jing would change his disguise and sell the elixirs in small batches at different locations within Huangyuan Marketplace. Since there were over 60,000 Cultivators in the vicinity of Huangyuan Marketplace, the sales volume for a high-demand Spirit Pill like the Yellow Bud Pill was enormous, so his activities didn't attract any unwanted attention.
After more than two months of refining pills day and night, Iron Head's Alchemy skill had also improved by leaps and bounds.
[Mica Refining Technique: 85% Mastery]
Due to its long-term consumption of Blood Circulation Pills and Demon Beast Flesh, its body had grown a size larger. Its eyes were bright and moist, and its fur was fine and smooth, like the highest quality silk. A faint, lingering medicinal aroma clung to its body.
Now, when it refined elixirs like the Blood Circulation Pill, every batch yielded mostly Upper and Middle Grade pills, with very few Lower Grade pills. The same was true for the Water Cloud Pill. Only the more difficult Yellow Bud Pill still produced about a fifty percent rate of Lower Grade pills.
Most importantly, he had accumulated enough Spirit Stones.
The income of an Alchemist was truly terrifying. His earnings in the first month reached an astonishing five hundred or so Spirit Stones. In the second month, as the pill formation rate increased, his income rose to over six hundred.
The more observant people in the Marketplace had already noticed the emergence of a new Alchemist skilled in refining Yellow Bud Pills. If not for Yang Jing's extreme caution and his high level in his Bright Qi Talent, his identity might have already been exposed.
[Bright Qi: 30%]
Yang Jing suppressed his excitement, changed into the most common attire of an Independent Cultivator, concealed his face with a veiled hat, and headed for the Marketplace.
Like the Celestial Treasure Tower, the Taichang Trading Company was also a great cross-state trading house. Its headquarters was in the Central Province, with businesses operating in every other province.
Its branch in Huangyuan Marketplace was a nine-story pagoda. The entire structure was built from precious Spirit Wood and adorned with gold, silver, and fine jade, giving it a magnificent and solemn appearance.
An Independent Cultivator with a light purse would lose half their nerve just by stepping through the main doors.
If nothing else, the selection of Cultivation Techniques in these Great Trading Houses was absolutely comprehensive and reliable. Unlike other goods, Cultivation Techniques were very easy to preserve, transport, and copy, making them a business of nearly pure profit for the companies.
Therefore, they placed the utmost importance on their reputation when selling Cultivation Techniques.
As soon as he entered the pagoda, a buxom Female Cultivator dressed in light gauze approached him.
"Welcome, Sir. I am Wang Fanghua. What might you be looking for today?"
A refreshing fragrance washed over him, but Yang Jing immediately used his Magical Power to block it.
"I want to buy a Body Refining Technique for the Qi Cultivation Stage. Preferably an Upper Grade one, and it would be best if the follow-up techniques are also available for purchase. Price is not an issue."
Wang Fanghua was instantly overjoyed, and the smile on her face became much more sincere. Upper Grade Cultivation Techniques were expensive and highly profitable, which meant the commission she would earn was also very high.