The feeling of being sheltered made Gu Qing feel uncomfortable and restless in his heart.
Fortunately, he knew the art of alchemy, otherwise he would have truly been living off someone else.
Shaking his head, Gu Qing cleared the messy thoughts from his mind and said, "Master, there are too many cultivators outside who need alchemy pills. Please help me take their orders."
"I still have some spirit pills here. If you have time, please help me sell them at Tianbao Merchant Tower."
"Alright."
Zhi Meng took the storage ring, glanced at it, and found over thirty top-grade pills and seventy-two lower-grade immortal pills of various types that could be sold.
Selling these seventy-two immortal pills would bring in at least four to five million immortal crystals.
If all the orders from the cultivators outside were taken, another ten million immortal crystals would be earned.
This was under the circumstance that Gu Qing was deliberately holding back his abilities.
If Gu Qing were to refine all top-grade pills, the income would probably increase several dozen times.
Thinking of this, Zhi Meng felt both proud and guilty.
She never thought that one day, Zhi Meng would need to rely on her disciple's resources.
If it were anyone else, getting so many immortal pills and having a disciple who could continuously refine them would be overjoyed.
But Zhi Meng, who had always been strong, fell into deep reflection. She still wasn't working hard enough.
Zhi Meng desperately longed to become stronger, then plunder treasures from the Immortal Realm so that Gu Qing would no longer need to refine pills.
Thinking this, Zhi Meng walked out of the cave dwelling with a determined expression.
"We greet the fairy."
The cultivators waiting outside the cave dwelling immediately bowed and respectfully saluted Zhi Meng when they saw her, their postures humble with flattering smiles.
After all, those who could enter and exit the cave dwelling at will must be Gu Qing's people.
Perhaps they were fellow disciples, and maybe Zhi Meng was also an alchemist.
"Mm!"
Zhi Meng swept her gaze around with an arrogant expression and spoke indifferently.
"My junior brother's alchemy is at a bottleneck, and he plans to seclude himself to comprehend the Dao of Alchemy. Of course, considering you have waited here for so long, each of you may request at most one batch of immortal pills."
"Additionally, the alchemy fee will be increased by ten percent. Do you have any objections?"
After harvesting these people, the immortal crystals should be enough. As long as Gu Qing doesn't have to refine pills, she would try her best to prevent it.
Improving one's cultivation was the most important thing.
After becoming strong, countless people would rush to offer treasures.
Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts trembled, and their expressions were filled with panic.
It wasn't because of Zhi Meng's sudden price increase, but rather the fear that Gu Qing would no longer refine pills for them in the future.
An alchemist like Gu Qing, with a one hundred percent success rate, no airs, no special requirements, and moderate fees, was hard to find in the world.
They still had many immortal pills they wanted Gu Qing to refine, and the price could be negotiated.
After all, some special immortal pills were priceless and unavailable on the market.
Therefore, encountering Gu Qing was a gain, their opportunity.
Now that Gu Qing suddenly stopped taking orders, how could they not panic?
But even if they were panicked, it was useless. An alchemist was not someone they could force.
"There's no point."
Everyone said in unison.
As for the sudden price increase, everyone seemed to ignore it completely.
Ridiculous, who doesn't know that alchemy doesn't allow for bargaining?
Either the deal works, or it doesn't happen at all.
After all, haven't there been enough examples of alchemy failures due to bargaining?
What if the immortal spiritual medicine is lost, and they still have to compensate with immortal crystals as labor fees?
Besides, even if Gu Qing increased the price by ten percent, they would still make a profit, which is much more cost-effective than buying immortal pills directly.
"Fine!"
Zhi Meng began to collect the storage rings, which contained contact information. When the pills were refined, they could be notified to come and collect them.
"Immortal lady, I wish to meet with Alchemist Gu. Please inform him on my behalf. I would be extremely grateful, Zheng."
The dejected young man who had been squatting in a corner suddenly stood up, cupped his fists in salute, handed over his storage ring, and whispered to Zhi Meng with earnest sincerity.
"He is my junior brother. If you have any business, just speak directly."
Zhi Meng glanced at him and replied through divine sense, her meaning was clear.
If the dejected young man couldn't produce a treasure tempting enough, there would be no discussion.
Zheng Jianfeng hesitated for a moment and said through divine sense, "I have a God-Burying Flower and wish to refine a batch of God-Burying Pills, but I don't have the other auxiliary immortal spiritual medicines, nor do I have the pill recipe."
"If Alchemist Gu can refine them, I only need three God-Burying Pills."
The God-Burying Flower is a divine flower that absorbs the essence of a Heavenly God Realm cultivator after their fall, containing a portion of that cultivator's Dao fruit.
It also contains the cultivator's obsessions and killing intent. If these are not removed, it cannot be directly refined.
Forcing refinement would only be harmful without benefit, and could even lead to deviation, qi deviation, and explosive death.
When refined into God-Burying Pills, they can assist a Divine Fire Realm cultivator to break through to the Heavenly God Realm, increasing the success rate by seventy percent.
Heavenly God Realm cultivators who consume them have a one hundred percent chance of breaking through a small realm. They can be consumed without limit and have no side effects.
At the same time, God-Burying Pills are also healing and detoxification divine pills. Even with only a wisp of remnant soul, they can restore the physical body.
In addition, God-Burying Pills have another divine effect: they can allow one to be reborn, improve one's aptitude, and strengthen the divine soul.
Although God-Burying Pills are only middle-grade immortal pills, their preciousness and rarity make them more valuable than ordinary high-grade immortal pills due to their heaven-defying effects.
This is because God-Burying Flowers are extremely rare. Not every Heavenly God Realm cultivator's fall will produce a God-Burying Flower.
It requires special regions and special circumstances for even a slight possibility to exist.
Moreover, the difficulty of refinement is among the highest among middle-grade immortal pills.
Even if a high-grade alchemy master attempts it, the success rate is not high.
In short, the God-Burying Flower and God-Burying Pills are legendary artifacts.
When Zhi Meng led him in and heard that he wanted to refine God-Burying Pills, Gu Qing looked at the dejected young man with an astonished expression.
As if to say, did you come to the wrong person?
Are you overestimating me too much?
Don't you know that only high-grade alchemy masters of the Profound Divine Realm can refine God-Burying Pills?
When Zheng Jianfeng met Gu Qing's gaze, his heart turned cold.
He knew that refining the God-Burying Pill was difficult, but he truly didn't know that only high-ranking alchemy masters of the Profound Divine Realm could refine it.
Actually, before seeking Gu Qing to refine the God-Burying Pill, he had given it deep consideration, holding the attitude of trying even when all hope was lost.
In his view, Gu Qing was very likely a mid-ranking alchemy master who had hidden his cultivation and rank.
Because he had observed Gu Qing for several months, and Gu Qing had never failed once in refining pills.
If he said there was no trick to this, he wouldn't believe it even if beaten to death.
Of course, Zheng Jianfeng didn't dare to voice these speculations.
"I cannot refine the God-Burying Pill, and if you find another alchemy master, they won't be able to refine it either."
Gu Qing shook his head and said so.
"Why?"
Hearing this, Zheng Jianfeng asked blankly.
"Because the God-Burying Pill doesn't have a fixed recipe; everything depends on the attributes of the God-Burying Flower you obtain, requiring you to re-derive the recipe based on the situation."
"And regardless of the recipe, it requires at least several thousand precious immortal spiritual medicines as auxiliary ingredients."
"So, do you think you have the ability to gather several thousand immortal spiritual medicines?"
"Do you think you have the ability to hire a high-ranking alchemy master to spend several hundred to a thousand years deriving a recipe for you?"
This information was all known by Gu Qing after purchasing the Immortal Pill Records from Tianbao Merchant Tower.
To summarize, there was absolutely not a single false word.
The more heaven-defying a divine pill, the more difficult it is to refine.
Had to say, Zheng Jianfeng was truly bold in his thinking, daring to even refine a legendary divine pill.
"No!"
Zheng Jianfeng's face was drained of color as he shook his head decisively.
After hearing Gu Qing's explanation, Zheng Jianfeng had completely given up.
Even if a high-ranking alchemy master was willing to refine it for him, he wouldn't allow it.
After all, just listening to it, one could know what kind of heavy price would have to be paid, and the terrifying failure rate was too high.
There was almost no hope of success.
Gathering materials for the God-Burying Pill was just giving the alchemy master practice material.
He couldn't afford to wait any longer.
"Then let's get back to the topic."
"Are you selling the God-Burying Flower? Take it out and let me see it." Gu Qing asked.
After saying so much nonsense, Gu Qing's purpose was very simple—he wanted the God-Burying Flower.
Others couldn't refine it, but he definitely could.
Others needed to derive the recipe, but he didn't.
Because he could ask Jiang Yu for help.
"Selling."
"However, this was obtained jointly by the seven of us fellow disciples, and as a result, three Senior Brothers perished. The remaining Junior Brothers and Sisters are also severely poisoned, so I ask for your mercy, Alchemist Gu."
Presenting the jade box with both hands, Zheng Jianfeng was filled with bitterness, knelt to the ground, his face full of pleading.
Because he knew, the God-Burying Flower was a chicken rib divine flower—tasteless to eat, but a pity to discard.
Even if he took it out to sell, in this ghost of a place, he probably wouldn't be able to sell it for many immortal crystals.
Zheng Jianfeng could only beg Gu Qing to be generous and give him one or two more detoxification immortal pills.
If Gu Qing only gave him one immortal pill, he wouldn't know how to explain it to his junior disciples.
"Fine, these are hard times, Senior Sister, just give him a few more!"
Gu Qing waved his hand, not wishing to say more.
Zhi Meng brought the man into the palace, looking at the dejected Zheng Jianfeng with a complex expression.
She could tell that Zheng Jianfeng was an extremely powerful sword cultivator.
It was said that sword cultivators had personalities that would rather break than bend, dying rather than submitting, with hearts as firm as divine iron.
Yet at this moment, Zheng Jianfeng had knelt for a few immortal pills, and his dignity as a sword cultivator was almost gone.
But this had nothing to do with her.
Zhi Meng put her thoughts away and plainly stated that she would only give nine upper-grade immortal pills, allowing Zheng Jianfeng to choose.
Zheng Jianfeng was overjoyed and immediately chose three Immortal Origin Pills, taking the rest as Tribulation Pills.
These were the most precious and effective detoxification divine pills among low-grade immortal pills, perfect for detoxifying his junior disciples.
After getting the immortal pills, Zheng Jianfeng hurriedly left the city.
Soon, he stopped before a floating meteorite, threw down a formation flag, and ripples suddenly appeared in the void, opening a gap.
Zheng Jianfeng flashed inside, seeing two men and one woman with faces as black as ink, wisps of black mist emanating from their bodies.
Obviously, the three had been poisoned.
"Senior Brother."
The woman called out weakly.
"Mm!"
Zheng Jianfeng excitedly stepped forward, feeding the Tribulation Detoxification Pill to his Junior Sister's mouth, then gave the same to his two junior brothers.
They saw the three circulate their cultivation methods, refining the Tribulation Pills, and with the assistance of the medicinal power, the poison fused with their divine souls and bodies was quickly expelled.
Meanwhile, Zheng Jianfeng assisted from the side with his own cultivation. Soon, the three's faces regained their healthy color, and the poison in their bodies was completely cleansed.
"Wuwuwu..."
The stunningly beautiful girl cried with joy, hugging her knees and sobbing.
They were saved.
But the three Senior Brothers who had accompanied her for several hundred years had died.
"Junior Sister, don't be sad, you still have me, your Senior Brother."
Zheng Jianfeng, tears in his eyes, tried his best to remain calm as he comforted her: "I still have three Tribulation Pills and three Immortal Origin Pills, all for you."
"???"
The stunningly beautiful girl looked up at Zheng Jianfeng in confusion and cried even harder.
Because she knew how precious and rare these immortal pills were, especially the Tribulation Pills, which weren't even available for sale in Heshan Immortal City.
Zheng Jianfeng must have gotten these nine upper-grade immortal pills with great difficulty.
"Junior Sister, don't cry."
Zheng Jianfeng and the other two looked at the young girl helplessly, at a loss for what to do.
They could be ordered to kill people, but comforting someone? Their Master had never taught them how to do that.
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