Translator: Cinder Translations
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Song Wen used his flying technique to leisurely head towards Qingping Mountain.
The fact that the Du family had taken over the Blood Crystal Mine was significant news for Song Wen.
The Su family seemed to be on the verge of decline.
A prestigious old Golden Core family like the Su family was now being overshadowed and suppressed by the newly emerged Golden Core family of the Du family, and they could only swallow their pride.
When he arrived at the mountain gate of Qingping Mountain, it was already noon.
The number of guards at the gate was evidently several times greater than usual, and there was even a Foundation Establishment cultivator among them.
Among the guards, Song Wen spotted a familiar face—Su Shan!
Song Wen approached Su Shan and handed over his identity token.
Seeing it was Song Wen, Su Shan did not take the token but waved his hand, saying, "Master Yuan, please proceed up the mountain. There is no need for verification."
Song Wen smiled and replied, "Thank you, Brother Su Shan."
Putting away the token, Song Wen headed up the mountain. As he passed by the guards, he couldn't help but let out a cold smile.
When he had approached Su Shan, he had noticed a faint smell of rotting corpses coming from him. This odor was very subtle, but Song Wen, accustomed to dealing with corpses and demonic cultivations, was very familiar with this scent.
It seemed Su Shan had succumbed to temptation and started trying to cultivate demonic arts.
However, from the looks of it, he was probably still a novice.
As Song Wen continued up the mountain, he arrived at the alchemy chamber and saw Su Huayue sitting coldly in a chair.
Su Huayue's face was frosty, and upon seeing Song Wen enter, her tone was quite unfriendly.
"Master Yuan, you asked for a three-day leave, and you were supposed to come to the alchemy chamber by the morning of today. Yet it's already noon."
Song Wen cursed his bad luck inwardly.
When he entered the alchemy chamber, he had noticed this woman's displeasure and that her mood was evidently poor, which was just adding to his bad luck.
Forcing a smile, Song Wen said, "I was engaged in a pleasant conversation with an old friend and missed the return time. I hope Supervisor Su can understand."
Su Huayue coldly responded, "Recently, the family urgently needs various healing and energy-replenishing elixirs. Since you do not know how to make these elixirs, other alchemists have to be employed.
You need to take over the task of making Qi Gathering Pills, and this month's quota for Qi Gathering Pills has increased by fifty percent."
Song Wen's smile gradually faded.
"Supervisor Su, this is not what we agreed upon initially."
"Bang!"
Su Huayue slammed her palm heavily onto the stone table beside her, causing it to crumble into a pile of dust.
She glanced at the alchemists coming and going in the chamber and said loudly, "The Su family has provided you with generous benefits. Now, when the Su family encounters some trouble, you all are reluctant to contribute. Do you think the Su family is weak and easy to bully?"
Immediately, the entire alchemy chamber fell silent, the sound of a pin drop could be heard.
All the alchemists present stared blankly at Su Huayue.
Seeing Su Huayue's angry demeanor, Song Wen thought to himself: It seems the Du family has really cornered the Su family. They are accelerating the production of healing and energy-replenishing elixirs, most likely in preparation for a major battle with the Du family.
Song Wen maintained his smile.
"Supervisor Su, don't be angry. As a newly appointed alchemist of the Su family, I am naturally a member of the Su family and will do my utmost to serve the Su family. Even if it means working day and night, I will complete the alchemy tasks."
Su Huayue glanced at Song Wen, her anger slightly abated.
Yesterday, the Grand Elder Su Wenshi had ordered that within a month, a large number of healing and energy-replenishing elixirs must be produced, and other elixirs must not be reduced.
The task was assigned to Su Huayue, requiring the alchemy chamber's alchemists to produce additional elixirs this month.
Upon learning that additional elixirs needed to be produced without compensation in spirit stones, most of the external alchemists showed strong resistance.
This greatly affected Su Huayue's mood.
She originally intended to use Song Wen as an example to warn the other alchemists, but she hadn't expected Song Wen to immediately comply.
Having alchemists who obey is always a good thing.
These external alchemists were like a loose sand; as long as a few of them were pacified and accepted the additional alchemy tasks, the others would follow suit.
Su Huayue handed a cloth bag to Song Wen and said, "Here are the materials for three Qi Gathering Pills. You must produce three Qi Gathering Pills before you can leave the alchemy chamber."
"Understood!"
Song Wen took the bag and went to the back alchemy room.
He thought to himself that this woman was quite ruthless.
Although making a batch of Qi Gathering Pills typically took two to three hours, a mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator would not be able to produce three batches in less than two days without resting.
Alchemy is extremely draining on spiritual power and mental focus. A mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator would need time to meditate and recover their spiritual and mental energy after making each batch of Qi Gathering Pills.
For someone at Song Wen's Foundation Establishment level, this was not an issue.
He took only six hours to produce all three batches of elixirs, and still had two sets of materials left.
However, Song Wen did not immediately leave the alchemy room, as doing so would certainly raise suspicion.
Alchemists often faced unexpected situations such as explosions in the furnace. To prevent such accidents from disturbing the work of other alchemists, every alchemy room in the Su family was equipped with protective and isolation formations.
This was a perfect opportunity for Song Wen to study the 'Explosive Blood Pill' in the alchemy room.
Song Wen sat cross-legged and swallowed an Explosive Blood Pill.
As soon as the Explosive Blood Pill entered his stomach, the blood within Song Wen surged intensely, giving him a sensation of boiling blood and a surge of inexplicable combativeness.
A powerful spiritual energy was generated within him, and under the guidance of the existing spiritual energy, this newly generated energy smoothly flowed into his meridians and then into his dantian.
His cultivation level rapidly increased in a short period of time. Although he did not breakthrough to mid-stage Foundation Establishment, he was very close.
Song Wen's eyes brightened.
The effect of the Explosive Blood Pill was unexpectedly good, no wonder it was regarded as a vital pill in desperate situations.
After about half a stick of incense, Song Wen noticed that the spiritual energy within him began to rapidly weaken. Perhaps due to Song Wen not engaging in battle, after a few breaths, the spiritual energy returned to its normal state and did not continue to weaken.
At the same time, his vital blood was also significantly depleted.
This was the side effect of taking the Explosive Blood Pill.
However, the depletion of vital blood did not make Song Wen feel any discomfort.
Song Wen rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought.
The spiritual energy boosted by the Explosive Blood Pill only lasted for half a stick of incense, and this energy could not be refined.
This was quite different from the Blood Qi Pill, whose enhanced energy could be refined and permanently increase cultivation.
The main ingredient of the Explosive Blood Pill was not a spiritual herb but the blood of a Tier 3 demonic beast. Its ability to temporarily boost a cultivator's cultivation was due to transferring the power contained in the beast's blood to the cultivator.
Once the power in the beast's blood was depleted, the enhanced cultivation would naturally fade.
To permanently increase cultivation, one would need to find a way to refine and absorb this energy, truly storing it in the dantian.
To make an Explosive Blood Pill that could permanently enhance cultivation, it was necessary to find a spiritual herb to replace the demonic beast's blood.
The first herb that came to Song Wen's mind was the Red Blood Vine.
As the main ingredient in the Blood Qi Pill, the Red Blood Vine could deplete vital blood and produce spiritual energy.
However, the Red Blood Vine was only a Tier 1 spiritual herb. Using it to replace the demonic beast's blood might result in an elixir with weaker potency, even if it could ultimately be successfully refined.
Suddenly, a gleam of excitement flashed in Song Wen's eyes, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Perhaps I can find a Tier 2 spiritual herb similar to the Red Blood Vine to use as the main ingredient."
TL: Red Blood Vine, first mentioned in chapter 8.
(End of the Chapter)
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