Chapter 159: Flame Fruit_1
After returning to his cave dwelling, Lin Tianming immediately entered his room.
He had only briefly looked over the pill formula he acquired earlier, but now that he was back in his abode, it was time to study it in detail.
Sitting upright on the stone bed, he took out the pill formula he had bought from the stall area and extended his Divine Sense to peruse it.
After a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming withdrew his Divine Sense and fell into a deep contemplation.
The Dragon Bone Pill formula was complete and, according to his estimation, it was undoubtedly a genuine article.
However, where would he find the main ingredient for this formula, the Demon Core of the Qinglong Jiao?
Without finding a Qinglong Jiao, he would be unable to obtain its inner core, and thus be unable to concoct the pill.
Thinking of this, Lin Tianming felt somewhat helpless and could only put the matter out of his mind for now, to be addressed when an opportunity arose later. While Qinglong Jiaos were rare, it wasn't entirely hopeless to find one.
In the still silence of the night, with eyes tightly closed, Lin Tianming circulated his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation and began to meditate to pass the time, while waiting for tomorrow's auction.
The next day, Lin Tianming opened his eyes that had been closed all through the night, tidied up his room, and ended his cultivation to step out of his room.
As soon as he did, Lin Shilu also came out from the neighboring room, not far away, and the two of them met.
Lin Shilu's face showed a trace of excitement, and he casually said,
"Tianming, let's go to the auction together. There might even be an exchange event organized by fellow sects, and we must not miss it."
Lin Tianming let out a chuckle and walked out of the courtyard together with Lin Shilu towards the central auction house in the market city.
There were quite a few cultivators along the way, all heading in the same direction.
After passing several Bluestone streets, Lin Tianming and his companion arrived at the plaza in front of the entrance to the auction.
As the two paused, a voice came over. "This is quite the coincidence, running into Brother Lin wherever I go."
Turning around, they saw Ye Pinghai approaching and immediately went forward to greet him with a salute.
"Brother Ye, the auction is quite dull. Why don't you join me? We'll at least have a chat to relieve the boredom."
Hearing Lin Shilu's invitation, Ye Pinghai did not decline his hospitable offer.
Since Foundation Establishment Cultivators didn't need to queue, the three of them passed the line of Qi Training Cultivators and headed towards the entrance.
An Executive Officer at the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation, who apparently recognized the two, immediately greeted them warmly, Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire
"Greetings to Elder Ye and Elder Lin, please come inside."
Lin Shilu nodded, but still presented his Market City Token, followed by handing over thirty Spirit Stones to the speaking cultivator.
The Executive Officer responsible for collecting the admission fee respectfully took the Spirit Stones and then instructed a cultivator beside him to show them the way.
The three followed the Qi Training Cultivator ahead of them, walked straight to the second floor, and finally entered a private room.
Everyone took their seats, and the cultivator who led the way stood by the entrance.
Since there was some time before the auction began, Lin Shilu brought out some Spiritual Tea, and the three chatted leisurely while drinking tea.
With nothing else to do, Lin Tianming reflected on the matter of the Dragon Bone Pill, and considering Ye Pinghai's mastery in Second Order Superior Alchemy, who had immersed himself in alchemy for over sixty years, he might have some methods or pill formulas.
With this thought, Lin Tianming turned to Ye Pinghai and said,
"Grandpa Sea, do you have any Second Order Pill Recipes for elixirs that aid in Body Cultivation?"
"Pill recipes for Second Order elixirs for Body Cultivators to consume?"
Ye Pinghai looked startled, and after contemplating for a while, he directly stated he did not have any, dashing Lin Tianming's hopes.
Second Order pill formulas were precious to begin with, and those suited for Body Cultivators were even more exceedingly rare.
Lin Tianming's face showed a hint of disappointment, but he did not lose heart. Thinking of the Dragon Bone Pill formula, he asked,
"Grandpa Sea, Tianming came across an Ancient Pill Recipe yesterday. Could you help the youngster take a look at it?"
At the mention of this, Ye Pinghai's eyes lit up with excitement.
An alchemy enthusiast with exceptional talent, he was thrilled to have an Ancient Pill Recipe to study and suddenly became eager.
"Oh? Let me have a look."
Lin Tianming, pleasantly surprised, promptly took out the Dragon Bone Pill formula and respectfully handed it over.
Ye Pinghai took the Jade Slip, extended his Divine Sense, and started to read the contents recorded within.
A little while later, with a regretful expression, Ye Pinghai said,
"The pill is genuine indeed, but where shall we find the inner core of the Azure Dragon Jiao required as the main ingredient? The chances of concocting this pill are practically non-existent."
Lin Tianming's face grew even grimmer upon hearing Ye Pinghai's explanation.
Suddenly, Ye Pinghai seemed to recall something, and his tone changed.
"I once acquired the notes of a Third Order Alchemy Master. This alchemist was an oddball; he, too, encountered situations where he couldn't find the main ingredients for his recipes. Eventually, he sought out Demons Cores with similar attributes to substitute, and astoundingly, he was still able to concoct pills with the same medicinal effect."
Upon hearing Ye Pinghai's words, enlightenment dawned upon Lin Tianming.
There was almost no chance of finding a Qinglong Jiao's Demon Core, but he couldn't wait much longer. He had been at the first level of Foundation Establishment for nearly two years and, although he could still slowly increase his cultivation by meditating, he'd rather not dwell on the sluggish pace of his progress.
There was no waiting around—Ye Pinghai's suggested method might just be worth a try.
With these thoughts, Lin Tianming's face regained its luster.
Seeing that Lin Tianming remained silent, Ye Pinghai then took out a Jade Slip from his storage bag and handed it to him.
"This?" Lin Tianming asked in confusion.
"This is the very set of notes from the Third Order Alchemy Master that I mentioned. Although the recorded methods are unconventional, there's still much of value within." Ye Pinghai explained.