CHAPTER 312: CHAPTER 312: GENIUS REFINER AND EARTH SPIRIT FLAME

"Ah? You’ve refined it so quickly?!" Hou Ze was both surprised and delighted, as he had been constantly worried about the elixir issue.

He was afraid his neighbor would run away with the pill formula and spirit medicine; he was anxious about the failure of the refining process; he was worried that even if it succeeded, it might not be effective. From the moment he handed over the items, he was overwhelmed with anxiety, even to the point of sleeplessness and dark circles under his eyes.

But as soon as the Golden Carp Lake Market started its business, the first visitor who came by as he removed the door panels to open shop was the neighbor guy.

Taking the small jade bottle, he couldn’t wait to open it and take a sniff, sensing the pure fire element energy contained within the reddened elixir, which made his heart feel much lighter—it should be useful, right? The feeling of expelling the cold from the inside seemed to touch the root cause of the illness more easily than using external aids.

[Side Quest: Genius Refiner, completion of the task for refining a simplified version of the Nine-Flavor Red Flame Pill, reward of 10,000 Spirit Stones has been issued]

And then, that was it.

Jiang Yuan looked at the disappearing side quest dumbfounded, wondering what he did wrong to not trigger task 2?

Although he felt a bit impatient seeing so many pending tasks on the task list before, the sudden loss of a side quest left him feeling a bit unsatisfied.

Currently, all his strength relies entirely on the various data enhancements provided by the system; having tasks to do means rewards. Plus, missing the opportunity to connect with a genius refiner, how was he going to consider transforming Yun Shu into a ship girl?

After a moment of thought, he took out a Communication Stone from his Storage Bag and said with a gentle smile, "When refining the elixir, I felt your pill formula might have been simplified, so although this elixir was successfully refined, its efficacy might not be as good as the original. If you could, add a contact method, so you can reach me whenever needed."

"Oh, okay! Thank you so much!" Hou Ze was momentarily stunned, his face slightly flushed with excitement, and quickly took out a Communication Stone to add a friend, "I’m really grateful to Jiang Dao You. In the future, if there’s trouble, having a contact method is really great..."

The other party thanked him profusely, but task 2 just wouldn’t pop up, so Jiang Yuan hurriedly left for Crescent Lake to find the Mermaid.

"We’ve met a good person this time! Quick, quick, quick, no business today, we have to quickly find someone to appraise the elixir to deliver it to Yutang!" Hou Ze was so delighted holding the small jade bottle that he couldn’t stop smiling.

As a cultivator, who wouldn’t want to connect with an alchemist? Even just exchanging a few words creates the possibility of gaining an advantage. What’s more, Jiang Dao You proactively extended a Communication Stone to connect with him. Whenever there’s a need for elixir refining in the future, he can contact him directly!

After hastily closing the shop, Hou Ze with a gold-furred little monkey in his arms rushed to the Treasure Pavilion to have an expert appraisal done.

Since the elixir wasn’t refined with his own hands, nobody can guarantee there aren’t any issues. It must be appraised to ensure it’s non-toxic and harmless before it can be given to a friend to consume.

Although the Treasure Pavilion in the Golden Carp Lake Market doesn’t have a resident alchemist, it does have experienced appraisers. For any traded elixirs, weapons, or magical treasures that aren’t guaranteed, one can pay a little fee to have them appraised for authenticity.

"This is an elixir refined from nine types of fire-element spirit medicines; it has a mild effect and can expel cold symptoms. The refining technique is exceptionally delicate, of first-grade high quality, only a line away from a second-grade elixir, and is recommended for cultivators with internal damp coldness or those practicing fire element techniques to take."

The appraiser at the Treasure Pavilion handed back the elixir and then asked, "May I ask from where this elixir was acquired? My cultivation technique has some flaws that have led to moisture buildup within my body. If I could purchase an elixir to remove the moisture, that would be ideal!"

Hou Ze felt relief wash over him instantly upon hearing the appraisal results. Relaxed, he said more, "To be honest, this elixir was specially requested, with a formula and spirit medicine found for someone to refine it. I can inquire with that alchemist Dao You, and if he sells the refined elixirs, I might help relay the message."

Though as a businessman he usually earns by acting as a middleman, he didn’t intend to profit from Jiang Dao You’s services. Helping to introduce clients and gain goodwill was worth more!

After appraising the elixir, Hou Ze carefully stored it away and hastened to the Teleportation Plaza of the Treasure Pavilion.

For most cultivators in the Golden Carp Lake Market, whether it’s a Teleportation Talisman or a Teleportation Scroll, they are rare treasures and, if obtained by luck, would be spared for emergencies rather than used for daily travel.

If needing rapid transit for urgent matters, one can spend some Spirit Stones to use the Teleportation Array service built by the Treasure Pavilion.

The cost is determined by the distance of the teleportation; the Treasure Pavilion earns a profit, and cultivators save a lot of travel time. Despite not being able to teleport to a precise location and only to an approximate area, and needing to cover some distance on foot, it’s a much better option than traveling the whole distance on one’s own.

With familiarity, Hou Ze arrived at the peak of Red Ridge Mountain, where he was immediately greeted by a dry wind that made him furrow his brows.

Due to his physique, Leng Yutang could only settle in this near-desert area. Being an artifact refiner, possessing the Earth Spirit Flame, made his residence unbearably hot, and Hou Ze always had to drink a lot of water each time he visited to avoid getting dehydrated.

"Eeeek!" The gold-furred little monkey evidently also feared the heat, crawling out of his bosom to lie on his head and use its paws to fan cool air.

"I bought a few Teleportation Talismans the other day, and you’ll feel a bit uncomfortable, so bear with it," Hou Ze said, pulling a Talisman from his Storage Bag. With a flick of his right hand, he ignited it, instantly engulfing him in a flame that transported him from Red Ridge Mountain, and in the next instant, stood in a courtyard made of red stones.

Pushing the door open, the surging heat wave inside nearly made it hard to breathe.

Despite this, Leng Yutang sat upright in front of the Artifact Refining Furnace, shivering slightly from the cold, frost even forming a thin layer over his hair and eyebrows, emitting white steam under the blazing flame.

"Yutang, I finally got you the Nine-Flavor Red Flame Pill!" Hou Ze entered excitedly, handing over the small jade bottle. "Here, take it quickly and see if it works!"

"Must’ve cost you a lot, didn’t it?" Leng Yutang’s speech was filled with cold breaths; the cold like a block of ice inside him turned his skin pale as snow, resembling a snow sculpture.

Hou Ze snorted, "Of course! You have no idea the effort I went through for this elixir, from paying a high price for the pill formula to buying spirit medicines everywhere, finally begging up and down to find an alchemist to refine it for you. Quickly take it and see if it suits, if it helps, start refining artifacts to earn money. I’m hoping you’ll refine a divine artifact and make me rich overnight!"

"Thank you for the effort, Brother Hou," Leng Yutang smiled, taking the elixir with frostbitten fingers and swallowing it directly.

As it entered, a gentle warmth spread from his throat to his stomach, then to his limbs. The warmth dispelling the cold from within caused a layer of frost to instantly form all over him before being evaporated by the heat, making him steamy and warm.

"Ha! Truly refreshing!" Leng Yutang finally felt the comfort of warmth in his organs, sincerely exclaiming, "That’s the magic of elixirs; the effect is indeed excellent!"

After the medicinal effects dissipated, his skin regained a slight blush, and he stood up to salute Hou Ze, "Brother Hou, thanks to your painstaking efforts in finding this elixir, I suppose I can live a bit longer."

The effect was there, but clearly not a cure.

Hou Ze furrowed his brows, pondering for a good while, then glanced at the intensely burning Earth Spirit Flame in the Artifact Refining Furnace. Carefully, he asked, "Yutang, can you separate a small part of this Earth Spirit Flame? We don’t have any valuable treasures at hand right now...

I was thinking that alchemists also need fire; if this treasure could be gifted as a small flame to the alchemist, and ask them to help find a suitable pill formula for refining an elixir, perhaps it could lead to a cure?"