CHAPTER 270: CHAPTER 265: THE ELIXIR IS FIVEFOLD! SHOOTING ONESELF IN THE FOOT!_1

The bait had been cast; who knew when to reel in the net?

Next was to wait for the results.

After distributing the elixirs, Jia Ren drifted away. He didn’t invest too much thought into this matter. Upon returning to his rented Cave, he continued refining Qilong Pills.

As Jia Ren had predicted, the third batch of Qilong Pills yielded six pills using the Dragging Pill Technique, and their quality was quite good.

Jia Ren continuously analyzed and summarized. According to the Alchemy Recipe, achieving six pills with the Dragging Pill Technique was the limit.

The efficiency is still too low. Is there another solution?

Jia Ren pondered the characteristics of several main and auxiliary ingredients, restructuring the Alchemy Recipe, and replacing and optimizing the Spiritual Medicines.

After ten consecutive days, the Qilong Pill Prescription was improved, with optimized medicinal herbs and proportions.

The fourth batch of Qilong Pills emerged from the furnace. After using the Dragging Pill Technique, the pill formation resulted in... nine pills!

The quality of the nine Qilong Pills was quite decent, nearing a proficient level.

The direction of the Alchemy Recipe’s improvement is correct; the optimized recipe shows remarkable enhancement.

All this time, Jia Ren had been optimizing Alchemy Recipes with the help of the Proficiency Panel, reaching standards others couldn’t achieve.

This was the first time he had managed to perfectly optimize an Alchemy Recipe on his own.

Jia Ren had still underestimated the effects of the improved Alchemy Recipe; using the Dragging Pill Technique to produce nine pills resulted in Qilong Pills of much higher quality.

If the distribution of medicinal properties were maximized, this batch could yield up to twelve pills.

The speed of progress was astounding.

With his exceptionally high Alchemy Skills providing a commanding advantage, Jia Ren, without relying on the Proficiency Panel, brought the Qilong Pills to Grandmaster Level standards using only his own abilities.

Unfortunately, when many pills are produced using the Dragging Pill Technique, they are slightly smaller... easily leading people to suspect they are of inferior quality.

Jia Ren reconsidered the Alchemy Recipe and added a large number of low-year Spiritual Medicines to increase the pills’ volume.

These materials wouldn’t significantly affect the medicinal properties and would also mislead others attempting to deduce the Qilong Pill Prescription.

The fifth batch was a success. The formulation was nearly perfect, and with the Dragging Pill Technique, the pill count reached a staggering fifteen.

Fifteen Qilong Pills!

Other Alchemists could only produce three Qilong Pills per batch, but with Jia Ren’s Dragging Pill Technique, each batch yielded fifteen—a difference as vast as that between heaven and earth.

Fifteen Qilong Pills were worth 150,000 Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points. To earn 300,000 Contribution Points, only two batches would be needed.

A goal that had seemed nearly unattainable before now appeared effortlessly within reach.

At this rate, forget the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus; even the refinement method for the Demon-Sealing Tower Treasure isn’t a problem...

Five million Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points were no longer out of reach.

Jia Ren had originally intended to refine enough Qilong Pills to exchange for one Thousand-Year Snow Lotus and then stop.

But a batch yielding fifteen Qilong Pills gave him hope.

He *would* exchange for the refinement method of the Demon-Sealing Tower Treasure!

This was far rarer than the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus and nearly impossible to obtain anywhere other than the Town Demon Alliance.

When it came to his Life-bound Magic Treasure, he absolutely could not miss this opportunity.

Time flew by, and before Jia Ren realized it, nearly a year had passed since he arrived in Eastern Forest Market City.

After a long period of Alchemy, Jia Ren consistently maintained an efficiency of one batch per month; the Dragging Pill Technique steadily produced fifteen pills per batch.

In nearly a year, he had refined a total of 132 Qilong Pills, which could be exchanged for 1,320,000 Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points.

A Thousand-Year Snow Lotus cost 300,000 Contribution Points, which would leave him with just over one million Contribution Points.

To cover the remaining shortfall for the Demon-Sealing Tower Treasure, even with his astounding pill production efficiency, it would take over two more years of Alchemy.

Besides this, there was an even more pressing problem...

He only had enough main ingredients left for three more batches of Qilong Pills. The Town Demon Alliance had bought up all the main ingredients for Qilong Pills in Eastern Forest Market City and other markets.

Even a clever wife can’t cook without rice. No matter how advanced one’s Alchemy Skills, it’s impossible to produce Qilong Pills from nothing. Is there another solution?

Just as Jia Ren was pondering a way to overcome this predicament, his Insect External Incarnation sent a message.

The caravan from the Northern Desolation Region had returned safely, bringing back a total of fifty-four Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses. The quantity was quite sufficient, making it easy to exchange for one.

With some luck, I might even be able to exchange for a few extra Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses. Exchange for more... and make Golden Core Formation Pills?!

Could I exchange for a few extra Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses, refine Golden Core Formation Pills, and then trade those pills for Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points?!

The Town Demon Alliance sold Golden Core Formation Pills for two million Contribution Points each and bought them for one and a half million—the margin wasn’t too large.

By refining four Golden Core Formation Pills, he could trade them for six million Contribution Points, easily obtaining the desired refinement method for the Demon-Sealing Tower Treasure.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought of this method before; rather, he previously lacked enough Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points to purchase the Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses.

His original purpose for coming here was to acquire Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses to refine Golden Core Formation Pills.

Back then, how could he have possibly considered trading Golden Core Formation Pills for Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points?

But times had changed. The 132 Qilong Pills he had refined gave him the confidence; he had enough Contribution Points to exchange for the maximum allowed quantity of Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses—three of them.

The only problem is... the potential trouble involved in exchanging for Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses and, subsequently, the Golden Core Formation Pills he would refine.

The Nascent Soul Cultivators within the Demon-Sealing Tower and the Internal Affairs Director were two major hidden dangers.

The Nascent Soul Cultivators couldn’t leave the Demon-Sealing Tower, so they weren’t a significant threat in the short term.

As for the Internal Affairs Director, a Golden Core Mid-Stage Cultivator, Jia Ren wasn’t afraid even if the Director intended to make trouble for him.

I must set off immediately to exchange for the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus!

Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses were highly sought-after items; if he were even a step too slow, he wouldn’t be able to get a single one.

Jia Ren dispatched a Spirit Insect to place the River Mountain Bag in a secluded, deserted corner. His Insect External Incarnation then casually picked up the River Mountain Bag and hurried towards the Town Demon Alliance’s headquarters.

The Town Demon Alliance was far busier than before, with Golden Core Stage Cultivators frequently seen entering and exiting.

Many Sects, having received news that the Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses had arrived, had dispatched members to wait at the Town Demon Alliance, hoping to acquire them at the earliest opportunity.

The Insect External Incarnation held the Town Demon League Command Token. The courtyard where the Internal Affairs Director had previously received him was now bustling with Golden Core Cultivators, many of whom wore the distinct uniforms of their various Sects.

"I’d like to exchange for three Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses," a Golden Core Late Stage Cultivator, who had stepped forward ahead of the others, declared. His chest bore a Sect emblem resembling rolling waves; he was a Cultivator from the Seven Seas Tower.

With that, three more Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses were claimed.

The Insect External Incarnation, who had rushed over immediately upon hearing the news without daring to delay, thought anxiously, There are still more than twenty Cultivators in line ahead of me. If everyone exchanges for three Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses, will there be any left by the time it’s my turn? If I can’t even get one, I’ll be frustrated enough to cough up blood!

Fortunately, most of the Cultivators were from smaller Sects and had insufficient Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points, so they only exchanged for one Thousand-Year Snow Lotus each.

Even so, by the time the Insect External Incarnation’s turn arrived, most of the Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses had already been claimed.

"You’re next!" someone called out.

The Insect External Incarnation quickly walked up to the Internal Affairs Director, He Yuan, holding his number token. He Yuan recognized the visitor and smiled warmly.

He Yuan had prepared a trap contract and bought out all the main ingredients for the Qilong Pill circulating in the market, anticipating that the Insect External Incarnation, Xu Yi, would come for them. But as it turned out...

Xu Yi seemed to have forgotten about refining Qilong Pills. Every day, aside from meditating and cultivating, he just gathered information, showing no intention of falling into the trap.

"What would Island Master Xu like to exchange for?" He Yuan asked, his smile still in place. "Surely not Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses?"

He continued, "If Island Master Xu lacks sufficient funds, I can personally lend you some Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points. What does Island Master Xu think of this offer?"

He Yuan’s smile was brilliant. When his first plan failed, he immediately devised another, switching his approach to offering a loan.

The contract for this was already prepared: a Soul Pact designed to track the user’s main body.

Soul Pacts were extraordinary. Once an incarnation signed such a contract, as long as it remained within the pact’s sensory range, the Soul Pact could locate the incarnation’s main body at any time.

Even if it went beyond that range, the pact could still sense a general direction.

By then, the rat hiding in the shadows will have nowhere to flee, He Yuan thought.

"There’s no need for Director He to trouble himself. I can manage the Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points," Xu Yi replied.

"I’d like to exchange for three Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses."

Xu Yi handed over the Town Demon League Command Token. The Internal Affairs Director, He Yuan, took it, his smile turning sly. "Your Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points are insufficient."

"What about these?" Xu Yi retorted, presenting 132 Qilong Pills.

Each Qilong Pill had an acquisition price of 10,000 Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points, meaning they could be exchanged for a total of 1,320,000 Contribution Points.

This was more than enough to trade for three Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses.

"How is this possible?!" He Yuan exclaimed.

"The Town Demon Alliance has bought up all the main ingredients for Qilong Pills in the market! How could you have refined these pills?!"

"How could you possibly produce so many Qilong Pills in less than a year?!"

Internal Affairs Director He Yuan’s gaze swept over the Qilong Pills. He could roughly judge their quality and saw they met the Town Demon Alliance’s acquisition standards.

However, there was no way he would let Xu Yi get what he wanted. If Xu Yi obtains the Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses, how can I still control him?

"My apologies," He Yuan said smoothly. "I am responsible for the exchange of Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses. As for purchasing Qilong Pills, I will need to contact the Deputy Director; he will handle the settlement for you."

He then called out, "The next fellow Daoist may come forward for their exchange."

He Yuan thought to himself, The number of Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses is limited. As long as I can stall, the stock will soon be depleted. Even if you have a large amount of Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points, you won’t be able to exchange for a single Thousand-Year Snow Lotus then.

"Is Director He abusing his authority?" Xu Yi’s voice suddenly rang out, sharp and clear.

"Using your position for personal gain, monopolizing the main ingredients for Qilong Pills, and obstructing my exchange for Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses—I’d like to see if you can truly hide the sky with one hand within the Town Demon Alliance!"

The Insect External Incarnation utilized its innate Demonic Sound; its voice, tinged with a demonic quality, carried exceptionally far.

Jia Ren, controlling the Incarnation, was well aware of the Internal Affairs Director’s intentions. He had worked tirelessly refining Elixirs to earn Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points, not to be thwarted and disgusted by someone like this.

The Town Demon Alliance has many internal interest groups, Jia Ren mused. A single Internal Affairs Director cannot do whatever he pleases. If this matter escalates, someone will naturally step in to resolve it.

A Golden Core Late Stage Cultivator emerged from a rear courtyard. He was already aware of the full story, and his gaze towards He Yuan was incredibly cold. "You no longer need to serve as Internal Affairs Director."

With that single sentence, the Internal Affairs Director was dismissed.

He Yuan opened his mouth but said nothing. This newcomer was someone he couldn’t afford to offend; he had no choice but to relinquish the position of Internal Affairs Director.

Before departing, He Yuan shot Xu Yi a venomous glare, then turned and left.

For trying to make things difficult for Xu Yi, he had lost his position as Internal Affairs Director of the Town Demon Alliance.

Wasn’t this a perfect example of lifting a rock only to drop it on his own feet?

Everything proceeded smoothly after that. The 132 Qilong Pills were converted into Town Demon Alliance Contribution Points, and Xu Yi successfully exchanged for three Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses.

His hard work had paid off; he had obtained three Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses in one go.

The Insect External Incarnation suppressed the excitement in his heart, keenly feeling numerous probing gazes on him, like needles pricking his back.

Usually, it was Golden Core Cultivators from various Sects who exchanged for Thousand-Year Snow Lotuses. For a mere Foundation Establishment Completion Cultivator like Xu Yi to obtain three at once was bound to attract envious attention.

Although many were tempted, none acted rashly. Instead, they discreetly tried to find out which power Xu Yi belonged to, wary of inadvertently provoking a formidable entity.

Time to go!

The Insect External Incarnation didn’t dare linger in the Town Demon Alliance, fearing trouble would find him, and decisively fled.