CHAPTER 556: CHECKING OUT THE ALCHEMY PEAK

"If they’re this valuable now," Han Yu thought, "then using them carelessly could draw attention. I’ll have to be careful how I handle the ones I have."

He slipped his token back into his sleeve, deciding he had gathered enough information for one day. His eighty thousand merit points suddenly seemed more valuable than before, but also more complicated. The sect’s economy was alive, fluid, and likely designed to favor the powerful.

Han Yu gave the price boards one last glance before turning toward the exit. The faint crimson light followed him as he walked, casting long shadows across the polished floor.

"Eighty thousand points," he murmured quietly to himself. "In a place like this, that might not make me rich... but it’ll keep me alive."

As he stepped through the archway into the misty red light of the Blood Moon, Han Yu could not shake the feeling that every system in this sect, from the zombies guarding the halls to the changing prices of the crystals... it was all part of something much greater, something watching every move from above.

And for now, he intended to stay quiet, observe, and survive long enough to uncover what that something was.

Han Yu stepped out of the Merit Hall with the glow of shifting red lanterns behind him and inhaled the cool metallic scent of the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect’s air. He exhaled slowly, letting the oppressive energy settle in his lungs.

The place was overwhelming in both size and atmosphere, but now that the essentials were handled, he could finally begin exploring the sect itself. And the very first stop he wanted to check was the Alchemy Division.

Not because he hoped for some miraculous opportunity there or because he wanted to impress anyone, but because Han Yu was an alchemist through and through, and he knew that if he wanted to survive in this monstrous sect for the long term, he needed a reliable and steady source of income.

Pills were valuable everywhere. A skilled hand with a cauldron could always earn enough to sustain themselves. He couldn’t keep on relying on the Merit points he got from Ju Fan, or the wealth he had all the time.

But here lay the first problem.

Ju Fan had never touched alchemy. Not even a beginner’s manual remained in his cave. There was no sign that he had ever stepped into an alchemy hall in his entire life. Han Yu could not simply appear one day and start producing perfect pills. That would immediately raise questions.

He needed a believable progression.

Something like a Core Condensation realm outer disciple suddenly taking an interest in alchemy after coming back from an intense mission. It was not impossible. People changed. Even a brute might decide to dabble in something new after a near death experience.

As long as he took it slow and did not display too much talent too quickly, it would be fine.

"So," Han Yu muttered, walking forward, "let’s see what the alchemists of this crazy sect are like."

The Alchemy Division was located at Liver Peak.

This alone told him something important. In the sect’s skeletal structure, every peak had a corresponding organ or limb name. The alchemy division being at the Liver Peak made sense, since the liver was considered the main organ responsible for blood purification and essence refinement while also being the Wood Elemental Organ.

It took him an entire hour of steady walking before he reached the place.

The path wound through valleys, bridges, dark corridors carved into mountain rock, and broad walkways lined with red crystal lanterns. The deeper he went, the stronger the smell of herbs and smoke became.

When he finally arrived, the view made him stop in his tracks for a moment.

The Liver Peak region was massive.

He had thought the alchemy division in the Twin Leaf Peak Sect was large. He had thought their alchemy halls were numerous. But this place dwarfed everything he knew. Mountains rose around the main peak like guardians, each one hosting buildings and facilities dedicated to alchemy research, production, or cultivation.

The valleys between the peaks were lined with constructions that resembled vast furnaces, chimneys, processing zones, and extraction stations.

Thick red smoke drifted upward from some areas. Bursts of flame occasionally erupted from controlled explosions. Several disciples carried enormous cauldrons on their backs, while others walked with carts full of ingredients.

It was chaotic, loud, smokey, and alive.

Han Yu blinked. "Ten times larger..." he murmured. "No... maybe more than that."

Thankfully, there were signposts everywhere.

Actual, well maintained signposts with clear direction arrows, carved lettering, and even glowing instructions that floated like projections in the air. Whoever designed this place understood the need for order.

Alchemists tended to cling to structure and clarity and even the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect could not escape this tradition.

Han Yu followed the signs to the External Alchemy Hall. This was the open zone where normal disciples could buy pills, sell pills, request services, and inquire about materials or recipes.

Only recognized alchemists could enter the mountains themselves or work in the workshops.

"Good. At least I am allowed to roam here," Han Yu muttered as he approached the building.

The hall itself was vast, shaped like a crescent moon with red-glazed tiles and bone white pillars. A soft, soothing fragrance lingered in the air. Compared to the rest of the sect, the disciples inside seemed calmer, almost civilized. Even the ones with blood stained robes spoke in quiet tones.

Han Yu could not help but relax a little seeing this.

’if not for the color scheme, it almost seems like home.’ He thought with a chuckle.

Inside, he found a large wall completely covered by a massive light formation. The formation continuously displayed rows of pills and their prices, updated in real time just like the Merit Hall. The names flashed in bright red while the prices glowed in pale white.

Han Yu scanned through the list slowly. There were many pills he recognized and many he did not.