Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 136 - Alchemist Token

Xue Chunyu spoke through clenched teeth, his heart aching as he looked at his son’s ruined dantian and shattered meridians. He quickly composed himself, knowing that this was not the time for sorrow. He still had to exact revenge on Liu Wuxie and the entire Xu Clan for his son. He demanded, “Tell me, where is he?!”

“He seems to have headed to the Treasure Pill Pavilion.”

The Xue Clan had dispatched scouts to track Liu Wuxie, periodically sending back updates.

“Good! Very good! I’ll tear that brat into pieces!” Xue Chunyu declared, swiftly rallying his forces with the intent to capture Liu Wuxie alive to vent his fury.

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie remained oblivious to these developments. He sensed that he was being followed but chose not to confront the pursuer. About fifteen minutes later, the gleaming sign of the ‘Treasure Pill Pavilion’ came into view, visible even from three miles away.

Liu Wuxie was taken aback by the opulence of the Treasure Pill Pavilion in the Imperial City. The complex, comprising nine buildings, was as expansive as a large clan’s territory. The place was teeming with people from all walks of life, all there to purchase pills.

The Treasure Pill Pavilion had a transcendent status, and not even the Great Yan Dynasty could interfere in their business. Compared to the Treasure Pill Pavilion here, the branch in Azure Billow City looked like a dumpster. It was no wonder why Lei Tao and Master Huo wanted to enter the headquarters because this place was a paradise for alchemists.

The buildings were designed as tall towers, with the largest first floor. It was roughly over ten thousand square meters, accommodating four to five thousand people. This place was filled with people, and the popularity of pills had far exceeded his imagination.

In this world where resources were scarce, pills were the only way to improve cultivation rapidly. After the competition, Master Huo had given Liu Wuxie a token that could allow him to make purchases in any Treasure Pill Pavilions with a discount. It might be a small discount, but the cost of pills could easily go from hundreds of thousands to millions. Thus, a small discount was equivalent to saving tens of thousands of gold coins.

The Treasure Pill Pavilion’s primary business was selling pills. The first floor mainly sold pills, and the pill counter was placed in the most prominent area. The second floor mainly sold herbs, including some rare varieties. As for the third floor, it was similar to a miniature auction, and only those with a token could enter.

Liu Wuxie executed the Ghost Eye, scanning the first floor at a glance. The pills for sale here were divided into various regions, classified by their grades. There were also fourth-grade pills, but only a single counter sold them.

Each grade was further differentiated into various categories, such as pills meant to restore true essence or treat injuries. Liu Wuxie also saw Heavenly Spirit Pills available on the counter. It seemed that the Heavenly Spirit Pills from Azure Billow City’s Treasure Pill Pavilion were made widely available now, and the sales were pretty good.

Only the best-selling pills were qualified to be placed on the counter for sale. Over the past ten-odd years, merely two pills from Serene Tomb City had made it to the headquarters’ sales counter.

However, in just ten-odd days, the Heavenly Spirit Pill overshadowed many pills, sweeping through the Imperial City by a storm. In addition to the huge price advantage, it was so popular that it was short in supply.

Liu Wuxie still held a three-year profit share on the Heavenly Spirit Pill with Azure Billow City’s Treasure Pill Pavilion, and he had long passed the contract to Xu Yilin to represent him. Among all the available pills here, only a few caught his attention.

The Origin Yang Pill that he refined might be a third-grade pill, but the quality was even higher than some fourth-grade pills. As for the Marrow Cleansing Pill that he received as a reward for the assessment, the effect was minimal when he ate it. He planned to refine a Marrow Cleansing Pill himself to temper his physique, as the effectiveness of a pill could vary greatly depending on the refiner.

“Let’s go to the second floor!” Liu Wuxie wanted to purchase herbs and led the two to the second floor.

However, their path was blocked by a servant guarding the floor. “Please present your alchemist token!” he demanded, as the token was a prerequisite for entry to the second floor.

This naturally left Liu Wuxie’s group of three stumped because they weren’t aware of the alchemist token.

“You’re saying I can’t buy herbs without an alchemist token?” Liu Wuxie asked. The first floor sold pills, while the second floor sold herbs. To promote the sale of pills, only alchemists were allowed to enter the second floor. Only those who obtained an alchemist token could be considered a true alchemist. As for Liu Wuxie, he couldn’t even be considered an apprentice as he hadn’t undergone systematic training before.

“Where can I purchase an alchemist token?” Liu Wuxie asked.

His question naturally drew an eye roll from the servant guarding the door to the second floor. Even Chen Leyao smacked her forehead, not knowing whether she should laugh or cry.

“I’m sorry, but a test is required to obtain an alchemist token. One has to be a one-star alchemist to enter the second floor. If you don’t have an alchemist token, please leave,” the servant said, not wanting Liu Wuxie to disturb them.

Hearing that, Liu Wuxie’s group of three could only return to the first floor.

“Lady Chen, where else can we buy herbs in large quantities like the Treasure Pill Pavilion?” Liu Wuxie was in urgent need of herbs. But as he wasn’t familiar with the Imperial City, he could only ask Chen Leyao about it.

“I know a few places, but the rules are the same. Precious herbs are only available to alchemists, and it’s difficult for ordinary people to buy them except for the big clans. This is because they have their herbal field and do not need to purchase herbs from outside,” Chen Leyao explained with a bitter smile.

Liu Wuxie quickly understood the rationale behind the system. “Got it! The exclusivity of the alchemist token is designed to uphold the prestige of alchemists and protect their interests. If everyone has unrestricted access to herbs, the market would become chaotic, and prices would inevitably be manipulated. As a result, alchemists might struggle to procure quality herbs when needed.”

Without control measures, herbs would be dispersed everywhere, accessible to anyone. This could lead to a situation where alchemists couldn’t obtain the herbs they needed. Hence, the herbs were consolidated in one place, and only alchemists were allowed to purchase them. This prevented the herbs from being widely distributed to the public.

Liu Wuxie was surprised to discover that the world of alchemy was more well-structured and perfect than he had initially thought.

“That’s right. A few hundred years ago, the market was chaotic, with inferior and poisonous pills flowing into the market. So, under the suggestion of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, an Alchemy Association was established in every dynasty. Anyone who wants to become an alchemist must undergo a strict assessment. Furthermore, your product can only be placed on the market for sale after that,” Chen Leyao explained patiently. This was to prevent others from pretending to be an alchemist or those with inferior skills from trying to take advantage of the situation to make money.

With the establishment of the Alchemy Association, the previously chaotic market quickly stabilized. Some pills even bore the name of the alchemist who created them, enhancing the alchemist’s reputation.

Herbs would only be sold to those with an alchemist token, thus preventing fake alchemists from buying them and gradually fading from people’s sight. This was also the main reason for the establishment of the Alchemy Association.

“Where can I take the assessment?” Liu Wuxie asked. He didn’t have a choice because he had to obtain an alchemist token to buy herbs.

“You want to take the assessment as an alchemist?” Chen Leyao looked at Liu Wuxie with disbelief. Given Liu Wuxie’s physical limitations that hindered his cultivation abilities, shifting his focus to alchemy seemed like abandoning the martial path.

Only Liu Wuxie knew the truth about the ‘Nine Stars Illumination,’ and he naturally understood what Chen Leyao wanted to say. After all, being a master of something was better than being a jack of all trades but a master of none.

“Lady Chen, I bet you don’t know that Big Brother Liu is the chief alchemist of our Treasure Pill Pavilion in Azure Billow City,” Song Ling interrupted. He didn’t know about the alchemist token but knew his big brother was the best.

“Since you’re an alchemist, how can you not know about the alchemist token?” Chen Leyao was speechless after hearing what Song Ling said. Azure Billow City’s Treasure Pill Pavilion branch was too weird.

“Well...yeah!” Liu Wuxie’s forehead creased with wrinkles. This was his first encounter with the concept of an alchemist token, and it almost led to a significant misunderstanding.

“The Treasure Pill Pavilion is one of the assessment venues, and the assessment is free. You can go now if you want to take the assessment.” Chen Leyao pointed at the gateway ahead. Upon passing the assessment, an alchemist token would be issued, officially recognizing the individual as an alchemist.

“Alright. I’ll go take the assessment,” Liu Wuxie said, walking towards the gateway. Every day, people came to take the assessment, aspiring to become alchemists.

Chen Leyao’s curiosity about Liu Wuxie grew, and she followed him. Song Ling, on the other hand, remained nonchalant, unperturbed by the unfolding events.

At the gateway, a small counter was manned by a young woman with slender eyebrows and a flirtatious demeanor. She casually flipped through a book as she sat there.

“I wish to take the alchemist assessment,” Liu Wuxie stated politely, not one to judge a book by its cover.

The woman set her book aside and assessed Liu Wuxie, Chen Leyao, and Song Ling, who reluctantly followed behind. Chen Leyao, being a woman, was a rarity in the world of alchemy, and she lacked fire attribute energy fluctuation. Song Ling, on the other hand, was a robust individual with cultivation only at the ninth level of the Houtian Realm. This made it highly unlikely for him to pass the assessment, as achieving the rank of a first-star alchemist was no easy feat for someone in the Houtian Realm.

Finally, there was Liu Wuxie. But he was too young, and an 18-year-old alchemist was simply unheard of in the Imperial City as most people were still apprentices at that age. It was no surprise that Yun Lan had ridiculed Liu Wuxie for his age. However, Liu Wuxie’s successful completion of the three tests had served as a resounding rebuttal to Yun Lan’s mockery.

“Enough with the nonsense. Leave,” the woman said irritably, gesturing for the trio to depart promptly so she could resume her reading.

The alchemist assessment was a sacred matter; not just anyone could participate. If everyone were allowed to participate, the assessors would be overwhelmed to the point of exhaustion.

Liu Wuxie and his companions were taken aback by the Treasure Pill Pavilion’s dismissive attitude, denying them even the opportunity to participate in the assessment.

“Make way! Make way! Don’t stand in the way of our young master!”

Right then, two men approached from behind Liu Wuxie’s group. One, dressed like a servant, asked Liu Wuxie’s group to step aside. The other, a youth clad in luxurious attire, strode past Liu Wuxie’s group and approached the counter with an air of arrogance.

“Young Master Bai, your form is ready. The final round of the assessment is about to commence. Please proceed,” the woman at the counter said, her demeanor drastically different from when she interacted with Liu Wuxie’s group. Her obsequious expression was quite off-putting to observe.