Swallowing the Heavens with a Single Breath - Chapter 6

Master Ma’s entire body trembled slightly as he stared at the pills in Xu Yi’s hand, his eyes filled with admiration and envy.

Five Vitality Pills, each with a single cloud pattern—without exception!

A pill with cloud patterns indicated it was of the highest quality.

To his knowledge, the maximum number of cloud patterns was three, and each additional cloud pattern increased the pill’s potency by ten percent.

Even for a level-two alchemist, producing cloud-patterned pills from level-one elixirs required a fair amount of luck.

Furthermore, their speed, quantity, and success rate couldn’t compare to what this young man had just achieved.

Perhaps only a level-three alchemist could barely rival this level of skill.

Master Ma felt deeply ashamed.

He had mocked Xu Yi earlier, believing he knew nothing about alchemy, but now he realized that he himself was the ignorant one!

This young man must be a distinguished alchemist from a major region, whose mere appearance would surely cause a sensation. No wonder he chose to conceal his identity.

Ma Rongyuan approached, lowering himself as much as possible, his face filled with respect. “May I ask, Master, what is your name?”

Xu Yi paused before responding, “Yi Xu.”

“Master Yi, you are now officially a level-one alchemist,” said Master Ma.

“Of course, your abilities far exceed this level. Unfortunately, I am not qualified to certify you for a higher alchemist rank.”

After offering an apology, he turned and instructed the apprentice standing by the door, “Go and bring the items.”

The apprentice quickly complied, and soon returned with a tray.

On the tray lay a black robe bearing the Alchemy Pavilion’s emblem, a small blue pouch the size of a palm, and a jade token.

Master Ma took the tray and presented it to Xu Yi himself.

He explained with a smile, “This is the reward for becoming a level-one alchemist, Master Yi. Please accept it.”

Xu Yi took the items, and Master Ma continued to explain, “The robe is the official attire for level-one alchemists, with an emblem indicating your rank. The storage pouch has a capacity of four units and contains all the necessary tools for alchemy, excluding herbs.”

“The jade token serves as your identification as an alchemist and has a messaging function. Within three thousand miles, you can communicate with the Alchemy Pavilion or any other messaging devices.”

Xu Yi nodded in acknowledgment and stored everything in the pouch, which he then secured to his waist.

With a lighthearted tone, Xu Yi asked, “What about the wager we made earlier?”

Master Ma’s face flushed with embarrassment as he bowed. “Master, please don’t mock me. With your skill, how could I possibly be worthy of being your disciple?”

“However, if you are not in a hurry to leave, may I suggest you stay at the Alchemy Pavilion for a while? Compared to the inns and residences in Qingshuang City, the Alchemy Pavilion offers much better accommodations.”

“It would be a great honor if you could stay and provide some guidance.”

“That sounds good,” Xu Yi agreed immediately.

He still needed the resources of the Alchemy Pavilion to refine more Vitality Pills.

Soon, news spread throughout Qingshuang City about the arrival of a master alchemist.

“Have you heard? The newly certified alchemist is said to have the skills of a level-three alchemist! They say the Vitality Pills he refined all have cloud patterns!”

“Indeed! Even Master Ma said he wasn’t worthy of being his disciple! I’d be willing to spend all my savings just to get my hands on one of the pills refined by that master!”

“But cloud-patterned pills are incredibly rare. In all of Qingshuang City, only the City Lord’s Mansion and a few prominent families could afford them.”

The entire city buzzed with excitement.

The news also reached the ears of various factions within Qingshuang City.

After learning that the master was staying at the Alchemy Pavilion, people flocked to visit him.

However, Xu Yi was quickly annoyed by the constant visitors and refused to see anyone, regardless of their status.

One day, a knock came at the door, followed by the voice of an Alchemy Pavilion apprentice.

“Master Yi, Jin Lu from the Heavenly Treasure Auction Hall is here to see you. Will you meet with him?”

Xu Yi was in the middle of absorbing Leng Yunshang’s experiences in refining the Vitality Pill when he heard this and was momentarily stunned.

The Heavenly Treasure Auction Hall was famous.

It was the largest and most prestigious auction house in Qingshuang City, and its head, Jin Lu, was one of the wealthiest and most influential merchants in the city.

Jin Lu was known for his vast wealth and high status. Even some prominent figures found it difficult to meet with him.

Yet, here he was, seeking an audience with Xu Yi, which made Xu Yi realize just how esteemed the identity of an alchemist was.

He also guessed Jin Lu’s intentions. It had to be about purchasing the cloud-patterned Vitality Pills he had refined.

Xu Yi decided to take the opportunity to make a deal.

He altered his voice to a raspy tone. “Let him in.”

After giving the instruction, Xu Yi put on his mask and cloak and seated himself in a chair.

Moments later, a middle-aged man adorned with jewelry entered the room. As soon as he saw Xu Yi, his face broke into a warm smile.

“Master Yi, I apologize for the abrupt visit. Please forgive me,” Jin Lu said with a bow.

“State your purpose,” Xu Yi said flatly.

Jin Lu straightened up and rubbed his hands together. “Very well, I won’t beat around the bush.”

“I’m wondering if you have any intention of selling your elixirs. We at Heavenly Treasure Auction Hall would like to purchase them all.”

“What are your terms?” Xu Yi asked calmly.

Jin Lu eagerly replied, “The normal market price for Vitality Pills is divided into three tiers. Pills of lower quality sell for a thousand gold, high-quality ones go for three thousand gold, and those with one cloud pattern fetch ten thousand gold.”

“For the first two categories, I can pay you the market rate. As for the cloud-patterned pills, I’m willing to offer eleven thousand gold each.”

“Master Yi, would that be acceptable to you?”

Xu Yi was taken aback. He hadn’t realized that his Vitality Pills were worth so much.

The Xu family would have to work hard for an entire year to afford four or five pills, and even then, they would be the inferior kind.

Yet the price Jin Lu offered for a single cloud-patterned pill was equivalent to the Xu family’s annual income!

It was hard not to be tempted by such a fortune.

However, his voice remained steady. “Agreed. Here are five cloud-patterned Vitality Pills. Convert the payment into Purple Vein Flower, Deer Revival Grass, and Moon Dew Root and have them delivered to me.”

Right now, the ingredients for refining more Vitality Pills were what he needed most. With sufficient herbs, he could refine more pills and grow stronger even faster!

Xu Yi retrieved a pill bottle from his storage pouch, containing the five pills he had refined for the alchemist certification.

Jin Lu’s eyes lit up with delight as he carefully took the bottle and opened it.

The aroma of the pills filled the air, and each one bore a beautiful cloud pattern.

He quickly put the bottle away and bowed respectfully. “Master Yi, rest assured, I will arrange this immediately without any delay.”

After Jin Lu left, Xu Yi removed his mask and asked Leng Yunshang curiously, “Why is there such a huge price difference between cloud-patterned pills and regular ones?”

“If each additional cloud pattern increases the potency by ten percent, the price difference shouldn’t be this significant, right? If the effects vary, couldn’t someone just take more pills to make up for it?”

Leng Yunshang explained, “Because there is a limit to how many of the same type of elixir a martial artist can consume.”

Xu Yi frowned. “What kind of limit?”

“No matter what kind of elixir a martial artist takes, there is a point of diminishing returns.”

“After consuming a certain number of the same type of elixir, regardless of quality, taking more will have no effect.”

Xu Yi was surprised. This was the first time he had heard of such a concept.

“The limit for Vitality Pills is ten. Each martial artist can only benefit from the first ten they consume.”

Leng Yunshang continued, “Therefore, when martial artists choose to consume elixirs, they naturally prefer the highest quality available.”

Xu Yi nodded in understanding. “It looks like I need to practice diligently and aim to refine three-cloud-pattern Vitality Pills as soon as possible.”

As an alchemist, he would naturally want to use the best elixirs available to him.

Suddenly, another knock came at the door. “Master, someone from the City Lord’s Mansion is here. Will you see them?”

They’re here!

Xu Yi’s eyes gleamed with excitement.