Daily Intelligence: From Miner to Dao Ancestor of Alchemy and Talismans

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The words in the red report shone brightly in Xu Yuan's mind, carrying a strong sense of urgency and illuminating his eyes.

He tapped the stone table lightly with his fingertips, a glint of barely concealed light flashing in his eyes.

A complete Foundation Building Pill formula, and a second-tier superior pill furnace.

These two things happen to be the core resources he urgently needs right now.

He only possessed half a fragment of the ancient formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill, unable to assemble the complete formula and refining method. The Foundation Establishment Pill was a core treasure for Qi Refining cultivators attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, capable of increasing the success rate by a full 50%. It was something countless rogue cultivators would fight tooth and nail to obtain. With the complete formula, his chances of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage within six months would at least double.

A second-grade superior alchemy furnace is a second life for an alchemist.

He is currently using a first-grade high-quality pill furnace, which naturally limits his ability to refine second-grade pills. If he could obtain this second-grade high-quality pill furnace, his success rate would increase by at least 20%, and the efficiency and quality of his pill refining would experience a qualitative leap.

Not to mention, the young sect leader of the Blood Fiend Sect will personally lead a delegation to this Alchemist Conference, secretly contacting surrounding evil cultivation forces. If he can use this opportunity to find out the details of the Blood Fiend Sect's communication with the evil cultivation alliance and its subsequent plans, he will be able to gain more initiative in the deadly situation six months from now.

Even with the risks, he had to attend the Blackwater City Alchemist Conference.

But going doesn't mean being reckless; he had already ingrained the principle of never fighting an unprepared battle into his very being.

Xu Yuan didn't immediately pack his things and set off. Instead, he first spread out a sheet of hemp paper and devised a meticulous action plan, taking precautions against all possible risks. He disguised himself and concealed his identity. He would participate in the tournament under a completely new alias, maintaining complete concealment throughout the entire process, never revealing any connection with Qingya Workshop or the Zhao family. Even if he won the championship, he would never show his face or flaunt it, eliminating any possibility of being targeted by the Blood Fiend Sect.

With a clear objective, we will not cause any unnecessary trouble. We will only participate in the alchemy competition, obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill formula and alchemy furnace, and then leave. We will not get involved in any disputes of the competition, we will not cause trouble, we will not take sides, we will not show our faces, and we will leave Blackwater City immediately after obtaining the benefits. We will not linger.

Finally, intelligence gathering is crucial to avoid pitfalls. Relying on a daily intelligence system, we thoroughly understand the tournament rules, the participants' backgrounds, and potential risks and traps. We prepare contingency plans for all possible unexpected events, ensuring we never step into any unknown situation.

With the plan finalized, Xu Yuan didn't waste a moment and immediately began to make up for his biggest weakness: alchemist rank.

The minimum requirement for participating in the triennial Alchemist Tournament in Blackwater City is being a second-level Alchemist.

Although he was able to refine first-grade top-quality pills with a success rate far exceeding that of others of the same grade, he had never officially broken through to the second-grade alchemist level and had not yet reached the threshold of refining second-grade pills.

He closed the stone door of his cave and activated all the restrictions to ensure he wouldn't be disturbed by anyone. He took out the second-tier alchemy main ingredients that Zhao Qiuyue had sent from his storage bag, then spread the alchemy talisman and scripture on the stone table. He calmed his mind and began to study the second-tier alchemy methods inside, word by word.

The Pill Talisman Dao Scripture truly lives up to its reputation as the culmination of the Pill Talisman Daoist's life's work. It thoroughly explains the core logic of second-tier pills and the exquisite methods of controlling fire with spiritual energy, even clearly marking the most subtle pitfalls in the Dao of Alchemy. All the bottlenecks he encountered when refining first-tier pills have now become clear.

Furthermore, with the eight-inch spiritual aperture he had broken through the first layer of seal, his control over spiritual power had already reached a state of perfection. Combined with the exquisite technique of "all fires returning to one" in the True Explanation of Fire Control, all the barriers to refining second-tier pills vanished.

For a full day and night, Xu Yuan was immersed in the study of alchemy techniques. He mastered the key points of refining second-tier pills, the control of the pill fire temperature, and the rhythm of spiritual energy injection. Only then did he finally set up the pill furnace, light the spiritual fire, and prepare to start refining the pills.

The first batch of second-tier pills he chose was the most basic second-tier low-grade pill, the Qi Gathering Pill, which can quickly replenish the spiritual power of cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining. It is the most in-demand pill on the market and also the one that tests the basic skills of second-tier alchemists the most.

The spiritual fire burned steadily under the alchemy furnace. Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, his divine sense firmly locking onto the medicinal herbs inside the furnace. He fully activated the True Understanding of Fire Control, controlling the temperature of the alchemy fire with absolute precision.

The purification of medicinal herbs, the fusion of the pills, and the condensation of the pills were all performed with effortless skill. The ultimate control over spiritual power brought by the eight-inch spiritual aperture was fully demonstrated at this moment.

Three hours later, the alchemy furnace emitted a clear, crisp sound, and the rich aroma of the elixir instantly filled the entire stone chamber.

Xu Yuan raised his hand and lifted the lid of the alchemy furnace, revealing twelve round alchemy pills. The Qi Gathering Pills, gleaming with a pale blue spiritual light, lay quietly in the alchemy furnace. Three of them, in particular, were exceptionally lustrous and had reached the mid-grade quality.

The first batch of second-tier pills yielded twelve pills, a success rate of 70%!

It should be noted that a newly promoted second-tier alchemist can only achieve a 30% success rate in refining Qi Gathering Pills if they are exceptionally talented. If they can achieve 50%, they are already considered honored guests by small families.

He achieved a 70% success rate in his first batch of pills, a talent for alchemy that is extremely rare even in the entire Western Region.

Xu Yuan looked at the Qi Gathering Pill in the alchemy furnace, his face showing no arrogance, but simply nodding in satisfaction.

He didn't stop, and with that feeling of skill, he opened three more furnaces in a row.

In the second batch, he refined eight mid-grade Qi Gathering Pills, with a success rate of 70%. In the third batch, he changed the formula and refined the second-tier healing pill, the Rejuvenation Pill, with a success rate of over 60%. He even refined a high-grade Rejuvenation Pill. In the fourth batch, he challenged himself with the second-tier high-grade pill, the Windwalking Pill, and it was successfully refined without any failure.

After refining four batches of pills, Xu Yuan firmly secured his position as a second-tier alchemist.

It should be noted that there isn't a single qualified second-tier alchemist within a hundred-mile radius of Qingyafang.

Second-tier alchemists are sought-after guests by major sects and families wherever they go, possessing endless resources and connections—a level that countless independent cultivators can never reach in their entire lives.

Xu Yuan, in just two days, went from a first-level alchemist to a genuine second-level alchemist.

Having confirmed that his alchemy skills were sufficient to meet the requirements of the Alchemist Conference, Xu Yuan immediately contacted Wu Song of the Treasure Pill Pavilion using an anonymous communication talisman.

In less than two hours, Wu Song rode his fast horse at breakneck speed from Qingyafang to the foot of Wohu Mountain. Upon seeing Xu Yuan for the first time, he almost knelt down on the spot.

When Xu Yuan placed ten second-tier Qi Gathering Pills in front of him, Wu Song's hands trembled as he held the pills, his eyes widened like copper bells, and his breathing became rapid.

A second-tier pill! And a second-tier Qi Gathering Pill with an extremely high success rate and perfect quality!

Currently, in the entire Qingya Marketplace, and even in the three surrounding markets, there isn't a single alchemist who can consistently refine second-tier pills. Whoever possesses second-tier pills can monopolize the surrounding high-tier pill market—this is an enormous business opportunity, an immense and unimaginable fortune!

"Senior Xu! You...you're actually a second-tier alchemist?!" Wu Song bowed deeply to Xu Yuan, even changing his address from "Fellow Daoist Xu" to "Senior Xu," his tone filled with awe. "Rest assured, my Treasure Pill Pavilion will buy all your pills at 1.2 times the market price; you won't be shortchanged by a single penny!"

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