Black pearl

Nie Li arrived home at night. He wasn't tired. He had spent most of his time on the way cultivating in the carriage setting up his cultivation tent and researching the artifacts he got from the family treasury.

Blueprint was somehow understandable. He found out how they were reducing the weight of the bird puppet. It was powered by the soul force of the captured soul, but Nie Li was sure he could replace it with another type of energy source.

And also he had found the designs of the core where the captured soul must reside. Now Nie Li theoretically could build something to hold someone's soul without turning them into a soul puppet. There was still work to be done of course, but it could be done.

The black pearl was still a mystery for him, however. None of the connection methods he knew worked. And he knew enough. Yet the pearl stayed inert despite all of his attempts. If he couldn't feel the soul force inside it, he would have thought it was an ordinary pearl.

Starlight Crafting Plate shed some light on its structure. The inscriptions, woven into it, didn't make sense. As if they were incomplete, only part of some bigger structure. Nie Li had no idea what it was. But it was related to the history of their family. If the words of the patriarch were to be believed, pretty ancient history, going back more than 30-35 thousand years.

Nie Li could feel his explorer senses tingling. He was sure it was going to lead to something interesting. But it was for later. He must look for more information about the history of his family beforehand.

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Alchemy Association, Yang Xin's office.

"Hello director Yang Xin. Are the pills I ordered ready?" Nie Li had ordered some elixirs from the forbidden list for himself. Even though it was not released to the public, Nie Li, as the one who brought the recipes, could be considered an exception.

"Yes. Even the president himself worked on some of the elixirs." Yang Xin said looking up from her work.

"I will thank him when I see him next time." Nie Li said.

"Oh, who would thank me, poor director." Yang Xin said dramatically putting her hand on her forehead. "Working tirelessly day and night, inhaling noxious, toxic fumes. I will lose all my beauty soon, this way."

Her attitude towards him changed from professional to playful, like it was in the novel, as soon as she learned about his alchemical knowledge. They had several meetings after the agreement between the Association and Nie Li.

In one of their meetings, they talked about alchemy matters and she was impressed. Even though he hadn't shown any practical skills, she decided that Nie Li was at least a Master Alchemist.

"If those fumes in any way negatively impacted your beauty I can't see it. Maybe more women should inhale those fumes if this is the result." Nie Li already notices that it was impossible to stop her from acting this way. Fighting fire with fire was the only solution.

"Little brother Nie Li is so cruel. Maybe if the little brother had some new recipes for me, it could have lifted my mood." She said leaning towards him. She always tried to get new recipes from him.

"Sister Yang Xin, you know that I can't give you any more recipes. But," Nie Li said and took a dramatic pause. "No one can say that Nie Li is a cruel master that exploits fair maidens day and night tirelessly without rewarding them!" Nie Li also added theatrically, making Yang Xin sputter. She acted playfully towards Nie Li because she didn't take him seriously as an adult. Any response she may have wanted to voice died because Nie Li released his present from his interspatial ring.

"What do you think about it?" he asked.

"Rather strange-looking alchemy furnace?" half affirmatively, half questioningly responded Yang Xin. It was one and a half meters in height large octagonal prism. It had no decorations whatsoever.

"Yes, It's a modified alchemy furnace. It will help you avoid all those noxious fumes you were complaining about." He had made a copy of his alchemy furnace. Because some of the recipes could be made only by Gu Yan. That made Nie Li too dependent on him. And the old man was usually quite busy. If Yang Xin could also make those elixirs it would solve some of his problems. Also, it was a bribe.

Nie Li explained how to use the furnace to Yang Xin. The more she learned the more excited she became.

"This would allow me to make elixirs on the level of Senior Alchemy masters," she said in a good mood. "It's also small to be used as a mobile furnace, but can work as a stationary large furnace. And the chances of success would also rise with the alchemist not needing to worry about everything at the same time."

Automatization was never considered for alchemy before.

"Let's test it," she said excitedly bad started to take out ingredients from her interspatial ring. She was an alchemy maniac.

"Are we doing it in your office?" Nie Li's innuendo went over her head as she looked around. Then she led him to her alchemy room where she started to work on the Soul Concentration pill.

After almost two hours, during which Nie Nie Li sat down to cultivate, she was finished. Yeah, alchemy was a time-consuming task. That's why Nie Li wasn't willing to do it himself.

"This is great. Before the success rate of this elixir was around 30 percent for me. Now I think if I don't make any serious mistakes I can make it 100 percent.

"So around 80-90 percent," Nie Li said. Those mistakes are the usual causes of failures after all.

"Even then it's a great advancement. If we had more of these furnaces." she looked at him hopefully.

"Theoretically it's possible. Not soon or for free of course. But if the Association can help me with one matter, I think I can accelerate my plans and gift a bigger one to you." Nie Li said.

"Ah, little brother Nie Li is so scheming. You must have planned it all before coming here, haven't you?" Yang Xin looked at him shrewdly.

"Do not make such insinuations. I am completely innocent here."

"Should I call the president? Or is it something I can solve?" she asked.

"Yes please call him."

Some time later she returned with president Gu Yan. Gu Yan greeted him and went to examine the furnace. He with Yang Xin tested different functions of the furnace and looked satisfied.

"So Nie Li, you say you have a bigger version of this furnace?"

"Yes. Three meters in height." That was the current limit of the Starlight Crafting Plate. "This means the internal chamber's volume is 8 times bigger."

Gu Yan's eyes sparkled. They currently had four big furnaces that could produce high-ranked elixirs. And their internal chamber was smaller than that. Also, a better success rate would mean less production cost.

"So what did you want our help with?" Gu Yan asked him.

"I heard that the Hong Yue Auction House is selling some mysterious artifact in their next auction. In the form of some kind of pot." Gu Yan was surprised. Only recently Hong Yue family asked the Association to try to assess the artifact. And their appraiser was only allowed a short look to identify if it was related to alchemy or not. Other great families also may have been approached for this reason, but Gu Yan didn't know.

The fact Nie Li heard about it and knew its form was surprising. His information sources were as impressive as always. Was his master interested in that artifact?

"I want to exchange it for another artifact of equal value." Nie Li motioned and a huge impressive throne appeared in front of them. "This is Emperor's Throne. It may have belonged to Emperor Kong Ming of the Sacred Empire. It can raise the cultivation speed of someone in the Black Gold rank by 25 percent. It will be useful even for Legend rank demon spiritualists."

Gu Yan looked at the throne with astonishment. He knew that such an artifact was priceless. Because advancing further in the higher realms became very difficult. The only solution so far was the pills. And Alchemy Association didn't have any pills that could help Black Gold rank cultivators until recently. Though they weren't released to the public yet. Even when they will be released they will be expensive. To get the same continuous result as this artifact allegedly offered, a person must spend tens of millions a month non-stop.

"Are you sure about the effects?" Gu Yan carefully asked.

"Of course. It was tested thoroughly." Its method was copied from abstruse gemstone, Ming Yahui's pendant, and powered by a decently sized Heavenly Energy Crystal. Nie Li was sure about its effectiveness.

"Nie Li. Why are you selling it?" asked Yang Xin who stayed silent during their discussion. "Couldn't you use it yourself? Or is it useful only in black gold rank?"

"It would be wasteful in the lower realms. And I have other, more effective resources with the same function." Nie Li admitted, not bothering with hiding. Because Gu Yan and Yang Xin were already in his camp. He wasn't lying either. The abstruse gemstone not only was more powerful but also would stay 100 percent effective even in the Legend rank. Only in the Heavenly Fate Realm do its effects diminish.

Was Nie Li worried that Ye Zong could learn about it? If he hadn't already noticed the anomalous cultivation speed of his daughter he wouldn't be worth his salt as a City Lord.

"Then it may work," said Gu Yan coming to his senses. "The Hong Yue family doesn't know the function of that pot yet. Do you know anything about it?"

"I do not. But my master may."

"Then it's settled." After they heard Nie Li's master might be interested in the artifact they immediately agreed. Maybe he should have just said it was his master's order. But Nie Li tried to limit his lies somewhat. When the time comes and Nie Li would be pressed for answers, he could point towards Yu Yan or Ying Yueru as his masters. Because they will teach…or is it had taught, could have taught? Ugh, time travel shenanigans, making Nie Li's life difficult.

"Our appraiser would assess the artifact, and we can contact the Hong Yue family." Gu Yan said.

"Without me. You can tell me how the assessment went through director Yang Xin. I want to keep my involvement minimal. If someone learns that the artifact came from me my life could be in danger." Nie Li said.

"Sensible." Gu Yan praised him. "We will keep you in the loop about the transaction."

"If there's an additional payment required for the transaction to go, I will pay." Nie Li said.

"No need. If what you said will be confirmed, they will be the ones who need to pay extra. But I wouldn't hope for that too much. They are merchants after all."

"Understood. I will take my leave president, director." Nie Li nodded to them and left, taking the ordered pills.

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Leaving the throne to be put in an auction, Nie Li hadn't given up his previous plans. If he remembered correctly, in the novel, the Sacred Family, Alchemy Association, and someone potentially from the Dark Guild fought hard for the Nightmare Demon Pot in the auction.

Alchemy Association will not be as interested in the new artifact. So, the Dark Guild and the Sacred Family would be the main contenders. Although, the Snow Wind and Divine families also might decide to join the auction this time.

Nie Li could stop the Snow Wind family from intervening. The Divine family, on the other hand, was not so easy. He wasn't that close to Chen Linjian.

Though even without his interference, the auction may go the way he wanted. If Shen Hong would be awakened from his secluded cultivation, Nie Li was sure he would be for this occasion, he would try his all to get the artifact. He may not even allow the Dark Guild to get it despite their alliance.

Well, Nie Li wouldn't be too put out even if someone else gets it. Getting the Nightmare Demon Pot early was much more important to him.

Now with most of his current plans accomplished, Nie Li decided to organize a party. His friends are returning from their hunt tomorrow. He also sent letters to Chen Linjian and Huyan Lanruo inviting them. It was time to turn them to his side.