Chapter 14: Breaking Through 4 Layers_1

"Two hundred proficiency points just to get started?!"

Xu Mu's face turned sour.

He was aware that concocting a tier two pill would be more difficult, but he hadn't expected it to be this much more demanding.

However, he had no choice but to accept. The system was only responsible for displaying the data; it couldn't adjust it and wouldn't haggle with him.

After thinking for a while, he decided to just accept it.

No matter how much proficiency the Jade Marrow Pill required, he would have to learn it sooner or later.

Although the skill was already shown, Xu Mu did not immediately assign points to it. Instead, he spent two days studying and practicing Alchemy and the Pill Spell until he was highly proficient.

At this point, his familiarity with the Jade Marrow Pill had reached the beginner level; 22/200.

Afterwards, he took out Sun Daocheng's experience in alchemy, carefully pondered it until he fully understood it.

The proficiency of Jade Marrow Pill increased to Beginner; 30/200.

At this point, no matter what attempts he made, the proficiency of the Jade Marrow Pill no longer increased.

It was only then that Xu Mu began to allocate points.

[Jade Marrow Pill+10]!

[Jade Marrow Pill +10]!

[Jade Marrow Pill +10]!

...

[Jade Marrow Pill Proficiency; 200/800]

After spending another day, Xu Mu used 770 points of Luck Value to raise the Jade Marrow Pill to the Proficiency level, then he stopped increasing it.

The main reason was that his luck value was nearly exhausted. He planned to keep the remaining 200 points for improving his Fire-controlling Skill after breaking through to the fourth level of Qi Cultivation.

After assigning points, Xu Mu did not start to concoct the Jade Marrow Pill immediately. Instead, he produced two batches of Qi Gathering Pills first.

On one hand, it was a warm-up. On the other hand, he was worried that his spiritual power would be insufficient while concocting the Jade Marrow Pill, so he prepared two batches of Qi Gathering Pills for emergency use.

After all, the Jade Marrow Pill was a tier two pill, the difficulty of concocting it far exceeded that of Qi Gathering Pills. It would be a pity if he failed because of insufficient spiritual power.

Although Qi Gathering Pill was not specifically used to replenish spiritual power, it did have a minor effect.

If taken in large quantities, it could still replenish spiritual power.

After the Qi Gathering Pill was prepared, he rested for another day, adjusted his state to the best, only then did he begin to concoct the Jade Marrow Pill.

Bone flower, yellow lotus essence, blood lotus essence, ice flame grass, purple-blue leaves, white lingzhi fruit, snow lotus seeds, red spirit fruit...

Having carefully checked the medicinal materials, he lit the flame.

Pre-heating!

The flames in Xu Mu's hands were already spiritual.

The Fire-controlling Skill approaching the transcendence level had already turned the flames into his arms. He didn't even need to form spells any longer, with a simple flick of his fingers, he could bring about all kinds of changes.

The pill furnace emitted spots of fluorescent light, and mysterious runes began to form complex patterns covering the entire furnace.

Once the temperature was enough, Xu Mu began to add the medicinal materials in order, controlling the flame and stabilizing the medicinal properties.

Time passed silently during the concoction. Except for consuming several Qi Gathering Pills to replenish his spiritual power, Xu Mu's eyes never left the Pill furnace.

After two days and one night of hard work, the Jade Marrow Pill was finally successfully concocted.

The air was filled with a rich fragrance; a single sniff was enough to make one's entire body relaxed.

"With a cultivation base at the late stage of Qi Cultivation, it's indeed a bit strenuous to make a tier two pill. Fortunately, my alchemy skills have reached Proficiency!" Xu Mu commented.

To avoid accidents, he added another 200 proficiency points, otherwise he might not have succeeded on the first try.

As for the quality of the completed pill...

Three were middle-grade, seven were lower-grade, and not even one was of high-grade.

But he was already satisfied with his success.

If he wanted to concoct a high-grade Jade Marrow pill, he would probably have to improve to the Perfection level.

However, even the lower-grade Jade Marrow Pill was a tier-two pill, ten times more expensive than the Qi Gathering Pill.

If he were to sell these pills, he could make more than eighty lower-grade Spirit Stones, equivalent to half a month's worth of Qi Gathering Pills.

He could only make one batch of Qi Gathering Pills a day and need a day off afterwards. On average, he could make about fifteen batches in a month.

Each batch had about ten pills. After deductions for the cost of two Spirit Stones per batch (based on the original price), the profit was around 120 Spirit Stones.

Considering that a batch of Jade Marrow Pills took three days to make, even if he rested for three days in between batches, he could still make five batches. With ten pills per batch, that's fifty pills.

After subtracting the cost of twenty Spirit Stones per batch, he could still make a whopping profit of up to four hundred lower-grade Spirit Stones.

If he strained a little bit and only rested for two days, or even just one day, before starting on the next batch, the profit could even exceed one thousand Spirit Stones. This was a hundred-fold increase from before he had the system.

This was, after all, a tier two pill!

Not many in the entire White Stone City can make a tier two pill, so such a high profit was not strange at all.

"With the recent inflation, Jade Marrow Pill's price must have increased a lot too. Maybe my income could easily exceed one thousand!"

Xu Mu was in a very good mood, thinking that his decision to invest so much Luck Value into the Jade Marrow Pill was the right choice.

"However, I need to be careful when selling Jade Marrow Pill due to its hefty price!"

With the issue with the Brothers of Li Family yet to be resolved, he didn't want to get into trouble with anyone else.

After resting for a day, Xu Mu was ready to take the Jade Marrow Pill he had made to see if it would help him breakthrough to the fourth level of Qi Cultivation.

Knock, knock!

There were sudden knocks on the door.

Through the crack of the door, Xu Mu saw a plump figure.

"Friend Jia, what brings you here?"

Xu Mu opened the door and asked the deep in thought Jia An.

"Friend Xu, you're really patient! Don't you know that the rent has gone up again?" Jia An looked up at Xu Mu and gave a wry smile.

"The prices have gone up again? By how much?" Xu Mu frowned slightly.

Lately, he had been preoccupied with alchemy and his cultivation, and did not pay much attention to the situation in the slums.

"Five lower-grade spirit stones!"

Jia An held out five short, thick fingers, expressing his feeling of helplessness.

Honestly, this price had already far exceeded his limit of endurance.

If it weren't for the inflation that had also increased his income, he might have moved out long ago.

"That much? I remember it only rose to three spirit stones last month!" Xu Mu exclaimed in surprise.

Five spirit stones might not mean much to him now, but for the cultivators living in the slums, it could be life-threatening.

After all, their monthly income might not even reach five spirit stones. After paying the rent, they could barely afford to eat.

"Exactly, it seems like the Chi family is trying to force us out!" Jia An sighed.

"The Chi Family? Did we get new management here?" Xu Mu wondered.

He remembered that the entire White Stone City should be under the jurisdiction of the Song family.

"You didn't know?"

Jia An asked in surprise.

After confirming Xu Mu really didn't know, he began to explain.

Recently, not only many loose cultivators had come to seek refuge, but several Foundation Establishment families had also moved in, including the Chi Family.

The Chi Family had a decree from the Clear River Sword Sect, forcing the Song family to give up some of their territory to accommodate them.

The area where they lived was one of those places.

During his closed-door cultivation period, the power structure of the entire White Stone City had been rearranged.

"No wonder the person collecting the rent last time was different!"

Xu Mu finally understood.

"Friend Jia, you didn't come to see me just to talk about this, did you?"

"Of course not!"

Jia An looked around, lowered his voice, and said: "The cultivators from nearby lanes and I have discussed, and we feel that the situation cannot go on like this. So, we want to gather everyone to confront the Chi family. I came to ask if you would like to join us."

Xu Mu was taken aback, "Friend Jia, you're not joking, are you? They are a Foundation Establishment family, if we go there, wouldn't that be seeking death?"

They probably won't kill, but, speculated Xu Mu, they probably won't care about them either.

The main problem was the vast gap in their social standings!

Those living in slums were lower-class cultivators, and there weren't many in the intermediate stage of Qi cultivation. How could they negotiate with others?

"Friend Xu, rest assured. When the time comes, cultivators in the late stage of Qi cultivation will come forward. We just need to stand behind and make a show of force," Jia An confidently said.

Considering for a moment, Xu Mu agreed.

His original intent was not to get involved in these affairs for a few spirit stones.

But being too aloof could lead to ostracism from the others.

Seeing Xu Mu's agreement, Jia An smiled. After informing him about the meeting time, he hurriedly left for the next house.

Xu Mu went back inside and told Ye Yingying about their plan to confront the Chi family.

"We don't really lack spirit stones, why don't you stay out of it?" Ye Yingying seemed worried.

A group of low-level loose cultivators confronting a Foundation Establishment family seemed like trying to shake a giant tree.

"Don't worry, I'm not a fool. If things go south, I'll naturally retreat to the back of the crowd," Xu Mu reassured her as he gently squeezed her hand.

After hugging his daughter, Xu Mu returned to the storeroom, took out the freshly prepared Jade Marrow Pill, and prepared to take one to test its effect.

He planned to meet Jia An the next day, so it wouldn't interfere with his medication.

He just hoped that there wouldn't be any surprises tomorrow!

Xu Mu prayed silently in his heart.

Placing the Jade Marrow Pill in his mouth, it gave off a faint sweet smell.

Xu Mu swallowed it directly without chewing.

As the pill entered his stomach, it instantly released a warm medicinal power that spread throughout his body.

Xu Mu's skin turned visibly red at a visible rate, as if he were in a steam room, with white mist rising from his body.

In this state, Xu Mu didn't feel uncomfortable, instead, he felt comfortable as if he were soaking in a hot spring.

He allowed the medicinal power to release in his body, slowly cleansing the impurities in his body.

After the medicinal power had completely released, and the heat had subsided, Xu Mu rubbed his hands and found a thin layer of dead skin on them.

He took off his clothes and cast a Cleansing Skill to remove all the dead skin and sweat from his body.

His skin that was originally rough and black, turned much paler after the dead skin was wiped off, looking like it had been covered with a layer of foundation.

Xu Mu then tried to sit in meditation and operate his martial method.

He discovered that his speed of spiritual power operation had increased significantly, and his cultivation base was on the verge of breakthrough.

"The Jade Marrow Pill really has the effect of rejuvenating and improving the body constitution!" Xu Mu was overjoyed.

He took the remaining nine Jade Marrow Pills and swallowed them all at once.

After completely absorbing and digesting them, Xu Mu's physique improved significantly, his skin became fair, he looked much younger, and his originally graying hair had noticeably darkened.

When he opened the system panel, he saw that the lifespan column had increased by three years, reaching 107 years.

This was something Xu Mu never expected!

At this time, he operated his martial method again and faced no bottlenecks. Almost effortlessly, his cultivation base broke through to the fourth layer of Qi cultivation, and his spiritual power increased by as much as fifty percent in a short period.