20: Power Pills and New Ways to Make Money

Having determined his new goal, Xiao Chen immediately took action. He first used the system's Scan to access records about the "power storing pill" in the miscellaneous records of the soul, obtaining detailed pill formulas and medicinal ingredient information.

Pill Formula: power storing pill (Mortal-grade, Intermediate)

Main Ingredients: Green Wood Fruit (Mortal-grade, Intermediate), Stone Stalactite (Mortal-grade, Low-grade)

Auxiliary Ingredients: blood coagulation grass (Mortal-grade, Low-grade), bone regeneration flower (Mortal-grade, Low-grade)

Refinement Essentials: Requires gentle fire-attributed Dou Qi or soul power to guide, blending the vitality of the Green Wood Fruit with the profoundness of the Stone Stalactite, supplemented by the blood coagulation grass and bone regeneration flower to harmonize the medicinal properties, and condense into a pill.

System Replication Estimated Energy Consumption: 15 units/pill (Success rate affected by soul strength and energy purity)

Fifteen units of energy! That's three times the blood coagulation powder! And it requires two new main ingredients, especially the Green Wood Fruit, which is a Mortal-grade, Intermediate medicinal ingredient and quite expensive.

Risk and opportunity coexist. Once successful, the market value of a single power storing pill would be at least fifty gold coins, with profits far exceeding blood coagulation powder.

Xiao Chen didn't hesitate. The next day, he went to the Mittel Auction House and found Steward Li.

"Steward Li, I need to purchase a new batch of medicinal ingredients." Xiao Chen handed over the list with Green Wood Fruit and Stone Stalactite written on it.

Steward Li took the list, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Green Wood Fruit? Stone Stalactite? Is Young Master Xiao Chen going to refine a new type of pill?"

Xiao Chen smiled faintly, not denying it: "An Elder recently taught me a new pill formula; I want to give it a try."

Upon hearing this, Steward Li's face lit up with delight. The more mysterious and powerful the "Elder" behind Xiao Chen, the more beneficial it was for their auction house. He quickly said: "Young Master, rest assured, although these two medicinal ingredients are rarer than blood coagulation grass, we still have stock in the warehouse. I'll arrange it right away, and the price will definitely be preferential!"

Soon, Steward Li brought news: Green Wood Fruit, priced at twenty gold coins per piece; Stone Stalactite, priced at five gold coins per portion (enough for one refinement). Xiao Chen currently had ample funds, so he directly purchased five Green Wood Fruits and five portions of Stone Stalactite, spending one hundred twenty-five gold coins. Coupled with his existing blood coagulation grass and bone regeneration flower, it was enough for him to attempt five syntheses.

Returning to his small room, Xiao Chen adjusted his state and began his first attempt at synthesizing the power storing pill.

He placed a set of materials in front of him, concentrated his mind, and communicated with the system.

"System, begin synthesizing the power storing pill!"

"Ding! Synthesis initiated, consuming 15 units of energy..."

"Energy guiding... Medicinal ingredient energy analysis... Fusion commencing..."

"Warning! Green Wood Fruit energy is overly active, conflicting with Stone Stalactite energy! Fusion failed!"

"Energy lost! Synthesis failed!"

"Current Energy: 85.2 / 10000"

"Soul Strength: Spiritual Agility Initial Stage (92 / 1000)"

It failed!

Xiao Chen's face paled, feeling his soul power severely depleted, and a wave of dizziness washed over him. Fifteen points of energy and a precious set of medicinal ingredients, just like that, went to waste!

Indeed, Mortal-grade, Intermediate pills were not that easy to synthesize! They demanded higher precision in soul power manipulation and energy guidance!

He didn't get discouraged. He immediately sat down cross-legged and circulated the Soul Condensing Technique to restore his soul power. At the same time, he carefully recalled the failed synthesis process, analyzing where the problem lay.

"Green Wood Fruit energy is active, Stone Stalactite energy is profound... Fusion requires a buffer and guidance." Xiao Chen mused, "Perhaps, I should first let my soul power simulate a gentle 'fire-attributed' environment, and then guide the two energies to slowly fuse?"

This was an insight he gained from the descriptions of alchemy techniques in the miscellaneous records of the soul. Although soul power is formless, it can simulate various attributes; the key lies in the exquisite manipulation of soul power.

Once his soul power recovered to about eighty percent, Xiao Chen began his second attempt.

This time, he was even more cautious. He didn't directly order the system to synthesize, but instead tried to use his own soul perception to first "pacify" the active energy of the Green Wood Fruit, while simultaneously "infiltrating" the profound energy of the Stone Stalactite, allowing the two to reach a delicate state of balance.

This process was extremely taxing on his mind and demanded extremely high control over his soul power. Xiao Chen was fully focused, fine beads of sweat trickling down his forehead.

Feeling the time was ripe, he then issued the synthesis command!

"Synthesis initiated... Energy guiding... Fusion..."

"Fusion successful! Medicinal properties condensing..."

"Condensation successful! Obtained power storing pill x1!"

"Synthesis successful!"

"Current Energy: 70.2 / 10000"

"Soul Strength: Spiritual Agility Initial Stage (85 / 1000)"

It succeeded!

Xiao Chen let out a long sigh of relief, feeling more exhausted than after continuously synthesizing ten portions of blood coagulation powder. He spread his palm, and a pill the size of a longan, with a greenish-yellow hue and emitting a faint medicinal fragrance, lay quietly in his palm.

"Scan: power storing pill (Mortal-grade, Intermediate)"

"Quality: Excellent (Medicinal potency condensation 85%)"

"Effect: After consumption, within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, slightly increases strength (approximately ten percent), with significant effects for those below Fighter."

"Replicable: Yes (Requires energy: 15 units)"

Excellent quality! The effect description was also much more detailed than that of blood coagulation powder! This power storing pill would definitely fetch a good price!

With the successful experience, Xiao Chen's confidence surged. He rested briefly, and after recovering his soul power, he pushed through, synthesizing all four remaining sets of materials!

Perhaps it was due to practice making perfect, or perhaps the benefits brought by the improvement in his soul realm, but the next four syntheses actually succeeded three times! Only one failed!

In the end, he obtained four excellent quality power storing pills!

Looking at the four smooth pills in front of him, Xiao Chen's eyes were filled with excitement. This meant that he had successfully opened up a new, more profitable avenue for wealth!

Calculating the cost: Five syntheses consumed seventy-five units of energy (four successes, one failure), and the material cost was approximately one hundred gold coins. He obtained four power storing pills, each worth at least fifty gold coins, for a total revenue of over two hundred gold coins! A net profit of over one hundred gold coins! The profit margin far exceeded that of blood coagulation powder!

Although the energy consumption was greater and the burden on his soul heavier, the returns were also higher! Moreover, as his soul power improved and his synthesis proficiency increased, the success rate would further rise!

The next day, Xiao Chen returned to the Mittel Auction House with the four power storing pills.

When Steward Li saw the four power storing pills emitting a remarkable energy fluctuation, his eyes widened! Mortal-grade, Intermediate pills! And such uniformly superior quality! This was definitely not something an ordinary Alchemist could easily refine!

"Young... Young Master Xiao Chen, this... are these new pills refined by your Elder?" Steward Li's voice trembled slightly.

Xiao Chen nodded calmly: "Indeed. This pill is called 'power storing pill.' As for its effects, Steward Li can have an appraiser verify it."

"No need for verification! No need for verification!" Steward Li waved his hands repeatedly, his face beaming with smiles, "Pills brought by the Young Master are absolutely guaranteed in quality! This power storing pill... I wonder what price the Young Master intends to set?"

Xiao Chen had already thought it through and said: "This pill is not easy to refine, and the materials are precious. How about sixty gold coins per pill, Steward Li?"

Sixty gold coins! That was ten gold coins higher than the market price! But Steward Li didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately agreed: "No problem! We'll go with the Young Master's price! Four power storing pills, a total of two hundred forty gold coins!"

The transaction was completed, and Xiao Chen's funds surged again. He then ordered ten more sets of medicinal ingredients for refining power storing pills, preparing to expand production.

Carrying a heavy money bag and a sense of accomplishment, Xiao Chen left the auction house. He didn't notice that during his transaction with Steward Li, from behind a window in a private room on the second floor, a pair of charming eyes thoughtfully watched his retreating figure.

"power storing pill... Mortal-grade, Intermediate... and such stable quality..." Ya Fei gently swirled her red wine glass, a playful smile curling on her lips, "Xiao Chen, oh Xiao Chen, that 'Elder' behind you is truly becoming more and more intriguing. It seems the plan for the Illusory Spirit Realm needs to be moved up a bit..."

She turned and instructed the shadow behind her: "Go investigate if any well-known Alchemist Grandmasters in the Jia Ma Empire have recently gone missing or shown signs of taking on disciples. The focus is on... those skilled in refining these basic pills, and of extremely high quality."

"Yes, Miss."

A response came from the shadows, which then disappeared.

Ya Fei walked to the window, overlooking the bustling street below, her gaze profound.

"No matter who you are, since you've appeared in Wutan City and intersected with my Mittel Family, then in this game of chess, you are destined to be a player. I just hope you don't disappoint me..."

Meanwhile, Xiao Chen was immersed in the joy of opening a new path to wealth and his plans for the future. He had no idea that his "small-time" pill business had already attracted Ya Fei's deeper attention, and would push him even faster towards the vortex center known as the Illusory Spirit Realm.

His path of replication, after earning his first pot of gold, was accelerating towards a vaster, yet more perilous deep sea.