https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-33-The-Purple-Cloud-Copper-Cauldron/12831504/
Chapter 34: I Don't Mind Offering Myself
Chapter 34: I Don’t Mind Offering Myself
"Hmm, do you want it?"
Caiyi Wu sipped the tea Luo Chen had poured for her, her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowing.
What kind of tea leaves was this? It was way too bitter!
Across from her, Luo Chen's eyes were shining, his heart pounding several times faster than usual.
The Purple Cloud Copper Furnace, a standard Alchemist's Crucible produced by the Tower of Ten Thousand Treasures.
It wasn't of high quality, only a first-grade lower-grade furnace, but it was extremely versatile.
Most of the common alchemy techniques used in the cultivation world were compatible with it.
Moreover, this furnace had an inscribed Flame Regulation Array, which was particularly adept at regulating the flame.
New alchemists often struggled to control the flame, leading to the destruction of prepared materials.
But with this array, as long as different amounts of spiritual energy were injected beforehand, it could adjust to any external fire, no matter how intense.
The Flame Regulation Array could gather and disperse at will, making the alchemy fire more responsive and controllable.
Do you think Luo Chen wants it?
Of course, he does!
If he had such an alchemy furnace, he wouldn't be limited to refining just one batch of Wonders Pill per day.
In terms of efficiency, he could refine at least two batches in a day!
Looking at Caiyi Wu with intense eyes, Luo Chen suddenly reached out and, to her surprise, grasped her delicate hand.
"Caiyi, are you giving me one?"
"I can, as long as you give me one. Even if it means offering myself to you, I have no complaints!"
Caiyi Wu was momentarily stunned, then she pulled her left hand out of his thick, large hand.
"Out of my sight!"
"Who asked you to offer yourself? Pervert!"
She rolled her eyes and said seriously, "If you want it, you have to spend spirit stones to buy it."
"Is that so?" Luo Chen sighed dejectedly. "If I could afford it, I would have bought it already."
"I didn't mean for you to go to the Tower of Ten Thousand Treasures," Caiyi Wu said, unable to bear Luo Chen's quick change of expression. "Si Si, the courtesan at Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, is also an alchemist. She has a spare Purple Cloud Copper Furnace. I asked her, and if you want it, she can sell it to you at a discount."
Si Si, of course, he knew her.
She was beautiful and well-learned, especially in water techniques and alchemy.
And her most famous attribute was her status as an inner disciple of the Joyful Union Sect.
However, no matter how beautiful or famous she was, it didn't concern Luo Chen.
What he cared about most was the price!
"How much of a discount? How much cheaper?"
"Three hundred lower-grade spirit stones."
Luo Chen's heart leaped with joy, but he still showed a troubled expression. "That's quite expensive. A second-hand one only goes for about two hundred."
"Why don't you buy a second-hand one then?" Caiyi Wu chuckled. "Don't act poor. This price is already a favor because you're my neighbor. If you really want it, let me know."
Indeed, this price was quite a bargain.
The so-called second-hand price Luo Chen mentioned was the buyback price at the Tower of Ten Thousand Treasures.
It was well-known that the Tower of Ten Thousand Treasures was the most notorious of all the unscrupulous merchants.
A brand new Purple Cloud Copper Furnace cost four hundred and fifty spirit stones.
It was only slightly cheaper than a defensive magic weapon, far more expensive than other first-grade lower-grade offensive magic weapons.
And since it was an alchemy tool that wandering cultivators rarely used, it was rarely found on the market.
Now that he had encountered one at such a low price, Luo Chen wasn't about to miss this opportunity.
Luo Chen laughed awkwardly and said hurriedly, "I'll buy it, definitely. But I need some time to gather the money."
"So poor?" Caiyi Wu looked at Luo Chen with suspicion. "Do you even earn spirit stones from alchemy?"
She had serious doubts about whether her neighbor would be evicted from the inner city in three months for not having enough spirit stones to pay rent.
"Don't worry about that. I'll definitely bring the spirit stones when the time comes!" Luo Chen said confidently.
In fact, he could afford three hundred spirit stones.
Not to mention, he currently had over four hundred spirit stones in his pocket!
The Flying Swallow Sword had sold for one thousand one hundred spirit stones. After buying the Qi Cultivation Pill and the five spells, he had four hundred left.
Plus the twenty-odd spirit stones he had before.
In short, Luo Chen wasn't really that poor at the moment.
The main reason Luo Chen hasn't bought a new alchemy furnace yet is that he doesn't need it right now. The current batch of raw materials was specifically processed to fit his iron pot. If he were to use an alchemy furnace for the remaining materials, he'd need to adjust his techniques, find the right wood to burn, and recalculate the time needed for the pills to form. So, he plans to use up the current batch of materials, recover his costs, and then consider purchasing a new furnace.
How frustrating!
If only there were interest-free, large-sum spirit stone loans for motivated independent cultivators like himself.
This world of cultivation, controlled by sects, is far too cold and indifferent to us independent cultivators!
Days passed in a well-ordered routine of refining elixirs, practicing spells, and studying magical arts. Luo Chen adjusted his spell practice schedule and frequency. He had previously maintained the habit of living in the outer city, where he only practiced spells superficially. Recently, he realized that the inner city was quite safe, and there was no need to keep his mana at peak levels all the time. Therefore, he could now use more mana to master the new spells he had learned.
In his free time, he often chatted with Gu Caiyi about the world of cultivation. He was puzzled at first why he never saw her practicing. After she explained, he understood. Gu Caiyi usually went to the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion to cultivate, where a spirit-gathering array was set up to enhance the concentration of spiritual energy.
Of course, the concentration of spiritual energy from a first-grade spirit vein is limited. When someone gathers spirit energy, others naturally don't get the full concentration they should. Yes, this latter group includes Luo Chen and other independent cultivator residents.
The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect turned out to be a big fraud. They promised high-quality housing with a first-grade spirit vein, but it turned out that the spirit energy they absorbed was what others had left over after filtering.
Occasionally, he would run into Bai Meiling, the round-faced woman. She didn't show up often, as the Hundred Herbs Hall was very busy with the Medicine King Sect sending people to inventory and transport a batch of collected spiritual herbs.
As for the other resident in the courtyard, Luo Chen had never seen her.
"Fu Xiuxiu is in charge of the Divine Talisman Pavilion and usually stays there. She's known for her high-level talisman-making skills and has a good chance of being accepted into the Divine Talisman Sect."
That's what Gu Caiyi told him. After hearing this, Luo Chen was very envious. Joining a sect is a rare opportunity that many independent cultivators dream of. He didn't know if he would ever have the chance to join a powerful sect. His standards weren't high; a sect like the Bliss Sect would be fine. He often mentioned to anyone at the market that Yunhe Shangren was his idol.
Thus, Luo Chen worked overtime and managed to use up all his materials before the big market day. The final results were very satisfying! Out of the last twenty-five batches of raw materials, he successfully created five pills. This meant that his success rate in refining the Pill of Wonders had improved from one in ten to two in ten!
From a cost-control perspective, this was a significant improvement. Initially, with a fifty spirit stone cost, he could refine ten batches, with one successful batch sold for fifty spirit stones, breaking even. Actually, it was a loss, as he could have earned dozens of spirit stones by refining the Fasting Powder over those few months.
So, he was indeed at a loss back then. Now, or in the future, with the same fifty spirit stone cost, he could successfully refine two out of ten batches, selling them for a hundred spirit stones, with a net profit of fifty.
With this profit margin, as long as he was willing to invest, Luo Chen could count spirit stones until his hands were tired.
"This is just at the proficient level. If I improve to the expert, perfect, or even master level, imagine the possibilities!"
Luo Chen was very excited. On a misty morning, he rushed to the southern city's independent cultivator market like an early-rising vegetable vendor. Today would be a day full of harvests!
(End of Chapter)
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