Chapter 1151: Unexpected Harvest
"Welcome! May I ask why you are here today...?"
When Ru’er saw an azure-clothed elder walk into Yun Xin Loft, she immediately came forward to tend to him. She was also wary of him. Over the past five days, other than Huyan Cang and Zuoqiu Haoyu, Yun Xin Loft had not seen a single customer. Ru’er did not suddenly place her hopes on this one person.
"Where’s your master? I want to hire him to refine medicine for me."
Sect Master Dong knew of the quarrel between Yi Yun, Huyan Cang and Zuoqiu Haoyu. He was rather impressed by how the young man with an ordinary background dared to stand up to the Myriad Immortal Pavilion and the Heaven Bestowing Medicinal Clinic. However, he did not think that Yi Yun would win.
Unfortunately, he was desperate today and had nowhere else to turn.
"Oh? You want me to refine medicine?" Yi Yun walked down from upstairs. "You are the first proper customer in five days to request my services."
It had been five days. Yi Yun felt that his Yun Xin Loft was quite a failure. Were it not for Zuoqiu Haoyu and Huyan Cang’s little stunt giving him free publicity, his Yun Xin Loft would probably really close down in the future.
"Young Master Yi." Sect Master Dong bowed, "I’m Jadewave Sect’s Sect Master, Dong Shaoqing."
"Nice to meet you, Sect Master Dong." Yi Yun cupped his fists. "Let me make this clear upfront: If the materials end up being destroyed during the refining process, I will not make any compensation. As long as you can accept this condition, I will begin the refining process."
"I naturally know the rules. To be honest, I came here because I was out of options. It’s an all-or-nothing bet." Dong Shaoqing spoke honestly. Even if Huyan Cang did not prohibit the other medicinal clinics from making the pill for him, he had no time to seek and gather the refinement fees demanded by the other stores. If there was any further delay, his daughter’s talent would truly be wasted.
"Haha." Not only was Yi Yun unoffended by Dong Shaoqing’s frank statement, he actually laughed. "Sect Master Dong, please feel free to state your request."
Dong Shaoqing said, "Young Master Yi, I need a Body Cleansing Pill for my daughter. I have already prepared the ingredients. However, I truly can’t pay the refinement fees of other establishments. I had a previous deal with Huyan Cang, he wanted a Skydew Grass before he would agree to refine the pill for me. However, he has gone back on his word. All I have is a Skydew Grass. If you are interested in it, take it away. In the next hundred years, I will give you a total of 100,000 runes intermittently as a form of thanks. If Young Master Yi doesn’t need the Skydew Grass, then forget it."
"Skydew Grass?"
Yi Yun was surprised. He saw Dong Shaoqin take out a jade box. When he opened it, there was withered yellow grass sitting inside. It looked like it had withered a long time ago, but strangely, there was crystalline dew on the grass’s leaf.
"It is indeed Skydew Grass..." Yi Yun never expected to see Skydew Grass.
According to the divine alchemist’s notes, Skydew Grass was an extremely rare herb. One might not even find it if they scoured the oceans and mountains.
The divine alchemist’s notes also used Skydew Grass as a core ingredient for a pill that could enhance one’s soul realm. It was called Skydew Mental Nourishing Pill.
Typically, the strength of a warrior’s soul was on par with their cultivation level.
As for peerless geniuses, the strength of their soul would typically be a subrealm or two higher than their cultivation level.
For a person like Yi Yun, who was proficient in four Great Dao laws and had condensed four nine-leaf Dao fruits, constructing a nine-edged Dao Palace, the power of his soul was already comparable to a half-step Supremacy.
However, it was still rather hasty to designate Yi Yun’s soul to be invincible among peers at his cultivation level.
After all, Yi Yun was not a warrior that focused on cultivating his soul. People like Fairy Youqin had given birth to soul attacks through her cultivation of Zither Dao. She had trained her soul from a young age, so the power of her soul had long reached an unimaginable level among warriors at her level. She had an edge over Yi Yun.
A powerful soul was usually reflected by good perception sensing, the launching or enduring of mental attacks, as well as nomological insight. It could not directly raise one’s combat strength, so warriors that focused on the soul typically did not have an advantage in battle.
However, for alchemists or Desolate Heaven Masters, strength of soul mattered quite a lot. An alchemist with a powerful soul would refine pills of a grade that far exceeded a normal alchemist’s. They could also attempt several highly difficult pills.
Yi Yun estimated that with the Skydew Mental Nourishing Pill, there would come a day when his soul slowly rose from half-step Supremacy to the level of Supremacy. As such, he would be more confident when he began refining the Hollow Soul Pill. Yi Yun had even considered the idea of using other herbs to replace the Skydew Mental Nourishing Pill.
"Young Master Yi, I know this Skydew Grass might not be of much use to you, but I really do not have anything else other than this." Sect Master Dong said with shame.
After all, he had been scammed by Huyan Cang. He knew that Yi Yun and Huyan Cang had a grudge. Only when Huyan Cang refused to refine the pill for him did he seek Yi Yun’s help. Moreover, he had brought the same herb that Huyan Cang had rejected. He felt somewhat apologetic.
Not be of much use?
Yi Yun faltered slightly. Thinking back on what Dong Shaoqing said, Huyan Cang had wanted a Skydew Grass but had gone back on his word. Clearly, Skydew Grass wasn’t something he cared much about.
Why did all the present alchemists think lowly of Skydew Grass?
Or could it be...that the Skydew Mental Nourishing Pill was the product of one of the divine alchemist’s exclusive recipes that no one knew of?
Yi Yun thought for a moment and found the latter rather likely. Many recipes were invented by alchemists themselves. They were typically secrets that weren’t simply passed on. If an alchemist did not have a successor, or if the successor was too limited in ability to properly recreate the recipe, then recipes would be lost over time.
The Skydew Mental Nourishing Pill recipe was apparently one of those lost recipes.
It resulted in Skydew Grass becoming an extremely rare but not very useful herb to alchemists.
If that was truly the case, he had truly struck the lottery!
Yi Yun felt that he could have refined the pills free for his first true customer. However, he really wanted the Skydew Grass.
Furthermore, if what Dong Shaoqing said was true, the number of alchemists that wanted Skydew Grass was extremely low. It would only be a pearl covered in dust if it landed in the hands of another. That would be such a pity.
After some thought, he said, "Sect Master Dong, to be honest, I happen to need this Skydew Grass. I can refine the Body Cleansing Pill for you. As for giving me 100,000 runes within a hundred years, there’s no need for that."
Yi Yun did not hide his intentions. Dong Shaoqing was delighted when he heard that. Although he wasn’t sure if Yi Yun could succeed in refining the Body Cleansing Pill, it at least gave him hope.
He immediately handed the Skydew Grass to Yi Yun, who took it carefully.
"Materials."
Yi Yun stretched out his hand. Sect Master Dong handed an interspatial ring to him without any hesitation.
"Young Master Yi, when can I receive the pills?"
Sect Master Dong asked anxiously. The materials in the interspatial ring represented the entirety of his wealth. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t panic a little after just handing it all over to Yi Yun.
Yi Yun glanced at Sect Master Dong and read his mind. He said with a smile, "If you are worried, follow me into the alchemy lab. I’ll hand it to you directly once I’m done refining."