107 It Is All Just a Ruse

The Gray-Robed Daoist held up two fingers. "Not much, just this many."

He chuckled after saying this.

"No way, you got two hundred spirit stones just for pointing out the way to the Alchemy Pavilion?"

"Haha, didn't see that coming, did you?" After a brief moment of glee, he paused, suddenly realizing something. "Wait, how did you know I was asking for the way to the Alchemy Pavilion?"

"So you mean to tell me you earned two hundred spirit stones for nothing, without even knowing what you were getting into?"

The Gray-Robed Daoist blinked, shaking his head. "Is there some sort of trick to this?"

The Black-Robed Daoist grew animated, slamming his hand on the table. "The Wang family's Alchemy Pavilion has recently taken on a grandmaster of alchemy. It’s also rumored that since the beast tide is raging north of Mount Yudian, he specifically concocted a new type of pill—the Yin-Yang Thunder Bead!"

"This master is like a dragon that shows its head but hides its tail; it is only said that he is an enlightened expert from the Azure Mountain Sect."

"Because he trusts the reputation of the Wang family, he has entrusted them with exclusive sales."

"The Yin-Yang Thunder Bead is extraordinary. Even an ordinary person, as long as they can channel spiritual energy, can unleash a blow equivalent to the full power of a fourth-level Qi Refinement cultivator."

Upon hearing this, some in the Cloud Pavilion Inn remained indifferent, but those with keener minds were instantly startled.

"Is this true?" A Green-Robed Daoist sitting in the corner asked, his voice full of surprise as he joined the conversation.

"A fourth-level Qi Refinement blow might not seem like much to the fellow cultivators present, and you might dismiss it, but have you considered that for the younger, lower-cultivation members of our clans, this is nothing short of a life-saving treasure?"

"Those painstakingly crafted protective talismans cost tens of thousands of spirit stones, yet they can only block attacks at the Qi Refinement level. It would be far better to keep a few of these pills on hand."

Just then, a Daoist in pale-colored robes raised a doubt: "What if the process to activate this item is extremely complicated?"

"I happen to have one right here. We can test it and see for ourselves."

The Black-Robed Daoist from earlier took out a bean-sized pill, held it in his palm, and shouted, "Which fellow cultivator has the confidence to withstand a blow?"

Normally, the attendants or managers of the Cloud Pavilion Inn would have stepped in to stop such a scene, but they allowed it to unfold.

"I'll do it!" A man with a gray beard stood up, cleared away the surrounding tables and chairs, and drew a long golden blade from his storage bag.

The blade was engraved with mysterious and intricate dark-gold patterns, and at a glance, it shimmered with a faint, precious luster; it was clearly no ordinary object.

"Get ready!"

The Black-Robed Daoist flicked his wrist, and a gray bolt of lightning shot toward the gray-bearded man’s face.

"Well done!"

Using some unknown technique, the golden blade flashed, its edge rushing to meet the Yin-Yang Thunder Bead.

"BOOM!"

"CLANG!"

When the thin dust settled, everyone in the Cloud Pavilion Inn was horrified. The gray-bearded man’s beard was scorched yellow and curling; he quickly reached up to pat out the flames before they could destroy it entirely.

He looked incredibly disheveled and had stumbled back several steps, leaning against a red wooden pillar behind him.

Even that ostentatious golden blade was cracked with a large jagged notch, clearly rendered useless.

In another corner, two people wearing bamboo hats sat quietly, sipping their wine while watching the chaotic scene.

"Cough, cough. Brother Wang, isn't this going a bit too far? That golden blade was a bit too fake."

"Brother, if you don't know how to speak, just drink more. I'm helping you promote this out of the kindness of my heart, and you don't even appreciate it." Wang Hao pretended to be angry, slamming his wine pot down on the table, splashing clear droplets of wine.

The Yin-Yang Thunder Beads, once ignored, gradually began to sell well. Ten days passed, and whenever they encountered someone on the road looking like they were asking for directions, they would simply point toward the Alchemy Pavilion without a word.

"Brother Wang, bring over another furnace!"

"Coming!" In the Alchemy Pavilion, Wang Hao agreed immediately.

It had only taken three or four days to go from initial shock to total numbness.

Qin Chuan was surrounded by nine alchemy furnaces arranged in a circle. The formation was unique, requiring no constant channeling of spiritual energy. While this saved the alchemist a great deal of energy, it also made it impossible to adjust the earth-fire in real time, which could easily lead to explosions or ruined batches.

If anyone else had tried such a reckless method, Wang Hao would have been howling in pain over the wasted herbs.

Yet, every time the stone door to the alchemy room opened, an attendant would emerge with a large basin full of Yin-Yang Thunder Beads.

Perhaps because he had been poor for so long, every time Qin Chuan received a heavy storage bag and counted the spirit stones within, his heart nearly skipped a beat.

The entry threshold for using the Yin-Yang Thunder Beads was extremely low, and the power was not insignificant. They weren't exactly cheap, but compared to talismans like the Thunderclap Talisman, they were far more cost-effective.

In a one-on-one fight, the Yin-Yang Thunder Bead was neither as subtle nor as piercing as a Thunderclap Talisman, but in places like battlefields or during beast tides, one explosion could take out a whole group.

If there had been enough Yin-Yang Thunder Beads, the war would not have been so difficult. Everyone could just grab a handful and throw them without needing to carefully aim at a target.

The response to this item was immense. After the first two days, they were almost always sold out.

Qin Chuan went from one furnace, to two, three, four...

And now, nine!

He had reached his limit. He was pushing the Profound Breath Dust Technique to the extreme, ensuring that even the slightest unusual sound from within the furnaces would reach his ears, allowing him to make adjustments immediately.

Although he occasionally produced duds, the probability was low.

Another full month passed, and Qin Chuan had almost single-handedly carried the entire demand for Yin-Yang Thunder Beads in Yudian City.

Wang Hao, his face greasy with excitement, knocked on Qin Chuan’s door carrying a pot of warmed spirit wine.

Qin Chuan, who opened the door, looked pale despite his rest, his frame much thinner than it had been a month ago.

"Come in and talk."

Wang Hao inadvertently met Qin Chuan’s gaze and suddenly froze. Having not seen him much over the past month, he suddenly noticed a coldness in Qin Chuan’s eyes that hadn't been there before.

"Cold" wasn't enough to describe it; it was more like a sense of detachment, devoid of any emotion.

Qin Chuan saw the surprise on Wang Hao’s face and understood perfectly, but he offered no explanation or other gesture.

Having channeled the Profound Breath Dust Technique continuously for nearly a month, his inner self had remained in a state devoid of desire for a long time. Unknowingly, he had shed some of his original human emotions, and he hadn't even felt the panic one might expect at the prospect of losing his personality.

The reason he had taken a day to recover was precisely because of this side effect.

Qin Chuan had read in ancient texts that there were people in this world who had reached the state of "Supreme Forgetting of Emotions" and never returned. Some called them gods, others called them demons, and some even speculated that they were the predecessors of the Heavenly Dao.

Although channeling the Profound Breath Dust Technique would pull him into this state of supreme detachment, he still retained his human will, knowing when to stop.

But if one day his emotions were truly swallowed by the side effect, he would never stop channeling the technique again. That would mean the complete loss of his human will.

To be alive while having lost one's humanity was as good as being dead. This was extremely dangerous, and he dared not be the slightest bit careless.

"Brother, are you alright?"

After sitting down, Wang Hao saw Qin Chuan’s prolonged silence and couldn't help but feel worried.

"Just some pill toxins in my system, it’s nothing," Qin Chuan lied smoothly.

Whether Wang Hao believed him or simply saw that Qin Chuan didn't want to talk about it, he skipped over the topic. He took a small furnace and some fire-stones from the corner of the room to warm the wine, and with a small trick, he ignited the flames.

The orange light danced on their faces. Before long, the room was filled with the gentle aroma of wine, dispelling the chill.

The two shared a few drinks, and in the haze, even the strange look in Qin Chuan’s eyes faded significantly, losing its detachment.

"You wouldn't come to the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. Why are you here in the middle of the night?"

"I came for three things. First, I found the information you asked me to look for. I had people scour ancient records to find it, and this is the information I’ve compiled."

He tossed a jade slip, which landed steadily in Qin Chuan’s hand.

Qin Chuan didn't examine it carefully, just gave it a rough glance, nodded slightly, and put it away.

"The second thing concerns the Yin-Yang Thunder Beads."

"Old brother is here to ask, can the pill formula be sold to the Wang family?"

To his surprise, Qin Chuan’s attitude was unusually firm, leaving no room for negotiation. "No. This item is too dangerous; even I have to handle it with extreme caution."

"But so many Yin-Yang Thunder Beads have already been produced; it’s no longer rare for enemies to be holding them too."

"You don't need to worry about that, brother. I have my own plans."

Wang Hao looked disappointed upon hearing this. "The third thing is..."

...

The Yin-Yang Thunder Bead, which only packed the power of a full-force blow from a fourth-level Qi Refinement cultivator after detonation, did not meet Qin Chuan’s original expectations.

However, doing this much alone was no easy feat, and if he wanted to improve it further, who knew how much time it would take.

Naturally, he thought of the wondrous place Wang Hao had mentioned before—the Alchemy Heart Valley.

But getting into the Alchemy Heart Valley was not simple. Every year, no more than twenty Qi Refinement disciples from Mount Yudian could enter the valley.

The Liu, Guan, and Zhang families each held five spots, with the remaining five spots distributed among the other families.

The Tang and Zeng families had also risen to prominence in recent years and each occupied a spot, leaving only three left. This year, the Wang family just happened to occupy one of those three.

This spot was originally intended for an outstanding disciple of the clan, but it had finally been given to him.

In a somber hall, a white-haired Daoist sat at the head. Everyone was seated according to their status, and when it reached Wang Hao, he was almost at the very end.

Even so, few looked at him askance, because his father, Wang Tu, held a very high position, sitting almost next to the ancestor. Even the head of the Wang family would usually ask for his opinion.

"If there is nothing else, today’s clan meeting is concluded," the ancestor sitting at the head said, squinting his eyes, appearing calm and collected.

At this moment, Wang Hao stepped forward, bowed low, and pressed his forehead toward the floor. "I have a matter to discuss."

"Hmm?"

The Wang family ancestor was slightly surprised, but his tone remained as flat as ever. "Speak."

"Please, ancestor, look at this first."

He held out a gray pill with only a single white streak—it was the Yin-Yang Thunder Bead.

As soon as Wang Hao produced the pill, those at the meeting who were knowledgeable about it immediately showed looks of surprise.

"What is so strange about this?"

"I need a Qi Refinement disciple from the clan to assist me."

The Wang family ancestor did not answer, which was taken as consent.