Zhou Sen was confident that with this pill formula in hand, he would eventually comprehend it thoroughly and refine finished Breakthrough Pills. However, after three consecutive days, he was also worried about when he would succeed.
The Zhou family had already expended lavishly on this pill formula. If another three to five months passed, how many spiritual medicines would remain to refine this pill?
Even if successful, the pill formation rate would be pitifully low.
He stroked his beard in contemplation, his eyes flickering uncertainly.
After a moment, "Yiming, help me invite Fellow Daoist Sansu over."
"Yes, Elder."
Zhou Yiming cupped his hands, then left.
Before long, he brought Xu Chuan to Pill Refinement Room A.
Zhou Sen smiled and cupped his fists, "Fellow Daoist Sansu."
"Fellow Daoist helped my Zhou family complete the pill formula. Your merit is immense. Whatever you request, please speak directly. As long as the Zhou family is able, we will certainly satisfy each request."
Xu Chuan cupped his hands, "Life as a rogue cultivator is not easy. Before coming to Yuehu Commandery, we fought with others, and Fellow Daoist Yunming and I lost our storage bags."
"This is a small matter." Zhou Sen said lightly.
"Furthermore, does your esteemed residence have any array Dao texts? This humble one once owed Fellow Daoist Yunming a favor and promised to find related texts to repay him someday."
"Fellow Daoist Sansu values righteousness and loyalty. My Zhou family will certainly do our utmost to help with this matter."
"One last matter. Fellow Daoist Yunming and I wish to linger for some time at the Yuehu Commandery immortal cultivation market. I wonder if you could gift us fifty spirit stones and trouble yourself to tell us the location of the market?"
Immortal cultivation market?
Zhou Sen pondered for a moment, then stroked his beard and smiled, "This matter is not difficult. My Zhou family also has business at the Yuehu Market. After matters here are concluded, we'll send someone to escort both Fellow Daoists there."
"Many thanks." Xu Chuan cupped his fists.
"Yiming, go fetch all the items Fellow Daoist Sansu needs."
"Yes, Elder."
After Zhou Yiming left, only Xu Chuan and Zhou Sen remained in Pill Refinement Room A.
"By the way, Fellow Daoist Sansu," Zhou Sen stroked the long beard under his chin, his gaze slightly focusing, his tone suddenly turning earnest, "regarding the pill refinement recorded in the formula, this old man still has several doubts lingering in his heart. I wish to seek guidance from Fellow Daoist on one or two matters. I wonder if Fellow Daoist would be willing to provide generous instruction?"
"I dare not presume to instruct. Let's mutually exchange insights and discuss, nothing more."
Xu Chuan didn't dare show the slightest arrogance.
Zhou Sen had agreed to everything he requested earlier precisely to pave the way for this matter, so naturally he couldn't push for more, knowing well the disaster of going too far.
The compensation he had just mentioned was enough for him and Xu Mingxian to establish themselves in the immortal cultivation market.
Moreover, as a Foundation Establishment family, the Zhou family was certainly deeply rooted in the Yuehu Market. If they wanted to establish themselves there, they would probably still need to rely on their influence.
Afterward, Xu Chuan began explaining in detail to Zhou Sen his previous pill refinement process and the problems he encountered.
He even refined on the spot, letting him observe.
This action also won Zhou Sen's goodwill.
"Truly ingenious! Using lesser yin to transform extreme yang, using lesser yang to weaken extreme yin, neutralizing with Purple Origin Fruit and such, then supplementing with other origin qi-stabilizing spiritual medicines to stimulate medicinal property growth."
"The order of medicinal liquid fusion must be meticulous, plus with sufficiently strong divine sense, dividing one's attention to control the purified medicinal liquids, preventing them from mixing prematurely."
"Marvelous! Marvelous! Marvelous!" Zhou Sen clapped his hands, praising three times in succession.
Suddenly he sighed deeply again, his eyes blazing brilliantly as they fell upon Xu Chuan's face, his white beard trembling slightly with his breath, "Fellow Daoist's comprehension of pill Dao truly makes this old man feel deeply inferior!"
"I dare not accept such praise!"
Seeing Xu Chuan's skill in pill Dao, Zhou Sen developed thoughts of recruiting him for the Zhou family.
Now with a Foundation Establishment cultivator presiding, the Zhou family would certainly be able to develop with full strength for decades. Pills were an indispensable resource for immortal cultivation. However, training alchemists was extremely difficult.
Still, Zhou Sen didn't rashly propose this. He began refining pills based on what Xu Chuan had described.
The first attempt failed.
The second attempt failed but the third attempt succeeded by luck, refining one low-grade Breakthrough Pill.
Just this one pill, if taken to the market to sell, could probably be exchanged for over ten sets of pill refinement materials.
Of course, the Zhou family refined this pill not to sell, but to increase the number of late-stage Qi Refining immortal cultivators in the family.
After all, some immortal cultivators were stuck at the fifth or sixth layer bottleneck due to aptitude issues.
With this pill, the Zhou family's overall foundation would grow in a short time.
Before long, Zhou Sen handed over all the items Xu Chuan had requested to him and had Zhou Yiming escort him back to the courtyard.
He himself went to find the Zhou family head.
"Third Grand-Uncle, is Fellow Daoist Sansu's pill Dao attainment really this exceptional?"
Seeing Zhou Sen praise him so highly, the Zhou family head's eyes revealed astonishment. This was the first time he had seen his third grand-uncle praise someone so highly.
Zhou Sen was devoted to pill Dao and had considerable talent in it.
The Zhou family's current scale was largely due to his great contributions over these decades but because of this, his personality was eccentric. Even with fellow clan members, he would often rebuke them within just a few words.
Perhaps this was the mutual appreciation between pill Dao geniuses.
"Since Third Grand-Uncle has made a decision, then the matter of recruiting him is entirely entrusted to your discretion."
"Thank you, Family Head."
The next day, Xu Chuan and the others decided to leave the Zhou family.
Upon taking their leave, Zhou Sen and Zhou Yiming personally escorted the two of them to the Yuehu Market.
"The Yuehu Market also has my Zhou family's pill shop. This old man often presides there, conducting pill refinement."
"So that's how it is."
Zhou Sen nodded, "The Yuehu Market is located in a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides, two hundred li east of Yuehu Commandery city."
"The area around the valley is all mountain forests, shrouded by array formations and concealed by fog. Unless one is an immortal cultivator, even if a grandmaster tried to force their way in, they couldn't enter."
Hearing this, Xu Chuan sighed deeply, "Innate realm martial artists above, though their combat strength is not inferior to us Qi Refining cultivators, and some are even superior in close combat ability within twenty or thirty steps, are ultimately still of the martial warrior class."
"We immortal cultivators have techniques, array formations, and pill Dao. There is truly a difference between us like clouds and mud."
"Exactly so," Zhou Sen stroked his beard and smiled, "Otherwise, how could there be such a disparity in status between the immortal officials and martial halls of our Great Wei?"
Several hours later, the group entered the mountain forest. As they wound forward, white fog suddenly rose from the surroundings, like gauze shrouding the trees and silk entwining the paths.
"Although this is the simplest maze formation, it's still not something ordinary martial artists can see through."
Magical power flowed in the eyes of the four, and they quickly saw the mountain path leading into the valley.
Before long, they emerged from the fog, and the view ahead suddenly opened up.
Mountains surrounded them on three sides, the peaks firm and upright. Before the secluded valley stood a stone stele inscribed with the four characters "Yuehu Market."
"This place, though not large, has everything one needs despite its small size. Pill shops, weapon refinement shops, spiritual herb shops, all are complete."
"Moreover, there's a small gathering every three years. At that time, all the Qi Refining families of Yuehu Commandery bring out treasures to trade. Rogue cultivators from all directions gather here. Spiritual medicines of several hundred years are not rare, and high-grade magical artifacts are also traded."
Zhou Sen looked at Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxian, "Both Fellow Daoists have traveled throughout the Great Wei, so you must be accustomed to seeing such things."
Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxian both smiled without speaking.
"Let's go."
Led by Zhou Sen, the group arrived at the Zhou Clan's Pill Shop.
"Elder Zhou!"
Seeing Zhou Sen, those Zhou family disciples all bowed respectfully.
Zhou Sen nodded slightly and said to Xu Chuan, "Fellow Daoist Sansu, behind the pill shop there are also spare guest rooms. Both of you may stay temporarily."
"Then we'll trouble you." The two cupped their hands in salute.
That night, "Father, why is the Zhou family so enthusiastic? Are they trying to recruit you?"
Although the room had simple restriction formations, to be safe, they still communicated through divine sense.
"Not just me. I asked for array Dao texts for you, so they must think you're skilled in array Dao and probably want to recruit you too."
"However, I can agree, but you shouldn't get involved. Focus on cultivation and studying array Dao. With your talent, it won't be long before you achieve something in array Dao."
"Given our Xu family's current needs, you should first study qi-gathering and spirit-gathering arrays."
Although Xu Chuan didn't state it explicitly, Xu Mingxian also knew that spirit-gathering arrays were designed for medicine fields and also for future family disciples' immortal cultivation.
Xu Mingxian pondered for a moment, then asked again, "Father, do you truly believe I have considerable talent in array Dao?"