Chapter 280 - 262: Transaction and Terrifying Efficacy

Chapter 280: Chapter 262: Transaction and Terrifying Efficacy

"The Longevity Sect has issued a Wanted Order, and someone has even posted a bounty at the Blood Killing Pavilion, offering a Foundation Establishment Pill as the reward..."

Hearing this, Ji Ming’s expression eased slightly.

"You must find this amusing, Fellow Daoist. The one on that wanted order was, in fact, me."

Chu Mu was very forthright. Ji Ming’s gloominess vanished, replaced by a hearty laugh. "Which of us Loose Cultivators hasn’t been through something similar?"

"Without power or backing, how can one walk far on the Immortal Path without offending a few people?"

"Don’t worry about it... Hahaha..."

Ji Ming poured another cup of tea. It seemed Chu Mu’s experience had struck a chord with him, and the distance between them immediately shrank.

"You mentioned earlier, Fellow Daoist, that you wanted to commission a Top Grade Spiritual Artifact Pill Furnace..."

Chu Mu didn’t waste time with pleasantries. After a few more words, he got straight to the point.

"A Pill Furnace..."

At these words, Ji Ming’s smile faded, his expression growing serious.

"I must ask you, Fellow Daoist, to make a Dao Heart Oath not to reveal any information about this transaction."

Chu Mu nodded. The condition was perfectly normal. Without another word, he swiftly made the Dao Heart Oath.

"This Artifact Refining Formula... please, take a look, Fellow Daoist."

Satisfied, Ji Ming stroked his beard, produced a Jade Scroll, and handed it to Chu Mu.

Slightly puzzled, Chu Mu accepted the Jade Scroll. As his Divine Sense probed it, an Artifact Refining Formula appeared in his mind.

About a quarter of an hour later, he slowly lowered the Jade Scroll.

His brow furrowed slightly. A storm of emotions—shock, awe, hesitation—swirled within him, his expression growing incredibly complex.

The Jade Scroll contained an Artifact Refining Formula for a Pill Furnace, but this formula was anything but ordinary.

The required Spiritual Materials were exceptionally rare. The most crucial primary ingredient was even a piece of Ten-thousand-year-old Spirit Jade!

Refined from such precious Spiritual Materials, this Pill Furnace was naturally no ordinary Spiritual Artifact, but a Magical Treasure Prototype.

And this Magical Treasure Prototype was the kind that, upon the owner’s breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm, would immediately transform into a true Magical Treasure. Not just any Magical Treasure, but an extremely rare and sought-after... Lifebound Treasure!

One must understand that a Lifebound Treasure was an item intrinsically linked to a Cultivator’s life, one that could advance in power as its owner’s cultivation progressed!

Normally, only top-tier Cultivation Techniques came with the possibility of having a Lifebound Treasure!

Moreover, and most importantly, according to the formula, this Pill Furnace was the Lifebound Treasure for a Cultivation Technique called the Green Wood Cloud Pill Technique.

Cultivating this technique, if one could refine this Pill Furnace Magical Treasure Prototype during the Foundation Establishment Realm and nurture it for ten years, it would increase their Core Formation Success Rate by thirty percent!

’A thirty percent increase in the Core Formation Success Rate...’

’What did that even mean?!’

Countless Cultivators struggled just to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm. A mere ten percent increase in their chances of a breakthrough would be cause for immense celebration!

’And this offered a thirty percent increase for advancing from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation...’

’If word of this got out, it would drive countless Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators into a frenzy!’

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, his heart in turmoil. He took a deep breath and looked at Ji Ming.

He saw Ji Ming sipping his tea, feigning composure, but could faintly detect his underlying anxiety.

Chu Mu began to understand. Ji Ming was a Late Stage of Foundation Establishment Alchemist and a First-Class Honored Guest Elder of the Righteous Alliance. His network should be vast. ’Why would he approach a Loose Cultivator like me for this transaction instead of other Artifact Refiners?’

’After all, even as just a Magical Treasure Prototype, this is beyond the capabilities of a Tier Two Refiner. An ordinary Tier Two Upper Grade Refiner would be powerless to create it.’

’A Tier Three Refiner... aside from an anomaly like myself who couldn’t be judged by normal standards, such individuals were typically at the Golden Core Realm!’

’With this Pill Furnace’s terrifying effect, plus the legacy of a top-tier Cultivation Technique, if Ji Ming chose to make a deal with one of those Clan Artifact Refiners...’

’...even with Ji Ming’s Cultivation at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, the trouble would be anything but small.’

’A Cultivation Technique and a Magical Treasure Prototype that could increase the Core Formation Success Rate by thirty percent...’

’For any major power, the temptation would be immense.’

Seeing Chu Mu’s silence, Ji Ming waited for a long while before finally speaking, feigning a casual tone, "If you have anything to say, Fellow Daoist, please don’t hesitate to ask."

Chu Mu pondered for a moment, suppressing the complex emotions in his heart. Only then did he look at Ji Ming and say slowly, "The effects of this treasure are quite extraordinary."

"But the required Spiritual Materials are all exceedingly rare. Have you gathered them all, Fellow Daoist?"

Ji Ming was silent for a moment before giving a firm nod. He immediately followed up, "I have only one set of all the Spiritual Materials. Are you confident you can refine it, Fellow Daoist?"

Chu Mu pressed his lips together, saying nothing.

’I’m confident I can succeed, but... even if there is only a one-in-ten-thousand chance of failure...’

’I have to consider the consequences of failure.’

’After all, the Spiritual Materials used to refine this Pill Furnace are all incredibly precious, their value immeasurable in Spirit Stones.’

’And my potential client is a Late Stage of Foundation Establishment Cultivator. He’s also an Alchemist, and a First-Class Honored Guest Elder of the Righteous Alliance!’

’If I take on this job and unfortunately fail, the consequences, the price... I clearly can’t afford to pay it...’

"For this matter, I must ask you to find someone more capable, Fellow Daoist."

"I will keep my lips sealed about this and will not leak a single detail. You have my word, Fellow Daoist."

Chu Mu spoke slowly, the meaning of his refusal perfectly clear.

Seeing this, Ji Ming seemed to have expected it and didn’t press the issue.

He took out a Jade Scroll and passed it to Chu Mu.

Ji Ming smiled. "Our previous deal still stands, I presume?"

"Of course."

Chu Mu was a little surprised, but he immediately took out the Storage Talisman containing the Cyan Wolf Puppet and handed it to Ji Ming.

After chatting for a while longer and exchanging contact information, Chu Mu was escorted by a concubine out of the side hall and back into the main hall...

...