Nine pills!
How could this be?
One had to understand that even if Ling Han had reached the level of a hundred percent pill completion rate, without wasting any ingredients at all, the amount of ingredients supplied by Fu Yuan Sheng was only enough to produce eight Foundation Building Pills. Yet in front of their eyes, there now lay nine pills! How was this possible?
It must have failed!
“Look for yourselves!” Fu Yuan Sheng drew out a pill and passed it to the alchemist standing closest to him.
That person received it from him. He quickly examined it first, then smelt it before finally raising it high to examine it against the light. At last, a shocked expression appeared on his face, as he said, “Though I am of humble talent and shallow learning, I can confirm one hundred percent that this is definitely Foundation Building Pill, and, and…”
“And what?” the others asked hurriedly.
“…And… the quality of this pill seems to have exceeded ten Stars!” the man said finally after a moment of stuttering through his words.
“Pu.” They almost passed out from shock. All of them were filled with complete, utter disbelief.
In theory, when a Black Grade high level alchemist concocted a Black Grade high level pill, it was already good enough to produce a pill with quality of about five Stars. For geniuses, they would be able to produce pills that could reach about eight Stars in quality, while incomparable extraordinary geniuses would be able to concoct pills that could occasionally reach ten Stars.
But eleven Stars, twelve Stars… this was absolutely impossible. Only if it was a high-ranking alchemist concocting a low-grade alchemical pill would such an impossible thing happen.
So did that mean that Ling Han’s alchemic abilities had already reached Earth Grade?
“Hiss!” the realization caused them to inhale air sharply.
“Let me see!” the others were all scrambling to take a look at the pills.
Fu Yuan Sheng quickly called a halt to their actions. Foundation Building Pill was a pill that was unbearably close to Earth Grade, so it was extremely valuable. He let the others all line up and then inspect the pills one by one.
“It really is Foundation Building Pill. The color and aroma is exactly as what is described in the alchemy books.”
“Indeed, take a look at the exquisite shine to it. Its quality should definitely have exceeded ten Stars.”
“Heavens, I feel like I’m about to lose my mind. Something like this could actually be real.”
All of them were exclaiming in shock. A young man of merely seventeen years old actually managed to successfully concoct an alchemical pill close to the level of Earth Grade, and the quality of this pill has even exceeded ten Stars. No, no, no, they still had to take into account Ling Han’s terrifying pill completion rate! One hundred percent!
“It’s not a hundred percent. The ingredients should have only sufficed to produce eight pills, but why are there nine?” one of them recalled this puzzling point.
Fu Yuan Sheng inspected the remaining eight pills, and said decisively, “I can guarantee with my reputation that these Foundation Building PIlls are not only successful, but their quality is not the slightest bit beneath that one!”
Using his reputation and honor as a Black Grade high level alchemist to guarantee… then, that meant that there was definitely no problem with the other eight pills.
“Genius, Young Master Han is definitely a genius of alchemy!”
“I get it. Young Master Han managed to obtain purer essences of the ingredients with better effects from the purification process earlier on. That’s why he could produce nine Foundation Building Pills!”
“That’s right. The so-called limitation of eight pills is based on the fact that normal methods of purification are used, but with Young Master Han’s unique purification technique, it is indeed possible to produce an additional pill.”
“Heavens!”
They all grabbed onto their heads and exclaimed in shock. They all looked at Ling Han with heated gazes, as if they were looking at a God of Alchemy.
In fact, although their guess was not accurate, it was not far from the truth.
Ling Han stood up and said, “All right, all right. I’ve collected the money and you’ve watched my performance, so I should take my leave now.” He walked over and retrieved the pills, placing them in a jade bottle. Then he turned and said to Fu Yuan Sheng, “When the license approval is done, send me the badge.”
Fu Yuan Sheng quickly agreed very respectfully, as if he was an alchemist’s apprentice who had just started learning from his master.
Ling Han left with Hu Niu in his arms. The little girl had already fallen asleep in Liu Yu Tong’s arms after getting bored. However, when they arrived at the restaurant and she smelt the enticing aroma of food, the little girl’s nose twitched and she immediately awoke.
“Meat! Meat!” she called out in delight.
After satisfying Hu Niu’s gluttonous appetite, the three of them went to the Spirit Treasures Pavilion. Ling Han was not planning to keep these nine Foundation Building Pills for himself, and so was naturally going to sell them off. And for this kind of rare alchemical pill, they belonged to the category of having no lack of buyers with no one willing to sell, so how could he be selling it cheaply for a named price? He was of course going to auction them off to the highest bidder.
In the Imperial City, there was no auction house better than the Spirit Treasures Pavilion. However, if he decided to auction them off, there would need to be a period of advertising and publicity, so he would not be able to immediately earn back what he had spent. But it was all right. Ling Han had just earned over ten million moments ago and this was more than enough to support those clothing stores of his that were making losses for quite some time.
“What do the two honorable customers want to to buy?” a worker immediately stepped forward to greet them. Hu Niu was naturally overlooked by him.
Ling Han smiled, and said, “I have some alchemical pills to auction off, so please let your Appraiser come to assess my alchemical pills.”
“Alchemical pills? Hehe!” there incidentally stood a couple beside them. The man looked to be in his forties and with a disdainful expression, he said, “What kind of alchemical pills could a young man bring? Don’t shame yourself in this kind of place!”
He swept an eye over Liu Yu Tong, and a stunned expression appeared on his features.
“This is Fan Dong Ping, Grandmaster Fan, a Yellow Grade middle level alchemist!” the woman beside him immediately introduced. She was quite good-looking, but her makeup was a bit overdone.
The worker was a bit embarrassed. It was the freedom of the customers to decide what they wanted to auction, as long as the item they wanted to auction was found to be up to the standard of the Spirit Treasures Pavilion after appraisal. The Spirit Treasures Pavilion had a fixed commission rate anyways.
However, a Yellow Grade middle level alchemist was not someone he could offend either. Thus, he first raised his clasped hands in Fan Dong Ping’s direction, and said, “I shall go and ask Appraiser Ma to come over.” Then he quickly escaped.
Fan Dong Ping looked very arrogant, and from the corner of his eye, he glanced at Liu Yu Tong, hoping to see an expression of astonishment appear on her face. However, he was disappointed. This beauty that seemed as cold as ice did not have any change in her expression.
The gaudy woman stared at Liu Yu Tong in jealousy. This woman was more beautiful than her, more graceful, and most importantly, was younger than her.
After a while, the worker led a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties over. This man was only in the seventh layer of Element Gathering Tier, but a faint air of scrolls and books exuded from him, giving a comfortable feeling to others.
“This is Ma Tian Sheng, Appraiser Ma,” the worker introduced.
Ling Han did not mind either way, handed the pill bottle to Ma Tian Sheng, and said, “Then I’ll have to trouble Appraiser Ma to take a look for me!”
“I’ll do it!” Fan Dong Ping suddenly stretched out a hand and snatched the pill bottle away. Then, he turned and said to Ma Tian Sheng with a laugh, “I am a Yellow Grade middle level alchemist, and if we’re talking about appraisal of alchemical pill, I should not be beneath Brother Ma, right?”
A flicker of displeasure flashed over Ma Tian Sheng’s face, but he did not express this displeasure in view of Fan Dong Ping’s status as an alchemist. Instead, he nodded with a darkened expression, and said, “Please.”
Fan Dong Ping looked immensely pleased with himself. He naturally was trying to deliberately show off and attract Liu Yu Tong’s attention. Yet he did not consider the fact that he had reached middle age, and was still trying to attract a girl so much younger than himself.
He removed the cork of the pill bottle. With a single sniff, his expression changed greatly. He took a look inside, then quickly recorked the bottle and stuffed it inside his pocket directly. He then turned to Ling Han and said, “Brat, this bottle of Spirit Gathering Pills is not worth much. Here, this is a monetary note worth ten thousand silver coins, and I’ll buy it from you out of the kindness of my heart.”
Ling Han was shocked. He knew that Fan Dong Ping was shameless, but the extent of his shamelessness was something he had never imagined. What was the difference between what he was doing and robbing?
Ma Tian Sheng did not know what alchemical pills were contained inside the pill bottle, but looking at the anxious actions of Fan Dong Ping, he could guess that they were not ordinary pills. Instantly, an angered expression appeared on his face, and he said, “This is something that the customer has passed to our Spirit Treasures Pavilion to auction, so I should be the one doing the appraisal!”
“Ai, it’s difficult to be kind. Take it then!” Fan Dong Ping drew out a pill bottle from his pocket and tossed it over to Ma Tian Sheng.
Ling Han swept an eye over it, and a cold smile appeared on his face, because the pill bottle had been swapped.
How outrageously bold!