After approximately two months, He Pingsheng had refined about eighty percent of the Golden Pattern Cloud Stepping Boots.
When worn, these boots not only offered extreme speed, allowing him to cover several zhang with a slight movement, but also possessed a perfect appearance.
Paired with the Fire Element Reflecting Blood Armor, they complemented each other, and He Pingsheng's overall demeanor directly improved by a level.
Crucially, both the shoes on his feet and the clothes on his body, when not activated, were virtually indistinguishable from ordinary Daoist robes, so outsiders couldn't tell.
Unless a Nascent Soul Stage mighty cultivator attached his Divine Thought to He Pingsheng and secretly spied on him.
But this probability was extremely small.
After refining, He Pingsheng continued his secluded cultivation.
The main purpose of this seclusion was Spirit Refining and Body Refining.
Cultivating simultaneously.
The Cultivation Technique for Spirit Refining and the Cultivation Technique for Body Refining did not use the same Meridian System when operating, so he could cultivate both at the same time.
In a flash, another half a year passed.
He Pingsheng's Foundation Establishment Chapter of the Xuanmen Jingxin True Art had reached the Second Layer.
Similarly, the Nine Poison Golden Body had also reached the Second Layer of the Foundation Establishment Chapter.
However, the other four Dantians were still at the First Layer and had not broken through to the Second Layer.
Boom…
After breaking through to the Second Layer in Spirit Refining, He Pingsheng immediately extended his Divine Thought.
Now, his Divine Thought truly reached over five hundred zhang.
Although not as much as the six hundred zhang of a Peak Foundation Establishment Stage, it was already quite close.
Withdrawing his Divine Thought, he suddenly had another bold idea, feeling that he could attempt to refine Grade Three Medicinal Pills based solely on the strength of his Divine Thought.
For example, the Gathering Yuan Pill, which was essential for Golden Core Cultivators' cultivation.
He desperately wanted to try.
Of course, it didn't mean He Pingsheng could truly refine Gathering Yuan Pills yet; it just meant he felt he wouldn't blow up the furnace at least.
For others, producing a Low Grade Medicinal Pill counted as success; but for him, producing a waste Medicinal Pill counted as success.
He Pingsheng walked out of the training ground, closed the door of his small courtyard, and then walked outside.
The streets of Dingxiang City were much livelier than before.
For some reason, He Pingsheng suddenly felt that there seemed to be more people in Dingxiang City.
But this had nothing to do with him; he just wanted to buy some Materials for Grade Three Medicinal Pills.
The first place He Pingsheng went was Xuan Yuan Chang Geng's Alchemy shop.
“I'm sorry, Senior He, our shop owner has been in secluded cultivation recently, saying he's going to break through to the Golden Core Stage!” The child in the Xuan Yuan shop looked at He Pingsheng and answered with sincerity.
He Pingsheng nodded and said, “In secluded cultivation… That's fine, I want to ask if your shop has any Materials for Grade Three Medicinal Pills!”
“No!” The young man shook his head, “Senior He, even if we had such Materials, we wouldn't be able to perform Alchemy, and besides, these kinds of Materials are basically monopolized by the major merchant guilds above us; they don't flow down to us!”
“Oh, oh, oh!” He Pingsheng nodded, “Then forget it… I'll take my leave first!”
“Senior, wait!” The young man quickly called out to He Pingsheng, then took out a jade box and said, “These are the Poison Medicinal Pills I've collected for you during this period, the quantity has been arranged!”
“Please take a look!”
He Pingsheng had previously asked Xuan Yuan to help him collect two hundred Poison Medicinal Pills; he had taken some half a year ago, and in the past six months, the number of Poison Medicinal Pills had been sufficient.
He Pingsheng paid the Spirit Stones.
The young man then said, “Senior, the toxicity of these Poison Medicinal Pills will gradually diminish, if you use them, please do so as soon as possible!”
He Pingsheng nodded, “I know!”
Toxicity loss?
No fear!
I have a gathering treasure basin!
When strengthened later, they can still become Top Grade Poison Medicinal Pills.
After strengthening two hundred Poison Medicinal Pills, they would become four hundred Top Grade Grade Two Poison Medicinal Pills.
According to He Pingsheng's experience, these Poison Medicinal Pills would be enough for his entire Foundation Establishment Stage Body Refining.
Putting away the Poison Medicinal Pills, He Pingsheng left the Xuan Yuan Alchemy shop and headed towards the Coral Merchant Guild.
“Fellow Daoist can even refine Grade Three Medicinal Pills?” A female Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage in the Coral Merchant Guild looked at He Pingsheng with some curiosity in her eyes.
He Pingsheng smiled and said, “Fellow Daoist, do you think it's possible? I'm only at the Foundation Establishment Stage Second Layer?”
The strange light in the opposite female Cultivator's eyes disappeared, replaced by a look of understanding.
He Pingsheng continued, “I'm buying them on behalf of my Master!”
The female Cultivator asked, “Your Master is still a Grade Three Alchemist!”
He Pingsheng nodded.
The female Cultivator then asked, “May I ask who your Master is? He could actually cooperate with our merchant guild…”
The Coral Merchant Guild had a huge turnover of Medicinal Pills, and Grade Three Medicinal Pills were always in short supply.
They also needed to win over some Alchemists.
He Pingsheng, however, calmly said, “No need, my Master said not to casually reveal his identity!”
“Alright!” The female Cultivator sighed and said, “That's truly a pity, I hope Fellow Daoist can convey the sincerity of our Coral Merchant Guild when you go back!”
“Come with me!”
The woman led He Pingsheng to a private room on the second floor to wait.
After about half an incense stick of time, ten portions of Gathering Yuan Pill Materials were brought in.
“Fellow Daoist, do these Materials look correct?” The female Cultivator handed the Materials to He Pingsheng.
He Pingsheng glanced at them briefly and said, “I don't understand them either, as long as you think there's no problem, my Master will inspect them later!”
“Rest assured!” The female Cultivator said, “Our Coral Merchant Guild has a good reputation; we won't play tricks with the quality of the Materials!”
“Ten portions of Materials, that will be seven hundred and twenty thousand!”
The female Cultivator looked at He Pingsheng with a smile.
He Pingsheng was already mentally prepared.
Because during the previous auction, Wang Dun had acquired a Nascent Origin Pill for fifty thousand Spirit Stones.
The price of Gathering Yuan Pill was not as high as Nascent Origin Pill, but it still cost thirty thousand Spirit Stones per pill.
Thirty thousand Spirit Stones per pill, ten pills would be three hundred thousand.
A furnace of twelve pills would be three hundred and sixty thousand.
In the Cultivation World, it was customary that one furnace of Medicinal Pills equaled five portions of Materials, so ten portions of Materials were worth two furnaces of Medicinal Pills, making seven hundred and twenty thousand acceptable.
“Good!”
He Pingsheng didn't dawdle; he directly took out seventy-two Mid-Grade Spirit Stones to pay.
Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, if you took them out during the Qi Refinement Stage, it would indeed be a bit outrageous.
But taking them out during the Foundation Establishment Stage wouldn't seem too outrageous.
Moreover, He Pingsheng kept saying that these were Materials purchased for his Master!
If he didn't take out Spirit Stones at this moment and instead traded with something else, it would make it seem even more deliberate.
A Golden Core Stage Alchemist, without even this much Spirit Stone?
As expected, the female Cultivator cheerfully accepted the Spirit Stones and said nothing.
He Pingsheng took the Materials and left directly, not lingering in the shop!
He returned to his small courtyard immediately.
Then it was time to strengthen the Materials.
Strengthening ten portions of Alchemy Materials into twenty portions.
Secluded cultivation for three days, calming his mind while studying the Pill Formula.