“Do you think the number of Spirit Stones you’ll get is exactly what you need?” Enforcement Officer Guan looked at Qin Chu.
Qin Chu nodded. Enforcement Officer Guan had spoken the doubt in his heart.
“Actually, the decision to allow you to earn Spirit Stones for Alchemy this time was made by an elder of our Demon Castle. He said we should give others more Opportunities,” Enforcement Officer Guan said.
Qin Chu cupped his hands towards the Void Realm, “Please, Enforcement Officer Guan, help Qin Chu deliver a message: Qin Chu has noted the generous hospitality.”
“Alright, this Enforcement Officer will convey your message. You cooperate well with Alchemist Qin.” Enforcement Officer Guan instructed the veiled woman, then left the Pill Room.
After Enforcement Officer Guan left, Qin Chu checked the Medicinal Pills the woman had sorted. Once he confirmed there were no issues, he began Alchemy.
To maximize efficiency, Qin Chu brought out his Pill Furnace from his Storage Ring. With two Pill Furnaces operating simultaneously, the speed of refining Medicinal Pills would double.
“Your Excellency, your task is to refine high-grade Medicinal Pills!” Seeing Qin Chu busy with two Pill Furnaces at once, the veiled woman reminded him.
“I know!” After saying three words, Qin Chu ignited both Pill Furnaces simultaneously and began refining high-grade Yuan Gathering Pills.
Refining first-tier Medicinal Pills was effortless for Qin Chu. In a short time, two batches of Medicinal Pills were successively released from the furnaces.
The Medicinal Pills were released in a specific order, which Qin Chu deliberately controlled. This way, adding Materials and releasing Medicinal Pills wouldn't happen at the same time, preventing him from being flustered.
After putting the Medicinal Pills into bottles, Qin Chu placed them aside.
The woman assisting Qin Chu in Alchemy opened a bottle, checked the Medicinal Pills, and then placed the bottle on a shelf nearby.
Qin Chu didn't say anything. This woman, while ostensibly assisting him, was more like a supervisor, certainly responsible for quality control of the Medicinal Pills.
After a morning of Alchemy, Qin Chu had refined nearly two hundred bottles of Medicinal Pills.
“Besides sorting Materials, can you brew a pot of tea? We should drink some water. Also, see if you can find another Pill Furnace!” Qin Chu said after putting a batch of Medicinal Pills into bottles. Standing in front of the Pill Furnace, close to the Pill Fire, it was impossible not to feel hot and thirsty.
The veiled woman sorted a batch of Yuan Gathering Pill Materials, then brewed a pot of tea.
“As for the Pill Furnace, let’s wait until Enforcement Officer Guan returns,” the veiled woman said. She needed to watch Qin Chu and couldn't leave. What if Qin Chu tampered with the Medicinal Pills?
In the afternoon, Enforcement Officer Guan arrived and was surprised to see Qin Chu refining Medicinal Pills with two Pill Furnaces simultaneously.
“Enforcement Officer Guan, he needs another Pill Furnace,” the veiled woman said.
Enforcement Officer Guan nodded and left. Soon, he returned with another Pill Furnace.
After setting up the Pill Furnace, Qin Chu ignited the Pill Fire. Refining with three Pill Furnaces simultaneously was pushing his limits. Last time, when he helped Chu Shan refine the Seven Exquisite Pills, he only helped monitor the Pill Fire of three Pill Furnaces and wasn't responsible for the Alchemy itself. However, with the experience of refining with two Pill Furnaces simultaneously, adding one more didn't stump him.
“Qin Chu, your Alchemy talent is truly exceptional. This time, Demon Castle helped you, and in doing so, it also helped the advancement of Demon Castle’s new generation,” Enforcement Officer Guan said.
“Are these for personal use, not for resale?” Qin Chu turned his head and asked.
“Not for resale, they are for our own people in Demon Castle. Good things are naturally used by our own first!” Enforcement Officer Guan said.
Qin Chu didn't say anything, but he felt a little more at ease. He had always thought that Demon Castle was making him refine Medicinal Pills for resale, treating him as a laborer, exploiting and skinning him, so he was internally resistant. Now that he knew they were for Demon Castle's own people, he no longer felt repulsed.
“Have you been to Heavenly Sword Mountain to Cultivate recently?” Enforcement Officer Guan changed the subject.
“I have, but my own improvement has been a bit slow,” Qin Chu said.
“Then you need to work harder, because in about three months, it seems to be a Sword Intent eruption period. At that time, powerful Cultivators will gain many benefits. Of course, it also depends on Opportunity, because many people will come then, and the competition will be quite fierce,” Enforcement Officer Guan said.
Qin Chu refined Medicinal Pills while asking what a Sword Intent eruption period was.
“You are also one of our own, so I will give you this information. Every few years, the Sword Intent of Heavenly Sword Mountain becomes unstable, sometimes violent, sometimes weakened. This is the Sword Intent eruption period, usually once every two cycles (120 years, as one cycle is sixty years). During the most violent period of Sword Intent, Spirit Concept Grass will appear. What is Spirit Concept Grass? It is a medicinal herb imbued with Concept, a Material formed under the ravages of Sword Intent. This Material is not only effective for Sword Cultivators but for all Cultivators; Blade Cultivators and Spear Cultivators, etc., can all use it,” Enforcement Officer Guan explained.
“Heavenly Sword Mountain is exclusive to other Cultivators. Other Cultivators cannot compete, except for Sword Cultivators, right?” Qin Chu recalled the last time when a Flame Thunder Saint Clan Cultivator appeared and was rejected by all Sword Cultivators because he was a Blade Cultivator, which would trigger the rage of Heavenly Sword Mountain’s Sword Intent and prevent others from Cultivating.
“You are mistaken. During the Sword Intent eruption period, the rules of Heavenly Sword Mountain will be chaotic. There will be no distinction between Sword Cultivators, Blade Cultivators, Spear Cultivators, and so on. Moreover, there is an unwritten rule: during the Sword Intent eruption period, Heavenly Sword Mountain is open to all Cultivators. The Saint Martial Gate will lift restrictions, and any Cultivator can come. After all, Spirit Concept Grass is a treasure needed by all Cultivators. If restrictions are not lifted, then the City Lord’s Mansion would not be able to hold Heavenly Sword Mountain,” Enforcement Officer Guan explained the rules to Qin Chu.
“That would be chaos! Countless Cultivators arriving, with blades and swords having no eyes, who knows how many people would die. I'll just forget about it!” Qin Chu sighed, feeling he wouldn't have a chance.
“Hehe! Aren't you quite bold, even daring to hit the City Lord's child? Why are you backing down now?” Enforcement Officer Guan's words carried a teasing smile.
“I’m a fourth-tier rookie with no backing and no Foundation. If I compete for Opportunity with others, won't I be crushed?” Qin Chu shook his head.
“Fourth-tier rookie… It seems I didn't explain the rules clearly. During the Sword Intent eruption period, Heavenly Sword Mountain is open to all Cultivators, but it's not a chaotic free-for-all; there are still some rules. To prevent Heavenly Sword Mountain from being destroyed, the rule is that Cultivators above the fifth-tier are not allowed to enter the Heavenly Sword Mountain area. That is to say, only Cultivators below the fifth-tier can go to gain Opportunity,” Enforcement Officer Guan added the rules.
“Are these rules effective? If there's no real enforcement, it'll still be a mess!” Qin Chu thought for a moment and said.
“No, when the time comes, experts from the Saint Martial Gate will arrive, and high-level figures from our Demon Castle will also appear. The Alchemist Guild will also have representatives to maintain order. This is a major event for all Cultivators in the world; no one can violate the rules. The rules are ironclad, so you still have a chance!” Enforcement Officer Guan said to Qin Chu.
“Then there’s nothing more to say, I must compete for it,” Qin Chu said while releasing Medicinal Pills from the furnace.
“Then you might have to face Cultivators on the Azure Cloud List. Those are one-in-a-million Genius Cultivators; many of them at the fourth-tier have killed fifth-tier Cultivators,” Enforcement Officer Guan revealed something else Qin Chu didn't know.
Seeing that Qin Chu didn't understand, Enforcement Officer Guan explained what the Azure Cloud List was. The Azure Cloud List is a ranking of young Cultivators; those under the age of two cycles (24 years old) who are powerful can enter it. Many people on it are already fifth-tier, and these people won't come, but those below fifth-tier will certainly appear.
One cycle is twelve years, so under two cycles means Cultivators under twenty-four years old.