Chapter 77: Chapter 77: The Main Drug Golden Jade
Lingzhi, Second Stage Demon Core_l
Translator: 549690339
“The main ingredient for the Foundation Pill is the tricentennial Golden Jade Lingzhi, in addition to many other valuable medicinal aids. However, none of these supplementing medicines are of utmost importance. The real star ingredient is the Golden Jade Lingzhi.
“The Golden Jade Lingzhi thrives in especially rigorous environments, only under certain conditions it is able to grow.
“Sects like immortal Mist Sect and Ghost Demon Sect have monopolized the production of Foundation Pills, cutting off their external circulation by cornering the market for Golden Jade Lingzhi.
“As long as the Golden Jade Lingzhi doesn’t circulate outside, even an Alchemy Grandmaster would be unable to craft a Foundation Pill; it’s like cooking
without rice.”
“Apart from the sect cultivators, who could possibly cultivate the Golden Jade Lingzhi?”
“No wonder there are scarcely any loose cultivators who are able to attain a Foundation Pill. The monopolization is too intense.”
Zhou Sui inhaled deeply as soon as he grasped the information about the Foundation Pill.
He finally realized the severity of the monopoly in this world.
Not only is knowledge monopolized, but also different kinds of pills and medicinal herbs are solely controlled by the powerhouses.
To obtain these, one must join a sect.
If one remains a loose cultivator, progress becomes excruciatingly difficult.
Advancement becomes impossible.
It’s nothing more than a fool’s pipe dream.
If possible, he also desired to join a large organization, to be a disciple of a sect, and become part of the monopolistic hierarchy.
The problem is, his aptitude is far from suitable, so they won’t deem him as valuable.
Even if he were to shamelessly present himself, nobody would want him.
This is the harsh reality of this world.
However, it’s not absolute that without a Foundation Pill, one cannot reach Foundation Establishment.
If that was the case, there wouldn’t be the existence of the first cultivator reaching Foundation Establishment in this world.
It’s indeed possible that in the cultivation world there are cultivators who can reach Foundation Establishment without a Foundation Pill, for instance, those with an Upper Grade Spiritual Root or a Heavenly Spirit Root.”
“They’re capable of Foundation Establishment on their own.”
“Issue is, excluding those with a Heavenly Spirit Root, cultivators with other Spiritual Roots face a certain degree of risk in their Foundation Establishment process.”
“With this, there’s only a success rate of seventy percent, fifty percent, or even thirty percent.”
“If it’s not successful, it’s complete obliteration, there’s no such thing as fortunate survival.”
“in the absence of Foundation Pills, one is left with no other choice but to risk Foundation Establishment.”
“Over the long course of time, there are still a few fortunate individuals who successfully undergo Foundation Establishment without the need for a
Foundation Pill.”
“While success in Foundation Establishment without a Foundation Pill is possible, albeit with a lower success rate.”
“The problem is, why take unnecessary risks? Even with a success rate of ninety percent, there’s still a ten percent chance of failure, right?!” “If one can succeed with a hundred percent certainty, why gamble on their life?”
“There’S only one life, and failure means the end of it.”
Zhou Sui, being extremely cautious, understood that establishing foundation may not strictly mandate a Foundation Pill, but, with a Foundation Pill, even if he fails, his life would not be at risk.
The most pivotal point is, he isn’t an elderly cultivator of sixty to seventy years, but a mere youth of twenty-one.
He has ample time to attempt Foundation Establishment, there’s absolutely no need for unnecessary risks at the moment.
When things get utterly impossible, there’s still no harm in attempting Foundation Establishment on his own.”
“However, Golden Jade Lingzhi isn’t irreplaceable. If I happen to find a second-stage Demon Core, it would just as well be able to replace Golden Jade Lingzhi in crafting the Foundation Pill.”
Zhou Sui squinted his eyes.
From the information he had gathered from the Five Tigers of Yan Mountain, he understood that the five cultivators came to the Cloud Mist Mountain Range to hunt magical beasts and procure second-stage demon cores.”
What exactly is a Second Stage Demon Core?
in fact, most second stage magical beasts don’t possess a demon core, unless they possess exceptional talent, in which case they could possibly nurture a second-stage Demon Core.”
Once upon a time, some loose cultivators managed to hunt down second-stage magical beasts, getting their hands on second-stage Demon Cores. This allowed them to substitute the Golden Jade Lingzhi as main ingredient and successfully refine Foundation Pills.”
The problem is, accomplishing this is nearly impossible.
That’s because the power of a second-stage magical beast is comparable to a cultivator at the foundation establishment stage, and certain beasts are even stronger than ordinary foundation establishment stage cultivators.” For a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator to face a second-stage magical beast is akin to seeking one’s own demise.”
The situation would be much easier only if the foundation establishment cultivators personally took action.”
However, if a loose cultivator could find a Foundation Establishment cultivator for help, getting a Foundation Pill would not be that hard
Why then would they need a Demon Core?
Also because of the small number of second-stage magical beasts that can produce inner cores, you’d possibly need to kill dozens of them just to get one Demon Core. ”
This entails cultivators venturing deep into Cloud Mist Mountain Range to kill a large amount of second-stage magical beasts.
However, deep inside the Cloud Mist Mountain Range lies a third-stage magical beast, equalling a Golden Core cultivator in terms of strength, utterly terrifying.”
If you were to alert a third-stage magical beast, death is certain.”
Indeed, regardless, in order to procure a second-stage Demon Core and hence a Foundation Pill, many loose cultivators still resort to forming alliances and venturing deep into the Cloud Mist Mountain Range to hunt the second-stage magical beasts.”
Even if countless lives were lost, they still flocked towards it unwavering,
never backing down.”
Once you set foot on the path of becoming an immortal, not many are willing
to retreat.”
“A second-stage Demon Core? It seems obtaining it wouldn’t exactly be
impossible.”
Zhou Sui stroked his chin.
A common loose cultivator, in order to attain a second-stage Demon Core, would need to court death.”
But he was not ordinary; he could manipulate many Gu insects.” In particular, once he successfully refines the Gold Eating Bug, if he successfully breeds a large number of them forming a giant swarm, then killing a second-stage magical beast would not be impossible. The most important factor is, he doesn’t need to take action personally, as long as he can manipulate Gu from a distance.”
Even if he truly fails, his body wouldn’t suffer any damage.
He was different from those loose cultivators.”
Those cultivators death would be certain after one failed, but he could afford countless failures.”
“Wait, not only can I hunt second-stage magical beasts, but maybe I can also breed them.”
Zhou Sui had an idea.
He had Wine Bugs that could produce a large amount of first-stage Spiritual Wine.”
Fed on Spiritual Wine in large quantities, there is a chance that a first-stage magical beast can evolve to the second stage.
If the wine bug can further enhance its cultivation to a second-stage Wine Bug, it would be able to produce second-stage Spiritual Wine.”
Things would be much easier when time comes to breed a second-stage magical beast.”
“This method doesn’t sound that bad.”
“Capture a large number of first-stage magical beasts to breed, then cultivate them using Spiritual Wine.”
“Provided the quantity is substantial, I can’t believe it’s impossible to breed a second-stage magical beast.”
“Once it evolves into a second-stage magical beast, I will lay a trap. At the moment it breaks through to the second stage, I will seize the moment and kill it, claiming its inner core.”
“In this way, I could endlessly procure second-stage inner cores and manufacture Foundation Pills.”
Zhou Sui squinted his eyes, a glimmer of excitement reflecting off them.” He seemed to have found a way to craft Foundation Pills without the help of a sect.”
Heh, he would be better off manufacturing Foundation Pills himself than going to any auction..”