"So there are six pills in total! Junior Brother Li, you're truly a prodigy in the Dao of Alchemy. With these, I finally have a chance to break through. When that happens, I must treat you to a fine banquet at the Yuexian Pavilion!"
"I don't deserve such praise, Senior Brother. One of them is a substandard pill I'm ashamed to have failed you."
"No need to be so modest. Even a substandard pill is highly effective for cultivators like us..."
Li Ye smiled and exchanged a few words with his fellow disciple, who was overjoyed and showing goodwill. After repeated thanks, he saw the man off from the alchemy room.
This scene had already played out many times in recent days.
"Senior Brother Li, would you like to rest a bit?"
Yu Xiaoshan walked in gracefully with a tray of tea, her voice gentle and even a little respectful. In her eyes, there was now a faint but unshakable look of admiration.
Over this period, Li Ye had completed yet another batch of pill commissions.
This batch even included several mid-tier pills far more valuable and potent than the low-grade ones from before. More importantly, they were much more difficult to refine.
And yet, Li Ye had still completed the required number without showing the slightest strain. From what the other disciples had verified, the quality of the pills was consistently high, with barely any duds.
With such performance, even though Alchemist Luo had been doing everything he could to win over clients with discounts, he was starting to fall behind.
Luo hadn't even met Li Ye in person yet, and Li Ye hadn't even actively tried to compete with him…
Yet just through these subtle comparisons, he was once again outdone.
Judging by the speed at which Li Ye completed his tasks, a few more knowledgeable disciples who'd been keeping an eye on the alchemy room even guessed that Li Ye might be profiting from his work as well.
His alchemical skills were truly astonishing!
And once this conclusion spread, rather than provoking jealousy, it actually triggered a wave of disciples and rogue cultivators many of whom had previously been on the fence to visit Li Ye directly, especially after he indicated he was open to private commissions.
After all, anyone still in this Zimo Forest market had some skill to their name. Most had solid foundations and personal stashes of rare items.
Alchemist Luo hadn't been able to win them over, but now they were generously handing their prized materials to Li Ye without hesitation.
Under the same rules two portions of materials for one batch of pills or equivalent compensation Li Ye was reaping great rewards.
While other disciples were out patrolling and battling, Li Ye simply stayed in the alchemy room, and his wealth grew by the day.
His collection of spiritual herbs, seeds, and seedlings expanded significantly. His stock of pill recipes also grew richer. He was already close to completing his collection of alchemy formulas suitable for all five elemental roots!
Even with his pricing, the output of his refined pills both in quantity and quality was astonishing. Every cultivator who came to him left satisfied, praising the results as worth every spirit stone.
As a result, his reputation and connections rapidly expanded, and his status in Zimo Forest soared.
Even in a sect like Purple Profound, where tension ran high between common-born and noble disciples, no one dared show him even a hint of disrespect or hostility.
Some had once grumbled about how he never fought on the frontlines, but now, seeing the life-saving pills he provided with their own hands, not a single person had a word of complaint.
On the contrary, everyone now believed that it was best for someone like Li Ye to hold the fort in the rear he was the foundation of their survival.
And Yu Xiaoshan, who had stayed by Li Ye's side all this time, helping him with various errands and greeting his visitors, felt the impact of his growing influence more deeply than anyone.
Before she realized it, even his once-unremarkable face seemed to radiate a certain charm to her he had become extraordinary in her eyes.
Li Ye casually sat down, took a cup of tea, and took a slow sip. The fragrant flavor swirled through the ambient spiritual energy, instantly refreshing his mind.
"No worries… now, tell me about the recent developments. I heard some of our brothers have already clashed with disciples from the Flying Feather Sect?"
At the mention of this, Yu Xiaoshan's face lit up with excitement.
"Yes, indeed! With the pills you've refined, many of our senior brothers have been able to turn the tide of battle with just a single dose of Zimo Powder. If things go badly, they can still retreat safely..."
"So far, our casualties have been minimal, while the enemy has taken heavy losses!"
Li Ye smiled as well, deeply gratified. "I'm not alone in this path, after all."
Start the fight by spreading poison. As long as the enemy had no defense against it, their strength would be reduced by thirty percent before the battle even started. How could you lose?
But soon, his smile faded slightly, and his brow furrowed.
"But… now that Zimo Powder has been used so widely, it's probably become a serious thorn in the enemy's side…"
That pill refiner must be the same kind of threat!
However, the antidote for Zimo Powder could only be produced in this region. Other defensive methods had their flaws most couldn't completely neutralize their effects.
As for Li Ye, now he didn't even have to tend to spiritual fields. Aside from cultivating at his residence, he spent nearly all of his time holed up in the alchemy room.
Even if enemies did infiltrate to try and assassinate him, the chances of success were extremely slim. Not to mention, with his current cultivation and combat strength, unless a Foundation Establishment expert personally made a move, even late-stage Qi Refining cultivators were no threat to him.
And Foundation Establishment cultivators? Every single one of them was extremely cautious with their lives. Who would risk entering a tier-two array formation just to carry out an assassination?
There was no need to worry!
"That's exactly right. Some of the senior brothers have already reported that the enemy has started wearing masks or veils to cover their mouths and noses during battle. It's affecting the Zimo Powder's effectiveness somewhat."
Yu Xiaoshan nodded, her pretty face grave.
"But because of that, the enemy is paying much more attention to our sector. With other strategic locations also holding strong, the pressure on us is increasing by the day... According to Elder Yu, the Flying Feather Sect is likely planning a major assault on the marketplace soon. Preparations must be made in advance!"
"Is that so…"
Li Ye nodded slightly, then asked casually, "So, are you saying we need a batch of high-grade Zimo Powder?"
"Senior Brother, you can refine that?!"
Yu Xiaoshan's eyes lit up with excitement.
She had never seen Li Ye refine high-grade pills before. When the elder assigned this mission, she had felt a bit uneasy and hadn't dared to bring it up right away.
She never expected he'd bring it up on his own!
Li Ye toyed with his teacup and replied calmly,
"I've got a fair bit of confidence. As long as we're willing to use the materials, refining a batch to shift the tides of battle shouldn't be a problem."
He was planning to stay here for a while longer anyway contributing a bit of effort was only fair.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Brother."
Yu Xiaoshan gave a slight bow and placed a storage pouch from her waist onto the table.
"These are the materials and pill formula the elder asked me to bring you. We don't know when this battle will end, so please use them sparingly if possible…"
…
"With skills like that, why did Li Ye even come to this dangerous place to fight for opportunities against me?!"
Having just seen off a client, Alchemist Luo overheard someone outside comparing him unfavorably to Li Ye. Slamming the door shut, he couldn't help but curse out loud in frustration.
He had worked so hard, sacrificed profit margins, and even staked his life yet this random upstart had still stolen away his business!
"That damned!"
He was about to keep ranting when he suddenly remembered: Li Ye was most likely one of the family disciples the Purple Profound Sect had sent to the front lines.
In truth, he was just another poor soul with no choice.
That thought gave him pause.
His lips trembled as he muttered bitterly under his breath,
"Damn Purple Profound Sect... they don't even know how to value a genius like that. Blind and shortsighted! Just wait your downfall is only a matter of time!"
BOOM!
Just as he finished speaking, a thunderous explosion suddenly rocked the air.
Alchemist Luo flinched hard, nearly dropping to the floor in shock.
He instinctively turned toward the window, eyes wide with vigilance outside, the sky above the defensive formation was flickering with spiritual light and rippling energy.
Beyond the barrier, a massive army was gathering.
The Flying Feather Sect's coalition forces… had arrived at their doorstep.
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