Chapter 438 - 326: Middle Grade Level
Excluding the initial half-day, it took nearly seven days to refine a batch of Golden Core Pills.
When the process was complete,
Fang Yun’s gaze immediately fell upon the Pill Output Port.
A pale golden pill rolled out.
’Success!’
A single Low-grade Golden Core Pill.
"I barely managed to produce a single Low-grade Golden Core Pill," Fang Yun said with a hint of relief.
When it came to the final step of refining the Golden Core Pill, even with all his experience, he couldn’t be sure it would work.
A closer look at this Low-grade Golden Core Pill revealed that its formation had been a close call.
But now that it was successfully formed, there wasn’t much difference between it and a normal Low-grade Golden Core Pill.
In fact, most Low-grade Golden Core Pills were of this barely-successful variety.
Fang Yun carefully stored the Golden Core Pill in a specially made small jade bottle.
Then, he took some time to review the alchemy experience.
His first time refining a Golden Core Pill offered the most lessons.
With this success under his belt, Fang Yun was over ninety percent confident about the next batch. Even if he used the worst of his three sets of ingredients, he was sure he could produce another Low-grade Golden Core Pill—and a stable one at that, not one that had barely formed.
The real challenge would be refining the third batch.
His goal was to refine a Middle-grade Golden Core Pill.
After reviewing his experience, Fang Yun didn’t immediately begin refining the second batch of Golden Core Pills.
Refining a batch of Golden Core Pills with such intense focus took a significant toll on him.
Although he was at the Peak of Foundation Establishment and capable of refining two batches consecutively, there was no need to do so.
It would be better to rest, adjust himself to peak condition, and then refine the next Golden Core Pill.
’I only get to refine a few batches of Golden Core Pills in a century. I have to make each attempt count.’
「Time flew by, and soon it was early July.」
Fang Yun still hadn’t started on the second batch.
He checked the Talent Points tallied from the previous month, mainly wanting to see how many base Talent Points a single Low-grade Golden Core Pill would provide.
——
Refined Low-grade Golden Core Pill x1, Talent Points +25,000
...
Sect Influence: 81%
Talent Point Bonus: 564%
Total: Talent Points +427,880
——
A single Low-grade Golden Core Pill provided 25,000 base Talent Points. Following the pattern for acquiring Talent Points from Third Tier pills, that meant refining a Top-grade Golden Core Pill would grant him 250,000 base Talent Points.
Since breaking through to the Peak of Foundation Establishment, Fang Yun’s influence in the sect had increased by a total of two percentage points.
Any further increase would have to come from direct influence, as his indirect influence had already maxed out.
If it hadn’t been maxed out, his influence should have grown when Bai Qinying broke through to the Core Formation Stage.
Fang Yun estimated his influence within the sect would surge once he broke through to the Core Formation Stage and became a Supreme Elder.
Whether he could achieve Core Formation would have a huge impact on him.
This was especially true for how the sect’s upper echelons viewed him. If he successfully achieved Core Formation, it would mean a more stable future for the Celestial Cloud Sect, and at the very least, they wouldn’t lack for pills.
After drawing a Life Talent, Fang Yun quickly dismissed the glowing screen.
Eighty-one percent sect influence had long since surpassed his goal.
’I still remember the first goal I set after becoming an Elder. My influence in the sect had to be at least sixty percent by the time I reached the true Peak of Foundation Establishment. Now, I haven’t even reached the true Peak of Foundation Establishment, yet my current influence is high enough to be a minimum goal for after I become a Supreme Elder.’
The sect influence bonus increased by twenty percent for each rank, from Outer Sect Disciple to Inner Sect Disciple, and then to Elder. Barring any surprises, his positional bonus would be eighty percent once he became a Supreme Elder.
The Sect Leader’s bonus was undoubtedly one hundred percent.
The Supreme Elder’s bonus might vary, but the Sect Leader’s was an absolute.
He pushed those thoughts aside.
Fang Yun once again entered a state of cultivation.
The Nine-star Life Talent was still a distant dream. Over four thousand Life Talent draws had only advanced his progress by a tiny fraction, just over three ten-thousandths.
「Ten days later.」
「In the Alchemy Room.」
Fang Yun prepared to refine his final batch of Golden Core Pills.
He had finished refining the second batch two days prior, steadily producing another Low-grade Golden Core Pill.
For Fang Yun, the goal for this third batch was perhaps even more difficult than his very first attempt.
After all, he only had the experience of refining two batches of Golden Core Pills.
He adjusted his condition until he was at his absolute peak.
Soon, Fang Yun began refining the third batch.
The refining time for the third batch was slightly shorter than the previous two. By constantly reviewing his experiences, Fang Yun had developed a better grasp of the timing involved in the process.
The moment the pill emerged,
Fang Yun felt a surge of nervousness. ’It has to be Middle Grade!’
His silent prayer was answered.
The Golden Core Pill from his third batch was indeed Middle Grade.
"This is great!"
A smile Fang Yun couldn’t contain spread across his face.
In the eyes of the sect’s leadership, this Middle-grade Golden Core Pill he had just refined was undoubtedly meant to help him break through to the Core Formation Stage.
With the help of a Middle-grade Golden Core Pill, his chances of successfully reaching the Core Formation Stage would increase by at least twenty percent.
A purified Spirit Root, a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object to aid Core Formation, and a Middle-grade Golden Core Pill... once he reached the true Peak of Foundation Establishment, his chances of successfully forming his core would be close to fifty percent.
This was an incredibly high probability. An Abnormal Spirit Root Cultivator attempting Core Formation without any aids had about a thirty percent chance of success. Using a Low-grade Golden Core Pill would raise those odds to forty-five percent.