Chapter 557 - 236: Vajra
Chen Qing swept his gaze over the dazzling array of Jade Bottles and boxes on the counter. Besides the Quenching Gang Pills and Dragon Tiger Bone Tempering Pills, there were many other Elixirs he recognized or didn’t, such as Bi Yunxia, Nourishing Essence Pills, Life Creation Pills, and so on.
"Junior Sister He, can all these... Elixirs be exchanged for Contribution Points?" Chen Qing asked, his heart stirring.
He Zhi nodded, a hint of pride in her voice. "Yes. These are the surplus from what Master usually refines."
Chen Qing immediately understood. ’This is undoubtedly an excellent way to obtain Elixirs, and it will save me a large amount of Contribution Points.’
’Looks like I’ll have to come here often for the elixirs I need in the future.’
The two returned to the main hall of the side palace. When Qu He saw them come out, he asked, "All set?"
"All set. Thank you, Brother Qu, and thank you, Elder Zhang."
Chen Qing said with a cupped-fist salute, carefully putting away the Elixirs he had exchanged for.
Qu He nodded slightly. As if remembering something, he turned to Elder Zhang. "By the way, Elder Zhang, that Pure Yang Yuan Astral Pill... when do you expect to begin refining it?"
Elder Zhang raised his eyelids and said indifferently, "The medicinal ingredients are still maturing, and the heat isn’t right yet. It’ll probably be another two months. You know this Pill—many people have their eyes on it. I can’t guarantee how many Top Grade pills will come out of this batch."
"Alright, I understand."
Qu He nodded and didn’t ask any more questions. He then bid farewell to Elder Zhang and left the Alchemy Room with Chen Qing.
Walking out of Danxia Peak, the mountain breeze caressed their faces, bringing with it a refreshing coolness.
Qu He smiled at Chen Qing and said, "Now that you have this experience, the next time you need any Elixirs, you can just come and register with He Zhi yourself. I’ve already put in a good word for you with Elder Zhang."
"Thank you for the kindness of your recommendation, Brother!" Chen Qing once again offered a solemn, cupped-fist salute.
He knew full well that without Qu He personally leading the way and speaking on his behalf, even if he knew about this channel, he might not have enjoyed such favorable prices and trust with his current status and strength.
The favor involved was something that couldn’t be measured by mere Contribution Points.
"There’s no need to be so polite between fellow sect members."
Qu He waved his hand dismissively, then mused for a moment before saying, "That Pure Yang Yuan Astral Pill is truly a good thing. When the batch is ready, if I get the chance, I’ll try to secure one for you."
"Pure Yang Yuan Astral Pill?" Chen Qing repeated in a low voice, a hint of confusion in his tone.
"That’s right."
Qu He explained, "This Elixir is exclusively refined by Elder Zhang Yi. The ingredients are extremely rare, and it takes three years to produce a single batch. Its greatest effect is to wash and refine True Astral, removing impurities and making one’s True Astral purer and more condensed."
Hearing this, Chen Qing’s heart stirred.
’An increase in the purity of my True Astral doesn’t just mean an immediate boost in combat power, allowing me to unleash Martial Arts with greater might and less consumption; it’s also crucial for my long-term foundation.’
"It truly is a Treasure Pill that would be of great benefit to my Cultivation," Chen Qing praised.
"There’s more."
Qu He’s tone became a bit more serious. "The higher the purity of your True Astral, the lower the difficulty of condensing True Essence when you break through to the True Essence Realm in the future, and your foundation will be more solid. You have to understand, the Sect has the Astral Condensing Pill to help break through to Astral Force, but there is no specific Elixir to rely on for the True Essence Realm. It all depends on your own accumulation and foundation. Therefore, any treasure that can provide even a sliver of help in breaking through to the True Essence Realm is incredibly precious."
He paused, then continued, "However, the effect of this Pure Yang Yuan Astral Pill is most significant the first time you take it. The effects diminish with each subsequent pill. Usually, after taking three, the effect is negligible. Some people even find it ineffective after just two. But no matter what, the effect of the first pill is absolutely real. It’s precisely because of this that the production of this type of Elixir is limited. It never appears on the exchange list in Wanxiang Hall. Once a batch is produced, it’s almost immediately claimed and divided up by the Four Veins."
"Within the Sect, resources are limited. You must fight for what you must fight for. Only by showing your edge at the right time can you gain the upper hand in the competition."
At this, Qu He glanced at Chen Qing.
Chen Qing nodded.
’The ability to help even slightly with the breakthrough to the True Essence Realm, even if only indirectly by increasing the purity of one’s True Astral, is enough to make everyone at the Astral Force realm, especially those at Astral Force Perfection, flock to it.’
’For me, this Elixir is equally significant. It can solidify my foundation.’
Afterward, the two parted ways at a fork in the road. Qu He had other matters to attend to, while Chen Qing went straight back to his small courtyard on Xu Wang Mountain.
Upon returning to the courtyard, Chen Qing eagerly went to the open space, ready to practice the *True Martial Demon-Vanquishing Spear* he had just obtained.
He took a deep breath, recalling the essentials passed down by Pei Tingchun in his mind.
With the Diancang Spear in hand, a heavy aura naturally emanated from it.
This Spear Technique had a total of five moves: True Martial Abyss, Demon-Vanquishing and Evil-Exterminating, Black Tortoise Shaking the Mountain, True Martial Seven Joints, and Demon Suppression Mountain.
Chen Qing began to practice, one move at a time, following the sequences that appeared in his mind.
He was a bit clumsy at first, but he quickly got the hang of it.
The wind from his spear howled. At times, it was as heavy as a mountain crashing down; at others, as sharp as a bolt of lightning; and at others, as nimble as a continuous drizzle. Woven within it was his Triple Spear Momentum, and it also contained an unprecedented, vast Righteous Qi, as if it could cleanse all the filth in the world.
Cultivating an Unparalleled Spear Skill to the Extreme Realm would allow one to comprehend Spear Intent.
If ’Momentum’ could form an intangible pressure that multiplied one’s power against an enemy, then ’Intent’ was a step further, capable of even influencing a person’s will.
For an ordinary Astral Force expert, comprehending ’Momentum’ was already a rare feat, requiring extremely high comprehension and long periods of honing.
But to sublimate ’Momentum’ into ’Intent’ was exceedingly difficult. Countless masters at the Astral Force realm could go their entire lives without ever touching the threshold of ’Intent’.
This required not only arduous Cultivation but also profound insight into Martial Arts, as well as a certain degree of fortunate epiphany.