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As the nascent pill inside Lin Feng's medicinal cauldron gradually became more refined, he made a slight motion with his hand.
A pale yellow pill landed steadily in his palm.
Seeing his success, Lin Feng let out a slight breath of relief.
This time, he had used an ordinary Dou Qi flame instead of relying on Beast Fire.
The fact that he was able to successfully refine it indeed contained an element of luck.
He had previously obtained the pill formula from the Snake-People Clan and had experimented numerous times, but had always failed.
"Master, I am willing to pay 160,000 gold coins to purchase this Barrier Protection Pill!"
Upon seeing the refined pill, a second-tier alchemist urgently shouted.
"Master, I offer 180,000 gold coins!"
At that moment, another alchemist gritted his teeth and called out, "Master, I am willing to trade a complete set of ingredients for a fourth-tier peak pill, Three Lines Green Spirit Pill, in exchange!"
Hearing that he was offering the materials for the Three Lines Green Spirit Pill, Lin Feng immediately chose to trade with that alchemist.
The others showed disappointment in their expressions, but no resentment.
Instead, they tried to curry favor with Lin Feng, stepping forward to talk with him, hoping that he could help refine a pill for them next time.
Lin Feng, on the other hand, was keen on exchanging knowledge with other alchemists, so under such circumstances, everyone engaged in lively discussions.
For the next few days, Lin Feng spent his time exchanging pill-refining techniques with other alchemists.
The experiences of those alchemists provided him with great help, enlightening him in several areas.
Previously, when he was in the Snake-People Clan, he had read the notes of several fourth-tier alchemists, as well as various books from their storage rings.
His theoretical knowledge was already quite strong, earning him admiration from other alchemists.
In the eastern trading district of the Alchemist Association, Lin Feng arrived once again, searching for what he needed.
After passing by the stalls of several third-tier alchemists, he finally stopped in front of an elderly man's stand.
His eyes landed on a wooden sign that read:
"Seeking ingredients for a fifth-tier pill—Bone Repairing Pill."
Below the sign, the required medicinal ingredients were meticulously listed.
Lin Feng touched his storage ring. The medicinal ingredients he had obtained in Qingshan Town and the Tagore Desert were enough to form a complete set.
However, he wasn't sure if it was safe to trade with this person.
His gaze shifted slightly, finally stopping on the emblem on the old man's chest.
On the surface of an ancient-looking cauldron emblem, four finely drawn silver ripples shimmered.
This indicated that the old man before him was a fourth-tier alchemist.
After a moment of thought, Lin Feng figured that a fourth-tier alchemist wouldn't go as far as turning into a robber just for the ingredients worth tens of thousands of gold coins.
He then stepped forward and asked, "Senior, I barely managed to gather a complete set of ingredients. However, I'd like to know what price you are willing to offer."
As he spoke, Lin Feng deliberately hesitated, touching his storage ring while a trace of heartache flashed in his eyes, as if these ingredients were his most valuable possessions.
The old man squinted upon hearing Lin Feng's words. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "You must be the well-known third-tier alchemist, Feng Lin, who has gained some fame recently. What would you like in exchange? As long as I can accept it, I have no problem trading."
"Uh..."
Lin Feng's lips twitched. That was basically saying nothing at all.
However, he wasn't surprised by the old man calling him Feng Lin since that was the alias he had chosen for himself.
With a slight smile, he cupped his hands and responded, "Indeed, I am Feng Lin. I would like to exchange these ingredients for a fourth-tier pill formula with a clearly recorded soul imprint."
"A fourth-tier pill formula?!"
The old man was visibly surprised as he looked at Lin Feng.
Then, recalling that Lin Feng had successfully refined a third-tier peak pill just a few days ago, his expression eased, and a look of admiration filled his heart.
Back then, he had been nearly forty years old before he could even attempt refining a fourth-tier pill.
Yet, the young man before him, Feng Lin, had reached this stage ten years earlier than he had.
In another ten years, the Jia Ma Empire might gain another fifth-tier alchemist.
"If only this young man were my disciple, how great that would be..."
"Disciple... Hmm, maybe I should first test his character?"
Thinking about his own disciples, the old man stroked his beard and pondered secretly.
Then, he spoke up, "I'll trade you a fourth-tier Qi Gathering Powder formula with a clear soul imprint—how about that?"
Qi Gathering Powder was a low-level fourth-tier pill. Its effect was to ensure that a ninth-stage Dou Zhi Qi could successfully condense their Dou Qi Cyclone with a 100% success rate.
Because of this, it was highly sought after in the marketplace.
After all, who wouldn't want their younger generation to advance to Dou Zhe as soon as possible?
This would allow them to be one step ahead of their peers on the cultivation path.
Most importantly, the refining difficulty of Qi Gathering Powder was among the lowest of all fourth-tier pills.
It was often the first choice for third-tier alchemists attempting to refine a fourth-tier pill for the first time.
Lin Feng thought about it for a moment and found this trade to be quite fair.
He nodded and said, "Alright."
With that, he retrieved the required medicinal ingredients one by one and handed them over to the old man.
The elder carefully inspected the herbs and found their quality to be exceptionally good.
Satisfied, he took out a scroll from his storage ring and flicked it toward Lin Feng.
After confirming that the pill formula was authentic, Lin Feng couldn't wait to go back and attempt refining the Qi Gathering Powder.
He cupped his hands and said, "Since the transaction is complete, I shall take my leave now."
"Wait a moment."
Just as Lin Feng was about to leave, the old man suddenly called out, stopping him.
"Senior, is there something else?"
Lin Feng turned back, slightly puzzled.
However, he wasn't nervous—after all, if the elder tried to rob him inside the Alchemist Association Headquarters, even as a fourth-tier alchemist, he wouldn't be able to bear the consequences.
"I've been busy attempting to refine fifth-tier pills lately and haven't had time to teach my disciples. So, I'd like to ask you to instruct my disciple for a few days."
As he spoke, the old man put away the wooden sign that listed his ingredient requests.
Lin Feng frowned slightly.
He was eager to refine the Qi Gathering Powder and had no interest in mentoring someone else's disciple.
With a hint of apology in his tone, he replied, "I'm afraid I must disappoint you, Senior. I also have no free time these next few days."
The old man, however, could tell that Lin Feng's main goal was to refine the Qi Gathering Powder.
Stroking his beard, he chuckled and said, "Don't worry—I won't make you work for nothing. If you agree to guide my disciple for a few days, I will personally coach you on refining fourth-tier pills. How about that?"
"In that case, I agree."
Since the elder was already attempting fifth-tier pills, he was likely a peak fourth-tier alchemist.
Lin Feng realized that this was a rare opportunity to receive guidance from a peak fourth-tier alchemist, so he no longer refused.
Even though he had read many books and notes from fourth-tier alchemists, it couldn't compare to learning directly from a master.
At the same time, he found the old man's generosity a bit odd.
Whether it was the previous pill formula trade or this new offer, the elder seemed to be going out of his way to help him.
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