A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality (Chapter 1-Chapter 200)

“Young Friend, calm down. It will be clear once you think about it. Why are medicine pill recipes valuable? Naturally it is because they are capable of using heavenly materials and earthly treasures to create medicine pills for us cultivators to consume.”


“However, Young Friend did not think about this before. In this world, heavenly materials and earthly treasures are quite limited. In addition, each plant requires hundreds if not thousands years to mature and be of use. During this time, the amount of cultivators do not decrease but instead increase year after year. As a result, the materials used in these pill recipes gradually grow sparse, eventually becoming completely extinguished. By the time the people of the cultivation world took noticed of this grave problem, the heavenly materials and earthly treasures of this earth were long gone. Only a few particular regions still have a few of these ingredients remaining. These regions are incomparably dangerous even for us cultivators and are not easily braved.”

“Thus, we were thoroughly severed from a source of raw materials, and the medicine formulas became worthless. Who would attach value to them? After an extremely long period and several great calamities upon the cultivation world, these medicine pill recipes gradually disappeared from history. The few that remain could be counted upon one’s fingers, and the Foundation Establishment Pill was merely one of those that remained.”





Chapter 156: Earth Lung Fire


After Han Li heard the old man’s reason, his face’s expression did not change, appearing neither accepting nor denying those words. He nodded his head and said nothing. He picked up the jade cylinder duplicates, and turned around, walking toward the passage.

“Since Young Friend wants to refine pills, would you like to come again and buy a few pill furnaces? I will sell them a bit cheaper.” The old man saw Han Li leaving and hastily offered to sell his own goods.

“I do not need them. For the time being, I cannot use them!” Han Li did not turn around and simply waved his hand goodbye.

“That is truly unfortunate. This pill furnace of mine can bear the high temperatures of earth fire!” Elder Xu regretfully said, having seen that his business was not successful.

“Earth fire?” Han Li stopped at the entrance of the passage.

“It is Earth Lung Fire, a bit more impressive than Innate True Fire.” The old man indifferently mentioned.

“Isn’t it said that pill refinery requires Innate True Fire? Can this Earth Fire replace it when refining pills?” Han Li tried his best to keep his voice calm. However, his heart was thumping greatly. He knew that he might’ve already found a solution out of his Foundation Establishment Pill refinery predicament.

“Hehe! It seems Young Friend is completely ignorant that Earth Fire has long replaced Innate True Fire in pill refinery! However, this is nothing serious. Basically, those who have learned a thing or two about pills should all know this. I will explain this to Young Friend free of charge!” The old man saw Han Li’s interest, causing his spirit to stir. He even deliberately added the words ‘free of charge’ as an especially heavy bait.

How could Han Li not hear the meaning in the other party’s words? He could not help but bitterly smile. The old man clearly implied that although he would tell him free of charge, he would only speak a sentence for free. To say seven or eight sentences free of charge, the difference was far too great.

However, this matter was of great importance, and Han Li would not be able to tangle with him once more.

As a result, he directly walked back and instantly agreed, “So long as Elder Xu’s words about Earth Fire are true, then I will select one of your pill furnaces!”

“Hehe! My pill furnaces are absolute top quality goods. They are certain to satisfy Young Friend!” Elder Xu saw that an agreement was smoothly met and could not help but smile with squinted eyes.

“At first, Innate True Fire was used to refine pills, but this was during an ancient time long ago! The current pill refinery of the cultivation world borrows the Earth Lung Fire from Profound Yang Earth to temper and refine medicine pills. Long ago, our ancestors already discovered that Earth Fire not only had purer essence and higher temperatures than True Fire, it was also longer lasting and more stable. Its success rate was usually much greater than when using True Fire to refine pills. Furthermore, it was also equivalently effective when used to refine tools. That is the reason why so long as cultivation sects and a few of the larger cultivation clans have the qualifications, they will all have their own Profound Yang Fire Earth to provide their younger generations with refined pills and refined tools. Only wild cultivators, those whose powers are truly alone and are unable to borrow Earth Fire, would use the more highly likely to fail True Fire method to refine pills.” The old man shook his head as he narrated a large speech that passed through his mind.

“Then this sect also has Earth Fire that can be borrowed for use? Elder Xu should definitely know where.” Han Li was elated, but he resisted the excitement in his mind and preserved his reason in order to ask about the crucial location.

“Hehe….”

When the old man heard Han Li’s question, he couldn’t help but laugh heartily. He smiled at Han Li and blinked his eyes, as if he were puzzled!

“When Young Friend had just entered Yue Lu Hall, didn’t he see a passageway without any signs? That passage leads to the Profound Yang Earth Fire. If you pay a few spirit stones, you will be able to borrow some Earth Fire for use!” After an easy smile, the old man eventually told Han Li the truth.

“Is this really true?” Han Li could not help but expose a happy expression, and the corner of his mouth slightly rose.

“This old man is already this old, how could he cheat a junior such as yourself?” Elder Xu replied, somewhat annoyed.

“It was this Junior’s slip of the mouth! Please forgive me, Elder Xu!” Although Han Li felt that the old man was greedy, he would not deceive a junior in this matter like that. He sincerely said this with a modest tone.

“Humph! Seeing that Young Friend’s age is so young, this old man will forgive you this once!” The old man’s expression eased. However, his face stiffened immediately after. “However, it would be favorable if you were to purchase a pill furnace. This old man might not offer them anymore.”

When Han Li heard this, Han Li could not help but bitterly smile. This Elder truly won’t neglect this advantageous moment of vulnerability!

“Are those the pill furnaces?” Han Li asked, pointing to the shelves behind the old man. They held cauldron furnaces of various sizes.

“Obviously not. Those are simply common trash. They are only capable refining some inferior medicine pills. How could they withstand the heat of Earth Fire? Genuine quality pill furnaces are all here!” The old man recovered the true qualities of an unscrupulous businessman and gleefully patted the unremarkable gray pouch at his waist.

The old man took off the gray pouch and lightly patted it as he looked to the ground beside him. Then an azure light swept out a row of interesting, antique-styled, unusual pill cauldrons on the floor.

“How about it? This is the old man’s collection of pill furnaces. Every single one is a work of quality, absolutely not some common trash!” The old man said somewhat complacently. He picked up the nearest cauldron furnace and lightly struck it.

“They are truly quite good!” Once the cauldron furnaces appeared, Han Li sensed that they emitted traces of Spiritual Qi. He couldn’t help but let out a soft “Yi”.