Yang Jing pushed the matter to the back of his mind.
The Nine Yang Sect, once a mighty Divinity Transformation Major Sect, had been wiped from existence for a reason. A disciple within the sect, obsessed with achieving Dao Listening Foundation Establishment, had failed to slay a demon and was instead possessed by an Outer Celestial Demon. The demon lurked within the sect's walls, biding its time. It struck when the Nine Yang Sect was at its most vulnerable, facing both a shortage of new talent and external threats.
And just like that, a major sect with an ancient heritage was exterminated.
Even with a way to counter them, one could never be too careful when dealing with strange and unpredictable beings like the Outer Celestial Demons.
The Crown Prince of Qi Kingdom still hadn't regained his sanity. Ordinary Demon Cultivators who practiced the Nine Yin Blood Evil Scripture, even when supplementing their training with various techniques and Elixirs, risked losing their minds. The fact that he hadn't gone completely insane while cultivating under the control of a Five Aggregates Demon was a testament to his remarkable innate qualities.
'In his current state, it's impossible to communicate with him, let alone raise his Affinity to sixty.'
After a moment of contemplation, Yang Jing drew upon the power of the Five Elements Lock Jade Formation to pin the Flood Dragon beneath the giant boulder he normally used for cultivation, leaving only its head exposed.
His Celestial True Yang possessed the Power of Demon Suppression and Evil Destruction. With the Flood Dragon pinned under the stone, his and Iron Head's daily cultivation would also serve to gradually wear away the Blood Evil Demon Qi inside its body.
'If I want to restore his sanity, maybe I can try the Evil Exorcism Pill that circulates among Demons. If that doesn't work, I'll have no choice but to slaughter him and harvest some valuable Artifact Refining materials.'
'I'll have to figure out a way to get the Evil Exorcism Pill Formula from Wang Tong. That formula is far more sensitive than the one for the Bone Marrow Transformation Pill. If I ask for it rashly, I'll probably make him suspicious.'
Yang Jing sat cross-legged on the giant boulder, holding Iron Head in his arms and rubbing its plump head.
Iron Head burrowed into his embrace, its rear end sticking out and its tail tucked between its legs, shivering uncontrollably.
The Outer Celestial Demon had terrified Iron Head, and the little dog still hadn't recovered. Because its Spiritual Sense was so acute, its fear of the Outer Celestial Demon was far more intense.
A moment later, Yang Jing plucked the dog from his lap.
"Alright, stop faking it. It's time for Alchemy."
Iron Head gave a wronged little roll on the ground, then trotted off with a wag of its tail.
Shaking his head, Yang Jing sat down for a moment to calm his qi and blood before taking out a Bone Marrow Transformation Pill and swallowing it. A sharp, bone-deep pain shot through him, followed by a surging heat that erupted from deep within his marrow.
He focused his mind, using his Bright Qi Talent to discern the Spiritual Qi in the world around him and refine the Celestial Yang Qi within it.
By now, Yang Jing's Celestial True Yang had once again accumulated to its absolute limit. The two Acupoints he had already opened felt as if they were about to burst.
With a surge of Celestial True Yang, his Shao Shang Acupoint broke open as naturally as a river carving its channel.
Powerful Celestial True Yang coursed beneath his skin, causing his entire body to emit a faint glow. The True Yang he possessed was immeasurably dense, far surpassing his Cultivation in the Five Talisman Scripture. Both his Tiger Roar Iron Cloth Shirt and Great Capturing Technique had also grown more profound with the accumulation of his True Yang.
The True Yang radiating from him, combined with the Celestial Yang Qi gathered near the boulder, stimulated the Crown Prince of Qi Kingdom pinned beneath. He opened his eyes and struggled feebly for a moment before closing them again, forced to rest and recover his strength.
Yang Jing slowly exhaled. He leaped off the boulder and circulated the True Yang throughout his body, performing a full set of the Tiger Roar Iron Cloth Shirt to forge his muscles, bones, and skin.
His True Yang, vibrating at a high frequency through a special technique, emitted a sound like a tiger's roar—a sign that his Tiger Roar Iron Cloth Shirt had reached a certain level of mastery.
'My True Yang has progressed too quickly; it's on the verge of exceeding what my physical body can handle. For the time being, I need to focus more on practicing the Tiger Roar Iron Cloth Shirt and the Great Capturing Technique.'
After performing the set twice, Yang Jing was drenched in sweat, his skin flushed bright red. He let out a slow breath and settled the turbulent True Yang within him.
He drew some water from the Spiritual Spring, washed up, and changed into a clean Daoist Robe. He left San Yuanli and headed for the Marketplace.
At the Celestial Treasure Tower, Yang Jing and Wang Tong were seated in a private tea room.
"Brother Wang, I'm thinking of giving up on the Bone Marrow Transformation Pill," Yang Jing said as soon as he sat down.
Wang Tong, who had been leisurely sipping his Spirit Tea, nearly spat it all out when he heard Yang Jing's words.
"The six-month deadline on the Spirit Contract is still a long way off. Why give up so soon, Little Brother Yang?"
'Of all the contacts I've secretly cultivated, he's the first one to try and back out this early.'
"A while ago, I was fishing in the Jishui River and easily hooked a Demon Fish. I made a huge profit. That's when I had a realization. I work so hard to gather Spirit Medicines, and my heart pounds every time I light the furnace, terrified I'll just end up with a batch of useless dregs. I earn fewer Spirit Stones from Alchemy than I do just from casting a line by the river."
Yang Jing took a sip of his Spirit Tea, subtly observing Wang Tong as he continued to speak.
"I'm thinking of joining the Alchemy Institute in the Marketplace. I'll spend my days refining some Low-Tier Elixirs for the Six Great Sects, and go fishing in the Jishui River in my free time. Who knows, I might still have a shot at reaching Foundation Establishment that way."
The Alchemy Institute was an organization established by the Six Great Sects in every Marketplace, created specifically for aging Alchemists with no hope of further advancement. By refining Elixirs for the Institute for twenty years, an Alchemist could earn the right to sponsor one direct descendant into the Outer Sect of one of the Six Great Sects.
During those twenty years, they would earn less than half the income of an independent Alchemist of the same level. Furthermore, the high-intensity work of mass-producing Low-Tier Elixirs did nothing to improve one's actual Alchemy skills, so no Alchemist with any real promise would ever choose to join.
However, once an Alchemist joined the Institute, they were officially registered with the Six Great Sects. If anything were to happen to them, the Six Great Sects would be obligated to investigate.
Yang Jing said all this precisely to prevent Wang Tong from making a move against him.
He was betting that Wang Tong couldn't possibly get his hands on a Bone Marrow Transformation Pill at the moment. Spirit Pills like it were in high demand among Demons, so the Six Great Sects had long placed them under strict control. Every purchase required a signature from a Marketplace Steward, along with a record of the quantity, time of purchase, and the buyer's Magical Power fluctuations.
'For a manager at the Qi Cultivation Stage like Wang Tong, none of the alchemists in his network could possibly be at the Foundation Establishment Stage. It's highly unlikely any of them could refine a Tier One Upper Grade Bone Marrow Transformation Pill. Of course, if they *can* make one, then I'll figure out another way to get the Evil Exorcism Pill Formula.'
Wang Tong was stunned, and his anxiety spiked. He had no Bone Marrow Transformation Elixirs in stock at all. Only the members at the Foundation Establishment Stage kept a small supply. But with his mere Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivation, it was incredibly difficult to ask for favors from those mighty Foundation Establishment cultivators.
In the past, when he encountered an Alchemist who didn't know what was good for them, he would simply send his lackeys to make them disappear without a trace. But he had never imagined that Yang Jing would come up with the outlandish idea of joining the Alchemy Institute.
"Little Brother Yang, you're being foolish! The Alchemy Institute isn't something you can just join on a whim. Once you sign that Spirit Contract, there's no going back. If you try to escape your alchemical servitude, you'll be captured and sentenced to hard labor!"
'So it's settled,' Yang Jing thought, feeling reassured. 'Wang Tong can't easily get his hands on the Bone Marrow Transformation Pill, and he's wary of the Alchemy Institute. He has no way to deal with me.'
"I've refined more than ten batches in a row without a single successful pill. I suppose I just don't have the Talent for Alchemy."
Wang Tong was so anxious he nearly coughed up blood, but he forced his expression to remain neutral, afraid of letting Yang Jing see through him.
"Little Brother Yang, don't give up so easily! Maybe the Bone Marrow Transformation Pill is just too difficult. I have an even simpler Pill Formula here, and the profits from the finished Elixirs are far greater than what you'd get from any ordinary Spirit Pill."