Medical Sage

”This is the place. Brother Chen, please follow me.” Lin Moxin didn’t spare a glance for the Jinbao Pavilion next to Twin Rain Tower, instead gesturing directly for Chen Fei to follow him into the building.

Chen Fei followed without hesitation. Entering the grand hall of Twin Rain Tower, he found the space inside wasn’t as small as it appeared from the outside. Both its length and width were about twenty meters, and in all four directions, rows of shelves carved from solid nanmu wood were neatly arranged.

On those shelves were either gleaming Magic Artifacts of various colors, pure white jade Pill bottles exuding a strange fragrance, or a variety of odd trinkets for different uses, as well as Alchemy and Crafting Materials. The sight was dazzling and overwhelming; a cursory glance confirmed there was no shortage of items.

However, when Chen Fei took a closer look, he discovered that most of these items were of a lower grade. Some were even essentially useless, and he found them rather unimpressive.

In front of the shelves, four or five smartly dressed, gray-robed, low-level cultivators were busily attending to seven or eight visiting customers who were buying or selling, creating a bustling atmosphere.

As soon as Lin Moxin led Chen Fei inside, a sharp-eyed attendant noticed their arrival and hurried over. ”Young Master Moxin? What brings you here? Do you need anything or have any instructions?” he asked respectfully.

It was no joke; given Lin Moxin’s status in the Lin Family, his influence was at its zenith. How could these lowly attendants dare to be negligent?

”Brother Chen, what Alchemy Materials do you need, specifically?” Lin Moxin turned and asked.

Seeing this, the attendant couldn’t help but reveal a look of shock. Lin Moxin’s pride was notorious throughout the Lin Family of Twin Rain Tower, yet here he was, being so courteous to someone his own age… wait… Alchemy Materials? Could it be that this impossibly young guest is actually a noble Alchemist? If that were the case, Young Master Moxin’s behavior would make perfect sense.

At this thought, the attendant immediately bowed deeply to Chen Fei and said shrewdly, ”Esteemed guest, may I know what specific Alchemy Materials you require? We have most of the common first and second-level Alchemy Materials available in our store.”

Hearing this, Lin Moxin shot the attendant an appreciative look. He certainly knows how to talk.

Chen Fei also smiled slightly upon hearing such polished words.

”May I have a look first?” he then asked with a smile.

”Have a look first? Of course, Brother Chen, if you want to see…” Lin Moxin was momentarily startled, but he quickly recovered, nodding with a smile while giving the attendant a meaningful glance. ”Lead the way.”

However, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Chen Fei might be getting ahead of himself. Look at what? Surely, Chen Fei hasn’t come here without even preparing the Pill recipe he intends to refine? If so, he couldn’t be considered a qualified Alchemist. Then again, it made sense. It was already astonishing for someone to have achieved so much at Chen Fei’s age. To add the prestigious identity of an Alchemist on top of that would simply be too much to believe. Perhaps Chen Fei merely has an interest in Alchemy, but his actual skill is mediocre and not up to standard. Only that explanation would make everything seem logical and reasonable.

”Esteemed Guest, please follow me.”

Though the attendant had similar thoughts, he dared not let any of them show. Instead, he forced a warm smile and enthusiastically led Chen Fei deeper into the shop, bringing him to the display cabinets where the Alchemy Materials were stored.

”Ice Arrow Grass, Corrupted Bone Spirit Flower, Star Mist Flower, Silver Pattern Ginseng, Ghost Face Vine Grass...” Chen Fei murmured the names as his gaze swept over the display cabinets.

Lin Moxin was slightly surprised to hear Chen Fei identify all the materials on display. But on second thought, those materials are quite common. Any Alchemist could probably recognize them easily, so it isn’t so strange after all.

Chen Fei walked slowly along the display cabinets, making a full circuit and examining nearly every item. Soon, he had a good idea of their inventory. The items in the shop might not be of the highest grade, but their quality was decent; there were no inferior goods passed off as superior ones.

”What Pill are you planning to refine?” At the same time, Zhen Jingkong, who was in Chen Fei’s sea of consciousness, could no longer contain his curiosity.

He had heard Chen Fei mention knowing Alchemy before, but seeing it in person still startled him. After all, I know his background. How could someone from Earth, a region where the heritage of cultivation is so broken and backward, actually learn something like Alchemy?

”Blood Purification Purple Cloud Pill,” Chen Fei said with a smile.

”Blood Purification Purple Cloud Pill?” Zhen Jingkong instinctively furrowed his brow. He had never even heard of such a Pill.

”Yes, the Blood Purification Purple Cloud Pill,” Chen Fei explained. ”It’s a Mid-Grade, Third-Level Pill. After taking it, a cultivator at the Peak of the Qi Refining Sixth Layer has a seventy percent chance of successfully breaking through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer Realm.”

”What!? A Mid-Grade, Third-Level Pill, and one that helps with breakthroughs?” Zhen Jingkong was utterly astonished.

It was well known that among the vast and complex variety of pills, two types were universally considered the most precious, expensive, and rare. One of those types was pills that aided in breaking through cultivation bottlenecks.

After all, consider the time required to break through from the Peak of Qi Refining Sixth Layer to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer through normal meditative cultivation. It could take half a year, two or three years, four or five years… or even more than a decade! But with an appropriate pill that could aid in the breakthrough, the time required could be reduced to a single session of closed-door cultivation.

For a Qi Refining Realm Cultivator, how long could one session last? A day and a night? If that wasn’t enough, a few days and nights at most. In any case, such a phenomenal gap in time would absolutely drive people into a frenzy.

However, while these breakthrough-assisting Barrier-Breaking Pills were incredibly effective, the pills themselves, along with their recipes, were recognized as exceedingly difficult to refine and unbelievably rare. Even a Third-Level or Fourth Grade Alchemist capable of refining Third-Level and Fourth Grade Pills might not possess such a precious recipe. They were just that uncommon.

Yet now, Chen Fei is claiming not only to have the recipe for such a precious Barrier-Breaking Pill but is also going to attempt to refine it himself!? Is this a joke? How could he have such a precious Pill recipe? Where did he get it? Most importantly, with his current realm, how could he possibly refine a Pill of that level!?

At this moment, even Zhen Jingkong was stunned into silence.

If Chen Fei could truly refine a Mid-Grade, Third-Level Barrier-Breaking Pill while at the Peak Realm of Qi Refining Sixth Layer, that feat would be even more shocking than his already formidable ability to fight above his level.

Alchemy isn’t simple cultivation. Even if he started studying the Alchemy Dao from birth, how many years of actual refining experience could he possibly have? Does foundational experience not matter? What master Alchemist hasn’t built their ability and status on the back of countless successful refinements? And how old is Chen Fei now? Only twenty-eight! If at the age of twenty-eight, he possesses such a formidable ability to fight above his level and can also refine a Mid-Grade, Third-Level Barrier-Breaking Pill... this... It left Zhen Jingkong at a loss for words, his mind a chaotic mess.

Meanwhile, Chen Fei had already begun selecting his materials.

”Help me take out that Silver Pattern Ginseng. Also this one, this one, and that one...” He circled the display counter, pointing out more than a dozen different Alchemy Materials before pausing. He then added, ”Additionally, I need a small bottle of Snow Spirit Liquid, five Second Level Early Stage Demon Beast cores, and one Second Stage Middle Period Demon Beast core. Do you have those?”

”Second Level Early and Middle Period Demon Beast cores and Snow Spirit Liquid?” The attendant was outright startled. These weren’t ordinary goods; they were immensely valuable. Whether they were in stock at any given time was purely a matter of luck.

What’s more, those are materials one might use for Second Level Superior Pills, or even Third Grade Pills! But… but now… Does this customer actually intend to refine a Pill with these? Please, even if you have Spirit Stones to burn, you don’t waste them like this! Does he really think he’s a Second Level Superior or even a Third-Level Alchemist? This has to be a joke!

”Brother Chen, what do you need those for? To refine a Pill?” Even Lin Moxin was stunned and confused. Although he didn’t understand Alchemy, he knew that any Pill requiring those materials had to be of a high grade—at least Second Level Superior, or maybe even a Third-Level Pill.

But now... surely Chen Fei isn’t going to say he can refine a Second Level Superior or even a Third-Level Pill, is he? That’s a joke! It’s impossible! An intense feeling of absurdity washed over Lin Moxin, and he didn’t even entertain the possibility.

After all, what was a Second Level Superior or Third-Level Alchemist? Even the Lin Family of Twin Rain Tower didn’t have an Alchemist of that caliber on retainer. As for Chen Fei… if his current age were doubled or tripled, maybe then it would be possible. Right now, it’s just wishful thinking! Utterly unrealistic…