Immortality begins with Becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster

Chapter 578: Chapter 244: Rolling Dragon Ridge Zheng Family, South City’s Danxia Hall, 400,000 a Year!_1

Thirty miles away from Tian Lan Immortal City, there is a steep and wide mountain ridge that runs through seven uneven peaks.

This place is known as the Rolling Dragon Ridge.

With a First Order Spirit Vein present, and occasional eruptions of mountain fire, a unique natural environment has been formed atop the ridge.

Various resources are scattered across the seven peaks and the dragon-like ridge.

Such a Spirit Land is naturally sought after by low rank Immortal Cultivators as a holy land for cultivation.

Without having to climb the ridge, the mountains beneath are also suffused with Spirit Qi, comparable to the concentration provided by a First Order Spirit Vein.

However, this place already has owners.

Rogue Cultivators generally don’t dare to approach and disturb.

The Rolling Dragon Ridge Zheng Family!

A well-known Foundation Establishment Cultivation Clan within the jurisdiction of Tian Lan Immortal City.

The family has a deep history, as the founder was rumored to be a False Core Realm existence hailing from the Flame Alliance.

Even though the founder has long passed away.

The family was nonetheless left with an impressive heritage.

This heritage includes not just Spirit Stones and Magic Tools,

But also connections, cultivation understandings, and a skill that the whole family thrives on.

Pill Refinement!

The Zheng Family is one of the few Immortal Cultivation Clans that makes a living from Pill Refinement.

They produce a First Order Pill known as Fire Fleece Pill, containing a copious amount of Spirit Qi. While its medicinal effect is fierce and can easily harm a cultivator’s meridians during cultivation,

It is nevertheless a mainstream Cultivation Pill, and the price is significantly cheaper than those from Spirit Medicine Hall and Qingdan Valley.

Therefore, it is quite popular among Rogue Cultivators.

Over the centuries,

Thanks to the Fire Fleece Pills, the Zheng Family has led a fairly prosperous life.

Not only have they secured their status as the masters of the seven peaks of the Rolling Dragon Ridge,

There are currently even three Foundation Establishment True Cultivators within the family.

The Supreme Elder is at the Sixth Level Foundation Establishment, just short of reaching the Late Stage Foundation Establishment.

The family head, Zheng Kejian, is also at the Middle Stage Foundation Establishment.

Among the younger generation, someone advanced to the Foundation Establishment Stage twenty years ago.

Thus, with the old, middle, and younger generations all having Foundation Establishment Stage members, the Zheng Family truly thrives!

However,

While outsiders can only see the flourishing Zheng Family, little do they know about their current predicament.

Indeed, Fire Fleece Pills are popular.

But the cost of making these pills is high and the refinement process is difficult.

The family’s chief Pill Refiner, after years of refinement, can only produce Medium Grade Fire Fleece Pills consistently.

Under these circumstances, the profits are far less substantial than Rogue Cultivators may think.

Currently, the profits from Fire Fleece Pills can barely support the daily needs of the three Great Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.

As for the other members of the clan below them, it’s become quite a challenge.

In order to save resources.

Knowing that there is no hope for Core Formation, family head Zheng Kejian has even given his Second Order Cave Mansion on Tianlan Peak to his son for use.

However,

When it rains, it pours!

Just as he was thinking of ways to save costs and find another source of income for the family,

The sales of Fire Fleece Pill, the basic source of the family’s income, suddenly started to decline.

”When did it start?”

Zheng Kejian suppressed his anger.

Recently, he has stopped cultivating so diligently and therefore has more time.

Thus, he specifically reviewed the accounts of the past year.

Before checking the accounts, everything was fine!

But once he checked, he noticed something amiss.

In the past, after supporting the resource consumption of the two Great Foundation Establishment True Cultivators, several tens of thousands of Spirit Stones would typically remain for cultivating the younger generation.

However, over the past year, this surplus has been dwindling.

Twenty thousand, ten thousand, five thousand...

In the last three months, even the cultivation resources for the Elder and his son have been affected.

Not to mention the resources for the younger members of the family, which have been cut off completely.

How could such a big event have occurred without anyone reporting it to him!

Zheng Kejian looked at the near-volcanic expression on his face, which made the Zheng Family cultivator tremble, unable to speak clearly.

”I don’t know, it seems to be... the last two months? No, it seems to be a year ago? No...”

”Calm down, why are you shaking!”

Zheng Kejian glared over, and his Spirit Consciousness pressure splashed on the other party like a bucket of cold water.

The other party shivered even more and became more flustered.

Scared!

Zheng Kejian took a deep breath, scanning his gaze over everyone in the hall.

These people!

Under the protection of the family, life has been going too smoothly.

They flaunt their power outside and lack ambition within. Even the most important Elixir business of the family has begun to be neglected.

If he hadn’t taken the time to check the accounts, he would not have discovered such a big financial loophole.

”Go investigate it for me!”

”Find out, when exactly, who, and what caused the decline in our Zheng Family’s Elixir business.”

”Within three days, no, one day!”

”I’ll give you one day to bring all the information to me.”

He waved his hand, and the people below hurriedly left the hall to get busy.

Watching these people fleeing in panic, Zheng Kejian was so frustrated that he slammed his palm directly on the expensive wooden table, smashing it.

”Relying on these good-for-nothings, I’m afraid we can’t find out much.”

”I have to go check it out myself!”

...

After changing his appearance, concealing his aura, and disguising himself,

Zheng Kejian stepped into Tian Lan Immortal City

This was the first time he had entered this massive Immortal City since he gave the Second Order Cave Mansion on Tianlan Peak to his son, who had just entered the Foundation Establishment Stage.

After entering the city, he couldn’t help but feel envious when he saw fellow Foundation Establishment Stage friends coming in and out of various shops, buying cultivation resources freely.

However, that was not the purpose of today’s trip!

The goal was to find out the reason for the decrease in the Zheng Family’s Elixir business.

In fact, such a reason is rather easy to guess. It was simply a rise in the price of raw materials, leading to an increase in the cost of pill production, and a reduction in profits.