Chapter 140: Selection

"Understood."

Ye Cheng took the scroll containing the catalog of potion formulas, unrolled it, and gave it a cursory glance.

"Young Master Ye Cheng, within our Hundred Treasure Pavilion, the highest grade of potion formulas we offer are only of the fifth grade, and even those are few and far between. Therefore, in this scroll, you will see at most first- to fifth-grade formulas. Please take a look and let me know which ones you require, and I shall have someone fetch them immediately," Wei Chao explained from the side.

Hearing this, Ye Cheng nodded. As the man had stated, the scroll only listed formulas from the first to the fifth grade.

Ye Cheng’s eyes swept over the first-grade formulas, but he felt little interest. These first-grade potions were nothing more than basic healing salves, which were of no use to him.

A formidable expert who has achieved success in the Blood Qi Realm possesses vigorous, endlessly regenerating blood energy. External bleeding wounds heal in the blink of an eye, rendering such healing potions unnecessary. These first-grade potions were generally purchased only by mercenaries or hunters with lower cultivation levels who frequently walked the razor's edge of life and death.

Despite this, Ye Cheng understood that at market price, a bottle of hemostatic potion sold for about fifty taels. It was not a small sum.

"Since first-grade potions are useless to me, I must remember that walking the path of alchemy, much like the path of cultivation, requires a step-by-step approach. I must start from the basics. I will buy one first-grade formula; once I have successfully concocted it, I can sell it to earn some capital—it won't be a loss."

Ye Cheng made up his mind, locking his gaze onto a formula called "Hemostatic Powder," and committed it to memory. He immediately shifted his focus to the second-grade potion catalog.

Dozens of formulas instantly caught his eye. "Essence Gathering Powder," "Toxin Repelling Potion"—various names he had never heard before flashed before him, broadening his horizons.

"Kid, see if there are any potions that stimulate blood energy or promote the condensation of blood lines!" Elder Mu called out within his mind.

"Hmm? Stimulate blood energy?" Ye Cheng asked in surprise. Outwardly, however, he remained composed, as his exchange with Elder Mu took place internally and was invisible to others.

"You have already condensed four blood crystals within your body. Once you condense the fifth and reach the ninety-nine blood lines to achieve the Great Perfection of the Blood Qi Realm, you will step into the Yuan Realm. At that moment, your constitution will be fully activated; that will be the time for your true rebirth."

"Some potions are more efficient for auxiliary cultivation than swallowing the blood energy within blood cores. Now that you are venturing into the path of alchemy, there is no need to continue swallowing blood cores as you did before. Besides, if you swallow too many, your body develops a resistance, and the effects will be greatly diminished."

"So, Teacher, you mean I should learn the path of alchemy while simultaneously cultivating my blood energy?" Ye Cheng asked.

"Of course. Otherwise, why would I have stopped you when you wanted to learn formations, yet encouraged you when you spoke of learning alchemy? In this world, strength is supreme. Only by being powerful yourself can you protect those you wish to protect," Elder Mu said earnestly.

"I understand, Teacher," Ye Cheng replied.

He himself was a prime example. When his constitution had yet to awaken, his cultivation had stagnated, and he had suffered the disdainful gazes of others. Although that was already in the past, every time he recalled it, it felt as if it had happened yesterday. Now that he had revealed his sharp edge and demonstrated terrifying martial talent, those who once looked down on him acted completely differently when they saw him now.

The difference between then and now was as vast as heaven and earth.

His gaze immediately began to sweep over the potion formulas, reading the descriptions of their effects word by word.

"Jin Yuan Powder: When burning blood energy, taking this will maximize the combat power boost generated by the combustion!"

Ye Cheng scanned several formulas and locked onto this Jin Yuan Powder, but he shook his head shortly after. While this potion would be good in a life-or-death crisis, he did not need it; he still possessed the "Burst Qi Potion."

That Burst Qi Potion was a fourth-grade potion that could boost combat power by fifty percent without the need to burn blood energy, which was sufficient for Ye Cheng to use in times of extreme danger.

"Essence Potion?"

"That is merely another type of combat-boosting potion; it is of no great use to you," Elder Mu dismissed it for him.

"Your Devouring Constitution is inherently a constitution for fighting against higher-level opponents; you do not need the aid of such low-grade potions. The urgent task at hand is to seize every second to perfect your blood energy and break through to the Yuan Realm. Once your constitution is tempered by the essence of heaven and earth and the Devouring Constitution awakens, your cultivation and enlightenment will advance by leaps and bounds. By then, I fear even that Burst Qi Potion will be of no use to you," Elder Mu said slowly.

After carefully examining them one by one, Ye Cheng’s eyes lit up when he saw the ninth entry in the second-grade catalog.

"Blood Condensation Powder!" Scanning the description below, Ye Cheng learned that this potion could increase the stimulation of the body's blood energy and enhance the condensation of blood lines. It was suitable for any martial artist in the Blood Qi Realm.

"Teacher, what do you think of this one?" Since the old man was right there, Ye Cheng naturally wouldn't waste the resource.

"Hmm, although it is somewhat inferior to the third-grade Azure Spirit Liquid, it can be considered a scaled-down version of it," Elder Mu said, having secretly compared the Blood Condensation Powder to the Azure Spirit Liquid.

"I agree," Ye Cheng nodded.

"Kid, although this Blood Condensation Powder is not as good as the Azure Spirit Liquid, it is suitable for your current cultivation. Once you have the ability to concoct third-grade potions yourself, you can try the Azure Spirit Liquid," Elder Mu said.

"Understood," Ye Cheng replied. He then continued to read.

Further down, he took a liking to a second-grade potion called "Foundation Solidifying Powder." This potion could stabilize one's foundation and cultivate essence, consolidating the density of blood energy within the body and preventing it from becoming volatile or the cultivation level from becoming unstable.

As for the third-grade potions on the scroll, there were only six types, three types of fourth-grade potions, and only two types of fifth-grade potion formulas—one of which was incomplete. It was easy to see that the higher the grade of the potion formula, the fewer the channels through which one could obtain them.

Most were kept by top-tier alchemists as secret, exclusive recipes, and they were naturally unwilling to bring them out for auction.

Regarding the formulas above the third grade, there were quite a few that satisfied Ye Cheng, but they were not what he needed. So, he gave them a casual glance before handing the scroll back to Wei Chao.

"Have you taken a liking to any of the formulas?" Wei Chao took the scroll, handed it to the female receptionist behind him, and asked Ye Cheng.

"Yes, I have," Ye Cheng replied with a smile, reciting the names of the potions he had memorized. "The first-grade potion formula, 'Hemostatic Powder,' and the second-grade potion formulas, 'Blood Condensation Powder' and 'Foundation Solidifying Powder.'"

Seeing that Ye Cheng had not selected any third-grade formulas or higher, Wei Chao asked in confusion, "Young Master Ye Cheng, did you not find any formulas of the third grade or higher to your liking?"