Holly Chance had clearly thought this through already. "First, Alchemist Di, you join our Starspire Apothecary and enjoy the privileges and offerings of an elder alchemist. In addition to the standard remuneration, you may take a set percentage from every batch of immortal pills you refine as your reward. However, if you wish to refine pills brought in from outside, they must be officially accepted by Starspire Apothecary."
"And the second?" Joe Di asked. He wasn't particularly satisfied with the first option; he came here to earn Immortal Crystals, and while the first method was reliable, it didn't suit him. It basically meant he couldn't take private commissions.
Sensing that Joe Di would not be satisfied with the first option, Holly Chance smiled slightly and continued, "The second option is that you refine pills for Starspire Apothecary, receiving payment and commission for each batch. In alchemist exchanges or pill competitions, you would only appear as a guest alchemist of Starspire Apothecary."
If Joe Di were not a fourth-grade immortal alchemist, she would never have offered this second option. A third-grade alchemist would not qualify for this; this arrangement is essentially Starspire Apothecary vouching for Joe Di in Cauldron Haven, allowing him to earn Immortal Crystals freely.
"So, whatever I do on my own time has nothing to do with Starspire Apothecary?" Joe Di inquired.
"Exactly. With this arrangement, Alchemist Di would be quite free in his daily affairs," Holly Chance nodded.
Joe Di understood. Although the second option didn't make him a full member of Starspire Apothecary, it effectively labeled him as affiliated with them—a fact he did not oppose.
On the surface, becoming Starspire Apothecary's designated alchemist didn't seem to offer many obvious benefits, but some advantages weren't immediately apparent.
If he tried to open his own pill shop with his current strength, it would clearly be impossible. By becoming Starspire Apothecary's designated alchemist, he would have their backing. Not only could he continue earning Immortal Crystals, but he'd also have a reliable patron. Even if Starspire Apothecary wasn't the top guild, it was a respected presence in Cauldron Haven, and naturally, they wouldn't allow their alchemist to be bullied.
"I'll take the second option," Joe Di said without hesitation.
Starspire Apothecary certainly doesn't lack ordinary pill recipes.
Thank you, Steward Holly. The second thing is, I'd like to find a shop in Cauldron Haven, preferably one suitable for two people. I have a junior sister in my Pocket World.
Holly Chance didn't mind that Joe Di had a Pocket World and brought a junior sister. Such things were common in Cauldron Haven—nobody paid them any attention. For a fourth-grade immortal alchemist like Joe Di, having a Pocket World herb garden was perfectly normal.
The only challenge for her was that Joe Di wanted a shop.
As a fourth-grade immortal alchemist, Joe Di naturally wanted a shop to sell immortal pills. Starspire Apothecary didn't mind him selling pills—there were so many cultivators passing through Cauldron Haven, and the demand for immortal pills was astronomical. Joe Di running a pill shop wouldn't conflict with Starspire Apothecary.
The real problem was that shops in Cauldron Haven were hard to get, even for her as a steward of Starspire Apothecary.
Seeing Holly Chance's troubled expression, Joe Di realized it was hopeless. Just as he was about to speak, Holly Chance said, "It's not realistic to rent or buy a shop in Cauldron Haven—it's basically impossible. It's not something you can do with Liberty Points or Immortal Crystals... Besides, even for a simple shop, you'd need at least ten million Liberty Points. But in a few years, you might have a chance to get one..."
Joe Di was already disappointed, but hadn't expected Holly Chance to add a "but" at the end. He quickly asked, "Please advise, Steward Holly."
Holly Chance said, "Alchemist Di, have you ever heard of the Soulbind Elixir?"
Joe Di shook his head. The recipes he'd acquired were limited, and he hadn't heard of this pill.
Seeing Joe Di hadn't heard of it, Holly Chance took out a Memory Stone and handed it to him. "This is the Soulbind Elixir recipe."
Joe Di took the Memory Stone and scanned it with his spiritual sense, then exclaimed in surprise, "The main immortal material for this recipe is Seven Aperture Cloud Jade?"
"That's right, it's Seven Aperture Cloud Jade." Holly Chance wasn't surprised that Joe Di knew of it. As a fourth-grade immortal alchemist, not knowing Seven Aperture Cloud Jade would cast doubt on his skills.
"This pill is very difficult to refine." Joe Di pondered for a long moment before sighing.
Holly Chance nodded. "Although the Soulbind Elixir is a fourth-grade immortal pill, it's probably the hardest to refine—and also the most valuable—among fourth-grade pills."
Joe Di understood Holly Chance's point. He didn't know if the Soulbind Elixir was the hardest fourth-grade pill to refine, but he knew that anyone who could refine it had reached a high level in alchemy.
The hardest part of refining the Soulbind Elixir is purifying the Seven Aperture Cloud Jade. Seven Aperture Cloud Jade is extremely delicate and void-based, making it very difficult to collect. But for soul repair, it's second to none.
Seven Aperture Cloud Jade is so delicate that the slightest mistake during purification means failure. If purification fails, it becomes highly toxic.
Just imagine—pill refinement uses fire. Purifying Seven Aperture Cloud Jade with fire has a failure rate of nearly ninety-nine percent. Moreover, Seven Aperture Cloud Jade must be purified to a certain standard before it can be used to refine the Soulbind Elixir.
"What does this have to do with the shop?" Joe Di asked, puzzled.
Holly Chance explained, "There's an Immortal Lord in Cauldron Haven named Chih Zhengshan. A century ago, he and several other Immortal Lords went into the void searching for something and never returned. Chih Zhengshan has a son named Chih Yuanqing, who owns two excellent shops in Cauldron Haven. He said that if an alchemist can help him refine the Soulbind Elixir, he'll give that alchemist one of his shops."
"Shops in Cauldron Haven are so valuable—surely someone would take the job?" Joe Di asked, perplexed.
Holly Chance replied, "Someone did take the job. Chih Yuanqing had two batches of Seven Aperture Cloud Jade. A famous fifth-grade immortal alchemist took the job, but failed and wasted one batch."
Joe Di heard that a batch of Seven Aperture Cloud Jade was wasted and couldn't help but grit his teeth. Seven Aperture Cloud Jade isn't easy to obtain—wasting a batch, Chih Yuanqing must have been heartbroken.
Holly Chance continued, "Chih Yuanqing was furious and killed the fifth-grade immortal alchemist on the spot."
Joe Di was shocked and quickly asked, "A fifth-grade immortal alchemist should be from the Alchemist Guild, right? How could he be killed so easily—wouldn't the Guild intervene?"
He asked because he himself was an alchemist from the Guild.
Holly Chance smiled slightly. "First, Chih Yuanqing's father, Chih Zhengshan, is a late-stage Immortal Lord. Though he hasn't returned for years, who's to say he won't come back as an Immortal Emperor? Second, before the pill refinement, Chih Zhengshan made it clear—if you're not confident, don't waste his Seven Aperture Cloud Jade."
"A Seventh Grade Alchemy King should be able to refine it, right? Why hasn't anyone helped him?" Joe Di asked, puzzled.
Seeing Joe Di ask such a basic question, Holly Chance couldn't help but sigh and hold her forehead. If he hadn't asked, she might have questioned his intelligence.
Holly Chance said with a bitter smile, "How many Seventh Grade Alchemy Kings are there in Cauldron Haven? Any of them could get a shop if they wanted—why would they need to refine pills for someone else?"
Joe Di understood. He hadn't realized how important Seventh Grade Alchemy Kings were, which was why he asked such a basic question. In fact, every Alchemy King is extraordinary—in Cauldron Haven, they hardly lack shops. Besides, even for a Seventh Grade Alchemy King, purifying Seven Aperture Cloud Jade isn't guaranteed. No Alchemy King would risk their reputation.
Holly Chance broke Joe Di's awkward silence and said, "With your alchemy talent, if you spend a decade or so refining pills at Starspire Apothecary, you might discover a way to purify Seven Aperture Cloud Jade and achieve mastery in alchemy."
"Thank you for the advice, Steward Holly. May I ask where Chih Yuanqing lives?" Joe Di couldn't wait for a decade. After that long, who knew if Moria Lane would still be alive.
Holly Chance's expression changed slightly, and she asked uncertainly, "Alchemist Di, you don't mean to go find Chih Yuanqing and try to refine the Soulbind Elixir now, do you?"
She was truly worried. She feared Joe Di didn't know the gravity of the situation and would really try to refine the Soulbind Elixir, making all her efforts in vain.
No matter how talented Joe Di was, if he tried to refine the Soulbind Elixir now, it would be a death sentence. Chih Yuanqing would never let him live if he wasted the Seven Aperture Cloud Jade.
A Seventh Grade Alchemy King should be able to refine it, right? Why hasn't anyone helped him?
Seeing Joe Di ask such a basic question, Holly Chance couldn't help but sigh and hold her forehead. If he hadn't asked, she might have questioned his intelligence.
Holly Chance said with a bitter smile, "How many Seventh Grade Alchemy Kings are there in Cauldron Haven? Any of them could get a shop if they wanted—why would they need to refine pills for someone else?"
Joe Di understood. He hadn't realized how important Seventh Grade Alchemy Kings were, which was why he asked such a basic question. In fact, every Alchemy King is extraordinary—in Cauldron Haven, they hardly lack shops. Besides, even for a Seventh Grade Alchemy King, purifying Seven Aperture Cloud Jade isn't guaranteed. No Alchemy King would risk their reputation.
Holly Chance broke Joe Di's awkward silence and said, "With your alchemy talent, if you spend a decade or so refining pills at Starspire Apothecary, you might discover a way to purify Seven Aperture Cloud Jade and achieve mastery in alchemy."
"Thank you for the advice, Steward Holly. May I ask where Chih Yuanqing lives?" Joe Di couldn't wait for a decade. After that long, who knew if Moria Lane would still be alive.
Holly Chance's expression changed slightly, and she asked uncertainly, "Alchemist Di, you don't mean to go find Chih Yuanqing and try to refine the Soulbind Elixir now, do you?"
She was truly worried. She feared Joe Di didn't know the gravity of the situation and would really try to refine the Soulbind Elixir, making all her efforts in vain.
No matter how talented Joe Di was, if he tried to refine the Soulbind Elixir now, it would be a death sentence. Chih Yuanqing would never let him live if he wasted the Seven Aperture Cloud Jade.