When Lin Shan heard that his boss, Zuo Zhenren, wanted to receive him, he naturally did not dare to neglect him and quickly followed the maid up to the fifth floor.
In the antique parlor with the smell of sandalwood, an eyebrowless old man was playing with an iron egg in his hand. He was leaning on a chair with his eyes closed to relax. The tea on the table next to him was still steaming.
"Junior Lin Shan has met Master Zuo."
"sit!"
Lin Shan sat down next to his words, and saw Zuo Zhenren still playing ball with his eyes closed, but he was talking about the auction.
"This year's Yichuan auction is about to be held, and it's just the right time for you to leave customs."
"In the past, the former chief appraiser Mr. Zhang presided over the auctions. Now that you have taken over his position, it stands to reason that you should preside over the auction in two days' time."
Lin Shan listened quietly to what was being said. He believed that Zhenren Zuo would not make a mistake.
"But since your cultivation has not reached the foundation-building stage, I'm afraid you won't be able to control the situation. Under the eyes of many monks, you may not be able to withstand the pressure from all parties, so I handed over the hosting job to others."
"What do you think?"
Zuo Zhenren's tone was calm, but he did not have any attitude of discussion. He was just stating a fact.
“It all depends on the real person!”
Of course, Lin Shan understood what the leader meant. He didn't plan to be a host at first. He couldn't withstand the pressure from all parties with his level of cultivation. If the two bidding parties quarreled by then, he would not be a human being inside or outside, and no one would
Give yourself face.
Zuo Zhenren is also considering the stability of the auction, which is understandable.
The two of them chatted for a while. Although Lin Shan's cultivation level was low, his appraisal skills were real. He had never made any mistakes since he came to the auction house. He was considered a professional, so Zuo Zhenren still encouraged him.
Here, Lin Shan found that Zhenren Zuo seemed to just briefly talk to him about work matters, and there was no other important matter. After that, he felt slightly relieved, but another thing in his mind started to stir up...
Zuo Zhenren is an old monster in the golden elixir stage and has lived for hundreds of years. How could he not detect his little thoughts?
"I see that you have reached the ninth level of Qi training, is it time to prepare for foundation building?"
"A real person has a sharp eye!"
Lin Shan was a little excited. If Zuo Zhenren, the big owner of the auction house, was willing to open a back door for him, there might be a way to get the Foundation Establishment Pill!
After all, I can be considered a professional at the auction house, maybe...
But before he had time to think too much, reality poured cold water on him.
"The Foundation Establishment Pills in this year's auction have been reserved by major aristocratic families and sects. I'm afraid there is no spare share. Even if I want to help you, I can't do anything."
Although Zuo Zhenren had no eyebrows, he made a frowning movement, which looked extremely weird, but Lin Shan didn't have this in mind at all.
He had already confirmed it through these words. Even the big boss of the auction house said there was nothing he could do, so it seemed that there was really no chance.
Foundation Building Pills usually have a price but no market, and the only place where casual cultivators can hope to sell them out is the auction house.
If it doesn’t work here, it won’t work anywhere else!
Right now, the Black Lotus Sect's agreement only lasts for one year, so can he just forcefully build the foundation and leave it to fate?
It is not impossible to forcibly build a foundation, but the success rate is extremely low. Especially for newcomers who are trying to "combine Qi and Shen" for the first time, there is basically a high probability that they will fail and add a "dao mark".
Among the casual cultivators in the foundation-building stage of the cultivation world, there are even fewer people who can successfully build a foundation within three times. And if there are too many Dao marks, it will be more difficult to break through, so the risk of forcibly building a foundation is too great.
Lin Shan's side was feeling cold, and Zuo Zhenren, who was sitting in the upper position, would naturally not let his subordinates feel cold, so he changed the subject.
"Yichuan Auction House holds a small auction every year and a large auction every five years. Foundation Establishment Pills only have excess casual cultivator shares at large auctions. The next large auction will be in four years!"
"When the time comes, as I am my friend, I will naturally order one for you, so there is no need to worry about it."
With Zuo Zhenren's identity and status, it is obviously true that he can make such a promise. Moreover, in his opinion, everyone should be overjoyed to have a foundation-building pill that is guaranteed to be available after four years.
The former appraisal master, Mr. Zhang, originally obtained it all because Zhenren Zuo obtained the Foundation Building Pill for him.
But Lin Shan looked troubled at the side.
Four years!
Still have to wait four years!
It only took him four years from the time he started cultivating immortality to the time he has perfected his Qi practice!
All of a sudden, progress stopped for four years, and there was no progress in cultivation, which was a waste of good time. By then, the three demon sects estimated that their troops, numbering 100,000, had already invaded the interior of the Song Dynasty.
Nowadays, we are experiencing signs of troubled times, and there will definitely be earth-shaking changes in four years. By then, who knows if there will be foundation-building pills leaking out of the big sects.
If there is no Foundation Establishment Pill by then, will I just keep waiting in vain?
Moreover, if he had not followed the proprietress of Yanchun Tower to enter the Black Lotus Sect before the duel between the evil spirits in the Great Song Dynasty. Even if he obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill four years later and was lucky enough to enter the Foundation Establishment Stage, it would probably be even more difficult for him to enter again.
Disaster.
After all, there are two different things between someone taking someone with you and someone not taking someone with you!
It is of course much more reliable to have a real person from the Golden Elixir Stage Demon Dao as a guarantor than to sneak in alone when the time comes.
However, Lin Shan could still understand Zuo Zhenren's sincerity, and it was already very interesting for him to be able to help him.
Immediately he hurriedly bowed and thanked: "Thank you so much, Master!"
Zuo Zhenren didn't take it seriously either. He probably thought that Lin Shan had cultivated Qi to perfection at such a young age, so naturally his heart was as high as the sky and he didn't want to waste four years.
But the world of cultivation is like this. The weak are the strong, and the resources themselves are controlled by the upper level. He can have the opportunity four years later, which is more than countless people, but he is not blessed in the midst of blessings.
Lin Shan then resigned, and he had no intention of attending the auction two days later.
After all, the Foundation Establishment Pill has been pre-ordered a long time ago, and I am not rich at all. I will just sit there and do nothing but covet.
However, he could not obtain the Foundation Building Pill with external force, and he had some vague expectations. For monks in the Qi training stage, this kind of pill can be said to be a life-changing pill, and it is normal for casual cultivators to obtain it as hard as climbing to the sky.
But is he a normal person?
Now that there are so many ancient charms for strengthening the panels, it’s time to put them to use!
…
"There are two paths ahead of us."
Lin Shan began to come up with a long-established plan.
"First, the recipe for the Foundation Establishment Pill is not a secret. What is scarce are the main ingredients that are five hundred years old. I only need to find some main ingredients that are relatively young and strengthen them to be old enough, and then I can prepare to refine the elixir.
"
"But Foundation Establishment Pill is not an ordinary pill. If you don't have superb alchemy skills, you can only borrow it from others and hire another alchemist."
"Asking the alchemist to refine the elixir for me, not only is the rate of elixir success not guaranteed, but also if the alchemist gets rich by then, I have nothing to do."
Lin Shan doesn't mind speculating others with malicious intent at all. After all, this is a world of cultivation based on the laws of the jungle, and everyone is aligned with interests.
I dare to ask which alchemist doesn't enrich his own pocket? I'm afraid there is no one.
The materials of a furnace of foundation-building pills are worth tens of thousands of spirit stones. Once refined, depending on the skill of the alchemist, one to a dozen pills can be made.
If I am unlucky and cannot successfully break through with one Foundation Establishment Pill, I will naturally need another one, and even the next one.
It's nothing to enrich their own pockets. I'm just afraid that they will waste their enhanced medicinal materials and not refine them successfully.
There is no room for reasoning here. Aren’t all the ancient charms of mine gone to waste?
So it's not impossible to make the elixir yourself instead.
But the question is, can my alchemy skills reach this level in one year?
The enhancement panel enhances specific magical powers, rather than a hodgepodge of skills. It is impossible to directly enhance alchemy, one of the six arts of cultivation, from a rookie to an alchemy master easily. It is not such a good thing.
You must know the six arts of cultivation, alchemy, weapon refining, beast control, formations, puppets, and talismans.
Each subject is profound and profound, and contains a vast amount of knowledge. What is required is the combination of countless theories and practices. There is no such thing as a simple "skills book" for yourself to learn.
All alchemy apprentices in the world of cultivation now, whether they are passed down word of mouth from their elders or from alchemy books bought in stores, at most only have some knowledge of pharmacology, identification of materials, experience in heat treatment, and fire control techniques.
Every alchemy master or even master can slowly master the success rate of alchemy through fragmentary knowledge and countless years of experience.
Moreover, each elixir and each elixir recipe has a different elixir-formation rate and requires its own proficiency.
Therefore, most sect disciples usually wait until they are in the foundation building stage and have sufficient longevity before they consider minoring in one of the six arts.
At the same time, as the level of a monk increases, the magic power becomes deeper and deeper. From a high place, one can naturally learn faster and more profoundly than low-level monks.
Lin Shan is now learning alchemy. After he masters it, he may be able to refine some low- and intermediate-level elixirs, but for high-level elixirs like the "Foundation Establishment Pill", a third-level magic elixir, the success may be slim.
Without the deep spiritual power of the Foundation Establishment Stage, and without the precise control of fire through the release of divine consciousness. If you want to refine elixirs beyond the level, you will most likely be wasting all the medicinal materials that are hundreds of years old!
Then this method is too risky, so you can only choose the second option.
"Strengthening elixir!"
The Foundation Establishment Pill is different from the bottleneck pills during the Qi training period. Its preciousness lies in improving the success rate of combining Qi and Shen and eliminating the heaven-defying effect of "Tao Marks".
Strengthening elixirs also need to follow pharmacological rules.
If the enhanced elixir does not have the two effects he expected, then it is completely up to chance what new functions the enhanced elixir will have, just like opening a blind box.
Lin Shan's purpose is to build the foundation, so naturally he won't gamble on other messy effects.
He only needs to assist the two effects of "integration of Qi and Shen" and elimination of "Dao marks"!
But after searching all the low- and mid-level elixirs in the Qi training period, no elixir has these two effects at the same time.
In other words, there is no ready-made elixir that can be strengthened into an elixir that has exactly the same effect as the Foundation Establishment Pill.
However, there is always a road ahead, and some things can be changed.
Having owned the golden finger of the reinforced panel for four years, Lin Shan, as the owner, naturally understood that the functions of this heaven-defying panel were far more than that.
Therefore, since there is no ready-made elixir to strengthen myself, I have another way to make a fool of myself.
That is...
Chapter completed!