Chapter 322: Rich Alchemist

Ye Fan gradually accumulated enough foundation in Cangyan Town. The progress of alchemy allowed him to no longer rely on the power of the Demon Emperor, but to gain a foothold in this turbulent world with his own means. The next plan was to refine a large number of pills to accumulate wealth, and to obtain higher resources to further improve his strength.

That day, Ye Fan gathered several disciples and his confidants, ready to give them tasks. His eyes were sharp and deep, revealing a maturity and calmness that was inconsistent with his age. As an emerging force, although he can now refine some basic pills, if he wants to gain a foothold in the Western Region and even in the wider world, he needs higher quality pills, so as to attract more buyers, and even the attention of some more powerful forces.

"You go and collect spiritual herbs. Try to collect some high-quality medicinal materials, especially those that are helpful for cultivation, and refine some basic Qi-nourishing pills, Qi-gathering pills, and some pills for healing and restoring the spirit. Go to places where spiritual herbs are concentrated more often, and observe secretly without alarming anyone." Ye Fan's voice was low and powerful, with a calm and decisive look in his eyes.

Several of his disciples nodded and quickly left. Although they all knew that Ye Fan's ability to refine pills was getting stronger and stronger, they still respected this young master very much. Ye Fan's wisdom and decision-making made them believe that following him would bring them greater opportunities.

Ye Fan watched the disciples leave, his eyes flashing with deep thought. He knew that collecting spiritual herbs was only one step, and the quality and quantity of refining pills were the foundation for his foothold in this world. He also needed to find the right opportunity to sell them through auctions, markets, or some personal relationships to earn more resources.

Under Ye Fan's arrangement, within two days, his men had collected a large number of spiritual herbs and medicinal materials. Many of the spiritual herbs were brought back from the distant spiritual medicine mountains, and the quality and variety of the medicinal materials were very rich. Ye Fan stored these medicinal materials in the storage bag he had prepared long ago, and then began to work on alchemy in a secret place.

The process of alchemy is extremely tedious, especially for the refining of high-quality pills, which requires strict requirements. Ye Fan uses the alchemy skills taught by the Demon Emperor to clean the herbs one by one, remove impurities, and then guide the spiritual energy into the alchemy furnace according to the characteristics of the herbs, combine it with the herbs, and start refining.

During the process of refining the elixir, Ye Fan was completely focused and had no distractions. He silently calculated the time and temperature in his mind, sensing the changes in the furnace, the fusion of spiritual energy and medicinal materials, like a delicate dance, precise and complex. The furnace sometimes lit up with a faint light, and sometimes became dark. Ye Fan's eyes were fixed on the temperature in the furnace, ready to adjust the firepower and the delivery of spiritual energy at any time.

After several failures, Ye Fan finally succeeded in refining a batch of high-quality Qi-nourishing pills, Qi-gathering pills, recovery pills and other medicines. Although they were not as magical as some top-level pills, they were enough for ordinary cultivators. The quality of these pills was even better than those refined by ordinary pill sects.

After finishing the alchemy, Ye Fan stood up, patted the alchemy furnace in his hand, and looked at the pills he had refined with satisfaction. He knew that these pills could not only provide him with more resources, but also allow him to accumulate reputation in Cangyan Town and gradually open up the market.

In order not to attract attention, Ye Fan decided to cover his identity with a black cloak and go to the auction house in the town to participate in the auction. He knew that the quality of his pills was enough to attract some discerning buyers, so choosing an anonymous way to sell them could protect himself and avoid causing unnecessary trouble.

Ye Fan sorted out several bottles of refined pills and put them into the storage bag, then put on a black cloak, covered his face, quickly left his residence and went to the auction house. The auction house in Cangyan Town is a prosperous place, attracting the participation of many forces from all sides, especially representatives of some large sects and chambers of commerce, who often patronize here. The auction house is very lively, with merchants, cultivators, and even some casual cultivators participating in the auction.

When Ye Fan arrived at the door of the auction house, he happened to see a group of people coming in and out. He lowered his head and said nothing, quietly following the crowd into the auction house.

"You are..." The auction house's guard was curious when he saw Ye Fan wearing a black cloak and his face was difficult to recognize.

"I'm here to auction some items." Ye Fan's low voice was full of intimidation, which immediately made the guard put away his curiosity and respectfully make way.

Ye Fan walked into the auction house and instantly attracted a lot of attention. The various forces in the auction house were sharp-eyed. Seeing Ye Fan in black clothes and his face covered by a cloak, they immediately guessed that he was a powerful person or a mysterious monk. No one dared to approach and talk to him casually. Everyone whispered to each other, seeming to be full of interest in this mysterious person.

Ye Fan found a relatively secluded place to sit down. He was not in a hurry to show his elixirs, but observed the movements in the auction house. He knew that the competition in the auction house was very fierce, and many merchants and monks liked to exchange resources in such occasions. In particular, some alchemists often sold some rare elixirs to attract buyers' bidding. For Ye Fan, his elixirs were enough to attract those discerning monks and chambers of commerce.

Finally, the auction began. The auctioneer stood on the stage and began to introduce the auction items: "Dear distinguished guests, today our auction house welcomes a mysterious guest, who will bring a batch of precious elixirs he refined. We will display these elixirs one by one, starting with the 'Qi-nourishing Pills'. Each bottle contains ten pills, which have extraordinary effects and can help cultivators quickly recover their physical strength and spiritual energy."

As the auctioneer introduced, Ye Fan's pills began to appear on the auction table. The auctioneer picked up a bottle of Qi-nourishing Pill and showed it to everyone present.

"This bottle of Qi-nourishing Pill was made by a mysterious alchemist. It is of extremely high quality and reasonably priced." The auctioneer spoke in a high-pitched voice, sparking the interest of the monks present.

A representative of the Chamber of Commerce dressed in fancy clothes immediately raised his hand: "I'll pay 500 gold coins!"

"Six hundred gold coins!"

"Seven hundred gold coins!"

Bidding sounds came one after another, and Ye Fan sat quietly in the corner, with no expression on his face. He did not participate in the bidding, but just observed the entire auction process. He knew that once his pills were auctioned at a high price, he would accumulate more resources for himself and let more people know about his alchemy skills.

The atmosphere of the auction became more and more heated, and the auctioneer's voice echoed throughout the hall, with a high-pitched rhythm and extremely inciting appeal. Ye Fan sat quietly in the corner, his eyes swept over one treasure after another, and the display of each item attracted the eyes of countless cultivators and merchants. Whether it was spiritual herbs, magic weapons, ancient books, or special materials for alchemy, they all had different demands and values.

In the auction sequence, most of the items to be auctioned next are common and precious items for cultivators, but Ye Fan's eyes never stayed on these items for too long. He was not short of spiritual herbs, nor was he in a hurry to obtain ordinary magic weapons. His goal was clear - he needed powerful items that could help him improve his cultivation or enhance his strength.

"The next item to be auctioned is an extremely rare magic weapon - the 'Shadow Sword'." As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, there was an immediate burst of exclamations.

A black long sword was brought to the auction table. The blade was glowing with a faint light, emitting a murderous aura that made people's heart palpitate. Ye Fan's eyes flashed, and the aura of this sword aroused his strong interest. It was not just an ordinary magic weapon, but more like an assassination weapon that could hide in the dark and deliver a fatal blow. For Ye Fan, such a magic weapon was extremely important, especially in the future when there might be conflicts with other monks or forces. This ability of "hiding" and "killing" could bring him great advantages.

"Shadow Sword, starting price is three thousand gold coins!" The auctioneer's shout immediately pushed the atmosphere at the scene to a climax.

Ye Fan had no expression on his face. He calmly took out a gold coin, raised it gently, and said calmly: "Five thousand gold coins."

The audience immediately fell silent. As soon as these words came out, many monks present cast curious eyes on Ye Fan's bid. The starting price of 5,000 gold coins was already quite high, which made many people frown, but Ye Fan obviously didn't care about that.

"I'll pay 6,000 gold coins." A voice came from a distance. It was from a middle-aged monk who looked tall and dignified. He didn't seem to be willing to give up this magic weapon easily, and there was some determination in his eyes.

"Seven thousand gold coins." Ye Fan raised the price again without hesitation.

"Eight thousand gold coins!"

The middle-aged monk called out a higher price again, seeming a little unwilling.

"Eight thousand five hundred gold coins." Ye Fan raised the price again, his tone still calm, as if he didn't care about this little bit of money at all.

The middle-aged monk took a deep breath and finally stopped talking. It was obvious that he had decided to give up the Shadow Sword. Seeing this scene, the onlookers couldn't help but talk about it. Ye Fan's financial strength was obviously quite strong. He dared to raise the price so unscrupulously. Obviously, he was not afraid of spending this little money.

"Congratulations, distinguished guest. The Shadow Sword is now yours!" The auctioneer looked at Ye Fan and announced the result with a smile.

Ye Fan nodded slightly, and then put away the Shadow Sword. The black aura at the hilt gradually calmed down in his hand, and as if sensing the master's will, the sword body emitted a slight tremor. Ye Fan did not pay too much attention to it, as he had determined that the unique aura of this sword was exactly what he needed.

The next auction items were still various precious treasures, but Ye Fan's eyes never left the stage. Whenever the auctioneer showed an item that could potentially help him, he would bid without hesitation, and after all the bidders hesitated or withdrew, he successfully took the items into his pocket.

"The next treasure is a 'Green Lotus Pill' with special curative effects." Before the auctioneer finished speaking, a porcelain bottle appeared on the stage. Inside the bottle was a crystal clear pill, emitting a faint green light. Ye Fan's eyes were immediately attracted.

"The Green Lotus Pill has the powerful effect of restoring physical strength and healing wounds. It is of great help to monks who fight for a long time." The auctioneer continued to introduce.

Ye Fan bid without hesitation: "Three thousand gold coins."

"Interesting, three thousand gold coins, do you also need this elixir?" A cultivator on the side sneered at Ye Fan. Obviously, he did not value this elixir very much.

"If no one else bids, I will take it." Ye Fan said calmly. He didn't care about other people's opinions. He just waited quietly for the auctioneer's decision.

"Deal! Three thousand gold coins, and the Green Lotus Pill will be yours." The auctioneer struck the gavel and announced the result.

Ye Fan smiled and accepted the pill. The Green Lotus Pill was of great use to him, especially for those monks who had been fighting for a long time. This healing pill could save their lives at a critical moment. Ye Fan knew that with this pill, his combat potential would be further improved.

In the following auctions, Ye Fan continued to pay attention to the whole process. He not only valued the value of these treasures themselves, but also the potential opportunities and improvements they brought. Through his own experience and vision, he selected a group of items that would be helpful to his future and continued to accumulate his strength.

The auction lasted for several hours, and Ye Fan finally left the auction house with a batch of precious magic weapons, elixirs, and some cultivation resources. Although he did not attract too much attention, all the cultivators who knew about his actions had a strong interest in this mysterious "black-clad guest".

After leaving the auction house, Ye Fan did not rush to reveal his true identity, but wore a black cloak and quickly disappeared into the crowd. He knew that his identity and whereabouts in Cangyan Town should not be exposed too much. After all, everything he did was closely related to the shadow of the Demon Emperor. If he attracted too much attention, it would bring him unnecessary trouble.

Now, the magic weapons and elixirs in his hands will bring him more resources and opportunities. Ye Fan's plan is moving step by step towards the goal he has set in his mind. In this turbulent continent, wealth and power never come out of thin air. Only through continuous accumulation and judging the situation can one truly master one's own power.