“The old man cannot disclose that,” the old man squinted his eyes.
Certainly, places like secret realms have always been considered top secrets in the cultivation world, and the old man wouldn’t easily divulge that information.
Seeing Leo’s apparent interest in this seed, the old man couldn’t help but ask again, “Young man, how about exchanging this seed for a thousand Essence-Building Pills?”
Leo thought for a moment, hesitated, and then extended five fingers, “Sir, I admit this seed is extraordinary, but since I don’t even know what type of fruit it is, your asking price of a thousand Essence-Building Pills is a bit steep. In my opinion, I’d offer a maximum of five hundred Essence-Building Pills.”
In reality, considering the value of this Concentrating Spirit Tree seed, even two thousand Essence-Building Pills wouldn’t be unreasonable. Leo haggled in this manner only to avoid raising suspicion from the old man.
Upon hearing Leo’s offer of five hundred Essence-Building Pills, the old man shook his head repeatedly, “No, five hundred Essence-Building Pills are too few. Obtaining this seed was a perilous journey in the secret realm.”
“Sir, even if this seed came from the secret realm as you say, there’s no guarantee that it will successfully grow. If it doesn’t, then accepting this deal would be a significant loss for me. Even if it does grow successfully, if it ends up as an ordinary herb, I’d still suffer a huge loss. The risk is simply too great.”
Leo made valid points, which caused the muscles on the old man’s face to twitch. In fact, when the old man first obtained the seed, he had attempted to cultivate it himself. However, despite trying numerous methods, expending a considerable amount of money and time, he failed to make the seed take root and sprout.
Thankfully, his efforts didn’t damage the seed in any way, so he decided to try selling it in the martial market, hoping to find a knowledgeable buyer.
The old man was incredibly shrewd, and although Leo’s arguments made sense, he wasn’t easily swayed. He said, “Young man, what you’re saying does make sense. However, as the saying goes, with great risk comes great reward. If you take this seed back, successfully cultivate it into a thriving and extraordinary medicinal plant, then you’ll make a fortune.”
Because this seed came from a mysterious realm, the old man was unwilling to make substantial concessions. In the end, after some haggling, they agreed upon eight hundred Essence-Building Pills.
However, Leo didn’t have eight hundred Essence-Building Pills on him at the moment, so he said, “Sir, I don’t have that many Essence-Building Pills with me, but I can offer you a better type of pill.”
“Another type of pill? What kind of pill? Let me see.”
The old man didn’t refuse, as Essence-Building Pills, while a common currency among cultivators, could also be substituted with other valuable pills.
In East Town, there was a specialized Alchemy Research Institute where you could have your elixirs appraised, and they would provide a reasonable exchange rate.
Leo took out a Vitality Pill and handed it over to the old man.
The old man received the Vitality Pill and examined it carefully. Soon, his gaze slightly sharpened, “Young man, judging by the fragrance alone, this pill is of a third-grade level. May I ask, what kind of elixir is this?”
It was evident that the old man was quite pleasantly surprised.
Leo explained, “This elixir is called the Vitality Pill. It greatly aids in increasing your internal energy cultivation.”
Having said that, the old man reached behind him, taking out a cloth bag and pulling out a tablet computer. He proceeded to open it, entered “Vitality Pill” into the search bar, and found no results.
This left the old man looking somewhat bewildered. “Whenever new elixirs are created, the Alchemy Research Institute is usually the first to identify and publish information about them, including their images, effects, and exchange rates with Essence-Building Pills. I couldn’t find Vitality Pill on the official website. I presume your elixir hasn’t undergone their certification or appraisal process?”
“Certification and appraisal by the Alchemy Research Institute?” Leo was hearing about this organization for the first time, so he turned to Master Jennifer and Violet for explanations.
Violet chuckled as she explained, “Leo, it seems like you’re a novice in the cultivation world. Whenever alchemists create new elixirs, they typically send them to the Alchemy Research Institute for various assessments. Once an elixir passes their evaluations, the institute publishes its image, specifications, and the exchange rate with Essence-Building Pills on their official website.”
“Unrecognized elixirs that haven’t undergone this process are generally not trusted by cultivators,” Master Jennifer added.
Leo now had a better understanding. It seemed that the cultivation world wasn’t entirely detached from the mundane world, as they utilized various forms of technology. Since it would take too much time to have the Vitality Pill officially assessed, Leo decided to let the old man try it firsthand. He said, “Sir, my Vitality Pill is indeed a new creation and hasn’t been sent for certification yet. However, I have great confidence in its effects. So, I’m setting the exchange rate at one Vitality Pill for thirty Essence-Building Pills.”
“If you’re still unsure about the efficacy of my Vitality Pill, you can take one now, and you’ll see if what I’m saying is true.”
“Very well,” the old man nodded because, based on his instincts about elixirs, he knew that this Vitality Pill was indeed far superior to Essence-Building Pills.
Without hesitation, the old man swallowed the Vitality Pill.
As soon as the elixir entered his mouth, it transformed into a warm current, flowing down his throat into his stomach, and its medicinal properties rapidly spread throughout his body.
The old man quickly sat down cross-legged and began refining the Vitality Pill’s medicinal power.
While practicing his internal energy cultivation, the old man once again entered a trance-like state, reminiscent of his previous nap-like episode. This sight couldn’t help but make Violet stifle a laugh, as it was her first time witnessing such an amusing cultivation technique.
After approximately five or six minutes, the old man slowly opened his eyes, and a look of amazement shone in his aged eyes.
“Young man, your Vitality Pill indeed works wonders!” the old man couldn’t help but exclaim.
Given the old man’s current cultivation level, the effects of Essence-Building Pills were no longer significant for him. Therefore, the Essence-Building Pills he obtained after selling seeds would be exchanged for better elixirs at the Alchemy Research Institute.
“A Vitality Pill for thirty Essence-Building Pills, is that fair?” Leo smirked.
The old man nodded, “It is indeed reasonable. Your Vitality Pill has already reached the level of a third-grade elixir, and its effects are impressive. I suggest you take it to the Alchemy Research Institute for authentication. This way, your Vitality Pill will be widely accepted as currency in the cultivation world.”
The old man’s suggestion aligned with Leo’s plans. “Sir, I will get it authenticated. Regarding the payment for the seed, if we calculate it at twenty-seven Vitality Pills as per the rate of eight hundred Essence-Building Pills, and considering you already consumed one, I will pay you twenty-six more.”