Han Li listened to the old man's explanation without changing his expression, showing no signs of disagreement. After hearing him out, he nodded lightly without saying a word, picked up the copied jade tube, and turned to leave.
"Young friend, since you're interested in alchemy, how about buying some furnaces? I can offer you a good deal," the old man said, trying to sell his wares again as Han Li was about to leave.
"No need, I don't need them for now," Han Li replied casually without looking back.
"That's a pity. The furnaces I have here can withstand the high temperature of the earthfire!" Old Xu regretted as business didn't go his way.
"Earthfire?" Han Li, who had reached the entrance of the passage, stopped in his tracks.
"It's the earth lung fire, more powerful than innate true fire," the old man said nonchalantly.
"But isn't it said that innate true fire is needed for alchemy? Can earthfire replace it?" Han Li tried to keep his voice calm, but his heart was pounding fiercely. He sensed that he might have found a way out of his predicament in refining Foundation Establishment Pills.
"Hehe! It seems young friend is unaware that in the world of cultivation, many have long replaced innate true fire with earthfire for alchemy! But that's not a big deal. Most people who have dabbled in alchemy know about it. I'll tell you more for free!" The old man seemed eager to share, emphasizing the word "free."
Han Li couldn't help but smile bitterly. He could tell that although the old man claimed it was free, there was a vast difference between saying it once and repeating it seven or eight times.
But this matter was crucial, and Han Li couldn't afford to waste any more time.
So he went back and forth, without hesitation, and said, "As long as what Senior Xu said about earthfire is true, then I'll just pick another furnace here!"
"Hehe! The furnaces I have here are definitely top-quality goods that will satisfy young friend!" Seeing his goal accomplished, Old Xu couldn't help but smile.
"In fact, using innate true fire for alchemy is a thing of the past! Nowadays, in the world of cultivation, alchemy is done using the earthfire from the Xuan Yang Region. Long ago, our predecessors discovered that earthfire is not only purer and hotter than a cultivator's true fire, but also particularly enduring and stable. It significantly increases the success rate of pill formation compared to the original method of using true fire, and is equally effective for refining artifacts. Therefore, as long as there are conditions, major sects or even larger cultivation clans have their own Xuan Yang fire to allow their disciples to refine pills and artifacts. Only those solitary cultivators who cannot access earthfire still use the old method with high failure rates." The old man explained in detail.
"Do our sect also have earthfire available? Do you know where it is?" Han Li's heart was filled with excitement, but he maintained a clear and concise tone.
"Haha!..."
When Han Li asked this question, the old man couldn't help but burst into laughter, leaving Han Li puzzled.
"Did you see an unmarked passage when you entered Yue Lu Hall? That passage leads to the Xuan Yang fire. If you pay some spirit stones there, you can borrow the earthfire!" After laughing for a while, the old man finally told Han Li the truth.
"Is that true?" Han Li couldn't help but show a hint of joy, with a slight smile on his lips.
"I'm an old man. Would I lie to a junior like you?" Old Xu replied, somewhat displeased.
"I misspoke! Please forgive me, Senior!" Han Li felt that even if the old man was greedy, he wouldn't deceive him on such matters, so he apologized sincerely.
"Hmph, I'll forgive you this time because you're young!" The old man's expression softened, but then he said sternly, "But I won't offer any discounts on furnace purchases anymore."
Han Li couldn't help but smile wryly. This old man was always looking to gain an advantage!
"Are these furnaces here?" Han Li pointed to the various cauldrons on the shelves.
"Of course not! Those are just ordinary ones, only suitable for refining inferior pills. How could they withstand the heat of earthfire? The real top-quality furnaces are here!" Old Xu resumed his role as a cunning merchant, tapping a nondescript gray cloth bag tied to his waist.
He then took out a row of antique-looking cauldrons with unique styles and placed them on the ground.
"How about it? These are all top-quality furnaces from my collection, each one a masterpiece, not ordinary goods!" The old man picked up the nearest cauldron and tapped it lightly, sounding proud.
"They're indeed impressive!" When these cauldrons appeared, Han Li felt the faint spiritual energy emanating from them, saying with a hint of surprise.
But what really caught his attention was the inconspicuous cloth bag worn by the old man. It was definitely a high-level storage bag with ten times the capacity of ordinary ones, otherwise it wouldn't be able to hold so many large items.
"Hehe! I'm not bragging. I'm quite skilled in crafting furnaces and artifacts. Most of the furnaces used by junior disciples in our sect were made by me, and these are the best of the best!" The old man, seeing Han Li moved, couldn't contain his joy and boasted even more.
Han Li smiled faintly, not bothering to refute. After carefully examining each cauldron, he pointed to the smallest silver cauldron and said to the old man, "I'll take this one."
"Tsk tsk! Young friend has a good eye. This silver cauldron is definitely a top-quality item, a rare treasure among furnaces. Among all the furnaces I have, it's the most outstanding!" Old Xu was slightly surprised when Han Li chose the smallest one, but he quickly regained his composure and praised it as if it were a priceless treasure.
"What does it have to do with having a good eye? I just considered the limited space in my storage bag and could only fit this cauldron!" Han Li thought to himself, listening to the old man's incessant chatter.
After some bargaining, Han Li bought the cauldron for thirty-two low-grade spirit stones. Then he left without hesitation.
During his short encounter with the old man, Han Li had spent over fifty spirit stones, a significant amount even for him. Therefore, he didn't want to linger here any longer, even though the old man continued to enthusiastically persuade him to stay.
Once he left the old man's house, Han Li returned to the hall where the teleportation array was located. Instead of immediately leaving the hall, he paused for a moment and then walked along the unmarked passage.
At the end of the passage, he encountered a massive stone door radiating colorful light, clearly protected by powerful prohibitions that deterred any reckless actions.
Beside the stone door, there was a small stone house with a man covered in pimples inside. Although this man had only reached the pinnacle of basic cultivation, he wore a haughty expression that made Han Li feel uncomfortable!
But Han Li was not just anyone. Despite
his internal dislike, he remained calm on the surface. Even though he only asked three questions, the man answered reluctantly, but Han Li managed to glean all the information he needed!
Then, with a polite farewell to the man, Han Li left the place. However, as he took a few steps away, he heard the man muttering under his breath.
"A pauper from a low-ranking sect wants to learn alchemy? Has his brain gone bad? A guy who talks big but doesn't practice, wasting my time!"
Han Li's figure remained unchanged upon hearing the man's words, but his face, turned away from the man, turned cold enough to freeze, and a flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes.
