Chapter 152: Terrifying Intermediate Appraisal Technique

That dazzling splash of purple that flashed before Jiang Ke’er’s eyes made her whole body freeze, and her head buzzed.

Purple… purple?

Wtf?!

A one in a thousand chance, and she only drew twelve times! Could it really be… that she got it?

She was so overwhelmed with joy she could barely hold back tears!

Wuwu, Mom, did you see that? Your child has finally made it!

She had finally… successfully smuggled through!

【Intermediate Appraisal Technique: Upgrades the Basic Appraisal Technique to Intermediate, allowing further identification of an object’s attributes—such as detailed composition.】

Jiang Ke’er blinked in disbelief and quickly pulled out a Grade C Stop-Bleeding Pill she had snagged for free from the System Shop.

Learning the Intermediate Appraisal Technique, then… appraise!

【Appraisal complete!】

【Item Name: Grade C Stop-Bleeding Pill】

【Source: Junior Alchemist of the Stars – Li Si】

【Composition: 5% blood-charcoal soaked in alkaline water, 2% freshly cleaned arborvitae leaves… boiled for five minutes in a White Iron Cauldron, then refined into pills using a Carved Bronze Furnace over a third-grade gentle flame.】

【Note: One batch yields 400 pills, cost price 1 Spirit Stone, average Auction House selling price 1 Magic Crystal.】

Jiang Ke’er was stunned again.

By the Stars, this appraisal technique… can even identify pill formulas?!

She quickly switched to another pill—the most precious one she had on hand—a Demon Dispelling Pill.

Demon Dispelling Pills were used during breakthrough cultivation to stabilize the mind and prevent intrusion by inner demons. The formula was entirely monopolized by the Demon Dispelling Pill Sect, and each pill sold on the market for as much as 500 Magic Crystals.

Jiang Ke’er had no need for it; she had gotten it for free from the System Shop on the very day she broke through to the Four Symbols Phase.

She attempted to appraise it, then…

【Demon Dispelling Pill – Composition: 94% common cold-spirit grass, 1% soy sauce, 1% peanut oil, 1% MSG, 1% salt, 2% minced garlic… stewed until soft, then refined directly in a Low-grade Ordinary Alchemy Furnace.】

【…Cost price 50 Spiritual Dust, selling price 500 Magic Crystals.】

Ha! This one was even more ruthless! The selling price was 100,000 times the cost price!

And ingredients like cold-spirit grass, soy sauce, MSG… none of these were rare materials. Cold-spirit grass was just a roadside weed nobody cared for. Yet, the Demon Dispelling Pill Sect always maintained a “limited stock, first come first served” approach, causing these pills to sell out every time.

These alchemy sects really were marketing geniuses through and through!

Jiang Ke’er thought she was ruthless enough, but it seemed she still had a long way to go.

Still, it was thanks to these folks’ relentless marketing and their utterly bone-deep monopoly that these pills could be sold at such terrifying prices.

Jiang Ke’er chuckled… truly, she had to thank her predecessors.

She had a bold idea.

A very bold one.

But before putting this plan into action, Jiang Ke’er turned her gaze to the Villain System’s 【Appraisal Technique Enhancement Module Prize Pool】.

She already had the Protagonist System’s Intermediate Appraisal Technique, so that prize pool automatically closed. The only remaining one was this Enhancement Module prize pool, which she had yet to draw from.

Although she didn’t know what the enhancement module’s effects were, since it was also purple-grade, it probably wouldn’t offer less benefit than the Intermediate Appraisal Technique itself!

Draw!

She’d gotten the Intermediate Appraisal Technique, so she might as well ride this lucky streak and snag the enhancement module too!

Ten minutes later.

Jiang Ke’er stared at her remaining Villain Points balance in the double digits, tears leaking uncontrollably.

Over two hundred draws, and she sank.

Though it was somewhat expected, she still felt a little disappointed.

But since she already had the Intermediate Appraisal Technique, it made no sense to stop now without drawing the enhancement module!

She had to get the enhancement module to maximize the Intermediate Appraisal Technique’s benefits… so this module was absolutely a must-have!

Draw! Even if it meant burning money, she had to draw!

She could afford it! After all, she’d just gotten the Intermediate Appraisal Technique with only twelve shots—what a blood-earning move! It was fine, Jiang Ke’er, you can do this; you’re officially a European now!

No worries, normal probability, no loss, no loss~

Within 100,000 points, she was sure she could snag it!

From now on, she would grind Villain Points hard!

After reaching the Four Symbols Realm, her daily Villain Points income cap had reached 75,000. If she could manage to stir up some big news and make many people simultaneously depressed, there was still time to get the appraisal enhancement module!

Hmm, time was tight, though; the prize pool only opened for three days. She had to race against the clock.

Pulling her black cloak over her shoulders, Jiang Ke’er stepped out of the inn and headed straight for the Jing City Auction Center.

The difference between a bustling city and a quiet town was most apparent at night.

Back in Shiwei Zhou, by this time, every household would have locked their doors and windows, extinguished their lights, and entered rest mode… shops rarely stayed open.

But Jing City’s streets were as bright as day, packed with people just as busy as in the daytime. Shops flung open their doors, and the shouts of hawkers sometimes bordered on disruptive.

The closer she got to the Auction Center, the thicker the lively atmosphere became.

Outside the Auction House, within a ten-mile radius, was the largest market in the Northern Grand Si State, crowded with cultivators selling treasures they had found or fought for.

There were many regular shops too, mostly self-operated stores run by various sects.

For example, the Stop-Bleeding Sect’s own store sold only Stop-Bleeding Pills, yet customers came and went constantly.

Outside the shop hung a large sign listing the prices for Stop-Bleeding Pills of different grades—Grade D: 1 Spirit Stone, Grade C: 1 Magic Crystal, Grade B: 100 Magic Crystals, and the prestigious Grade A Supreme Life Extension Bleeding Stop Pill for 10,000 Magic Crystals.

The price gradient was so steep that anyone unfamiliar might think it reflected the exchange rate between Spiritual Dust and Magic Crystal Stones.

Jiang Ke’er blended into the crowd, searching for traces of Grade B and Grade A Stop-Bleeding Pills.

Unfortunately, she only spotted Grade B Stop-Bleeding Pills at the highest counter; Grade A was nowhere to be found.

She cleared her throat, concentrating spiritual energy in her vocal cords to change her voice as she asked the clerk, “Why can’t I find the Grade A Stop-Bleeding Pill?”

The clerk glanced at Jiang Ke’er, slightly lifting his chin with a trace of arrogance.

“Grade A Stop-Bleeding Pills are the Stop-Bleeding Sect’s treasured heirloom,” he said. “Their crafting process is extremely complex, and the requirements for alchemists are exceptionally high. They’re not something you can just ask to see.”

The clerk’s arrogance wasn’t directed at Jiang Ke’er personally but was a habit developed over time.

—Who do you think you are, even if you’re rich, can you be richer than the Stop-Bleeding Sect?

—Besides, even if you don’t buy, there are countless cultivators scrambling for these pills! Buy or not, it’s your loss!

Jiang Ke’er didn’t get angry; instead, she smiled faintly and nodded, “Understood.”

She pulled out a small notebook and wrote “Grade A Stop-Bleeding Pill” and “Grade B Stop-Bleeding Pill” on the first page.

Then, under the clerk’s baffled gaze, Jiang Ke’er turned and left.

“Crazy.”

The clerk sneered, turning to serve other customers, soon forgetting about Jiang Ke’er’s strange behavior.

Jiang Ke’er clutched her little notebook and headed toward the next shop.