The Empowerment Pill!
A Tier-4 pill developed by Qi Refiners in ancient times, its wondrous efficacy could assist Nascent Soul cultivators in sensing heavenly secrets and comprehending the true meaning of laws ahead of time.
It was known as a pseudo-Tier-5 divine pill!
For Luo Chen, an Alchemy Grandmaster today, concocting such a Tier-4 pill was not actually very difficult.
The reason he had not concocted it over all these years was not deliberate procrastination, but rather that the pill formula's true issue lay in its extreme fragmentation.
Even with the various incomplete formulas Deng Taiyue had painstakingly gathered, it was only sixty to seventy percent complete.
Under such conditions, rushing into refinement would almost certainly guarantee a hundred percent failure rate!
However, things took a turn after Luo Chen joined the Minyuan Sect back then.
As the Eastern Barrens' former sole Soul Formation sacred land, it naturally could not remain indifferent toward this renowned pseudo-Tier-5 divine pill from antiquity.
Both Alchemy Saint Chu Yan and Mister Xuan Yan had painstakingly researched the Empowerment Pill by gathering fragmented formulas.
Although they never managed to concoct it in the end, they had deduced seventy to eighty percent of the formula.
And the fruits of their research ultimately ended up in Luo Chen's hands!
Back during the trial in the Alchemy Saint Hall, Mister Xuan Yan had handed it over to Luo Chen before passing away.
Now that Deng Taiyue had come knocking, Luo Chen could conveniently settle the matter.
Before that, however, there was still one matter Luo Chen needed to explain carefully to Deng Taiyue.
"Brother Deng, I am quite confident I can concoct the Empowerment Pill."
Upon hearing this, Deng Taiyue beamed with joy.
"However!"
At that single word, Deng Taiyue froze. "Brother Luo, speak plainly. As long as it is within my power, I will do my utmost!"
Luo Chen said somberly, "I will face a formidable enemy in the future, a matter concerning my Grand Dao of Soul Formation and the continuation of Luotian. Therefore, before that day comes, I must devote all my time to cultivation and war preparations. Concocting this pill for you right now will inevitably consume a long time, and even the slightest shortfall might cause everything to fall short in the future. So, do you understand my current predicament?"
Deng Taiyue was taken aback. He had witnessed Luo Chen's prowess with his own eyes.
His strength was enough to stand unmatched under heaven!
With such might, for Luo Chen to speak the words "formidable enemy," what kind of existence could that foe be?
He probed tentatively, "Demon Emperor Qingshuang?"
Luo Chen shook his head. "The world claims Qingshuang and I are like fire and water, but that was merely a passing misunderstanding."
Deng Taiyue asked again, "The monster race of the Eastern Barrens?"
Luo Chen waved his hand. "Though the monster race may be fickle, I already have a solution. I am merely awaiting the opportune moment."
"Then..." Deng Taiyue fell into confusion. Those were the only enemies he could think of.
Luo Chen kept him in suspense no longer and personally uttered the name of his potential future enemy.
"The Tianyuan Dao Sect!"
Deng Taiyue was dumbfounded.
He didn't even process it for a moment, echoing subconsciously, "The Tianyuan Dao Sect?"
"Yes!"
Luo Chen turned and slowly paced atop the crimson summit of Mount Dan.
The bright moonlight drawn down by the array cast down upon him, creating an ethereal illusion as though he were a phantom.
"Regardless of grudges or grievances, I will eventually have to clash with the Tianyuan Dao Sect. When the time comes, a massive battle will be unavoidable. Thus, I must not only enhance my own strength but also rally fellow Daoists. So, will you help me when that day arrives?"
Deng Taiyue said in a daze, "That is the overlord of the Mountain Sea Realm—the Tianyuan Dao Sect!"
Recalling the intelligence Youquan had provided him, Luo Chen said slowly, "The Tianyuan Dao Sect was once an overlord, but following the collapse of the Central Continent, the current Dao Sect has fractured. Its remaining strength is not as terrifying as you imagine."
Deng Taiyue swallowed hard, dread and wariness in his eyes. "And how do you plan to deal with a Soul Formation mighty figure?"
Luo Chen countered with a question: "How do you perceive my strength?"
"Below Soul Formation, you have no match!" Deng Taiyue answered without hesitation, but in the next instant, he stared in disbelief at Luo Chen's back. "You plan to personally face a Soul Formation mighty figure? But..."
Luo Chen smiled and sighed. "Right now, I am naturally no match for a mighty figure. But give me another hundred or two hundred years, and there will always be a chance or two. For the Grand Dao of longevity, a chance or two is enough for me to stake my life on."
Deng Taiyue's lips twitched, unable to speak.
He could not fathom how a Nascent Soul cultivator could possibly contend with the vast divine abilities and mighty powers of a Soul Formation cultivator.
Luo Chen turned around and smiled calmly. "Of course, if things go smoothly, perhaps I won't have to face the Tianyuan Dao Sect's sole remaining Soul Formation mighty figure. I am merely preparing for the worst. If that day truly comes, would you be willing to stand by my side, Brother Deng?"
Deng Taiyue fell into hesitation.
At this moment, Luo Chen was clearly holding a favor over his head, using the not-yet-concocted Empowerment Pill to extract a promise to take action.
Moreover, the target was such a colossal behemoth.
Any other Nascent Soul cultivator would refuse without a second thought.
Yet Deng Taiyue truly wavered.
After centuries of arduous cultivation, faced with the tantalizing Empowerment Pill within arm's reach and the temptation of comprehending the true meaning of laws, he sank into a hesitation unprecedented in his life.
Luo Chen did not rush him, quietly waiting for the outcome.
This was the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land; whether Deng Taiyue stayed or left depended entirely on Luo Chen's will.
If Deng Taiyue refused, Luo Chen might not kill him, but he would not let him leave until the matter was settled.
Perhaps leveraging a favor like this was somewhat ruthless, but compared to his future Grand Dao of Soul Formation, Luo Chen had to augment every ounce of strength on his side.
He was already the master of Mount Cangwu's Duzhen Hall, capable of mobilizing a large host of top monster-race experts.
If he could also secure the aid of top human cultivators in the Eastern Barrens, then even against the Tianyuan Dao Sect, he would have a fighting chance.
Presently, Deng Taiyue was not among the peak figures.
Yet if Luo Chen truly concocted the Empowerment Pill for him, with Deng Taiyue's comprehension, he would surely break through the mid Nascent Soul stage to become a late Nascent Soul grand cultivator.
How could Luo Chen let such combat strength slip away?
After a long while, a bitter chuckle escaped Deng Taiyue.
"Luo Chen, why must you be so candid? I already promised to run errands for you back then; you could easily have concocted the Empowerment Pill first and then ordered me to assist you. Being so honest now only puts me in a bind."
Luo Chen smiled, offering no reply.
How could an eleventh-hour demand ever yield wholehearted assistance?
If the man showed up in body but held back his strength when the time came, Luo Chen would only end up in danger.
Laying out the dangers now allowed Deng Taiyue to deliberate thoroughly and make all necessary preparations for battle.
Luo Chen simply looked up into the night sky at that somewhat unreal moon, wondering when he would finally be able to stand openly upon the earth and gaze upon a true, brilliant moon.
As the night wind blew past, Deng Taiyue finally made his decision.
"I will do it!"
"If Fellow Daoist gives me the Empowerment Pill and allows me to grasp the true meaning of the law, I will exert my full strength to strike once on your behalf in the future. Should I violate this oath, may heavenly lightning strike my crown, heart demons torment me, and the Grand Dao never be crossed!"
Though conditioned, it was nonetheless a Grand Dao oath.
That proved his sincerity!
Luo Chen exhaled a long breath of turbid air, turned around, and took Deng Taiyue's hands warmly.
"Since that is so, perhaps Fellow Daoist wouldn't mind doing two small tasks for me right now?"
Deng Taiyue was stunned, then couldn't help but chuckle bitterly. "Luo Chen, you really take an inch and ask for a mile! You won't let up, will you?"
Luo Chen burst into hearty laughter. "We are allies now. Running errands for each other is only natural."
Deng Taiyue shook his head with a wry smile, but did not refuse.
***
The next day, after leaving behind all the medicinal ingredients he had gathered over the years, Deng Taiyue boarded the Ghost-Crossing Boat and departed the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land.
Upon leaving, he took with him all the Nascent Soul Formation Pills that the Luotian Sect had treasured over the years!
There were ten in total; most had been personally concocted by Luo Chen in earlier years, while a small portion had been gathered by the Luotian Sect from the nearby ruins of the Minyuan Sect.
Their potency might vary, but all were top-grade pills capable of aiding a cultivator in forming a Nascent Soul.
Next, he would use this batch of Nascent Soul Formation Pills as a drawing card to host a grand auction in the Eastern Barrens and collect as much Firmament Qi for Luo Chen as possible.
These were the two tasks Luo Chen had entrusted to him.
Luo Chen did not idle either. That very day, he summoned various cultivators of the Luotian Sect in succession atop Mount Dan.
The first person caught many off guard: it was Sang Jinghe, who had followed Luo Chen from the North Sea all the way to the Eastern Barrens back then!
Luo Chen handed over all the source blood of the Golden Dragon Lion he had collected from the Yin-Yang Broken Realm.
His sole purpose was to have Sang Jinghe test an earlier conjecture: cultivating the Demon-Fiend Concentric Tree with the source blood of a desolate beast.
If it could bear genuine fruit, it might allow Luo Chen's body refinement realm to achieve an explosive breakthrough in the short term.
Provided, of course, that Taisui had not lied to him back then.
The second person was Bai Meiling.
Luo Chen handed her the empty Soul Refining Banner.
The souls originally inside had all been transferred by Luo Chen into another Soul Nourishing Banner.
Luo Chen's instructions to Bai Meiling were to take the Soul Refining Banner, ride the Black Tortoise, and sweep through the Netherworld Abyss, capturing every ghostly creature below the rank of Tier-4 Ghost Emperor that she encountered.
The more, the better—reaching a million would be ideal.
Originating from the Primordial Demon Sect, the Soul Refining Banner possessed a complete advancement path.
From an ordinary Myriad Soul Banner, to a Hundred-Thousand Fierce Soul Banner, and up to a Million Fiend Soul Banner.
These corresponded respectively to the Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Soul Formation realms.
Rumor had it that above the Fiend Soul Banner, there were also the Malign Soul Banner and the Revered Soul Banner, corresponding to the Void Refinement and Body Integration realms.
Clearly, however, such existences could not possibly appear in the Mountain Sea Realm.
Unless Luo Chen went to capture the Void Refinement desolate beast on Soul Severing Cliff.
"Relying on the advantages of your soul body, Little Bai, you can move freely through the Netherworld Abyss. With the Black Tortoise's aid, you will come and go as you please. Wait for me a few days, and the Black Tortoise will carry you into the abyss to undertake this task. When you return, bring back the two fellow Daoists I left outside as well."
Bai Meiling did not refuse, promptly departing to prepare.
Then came the third person Luo Chen summoned—Li Yingzhang.
For him, Luo Chen had only one demand:
Spare no cost and no resource to elevate the strength of the Luotian Sect's cultivators.
If there were any needs for medicinal pills, submit them as early as possible, and he would concoct them all before entering seclusion.
Li Yingzhang was by no means an ordinary man; amidst such tension, he sensed that something monumental was about to happen.
Yet since Luo Chen did not mention it, he did not ask either.
He merely asked out of curiosity before departing, "Where is the Black King? If he could assist us in enhancing the spiritual energy of our blessed grounds, we might achieve twice the results with half the effort!"
To this, Luo Chen merely waved his hand and said that the Black King would not be returning for the time being.
After Li Yingzhang left, Danchen Hall atop Mount Dan fell into a brief silence.
"The Black King?"
Luo Chen tapped his finger against the armrest of his chair, a look of perplexity on his face.
According to his senses, the Black King had not died.
Yet the fellow had still not returned to the Luotian Sect.
Luo Chen was inclined to search for him, but the distance between them was far too great, giving him no indication of direction.
"Where on earth did that simpleton run off to?"
Knowing the Black King wasn't dead was enough to put Luo Chen's mind at ease for now. The urgent priority was to carry out full-scale preparations for war.
As for how to retrieve his missing life soul, Luo Chen had formed a general plan upon leaving Mount Cangwu.
If all went smoothly, he might not even need to go to war with the Tianyuan Dao Sect.
Yet if things did not go smoothly, he had to be ready to wage war against the former foremost overlord of the Mountain Sea Realm!
He hoped it would not come to that.
But if it truly proved unavoidable, Luo Chen wouldn't mind clashing with that Forefather Liancheng who had survived the battle at Soul Severing Cliff!
Footsteps echoed outside the hall, dense and numerous—well over a hundred people!
Soon, familiar faces entered Luo Chen's sight.
"Disciple Qu Lingjun leads all Tier-3 and Tier-2 alchemists of the Grand Alchemy Court to pay respects to Master!"
Qu Lingjun immediately knelt in deep reverence.
Behind him, more than a hundred cultivators bowed in unison. Beside respect, an undisguised fervor of adoration burned in their eyes.
"Greetings, Supreme Elder!"
Looking upon this group of cultivators from the Luotian Sect's Grand Alchemy Court, a satisfied smile appeared on Luo Chen's face.
Court Master Qu Lingjun was a Tier-3 alchemist!
Vice Master Qi Yi and three Grand Alchemy Court elders were likewise Tier-3 alchemists at the Golden Core realm.
The remaining hundred-odd disciples were only at Foundation Establishment, yet their alchemy attainments had reached Tier 2.
This was the foundation of the Luotian Sect today!
It was arguably the finest branch among all internal institutions of the sect.
What they inherited was the alchemy lineage of which Luo Chen was most proud.
Among them, Qu Lingjun and Qi Yi had been personally mentored by him.
Though they might have one fewer Tier-3 alchemist compared to the Azure Pill Valley of old, the alchemy skills of these five Tier-3 alchemists far surpassed those former elders of Azure Pill Valley.
As for Tier-2 alchemists, their numbers vastly eclipsed the thirty-odd that Azure Pill Valley had managed to scrape together back then.
With the assistance of these alchemists, the efficiency with which he could deduce the Empowerment Pill formula would undoubtedly soar.
He had already gathered most of the incomplete formula for the Empowerment Pill.
Furthermore, he had the brilliant pioneering work of Alchemy Saint Chu Yan and Mister Xuan Yan before him.
In fact, he faintly sensed that the Heavenly Mechanism Pill gifted to him by Alchemy Saint Chu Yan shared a common origin with the Empowerment Pill.
Now, he only needed the alchemists of the Grand Alchemy Court to help him test various herb properties, ratios, and heat controls. Through the process of elimination, he could pinpoint the most suitable combination of ingredients for the Empowerment Pill.
At that point, he could verify whether it could be concocted through his attribute panel.
Then everything would fall into place naturally.
Looking down upon everyone, Luo Chen said slowly, "You all know why I summoned you here today, don't you?"
Having already been briefed by Qu Lingjun, the hundred-plus people in the hall answered without hesitation:
"We are willing to assist the Supreme Elder in pill concoction!"
Luo Chen laughed heartily. "Good! Then let us begin!"
The feather-robed Daoist rose to his feet and waved his hand, sending streaks of flowing light flying toward the crowd.
Chapter 1007