Reforging the Xuanchen Armor, Concocting the Empowerment Pill

On Mount Dan, a scene of bustling activity unfolded. Back then, this mountain had been touched by a wisp of Primogenitor Qixia's Nirvana Holy Fire. As a result, it harbored an intense fiery energy, and even the spiritual vein's attribute had completely turned toward fire. For ordinary cultivators, it was not suited for cultivation, but for alchemists, it was a natural treasure trove. Arranging formations, constructing alchemy chambers, channeling earth fire, and concocting pills on a massive scale— such was the dominant rhythm of Mount Dan today. The multiple jade slips Luo Chen had distributed that day contained several directions for his research into the Empowerment Pill. He handed them to Qu Lingjun and four others, having them conduct experimental trials according to his mapped-out directions. Sorting medicinal ingredients, classifying and processing them, testing ratios, controlling heat... Task after task proceeded in an orderly fashion under the concerted efforts of all alchemists of Tier-2 and above in the Luotian Sect. Luo Chen was not idle either. He left a split-soul puppet stationed in Danchen Hall to oversee the overall situation, while his true body departed Mount Dan and went with Bai Meiling to a vast lake inside the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land. Looking out over the misty, boundless lake, Luo Chen slightly narrowed his eyes. With a shift of his thought, an answer promptly came. "Moo..." Accompanied by a low, muffled rumble, ripples surged across the calm lake, and the colossal form of the Black Tortoise slowly surfaced. Their eyes met, the atmosphere growing somewhat heavy. Yet under Luo Chen's gaze, the Black Tortoise ultimately prostrated itself. Raising its head, it opened its mouth with some reluctance. The surrounding waters rushed in unison toward it, and an intense red light emanated from its body. Gradually, a crystal-clear bead of blood condensed in its mouth. As this blood bead formed, the aura of the Black Tortoise steadily waned. Seeing this, Bai Meiling instantly realized what was happening. The Black Tortoise was forcibly expelling a massive amount of its essence blood to condense this single blood bead. Doing so would severely deplete the vitality of this desolate beast Black Tortoise. Bai Meiling could not help but wonder: her master was by no means a villain, so why would he treat the consistently loyal and obedient Black Tortoise like this? Luo Chen offered no explanation. He simply beckoned with his hand, and the bead containing a copious amount of the Black Tortoise's source blood landed in his palm. Then, Luo Chen raised his hand and tossed out a large handful of medicinal pills, which entered the Black Tortoise's mouth. Replenished by these pills, the weakening of the Black Tortoise's aura was finally halted. Luo Chen nodded. "I will remember your sacrifice. If I attain the Dao one day, I will repay you bountifully. Now, accompany Xiao Bai to gather souls!" The Black Tortoise let out a low rumble of acknowledgment, then carried Bai Meiling on its back as it departed the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land. Watching the retreating backs of the beast and the ghost, Luo Chen pressed his lips together in silence. The warm touch of the blood bead continuously radiated into his palm. Considering the battles that might lie ahead, no amount of preparation would be excessive. And in terms of his own defense, he naturally could not slacken. The Xuanchen Armor, which he had painstakingly forged all those years ago, could no longer keep up with his rising realm. Furthermore, during his journey to the Southern Border, it had suffered extreme damage. One could say that had he possessed the protection of the Xuanchen Armor back then, his physical body would not have sustained such grave injuries in his battle against Qingshuang. Now that he had returned to the Luotian Sect, Luo Chen naturally intended to gather various materials to repair the armor. Yet merely repairing it was not enough! When he forged the Xuanchen Armor back then, the primary material had been a portion of the Xuanyan Demon Emperor's shed husk. For a Golden Core cultivator, that was superb; for a Nascent Soul cultivator, it was passable. But for who he was today, it fell far short. Thus, Luo Chen had extracted the desolate beast Black Tortoise's essence blood precisely to elevate the upper limit of the Xuanchen Armor! Even if this upper limit could not reach the grade of a numinous treasure, it had to at least support standard combat after transforming into his Three-Headed Demon Body. ... In a side hall on Mount Dan. Luo Chen sat cross-legged, casting one incantation gesture after another toward a battered suit of black armor floating in midair. Guided by these incantation gestures, the rare ores that had already been smelted nearby continuously merged into it. Amidst shimmering spiritual light, the armor slowly expanded, gradually returning to its original appearance. Having reached this step, Luo Chen still did not stop. Instead, he struck the source blood bead extracted from the Black Tortoise into it. Instantly, dazzling radiance filled the hall! "Still not enough!" With a flick of Luo Chen's hand, five lotus seeds appeared. They were none other than the Five Elements Lotus Seeds he had taken from that supreme-grade Five Elements Lotus Platform back then! That Five Elements Lotus Platform had been on the verge of developing sentience and stepping into Tier 5. The Five Elements Lotus Seeds condensed from it were quintessences of the five elements at the utmost purity. Yet such treasures could not be used as medicinal ingredients, leaving Luo Chen holding onto them with no place to put them to use. Now, however, a fine use presented itself. Pinching his fingers together, Luo Chen sent the heaviest Earth Lotus Seed drifting toward the Xuanchen Armor. With that, one of the five was gone. Luo Chen pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and hesitated no longer. Of the remaining four, one after another flew toward the Xuanchen Armor. The Metal Lotus Seed, Wood Lotus Seed, and Fire Lotus Seed all merged successively into the Xuanchen Armor. Only with the final Water Lotus Seed did Luo Chen halt his hand. He looked down at the Hunyuan Cauldron beneath the Xuanchen Armor, a contemplative look in his eyes. "That should already be enough. This Black Tortoise leans toward the water attribute, as does the source blood bead it condensed. Combined with the four lotus seeds, a complete Five Elements cycle can already be achieved without needing this Water Lotus Seed. "Furthermore, when I reclaim my life soul later, I might have use for it. Better to keep it for now!" Murmuring to himself, Luo Chen carefully stowed the Water Lotus Seed away. Then, exhaling true fire, he began slowly refining the Xuanchen Armor. He intended to smelt all four lotus seeds and the Black Tortoise's source blood bead into the armor. That way, not only would the armor's defensive power drastically increase, but its upper limit would also be elevated once more. So long as Luo Chen did not perish, this treasure might even have the opportunity to ascend to the rank of a numinous treasure in the future. The artifact forging in the side hall proceeded steadily, while on Mount Dan, the research progress on the Empowerment Pill advanced rapidly with the passage of time. One day, two days... one month, two months... Throughout this period, Luo Chen's true body did not participate; the split-soul puppet presided over the overall situation the entire time. It was not until a year later that Luo Chen leisurely emerged. Upon seeing Luo Chen, excitement surfaced on Qu Lingjun's exhausted face, and he hurriedly approached to report the details. "Master, we have currently eliminated three of the hypotheses you provided, but seven remain. "During this time, your split-soul puppet personally took action to test those seven pill formulas, yet all ended in failure." At this point, Qu Lingjun showed a puzzled look. "In truth, that shouldn't have happened. We all believed those seven pill formulas were the most viable routes, especially three among them that were nearly perfect. Even an intact formula for the Empowerment Pill would surely be nothing more than that. Yet the continuous failures have severely dampened the disciples' morale." Luo Chen nodded and held out his hand. "I am aware of it all. Leave the rest to me!" Qu Lingjun hastily retrieved seven jade slips from his storage bag, each recording a method for concocting the Empowerment Pill. As the jade slips entered his hand, Luo Chen fell into silence. Puzzled, Qu Lingjun could only wait quietly at the side. After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Luo Chen spoke. Picking up one of the jade slips, he displayed it before Qu Lingjun. "Begin preparing large quantities of the relevant ingredients according to this method. In addition, requisition ten liang of Broken Star Sand and a stalk of Bodhi Wood from Sect Master Li, and process them following standard techniques." Qu Lingjun froze, immediately realizing that this was likely what his master deemed the true concoction method for the Empowerment Pill. Yet he remained filled with confusion. "This method failed before as well. It didn't even produce the signs of pill formation." Luo Chen smiled. "Failure is a common occurrence. If I gave you a correct formula for the Nascent Soul Formation Pill, could you succeed on your first attempt? A concoction failure does not mean there is a flaw in the pill formula." Qu Lingjun asked again, "Then why add the Broken Star Sand and Bodhi Wood?" Luo Chen patiently explained, "'Empowerment' draws from the Buddhist meaning of pouring the finest ghee upon the head to enlighten. The Empowerment Pill is meant to aid cultivators in comprehension. Yet the divine senses of our kind are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges and difficult to condense. Therefore, unconventional ingredients like Broken Star Sand and Bodhi Wood are required as supplementary catalysts. This will enhance the medicinal efficacy of the Empowerment Pill." Qu Lingjun blinked. "Master is so certain?" "Just do as instructed." Luo Chen was not angered by his disciple's rare skepticism. Just moments ago, when he touched the seven jade slips, he had already used his attribute panel to verify their authenticity. Under the year-long efforts of his split-soul puppet and all the elite alchemists of the Luotian Sect, an intact formula for the Empowerment Pill had finally been deduced. This fulfilled the aspirations pursued by generations of Eastern Barrens alchemists. The reason he had spent another half a cup of tea's time was that, drawing upon his discernment as an Alchemy Grandmaster, Luo Chen had added some extra ingredients to ensure the concocted Empowerment Pill would have even better effects. And it had also received the system's recognition. Creating something from nothing might be difficult, but adding brilliance to what already existed was mere child's play for the present Luo Chen. Qu Lingjun hesitated no longer, bowed, and took his leave. Next, he would lead the disciples in preparing large quantities of the base ingredients required for concocting the Empowerment Pill. The time saved this way was immensely precious to Luo Chen. On Luo Chen's side, however, he sank into thought once more. His divine sense spread inward to inspect his own body. Within his purple palace, the Nascent Soul wore the pitch-black armor, cradling the small gray cauldron. At this moment, all his attention was focused on that small gray cauldron. The Ming Water Spring Eye was inside the Hunyuan Cauldron! A year ago, when he used the Hunyuan Cauldron to capture the Ming Water Spring Eye on Mount Yanfu, an anomaly had occurred. Back then, after being drawn inside, the Ming Water Spring Eye had still resisted violently, requiring Luo Chen to expend massive amounts of magic power to suppress it. Yet strangely enough, such violent resistance vanished in mere moments. Luo Chen did not believe his Hunyuan Cauldron was powerful enough to suppress the Ming Water Spring Eye in an instant. Yet that was precisely what had happened! Over the past year, Luo Chen had not actively explored the dead-silent Ming Water Spring Eye, but had instead pondered it continuously. Gradually, from his past experiences, he found a similar incident. Back when he extracted the Calamity Gu from his son Luo Lingxi, the Hunyuan Cauldron had also suppressed it with ease. And whether it was the Calamity Gu or the Ming Water Spring Eye, both far surpassed ordinary treasures in the cultivation world. Each contained the true meaning of laws and could be regarded as Tier-5 treasures. Why had the Hunyuan Cauldron suppressed them even more effortlessly than suppressing ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators? In the end, Luo Chen directed his suspicions toward that wisp of gray light he had collected in the Fallen Demon Land all those years ago. "What on earth is that thing? "To be hidden away so solemnly within the Heaven Refining Cauldron by Demonic Lord Liantian, it is certainly no ordinary object. "For so many years, it has never displayed its might, and not even my divine sense can catch the slightest trace of it. "Yet after fusing with that gray light, whether it is artifact forging or pill concocting, it feels as though I have divine assistance. "Could it be a treasure related to the Dao of Refining?" As he pondered, an eager thought stirred within Luo Chen. The Ming Water Spring Eye did not merely contain the source of water; it also carried an exceedingly potent power of defilement! Because it was formed from the condensation of the purest Ming Water. Even Ghost Emperor Wang, whose body was condensed from the essence of Ming Water, had been defiled by it—failing to refine it and instead becoming assimilated. Even when the Minyuan Sect seized this item back in the day, no one had completely refined it; they merely bound it within Tianming Palace. Given Luo Chen's current strength, he did not dare forcibly refine this treasure, let alone entertain wild thoughts of mastering the Netherworld Abyss. However, if the wisp of gray light absorbed by the Hunyuan Cauldron truly possessed a unique aptitude in this regard, then it was not impossible for Luo Chen to attempt a forced refinement of the Ming Water Spring Eye. Once successful, it might provide unexpected assistance for his subsequent plans. "I'll use concocting the Empowerment Pill to test it first!" Luo Chen made up his mind. This time, he had to exert his utmost effort and give it his undivided attention. He would not only focus on concocting the Empowerment Pill, but also monitor the reactions of the Hunyuan Cauldron. ... Qu Lingjun acted swiftly. Or rather, the Luotian Sect's alchemists revered Luo Chen so deeply that they put all their might into completing whatever he instructed. Thus, in barely a month or so, all the required preparations were finished one after another. And everything thereafter was completely left to Luo Chen. This time, Luo Chen did not dismiss the others. Instead, he selected an open area on Mount Dan and let all the disciples observe him concocting pills. "This pill concoction is bound to succeed. How much you can learn from watching will depend entirely on your individual fortune!" Standing upon the temporarily erected raised platform, Luo Chen spoke unhurriedly. The Hunyuan Cauldron had already been summoned and positioned, surrounded by various medicinal ingredients neatly sorted into categories. Upon hearing these words, the hundred-plus disciples in the vicinity sprang into action immediately. One by one, they retrieved jade vials and applied drops to their eyes. It was Clarifying Liquid! A byproduct of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect's research into Jade Sovereign Clear Pupil Liquid back then, which had once spawned a substitute known as Moistening Pearl Liquid. Due to Luo Chen's influence, all alchemists of the Luotian Sect had adopted the habit of using this medicine to enhance their vision. Now about to observe the Supreme Elder concocting pills, each of them went all out. Not only did they enhance their eyesight, but some also burned incense to calm their minds or consumed medicine to fortify their bodies, simply to ensure they would not miss the slightest detail. Luo Chen smiled faintly and, as gentle as the spring rain that moistens things without a sound, began concocting the Empowerment Pill. His movements were neither fast nor slow. While employing various alchemy techniques with effortless mastery, he also displayed the complete incantation gestures as clearly as possible, especially explaining the processing of various ingredients from time to time. Perhaps this would be his final public concoction; he might as well let the younger generation see it clearly! As for how much they could comprehend, that was up to them. Time ticked by, and the progress of concocting the Empowerment Pill moved along at a steady pace without the slightest flaw. The alchemy techniques Luo Chen displayed left all the disciples in utter awe. Steady, natural, as though born of heaven itself. Every fundamental alchemy technique was executed to perfection. His handling of the ingredients, even with the simplest methods, was precise down to the smallest detail. And his mastery of the heat was far beyond anyone's comprehension. From time to time, people arrived from other areas, having rushed over to spectate upon hearing that the Supreme Elder was personally concocting pills in public. Even those who were not alchemists wished to catch a glimpse of the Eastern Barrens' Grandmaster of Alchemy in action. However, as the concoction proceeded deeper, toward the later stages, not only the other cultivators but even the Tier-2 and Tier-3 alchemists could barely follow Luo Chen's techniques. Qu Lingjun and Qi Yi were among the foremost among them, yet even they showed dazed expressions when Luo Chen executed an unfamiliar alchemy technique. "What alchemy technique is that?" "Why has the medicinal liquid begun to undergo such a drastic transformation when he clearly hasn't stirred the heaven-and-earth spiritual energy, nor affected the cauldron or even the true fire in any way?" At this moment, Luo Chen had no leisure to explain. Although this deduced formula for the Empowerment Pill was complete and verified by the system, it was not necessarily identical to its original form. It had been completed by combining the additions of past alchemy masters with his own understanding. In particular, at the most crucial core point, he had incorporated the concepts from concocting the Tier-5 divine pill, the Law Deduction Pill, all those years ago. The Law Deduction Pill, the Heavenly Mechanism Pill, and the Empowerment Pill could be said to share the same lineage. All were designed to assist cultivators in entering an epiphany and comprehending the true meaning of laws. To attain such a profoundly esoteric realm, in Luo Chen's view, one essential element could by no means be omitted. A spiritual opportunity! Therefore, he executed an esoteric alchemy technique learned from the Alchemy Saint's inheritance—Refining Heavenly Mechanism! Leveraging the heaven-and-earth origin energy, capturing spiritual opportunities, and fusing them into the pills! Under Luo Chen's all-out execution, wind and thunder howled across the sky, and faintly, an inexplicable dense mist of aura was drawn out from the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land. Golden light blazed in Luo Chen's eyes, and a hint of delight appeared on his face. "Sure enough, when the three patriarchs of the Minyuan Sect opened the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land back then, they channeled some spiritual opportunities inside. Now, they serve my purpose perfectly!"