Where did this sense of urgency come from?
It stemmed from nothing other than the fact that clashes triggered by high-stage cultivators were never something a mere Qi Refining cultivator like him could contend with.
Even the slightest shockwave from such a battle could bring disaster upon an innocent bystander.
Strength was the true reason for Luo Chen's urgency!
Yet despite the pressure weighing on his mind, cultivation was not something that could be rushed in the slightest.
Day after day, Luo Chen continued concocting pills and cultivating at his own steady pace.
Of course, that was merely the surface routine.
In private, he accelerated the tempo of his scouting across Mount Changyin.
Previously, he had only explored a radius of a few li, but within just a few days, his range had expanded to encompass a hundred li.
According to his reconnaissance, the monster wolves in Mount Changyin had indeed dwindled significantly, and not a single Rank 2 monster beast remained.
It seemed they had migrated elsewhere.
Apart from a handful of gray-leaf wolves and frost wolves left behind in Mount Changyin, only other relatively weak Rank 1 monster beasts remained.
Such beasts naturally had no hope of seeing through Luo Chen's Breath Concealment Spiritual Art.
And even if an unusually gifted Rank 1 monster beast happened to spot him, it would be no match for him.
Taking advantage of this convenience, Luo Chen set up several concealed escape points.
If any mishap truly occurred in Dahe Market, he could flee to safety at the earliest opportunity.
With his worries resolved, Luo Chen threw himself whole-heartedly into cultivation.
……
"Finally, the eighth layer of Qi Refining!"
Inside the spirit vein cave, Luo Chen slowly opened his eyes.
The instant his lids parted, a faint white light flickered in the otherwise dim cavern.
It was a manifestation of his ever-deepening attainment in the Spiritual Eye Art.
Having just broken through, he had briefly failed to control his spiritual energy, causing the Spiritual Eye Art to activate on its own.
Blinking, Luo Chen drew a deep breath.
This breakthrough had come two days later than he had originally anticipated.
Of course, that was by no means a bad thing.
A wisp of spiritual energy surfaced at his fingertips. The former faint white hue tinged with green had now lost its white undertone, presenting a clear light green.
This light green sheen of spiritual energy was precisely the culprit behind the two-day delay in his breakthrough.
According to Luo Chen's deduction, when the color of his spiritual energy shifted toward a deep azure-green, it would signify that his Qi Refining spiritual energy had been purified to the utmost limit.
*Even though I have only just entered the eighth layer, the purity of my preliminary refined spiritual energy must far surpass that of ordinary loose cultivators.*
*Moreover, my spiritual energy reserves are inherently much more abundant than those of cultivators in the same realm. In a fight against peers, my advantage will be even greater!*
*I wonder how my spiritual energy compares right now to a cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refining who has yet to reach perfection?*
Luo Chen began pondering this question.
Cultivation in the late Qi Refining stage differed radically from the early and middle stages.
The first two stages were primarily focused on breaking through the capacity of the dantian to accommodate more spiritual energy.
Although the late Qi Refining stage still required the refining of more spiritual energy, its core focus shifted to spiritual energy purification.
Once a cultivator advanced to the seventh layer of Qi Refining, the dantian would double in size and then temporarily stabilize; it would expand once more only after advancing to Foundation Establishment.
Therefore, moving from the seventh to the eighth layer of Qi Refining was simply a matter of filling this enlarged dantian with spiritual energy.
Luo Chen had already accomplished this task.
Going from the eighth to the ninth layer of Qi Refining, however, required purifying that spiritual energy completely from start to finish.
It sounded simple enough.
In reality, it was the most difficult part.
First, loose cultivators lacked specific techniques for purifying spiritual energy.
Second, carrying out a complete purification meant repeatedly tempering away impurities.
And every time a wisp of spiritual energy was tempered down, additional spiritual energy had to be absorbed to replenish it, ensuring the dantian remained full at all times.
The resources consumed in this process amounted to a massive sum of spirit stones.
Ordinary loose cultivators could hardly shoulder such a burden.
This was plainly evident from the fact that among the more than ten thousand loose cultivators in Dahe Market back then, only several hundred were in the late Qi Refining stage, and merely a few dozen had reached the ninth layer.
Most of those few dozen were aging cultivators like Sikong Shoujia.
They had spent the better part of their lifetimes grinding their way toward the ninth layer of Qi Refining bit by bit.
Yet by the time they reached the ninth layer, they no longer possessed the vitality to push for Foundation Establishment.
Among the ninth-layer cultivators Luo Chen knew, almost all were over sixty years old—Luo Wudi, Yang Wei, Zhang Shicong, Mi Junping, and Zeng Wen.
For people like them, Foundation Establishment was basically out of reach.
Unless someone provided them with more than two Foundation Establishment Pills.
As for the relatively younger ninth-layer cultivators, most possessed special advantages.
Qin Liangchen and his wife had secured a spirit fish lake years ago and used it as their enterprise, spending over a decade to reach the ninth layer.
Ke Yuelin of the Beast Hall had swallowed a rare spirit herb in the Guyuan Mountain Range, succeeding in one stroke.
Gu Caiyi was exceptionally fortunate.
Cultivating in Tianxiang Pavilion, although she had not obtained the orthodox cultivation methods of the Hehuan Sect, she had received occasional guidance from Lady Xiangxiang and the Foundation Establishment cultivator Gong Huiqin, allowing her to make admirable progress.
Even so, she had ultimately relied on a bottle of upper-grade Dust-Cleansing Pills bestowed by Fei Baiwen to barely break through to the ninth layer.
*Back then, Sister Xiuxiu must have reached the ninth layer and even peak perfection so quickly because she had the help of her Dao companion!*
He had heard tales of that companion, who originated from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.
Only after failing his Foundation Establishment had he been assigned to the outer sect.
He had once been a favored prodigy.
Naturally, he would not have lacked little tricks for purifying spiritual energy.
Luo Chen felt a touch of pity for these loose cultivators. They had acquired cultivation methods, yet they were abridged versions.
When they were only a step or two away from Foundation Establishment, they found themselves stuck for a decade or two.
Lacking proper methods, they could only grope in the dark. Some, ignorant of true tempering techniques, recklessly swallowed pills to compress their spiritual energy as a makeshift way to achieve purification.
Yet that caused immense damage to the dantian.
Even if someone cultivated to Qi Refining perfection in such a manner, the lingering damage to their dantian made failure extraordinarily likely when attempting to break through to Foundation Establishment.
After that pang of pity came relief.
Having brought the Eternal Spring Art to Great Perfection, he had made up for the shortcoming in purifying spiritual energy.
Although he still understood only the results without fully grasping the underlying principles, he could now cultivate normally.
Once he completely purified his spiritual energy and advanced to the ninth layer of Qi Refining, he might even be able to deduce the exact principles from running the technique again and again.
By that time, he would understand both the practice and the underlying theory.
Having just made a breakthrough, his spiritual energy fluctuated significantly, and his thoughts had grown somewhat scattered, leading him down this long train of reflection.
Once his wandering thoughts cleared, he reined in his mind to familiarize himself with his current state.
Whether it was the Flame Manipulation Incantation or the Breath Concealment Spiritual Art, both placed great emphasis on the fine control of spiritual energy.
By now, he had grown exceedingly adept at concealing his spiritual energy fluctuations.
By daybreak, his aura had subsided once more to look like that of a seventh-layer Qi Refining cultivator.
For this, credit naturally went to his Grandmaster-level Breath Concealment Spiritual Art.
……
"Another gang meeting?"
Luo Chen curled his lip. Even after transmigrating, he still couldn't escape monthly meetings!
He was growing somewhat weary of them and had little desire to go.
However, Sikong Shoujia had repeatedly stressed that today's meeting was of utmost importance, so he reluctantly made his way to the headquarters.
Yet upon arriving, a strange scene greeted him.
Inside Bright Moon Hall, all nine halls were gathered, and the four elders were present, yet Gang Leader Mi Shuhua was nowhere to be seen.
Mi Junping presided over the meeting. Though the matters discussed were indeed far more important than usual, they hardly warranted the gravity Sikong Shoujia had described.
*Are you playing with me?*
*Don't you know I just broke through and have tons of things to do?*
Luo Chen could only grumble a pun to himself: *Cao Pi's father-in-law stays quiet—utterly at a loss for words.*
After collecting his dividend and pills, Luo Chen sought out Wang Yuan.
The two walked together toward Wang Yuan's residence here, naturally intending to discuss the matter of the Blood Burning Pill.
As they crossed the courtyard, their steps ground to a halt.
"Is this the body cultivator walking the path of the ancient body cultivators?"
Looking at the two smiling faces before them, Luo Chen and Wang Yuan respectfully bowed their heads.
Mi Shuhua chuckled. "Indeed, it is him. Wang Yuan, come greet Deacon Miao."
Without hesitation, Wang Yuan spoke decisively, "Junior Wang Yuan greets Deacon Miao!"
"Haha, compared to 'Deacon,' I prefer to be addressed as True Cultivator Miao."
Once a cultivator stepped into the Foundation Establishment stage, they truly embarked upon the Grand Dao.
Hence, Foundation Establishment cultivators were addressed as True Cultivators.
Golden Core cultivators were revered as Masters.
And upon reaching the Nascent Soul realm, they were honored as Perfected Persons.
Ordinary loose cultivators had no idea what logic lay behind these titles, but everyone simply followed the crowd in using them.
"A fine seed indeed. Looking at this physique, turning from vajra to white jade, I daresay he is already nearing Foundation Establishment! What a pity, though..."
Before the sentence could finish, the mere phrase "nearing Foundation Establishment" caused the surrounding air to fall into a dead hush.
Wang Yuan, normally as steady as an abyss, felt a chill run down his spine.
He could distinctly sense the scorching gaze directed at him from Mi Shuhua.
This Deacon Miao truly possessed sharp eyes!
Or rather, his breadth of knowledge was astonishing.
An ordinary person could never see through the secrets of a body cultivator.
Yet considering he hailed from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, possessing such insight was only natural.
Perhaps sensing the strange tension in the air, Deacon Miao laughed heartily and turned toward Luo Chen.
"And this must be your gang's alchemical master, Danchenzi!"
*Damn it!*
*Don't look at me!*
Luo Chen forced a smile. "Junior Luo Chen greets True Cultivator Miao!"
……
Luo Chen was exceedingly reluctant to draw Deacon Miao's attention.
Not because of his identity as an alchemist, but because he had only broken through to the eighth layer of Qi Refining last night.
To prevent Mi Shuhua from discovering how extraordinarily fast his cultivation speed was, he had deliberately used the Breath Concealment Spiritual Art to mask his true realm.
As for whether a Grandmaster-level Breath Concealment Spiritual Art could fool a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Luo Chen actually possessed a measure of confidence.
He had previously relied on it in Mount Changyin to hide from Rank 2 monster beasts.
While ordinary Rank 2 beasts might not be as sharp as human Foundation Establishment cultivators, he had faced Rank 2 monster wolves back then!
The spiritual senses and sense of smell of the monster wolf clan were not inferior to human Foundation Establishment cultivators in the slightest.
That was why he had dared to attend the meeting in Bright Moon Hall today.
In front of Deacon Miao, however, that confidence wavered.
A disciple from a great sect could possess any number of wondrous detection methods.
Especially after seeing him discern Wang Yuan's cultivation progress at a single glance, Luo Chen felt even more uneasy.
It was said that disciples of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect were granted Clarity Liquid upon reaching Foundation Establishment.
After prolonged use, their eyes grew as sharp as swords, proving immensely useful for perception as well as in battle.
Yet surprisingly, Deacon Miao seemed not to have seen through his concealment.
Or perhaps, he simply did not care.
In his eyes, the seventh and eighth layers of Qi Refining were likely no different from each other!
Only a physique like Wang Yuan's, walking the path of a body cultivator and approaching Foundation Establishment, would earn a second glance.
Luo Chen gave a humble smile. "True Cultivator Miao may simply call me Xiao Luo. Junior truly cannot bear the title of alchemical master."
"No, no, no. You may not bear it now, but you might well in the future!"
Deacon Miao looked at Luo Chen, full of praise.
"Leaving everything else aside, that faint wisp of pill aura lingering about you, completely free of any taint of medicinal odor or fire taint, already carries the bearing of an alchemical master."
Luo Chen was stunned.
One could judge alchemical attainment through scent alone?
He indeed bore no medicinal odor or fire taint on his person; he had swept them all away with the Cleansing Art.
That faint trace of pill aura was something he had deliberately preserved.
He had consulted Gu Caiyi about it in the past, and her answer had put his worries to rest.
He had never expected this Deacon Miao to possess not only remarkable eyesight, but such an acute sense of smell as well.
"The younger generation is formidable indeed!"
Deacon Miao sighed in admiration, then turned to Mi Shuhua.
"Fellow Daoist Mi, your Mountain Breaker Gang truly abounds in talent. In the future, you will only prosper further."
Mi Shuhua smiled. "That will still require Fellow Daoist Miao's occasional support!"
"Of course, of course. But regarding the matter I entrusted to you, please put some extra care into it as well."
"I shall do everything in my power!"
"Then I shall impose no longer. Farewell!"
Deacon Miao opened his mouth and spat, and a sword pellet flew out. Swelling in the wind, it transformed into a three-foot green blade in the blink of an eye.
Leaping onto it, he flew away at extreme speed.
It was the standard art of sword-riding!
Watching this display, Luo Chen's eyelid twitched.
*Doesn't he find that filthy?*
*Stepping on it to fly, only to swallow it back down into his dantian to nurture it later.*
Once Deacon Miao had departed, the atmosphere among the three grew rather peculiar.
The source of this peculiarity lay in the way Mi Shuhua looked at Wang Yuan.
Wang Yuan had kept his head lowered at first, but under that piercing gaze, he slowly raised his head to look straight back.
Luo Chen's entire body went rigid.
Mi Shuhua's brow furrowed. Meeting those dark eyes that were as steadfast as iron, he stared intently at the man.
A single instant?
Or ten thousand years?
Luo Chen felt as though a mountain were pressing against him; every second dragged out endlessly.
After a long while, a sigh broke the silence.
"If you need anything, feel free to come to me."
With those words, Mi Shuhua turned and left the courtyard.
Gone?
Just like that?
The anticipated clash of swords, or the ruthless culling of the hound once the hare was caught, never materialized.
Luo Chen was left scratching his head in utter bewilderment.
*Slap!*
A heavy hand came down on his shoulder with a stinging ache. Luo Chen turned his head, only to find Wang Yuan pale-faced, leaning heavily on him and panting in ragged gasps.
Meeting Luo Chen's puzzled look, Wang Yuan offered a strained smile.
"A Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual sense truly possesses the might of a celestial."
As if realizing something, Luo Chen's face filled with disbelief.
"Brother Wang, you didn't just use your willpower to resist a Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual sense, did you?!"
*Qi refining cultivates spirit; body refinement cultivates will.*
That was what Wang Yuan had told Luo Chen during their leisure time.
Luo Chen had merely assumed he was exaggerating the power of willpower.
Yet the scene just now had shaken him to his core.
A high-stage cultivator's divine thought could soar into the blue heavens or probe the deepest underworld in an instant.
Yet ancient body cultivators possessed a will as unyielding as iron, indestructible and resolute.
What Wang Yuan had just done was plainly use the willpower he had tempered through a lifetime of trials to meet a Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual sense head-on.
The final outcome was obvious: Mi Shuhua had won.
Yet Mi Shuhua was a genuine mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, whereas Wang Yuan was only at the eighth layer of Qi Refining, comparable to himself.
Even if his physique approached Foundation Establishment, it was still merely an approach.
……
Inside a quiet room, a Soundproofing Talisman was unfurled.
Wang Yuan sat cross-legged on the floor, the color gradually returning to his pale face.
Luo Chen sat quietly to the side, waiting for him to recover.
After a long time, Wang Yuan opened his eyes.
"As expected, Foundation Establishment cultivators are not easy to deal with. A single glance from Mi Shuhua nearly seized my mind. If I had bent my back then, I'm afraid I would have been halted before Foundation Establishment for the rest of my life."
"Is it really that severe?" Luo Chen could not help but ask.
Wang Yuan spoke earnestly, "A true man knows when to yield and when to stand tall without losing his heroic mettle. But before a true choice, one must hold fast to one's original heart. Otherwise, once your will is broken, that bent back will never straighten again for the rest of your life."
These words seemed to carry a deeper implication.
Luo Chen felt somewhat unnatural. He was precisely the kind of person who knew well how to yield and adapt.
Yet in this lifetime, he had never truly encountered a situation that forced a definitive "choice" from him.
If that day ever arrived, could he raise his head and straighten his back like Wang Yuan, facing everything with unyielding composure?
Luo Chen did not know the answer.
Wang Yuan did not seem inclined to dwell on the topic, shifting directly to the Blood Burning Pill.
"The test results are out."
"When taken by human cultivators, it does not cause a loss of reason; it merely makes them more prone to anger."
"Aside from that, the other effects of the Blood Burning Pill are identical to what you observed in the monster beasts."
Identical!
In other words, the effect of catalyzing muscle essence and blood to generate vast amounts of spiritual energy, causing one's strength to surge by thirty percent for a short duration, remained intact.
Naturally, the aftereffects would likely be comparable as well.
Luo Chen was more concerned about another detail. "What about the duration?"
"Half a cup of tea!" Wang Yuan considered the matter, his brow slightly furrowed. "Though it depends on the cultivation realm. I captured a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator to test it. Perhaps his physique was lacking, but after he brandished an upper-grade dharma artifact, the duration shortened rapidly."
"The other Blood Burning Pill is still on me; I couldn't bear to use it."
*Then how did you arrive at 'half a cup of tea'?!*
Luo Chen bared his teeth in frustration. Without a sufficient control group, it was difficult to determine the exact duration.
Wang Yuan hesitated before asking tentatively, "Can you refine them in bulk?"
Luo Chen was surprised. "A few spares should be plenty. Why refine them in bulk?"
"I might try using this pill to break through a bottleneck at a critical moment."
"Don't!"
Luo Chen raised his hand in a hasty stop. "This stuff is clearly a combat pill, entirely unsuitable for cultivation. Don't go entertaining such reckless notions. Worst case, I'll find a way to study the Blood Fiend Pill recipe more thoroughly later and deduce another pill you can use for cultivation."
Wang Yuan stared deeply at Luo Chen, pressing his lips tight.
Only after a long pause did he manage to say, "Then I leave it in your hands."
Luo Chen shrugged. It was no great trouble, merely costing a bit more time.
Even if he did manage to deduce a formula, the ingredients required for refining would naturally be provided by Wang Yuan.
That was an alchemist's trade!
This was their purpose; otherwise, how would they enjoy such esteemed status and great popularity?
Reflecting further, Luo Chen still sensed that something was amiss.
Puzzled, he asked, "Brother Wang, why do I feel like you're in such a rush?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Luo Chen grew even more certain of his suspicion.
Yes, Wang Yuan was in a rush!
In the past, he had cultivated in seclusion, doing the Mountain Breaker Gang's dirty work for a whole decade without complaint.
Yet over this past year, his temperament had changed drastically, repeatedly drawing attention to himself.
Whether it was making a name for himself in the Mountain Breaker Gang, fighting on the Dao Discussion Platform, or taking charge of an entire hall on his own—none of these actions aligned with the Wang Yuan of Luo Chen's impressions.
Of course, perhaps that was Wang Yuan's true nature all along, and he had simply been lying low upon first entering the cultivation world.
Yet the recent events struck Luo Chen as increasingly abnormal.
Rushing over with a Rank 2 pill recipe, demanding that Luo Chen refine it back when he knew only how to make Myriad Wonders Pills.
And now, attempting to use a Blood Burning Pill that damaged one's foundation just to force a breakthrough.
Every single action screamed "haste."
Facing Luo Chen's curiosity, Wang Yuan murmured, "How could I not be in a rush?"
"Do you know what Deacon Miao left unsaid earlier?"
Luo Chen recalled the scene. The conversation had actually been brief, yet the presence of two Foundation Establishment cultivators had exerted immense pressure on him.
Thinking back carefully, he remembered the unfinished sentence.
"What a pity?"
"What a pity... he cannot attain longevity!"
Chapter 121