"Mi Shuhua returned to Dahe Market three days ago."
Wang Yuan's words swirled incessantly through Luo Chen's mind.
He had returned three days ago, yet with the Mountain Breaker Gang teetering in the wind and rain, why had he not shown his face?
Why summon me so urgently today, using psychological tactics one after another and even bringing out a Foundation Establishment Pill?
He remembered how the cheerful little old man who once looked hale, hearty, and blooming like a wealthy merchant had appeared today—pale and completely devoid of color.
Then he recalled the mid-grade spirit stones reduced to powder in the corners of the stone chamber.
Suspicious and unsettled, Luo Chen instantly realized the truth behind Mi Shuhua's formidable facade.
*A Minor Spirit Gathering Formation already consumes a great deal of spirit stones, let alone a Tier 2 Spirit Gathering Formation!*
*If the effects were truly that wonderful, why would rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators ever willingly join major factions or serve as consecrated elders for an organization?*
*Though I don't know how long a pseudo-Tier-2 spiritual vein environment created by a Tier 2 Spirit Gathering Formation can last, no independent Foundation Establishment cultivator could bear that kind of expense.*
Ten mid-grade spirit stones had been laid in each of the stone chamber's eight corners.
Altogether, that was eighty mid-grade spirit stones—eight thousand low-grade spirit stones!
Back when Mi Shuhua bid on the magic treasure, he had spent eighty thousand in a single breath.
For a rogue cultivator of his age to advance his cultivation to the mid Foundation Establishment stage showed just how many resources he had burned through.
By this logic, he could not possibly have much savings left on him.
It was precisely because of this that the heavily wounded Mi Shuhua was practically at his wit's end.
*That is why he is willing to stop at nothing to force me to refine Jade Marrow Pills with everything I have.*
In the blink of an eye, Luo Chen connected the causes and consequences, catching a glimpse of the overarching truth.
In the struggle over the Golden Core ruins, Mi Shuhua had definitely gained no advantage.
This was evident from the Xuanyi Society's hostility toward the Mountain Breaker Gang.
Behind the Xuanyi Society stood five Foundation Establishment clans, with three Foundation Establishment cultivators out in the open.
Even if Mi Shuhua was in the mid Foundation Establishment stage and possessed a magic treasure, what of it?
Besides, the Foundation Establishment cultivators drawn to the Golden Core ruins were hardly limited to those few.
As far as Luo Chen knew, those of notable reputation who had gone included Foundation Establishment Cultivator Hua of the Hehuan Sect from Tianxiang Pavilion, Wang Haichao of the Great River Gang, Kang Dongyue of Taishan Market, and Tu Xianping of Snow Lotus Market.
As for those who had gone in secret, their numbers were anyone's guess.
Surrounded by such formidable foes, how could Mi Shuhua have escaped unscathed?
In fact, because the Mountain Breaker Gang had operated in the outer reaches of the Guyuan Mountain Range for so long, they implicitly regarded it as their own domain.
Swept along by the general momentum, Mi Shuhua had likely been forced to stick his neck out.
In doing so, the danger had grown even greater, and his chances of having to fight had multiplied.
Having figured this out, Luo Chen felt no urge to gloat.
Instead, a sense of foreboding crept over him.
Zeng Wen had gone out of his way to warn him to stay alert lately.
With the gang suffering severe casualties, there was no telling what rival factions might be plotting.
And now Mi Shuhua was heavily wounded...
"The mountain rain is coming!"
***
Early the next morning, Luo Chen headed out at dawn.
He rushed to places like the Spirit Herb Pavilion, Hundred Herbs Hall, and Spirit Source Studio.
Spending a fortune in spirit stones, he bought piles of pills and supplementary cultivation resources, even purchasing over a hundred jin of spirit rice.
His savings, which had originally surpassed five thousand, plummeted back down to a thousand.
In short, Luo Chen was preparing himself to flee at any moment.
Before leaving the city, he tracked down Yuan Xiaoyue and brought her to the Mixue Bingcheng milk tea shop.
"For the foreseeable future, I will likely spend most of my time at the Pill Hall and will rarely visit the inner city."
Yuan Xiaoyue blinked naively. "You didn't visit the inner city that often before anyway!"
*Heh! This little girl!*
Feng Xia caught the gravity beneath Luo Chen's words. She asked seriously, "Has something happened?"
"Not at the moment."
Not at the moment meant something might happen later.
Feng Xia nodded pensively.
Luo Chen continued, "One of these days, the supplies for the milk tea shop and snack stall might get cut off without warning. You two need to be mentally prepared."
Nowadays, earnings from the milk tea shop and snack stall were far below what they used to be.
They could only be said to barely scrape by.
Hearing Luo Chen's warning, the two women looked at each other.
After a moment of thought, Feng Xia said, "Then take this superior-grade ice-attribute flying sword back. Chilling things is actually quite simple."
"There's no need for that."
It was only a superior-grade artifact; Luo Chen was not lacking in weapons at the moment.
He said, "Leaving it at the milk tea shop serves as a selling point, and at a critical moment, you can use it to protect your life."
Feng Xia looked at Luo Chen gratefully.
"Also, keep reminding Duan Feng. When things get too dangerous, he shouldn't head out to take repair jobs."
"I'm afraid I can't persuade him. Lately, come rain or shine, he heads out every day to repair artifacts, working harder than anyone," Feng Xia said with a wry smile.
Luo Chen shook his head. "At any rate, I have said my piece. If you encounter danger, just run immediately. There is no need to cling to worldly possessions."
After offering these instructions, Luo Chen turned and strode away.
***
On the road out of the city, Gu Caiyi gave Luo Chen a strange look.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"Nothing. I just feel like the way you treat friends and the way you treat other people is completely different."
Luo Chen thumped his chest. "Well, naturally! I am known as Little Mengchang of peerless loyalty, and Little Guan Yu whose word is worth a thousand gold!"
"Who is Mengchang? And who is Guan Yu?"
"Um... you know that statue I often worship at home? That's Guan Yu. A very famous general from my hometown, fiercely loyal!"
Gu Caiyi tilted her head, wondering if that was truly the case.
*Was it?*
Asking his own heart, Luo Chen knew that whether in his past life or this one, he was indeed like this; he had hardly changed.
Toward friends, he could openly enjoy their gifts and offer help without hesitation.
Even after crossing over to this world, he had treated Wang Yuan, Old Daoist Chen, and his quadrangle courtyard neighbors with genuine sincerity.
When someone prospered, he would flatter and congratulate them freely.
When they fell upon hard times, he would help as best he could.
Just as he had done for Gu Caiyi, for Feng Xia, and for Duan Feng, who had only recently become his friend.
Yet toward "outsiders," his attitude was entirely different.
Cautious, guarded, never speaking from the heart to someone he barely knew.
And above all, prioritizing his own interests whenever possible!
This was particularly evident in his dealings with Mi Shuhua!
His relationship with Mi Shuhua had never been equal from the very beginning.
It was purely a transactional arrangement of shared interests.
Moreover, due to the vast disparity in their strength, Mi Shuhua had held the upper hand all along.
Back then, had he refused to establish the Pill Hall and refine pills for the Mountain Breaker Gang, only one fate would have awaited him—death!
No one had voiced this aloud, but it was an undeniable fact.
Even after becoming the master of the Pill Hall, he was merely a tool, and Mi Shuhua was the capitalist wielding it.
Toward capitalists, Luo Chen had no qualms.
Just fleece them dry!
He never hesitated to assume the worst about Mi Shuhua's motives.
It was precisely because of this that he had managed to squeeze good things out of the man time and time again.
And in truth, he had not let Mi Shuhua suffer much loss either.
Apart from some initial deficits when the Pill Hall first started, once mid-grade Jade Marrow Pills were produced, Mi Shuhua had begun turning a profit.
Toward someone who was merely using him—and might even suppress him when he attempted Foundation Establishment—Luo Chen constantly cautioned himself never to be fooled by the man's conciliatory policies and management schemes.
If he truly believed the sweet words hidden beneath Mi Shuhua's benevolent smile, the Heart-Devouring Tiger Han Dang and the Sick Tiger Zeng Wen would very likely foreshadow his own end.
Especially after yesterday's frank confrontation, Luo Chen understood this truth with even greater clarity.
Mi Shuhua's desire to control him was swelling steadily alongside his rising cultivation realm.
Luo Chen did not wish to face such a deeply scheming enemy in the future when he assaulted Foundation Establishment.
That would be far too terrifying!
Vigilance was one thing, but what needed to be done right now was another.
Upon returning to Crescent Moon Valley, Luo Chen threw himself into his grand alchemy enterprise!
The entire Pill Hall, and even the Medicine Hall, began operating at full tilt around him.
As the first day of refining Jade Marrow Pills came to an end, the pill success rate thoroughly stunned the two deacons, Gu Caiyi and Sikong Shoujia.
Across fourteen cauldrons of raw materials, the pill success rate reached a staggering fifty percent!
And the yield rate for quality was one hundred percent—every single one was a mid-grade Jade Marrow Pill!
Not a single low-grade Jade Marrow Pill had appeared!
"One hundred and forty mid-grade Jade Marrow Pills!"
Gu Caiyi swallowed hard, unable to believe her eyes.
If taken out and sold, this batch alone was worth seven hundred low-grade spirit stones!
If this continued for an entire month, wouldn't the sales surpass twenty thousand!
Gu Caiyi whipped her head around, only to see Luo Chen washing his hands by the mountain spring pool with an easygoing expression.
He wasn't surprised in the slightest?
It was almost as if he had known all along.
Compared to Gu Caiyi's shock, Sikong Shoujia was so stunned he could not speak.
He left the Pill Hall on the spot with the ledger in hand, eager to report this joyous news to Mi Shuhua.
Luo Chen clapped his hands clean and walked over to the cliffside terrace, watching Sikong Shoujia's receding figure.
"Aren't you tired?" Gu Caiyi asked from behind, her voice laced with concern.
Tired?
Luo Chen let out a soft laugh. In the past, deliberately suppressing the pill success rate and the quality yield was what had truly been exhausting.
Now that he merely had to keep the grade locked at mid-grade, he found it far more relaxing.
Gazing at the handsome profile of Luo Chen's face, Gu Caiyi could not help but say, "If this isn't a fluke, going on like this means over twenty thousand spirit stones a month, which comes to over two hundred thousand a year. Forget ordinary pills—you could buy magic treasures whenever you wanted!"
"Woman, you think too simply."
Luo Chen smiled faintly and slipped back into his small stone house.
He left Gu Caiyi standing alone before the cliff, feeling the breeze.
As the warm summer evening wind brushed her face, Gu Caiyi thought it over carefully and realized she had indeed oversimplified things.
Producing that many pills would cost several thousand in raw materials alone.
And when taking into account transport, sales, and the manpower and material resources required, a vast amount of additional expenses would be incurred.
The net earnings were certainly not as astronomical as she had envisioned.
Even so, the final sum earned would still be an immense fortune!
Especially for Qi Refinement cultivators!
Luo Chen was truly incredible; without anyone noticing, his alchemical attainments had grown to such a terrifying height.
Deep down, Gu Caiyi had practically begun to idolize him.
Inside the stone house, however, Luo Chen let out a sigh.
Unfortunately, he was only entitled to twenty percent of the earnings from these pills.
It was far too little!
Yet bound by his oath, he had no choice for now.
*Fine, I will just endure it for a month or two!*
*Once I hoard enough spirit stones to fund my comeback, I'll run!*
***
To prepare for his flight, Luo Chen did far more than just this.
Aside from daily pill refinement, he intensified his practice of the Qi Concealment Incantation while striving to master the Azure Musk Flood Dragon Banner as thoroughly as possible.
A peak-grade artifact would be one of his greatest reliances during his escape!
He had to figure out its inner workings to avoid running out of spiritual energy like Qiu Bo had back then.
Amidst this flurry of activity, half a month slipped by in a flash.
That night, Luo Chen roamed through the soaring peaks and rugged ridges.
Holding the Azure Musk Flood Dragon Banner, his gaze dropped to the carcass of a one-horned qian sheep lying on the ground.
A powerhouse among Tier 1 demon beasts, and of the most short-tempered race among ovine beasts.
Even in the Howling Moon Mountain Range, they commanded a place of their own.
When demon wolves faced a one-horned qian sheep, they usually had to hunt in packs to bring one down.
Yet if struck by that single horn, even once, a wolf would often end up with its belly ripped open and entrails spilled.
Among the people Luo Chen knew, only Duan Feng had ever hunted a one-horned qian sheep in the Guyuan Mountain Range.
In the past, if Luo Chen had run into such a beast, he would have either fled for his life or slowly ground it down through hit-and-run tactics.
This time, however, he had launched a frontal assault and slain it with ease.
*I have pretty much figured out the various wonders of this peak-grade artifact.*
The functions mentioned by Master Tianxing back then had been far from complete.
Beyond directly summoning three wood-attribute flood dragons together, one could actually summon them individually.
Doing so preserved a tremendous amount of spiritual energy.
And even when summoning all three at once, there were specific knacks to it; it was by no means as crude and brute-forced as Qiu Bo's execution.
It could only be said that Qiu Bo had acquired it for too short a time to explore its subtleties thoroughly.
Just moments ago, pairing it with the Jasper Saber, Luo Chen had summoned only a single wood-attribute green flood dragon and slaughtered this one-horned qian sheep effortlessly.
*My combat strength now sits firmly at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement.*
*Against someone at Qi Refinement Great Perfection, I would have the strength to fight as well.*
*I haven't clashed with a Foundation Establishment cultivator yet, but between the Azure Musk Flood Dragon Banner in hand and my Great Perfection Fireball Art, I might even pose a threat to them.*
*And my methods don't stop there!*
With a thought, Luo Chen drew his aura inward until it became nearly imperceptible, like a piece of withered wood.
With a slight stir of his spiritual power, the Carefree Wind Riding Technique activated in an instant.
Throughout the process, the outward aura he projected did not shift in the slightest.
*This is the Qi Concealment Incantation at the Great Perfection level!*
*I cannot rely on wishful thinking this time; I have to test it out!*
Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen flew toward the great canyon nestled deep within Mount Changyin.
Before long, he arrived outside the Cold Osmanthus Forest.
Luo Chen placed a hand against the branches and leaves of a cold osmanthus tree, and his aura abruptly transformed, radiating a chill.
He advanced once more until a small, snow-white wolf appeared.
A frost demon wolf, Tier 1.
Judging by its size and external demonic qi fluctuations, it was roughly equivalent to an early-stage human Qi Refinement cultivator.
He crouched down and quietly reached toward the little white wolf.
The pup raised its head in confusion, staring at the strange creature before it—had a cold osmanthus tree learned to move?
Luo Chen quickly withdrew his hand, a stray strand of wolf fur pinched between his fingers.
Then, his aura shifted continuously.
After about three breaths, the aura on his body had become identical to that of the little frost wolf.
Great Perfection Qi Concealment Incantation!
Not only did it bring aura concealment and spiritual energy suppression to the absolute limit, but it also gained a new function:
Simulating the aura of others.
This simulation was not limited to humans; it could even replicate demon beasts and trees.
It was precisely because of this that Luo Chen had the confidence to explore the Mount Changyin canyon once more.
Stepping past the little wolf, Luo Chen continued forward.
Skirting along the canyon's protruding cliffs under the cover of the pitch-black moon, he crept closer and closer to the cold pond.
Only when he was five hundred meters away did he halt his steps.
*At such close range, that ancient Tier 2 demon wolf hasn't noticed me at all. It seems the Great Perfection Qi Concealment Incantation is indeed enough to deceive Foundation Establishment cultivators.*
Luo Chen glanced at the wisps of Ice Soul Cold Fiend seeping from the cold pond, then turned and departed without hesitation.
He had not come tonight to seek treasures or slay beasts.
His sole purpose had been to test the efficacy of his Qi Concealment Incantation against a Tier 2 demon wolf with keen spiritual perception.
The final result left him thoroughly satisfied.
He was certain that if he used the Cleansing Art right now to purge the spiritual energy tracer Mi Shuhua had placed on him and fled far away to hide, the man would never find him!
A surge of confidence welled up within him!
Yet Luo Chen did not flee just yet.
He had toiled away refining mid-grade Jade Marrow Pills for the Mountain Breaker Gang for half a month, and he had yet to collect his rightful share of the earnings.
Leaving his home behind required sufficient startup capital!
Furthermore, he still had to give Wang Yuan an explanation.
Chapter 134