Curling sandalwood incense, wisping azure smoke.
A Daoist sat cross-legged in the quiet, frigid room, his hands turned palm-up toward the sky, forming a seemingly ordinary spirit seal.
Beneath the haze of smoke, the Daoist's expression was far from calm.
Instead, it carried a faint, ferocious edge.
His lips parted slightly, and with each breath, the sandalwood incense transformed into two azure draconic vapor streams that surged into his nostrils.
In that instant, an immense pressure seemed to leak outward within the quiet chamber.
This was a sign of a cultivator failing to control their outwardly projected spiritual sense, something typically seen only in newly established Foundation Establishment cultivators.
For it to appear on Luo Chen now was extraordinarily rare.
Suddenly.
Luo Chen grunted softly and opened his eyes, as though lightning had flared within the room.
Light flashed in the vacant chamber!
Flicking his finger, he shot a burst of spiritual power toward the incense stick, which had burned halfway down.
With a hiss...
The sandalwood incense was extinguished, leaving behind wisps of lingering fragrance.
Luo Chen could not help pressing a hand to his brow, massaging it gently.
"As expected of the Fierce Spirit Incense, said to be usable only by late Foundation Establishment cultivators!"
"Its stimulation to the divine soul is truly fierce."
"Had I not snapped out of it in time, continuing to absorb it would likely have overexcited my soul, plunging it into extreme exhaustion afterward."
He took a deep breath.
Looking at the remaining half-stick of incense, he pondered.
This Fierce Spirit Incense was a spirit incense developed by Master Shixiang of Hundred Blossoms Palace. Its usage conditions were exacting, and its price was steep.
Yet its efficacy truly gave full value for every coin spent.
Just half a stick of spirit incense had placed his soul into an exhilarated state.
It had raised the daily circulations of his natal cultivation technique from five cycles to seven.
Two additional cycles.
Judged as an immediate efficiency boost, it might seem modest.
Yet maintained over time, the benefits to Luo Chen would be substantial.
"If I could absorb an entire stick of Fierce Spirit Incense, my cultivation cycles might reach the theoretical limit of ten times!"
"At that point, even without the aid of pills, my cultivation speed would nearly double."
"In the end, the foundation of my divine soul, which I was quite proud of, is still lacking."
Through using the Fierce Spirit Incense, Luo Chen gradually gauged the gap between his soul foundation and that of other Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.
Superior to early Foundation Establishment.
Inferior to late Foundation Establishment great cultivators.
It likely sat at the upper tier of mid Foundation Establishment, very close to late Foundation Establishment.
"A bit of a pity."
"During Foundation Establishment, spiritual energy scours every meridian in the body, the dantian transforms into a sea of qi, and the divine soul can project outward to form spiritual sense. That was the prime moment to reshape one's Great Dao foundation."
"The stronger one's soul foundation back then, the greater the boost to one's spiritual sense upon reaching Foundation Establishment."
"I thought mine was strong enough, but as it turned out, it still wasn't."
Shaking his head, Luo Chen stopped dwelling on the matter.
He felt regretful, but held no remorse.
At the time, the most pressing matter had been establishing his foundation.
There was no reason to hold back his breakthrough endlessly just to pad his soul foundation.
Given another chance, he would still choose without hesitation to focus all his energy on breaking through to Foundation Establishment.
Besides, it was not as if there were no remedies now!
Others might have had no choice but to grind away helplessly.
Laboring for decades or a century, letting the years slowly accumulate soul foundation until normally reaching late Foundation Establishment.
He, however, had a shortcut!
The Nether-Passage Pill!
For now, only the low-grade ones had lost their efficacy on him.
What about medium-grade? High-grade? Or even supreme-grade Nether-Passage Pills?
Luo Chen had already made his decision!
While mass-producing Jade Marrow Pills at Danxia Peak, he would also craft Nether-Passage Pills to push his proficiency up.
Moreover, even if that pill carried the risk of astral dream-wandering, it would never lack a market.
If medium- or high-grade versions proved ineffective for him, he could still distribute them internally within the Luotian Association or sell them externally to recoup his investment.
Thoughts flowed without pause.
One idea followed another.
His stimulated mental state gradually settled back into calm.
Luo Chen turned his inner vision toward his qi sea; the first tier had long been perfected, while in the second tier, droplets of spiritual liquid had accumulated to a quarter full.
His gains from the previous night's work were indeed slightly higher than before.
Precise figures could not yet be determined.
Yet it proved that the Rising Dragon Pills and Fierce Spirit Incense were truly effective!
"Keep at it!"
"One day, all nine tiers of my qi sea will be filled, and from that vast sea of spiritual power, my Golden Core will be born!"
***
Three days later.
Outside Tianlan Peak, an escaping light flew "slowly" through the air.
Slow, of course, only when compared to the Foundation Establishment True Cultivators who frequently traversed the area.
In reality, compared to the Qi Refinement cultivators residing in the low-lying, Tier 1 high-grade immortal caves, his flight speed was notably faster.
This was because the light belonged to none other than Min Longyu, who had long reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement!
As he flew, he took in the towering peaks around him, where clouds and mist swirled along the cliffs.
Faintly visible among them were immortal caves concealed within the crags.
Spiritual beasts scaled the cliffs; immortal cranes soared overhead.
Immense waterfalls cascaded from great heights, and spiritual fish leaped vigorously now and then, striving to swim against the torrent.
Yet beneath the overpowering might of nature, they fell back, unwilling.
Amidst the dazzling sights, following the guidance of his jade token, he landed before an open platform.
The outer courtyard was vacant.
Or rather, calling it vacant was not entirely accurate; some flowers and plants had been grown, though they held no value for cultivators and served merely as decoration.
It was evident that the cave's master had no intention of residing here permanently.
As if anticipating his arrival, the clouds and mist parted, and the formation deactivated.
Min Longyu straightened his robes and walked inside.
Upon entering, he found Luo Chen clad in a plain, dusty gray Daoist robe, bustling about inside one of the rooms.
After watching for a moment, he asked in surprise, "President, are you setting up a pill room?"
Luo Chen did not turn around, continuing with his task.
Still, he replied:
"Tianlan Peak provides a subterranean fire vent for every Tier 2 cave."
"I'm setting it up first. Once that's done, I'll just have the cultivators from Binglan Palace channel the subterranean fire up."
"Might as well take advantage of it!"
Thud!
The three legs of the Four Symbols Cauldron settled firmly onto the open floor.
The subterranean fire vent lay directly beneath it.
Though it was somewhat rough and could not match the meticulous arrangements made by the cultivators of Mount Ailao, it was still far superior to the first pill room he had cobbled together himself.
Luo Chen turned around with satisfaction and dusted his hands.
"Did you bring everything?"
Min Longyu nodded quickly, producing a storage bag and respectfully handing it to Luo Chen.
"Everything is inside."
"And according to your instructions, Qu Lingjun led a team to process the ingredients with great care."
Luo Chen made no secret of it.
In front of Min Longyu, he opened the storage bag and poured out everything within.
A dense heap tumbled out, filling an entire corner of the sitting room.
Squatting down, Luo Chen began inspecting the processing of each herb.
After a while.
He let out a long breath.
"Not bad. Lingjun's herb-processing skills have improved another level."
"No need to reject any of it and purchase anew."
Glancing over, he noticed Min Longyu looked somewhat distracted.
With a brief thought, Luo Chen grasped what the man was likely brooding over.
Even so, he asked,
"What's on your mind?"
Min Longyu replied absently, "I was just thinking that the spiritual energy in your cave is so dense, President. If a Qi Refinement cultivator cultivated here, they'd achieve twice the results with half the effort and quickly reach the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement."
Insincere words!
You've already reached Qi Refinement Great Perfection; why would you care about that?
Smiling faintly, Luo Chen walked toward the outside of the cave.
Min Longyu followed instinctively.
Stepping onto the outer platform, his gaze fell upon a lower section of the cliff face across from them.
Luo Chen pointed.
"Duan Feng is right there."
Gulp!
The sound of someone swallowing saliva was distinctly audible.
Min Longyu stared blankly at the spot and murmured, "I wonder... has he succeeded?"
"Do you want him to succeed?"
"Of course!"
The response came without the slightest hesitation.
Blurted out almost instantly, heartfelt and resolute!
Luo Chen smiled.
Had Feng Xia given this answer, it would not have been surprising.
Yet Min Longyu and Duan Feng were neither kin nor close friends.
For him to show such absolute support was rather intriguing.
He scrutinized the man, his gaze tinged with appraisal.
Suddenly:
"You lack confidence?"
Min Longyu looked up in shock, meeting Luo Chen's eyes, which seemed capable of seeing straight into his soul.
He shook his head hastily. "No, how could that be? I'm full of confidence!"
"Really?" Luo Chen shook his head. "I don't believe it."
Min Longyu parted his lips, looking crestfallen in the end.
A wry smile crossed his face, and he said bitterly, "The President has keen insight; you saw right through my innermost thoughts."
Luo Chen clicked his tongue.
It wasn't something he had discerned merely with his eyes.
Rather, Min Longyu's reaction had told him everything.
He wished for Duan Feng's success more genuinely than anyone else.
Not out of interest or affection, but purely in the hope that Duan Feng's success might grant him a measure of confidence when he attempted his own Foundation Establishment breakthrough in the future.
It was as simple... as that!
After all, in foundation, methods, and cultivation stage, Min Longyu was superior to Duan Feng in every way.
There was no reason Duan Feng could succeed while he could not.
Thus, he wanted Duan Feng to succeed.
"Sigh... I don't know why, but the more preparations I make, the more uncertain I feel."
"I've been at Qi Refinement Great Perfection for over three years, and I believe my spiritual power is polished more purely than anyone else's."
"My divine soul isn't weak, and my weakest area, physical constitution, has gradually been bolstered over the past year through medicinal baths with Essence Cultivating Spirit Liquid."
"Yet..."
At this point, Min Longyu paused, gazing with envy at the immortal cave on the opposite cliff.
"I truly envy Duan Feng. As soon as he reached Great Perfection, he could directly make a dash for Foundation Establishment."
"Unlike me."
"The longer I drag it out, the more fearful I become."
Hearing these words, Luo Chen nodded internally.
Cultivation was grinding work done drop by drop; the steadier the accumulation, the better.
Yet breaking through realms had always demanded striking while the iron was hot; the first drumroll rallies the spirit, the second weakens it, and the third exhausts it.
Back then, once Luo Chen reached Qi Refinement Great Perfection, he too had cast aside all distractions and dedicated himself fully to breaking through.
Though it appeared he had attempted it five times, he had held onto that inner resolve throughout, ultimately succeeding in one sustained effort!
Preparations should be completed before reaching Great Perfection, not put off until after reaching it to scramble at the last minute!
Naturally, he did not say this aloud.
"Don't overthink it."
"A thousand people have a thousand different destinies."
"Everyone's cultivation path is unique."
Looking at the uneasy Min Longyu, Luo Chen said leisurely, "You specialize in the Dao of Formations. Doesn't that emphasize thorough preparation, complete foresight, and commanding all things once the grand array rises?"
"Applied to your personal breakthrough, the same principle holds true."
Min Longyu froze.
He silently muttered Luo Chen's words, turning them over and over in his mind.
Only after a long while did he come back to himself.
This time, a glint of confidence finally appeared in his eyes.
Catching Luo Chen off guard, he bowed deeply to him.
"Thank you, President, for your guidance!"
Luo Chen paused briefly, then waved his hand.
"Just a few words. It hardly qualifies as guidance."
"All right, I have matters to attend to. You may leave!"
Min Longyu acknowledged the command and rode his flying sword, departing Tianlan Peak.
Watching his departing back, Luo Chen rubbed his prickly chin, where stubble was sprouting again.
Could those words have actually worked?
He had merely offered casual words of comfort.
"Still, if it truly helps, it'll be an unintended boon."
"If Min Longyu establishes his foundation, it's a good thing for me regardless."
Glancing across at the cave opposite, Luo Chen suppressed the anticipation in his heart and turned back inside his dwelling.
Just as he stepped inside, he saw a petite figure moving the stacked medicinal herbs.
One by one, she was arranging them onto the shelves Luo Chen had purchased beforehand.
Categorized systematically and placed in meticulous order.
High and low tiers separated, medicinal potencies distinguished, and mutually conflicting ingredients kept apart.
The neat and eye-catching arrangement made Luo Chen feel, at first glance, as if he had walked into Baicao Hall.
Organizing them this way was vastly superior to the clutter he used to tolerate.
At the very least, when concocting pills, he wouldn't face the awkward dilemma of being unable to locate an ingredient.
"I nearly forgot—Xiao Ling, you were once a maidservant at Baicao Hall!"
Beneath the tall shelves, Bai Meiling's yin soul form darted up and down.
Hearing Luo Chen's voice, her neck snapped around a full hundred and eighty degrees, twisting eerily toward him.
"Really?"
"I just felt this was the most comfortable, natural way to arrange them."
Her tone was lively and ingenuous.
It was just the way she looked while speaking that gave Luo Chen the creeps.
"Don't twist your head like that next time. Act like a normal person, will you?"
Gulu...
Bai Meiling swiveled her little head back and turned her body around, answering matter-of-factly:
"But I'm a ghost!"
Luo Chen's expression turned solemn. "No, you are human. What you cultivate is a ghostly form, but your heart remains a human heart. On the path of the Great Dao, never treat yourself as a monstrosity."
Bai Meiling pursed her lips.
She didn't understand such words.
Luo Chen did not pursue the topic. The True Soul Refining Art she cultivated was incomplete to begin with, missing crucial core elements.
As a result, even though Bai Meiling had recovered part of her memories, her emotions remained largely deficient.
Her self-perception, too, was constantly warped.
"Perhaps once she cultivates the Soul Anchor Oath further, her condition will improve."
Murmuring to himself, Luo Chen entered the pill room.
His gaze wandered between the Four Symbols Cauldron and the dazzling array of herbs on the shelves.
With a flip of his hand, Hundred Blossoms Dew appeared in his palm. Driven by spiritual power, it floated onto a prominent shelf position that Bai Meiling had deliberately left open.
Now that all the ingredients for the Jade Dew Pill were assembled, it was time to attempt entry into the recipe.
"As a Tier 2 alchemist, how could I stay bound to Tier 1 pills every day?"
"Setting aside concocting pills above my tier, I should at least have some ambition!"
"Refining Tier 2 Jade Dew Pills and becoming a genuine Tier 2 alchemist!"
Smiling faintly, a roll of yellowed bamboo slips appeared in Luo Chen's hands. At the same time, he pulled up his attribute panel.
[Jade Dew Pill, complete Tier 2 pill recipe. Initiate entry?]
"Initiate!"
Under the skill column, the entry for "Jade Dew Pill" slowly surfaced.
With a single thought, ten achievement points turned into flowing light and surged into it.
In an instant, the entry shimmered with light.
Once it settled:
[Jade Dew Pill: Entry (1/100)]
Chapter 238