Third Brother Falls; Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment Layer Three

On Danxia Peak. While the cultivators of the Pill Hall were busy preparing ingredients, Luo Chen summoned Sima Huiniang to ask about the current situation. It was much as he had anticipated. The Zheng family of Gunlong Ridge had indeed cast aside their usual indolence. Over the recent period, they had grown increasingly aggressive. First and foremost, their pill output was higher than before, and it was now accompanied by small quantities of superior-grade Fire Ganoderma Pills. Those pills packed quite a potent medicinal punch—their superior-grade efficacy was thirty percent higher than that of a Jade Marrow Pill. Second, the cultivators tending the Zheng family's pill shops had received special training, becoming proactive and enthusiastic. Even if they could not quite match the female cultivators of the Luotian Association's Gold Hall, the change was unmistakable. Moreover, the Zheng family had opened an additional shop outside Gunlong Ridge and the immortal city, stationing personnel there around the clock. Finally, there were price cuts! They had slashed the price of their Fire Ganoderma Pills directly from one hundred spirit stones per bottle to ninety low-grade spirit stones. Even their precious superior-grade Fire Ganoderma Pills were being sold for a mere one hundred and fifty. From all of this, one could see the magnitude of the Zheng family's reaction and the firmness of their resolve. "They aren't just looking to take back their original market share; they want to expand it even further!" Luo Chen said with a chuckle. Sima Huiniang looked somewhat anxious. "President, if this continues, won't our momentum take a hit?" "Mhm, it'll be affected a little." "Should we take some countermeasures, then?" "No need. We just have to watch and see." Seeing that Sima Huiniang remained uneasy, Luo Chen smiled and shook his head. "There's no reason to worry too much. Our growth might slow down a bit, but it's still growth." "You must remember that our Jade Marrow Pills have low production costs and high output, and our base price was already lower than their Fire Ganoderma Pills to begin with." "Even if the Zheng family slashes their prices, they can't pose a real threat to us." Understanding dawned on Sima Huiniang. Yet a moment later, she grew puzzled again. "Then what's the point of them doing this?" "The point?" The corners of Luo Chen's mouth curled up. "If they can't beat us, then naturally, they'll beat everyone else!" Sima Huiniang stared at him, dumbfounded. Everyone else? *** The Danyuan Sect. Two hundred years ago, a loose cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage struggled to gather enough cultivation resources. Relying on the extensive network of connections he had built as an alchemist, he founded this sect. He took in dozens of low-stage Qi Refinement loose cultivators and nurtured them step-by-step, having these disciples gather herbs, sell pills, and earn cultivation resources on his behalf. Regrettably, due to limitations in natural talent and lifespan, he ultimately failed to form a Golden Core. Yet after he passed away, the Danyuan Sect did not scatter into the wind. A disciple he had taken under his wing in his old age inherited his alchemy arts. Moreover, that disciple successfully advanced to Foundation Establishment, preserving the Danyuan Sect. Today, the faction operated more and more like a proper sect, complete with heritage, master-disciple bonds, and meticulously cultivated spiritual fields... Of course, their primary business remained alchemy. Only recently, under the impact of the Luotian Association, their pill trade had taken a turn for the worse. "Sect Master! Sect Master!" "Good news!" The Sect Master of the Danyuan Sect stepped out of his immortal cave and looked at his disciple in confusion. "What news has made you lose your composure like this?" The disciple's face was flushed with excitement. "A fight broke out! They're fighting!" "Who's fighting? Speak clearly," the Danyuan Sect Master said with a frown. The disciple caught his breath and said, "The Zheng family of Gunlong Ridge and that damned Luotian Association are at each other's throats!" "Hmm?" "The Zheng family has slashed the prices of all their pills across the board!" "What?!" "And that's not all! The Zheng family copied every single trick from the Luotian Association and is rolling them out everywhere. By the looks of it, they intend to duke it out with the Luotian Association to the bitter end and crush them!" A look of delight crossed the Danyuan Sect Master's face. He paced back and forth outside the cave. Clapping his hands together, he let out a hearty shout: "Splendid!" "That Luotian Association has no regard for the rules whatsoever. To sell pills of such high quality at such absurdly low prices—they deserve to be beaten down ruthlessly!" "Our Danyuan Sect is weak and lacks the strength to wage a war of attrition with them." "But the Zheng family of Gunlong Ridge is different. They have deep pockets and a formidable background. Now that they've stepped up, their immense foundation will allow them to bleed the Luotian Association dry." "This truly is great news!" *** The low-tier pill trade did not concern only the Zheng family and the Danyuan Sect. In Tianlan Immortal City, setting aside the great sects, there were still six or seven other players. Among the permanent forces stationed here were the Hu family and the Li family. The other three were immortal cultivation clans from markets situated slightly further away. They too caught wind of the Zheng family's movements before long. Over the past year, everyone had suffered under the Luotian Association for far too long. Yet the production costs of their own pills were steep; none of them could afford to slash prices on a whim. Now that the Zheng family had personally made a move, launching a massive price war while competing directly against the Luotian Association on every front, they felt that a loose cultivator faction hailing from some remote, backwater corner could not possibly hold out for long. Once the Zheng family claimed total victory, everything would return to its proper course! Everyone eagerly anticipated the arrival of that day. It was not just those who concocted and sold pills who followed this bloodless war. The low-tier loose cultivators paid immense attention to it as well. After all, this directly concerned their own cultivation resources! "Do you see those people wildly handing out flyers on both sides of the crossroads?" "Those are cultivators from the Luotian Association and the Zheng family. They want to shove a flyer into the hands of every person they see, desperate to lure customers into their own shops." "I heard the Luotian Association's Jade Marrow Pills are no less effective than the Medicine King Sect's Qi-Nourishing Pills. Is that true?" "It is! And the price is lower, too. I bought a bottle before." "Now that the Zheng family has made a move, who knows how long the Luotian Association can hold out? No way, I have to hurry and stock up on a few more bottles before they go bankrupt!" "Let's go together! I've saved up a modest sum recently." "Fellow Daoist Wang, what about you?" "I won't be joining you. I cultivate the Flaming Sun Art, so I need pills with a fire affinity. I've always bought Fire Ganoderma Pills. Now that they've finally dropped the price, I'd rather buy a few bottles to stockpile." "Fellow Daoist Zhuo, are you heading to the Zheng family shop as well?" "No, no, no. I'm making a trip to Danxia Hall!" "Wait, if I remember correctly, you're already at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement. Jade Marrow Pills shouldn't be very effective for you, right?" "They don't just sell Jade Marrow Pills!" "Hmm?" "The Myriad Wonders Pill... Forget it, you blockheads wouldn't understand its wonders!" As the pill war between the two factions grew increasingly fierce, each rolled out a flurry of promotions and discounts. Nearly every low-stage Qi Refinement loose cultivator in Tianlan Immortal City came to know about it. In an era when the war was driving prices up across the board, anyone would be tempted by such an aggressive price war. Even those who had routinely taken other cultivation pills in the past could not resist testing out a few bottles after seeing the discounted rates on both sides. And after trying them... Those Jade Marrow Pills were indeed plump and round, smooth on the palate, and extraordinarily effective—they brimmed with abundant spiritual energy! The Fire Ganoderma Pills were not bad either, boasting a pure flavor and greater potency than before, with less violent, scorching heat. It was clear the Zheng family alchemists had honed their craft! As time slipped by, names like the Luotian Association, Danxia Hall, and the Jade Marrow Pill resounded ever louder among the lower-tier cultivators. They were the ones who had driven pill prices down. A true blessing of conscience! The Zheng family made substantial profits as well, though they shouted clearance discounts at their doorstep every day, leading some people to believe they were on the brink of bankruptcy. The loose cultivators were reaping the benefits. Yet the several pill factions that had been watching from the sidelines began to sense that something was wrong. Inside the Danyuan Sect. The Sect Master slammed his hand onto the table and rose, looking utterly astounded. "Why were last month's profits only fifteen thousand spirit stones?" The disciple below hesitated before answering, "Even though there are still three days left in this month, the earnings seem to be even lower." "How much?" "Currently, only seven thousand." The Danyuan Sect Master's vision went dark, and he nearly fainted from fury. His body swayed, and he braced himself against the table with one hand. "How could this happen?" "Hasn't that Luotian Association gone under yet?" It was not just the Danyuan Sect. The other clans and factions also realized something was amiss. After several consecutive months, they had no idea how much longer the Luotian Association could hold on. They only knew that their own monthly earnings were dwindling by the day. In contrast, the Zheng family cultivators roaming outside looked exhausted, yet every single one of them was glowing with vigor, as though they were striking it rich. Meanwhile, the Luotian Association's cultivators were as warm and enthusiastic as ever. Even if a customer did not buy their pills, they would warmly recommend other goods from the Luotian Association. Milk tea, snacks, melon seeds and fruit, dharma artifacts... Inside the Hu family's council hall. Facing all the clan elders, the Foundation Establishment patriarch's expression darkened and flickered. "Something is wrong!" *** Inside an immortal cave on Tianlan Peak. Luo Chen, who had recently entered a brief seclusion, received the intelligence report brought by Sima Huiniang. It mentioned that their competitors seemed to be copying various tactics used by both the Luotian Association and the Zheng family. "So they finally realized something was off?" Luo Chen put down the report with a smile. "Unfortunately, it's too late!" Reflecting on this, Luo Chen recalled the scene when Zheng Kejian, the head of the Zheng family, had secretly invited him for a talk prior to his seclusion. During that meeting, Zheng Kejian had been extraordinarily cordial! The discussion had been thoroughly harmonious, with Zheng Kejian expressing deep admiration for Luo Chen. Naturally, Luo Chen had returned the courtesy, praising the man's ability to concoct superior-grade Fire Ganoderma Pills and showering compliments on his profound alchemy attainment. Yet the outcome of their exchange was astonishing. "Let our two houses continue to compete!" "Fight to the death—the bigger the scene, the better!" "I think we could even stage a public drama outside the city where we glare at each other and exchange curses. What do you think?" "Brilliant, truly brilliant! Brother Zheng's stratagem is unmatched in all of Tianlan!" "You flatter me. Brother Luo's rumor that your association is pawning off dharma artifacts just to keep refining pills has left me deeply impressed!" "You are too generous. Brother Zheng's boldness in terminating the lease on your second-rank immortal cave atop Tianlan Peak just to raise funds for alchemy was also a move of tremendous resolve!" The two had looked at each other and smiled, forging an intention to "collaborate" by continuing to compete and promote their wares. Pulling his thoughts back to the present, the smile on Luo Chen's face gradually faded inside the cave. Such tactics were nothing extraordinary. It was merely a case of the eldest and second brother fighting, only for the third brother to end up dead! Back before his transmigration, it was much like the battle between Meituan and Ele.me that ended up killing off Baidu Takeout. When Tencent and Qihoo 360 waged their titan clash, Kingsoft and Rising, who had merely watched the show, gradually faded into obscurity. There were countless examples just like it. So long as the market was vast enough and both competitors possessed sufficient foundation, holding out would not only leave both unharmed, but would also allow them to devour an even larger share of the market. Those smaller shops and modest clans who had casually watched the show would vanish without even realizing what had happened. Zheng Kejian was a clever man. Almost by the second month of the price war with the Luotian Association, he had discerned the underlying benefits. Even so, the man had ultimately been somewhat impatient. All they needed was to maintain an unspoken understanding; there had been no need for that superfluous meeting. Trading empty commercial flattery was utterly unnecessary. It was rather crude! Luo Chen understood the situation clearly. Thanks to the low cost of Jade Marrow Pills combined with his superb alchemy skills, the Luotian Association was guaranteed to hold out. The Zheng family possessed centuries of heritage, three Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the backing of the Flame Alliance, so they too would certainly weather the storm. As time dragged on, those small clans and minor factions would be the ones unable to endure. Eventually, they would fade away from Tianlan Immortal City's low-tier pill market. In the end, only the Luo and Zheng houses would remain! "These are mere minor arts!" "Cultivation is the true foundation!" Emptying his thoughts, Luo Chen slowly closed his eyes. Breaking through the second layer to reach the third layer of Foundation Establishment would take place within these next two days. Under the curling wisps of fragrant sandalwood incense, his soul gradually gathered inward. Two Soaring Dragon Pills entered his mouth. He swallowed one into his belly and held the other under his tongue, poised for immediate use. Operating the Grandmaster-level Yimu Medicine King Scripture with full force, he drew in ambient spiritual energy while refining the pill within his body. Inside his sea of qi. Vast surges of medicinal power entered the spiritual vortex, swirling through it before being flung outward and converted into strands of azure spiritual energy. The nine suspended heavens formed the shape of a funnel from bottom to top. The first heaven had long been filled to the brim with spiritual liquid. In the second heaven, the spiritual liquid transformed from pure spiritual power had accumulated to the point of nearly overflowing. The only shortcoming lay in that word: "nearly." As those streams of azure light flooded in, they would normally have required time to be purified, yet under the immense internal pressure, the rapid purification and conversion began at once. Time slipped past unnoticed. Both Soaring Dragon Pills had long been refined. The Yimu Medicine King Scripture continued to circulate, frantically capturing the free-floating spiritual energy from the outside world. Even though he had long surpassed the limit of seven circulation cycles, Luo Chen did not stop. Until— Drip! Another drop of spiritual liquid formed. The brimming sea of qi finally overflowed, seeping up into the third heaven! At that very instant. Luo Chen snapped his eyes open, and an aura twice as powerful as before surged outward. With a single thought, he concealed that immense momentum. "Phew..." "I've finally done it!" [Realm: Foundation Establishment Layer Three, 1/100] Looking inward at his sea of qi, he could faintly see a single drop of spiritual liquid radiating an azure brilliance in the third heaven. Above it, wisps of spiritual energy seemed eager to coalesce into a fresh cloud of spiritual mist, yet constrained by insufficient ambient energy, they could not form for the longest time. A sensation of "hunger" welled up naturally. Luo Chen smiled faintly. Now was not the right time to continue cultivating. Excess was as bad as deficiency; he needed to rest first. In particular, during the breakthrough process, circulating such massive amounts of spiritual energy had inflicted minor strain on his meridians. This too required the gentle nurturing of the Yimu Medicine King Scripture to heal. "I wonder how much time has passed?" Exhausted in spirit, Luo Chen slowly drifted to sleep. *** "Five days?" Having changed into a fresh set of robes and feeling thoroughly refreshed, Luo Chen wolfed down high-grade spiritual food while listening to Bai Meiling report the time. Bai Meiling bobbed her little head. "Yes, Master! You spent a full five days breaking through your realm." Luo Chen grew thoughtful. As his cultivation realm grew higher, not only did ordinary cultivation take longer, but each breakthrough also demanded more and more time. Even a breakthrough that felt completely natural and unforced required time to slowly grind past the bottleneck. And this was merely the final layer of the early Foundation Establishment stage, yet it had taken five whole days. What about the mid-stage, then? What about the late-stage? No wonder Huo Quan had gone into seclusion for several months just to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage. If one were to attempt a breakthrough to the Golden Core stage, wouldn't it take several years? And that was not routine cultivation in seclusion, but purely the time needed to break through a cultivation barrier! "It seems that in the future, when calculating my lifespan and cultivation pace, I'll have to reserve buffer time for breaking through bottlenecks." Advancing through the Qi Refinement stage was as effortless as eating or drinking, accomplished in a single stride. At Foundation Establishment, however, the difference was stark. Shaking his head, Luo Chen cast aside these "distant" concerns. Reaching a new realm was a joyful occasion regardless; he might as well savor this little celebration first! "Has anything happened recently?" Bai Meiling tilted her head, propping her chin on both hands. "Nothing really! You said before that Director-General Sima and the others shouldn't disturb you unless necessary." "Is that so..." "Oh wait, there actually is one thing!" Luo Chen looked at her speechlessly, suspecting she had done that on purpose. Bai Meiling giggled. "Three days ago, a very beautiful female Foundation Establishment cultivator came to the door, asking to pay you a visit." "A very beautiful female Foundation Establishment cultivator?" Luo Chen frowned. He knew plenty of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators, but a woman? And a very beautiful one at that? Could it be... "She claimed to be Kang Xianqiong from the Kang family of Taishan Market." Luo Chen paused, caught off guard. He knew of the Kang family—their relations were decent, and they had conducted business once before. Yet he had never heard of any female cultivator named Kang Xianqiong among the Kang family. It was not until a day later, when Luo Chen met Kang Xianqiong on Danxia Peak, that realization dawned on him. "So it's her!" "She truly is a lucky one."