Five Times the Cultivation Speed!

[Foundation Establishment Layer 3: 10/100] Seven months ago, Luo Chen had broken through to the third layer of Foundation Establishment. Now that over half a year had passed, the progress bar had reached 10. Deducting the time spent protecting Wang Yuan during his Foundation Establishment and the prolonged slumber following the simulation in the Heart-Interrogation Mirror, it had taken him just about half a year of actual cultivation to complete one-tenth of the third layer of Foundation Establishment. If he wanted to break through to the fourth layer, he would need roughly five years of uninterrupted cultivation. This speed could by no means be considered slow. It was well worth the enormous sum of spirit stones he had invested. A low-grade cave abode, an uninterrupted supply of Soaring Dragon Pills, supplemented by Fierce Spirit Incense, lavish spiritual meals, and other aids—these external cultivation conditions were far beyond what ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators could enjoy. Just like that group of Foundation Establishment cultivators back at Dahe Market, who didn't even possess a stable Tier 2 spirit ground. Even if their aptitudes were better than Luo Chen's, he would still overtake them by a mile. If ordinary people knew of Luo Chen's cultivation speed, they would surely be green with envy. Yet Luo Chen still felt it wasn't enough! Back at Dahe Market, relying on leftover Foundation Establishment spirit herbs and a Tier 2 high-grade spirit ground, he had spent three years in secluded cultivation to reach the second layer of Foundation Establishment. After coming to Tianlan Immortal City, aided by better resources, it had taken him two and a half years to reach the third layer. And to break through to the mid Foundation Establishment realm, he would still need at least five more years. All told, that added up to more than ten years! The cultivation progress required for the mid-stage was tenfold that of the early stage. As for the late stage, it would be tens or even a hundred times that of the early Foundation Establishment stage. Ten years! A hundred years! A thousand years! In the end, all Luo Chen had managed before was merely doubling his cultivation efficiency compared to his initial baseline. "Not enough. Far from enough!" "Now that I've upgraded across the board and my external cultivation environment has comprehensively improved, hopefully I can boost my cultivation efficiency even further!" As his thoughts drifted, he circulated his grandmaster-level Yimu Medicine King Scripture with all his might. Inside the meditation chamber, the immense spiritual qi bound within the cave abode surged toward him like myriad rivers converging into the sea. Half an hour later, Luo Chen opened his eyes, directing his inner vision into his qi sea to scrutinize it thoroughly. Finally, he gave a slow nod. The doubled concentration of spiritual qi in the cave abode allowed his natal cultivation method to capture and refine twice the amount of spiritual power in the same span of time. Yet this increase was not the whole story. "An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator can only circulate their natal cultivation method at full power two or three times a day. Previously, I could circulate mine five times a day. "With the aid of Fierce Spirit Incense, I could do it seven times a day. "Yet even then, I wasn't putting the Fierce Spirit Incense to full use, absorbing only a bit more than two-thirds of its potential. "After the simulation in the Heart-Interrogation Mirror, though I was weak and exhausted for a while, my soul foundation feels significantly enhanced now that I've recovered. "Exactly how much it has grown, I'm not entirely sure. But by circulating my natal cultivation method to its limit, I can test it out! "Let's continue!" Luo Chen took a deep breath and closed his eyes once more. As his cultivation resumed, the dense spiritual qi that had settled in the quiet chamber began to stir restlessly once again. Two circulations! Three! ... Soon, it surpassed his previous limit of seven times. An eighth circulation! A ninth! By the end of the ninth circulation, Luo Chen began to feel a faint weariness. Yet he had basically obtained the data he wanted. His soul foundation had indeed grown! What had previously been infinitely close to the late Foundation Establishment stage was now an authentic, bona fide late Foundation Establishment soul! "And yet I feel I still haven't reached my limit!" The ice silkworm prayer mat beneath him gave off wisps of soothing, cool moisture, revitalizing his slightly tired spirit until he was energetic once more. One more time! With his mind set, Luo Chen took out a jade bottle. A Middle-grade Qi Harmonizing Pill! This time, he would cultivate with the aid of medicinal pills. It was said that the medicinal potency of a middle-grade Qi Harmonizing Pill was more than double that of a low-grade one. Who knew how much stronger it was compared to a low-grade Soaring Dragon Pill? The Yimu Medicine King Scripture began circulating once more. Within, the pill melted, unleashing a massive surge of spiritual qi. Without, the dense spiritual qi of the Tier 2 high-grade cave abode was swallowed into his body. A torrent of spiritual qi rushed violently into Luo Chen's qi sea. The vortex of spiritual power constructed by the Clear Source Wondrous Elixir Method nearly dispersed under the onslaught. Fortunately, over the past three years, he had cultivated this technique to the perfection stage. He could now purify the source and cleanse most of the pill toxicity. The teetering vortex held firm in the end. Another hour passed. Luo Chen opened his eyes, looking slightly weary. Yet his gaze was brimming with delight! This night's trial had confirmed everything. First, his soul foundation had genuinely reached the late Foundation Establishment level. Second, the Tier 2 high-grade cave abode doubled the concentration of spiritual qi, effectively doubling the ambient spiritual qi he could seize during cultivation. Lastly, the medicinal potency of the Middle-grade Qi Harmonizing Pill far exceeded that of a low-grade Soaring Dragon Pill, nearly doubling it as well. And when these three factors combined, the final result was: "Compared to before, my cultivation speed has more than doubled! "If compared to when I first entered Foundation Establishment with only a Tier 2 low-grade spirit ground, the speed is a full five times faster!" Put this way, it might seem abstract. Calculating it by the time required to cultivate to the peak of Foundation Establishment made it much simpler. When he had first stepped into Foundation Establishment, Luo Chen estimated he would need two thousand years to achieve completion. After arriving at Tianlan Immortal City, through repeated efforts, he had shortened that estimate to one thousand years. And now! His current cultivation speed would allow him to reach completion in four to five hundred years! Even though that duration still far exceeded the lifespan limit of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, such an intuitive improvement finally showed Luo Chen a glimmer of hope. "I still have plenty of room for improvement. "My soul foundation has only just entered the late Foundation Establishment realm. If I concoct peak-grade Nether-Passage Pills, I will have the chance to raise it further." The upper limit of the soul governed the number of times a cultivation technique could be circulated, and that frequency dictated how much external spiritual qi could be absorbed. Besides his soul foundation: "There's also pill quality! "This is merely a middle-grade Qi Harmonizing Pill. What if I have high-grade ones? "In the Heart-Interrogation Mirror's simulation, I couldn't obtain high-grade pills, but that was just a simulation. By its nature, it disregarded my subjective initiative and my system cheat, and the external world is not static based solely on what I know. With the shifting tides of the world, opportunities will surely abound. "And besides pills, there is my physical body!" Luo Chen could sense that he was not far from transforming into the second realm of body refinement. When his physique strengthened, it would in turn benefit his immortal cultivation. "In the simulation, relying on demonic cultivation, I managed to reach the peak of Foundation Establishment by the age of three hundred and thirty. "In reality, could I not achieve that on the orthodox path before my lifespan runs out?" Luo Chen harbored no doubt in himself! Along his journey, there had been hardships and trials, but triumph after triumph had long since forged an unyielding Dao heart. His yearning for the Dao, his determination to tread the Dao— he would never stop! ... The next day. Luo Chen woke early in the morning. He had slept for only an hour. Yet he didn't feel terribly tired; he simply couldn't overtax himself with cultivation any further. Cultivation was generally like this for cultivators. The limit Luo Chen tested earlier was merely the maximum he could push without excessively straining his soul foundation. When cultivators broke through bottlenecks, however, they wouldn't care about such things. Let alone ten times a day—with full preparation, plenty of people pushed through dozens of consecutive circulations. As long as the breakthrough succeeded, any expenditure was worthwhile. Not only was Luo Chen free of exhaustion, but thanks to the Ice God Jade, his spirits felt increasingly vigorous. "This jade Fairy Jueqing gave me is neither a dharma artifact nor a magic treasure, yet its effects are so extraordinary. "I wonder what material it was carved from." Luo Chen touched the jade pendant hanging around his neck and strode energetically into the living room. Qu Lingjun and the other three had long been waiting outside. "Master!" "Mm." Luo Chen nodded and stepped outside the cave abode, his gaze landing upon the one mu of spiritual field. He would undoubtedly reside here long term. That being the case, this one mu of spiritual field certainly couldn't be left idle or planted with mere flowers and ornamental grass. "When you return, tell Yuan Dongsheng to make a trip over." Yuan Dongsheng was at the eighth layer of Qi Refinement. He was the Luotian Association's premier spiritual farmer! Now that he had married into the Li family of Qinhua as their prospective son-in-law, his status had grown even more esteemed. He stood below only the association's three Foundation Establishment cultivators and Director-General Sima Huiniang. His standing surpassed ordinary ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivators, putting him on equal footing with the hall masters. Having him come over was naturally so Luo Chen could draw upon his expertise to figure out how best to utilize this spiritual field. Qu Lingjun promptly assented. "Also, I likely won't be heading over to Danxia Peak for some time. "If anything happens, notify me using this voice transmission jade token." As he spoke, he produced two jade tokens. "One is for you, and give the other to Director-General Sima when you return." Qu Lingjun nodded hurriedly and stowed away the two voice transmission jade tokens into which Luo Chen had infused his divine sense. Specially crafted voice transmission jade tokens like these were far superior to voice transmission talismans or voice transmission paper cranes. Not only could they transmit messages across a thousand li, but the speed was virtually instantaneous. Naturally, with such efficacy came a steep price. A single token cost three thousand low-grade spirit stones. Moreover, it required a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator to infuse their divine sense into it! After stowing the jade tokens, Qu Lingjun couldn't help asking, "What about the Jade Marrow Pill business?" "Before the auction, I concocted a large batch of Jade Marrow Pills, enough to supply the Luotian Association's sales for half a year." Luo Chen had naturally factored this crucial matter into his plans. If he had previously felt pleased with himself for amassing a fortune of four hundred thousand spirit stones, that pride had vanished completely once the auction concluded. Over the course of the auction, all told, he had spent two hundred and forty thousand! Leasing the high-grade cave abode for two years cost another hundred thousand. Now, he had a mere sixty thousand spirit stones left to his name. And all of it consisted of middle-grade spirit stones plus a single high-grade spirit stone. Neither of these could be spent lightly, especially the latter! That was no longer mere currency, but a strategic asset that could save a life in a critical moment! In that sense, Luo Chen was practically broke right now! Yet as luck would have it, he had an immense number of expenses looming ahead. For now, pills were fine; the Middle-grade Qi Harmonizing Pills he won at the auction would last him about a year. However, the rent for the Tier 2 high-grade cave abode was a matter requiring serious consideration. Forty-eight thousand a year! An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't afford that drain in the slightest. Thus, pills still had to be concocted. "Going forward, have Director-General Sima send someone to fetch pills every half a year." Qu Lingjun asked inquisitively, "Master, won't you need anyone to assist you in concocting pills?" "No need. Aside from processing medicinal ingredients for me, that team will spend the rest of their time assisting the four of you with your alchemy." Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Be sure not to let me down!" "Yes! We definitely won't let Master down!" Qu Lingjun puffed out his chest, speaking with confidence. The other three did the same. For low-level alchemists, the hardest part of alchemy was getting started. Once they crossed the threshold, many problems could be gradually figured out through practice. Luo Chen had also left them numerous alchemy insights and thoughtfully provided them with Nether-Passage Pills to strengthen their soul foundations. One could say they were gradually acquiring the foundation to stand on their own. As for whether they could truly shoulder responsibilities independently in the future? That would depend on their own diligence and good fortune! Next, Luo Chen gave a few more instructions. He arranged for the four of them to take turns delivering processed ingredients each month, how to allocate certain personnel in the Pill Hall, what taboos existed regarding the alchemy tools, and a host of other matters before letting them depart. ... "Master, I've never seen you chatter on like this before!" Bai Meiling floated out. Elusive as a ghost, her appearance would have scared an ordinary person out of their wits. Luo Chen had long grown accustomed to it. Looking at the four departing figures fading into the swirling mist, his expression remained calm. "This is already much better than before. "The Luotian Association now has two Foundation Establishment cultivators taking turns holding down the fort, while matters great and small are handled by Sima Huiniang. "I'm only putting a bit more thought into my own one-third of an acre in the Pill Hall." Bai Meiling blinked. Having recovered most of her memories, she was no longer as aloof as she was at first. She realized that her master did indeed seem increasingly "idle" lately. This "idleness" didn't mean loitering about doing nothing. Rather, he was no longer rushing haphazardly into every matter or getting involved in every single affair as he used to. "Then, Master, what will you do now?" "What will I do?" The corners of Luo Chen's mouth curled slightly. Reorganize his daily routine, of course! Starting from the Mao hour at dawn—five in the morning. From five to seven, reading! Over the years, whether purchased, gifted, or claimed as spoils of battle, Luo Chen's storage bags held a vast hoard of books. Alchemy insights, spell manuals, travelogues and lore of the cultivation world, treatises on formations and talisman crafting, compendiums of herbs and demonic beasts... A miscellaneous assortment—he had far too many books piled up unread. Setting aside two hours every day to read would broaden his horizons and deepen his foundation of knowledge. Only then would he have the eye to pick up overlooked treasures at grand events like major trade fairs. After that, a hearty breakfast, and from seven-thirty onward, practicing his arts of Dao defense! Be it Landslide, which had stagnated for so long, the Soul Deterrence Art, or the Glazed Sky Canopy, all of them still had tremendous room for improvement. In addition, he had hoarded a stack of spell manuals and intended to pick out a few suitable ones to practice diligently. This would not only enhance his strength but also build proficiency and yield achievement points. From seven-thirty to noon would be entirely devoted to practicing his protective arts. As for the afternoon, it would naturally be reserved for alchemy. This was the cornerstone of his survival! That he had reached this point and even earned the appreciation of Master Fairy Jueqing, a Golden Core cultivator, was all thanks to his alchemy. There was no reason to cast it aside. Once alchemy concluded, it would be close to late night. That was the window Luo Chen specifically set aside for cultivation. Circulating his natal cultivation method ten times meant needing at least five hours! With that, once his cultivation ended, the day would be practically over. After sleeping for an hour or two, it would be around the Mao hour again. With his schedule mapped out, Luo Chen gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "A disciplined and dull life of cultivation is about to begin again!"