[Lifespan: 41/205]
[Spiritual Roots: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth]
[Realm: Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer (2/100), Blood River Realm (35/100)]
[Cultivation Methods: Ageless Evergreen Scripture (Perfection 301/500), Bright Spirit Fiend Breaking (Grandmaster 700/1000), Myriad Beast Scripture (10/100)]
[Spells:
Tier 3: Life Severing Finger (Entry 1/100)
Tier 2: Landslide (Grandmaster 510/1000), Glazed Sky Canopy (Mastery 249/300), Tortoise Spirit Mantle (Proficient 157/200), Blazing Sun Art (Grandmaster 570/1000)
Tier 1: Healing Art (Great Circle), Earth Mountain Art (Great Circle), Billowing Wave Art (Great Circle), Soundproofing Art (Grandmaster 600/1000), Soul Intimidation Art (Perfection 327/500), Great Circle Spells (Click to view details)]
[Alchemy Arts: Folding Jade Hand (Great Circle), Pure Heart Hand (Great Circle), Washing Brook Hand (Grandmaster 750/1000), Cloud Transformation Hand (Grandmaster 507/1000), Clear Source Wondrous Elixir Method (Grandmaster 590/1000), Origin Cultivating Hand (Entry 15/100)]
[Martial Arts: Mountain-Cleaving Stele-Shattering Palm (Great Circle), Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers (Grandmaster 501/1000), Wang Clan Secret Manual (Proficient 270/300)]
[Skills: Tier 2 Alchemist: Fasting Powder (Great Circle), Myriad Wonders Pill (Great Circle), Jade Marrow Pill (Great Circle), Nether-Passage Pill (Great Circle), Jade Dew Pill (Perfection 350/500), Blood Burning Pill (Mastery 204/300), Emperor Flowing Liquid (Entry 3/100)]
[Achievement Points: 30]
Densely packed entries covered the status panel.
A few of them looked so cluttered that Luo Chen had simply collapsed them from view.
After opening the panel, the first thing Luo Chen did was hide his Great Circle Healing Art, Earth Mountain Art, and Billowing Wave Art inside the details submenu.
They were only Tier 1 spells; there was no need to keep them displayed day in and day out.
However, once both Earth Mountain Art and Billowing Wave Art had attained the Great Circle, combining them with his long-perfected Fireball Art had pushed his Landslide technique straight to the Grandmaster level!
The might of a Grandmaster-level Landslide was beyond doubt.
Since breaking through to the mid Foundation Establishment stage and emerging from seclusion, Luo Chen had tested it twice in succession.
Wang Yuan had praised it to the heavens.
Wei Tuo, of course, was unable to voice an opinion, though if he could look up from the underworld, he would surely offer a glowing review—"Superb!"
Yet the spell's flaw was just as glaring.
Much like the Blazing Sun Art, casting it was far too cumbersome.
That Luo Chen could employ it in actual combat came down to a trick: breaking it into three distinct steps and quietly releasing them when the enemy was caught off guard.
No wonder this technique was known as one of the strongest Tier 2 offensive spells, yet practically no one bothered to learn it.
Even manuals for it failed to fetch a decent price.
It was simply too troublesome.
If he wanted to cast it conventionally, it seemed he would have to wait until it reached the Great Circle.
Compared to Landslide, the drawback of having to build up the Blazing Sun Art had already been resolved by Luo Chen.
The solution had been remarkably simple!
Inside the Divine Craft Sect's treasury, Sima Huiniang had found him the authentic manual for the Blazing Sun Art.
In truth, the Blazing Sun Art with which Luo Chen had once swept aside all opposition was nothing more than an imitation.
It possessed the form, but not the true substance!
Its sheer power had merely been produced by endlessly stacking his Great Circle Fireball Art.
After obtaining the genuine Blazing Sun Art manual, Luo Chen had mastered it easily in less than two hours.
Its underlying principle was nearly identical to his bootleg version, essentially an amplification of the Fireball Art.
However, it incorporated subtle casting tricks that bypassed the tedious buildup and allowed the spell to form directly.
The upside was speed.
The downside was that its power could no longer be stacked infinitely.
One could only say that gain came with loss!
Luo Chen did not care all that much. Both were fire-attribute spells, but Landslide clearly held far greater potential than the Blazing Sun Art, and he saw no reason to forsake the greater for the lesser.
Treating the Blazing Sun Art as a standard spell would undoubtedly enrich his combat repertoire.
Moreover, if he ever found himself with ample breathing room, nothing prevented him from unleashing his old technique.
Thanks to his prior foundation, the moment he mastered the authentic Blazing Sun Art, its proficiency had already stood at the Grandmaster level.
It had not yielded even a single achievement point, which stung quite a bit!
Once the spell column was rearranged, Luo Chen cast his gaze down the panel from top to bottom once more.
His maximum lifespan had risen from 190 to 205 years.
Luo Chen had kept a close eye on this.
Of the additional fifteen years, ten came from his breakthrough in cultivation realm.
The other five stemmed from the nourishing effects of the mutated wood-attribute spiritual power from the Yimu Medicine King Scripture, alongside the advancement of his physical strength progress bar.
As the saying went: a sturdy body makes for a long, hearty life!
Moving to the Cultivation Methods column, the only major change was that the Grandmaster entry for the Yimu Medicine King Scripture had vanished.
Upon reaching the Great Circle, it had automatically transformed into the Ageless Evergreen Scripture.
Just as when he had previously transitioned from the Eternal Spring Art to the Yimu Medicine King Scripture, his extensive foundation meant that following the transformation, its proficiency had instantly attained the Perfection level.
This entire transition had yielded only the single achievement point awarded when the original technique reached the Great Circle.
Luo Chen felt wounded all over again.
As for Alchemy Arts, they had seen modest improvements owing to his frequent concoctions during the year in seclusion.
The Washing Brook Hand was nearing completion, while the Cloud Transformation Hand had advanced to Grandmaster.
In recent days, he had also picked up the Origin Cultivating Hand.
Regrettably, the Scale Turning Hand seemed quite extraordinary, and after several attempts, he had yet to even grasp the basics.
Still, he had no immediate need for it, so Luo Chen felt no real regret.
Regarding Martial Arts, progress on Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers was excruciatingly slow, largely because he had ceased practicing the hidden-weapon techniques detailed within it.
In reality, the technique's ability to enhance his control over magical artifacts had diminished to almost nothing.
He simply had not bothered with it.
When he ran low on achievement points, he could always grind it to completion in one go!
Procuring the specialized hidden weapons it required posed no challenge for the talent-rich Luotian Association of today.
A single word from him, passed down the ranks, would bring them straight to his doorstep.
On the other hand, he had faithfully maintained his practice of the Five Viscera Health-Nourishing Fist from the Wang Clan Secret Manual.
He could feel his internal organs growing steadily more robust.
In Wang Yuan's words, once he finished tempering his viscera, he would be able to store a vast reservoir of essence-blood within them.
The Five Qis would stem from there!
When that time arrived, he could even attempt to learn Wang Yuan's Giant Spirit Transformation.
"Continuing with this fist technique is definitely worthwhile; it does me a world of good."
"As for the Giant Spirit Transformation... not even a dog would touch that!"
He recalled how Wang Yuan wound up completely naked every time he transformed.
The bulging, knotted muscles were tolerable enough, but the great bundle swinging between his legs was practically a psychic assault.
Especially now that Wang Yuan had lost his hair and sported a shiny bald head.
The thought of him transforming like that...
*Hiss!*
Luo Chen sucked in a sharp breath and shook his head frantically. He absolutely could not let that image take root in his mind!
That mental picture was far too intense to contemplate!
How could it ever compare to floating along in fluttering Daoist robes, brandishing a flying sword with effortless grace?
Even when casting spells, Luo Chen carried himself with unmistakable flair.
In fact, relying on his exquisite sorcery, he had even earned the Daoist title of 'Fire Spirit Lord.'
As for the Skills column, there was little to say.
The only noteworthy achievement was that he had grinded his Jade Dew Pill proficiency to Perfection.
He was now capable of concocting mid-grade Jade Dew Pills.
Furthermore, his pill success rate remained steady above forty percent.
On one occasion, aided by the Ice Emperor Cauldron's trait of enhancing pill quality, he had even accidentally produced a high-grade Jade Dew Pill.
That had been a delightful surprise.
Speaking of which, Luo Chen had accumulated over a hundred mid-grade Jade Dew Pills, all sitting idle in his storage.
Bound by his initial agreement,
he could not sell these Jade Dew Pills to any faction other than the Ice Fort.
The few he occasionally gave away went solely to Gu Caiyi of the Luotian Association.
That hardly counted as a breach of contract!
Yet Gu Caiyi was merely in the Qi Refinement stage; how many could she possibly consume?
Ten a year was her absolute limit.
Even that was only possible because Luo Chen had devised a specialized secret art to assist her, allowing her to ingest pills beyond her cultivation realm.
"With so many pills tied up in my hands, I have to clear them out, or the losses will be enormous!"
The cost of ingredients for the Jade Dew Pill had always been steep.
Yet he could not raise the price on low-grade Jade Dew Pills.
"Several years have passed since I struck the deal with Tantai Jin."
"With my reputation as Master Danchenzi, combined with dedicated focus and the excuse of the Ice Emperor Cauldron raising pill quality, producing mid-grade Jade Dew Pills shouldn't appear entirely shocking."
"Tantai Jin and Fairy Jueqing ought to find that acceptable."
Luo Chen had already made up his mind: over the coming days, he would gradually reveal that he could refine mid-grade Jade Dew Pills.
As long as the pretext was barely plausible, it would suffice.
Given that the medicinal efficacy doubled, they would hardly fuss over such minor details.
He would reveal it slowly first, then begin supplying in bulk.
Raising prices on low-grade Jade Dew Pills was awkward.
When it came to mid-grade pills, however, Fairy Jueqing would have to shell out hard, cold spirit stones to purchase from him!
After reviewing the status panel,
Luo Chen did not resume cultivating.
Twice a day, paired with Fierce Spirit Incense, was already his limit.
Cultivating any further would interfere with the next day's affairs.
One had to balance exertion and rest in cultivation.
***
The night passed without incident.
The following morning, Luo Chen found himself with plenty to say.
Yuan Dongsheng had come to visit.
Sitting on the earthen ridge beside the spiritual field, Luo Chen held a volume of alchemical lore while chatting with Yuan Dongsheng about various matters.
The growth of the crops in this Tier 2 spiritual field;
how the Luotian Association was settling its newly acquired resources;
the progress of Sima Huiniang's aggressive recruitment drive;
and how many Qi Refinement beast tamers had applied for the newly established Beast Hall.
Yuan Dongsheng patiently recounted these developments without letting his hands pause for a moment.
He even took the time to teach Luo Chen a spiritual farming technique.
A Tier 2 farming art: the Grass-Mowing Geng Metal Sword Art.
This was an offensive metal-attribute technique.
However, it was not meant for combat against people.
Its primary purpose was the precise elimination of pests infesting the spiritual fields.
Other spells could kill pests as well, but their dispersing spiritual energy often damaged the surrounding crops.
Once mastered, the Grass-Mowing Geng Metal Sword Art eliminated that worry.
It was not merely a metal-attribute spell; it also incorporated a trace of wood-attribute spiritual power.
After slaying the pests, it could even decompose them, turning their remains into nutrients to nourish the field's crops.
"This is the only Tier 2 spell I've mastered. Every time I cast it, I have to be exceedingly careful."
"In a typical year, I only ever use it twice."
When discussing spiritual farming arts, Yuan Dongsheng took considerable pride.
Yet when he watched Luo Chen experiment a few times and promptly release a sharp, well-formed streak of sword qi, he was utterly dumbfounded.
Luo Chen merely chuckled.
"When it comes to spells, I have a bit of talent!"
Yuan Dongsheng stared blankly.
*A bit of talent?*
Then what did that make the farming talent he took such pride in?
He did not know that Luo Chen had relied on a clever shortcut.
Though the Grass-Mowing Geng Metal Sword Art appeared to be a metal-attribute technique, it was fundamentally rooted in wood-attribute magic.
With the Ageless Evergreen Scripture bolstering him, Luo Chen picked up any wood-related spell with remarkable ease!
Moreover, rather than a true sword technique,
it functioned more like a rudimentary application of spiritual power, simply propelling accumulated qi outward.
The method bore a striking resemblance to Luo Chen's early Jade Marrow Waste Bead finishing move.
Because of that, after feeling it out a few times, he had quickly grasped the knack.
"Metal, wood, water, fire, earth—I suppose I've learned spells across all five elements now!"
"Even if the metal one is just a farming art."
Luo Chen smiled faintly and stood up from the ridge.
Yuan Dongsheng also stepped out of the field, full of emotion.
The soil of this Tier 2 spiritual field brimmed with rich spiritual energy. The Azure Star Grass flourished, while the Yin Moon Flowers and Warm Sun Wood had already begun taking shape.
In a few years, they would be ready for harvest.
When the time came, they would easily bring in tens of thousands of spirit stones.
It would serve as a welcome offset to the exorbitant rent of a high-grade immortal's cave!
"If only our Luotian Association could upgrade a few more Tier 2 spiritual fields, that would be wonderful."
Luo Chen had come to understand that the grade of a spiritual field was not strictly limited by the grade of the spiritual land.
As long as one was willing to invest the necessary resources, it could be elevated.
He patted Yuan Dongsheng's shoulder.
"We will have them. We'll have everything in time!"
Yuan Dongsheng nodded; he had already set that work in motion.
The Luotian Association had dispatched personnel to help the Li family capture blue-scaled dragon fish and safeguard their Washing Flower Fish Pond.
The captured blue-scaled dragon fish were not slaughtered, but brought back to be reared.
Their droppings were remarkably effective at improving the quality of spiritual soil.
Additionally, the scales of the blue-scaled dragon fish were a culinary delicacy frequently purchased by major taverns.
It was said that once deep-fried, they were exceptionally delicious!
Just before leaving, Yuan Dongsheng belatedly recalled something.
"President!"
"Hm?"
"Director Sima mentioned there is word regarding complete demon beast corpses."
Luo Chen's eyes lit up. "Tier 2 demon beasts?"
Yuan Dongsheng replied uncertainly, "There should be! Apparently, a large shipment of demon beast carcasses was brought over from the Snow Lotus Market near the Great Snow Mountain."
Hearing that, Luo Chen felt far more confident.
If they were merely Tier 1 demon beasts, transporting them across such a vast distance would make no sense—the profit margins would be too thin.
There was a high probability they were Tier 2 demon beast carcasses!
If there were intact ones, that would be even better.
Without hesitation, Luo Chen accompanied Yuan Dongsheng straight off Tianlan Peak and headed for the Luotian Association.
***
Three days later.
Outside a large establishment named Snow Lotus Hall in Tianlan Immortal City,
Luo Chen and Wang Yuan walked in together.
Yet upon catching sight of a familiar acquaintance, Shi Boying, Luo Chen could not help but freeze.
He stepped back outside and glanced up at the signboard once more.
"That's right, it says Snow Lotus Hall, not Ice Billow Palace."
Shi Boying, who was attending to customers, spotted him as well and offered a warm greeting.
"Fire Spirit Lord, it has been some time."
"Fellow Daoist Shi, addressing each other as fellow Daoists is fine; there's no need to be so polite," Luo Chen said, cupping his hands. "Besides, before an esteemed senior disciple of a major sect like yourself, how could I dare put on airs?"
A brilliant smile appeared on Shi Boying's aged face.
"That won't do!"
"A Foundation Establishment cultivator like me merely had the good fortune to shelter beneath my sect's shade. How could I compare to someone like you, who earned a Daoist title through sheer, genuine ability?"
Luo Chen chuckled helplessly and pointed toward the street.
"Does this Snow Lotus Hall have something to do with you?"
Shi Boying shook her head. "Not much to do with me personally."
"Uh?"
"However, Snow Lotus Hall is an enterprise belonging to our Ice Fort."
Seeing Luo Chen's confusion, Shi Boying offered a brief explanation.
As it turned out, in the region around the Great Snow Mountain, there were three markets of varying sizes that belonged to the Ice Fort.
They even stationed Foundation Establishment True Cultivators there year-round.
Not only did they gather resources, but whenever they encountered rogue cultivators with exceptional aptitude, they would recruit them into the Ice Fort.
"Every year, the markets down below ship the collected resources to Tianlan Immortal City. Even when our sect isn't the one on duty, we dispatch people to help handle things."
"After all, the people from down below don't have connections here in Tianlan."
"With an old woman like me stepping forward personally, goods sell a bit more easily."
At this point, she looked toward Luo Chen and Wang Yuan.
"Did you two come today to attend the mini-auction as well?"
Wang Yuan remained silent.
Whenever they were out, he had grown accustomed to letting Luo Chen take the lead.
Socializing and pleasantries were simply ill-suited to an ascetic cultivator like him.
Luo Chen nodded, casually naming a few materials, including demon beasts.
"Then I hope you both return with full hands today!"
Shi Boying smiled gently and transmitted a voice message deeper into the hall.
Before long, a young woman hurried out with brisk, lively steps.
"Senior Sister, what are your orders?"
A familiar figure, a familiar voice.
Luo Chen and Wang Yuan exchanged glances almost simultaneously.
It was her!
Chapter 300