Upon returning to the Luotian Association, Luo Chen kept a very low profile.
Even if he had not completely shut himself away from the world, he rarely ventured outside.
Yet beyond this low profile, his days were exceptionally busy.
Alchemy, alchemy, and still more alchemy.
His three years of convalescence in Ice Fort had also meant a three-year hiatus in the supply of Jade Dew Pills.
Now that the Luotian Association's business had taken off and there were no Golden Core cultivators to support, their annual spirit stone surplus was substantial.
Even if Luo Chen did nothing at all right now, two to three hundred thousand spirit stones would flow into his account each year.
And that was after deducting the monthly stipends for the Luotian Association's ever-growing number of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.
It was clear that after swallowing and destroying so many factions large and small over the years, the Luotian Association had digested its gains and embarked on a healthy trajectory of development.
Consequently, the Jade Dew Pill business was no longer merely about earning spirit stones.
Or rather, from the very beginning, this pill business with Ice Fort had never been about making a profit.
With the three-year disruption, Ice Fort was already growing restless.
This was also why Master Canglong had made no effort to detain him when Luo Chen took the initiative to propose returning to Tianlan.
Aside from the Jade Dew Pills,
Chu Kui's Nether-Passage Pills were also in short supply.
Relying on Haoranzi's third-rank cave abode, Chu Kui had accelerated his cultivation for over two years.
Now, he was drawing closer and closer to Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, which meant the day of his Core Formation was also nearing.
Under these circumstances, practicing *Locking the Beaded Curtain* had to be placed firmly on the agenda.
His soul foundation was mediocre.
Thus, he especially needed the assistance of Nether-Passage Pills to bolster it.
As for the Blood-Augmenting Pill and the Dust-Descending Pill, they were the cultivation pills Luo Chen intended to use as substitutes for high-grade Soaring Dragon Pills.
The recipe for the latter originated from Azure Pill Valley's Grand Alchemy Court; its concoction difficulty was very low, and its effect was singular—to refine essence into qi.
Luo Chen had already mastered the former, and even before attacking the Yan Alliance, he had raised its proficiency to the Perfect level.
It was precisely by relying on this pill to vastly increase his qi and blood that Wang Yuan had, in a short time, walked the path of vitality all the way to Jin Transformation Perfection.
Regarding the functions, effects, and taboos of the Blood-Augmenting Pill,
Wang Yuan had also given Luo Chen the most honest feedback.
This gave Luo Chen high hopes for the Blood-Augmenting Pill's future.
His hectic alchemy work caused Luo Chen's alchemy arts to continuously improve.
Likewise,
Qu Lingjun, who came every month to observe and receive guidance, also benefited immensely.
"Today, what we are refining is the Dust-Descending Pill."
Inside Cave Abode Yi-17.
Luo Chen watched Bai Meiling arrange a large quantity of medicinal herbs, preprocessed by the Luotian Association, in the spots he found most habitual and convenient to reach.
Then, turning to Qu Lingjun beside him, he explained the key points of refining the Dust-Descending Pill.
Hearing the name "Dust-Descending Pill," Qu Lingjun felt a ripple of excitement in his heart.
"Is it that second-rank pill that made Master famous during the Dao Seed contention in Azure Pill Valley?"
Luo Chen smiled slightly. "Indeed, that is the one."
"I imagine it must be extraordinary!" Qu Lingjun remarked curiously.
However, Luo Chen shook his head.
"You are mistaken there. For low-tier alchemists like us, highly difficult recipes are actually ill-suited for competitions. In my view, the concoction difficulty of this Dust-Descending Pill is even simpler than that of certain first-rank pills."
Qu Lingjun froze on the spot.
Luo Chen chuckled and explained earnestly, "Do not dismiss its utility just because it is simple. The worth of a pill has never lain in its difficulty or rank, but rather in the people it suits and the timing of its use. For instance, fourth-rank pills may be wondrous, but they are not something that Qi Refinement or Foundation Establishment cultivators like us can consume..."
With this explanation, Qu Lingjun felt as though enlightened by a sudden clarity.
It turned out that his practice of blindly chasing high difficulty and high ranks had been leading him down a crooked path!
Seeing the contemplative look on his disciple's face, Luo Chen felt a stir of emotion.
Over twenty years had passed. With an adequate theoretical foundation, guidance from numerous seniors, and, most importantly, extensive hands-on practice, Qu Lingjun's alchemy arts had advanced by leaps and bounds to a new height.
Ordinary first-rank pills were already effortless for him.
He had mastered all of the staple pills the Luotian Association currently produced: Jade Marrow Pills, Myriad Wonders Pills, Origin-Nurturing Pills, and Spirit-Nurturing Pellets.
Moreover, out of those four, he could stably produce high-grade quality in three of them.
Such talent was truly startling!
Under these circumstances,
Luo Chen planned to guide him toward second-rank pills.
However, he did not start him off with the most difficult ones like the Jade Dew Pill, Emperor Flowing Liquid, or Blood-Augmenting Pill.
Even the Nether-Passage Pill, while seemingly first-rank, was actually quite difficult to refine.
Therefore, the low-difficulty second-rank recipe for the Dust-Descending Pill became the ideal entry point.
"Watch closely!"
Luo Chen gave a low cry, instantly snapping Qu Lingjun's attention into focus.
Under his watchful gaze, Luo Chen pointed with two fingers. A wisp of azure flame darted out, landing beneath the battered Shangshu Cauldron.
*Boom!*
In an instant, the seemingly light and airy wisp of flame expanded violently, turning into a roaring blaze.
Qu Lingjun's eyelids twitched wildly.
This was not the first time he had seen this azure flame!
It was neither earth fire nor the true fire of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
It was a rare source true fire!
What was a source true fire?
Among heaven and earth, there were wondrous flames that came and went without a trace, seemingly rootless and sourceless, known to the world as sourceless fires.
Without kindling or firewood, they could burn incessantly for hundreds or thousands of years.
Such were the fires without a source!
Yet once a cultivator refined such a wondrous flame, it gained a source. Even a single ember, when stimulated by spiritual power, could swell into a raging inferno.
At that point, the sourceless fire became the cultivator's source true fire.
It was distinct from the so-called "natal true fire" produced when a cultivator detonated their own spiritual power.
No one could have imagined that the Wither-Bloom Fire, which had vanished without a trace after the Yan Alliance fell, had been forcefully refined by Luo Chen through careful scheming.
Moreover, its rank was not the third rank that the world assumed.
This Wither-Bloom Fire had unmistakably reached the early fourth rank.
*With this flame, Master is truly like a tiger that has grown wings!*
*From now on, his pill refining will be completely free from the constraints of earth fire and firewood. He can open a cauldron and refine pills anytime, anywhere.*
*I wonder when I'll ever be able to refine a source true fire of my own?*
In his envious admiration, Qu Lingjun watched Luo Chen's refining steps with undivided attention.
Whenever they reached a slightly trickier stage, Luo Chen deliberately slowed his pace so Qu Lingjun could clearly observe the execution of hand seals and alchemy techniques, even breaking down the transformations of the medicinal herbs bit by bit for him to see.
Yet compared to Qu Lingjun's intense focus on pill refining,
most of Luo Chen's attention remained on the Wither-Bloom Fire.
After refining the Wither-Bloom Fire into his source true fire,
Luo Chen had been continuously studying its characteristics.
While in the Ice Prison, the location and environment had been unsuitable, so he had discovered little.
That was why he had returned to Tianlan, seeking to clarify its traits through massive amounts of pill refining.
Yet now, several months had passed,
and his findings were scant.
Immense heat was the first characteristic.
Yet this was entirely expected.
After all, it was a wondrous flame nurtured by the Yan Alliance for three hundred years that had reached the fourth rank.
Its sheer heat ought naturally to surpass ordinary second- and third-rank earth fires.
So long as a large amount of spiritual power was channeled into it, the flame could unleash terrifyingly high temperatures, dangerous enough that even Luo Chen's physique felt threatened.
Enhancing the power of fire-attribute spells was the second characteristic.
When casting fire spells, incorporating even a sliver of the Wither-Bloom Fire
would instantly amplify its power by thirty percent!
If enough of it was infused, doubling or tripling the potency was not out of the question.
Even the lowest-tier Fireball Art, when cast using this fire, could threaten Foundation Establishment cultivators.
And if it were Luo Chen's proudest techniques, *Landslide* and the *Blazing Sun Art*, under the empowerment of this source true fire, he even felt he had a chance of threatening enemies who had newly stepped into the Golden Core stage.
However!
Aside from these two characteristics, he had gleaned nothing else.
That was somewhat hard to accept.
Rumor had it that the Purple Zenith Skyfire mastered by Danyangzi was tyrannical and violent in nature.
When used against enemies, its power was formidable enough to slay the Yan Alliance's Sect Master Xiao Lian.
When used for alchemy, infusing a wisp of its extreme power could trigger all manner of unique transformations in the pills.
It was precisely for this reason that Danyangzi was held in high regard by Azure Pill Valley's Golden Core elders.
Even after losing his position as Dao Child, he still enjoyed special treatment no less privileged than Tao Wan's.
And yet the Purple Zenith Skyfire was merely at the third rank.
Before the Wither-Bloom Fire was refined, it had already reached the fourth rank!
*I must have overlooked something.*
*What could it be?*
Lost in thought, Luo Chen formed an incantation seal and extinguished the flame.
A wisp of pill fragrance filled the room.
Beside him came Qu Lingjun's cry of astonishment.
"High-grade!"
"Master, it's high-grade quality!"
Luo Chen set aside his doubts, offered a faint smile, and swept forty Dust-Descending Pills into his pouch, leaving behind only one to hand to Qu Lingjun.
"Take it to study, but under no circumstances are you to consume this pill!"
Qu Lingjun nodded repeatedly. He had already heard of this pill's effect.
Its essence was refining essence into qi!
It was said to refine the latent essence within the flesh and blood, transforming it into spiritual energy to advance one's cultivation.
Yet for the "frail" physiques of ordinary cultivators, consuming this pill would only damage their bodies.
That would defeat the purpose!
At the very least, low-tier cultivators were far from being able to abandon their physical vessels and achieve immortal souls!
The alchemy instruction ended for the day.
Next was Luo Chen's examination of his disciple's cultivation progress.
Qu Lingjun was now forty-one years old and had stepped into the ninth layer of Qi Refinement several years ago.
His aptitude was four spiritual roots, lacking Metal.
His primary cultivation technique was the *Raging Flame Incantation*, a very ordinary fire-attribute technique in the cultivation world.
Reportedly, it originated from the Five Elements Divine Sect.
In addition, Qu Lingjun also cultivated a secret technique called *Three Primes Unified*.
That was a secret technique Li Yingzhang had modified from his own *Ninefold Reversion of Origin*, tailored specifically for Qu Lingjun's aptitude.
It had no other function; its main purpose was to purify spiritual power.
This was also the primary practice undertaken by Qi Refinement cultivators at the ninth layer.
However, this technique had a drawback.
Inheriting the flaw of the *Ninefold Reversion of Origin*, it required a prolonged period of time.
Now, several years had passed, and Qu Lingjun was barely at thirty percent progress through the ninth layer of Qi Refinement. Reaching Qi Refinement Great Perfection would likely take at least another ten years!
For someone with four spiritual roots, that was fast!
Yet considering the resources available to him, it was astonishingly slow.
One had to remember that after Luo Chen healed the body of his lover, Mi Li, she had advanced from the fifth layer of Qi Refinement to the eighth in just a few short years.
If this trend continued, Mi Li would likely overtake him from behind and reach Qi Refinement Great Perfection before Qu Lingjun did.
After testing his lessons,
Luo Chen fell into thought.
Under Qu Lingjun's nervous gaze, Luo Chen slowly smiled.
"Very good. Your foundation is solid; at least to my eyes, your spiritual power is exceptionally pure."
Hearing this, Qu Lingjun let out a long breath of relief.
He chuckled sheepishly. "As long as I didn't disappoint Master, that's all that matters."
Seeing his earnest grin, Luo Chen continued, "In your spare time, you can go to the Hall of Transmission and borrow a technique called the *Blazing Sun True Scripture*."
"*Blazing Sun True Scripture*?"
"Yes. That is the second-rank fire-attribute technique practiced by the Yan Alliance's Foundation Establishment disciples. Once you successfully establish your foundation in the future, you can immediately switch to this technique. I can even procure the subsequent third-rank *Blazing Sun True Scripture* for you."
Qu Lingjun was instantly thrilled.
Did this not mean that for his future cultivation, he would never have to worry about a lack of cultivation techniques?
Moreover, it was a direct succession; he wouldn't even need to worry about incompatibility.
Watching his excited expression, Luo Chen could not help but shake his head with a sigh.
Perhaps this was the benefit of having a master and elders!
He himself possessed considerable mastery in fire magic; whether in cultivation techniques or spells, he could provide Qu Lingjun with ample guidance and care.
Unlike his own situation.
Even now, he was still agonizing over what technique to cultivate after Core Formation.
After Qu Lingjun left,
three jade slips appeared before Luo Chen.
*Blazing Sun True Scripture*
*Huaqing Single Heart Art*
*Burning Wood True Art*
Of these three techniques, the first was a transcribed copy that Min Longyu had obtained from Elder Fei Ming after the destruction of the Yan Alliance—a pure fire-attribute technique.
The second was bestowed by Master Canglong. During his time in the Ice Prison, Luo Chen had expressed his need for a third-rank technique.
However, his primary cultivation technique, the *Ageless Evergreen Scripture*, was a closely guarded secret of the Medicine King Sect.
Even though he had relied on his panel to deduce the complete Foundation Establishment chapter, he still had nothing regarding what came after the Golden Core stage.
Master Canglong could not obtain the original technique either, so from his decades of accumulated collection, he gave Luo Chen a wood-attribute technique: the *Huaqing Single Heart Art*.
As for the third, it was an inheritance Luo Chen had recently obtained from the storage bag of a late Foundation Establishment cultivator.
A third-rank technique of dual wood and fire cultivation, and partially incomplete.
Faced with these three techniques, Luo Chen fell into hesitation.
In terms of combat enhancement, cultivating the Yan Alliance's *Blazing Sun True Scripture* was undoubtedly the most suitable. However, switching techniques had a profound impact on a cultivator.
It was not merely a matter of changes in spiritual power.
If longevity and the extension of lifespan were considered,
a pure wood-attribute technique would, comparatively speaking, grant a cultivator several extra years of life.
There had always been common knowledge in the cultivation world that cultivators specializing in Water, Wood, or Earth enjoyed longer lifespans than those specializing in Metal or Fire.
Luo Chen had personally validated this knowledge: the spiritual power cultivated through the *Ageless Evergreen Scripture* truly possessed a nourishing effect on the physical body.
Furthermore, Sun Sifang, a master of medicine specializing in Water, had lived beyond the two-hundred-and-fifty-year limit of a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, reaching an astonishing two hundred and seventy-five years before passing away!
Therefore, continuing after Core Formation with the relatively compatible *Huaqing Single Heart Art* was undeniably the best choice for longevity.
Lastly, there was the incomplete *Burning Wood True Art*.
This was a rare technique of dual cultivation in both Wood and Fire.
Moreover, it was an exceptional fit for Luo Chen's current dilemma: his primary cultivation was Wood, yet his combat methods were Fire.
Switching to this technique could resolve that predicament, and the transition would be smooth.
However, in the cultivation world, any technique that involved cultivating multiple elements carried two fatal flaws.
Cultivation speed was slow!
Breaking through major realms was exceptionally difficult!
This was no mere rumor, but a truth proven by generations of cultivators through their own experiences.
Along his journey of cultivation, Luo Chen had acquired several multi-element cultivation techniques and had watched others practice them.
Duan Rui of the Duan family specialized in *Nether Spring Netherfire*, a dual cultivation of Water and Fire.
Sima Huiniang practiced *Pavilion Near Water*, a dual cultivation of Water and Wood.
The former had been stuck at Qi Refinement Great Perfection, attempting Foundation Establishment twice and failing both times.
The latter, despite being supported by the Luotian Association's vast resources, frequent supplies of high-grade Jade Dew Pills from Luo Chen, and a top-grade cave abode, progressed at an agonizingly slow crawl.
Even now, she had barely stepped into the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment.
These two were living proof of the two fatal flaws inherent to multi-element cultivation.
Thus, even though the *Burning Wood True Art*, which could resolve his dilemma, lay right before him, Luo Chen could not bring himself to make a decision.
Especially since this technique was incomplete.
After some hesitation, Luo Chen sighed and carefully stored the three jade slips into the Leiji Treasure Ring.
"Forget it, forget it!"
"I haven't formed my core yet. Why worry about this now?"
"Besides, these are merely happy troubles. Back when I broke through to Foundation Establishment, I had to scramble afterward to search for a second-rank natal technique. To be able to gather three suitable techniques in advance is already a monumental blessing. How can I still be so picky?"
After sighing,
Luo Chen rallied his spirits, refined a few more furnaces of pills, and deduced the recipe for a second-rank Nether-Passage Pill along the way.
Then, taking two pills with him, he entered the cultivation chamber.
A high-grade Blood-Augmenting Pill and a high-grade Dust-Descending Pill!
One augmented vitality and blood essence, while the other refined essence into qi.
Combined, their effect rivaled that of a high-grade Soaring Dragon Pill.
Chapter 435