Overbearing and Greedy, Rumors Led Me Astray!

Helian Yun and the other three had clearly spent a long time preparing for today's meeting. This was no baseless conjecture. From delivering the calling card to presenting the pill recipe now, not a single step along the way was without deliberate intent. Just like when he first entered, the three great cultivators had exerted pressure on Luo Chen together, plainly testing his strength. Moreover, regarding their choice of an alchemist to concoct this pill, they had likely selected Luo Chen only after meticulous screening. The alchemists of great sects might possess even greater skill, and a figure like Fu Jiusheng undoubtedly knew a few third-rank alchemists. Yet they dared not seek their aid. The reason was simple: they had nothing capable of swaying such masters, and they risked having the pill recipe coveted by others. In contrast, Luo Chen's alchemical skills were renowned far and wide, and he harbored his own need to form a Golden Core. Without any additional conditions required, Luo Chen would naturally be tempted. Lastly! There was the gathering of the numerous ingredients listed on it. Luo Chen looked at the four with doubt. "Can these ingredients truly be gathered?" He pointed at the bamboo scroll and said solemnly, "The materials required for this Nether Origin Pill are by no means ordinary. Even if I were to procure them myself, I fear it would be difficult to assemble everything in a hundred years." Yet Helian Yun seemed thoroughly confident. "Fellow Daoist perhaps underestimates this old man." "Though the Lianyun Merchant Alliance has declined, a century of operation is very real. Sixty percent of the materials listed here, I can produce right now." "As for the remaining forty percent, after spending a few years, we will surely be able to gather most of it." Luo Chen raised an eyebrow. He had indeed overlooked this point. The Lianyun Merchant Alliance made its living shuttling back and forth across north and south, trading and hoarding resources. To say nothing of the rest, just their former branch in Dahe Market had gathered countless rare treasures emerging from the Million Mountains of the Eastern Desolation every year. However! "What about the three most crucial primary ingredients?" Among those three, even if Luo Chen tried, he couldn't acquire a single one. To his surprise, Helian Yun replied candidly, "Of the three primary ingredients, the most precious and also the rarest—the Jialan Thunder Flower—is already in our hands." "Oh?" Helian Yun gestured toward Xiao Sanren. "In the Deity Transformation ruins, Fellow Daoist Xiao obtained an intact Jialan Thunder Flower, enough to serve as an ingredient for concocting the Nether Origin Pill at least a dozen times." Luo Chen turned his gaze toward Xiao Sanren. Ever since they began discussing serious business, this man had not spoken a word, even more taciturn than Fu Jiusheng. Now, under his scrutiny, Xiao Sanren nodded solemnly. Luo Chen pursed his lips. "Then how are the other two primary ingredients to be found?" This time, all four gazes fell squarely onto Luo Chen. Luo Chen frowned. "What does this mean? Didn't you say you could gather them?" Helian Yun smiled faintly. "Look at the name of this Mount Tian Yang-Returning Water, Fellow Daoist. Does it seem familiar?" "Of course it's familiar. Isn't that just the first-rank spirit herb Yang-Returning... Mount Tian?" Luo Chen paused, then blurted out, "Could it be that Ice Fort produces this item?" Helian Yun nodded, his tone steeped in age. "This is a secret unknown to you younger generations. Ice Fort is situated in the most barren region of the Jade Cauldron Domain, and their recruitment is mostly restricted to female cultivators. Under such circumstances, how could they produce nine Golden Cores... no, ten Golden Core cultivators now! Why do you think that is?" As Luo Chen fell into thought, Helian Yun made an emphatic sweep of his hand and stated assertively, "Rumor has it that Ice Fort produces an abundance of Mount Tian Yang-Returning Water. By combining it with their sect's Core Formation secret technique, they managed to grit their teeth and cultivate ten Golden Core cultivators. And as for your relationship with Ice Fort, Fellow Daoist Danchenzi..." Hearing this, Luo Chen understood completely. They were pinning their hopes of obtaining Mount Tian Yang-Returning Water, this primary ingredient, entirely on him! Indeed! Given Luo Chen's relationship with Ice Fort, if he personally asked for a portion of Mount Tian Yang-Returning Water, it shouldn't be difficult. After all, Supreme Elder Canglong had even stated that were it not for his unsuitable constitution, she could have granted Luo Chen access to Ice Fort's exclusive Core Formation secret technique. His mind settled, Luo Chen turned his attention to the final primary ingredient. This time, before he could speak, Fu Jiusheng cut straight to the point. "The Nine-Pattern Snake Saliva Fruit—I know where it can be found!" "The only question is, how do we harvest it?" At this point, he stared intently at Luo Chen. "Given your resounding reputation as a master alchemist, your attainment in the alchemy technique Pure Heart Hand shouldn't be lacking, should it?" Luo Chen flicked his wide sleeve. The corners of his mouth curled into a slight smile, remaining silent. Madam You Sha chimed in supportively, "Fellow Daoist Fu might not know, but during the Azure Pill Dao Seed contention back then, Danchenzi's alchemical techniques were so transcendent that even third-rank alchemists of Azure Pill Valley held him in high esteem. In the vast Jade Cauldron Domain, if he claims first place in something like the Pure Heart Hand, I fear no one would dare claim second!" Hearing this, a look of appreciation flashed in Fu Jiusheng's eyes. Even though he had known this information beforehand, seeing Luo Chen carry himself with such confidence still set his mind at ease. Between heaven and earth, spirit herbs and immortal flora were beyond count. Many herbs had peculiar growth traits. Take the Nine-Pattern Snake Saliva Fruit: beyond its specialized growing environment, it possessed the unique traits of decaying the moment it left the branch and dissolving the instant it touched the ground. From the moment it severed from the branch until it was incorporated into the medicine, no more than one shichen could elapse. Otherwise, it would turn into a deadly poison! Never mind concocting pills with it—even touching it lightly would cause a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator to perish on the spot. Furthermore, even as a poisonous fruit, it could not be preserved for long. Only an alchemist who had mastered the Pure Heart Hand to a profound level could harvest it on the spot and incorporate it immediately into the cauldron. So now, only one last question remained. "Danchenzi, can you truly concoct this pill?" "This is a third-rank pill after all. Even if its demands on alchemy aren't brutally harsh, our margin for error is exceedingly slim." "You have to give us a definitive answer. Otherwise, after years of painstaking preparations, if you fail to refine the Nether Origin Pill in the end, it will all have been drawing water with a wicker basket—utterly in vain." Faced with everyone's tense gazes, Luo Chen sank into deep thought. Inwardly, he gave a cold sneer. No wonder the four of them had come together! Madam You Sha provided the pill recipe; Xiao Sanren possessed the paramount primary ingredient, the Jialan Thunder Flower; Helian Yun wielded the Lianyun Merchant Alliance's channels, allowing him not only to gather most of the basic auxiliary materials but also acting as a local powerhouse within the Jade Cauldron Domain. The other three had only been able to get in touch with Luo Chen through Helian Yun as well. Lastly, on the matter of the Nine-Pattern Snake Saliva Fruit, Fu Jiusheng held a chokehold. He knew where it was, yet refused to disclose it in advance. This way, even if Luo Chen obtained the full Nether Origin Pill recipe, he could not refine it alone. As for how the four of them had linked up step by step? There were likely many twists and turns, a whole tale behind it. Yet that had little to do with him, and he couldn't be bothered to probe into their history. Right now, what occupied his thoughts wasn't how to refine the pill at all. With his exceptionally solid, even terrifying alchemical foundation, coupled with the vast pool of achievement points stored in his system, achieving basic mastery of this pill would not be difficult. In other words, as long as he had a guaranteed minimum of ten sets of raw materials, he would certainly be able to produce a batch of Nether Origin Pills! What he was pondering were matters beyond the pill itself. Had these four gathered beforehand and reached private agreements? Once the pills were made, would chaos erupt among them? Or would they join forces against him? Furthermore, just how dangerous was the growing site of the Nine-Pattern Snake Saliva Fruit that Fu Jiusheng spoke of? The longer Luo Chen remained silent, the more anxious Helian Yun and the others grew. He had looked so confident moments earlier. Why was he hesitating when it came to giving a definitive answer? Could it be that he lacked the ability? Just as the weight of dread in the four's hearts grew heavier, Luo Chen, having pondered at length, finally spoke. "I can refine this pill!" Before the four could celebrate, he immediately countered, "How exactly will this cooperation work? Is there an established plan? Once the pills are formed, how will they be divided? We are neither fellow disciples nor friends; how am I to ensure my personal safety during the refining process? You must make these points clear!" To these three questions, the group seemed well-prepared. Fu Jiusheng promptly answered, "The cooperation is straightforward. In our line of work as herb gatherers, we don't trust outsiders. When the time comes, none of us may bring friends, relatives, disciples, or subordinates. I will personally lead you to where the Nine-Pattern Snake Saliva Fruit grows, and there will only be the five of us!" This answer did not surprise Luo Chen. The others voiced no objection either. Helian Yun picked up the conversation: "As for that last question, I have a proposal. Prior to the completion of the pill, everyone must guarantee Danchenzi's safety to the best of their abilities!" "Agreed!" "Agreed!" "Agreed!" "I disagree," Luo Chen interjected suddenly. The four froze. Luo Chen sneered. "Words carry no weight. How am I to believe you?" "Uh..." "Yet you refuse to swear a Great Dao oath. How then are we to win your trust?" "Simple!" Luo Chen immediately brought out a jade slip, and amidst their curious glances, stated, "Though we will not swear a Great Dao oath, we can establish an essence blood contract." An essence blood contract! Hearing these four words, everyone's expressions stirred slightly. In the cultivation world, covenants and oaths were myriad. The best known were Great Dao oaths tied to the soul, as well as verbal promises. In addition, there were various pacts forged through magical treasures and artifacts. Among these, essence blood contracts were relatively renowned. Such contracts seemed less binding than a Great Dao oath on the surface, yet in practice, they were often the preferred choice for many. After all, Great Dao oaths were ethereal and vague. If an enemy was willing to sever their future immortal path just to break their word, the other party could do nothing about it. One faced immediate death, while the other merely severed their Dao path yet could still live for decades or centuries—so a Great Dao oath was really only worth so much! An essence blood contract was different. A cultivator swore by dripping a drop of essence blood formed from coalescing spiritual power and vitality. Should anyone breach the oath, they would suffer an instant backlash. Though the force of the backlash might not be devastating, in a crucial moment, even a slight backlash was enough to alert others or even grant an advantage. Madam You Sha said with a forced smile, "We cultivators have so little essence blood to begin with, and now we are on the verge of Core Formation. To swear with essence blood—wouldn't that affect our cultivation too much?" Luo Chen glanced at her. "Gathering the herbs and allowing me time to study the recipe and familiarize myself with refining the Nether Origin Pill will take several years at least. That is plenty of time for you to recover the single drop of essence blood spent. Or could it be that you harbor malicious intentions toward me? Or perhaps you don't even want the Core Formation spirit pill?" "If so, I might need to reconsider this entire cooperation." The initial words were reasonable and grounded. The latter two questions, however, struck straight at the heart with lethal accusation. "Not at all! Absolutely not!" Madam You Sha's delicate face paled, and she waved her hands repeatedly. "How could I possibly harbor ill intentions toward the Fire Spirit Lord?" "Hmph!" Luo Chen gave a cold snort and swept his gaze over the other three. Under his scrutiny, Helian Yun and the other two had no choice but to agree to establish an essence blood contract stipulating that before the Nether Origin Pill was successfully refined, everyone had to ensure his safety as far as possible and harbor no intentions of harming him. Now, only the distribution of the pills remained. "If fewer than five pills are produced, I want one. If more than five, I want two! If more than ten, I want three!" Madam You Sha stated without hesitation. "After all, the pill recipe was bought with my husband's life!" However! Xiao Sanren sneered. "Without my Jialan Thunder Flower, you would hold nothing more than an empty recipe." The two bickered fiercely. Helian Yun and Fu Jiusheng did not contest much. After all, a cultivator might only have one or two chances at Core Formation in their lifetime. Especially given how advanced in years the two were, a single pill was already sufficient. Their only point of contention was that even if fewer than five pills were refined, each of them insisted on receiving one. Amidst the arguing, only Luo Chen watched with cold eyes, uttering not a word. Gradually, the four subsided in their dispute. "Danchenzi, what do you think?" "What do I think?" Luo Chen chuckled. The smile was gentle like a balmy spring breeze brushing across their cheeks, soothing and refreshing. Yet it was also like the goose-feather snow in the dead of winter, sending a chill deep into their bones. "In the cultivation world, pill recipes are countless, and herbs are everywhere. But none of that matters in the slightest!" He pointed to himself. "Without an alchemist, they are nothing but trash!" "Therefore, I want the lion's share! Everything must satisfy my requirements first!" "Madam You Sha's terms sounded quite nice; let's apply them to me instead." "You four can discuss what remains amongst yourselves!" Such an overbearing declaration left all four dumbfounded. Luo Chen did not bother to argue further. Returning to his seat, he picked up his teacup and gently sipped the bitter tea. And truly! The spirit tea Helian Yun had brought out for his guests was genuinely extraordinary. Even someone like Luo Chen, who knew nothing of the tea ceremony, could discern the benefits after tasting it. Once the tea entered his body, his spiritual power truly surged with vitality, leaping and dancing before swiftly condensing into pure drops of spiritual liquid. It seemed to possess the effect of quickening one's cultivation speed! Even the clockwise-spinning spiritual vortex inside Luo Chen turned faster and more steadily. While he savored the tea, the four argued until they were red in the face. After a long time, when Luo Chen even felt his lower abdomen slightly bloated from the tea, the four finally agreed upon a result. "Danchenzi, we have reached an agreement. We will follow your terms." "Splendid!" "We do have one condition, however: regarding the Mount Tian Yang-Returning Water, could you ask for extra portions to share with us? After all, it is also a fine treasure that assists in Core Formation." Luo Chen curled his lip. "I will do what I can." The group felt helpless; this condition was clearly not binding. If Luo Chen chose to give them perfunctory lip service, there was nothing they could do. Next, they swore the essence blood contract and agreed to set out nine years from now, finally concluding a negotiation that had taken an entire day. The reason it was set nine years later was that Fu Jiusheng had noted, according to his experience, the Nine-Pattern Snake Saliva Fruit would need at least nine years to ripen. Nine years was essentially the baseline requirement. As for arriving too early? Better early than late! Before leaving, Luo Chen suddenly asked, "Grand Elder, this spirit tea of yours..." "You mean this third-rank Bodhi tea?" Helian Yun replied. Luo Chen nodded. "Yes. The flavor is quite pleasant." Helian Yun thought for a moment. "I do have some left. I can have someone deliver a box to Fellow Daoist's cave estate later." Hearing this answer, Luo Chen couldn't help breaking into a pleased smile. "If so, then many thanks, Fellow Daoist!" Afterward, he stepped into the moonlight and left Lianyun Building. Once he had departed, the atmosphere inside the room quieted at once. Helian Yun sat back in the master seat that Luo Chen had occupied all along. Lifting the teapot to pour himself a cup, he found it completely empty. He froze. When was it drunk dry? Beside him, Madam You Sha remarked in a sullen voice, "In the past, I only heard tales of Luo Chen's deeds and thought he would be easy to deal with. Who knew he would be so overbearing, even utterly greedy? What 'modest gentlemanly demeanor'? The rumors led me astray!" Her words found absolute resonance among the other three! Luo Chen's performance today had indeed made everyone deeply uncomfortable. Clearly invited as a guest, he had not only usurped the host's position, but on matters of cooperation, he was also excessively overbearing, leaving them no room to bargain. Yet unfortunately, they were the ones begging for his help. Suddenly, Fu Jiusheng asked a question. "Xiao Sanren, were you able to discern Luo Chen's current state?"