One year later.
To the west of Longyuan Island lay a stretch of lush, emerald green.
Whenever a gentle breeze blew across it, sprightly birds seemed to flutter and dance.
A closer look, however, revealed no birds at all. They were peculiar flowers connected to trailing vines. Their swaying silhouettes resembled the scissor-like tail of the divine kite-swallow, creating the illusion of birds in flight.
This was the Divine Iris!
A white-robed figure moved through the blossoms, channeling his qi and forming hand seals. Employing alchemy techniques, he harvested the flowers one by one into a basket.
His movements were deliberate and gentle, cautious not to harm the Divine Irises in the slightest.
One, two, three, four... Twelve rank-four Divine Irises in total!
The rest were far from maturity, having not yet accumulated enough years, lingering around the second or third rank.
Sang Jinghe stood outside the spirit field, watching the white-robed Daoist stroll along the path between the plots.
When the man drew near, Sang Jinghe bowed respectfully and said, "Congratulations, Senior, on a bountiful harvest!"
Looking at the brilliantly glowing herbs resting inside the basket woven from special vines, Luo Chen could not help but smile.
He gave Sang Jinghe an approving nod. "You have worked hard. I remember when this patch of Divine Irises was first transplanted, there were only eight at the fourth rank. In just nine years under your care, four more have matured. You have truly been a great help."
Flattered, Sang Jinghe nonetheless replied modestly, "Junior dares not claim credit. It is all thanks to Longyuan Island's fertile spiritual soil, which is exceptionally suited for growing medicinal herbs..."
The two walked at an unhurried pace along the path, discussing the situation across Longyuan Island.
Truth be told, ever since taking over the island, Luo Chen had devoted himself to cultivating deep within the subterranean chasm, never having examined the island in detail.
For the most part, its day-to-day affairs were left to Tianxuan and Sang Jinghe.
Only now, as Sang Jinghe explained it, did he realize what kind of blessed land this truly was.
Natural spiritual energy gathered deep in the chasm, seeping upward through the soil whenever it escaped.
Moreover, countless dragon earthworms had aerated the ground and secreted their unique mucus over millennia.
Over time, most of the earth across the island had accumulated remarkable spiritual vitality.
There were as many as seven distinct types of rank-four spiritual soil alone!
As for rank-three varieties, there were about twenty-one.
Those below the third rank were countless, blanketing every corner of Longyuan Island.
Because each soil had unique properties, various rare and unusual spirit herbs and flowers sprouted across them.
Many of the plants rich in spiritual energy had been devoured raw by the local dragon earthworms.
For instance, the three rank-three dragon earthworms Luo Chen encountered when he first entered the chasm had made their breakthroughs by gorging on high-grade spirit herbs after the Fallen Abyss Dragon Sect departed.
Yet there were also herbs naturally repellent to dragon earthworms that had managed to survive, their grades by no means low.
Under Sang Jinghe's diligent care, all these plants were now thriving.
As Sang Jinghe listed their names one by one, an idea began forming in Luo Chen's mind.
Cross-referencing them with the alchemy manuals and pill formulas he had studied recently, he gradually sketched out a combination of herbs to assist in Golden Core formation.
Sang Jinghe concluded with an exclamation of mixed delight and regret:
"This island is truly a blessed land rarely seen in this world!
"Even if it is not ideal for cultivators to train in, if treated as a dedicated herb garden, Longyuan Island would have countless Nascent Soul upper sects fighting tooth and nail over it.
"It is just a pity that those dragon earthworms knew nothing of spiritual plant husbandry. They guarded such a treasure for thousands of years without ever knowing how to put it to proper use."
Luo Chen listened with a smile, largely sharing the sentiment.
Back when the Luotian Sect was based on Danxia Mountain, their initial focus had been the business of pills and medicinal herbs.
To cultivate herbs, they had poured immense effort into preparing spiritual soil and spirit fields.
At one point, they had even imported green-scaled fish from the Qinhua River Li family to fertilize the soil with their droppings.
Yet even with all that effort, they could only cultivate ordinary rank-one spiritual soil.
Nothing like Longyuan Island, where high-grade soil lay everywhere—a paradise for any spirit planter!
Luo Chen could not remain on Longyuan Island forever; he was bound to leave eventually. When that time came, this spiritual soil could not be left to waste. If he could thoroughly refine the Penglai Octagonal Pavilion, he might be able to pack up and carry most of it away.
As they talked, the two had exited the Divine Iris garden.
"Take good care of the remaining Divine Irises as before. Do not neglect them," Luo Chen instructed.
Sang Jinghe bowed with cupped hands. "Rest assured, Senior, Junior understands."
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Also, gather ten mature portions each of the seven herbs you mentioned earlier—the Gold Cotton Thorn Flower, the Early Dusk Fruit, and the rest—and deliver them outside Bibo Pool."
He did not mention what he needed them for, and Sang Jinghe did not pry.
Only as they parted did Luo Chen offer an extra word of advice:
"Immersing yourself in plant cultivation is fine and good, but do not let your personal cultivation fall behind."
Sang Jinghe was stunned.
As the successor groomed with great care by Sang Jiugong, his cultivation was naturally decent, already at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment.
Otherwise, he would not have ventured to Purple Spirit Island on his own.
Yet in his own eyes, his value to Demonic Lord Qingyang lay solely in tending herbs; his ninth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivation was entirely negligible.
He had never imagined that this senior figure would remind him not to stray from his core path.
For a moment, Sang Jinghe felt a surge of warmth and gratitude.
...
When powerful figures were usually stern, a rare moment of care caught one off guard, naturally stirring deep gratitude.
Luo Chen paid no mind to what Sang Jinghe was thinking. Carrying the basket, he rode a gentle breeze toward Bibo Pool.
Passing by Xiaqiu Mountain, he paused.
From afar, countless rosy clouds seemed to drape the peak in brilliant colors, earning it the name Xiaqiu—the Rosy Cloud Mound.
Up on the mountain, someone was beckoning him.
Smiling faintly, Luo Chen altered his course and headed up Xiaqiu Mountain.
The moment he reached the summit and took in the view, his eyes brightened, and his spirit refreshed.
The sky was vast and the sea boundless, with ten thousand leagues of azure waves rolling beneath a tapestry of glowing clouds and weary birds drifting home like evening mist.
Han Zhan gestured for Luo Chen to sit across from him.
A slab of green stone served as their table, accompanied by fine wine.
Tilting his head slightly, Luo Chen let a mouthful of clear wine slide down his throat, as if swallowing the myriad sunset hues along with it.
"Tsk..."
"Senior truly knows how to enjoy life, drinking wine and admiring the view day in and day out in total leisurely comfort. Unlike me, who sits alone in a cold, dim chasm, losing track of sun and moon."
Luo Chen let out a long breath. It had been a long time since he had felt this relaxed.
Han Zhan paid little heed to his complaints.
"This old man is currently adapting to a new body and cannot cultivate excessively. Do you think I wouldn't rather be training hard?
"As for you..."
Han Zhan glanced at the basket resting beside the stone table.
"In the first half of the year, you harvested every mature rank-four Purple Monkey Flower, and today you personally gathered the Divine Irises. I take it refining the Nascent Soul Formation Pill is officially on the agenda?"
Luo Chen smiled slightly. "Senior has a keen eye!"
He paused briefly before speaking in a measured tone: "Does Senior still remember the promise you made me back then?"
"What promise?" Han Zhan asked offhandedly.
Not the least bit annoyed that the elder had forgotten, Luo Chen replied earnestly, "Back then, Senior mentioned that once I succeeded in refining the Nascent Soul Formation Pill, you would share your insights from taking one yourself."
"Oh, that!" Han Zhan blinked in surprise, then looked at Luo Chen with amusement. "It seems you are quite confident about refining the Nascent Soul Formation Pill, asking about it ahead of time."
How could Luo Chen not be confident?
With his current alchemy attainments, low-rank pills were child's play, and rank-four pills merely required a bit more effort.
Even though an ancient formula like the Nascent Soul Formation Pill was intricate, he could simply invest ten achievement points to ensure total certainty.
Seeing Luo Chen's resolve, Han Zhan did not refuse. Riding the pleasant buzz of the wine, he recounted his experience of consuming the Nascent Soul Formation Pill step by step.
"The Nascent Soul Formation Pill I took was retrieved from an ancient cultivator's ruins. It had aged for far too long, and much of its medicinal potency had degraded. When I took it, it nearly ruined my breakthrough. Fortunately, my foundation was solid, and aided by other resources for Nascent Soul formation bestowed by Tianfan City, I managed by sheer luck to succeed in one go. As I recall, the pill burned fiercely as it went down. Once refined, its potency remained remarkably concentrated; it entered no apertures and lingered in no meridians, plunging straight into the sea of qi. Upon entering the qi sea, it did not scatter at all. Instead, it completely enveloped the Golden Core and began seeping into it relentlessly..."
...
Luo Chen listened with absolute focus, not missing a single detail.
He took extra care to cross-examine Han Zhan on the taboos and critical pitfalls.
Once the Nascent Soul Formation Pill was refined, its potency could not be forcibly dispersed.
While it permeated the Golden Core, one had to harness that force to unite the three treasures—essence, qi, and spirit—bringing about the sign of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown!
At last, Han Zhan took a sip of wine to moisten his throat.
Setting down his cup, he looked at Luo Chen with equal seriousness.
"In truth, from where I stand, your foundation is so immense that few among the Golden Core cultivators of this era could ever match you. In particular, I look at your constitution—fierce as blazing fire yet grand and upright, like an innate true flame!
"Though I know not what changes occurred in your body,
"under such conditions, you might have a seventy to eighty percent chance of success even without relying on a Nascent Soul Formation Pill. Is there really any need to seek external aid?"
A seventy to eighty percent chance of forming a Nascent Soul was truly terrifying.
Hardly anyone in the world could amass such a foundation during the Golden Core stage.
Even Heavenly Spirit Root cultivators—reputed to face no bottlenecks below the Soul Formation stage—only had a fifty-fifty chance when condensing a Nascent Soul.
Luo Chen naturally knew his own condition.
After soaking in the Spirit-Sculpting Sacred Spring, he had gained the Five Spirits Dao Body, comparable to a five-element Heavenly Spirit Root!
Even though that Dao Body had been reshaped by his physical rebirth, his new Fire Spirit Body remained one of the rarest, finest constitutions in the world.
With this constitution reinforcing his foundation, his chances of forming a Nascent Soul were indeed drastically amplified.
Yet!
"If I can have absolute certainty, why begrudge a single pill? If I fell short because of that twenty or thirty percent margin of failure, how could I face the mountain of bones left behind on my journey?"
Luo Chen said calmly.
Han Zhan nodded, unable to refute the point.
By the time their conversation wound down, the sun had long since slipped below the horizon, and the moon hung high among the treetops.
The rosy glow had faded, leaving only the cool breeze and bright moonlight for company.
Han Zhan filled Luo Chen's cup again and raised his own, his face etched with nostalgia.
"Has it been seventy years already?
"Over sixty years have passed since you and I drifted into the Northern Sea.
"Back then, you had just stepped into the Golden Core stage, while I was merely a wisp of a remnant soul. Now, your Nascent Soul is within reach, my physical body is remade, and both of us can look toward the Great Dao once more.
"Looking back now, the past truly seems like drifting smoke!
"Come, a toast to these seventy years of wind and moon!"
Luo Chen raised his cup and clinked it against Han Zhan's.
He could not quite share that sense of aged desolation. Not yet two hundred years old, he was right in the prime of his path, boldly advancing along the Great Dao. What reason had he to wax poetic over the fleeting years?
Still, a shadow fell across his heart.
Seventy years. He wondered how his old friends and acquaintances were faring today.
Right then, crashing waves thundered against the shore.
Beneath the moonlight, a vigorous form breached the surface of the ocean, suspended in the air for a brief moment before plunging back into the boundless sea.
Luo Chen's gaze sharpened.
It was Black King!
After walking the razor's edge of death, he had found new life.
Now his aura was growing grander by the day, already radiating the formidable presence of a great demon braving the vast deep!
"You'll need to work hard, or this spirit pet of yours might just pull ahead of you!"
Han Zhan's chuckling voice sounded beside his ear.
Luo Chen pursed his lips and nodded slightly.
...
Black King's progress was unexpected, yet entirely reasonable.
Cultivated by Luo Chen for so many years, his foundation had always been extraordinary.
Before and after surviving his lethal tribulation, he had first soaked in the Spirit-Sculpting Sacred Spring, then absorbed the blood of millions of dragon earthworms—including an invaluable drop of Luo Chen's tip-of-the-tongue blood essence, rich with Taisui's vitality and Luo Chen's source power.
After devouring the remnant soul of the rank-five Stone Dragon, not only had he returned from the brink of death, but his final shortcoming had been mended as well.
Over the past year, secluded deep within the sea, he was clearly undergoing some kind of metamorphosis!
Yet Luo Chen had no time to focus on that.
The tasks at hand were far more urgent.
Apart from his daily cultivation to temper his magic power and advance step by step toward the Great Circle of the Golden Core stage, Luo Chen directed all his energy toward pill refinement.
Not just the Nascent Soul Formation Pill, but also the Liquid Condensation Pill!
This pill came from one of the thirty-six pill formulas preserved in Mingzhao Heaven, specifically meant for Foundation Establishment cultivators advancing to the Golden Core stage.
Its potency was not quite as potent as the Underworld Origin Pill Luo Chen had taken years ago, but it was far more versatile and better suited for ordinary cultivators.
Evidently, the formulas for humans, demons, and fiends left behind by Demonic Lord Liantian did not pursue extremes, aiming instead for broad applicability.
Luo Chen had not refined pills in years.
The primary ingredients for the Nascent Soul Formation Pill needed a little time to settle after being processed.
In the meantime, Luo Chen began practicing to familiarize himself with the three alchemy utensils he had recently refined.
Refining more of the pills he used to make held little meaning for him now.
Instead, he turned his sights to the formulas left behind by Demonic Lord Liantian.
The Liquid Condensation Pill was undoubtedly an excellent choice.
The herbs he had specifically instructed Sang Jinghe to gather earlier were precisely the core ingredients required for it.
Whatever else was missing could easily be supplemented from his own reserves.
With repeated practice, Luo Chen not only grew increasingly adept with his new alchemy tools, but also began harvesting batch after batch of Liquid Condensation Pills.
On this day, in the subterranean chasm, Luo Chen stood outside the thatched cottage and looked at the ten azure pills resting in his palm, nodding in satisfaction.
This was his third successful batch of Liquid Condensation Pills.
Combined with the previous ones, he now had thirty!
In the cultivation world, these could allow thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators at the Great Circle to attempt core formation.
Furthermore, the medicinal property of the Liquid Condensation Pill was gentle and balanced, sufficient to boost the chances of core formation by twenty to thirty percent. Paired with a decent core formation technique, the success rate would reach roughly fifty percent!
If he were still with the Luotian Sect, this batch of pills would have proven immensely valuable.
Alas, for now, they could only be shelved.
Luo Chen stored all of them into a green gourd. He intended to keep them; once he returned to the Eastern Desolation in the future, these pills would be enough to revitalize an entire sect.
Indeed, an exceptional alchemist was just that formidable!
The strength of a single person was enough to elevate an entire sect!
After a moment's thought, Luo Chen poured out three pills from the gourd and placed them into a jade vial.
He then sent out a voice transmission.
Before long, Tianxuan entered the chasm from the surface.
"Deliver this to Sang Jinghe."
Tianxuan was curious at first, but after a few words of explanation from Luo Chen, she understood the pills' purpose.
"Consider it a reward for his diligent and dedicated service over these past years," Luo Chen remarked.
Tianxuan was struck with realization. Her master had always been like this, never mistreating those who served him faithfully.
Setting aside what an overjoyed surprise it was for Sang Jinghe to receive three Liquid Condensation Pills, Luo Chen, having thoroughly mastered his new alchemy apparatus, finally commenced the refining of the Nascent Soul Formation Pill.
One by one, the auxiliary ingredients prepared long in advance were retrieved for their final processing.
The Divine Irises were dried to preserve their potency, while the Purple Monkey Flowers were soaked in spiritual liquid to diminish their toxicity.
Lastly came the Five Elements Lotus Platform!
With great care, Luo Chen retrieved the Five Elements Lotus Platform from the Penglai Octagonal Pavilion.
The moment it emerged, the item stirred restlessly, as if preparing to flee.
Had the Hunyuan Cauldron still been operational, its power to suppress the five elements would have kept the lotus platform thoroughly subdued.
Unfortunately, the cauldron lay dormant in his sea of qi, impossible to activate in the slightest.
However, Luo Chen had a contingency plan.
Within the subterranean chasm, a massive array ran steadily, powered by top-grade spirit stones.
Vast quantities of spiritual energy were drawn in, orderly separating into the five elements and shimmering with five-colored spiritual light.
Had Min Longyu been present, he would certainly have recognized this formation as the famed Reverse Five Elements Spirit Formation of the cultivation world!
Though it drew upon the five elements, its true purpose was to sever five-element spiritual energy!
Once caught inside, the five-element spiritual energy within any living being would be forcefully drained away.
As the lotus platform entered the array, the formation instantly activated. Feeling its own spiritual energy draining outward, the Five Elements Lotus Platform immediately clamped its petals shut, sealing off every shred of its aura.
"Just what I wanted—stay frozen!"
Luo Chen smiled faintly and stepped forward, brandishing a small knife forged entirely from Tongxuan Heavenly Crystal.
He needed only the lotus platform itself; the five lotus seeds could not be used in the medicine.
With a clean slice of the blade, tender white flesh as pure as jade was revealed.
"The quality of this lotus platform of mine is countless times superior to the one Azure Pill Valley gathered back then. It will be enough for me to use as an ingredient over a dozen times."
With a smile in his eyes, Luo Chen moved the small knife with increasing swiftness.
...
Luo Chen had prepared for years to refine the Nascent Soul Formation Pill.
Between gathering herbs, analyzing the pill formula, and honing his alchemy attainments, the process had been exceedingly complex and arduous.
Yet when the time finally came to refine it, there were remarkably few twists and turns.
There was none of the massive commotion Azure Pill Valley had stirred up back then, draining endless manpower and material wealth.
His medicinal ingredients were of superior quality, his alchemy skills surpassed Azure Pill Valley's Supreme Elder Qingdanzi, and the true fire he wielded far outclassed the six wondrous fires Azure Pill Valley had assembled at the time!
If there was any single shortcoming, it was likely his choice of alchemy apparatus.
Originally, the Hunyuan Cauldron would have been the finest option!
Yet he could not...
Whenever he thought of his unusable natal magic treasure, a lump rose in Luo Chen's throat.
Fortunately, he had spare implements.
A cauldron, a furnace, and a small kettle.
These three alchemy apparatuses came partly from Luo Chen's own collection and partly from the storage bags of fallen Golden Core cultivators.
Fully prepared, Luo Chen commenced the formal pill refinement.
To guard against any mishap, he spent an extra ten achievement points to attain the entry level of the Nascent Soul Formation Pill.
In merely three months, after ruining one alchemy cauldron and one small kettle, Luo Chen retrieved the treasure he had dreamed of for decades from the surviving alchemy furnace.
Ten Nascent Soul Formation Pills!
Interwoven with five colors, they resembled small sugar pills.
Yet resting in his palm, they were heavy, demanding the utmost care.
Luo Chen carefully inspected the ten pills, examining everything from color and scent to cloud patterns and medicinal potency, before arriving at a conclusion.
They were unequivocally at the rank-four lower-grade level!
Moreover, their potency was exceptionally profound, falling short of rank-four mid-grade by only the slimmest margin.
For the pills to turn out so well, the inherent quality of the Five Elements Lotus Platform accounted for most of the credit.
Amidst his joy, Luo Chen also felt a hint of regret.
If he had been able to refine them with the Hunyuan Cauldron, using the magic treasure's innate ability to elevate pill grade, he might have crossed that slender chasm and reached rank-four mid-grade.
"I am being far too greedy!"
Smelling of smoke and fire, Luo Chen chuckled and shook his head. For anyone else, obtaining a single Nascent Soul Formation Pill was tremendous fortune, let alone succeeding twice and producing ten whole pills!
And of such fine quality, too!
As he smiled, an idea suddenly struck him.
Insufficient pill quality?
To an alchemist, this was a well-worn dilemma, and there were many potential solutions.
One could supplement them with other spirit herbs to achieve a higher-grade effect.
Or one could return them to the furnace for a second refinement to make them even better.
Yet in Luo Chen's memory, there was another method that offered a chance to elevate a pill's quality!
Even after it was already completed!
Thinking of that method, Luo Chen felt a restless surge of excitement in his heart.
Chapter 710