Four jade bottles, each of a different color.
Luo Chen was very familiar with the two largest ones. Made entirely of transparent glazed jade, wreathed within by wisps of golden mist, they were precisely the glazed jade soul bottles specially used in the Northern Sea to preserve Soul Essence.
The Soul Essence that Old Monster Netherfire had traded to Luo Chen earlier had also been packed in this kind of specialized bottle.
Evidently, this was the remuneration Fu Chaosheng had promised during their prior agreement.
Only, back then, the pact had been to deliver the remaining two bottles to Luo Chen after the matter was accomplished.
Yet now, the moment they arrived in the Central Plains, the old man had brought them out without hesitation.
Luo Chen felt a flicker of delight, though his brow furrowed slightly.
"The task has yet to be carried out. Is Daoist Fu truly so at ease handing me the payment beforehand?"
Fu Chaosheng looked solemn. "Why should I not be? Will you depart without taking leave, breaking your pledge? Or will you put in appearances without making an effort, merely going through the motions?"
Luo Chen fell silent.
He was truly not that kind of person.
Still, Fu Chaosheng was remarkably sharp at reading people!
Since that was the case, he could accept them boldly and without worry.
Refining Great Soul Pills was vastly more difficult than Hongyuan Pills. Even with the panel's proficiency guarantee, the proficiency increase remained quite slow.
With that previous bottle, Luo Chen estimated he would exhaust it in just a few years.
With these two bottles as a supplement, he had nothing to worry about. Moreover, he could refine pills freely, raising his proficiency with Great Soul Pills to strive for taking high-grade Great Soul Pills sooner.
Then, he looked with curiosity at the other two jade bottles.
These two bottles also differed greatly in color.
One was pure white, the other crimson.
"And these are?"
"Taihe Pills and Flameflow Marrow."
Luo Chen looked bewildered.
Without keeping him in suspense, Fu Chaosheng directly explained the origins and uses of both items one by one.
"Taihe Pills are among the most renowned high-tier medicinal pills of our Tianyuan Dao Sect, provided exclusively for Nascent Soul cultivators to consume, capable of substantially boosting magic power.
"Yet this pill possesses hidden perils. Taking too many or failing to thoroughly refine them will cause the barrier of one's violet palace to thin, and can even leave the Nascent Soul's body muddled and impure.
"For that reason, they were discarded five hundred years ago. The Taihe Pills celebrated across the sect today are actually an improved formula created by Alchemy Saint Chu Yan. Those pills are allocated solely to the sect's core Nascent Soul True Persons.
"However, this turned out to be a good thing as well. Many of the discarded, high-grade Taihe Pills of the old formula were carved up among our great clans.
"This bottle of Taihe Pills I am giving you is the very last bottle remaining in my hands, of top-grade quality. I know my path is without further hope, and if Qinglan performs well in the Grand Competition, she will naturally receive the new version of Taihe Pills issued by the sect and will have even less need for this. Thus, I am simply offering it as a favor to help you advance your cultivation in the short term.
"Nor do you need to worry about its hidden flaws. With only a single bottle, so long as you dedicate some effort to refining it, it will cause no harm to your foundation."
Intrigued, Luo Chen uncapped the white jade bottle.
Sure enough, an incomparably rich, almost irrepressible surge of medicinal potency drifted from inside.
Pinching a white pill between his fingers, Luo Chen could not discern its true efficacy without taking it, yet judging merely by its exterior, it surpassed his lower-grade Hongyuan Pills by a wide margin.
While he inspected the Taihe Pill, Fu Chaosheng's voice sounded beside his ear.
"Flameflow Marrow comes from the Western Desert. It is the remnant product of a flame river in the boundless desert where a Tier 5 sourceless fire once took birth. Its intrinsic might is not especially high, as its essence was largely absorbed by that Tier 5 fire spirit. Yet this Flameflow Marrow possesses the trait of promoting the advancement of a cultivator's source true fire.
"In your earlier years, you won renown across the Northern Sea under the title of Demonic Lord Qingyang. I have long heard of your flame control methods. With this Flameflow Marrow, perhaps your source true fire can rise to another level!"
Luo Chen was stunned.
It was not that he doubted the truth of Fu Chaosheng's words.
Rather, based on the description, he had found the corresponding medicinal name in the alchemy texts left behind by the Heaven Refining Demon Lord.
Its name was Withered Source Fire Marrow!
When a sourceless fire developed strong spirituality and departed, this type of resource would form at its withered source.
The Heaven Refining Demon Lord called it Withered Source Fire Marrow, whereas here in the Mountain Sea Realm it was referred to as Flameflow Marrow.
The former was a broad classification. Evidently, this kind of resource did not belong exclusively to that one site in the Western Desert; other potent Tier 5 fire spirits could likewise yield such fire marrow.
For instance, within Blazing Purgatory, on Vermilion Bird Mountain!
Such a treasure, yet Fu Chaosheng was willing to give it away for free?
It seemed he was staking everything on his granddaughter's five-hundred-year Grand Competition!
Furthermore, judging by the clan rivalries in the Central Plains he had spoken of, the pressure had to be enormous. That was why Fu Chaosheng kept raising his stakes beyond the scope of their original agreement.
At this moment, Luo Chen ought to have said, "You are truly thoughtful."
Yet as his fingers touched the crimson jade bottle containing the Flameflow Marrow, the words on the tip of his tongue abruptly changed.
"Inside the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven, this Luo will surely spare no effort!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he saw the stern countenance of the old man opposite him burst into a radiant smile, like a blossoming flower.
Evidently, this was precisely what Fu Chaosheng had wanted to hear.
***
Wangwu Mountain Range.
The ancestral grounds of the Fu clan.
Extremely close to Star Island, yet exceedingly far from the Tianyuan Dao Sect.
From this alone, one could see that although the Fu clan bore the title of a Prestigious Clan, it had already sunk to the bottom among the thirty-six Prestigious Clans.
Otherwise, its ancestral territory would have been located within the innermost, most prime central expanse of the Central Plains.
Yet one could not truly say it was far from the Tianyuan Dao Sect.
The entirety of the Central Plains was the mountain gate of the Tianyuan Dao Sect, so how could there be any talk of distance?
Amid a mountain peak shrouded in swirling clouds and mist, Fu Chaosheng watched the cave dwelling's entrance doors slowly grind shut, a look of profound relief spreading across his face.
Standing nearby, Fu Hongzhang wore an expression of sheer heartache instead.
"Clan Head, was there truly any need to go this far?"
With his hands behind his back, Fu Chaosheng leisurely strolled down the mountain.
"Why shouldn't it be so?"
Fu Hongzhang followed closely behind. "The earlier agreement was one thing—even if we took a bit of a loss, I could accept it when weighed against Qinglan's prospects and the clan's honor. But you delivered the remuneration ahead of schedule, gave away pills for free, and have now even lent him the Tier 4 cave dwelling you use for your own cultivation. Such investment is truly excessive. Oh, and furthermore, we are also shouldering the trouble caused by the Desolate Hermit's spirit pet. Are you looking for a helper, or would an outsider think you were recruiting a grandson-in-law?"
"A grandson-in-law?"
Fu Chaosheng laughed helplessly.
"If he were willing, every eligible woman in the clan would be his to choose from. If Qinglan were satisfied, I would agree as well—though he would have to marry into the family."
Fu Hongzhang sighed. How could an ordinary woman catch the eye of the Desolate Hermit?
As for marrying in?
The man would rather remain a rogue cultivator in the Northern Sea than join a major power; he was clearly someone who prized his freedom above all. How could he possibly submit to such an indignity?
Suddenly.
The elder ahead halted his steps. Fu Hongzhang heard only a faint, melancholic sigh.
"Hongzhang, do you know why, despite having little lifespan remaining, I continue to shoulder both the posts of patriarch and clan head, delaying handing the position of clan head over to you?"
Fu Hongzhang froze, then said reflexively, "It is because Hongzhang is incompetent and cannot carry the clan's rise and fall."
Those polite words were met with a straightforward answer.
Fu Chaosheng nodded. "You are right. However, it is not that you lack ability. You have ability; you merely lack bold resolve."
"Uh..."
Fu Chaosheng looked out over the hazy scenery below the Wangwu Mountain Range, spreading his divine sense to perceive the auras of every single Fu clansman.
Leaving the clan for two hundred years felt like yesterday to him, yet for low-tier cultivators, it was long enough for seas to turn into mulberry fields.
Most of those auras had grown unfamiliar; only the resonance of shared bloodline brought a sense of warmth.
However!
Unfamiliar though they were, they brimmed with vigor!
"You said it yourself: weighed against Qinglan's future and the clan's honor, taking a bit of a loss matters little. That is why I had you gather all manner of resources for Luo Chen with your whole heart.
"Since that is the case, why can we not take a few more losses within our limits of endurance?
"So long as Qinglan has hope of becoming a Transformation God seed, all our losses will be recouped tenfold, a hundredfold, centuries or millennia down the line!"
Fu Hongzhang nodded. "I understand the reasoning, but..."
Fu Chaosheng shook his head. "No, you do not understand. You do not understand Luo Chen's intentions at all. His goal is not to become a Guest Elder of the Heaven and Earth Peak's Star Gate, nor is it to join the Tianyuan Dao Sect. As for those resources, troublesome though they are to gather, any of us Nascent Soul True Persons can always find them if we set our minds to it. Surely you do not think Luo Chen lacks that capability?"
There were indeed pure cultivators in this world who were ignorant of secular matters.
Clearly, the Desolate Hermit was not one of them.
Fu Hongzhang had interacted extensively with his subordinates. Whether it was the honest Sang Jinghe or the shrewd and capable Tianxuan, both possessed the ability to handle affairs independently.
Moreover, there was that formidable Tier 4 desolate beast assisting him, possessing might comparable to a Nascent Soul True Person.
Even that Zhang Jingqing, who was merely in the Foundation Establishment stage and looked pitiful, was in truth an extraordinarily perceptive and sharp individual.
If the Desolate Hermit could gather such people beneath him, he could establish a faction with just a bit of effort; gathering resources would be effortless!
He asked hesitantly, "Then what are his intentions?"
"I do not know either."
"Uh..."
"Precisely because I do not know, I must constantly increase the stakes, forcing him to focus his mind entirely on the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven for the time being."
*So that's why!*
Fu Hongzhang came to a sudden realization.
Without knowing the Desolate Hermit's motives, continuously raising the stakes unilaterally would draw his attention and hold it fast.
He had seen such methods before when following the clan head in business dealings, only this time the old man's boldness was on a far grander scale.
Whether it was the older-generation top-grade Taihe Pills, the Flameflow Marrow sourced from the Western Desert, or even the newly reconfigured cave dwelling on Wangwu Peak, none were things an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator would easily part with.
Yet under such hefty stakes, Fu Hongzhang still felt a trace of worry.
"What if he takes the items and fails to perform?"
Regarding this, Fu Chaosheng appeared rather confident.
"How could he fail to perform? Leave the Central Plains directly? This is the Tianyuan Dao Sect! As for what you truly worry about—him going through the motions without exerting himself—I am not so concerned.
"I investigated very thoroughly. The two human cultivators accompanying Luo Chen do not actually share an intimate bond with him. One is a legacy disciple who was merely an acquaintance in the Myriad Immortals Association, and the other is the daughter of a vassal he took in casually—a daughter who was not even particularly valued.
"Yet for the sake of sentiment, he did not hesitate to keep them at his side. He even had his spirit pet brave the danger of demon beasts besieging the Coral Sea specifically to rescue them, which shows he is a person of deep loyalty who honors his word.
"Speaking of spirit pets, when that desolate beast Black King defiled the Star Island teleportation array, Luo Chen was also willing to pay spirit stones to settle the matter...
"Most importantly, he still remembers the guidance I gave him back in Feileng City on Lengguang Island!"
*So that's how it is.*
Fu Hongzhang felt enlightened once more, as if bathed in divine illumination.
Even so, he was puzzled. If that were the case, why had the clan head not acted like this earlier, waiting until they reached the Central Plains?
Little did he know that Fu Chaosheng's shift in mindset had occurred in a single instant.
Back on Star Island, Luo Chen's words—"I do not wish to trouble you overmuch"—had jolted him awake like a sudden bell.
"Hongzhang, organize the intelligence gathered over these years and send it up. Furthermore, tell our clansmen at Mount Lanke to continue gathering all intelligence regarding the five-hundred-year Grand Competition!"
"Yes, Clan Head!"
***
Lanke Mountain Range!
Stretching for countless tens of thousands of li, the mountain range undulated like a verdant dragon, filled with layered ridges and extraordinary peaks rising one after another.
There were also lakes, seas, and winding rivers whose rippling waters dotted the mountains.
For tens of millions of years, the immense mountain range had crouched upon the earth like the world's most steadfast guardian, silently watching the vicissitudes of the mortal realm.
The dusk sun cast golden rays across the ridges, and floating motes of dust seemed to recount ancient tales of this land.
This was the innermost, most prime core of the Central Plains.
The Tianyuan Dao Sect was situated right here.
Bordering it was a single solitary peak that linked heaven and earth—Heaven and Earth Peak.
At this moment, three figures emerged from Heaven and Earth Peak.
One man and two women, all handsome of face and slender of build.
The man followed silently behind, a dazed expression on his face, as though still immersed in some lingering thought.
The two women in front chatted idly as they walked.
"Qinglan, you just met True Person Kantian. What did you think?"
Fu Qinglan considered the question and offered words like gold: "Imposing presence, boundless magic power!"
Yu Xu broke into a bright smile. "To earn such high praise from you, it seems this Dao Protector my clan found for me is indeed extraordinary. But then again, he is different from the Nascent Soul cultivators raised by our aristocratic clans. He hails from the most mysterious Southern Border and was the last sect master of the Tianshan Sect. Not only is his cultivation formidable, but his combat prowess is long seasoned. With his protection, I won't have to worry overmuch during the trip to the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven."
If word of this were to spread, it would surely drop countless jaws.
The leader of a Nascent Soul great sect had actually humbled himself to join the Tianyuan Dao Sect—truly an astonishing turn of events.
Yet this had allowed her Yu clan to seize a rare bargain.
Yu Xu suddenly asked, "Qinglan, have you settled on your Dao Protector?"
Fu Qinglan shook her head.
Yu Xu said anxiously, "You can't possibly imitate the Master-Disciple faction and enter the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven alone!"
Fu Qinglan bit her lip, remaining silent.
Yu Xu's eyes darted thoughtfully. "What about that Qi Xiongcheng I introduced to you earlier? Though he came from humble servant origins in the Great House Shi clan, he managed to reach the Nascent Soul realm, and has not yet set up his own independent household. He has been in the realm for less than a hundred years, perfectly satisfying the conditions to enter the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven. You are familiar with Shi Yue; asking him for Qi Xiongcheng shouldn't be difficult."
Fu Qinglan said softly, "My grandfather has his own arrangements for this matter."
"Your Fu clan has long declined, and Elder Fu has been away in the Northern Sea for years. How could he easily find an exceptional Dao Protector for you? In my view, whoever it is won't be as good as Qi Xiongcheng."
"We'll see. My grandfather said he is returning soon." Fu Qinglan shook her head, seemingly unwilling to discuss the matter further.
Yet as a cool breeze brushed past her cheeks and tousled her hair, a hint of bewilderment surfaced in her eyes.
The letter had said he was an exceptionally formidable rogue cultivator.
Yet just how formidable could a rogue cultivator be?
Chapter 739