Rogue cultivators were not necessarily lacking in strength.
Those who had made names for themselves all possessed some degree of capability.
However, entering the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven required meeting a strict condition: having formed a Nascent Soul less than a hundred years ago.
In such a brief span, early Nascent Soul cultivators were typically still at the stage of consolidating their foundations and feeling out their individual paths.
Those with formal lineages were naturally better off. Whether it was cultivation methods, magic treasures, or supplementary resources, their trajectories had long been mapped out for them.
Take her good friend Yu Xu, for example. The Dao Protector her family had secured for her was the last sect master of a Nascent Soul sect in the Southern Border. Even though he had fallen so low that he had no choice but to throw his lot in with the Tianyuan Dao Sect, his skills and foundation remained impeccably solid.
But a rogue cultivator?
To tell the truth, Fu Qinglan had no confidence at all.
For such people, successfully forming a Nascent Soul was already an immense stroke of fortune, to say nothing of any further progress.
A century was likely spent mostly stabilizing their realm, while the rest went toward searching for spiritual lands and resources; they might even be lacking in cultivation methods.
Under those conditions, how could they find the time to nurture powerful magic treasures and hone their combat abilities?
Unlike Dao Sect disciples like herself, inside the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven, it was these Dao Protectors who would do the brunt of the fighting.
Most of the other Dao Protectors were at the second or even third tier of the Nascent Soul stage.
According to her grandfather's letter, the rogue cultivator he had recruited was only at the first tier of the Nascent Soul stage. Could he truly hold his own?
Meanwhile, Qi Xiongcheng—the man Yu Xu had mentioned, who came from a line of servants to the Shi clan—had enjoyed the grooming of a Great House. After forming his Nascent Soul, he had poured all his energy into martial techniques. Even though he was also at the first tier of the Nascent Soul stage, he was evidently far more reliable.
It was just that... the Shi clan...
Fu Qinglan shook her head silently. Gifts from the Shi clan always came at a price. Her goal was to restore the Fu clan, and she could not afford such a cost.
Just as her thoughts churned, the young man who had been trailing quietly behind them suddenly spoke up.
"Senior Sisters, this junior will take his leave first."
Fu Qinglan gave an acknowledging hum.
Yu Xu, however, was rather surprised. Looking in the direction the young man was heading, she asked in confusion, "Why is he heading back to Heaven and Earth Peak? If I remember right, Xiao Linzi's Dao Protector is a collateral clansman specially cultivated by his family. He has nothing to do with the Star Gate's guest elders!"
Fu Qinglan was slightly puzzled as well. She instinctively looked up at the majestic, solitary peak that seemed to bridge heaven and earth.
"Perhaps he admires the Alchemy Saint."
Yu Xu came to an understanding. "True enough. Xiao Linzi has loved alchemy since he was young. Now that the Alchemy Saint is about to depart, it's only natural he'd want to linger around his secluded cultivation grounds. Maybe he'll stumble upon some opportunity."
Then, Yu Xu broke into a bright smile.
"I heard the Seven Sons of Muyuan have arrived at the Hall of Celebrities to challenge the Famous Master Daoyin today! Qinglan, let's go have a look!"
At the news, Fu Qinglan's eyes lit up.
"The match is today?"
"Yes! Senior Brother Daoyin will very likely take on all seven at once. It's bound to be a rare spectacle in the weiqi world, the likes of which hasn't been seen in years. You've always loved the game—how could you miss such an event?"
"Let's go!"
***
Within the Wangwu Mountain Range, inside a cave dwelling on Wangwu Peak.
Luo Chen sat with his eyes tightly shut, his face tinged with purple. Between his parting lips, waves of sweltering heat rolled forth, turning the tranquil, secluded chamber stiflingly hot.
As he continuously exhaled the scalding currents, the purple flush on his countenance gradually faded.
After a long while, Luo Chen slowly opened his eyes.
Sensing his firmer Nascent Soul body and the surging, restless magic power within, the corners of his mouth curved upward.
As expected of a top-grade Taihe Pill!
A single pill had brought a substantial surge to his magic power.
On his system interface, the progress bar in the cultivation realm column had already advanced to [Nascent Soul Tier 1: 25/100], edging steadily closer to the second tier.
According to Luo Chen's estimate, the potency of this top-grade Taihe Pill he had refined was roughly three times that of a low-grade Hongyuan Pill, slightly surpassing even a mid-grade Hongyuan Pill.
However, compared to the Hongyuan Pill's immense versatility and complete lack of side effects, the drawbacks of the Taihe Pill were far too numerous.
The pill poison eroded the walls of the purple mansion, and the medicinal force rendered the Nascent Soul impure, demanding a tremendous amount of effort to refine bit by bit.
Moreover, the top-grade version of this pill only slightly edged out a mid-grade Hongyuan Pill, which meant it was likely vastly inferior to a top-grade Hongyuan Pill.
"Even so, this can still be considered an exceptional pill."
Pills that remained effective for Nascent Soul True Persons were exceedingly rare in the world, and for it to have such pronounced results proved that the Taihe Pill's past reputation as a staple of the Tianyuan Dao Sect was well earned.
Because of this, Luo Chen felt an even greater admiration for the Alchemy Saint, Chu Yan, who had managed to remedy the defects of this formula.
With his current alchemy skills, as long as he had the formula, he could easily concoct it.
Yet when it came to improving the formula, it would likely still be quite an uphill struggle.
Shaking his head, Luo Chen set those thoughts aside.
Good though the Taihe Pill was, it could only serve as a supplementary aid. It could not be taken frequently and fell far short of the Hongyuan Pill.
Once he exhausted the bottle in his hands, he had no intention of seeking more.
For now, he turned his attention to the bottle of Flameflow Marrow.
Gazing at the crimson vessel in his hands, Luo Chen extended his divine sense inside.
A thick, red liquid resembling bone marrow flowed smoothly within.
As bubbles quietly burst, ripples of flame seemed to blossom and fade away.
"Withered Source Fire Marrow is born in withered source grounds after a sourceless fire departs, possessing the wondrous property of nurturing new flames. For cultivators, absorbing it with their source true fire grants a great opportunity to enhance the fire's might or even trigger an advancement!"
Details recorded in the alchemy manual surfaced in his mind.
Within his purple mansion, the Wither-Bloom True Fire stirred restlessly. The branches of the fire tree unfurled, radiating an unmistakable thirst.
Judging by the reaction of the Wither-Bloom True Fire, the records in the alchemy manual had not deceived him, nor had Fu Chaosheng fobbed him off with a counterfeit.
This bottle of Flameflow Marrow was indeed the legendary Withered Source Fire Marrow.
Even so, Luo Chen looked at the bottle with a trace of regret in his eyes.
"That alchemy manual recorded several ingenious methods for using Withered Source Fire Marrow. One of them involved refining it alongside a unique spiritual liquid from the Demon Realm to produce an elixir capable of yielding a Yin-Yang Ultimate Dao Flame, where water and fire coexist.
"Unfortunately, I don't possess that spiritual liquid.
"I suppose you'll get to enjoy it instead."
Murmuring to himself, Luo Chen opened his mouth and exhaled, releasing the entirety of the Wither-Bloom True Fire.
In midair, it transformed into a three-foot-tall, blue-gold sapling.
Its boughs were verdant green, and its base gleamed with gold.
At the same time, Luo Chen unstoppered the bottle.
Without hesitation, the fire tree plunged a branch into the bottle's mouth. Wisps of crimson marrow were drawn out one after another, traveling up the boughs and merging into the fire tree's trunk.
Watching this unfold, Luo Chen wore an expectant look.
His source true fire had not been particularly extraordinary at the start; it was merely a flame used by a Golden Core sect for weapon forging.
Back then, the Yan Alliance had sought to elevate its grade, creating the Incense Valley terrain to nurture it step by step up to Tier 4.
By all accounts, that should have been the limit of the Kurong Fire.
Yet after Luo Chen refined it, it swallowed a massive amount of vitality from demon beasts, laying a solid foundation that endowed it with far greater potential.
Inside the Blazing Purgatory, it had consecutively devoured seven types of low-grade sourceless fire, and had even consumed the entire fire spirit of a Tier 4 Sky Scorching Fire.
By that point, the Wither-Bloom True Fire had formed the nascent shape of a physical body.
Still, it was far from achieving true spirituality.
It was not until the Alchemy Hall, where it devoured a wisp of the Nirvana Holy Fire's origin, that its spirituality was fully unlocked.
Now, following Luo Chen's breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage and his easing of restraints on it, its spirituality evolved almost by the day.
Whether devouring netherfire or suppressing the ancestral blue flame of Shark Emperor Liu Jun, it did so effortlessly.
He wondered what kind of transformation it would undergo after absorbing this bottle of Withered Source Fire Marrow.
Luo Chen looked forward to finding out!
***
A month later.
Seeing Luo Chen emerge from seclusion, Fu Chaosheng's eyes lit up.
"Daoist friend, your bearing has grown even more magnificent. It seems your cultivation has advanced considerably in just one short month!"
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Thanks to your generosity, the Taihe Pill is indeed a rare holy medicine for cultivation. It has benefited me greatly."
Fu Chaosheng stroked his beard with a chuckle. "Naturally! Even though it has been phased out by our sect, it remains a premier elixir across the other four continents. If you desire more in the future, once the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven concludes, though I cannot promise top-grade ones, this old man can still acquire quite a few ordinary Taihe Pills if I put my mind to it."
Luo Chen blinked, smiling without answering.
*So this is where the hook lies!*
First, he gifted him an exceptional top-grade Taihe Pill free of charge, demonstrating both boldness and cultivating gratitude, thereby ensuring he would go all out in the upcoming competition.
If things succeeded, as his words implied, he could arrange to supply Luo Chen with ordinary Taihe Pills.
Of course, by that point, they would certainly no longer be free.
A businessman through and through, considering every angle.
Unfortunately for Fu Chaosheng, Luo Chen's sights were set elsewhere.
With the Hongyuan Pill in hand, as long as his proficiency continued to climb, the top-grade versions he would refine in the future would far outstrip this outdated Taihe Pill.
Seeing that Luo Chen did not take the bait, Fu Chaosheng felt a touch of surprise, but he did not press the issue. Instead, he asked about another matter.
"May I ask if you have tried that Flameflow Marrow yet?"
At the mention of this, Luo Chen's expression turned somewhat peculiar.
"I have."
"How was the effect?"
"Hard to say. My source true fire nearly went out."
"What?!"
Fu Chaosheng was thoroughly shocked.
Luo Chen waved a hand. "It is fine. I have already restored it."
Only then did Fu Chaosheng let out a long breath of relief. So long as no disaster had occurred, all was well.
Yet he also found it strange. Flameflow Marrow was considered a rare and precious resource. Even setting aside its positive effects, it shouldn't have snuffed out a Nascent Soul True Person's source true fire.
Could the bottle he procured have gone bad?
"Well, it was thoughtless of this old man. I hope you will not take it to heart."
Luo Chen smiled, appearing entirely unbothered.
Yet inside his purple mansion, the previously flourishing Wither-Bloom Fire Tree looked rather sickly. Its branches no longer stretched out but curled inward in a state of deep languor.
In the past, Luo Chen would have panicked.
However, the Wither-Bloom True Fire was already spiritually sentient. As its boughs curled, it had conveyed a message to him.
This was a positive transformation!
A harbinger of advancement!
Even if it failed to reach Tier 5 after the advancement was complete, it would undoubtedly become far more formidable than before.
After chatting briefly about recent matters, Fu Chaosheng revealed the purpose of his visit.
"It is time for us to set out for Mount Lanke."
Luo Chen already knew that Mount Lanke was the core mountain gate of the Tianyuan Dao Sect, but he found this rather puzzling.
"Was the plan not for me to cultivate here for a full year before heading over?"
The main peak of the Wangwu Mountains, painstakingly nurtured by the Fu clan, possessed exceptionally abundant spiritual energy. It was truly the finest cultivation ground Luo Chen had encountered since forming his Nascent Soul.
It far surpassed the Earth Abyss of Longyuan Island and Mount Xiaoqiong in Shenyuan City.
He had been very satisfied with this place.
Yet now, they were heading to the Tianyuan Dao Sect ahead of schedule. Could the opening of the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven and the five-hundred-year Grand Competition have been moved forward?
Unexpectedly, Fu Chaosheng gave a different reason.
"That person's day of ascension draws near!"
Instantly, Luo Chen's pupils contracted.
***
A month later.
Inside a majestic city, two figures stepped out of a deserted hall.
As Fu Chaosheng walked, he turned back to cup his hands toward the distant building, wearing a somewhat humble smile.
Only after they were far from the hall did he let out a sigh of relief.
"Pardon my unseemly conduct."
Luo Chen was puzzled. Along the way, they had traveled day and night, alternating between flying boats and teleportation arrays between major cities to rush toward Mount Lanke.
Yet at no point had Fu Chaosheng appeared so deferential and meek.
"This is Zhigu City, a territory controlled by the Gu clan, one of the Twelve Great Houses.
"As one of the Twelve Great Houses, the Gu clan's foundation is vast beyond our imagination. Not only do they have five Nascent Soul True Persons presiding over the clan, but they also command the Zha and Qu clans from among the Thirty-Six Prestigious Clans. In particular, Gu Daoyin of the Gu clan, who is not yet five hundred years old, has already reached the mid Nascent Soul stage and is hailed as one of the three figures of this generation with the highest hope of ascending to the Soul Formation stage.
"Faced with such an illustrious clan, I have no choice but to treat them with utmost reverence."
Luo Chen came to a sudden realization. So they were one of the Twelve Great Houses!
He was growing increasingly familiar with the structure of power in the Central Plains.
Apart from the Tianyuan Dao Sect, there were no other sects, only families dotting the land.
Apart from clan cultivators, there were no rogue cultivators. Even though every corner was suited for cultivation, there simply were no rogue cultivators!
To cultivate on those spiritual lands, a solitary practitioner had to attach themselves to a clan.
They became servants or retainers, and marrying in was a frequent occurrence.
The great clans were not entirely rigid either; they offered these people another path. If one achieved sufficient accomplishment in cultivation, they could apply to establish their own lineage. After passing the Tianyuan Dao Sect's assessment, they could join the ranks of the Prestigious or Humble Clans.
The Zha and Qu clans Fu Chaosheng had mentioned were newly risen families among the Thirty-Six Prestigious Clans.
Their clan heads had originated from the Great House of Gu.
As for the favored son of heaven, Gu Daoyin, Luo Chen was even more intrigued by him.
The reason he was hailed as a Soul Formation seed was not because of exceptional natural talent, but because he was a master of weiqi.
He was a celebrated figure in the Central Plains' weiqi circle, sharing equal renown with both Tianyuan Linxian and the Chess Saint, Ke Lianshan.
Indeed, in the Central Plains, the hundred arts of cultivation were considered lesser crafts; only the Dao of weiqi reigned supreme.
Unless one could hone a craft to the level of the Alchemy Saint, only then would people look upon them with newfound respect and treat them with deference.
Yet how many in this world could reach the heights of the Alchemy Saint?
There was only one, and before long, perhaps even that one would no longer remain in this world.
Luo Chen's gaze grew deep. Looking past the bustling Zhigu City, he gazed into the distance at the sky-piercing peak that remained visible even from thousands of li away.
Vaguely, hazy streaks of light could be seen piercing through the azure clouds like mayflies, vanishing into the mountain.
"Is that where the Alchemy Saint will ascend to the upper realm?"
Fu Chaosheng wore a look of envy as he looked toward the same place.
"Yes, right there. In just one year's time!"
Chapter 740