True Person Xianhe had departed.
He had left with the Transformation Pill in hand!
Before taking his leave, he imparted two promises.
"Luotian and White Crane shall advance and retreat together."
"Within a year, fifty spirit cranes shall be delivered!"
In the face of a Transformation Pill, all that talk of White Crane Sect's prized birds being barred from outside trade proved to be mere words.
Luo Chen was thoroughly satisfied with this outcome.
During his venture to the Land of the Fallen Demon, he had concocted five Transformation Pills within the Alchemy Realm.
Offering just one now had earned him the goodwill of two Nascent Soul True Persons, forged an alliance between the Luotian Sect and another Nascent Soul supreme sect, and even cleared a trade channel for spirit cranes.
Killing three birds with one stone was truly delightful!
Yet Luo Chen did not bask in his satisfaction for long, for others were still waiting for him.
And more than one!
***
"The foremost Foundation Establishment cultivator of Jade Cauldron, the Desolate Hermit of the North Sea, an Alchemical Grandmaster... Fellow Daoist Luo, the pleasant surprises you offer are truly never-ending!"
Castellan Lingtian sat in a chair, twirling the top-grade Hongyuan Pill in his fingers with a look of profound emotion.
Certain matters did not feel particularly striking when merely read off a page.
Only after witnessing the terrifying medicinal potency locked within a genuine top-grade Hongyuan Pill did the sheer wonder of it show him what it meant to be an "Alchemical Grandmaster"!
Even within the Mingyuan Sect, pills of this caliber were exceedingly scarce.
Yet the man before him could produce one at a whim, which spoke volumes about the heights of his alchemical mastery.
Facing Castellan Lingtian's direct exposure of his past identity as the Desolate Hermit of the North Sea, Luo Chen, having just walked back into the room, merely raised an eyebrow.
"In the end, I am nothing more than Luotian's Luo Chen!"
Castellan Lingtian slowly raised his head. "Are you not a guest elder of the Star Gate?"
Luo Chen gave a faint smile. "There is little difference."
"No, the difference is vast!" Castellan Lingtian straightened his posture and put the Hongyuan Pill away. "Luotian is in the Eastern Desolation; the Star Gate is in the Central Province!"
Luo Chen's brow furrowed, and he fell silent.
From the moment he stepped into the Eastern Desolation and openly revealed his status as a Star Gate guest elder, certain matters had been laid bare on the table.
His guest elder status served as a protective talisman, granting him considerable leeway in his actions.
But at the same time, given historical precedents where Star Gate guest elders brought their clansmen and disciples to the Central Province, Luo Chen's intentions were laid bare as well.
Evidently, having lived through the departure of the Alchemy Saint, the Mingyuan Sect was exceptionally sensitive to such developments.
Castellan Lingtian's words had now all but stated the Mingyuan Sect's stance plainly.
Luo Chen mused for a moment, then asked, "Can I not take them with me?"
"You should understand that they do not matter. Even Wang Yuan is only worthy of catching my personal eye," Castellan Lingtian said.
Luo Chen nodded. "The only one who matters is me!"
"You are sharp. As expected of someone who could break through to the Nascent Soul realm relying solely on his own strength." Castellan Lingtian offered a word of praise, then shifted the topic. "Why not consider joining my Mingyuan Sect? Whatever the Tianyuan Dao Sect can offer you, we can offer as well."
Luo Chen looked curious. "Is this your own intent, or the will of your sect's almighty seniors?"
Castellan Lingtian fell silent.
Regarding the sect's official handling of Luo Chen, no definitive response had arrived from the upper echelons.
It was only because he had witnessed Luo Chen's demeanor and alchemical attainments firsthand that he felt an irresistible urge to cherish such talent, prompting him to extend an invitation on his own initiative.
With a sigh, Castellan Lingtian asked helplessly, "If left to your own choice, which side would you choose?"
Luo Chen smiled without answering. To be favored by a sacred ground was already an immense stroke of fortune; where would he get the luxury of choosing?
Explicitly declaring a stance was only asking to offend someone.
Even if Castellan Lingtian seemed quite easy to speak with.
Seeing Luo Chen's silence, Castellan Lingtian considered for a moment and changed the question.
"Right now, demon beasts are swarming out of the Eastern Desolation's Million Mountains, while the North Sea Demon Alliance runs rampant. Tell me, do you think my Mingyuan Sect will quell our demonic chaos first, or will the Tianyuan Dao Sect conquer the North Sea first?"
Faced with this question, Luo Chen hesitated briefly before finally giving his answer.
"I believe it will be the Tianyuan Dao Sect!"
"You have that much confidence in them? My Mingyuan Sect is fighting on home soil, possessing both geographical advantage and popular support."
"The Tianyuan Dao Sect commands the fertile expanse of the Central Province, having nurtured its elites for three thousand years. It bears the grand ambition to sweep across the world, dominate the realm, and encompass the mountains and seas. For the North Sea campaign, they have mobilized their entire force, pouring the might of a whole province into the conquest. Meanwhile, the Mingyuan Sacred Ground stays its hand, merely leaving the various sects of the Eastern Desolation to appease the beasts with territory—an act akin to carrying firewood to put out a fire. Though Luo's vision may be narrow and his insight shallow, I can still perceive the disparity in resolve between the two sides toward the demonic threat. As sacred grounds of their respective provinces, I do not doubt the Mingyuan Sect's foundation in terms of raw strength, but the depth of one's resolve dictates the might one brings to bear. In this contest, Tianyuan should prevail first!"
"Haha, you truly have such faith in the Tianyuan Dao Sect! Yet you have underestimated my Mingyuan Sect!"
Castellan Lingtian laughed heartily, disagreeing with Luo Chen's assertion.
As for the reason, he did not elaborate.
Instead, he steered the conversation toward another matter.
"The method of crafting spirit stones has been recorded in the jade slip given to you. However, before learning this technique, you must swear an oath that it shall never be passed to outsiders."
"This is the standard rule for every Golden Core sect rising to become a Nascent Soul supreme sect!"
"Ordinary raw spirit stone ores contain vast amounts of spiritual energy. Ordinary methods cannot cut them with precision, let alone facilitate large-scale extraction. Were the method of crafting spirit stones to spread freely, rogue cultivators would inevitably commit the folly of killing the chicken for its eggs, draining spiritual veins dry and rupturing their foundations."
"This technique is the hallmark of a supreme sect. Only a Nascent Soul supreme sect may stably extract and produce spirit stones, holding sway over the economic lifeline of a region."
"Additionally, the jade slip includes methods for nurturing and restoring spiritual veins under regulated extraction."
"Naturally, the current Luotian Sect has no mountain headquarters of its own, to say nothing of a Tier 4 spiritual vein, making this technique somewhat redundant for now. But if you have the chance to establish a mountain gate later, you can use this to amass a fortune in spirit stones swiftly, providing resources for your cultivation in the Nascent Soul realm."
At the end of his explanation, Castellan Lingtian seemed reluctant to drop the matter, bringing up their earlier topic once more.
"Do not think too highly of the Tianyuan Dao Sect. Even if you truly bring those few hundred people of the Luotian Sect over, they will ultimately be broken up, separated, and absorbed into various prominent clans. By then, you will be powerless to intervene, and their fate may not be any better than it is now."
Having said that, Castellan Lingtian lingered no longer and walked straight out.
Luo Chen remained standing alone in the corridor, pursing his lips with a slight knit in his brow.
Following the other man's reminder, he realized that his previous assumptions had indeed been somewhat biased.
He had seen only the virtues of the Central Province, while overlooking the exceptionally harsh conditions the Tianyuan Dao Sect imposed on dependents brought by Star Gate guest elders.
Clan descendants were barred from entering the Dao Sect until five hundred years had passed.
Sect apprentices had to be split up, either to establish independent clans to branch out on their own, or to be integrated into various aristocratic families.
Especially now that the great war had erupted, bringing this group over might well lead to a far more miserable fate than remaining here.
At least the members of the Luotian Sect could still huddle together for warmth.
In truth, one could hardly blame Luo Chen for failing to consider this thoroughly.
After all, he had never expected Sima Huiniang and the others to be so persistent, managing to preserve an organization that had once been merely a Golden Core faction.
Otherwise, had there been only a handful of people—perhaps a dozen or twenty—Luo Chen could have whisked them away without second thought.
Now that there were so many, they had instead become a burden.
Suddenly, the furrow in Luo Chen's brow cleared, and a faint smile touched the corners of his lips.
"How could they be called a burden? These are the people who are loyal to me, revere me, and love me!"
Treading through the moonlight, Luo Chen walked toward the next guest awaiting him.
***
To call the person a guest was not entirely accurate.
In truth, she was the host!
Beneath the moonlight, within a pavilion halfway up the mountain, a beautiful woman stood leaning into the wind and the moon, gazing down upon the vast, boundless land.
"First Palace Master, apologies for keeping you waiting."
Fenghua Fairy did not turn around. Instead, she pointed toward the scenery below, shimmering faintly under the silver moonlight, and sighed wistfully:
"My Fenghua Palace has managed this land for two thousand years. True Person Luo, were you in my place, would you be willing to surrender it to another?"
"I certainly would not."
Luo Chen walked up beside her, catching the drifting fragrance of a woman in her prime.
"Likewise, I have no intention of encroaching upon this land."
Fenghua Fairy froze. She had not expected Luo Chen to be so direct, piercing through her thoughts in an instant.
So much so that the words she had prepared died on her lips.
The woman could only say with forced stiffness, "Though splendid mountains and rivers cannot be easily surrendered, gifting these hundred li of Baili Qingchuan for True Person to reside in temporarily poses no harm."
Luo Chen nodded. "I thank the First Palace Master for your kindness. Luo indeed requires such a resting place at present. However, the yields of these hundred li remain the wealth of Fenghua Palace; a gentleman does not deprive others of what they cherish."
Fenghua Fairy was astonished. Though Baili Qingchuan was not vast, the medicinal herbs produced here ranked among the finest in the entire Fenghua Domain.
Luo Chen did not even want this?
Luo Chen suddenly asked, "I heard that your sect obtained the recipe for the Nether-Passage Pill, as well as a stable method for concocting top-grade Jade Dew Pills?"
Fenghua Fairy did not deny it, openly admitting the fact.
"It came from Qu Lingjun. Though it took advantage of his misfortune to some extent, my Fenghua Palace paid a considerable price for it as well. If Fellow Daoist wishes to take them back..."
"No need."
Luo Chen shook his head, cutting her off directly.
Fenghua Fairy's brow furrowed, filled with bewilderment.
This man had no interest in the Fenghua Domain, no interest in the yields of Baili Qingchuan, and did not even seek the return of the pill recipes he had developed in the past. What, then, did he want?
Out of nowhere, he said:
"Lingjun has served Fenghua Palace for a century. That is more than enough; it is time for him to return."
Fenghua Fairy's red lips parted slightly in utter astonishment. "Just for that?"
"Yes," Luo Chen said calmly. "He is my disciple. Even if his aptitude is modest and his path to the Great Dao is hopeless, he should not be left wandering outside."
Fenghua Fairy fell silent.
After a long while, she gave a gentle nod, granting Luo Chen this favor.
Not only had Luo Chen relinquished a great deal, but Qu Lingjun was already over two hundred years old, with merely a few decades left before his lifespan ran dry. Given his current realm, breaking through to the Golden Core stage was exceedingly difficult.
His utility had practically run its course.
Allowing him to return to the Luotian Sect was a convenient gesture of goodwill.
Luo Chen rested his hand on a pillar of the pavilion, gripping it slightly. "First Palace Master, if Motian Cliff dares to reach out its hands in the future, strike back with a club. If the Five Elements Divine Sect intervenes, feel free to call upon me."
Was this returning a favor with another?
Fenghua Fairy broke into a smile. "Are you not afraid of Old Monster Shenyuan?"
The Supreme Elder of the Divine Sect—Perfected Shenyuan!
A late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator!
Luo Chen narrowed his eyes; it was precisely that old monster he wished to see.
Ever since returning to the Eastern Desolation, he had pressed aggressively against the Five Elements Divine Sect, specifically to flush out Perfected Shenyuan and see what state he was currently in.
Rumor had it that during the battle at Mount Cangwu, when the almighty experts of Mingyuan were blocked outside the mountain, two of the three late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators perished, and one was injured.
Old Monster Shenyuan was the sole surviving Great Cultivator, and he had been grievously wounded.
Even when the Five Elements Divine Sect was assaulted by the demon beasts, he had not personally made a move.
This man had always kept a covetous eye on him, and harboring the Luotian Sect had certainly harbored ill intent; sooner or later, Luo Chen would clash with him.
If he could force the man into the open and discern his condition in advance, many matters would become far easier to handle.
***
The last person Luo Chen met was, as expected, the Ancestor of the Divine Talisman Sect, who had been waiting for a long time.
Many years ago, this man had possessed a resounding Daoist name.
Yet as the years went by, people gradually stopped using that Daoist name, respectfully addressing him as "Elder Fu" instead.
That he had waited until late into the night to see Luo Chen showed how urgent his mood was.
And his purpose went without saying.
The Nascent Soul Formation Pill!
Meeting the old man's eager gaze, Luo Chen gave a slow nod.
"If you trust me, you may let me review the recipe first."
"Can Fellow Daoist truly concoct breakthrough pills?"
Just as breakthrough pills were far more precious than ordinary cultivation pills, the difficulty of refining them far exceeded regular pills.
After all, concentrating the terrifying medicinal potency capable of breaching an entire major realm into a single pill demanded extraordinary mastery from an alchemist.
Across the vast Eastern Desolation, alchemists were countless, yet those capable of refining breakthrough pills were few and far between.
Flushed with excitement, Elder Fu retrieved a newly transcribed pill recipe from his storage ring.
Luo Chen took it, and with a single glance, his heart stirred.
It was identical!
With an air of casual indifference, he asked:
"Where did this recipe come from? It strikes me as rather familiar; surely it is not your sect's heirloom heritage?"
Elder Fu's excited expression gradually subsided into awkwardness, but under Luo Chen's gaze, he eventually disclosed the truth.
"It was obtained from the Medicine King Sect."
"Oh?"
Luo Chen was somewhat surprised. Contrary to his assumption, he had thought it came from Azure Pill Valley.
After all, this pill recipe was the exact same one he had used back then to refine the Nascent Soul Formation Pill.
Completely identical!
Originally, only three parties possessed this recipe: Tianfan City, Han Zhan, and Azure Pill Valley.
Han Zhan had accompanied him to the North Sea, and before Tianfan City fell, it harbored two other Nascent Soul cultivators, leaving Azure Pill Valley as the weakest.
If the Divine Talisman Sect had seized this recipe, nine times out of ten it should have been taken from Azure Pill Valley.
Yet unexpectedly, the recipe did not come from Azure Pill Valley, but from another immensely wealthy Nascent Soul supreme sect!
Having spoken the name of the Medicine King Sect, Elder Fu seemed to cast aside a psychological burden, recounting the past in detail.
"Before the Jade Cauldron Domain fell, Azure Pill Valley was the first to be ruined."
"Yet it was not destroyed by demon beasts. Rather, an internal disciple named He Yun colluded with the Medicine King Sect to swallow Azure Pill Valley, seizing its entire alchemical collection, which included this ancient recipe for the Nascent Soul Formation Pill."
"However, those who plunder others are destined to be plundered in turn. The Medicine King Sect possessed terrifying wealth, yet lacked absolute military might to protect it. When the great chaos arrived, numerous experts fished in troubled waters, inflicting severe damage on the Medicine King Sect until it declined to the point of losing its very mountain gate."
"This old man was one of those who fished in troubled waters."
"Originally, I only wished to seize the Medicine King Sect's Nascent Soul Formation Pill to assist a junior of my sect in condensing a Nascent Soul, but by a stroke of luck, that junior Lin Qingxuan obtained it instead. What I acquired was merely a portion of the pill recipes preserved by the Medicine King Sect, which happened to include this ancient Nascent Soul Formation Pill recipe."
Elder Fu spoke in broad strokes.
Yet within those few brief sentences lay a tale so intricate and bizarre that it stirred endless imagination.
Luo Chen now understood how Lin Qingxuan had formed his Nascent Soul.
He also recalled who that Azure Pill Valley disciple named "He Yun" was: a scion of the He clan from Yuxuan, who had gone by the Daoist name Xuan Yunzi.
Back then, Luo Chen had even noticed traces suggesting that this person had undergone soul-possession.
Never had he expected the man to be a spy planted in Azure Pill Valley by the Medicine King Sect.
The past was far too convoluted, and even the Medicine King Sect he had once looked up to was no more, so Luo Chen had no desire to pursue it further.
Gripping the jade slip, he said frankly, "I can refine this pill. The materials shall be provided by you!"
Elder Fu let out a long breath of relief!
Indeed, exposing his own "disgraceful deeds" to the man had successfully earned a measure of trust and goodwill.
He nodded without hesitation. "My Divine Talisman Sect possesses modest wealth, and the required materials have long been prepared. Fellow Daoist need only name your requirements."
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "I naturally do not doubt the wealth of the Divine Talisman Sect. But the compensation for my refining—has Elder prepared it?"
"I have three strands of Crimson Firmament Qi!"
"Not enough."
"Seven pill recipes of various grades from the Medicine King Sect."
"Still not enough. The immense difficulty of refining this pill should be clear to you, Elder, or it would not have fallen to Luo to do the task."
"What else do you desire, then? A supplement of ten million spirit stones?"
"You jest. How could mere spirit stones cover the cost of Luo taking action personally? I have heard that your sect excels in talisman crafting, as well as matters related to it..."
"You want high-grade talismans? That is simple enough; I can grant you ten Tier 3 talismans and one Tier 4 talisman!"
"No, I want talisman skins—a vast quantity of talisman skins! And if there is a superior technique for wielding talismans, that would naturally be even better."
Elder Fu stared at Luo Chen in sheer bewilderment.
Refusing finished talismans in favor of the most rudimentary talisman skins?
Had his ears deceived him?
***
The Divine Talisman Sect's method of manipulating talismans was one of the core elements of its heritage, so they naturally would not hand it over to Luo Chen.
Yet mere talisman skins posed no problem at all.
In particular, the Divine Talisman Sect possessed the method to process beast hides into talisman skins. In the ongoing war between humans and demons, raw materials were virtually inexhaustible. By offering an additional fifty percent, Elder Fu finally settled the terms of compensation for Luo Chen's refining.
Three strands of Crimson Firmament Qi, seven pill recipes from the Medicine King Sect, and a total of ten thousand talisman skins spanning Tier 1 through Tier 3.
In addition, Elder Fu made a gesture of goodwill, promising that should Luo Chen desire Tier 4 talisman skins in the future, the Divine Talisman Sect would readily accommodate him.
With that, the cooperation was finalized.
Yet what Luo Chen gained was far more than just these!
Late into the night, his divine sense slowly withdrew from the storage bag.
Inside, raw materials for refining the Nascent Soul Formation Pill, of every variety, were enough for twenty batches!
Even the precious Five Elements Lotus Platform was present in duplicate!
"The Divine Talisman Sect is truly wealthy!"
Luo Chen sighed with emotion.
With his alchemical skill, having so many materials made refining two or three Nascent Soul Formation Pills more than guaranteed.
The surplus materials would naturally belong to him.
This was an unwritten rule among alchemists, one that nobody would question.
As long as one had the capability to produce the pills required by the employer, any materials saved served as additional compensation.
And if one lacked the skill?
Take Azure Pill Valley back then: even after mobilizing the strength of the entire sect, they had failed to produce a single Nascent Soul Formation Pill, squandering both manpower and resources in vain.
"It worked out well. Having an extra Five Elements Lotus Platform, though far inferior in quality to the one I obtained back then, can still serve as an aid for my cultivation."
Luo Chen smiled, a sense of relief washing over his face.
The overall direction of today's banquet had remained entirely within his control.
One could well imagine that his reputation for masterful alchemy would soon be spread far and wide by these people.
What he needed to do next was very simple.
Refine pills to build his prestige!
Hone his techniques!
Delve into the talisman Dao, and teach his sect members along the way.
It sounded somewhat tedious, but taking it step by step would keep it from feeling exhausting.
A subtle fragrance drifted into his nostrils.
"Husband, it is time to rest."
Luo Chen turned back. Where the lantern light dimmed, Huiniang stood gracefully, holding a lantern as she waited for him.
Without hesitation, he strode toward the woman.
Taking the red glow lantern with one hand, he encircled her slender waist with the other, gently kneading her delicate skin through the light gossamer fabric.
"Where is Caiyi? Is she still that shy?"
"She is preparing the warm pool, saying she wants you to have a good soak to ease your weariness."
"Good. Then let us hurry. The night is cool and the dew is heavy; we must not let the water turn cold."
With the means of cultivators, how could the water turn cold so easily?
A blush colored the woman's face. Lowering her gaze with a soft smile, she did not refuse.
Chapter 790