Luo Chen's arrival eased much of the tense, war-ready atmosphere within Lingtian Pass.
In times like these, resources of every kind were in dire shortage, and pills—capable of swiftly elevating a cultivator's cultivation—were in particularly frantic demand.
Once, the Eastern Desolation had been home to the Medicine King Sect, but it had fallen to ruin.
High-tier pill masters had either been secretly absorbed by great sects or were barely able to fend for themselves, creating a prolonged vacuum in the market.
Luo Chen's emergence had neatly filled this void.
This was the primary reason his fame had skyrocketed in such a short span of time.
Consequently, Lingtian Pass treated Luo Chen with exceptional courtesy in its operational assignments.
Among the five Nascent Souls, Qin Baixiang of the Beast Sect was stationed at the very forefront, facing directly toward the far east, the direction from which the demonic horde was most likely to launch their main assault.
Xiao Shiniang and Master Xianhe flanked the line to the left and right, separated by a thousand li, guarding the frontal approaches.
Luo Chen's patrol sector was positioned relatively farther back in the western direction, where the only pressure he was likely to encounter would be stray, scattered demon forces.
Lingfengzi, renowned for his escape art and flight speed, served as a mobile reserve on standby at all times.
Supposedly, he was also dispatched on occasion to scout the front lines.
Such was the general layout of the defensive assignments.
That same day, Luo Chen headed to the cave abode Castellan Lingtian had arranged for him.
"So this is where I'll be staying for the next three years!"
Stepping out of the cultivation chamber, Luo Chen could not help a sigh of wonder.
It had been quite some time since he last enjoyed the cultivation environment of a fourth-tier spirit vein.
Lingtian Pass had no shortage of such abodes.
Rumor had it that during its construction, several Nascent Soul powerhouses had moved mountains and shifted seas, forcefully transplanting veins from fallen, lost domains.
Should the pass plunge into prolonged, grinding warfare in the future, these cave abodes could readily sustain the Nascent Soul experts' needs for rest, recuperation, and mana recovery.
"As long as you are satisfied, Fellow Daoist. Within the city, this cave abode ranks second only to the Castellan's Estate," Lingfengzi remarked.
Luo Chen blinked.
No wonder!
He had just felt the sheer abundance of spiritual energy within the abode; neither his former residence on Longyuan Island nor Cave Abode A-78, where he had briefly stayed on Tiandi Peak, could compare.
It seemed Castellan Lingtian had taken great care with his accommodations.
Seeing Luo Chen's satisfaction, Lingfengzi could no longer hold back.
"I heard Fellow Daoist Jiuling has already received the pills he desired. It seems the rumors are true—your attainments in the alchemical dao truly reach heaven-defying heights!"
Luo Chen gave an easy smile. "You flatter me, Fellow Daoist. At a time like this, there is no need to beat around the bush. What pill do you wish to have concocted? Speak, and let me hear of it."
A look of delight washed over Lingfengzi's face. Without the slightest hesitation, he produced a pill formula.
Unlike Jiuling Yuanjun, who had hesitated beforehand, he passed it straight to Luo Chen.
"This pill concerns a life-saving technique of mine. If you can concoct it for me, Fellow Daoist, my gratitude would be boundless."
Luo Chen waved his hand and made no boastful promises. Instead, he lowered his gaze and examined the formula carefully.
Lingfengzi dared not disturb him, waiting in silence for his response.
Studying pill formulas in detail had long become second nature to Luo Chen.
In roughly two hours, he had formed a clear grasp of it.
"I can concoct this pill."
The moment those words were spoken, Lingfengzi's eyes lit up.
"However, as for the ingredients, you must provide them yourself."
Lingfengzi nodded repeatedly. "That is only natural! That you are willing to refine it for me is already an act of benevolence. How could I ever expect you to shoulder the cost?"
Luo Chen asked with a slight smile, "And as for the fee?"
Just as before, Lingfengzi looked troubled.
He understood well that in this era, someone willing to help concoct pills was already doing a great favor.
Yet spending extensive energy and time immersed in alchemy was an immense luxury for Nascent Soul cultivators, for whom every second counted.
Compensation was an absolute necessity!
The trouble was, he was poor!
He clearly remembered the three conditions Luo Chen had laid out during the Nascent Soul Grand Ceremony.
Yet whether it was Crimson Firmament Qi or various rare pill formulas, he possessed virtually none in his collection.
As for body-refining methods, he possessed a few, but their rank was rather low, and he feared Luo Chen would look down on them.
Gritting his teeth, Lingfengzi braced himself and said, "I can offer three hundred high-grade spirit stones."
Three hundred high-grade spirit stones?
That was merely three million low-grade spirit stones. In the present situation, high-grade spirit stones carried the nature of strategic resources, so it was not a terrible offer.
Yet it was not enough!
Luo Chen's expression remained unmoved.
Lingfengzi continued, "I also have several ancient body-refining methods around the third tier."
Third-tier body-refining methods were too low.
Luo Chen continued to watch him with a faint smile.
Lingfengzi pondered, then gritted his teeth once more. "I can also give you the tendon of a fourth-tier Nine Nether Phantasm Python! That beast was exceptionally fierce; it took several Daoist friends and me joining forces to barely slay it years ago. Its tendon is an exquisite artifact-crafting material. If you obtain it..."
Luo Chen sighed. "Lingfengzi, you know full well that none of these things are of much use to me. On the other hand, spending half a year or even a full year concocting pills for you would incur an incalculable cost in my own cultivation time. Do you believe these terms can buy a year of a Nascent Soul cultivator's precious time?"
Lingfengzi froze.
To be fair, the offerings he brought out could indeed persuade a Nascent Soul cultivator under normal circumstances.
However, that assumed the other party actually needed them.
Furthermore, this was asking for an entire year of someone's service!
Seeing his distress, Luo Chen suddenly spoke: "However, I have always believed in treating others with benevolence, and I cannot bear to see a fellow Daoist in a bind. If you can agree to one condition of mine, then spending half a year or a year refining this pill for you is not out of the question."
"What condition?" Lingfengzi blurted out.
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "It is simple. In the future, should the opportunity arise, you need only lend your aid on my behalf once, or take the initiative to watch over my disciples if they encounter trouble. Rest assured, I will not ask you to step into a death trap or place you in an impossible dilemma."
Lingfengzi's expression went from troubled hesitation to boundless joy in the span of a single sentence.
He clasped his hands and bowed deeply. "Thank you for fulfilling my wish, Fellow Daoist!"
His gratitude toward Luo Chen was entirely genuine.
Agreeing to take action on someone's behalf was by no means rare for Nascent Soul masters.
Moreover, Luo Chen had explicitly stated it would not be a perilous endeavor, which meant it would likely be little more than a helping hand when the time came.
The Pill Master truly is benevolent!
Jiuling Yuanjun had spoken no falsehood; Luo Chen truly possessed the demeanor of a gentleman.
After leaving behind the requisite raw ingredients and the assorted compensation mentioned earlier, Lingfengzi departed in high spirits.
Luo Chen first put away the raw ingredients, then took stock of the compensation Lingfengzi had provided.
Three hundred high-grade spirit stones was frankly rather meager for a Nascent Soul master.
Yet these were extraordinary times; high-grade spirit stones served myriad crucial purposes, and their consumption had naturally surged.
Quite likely, this was the last batch of spirit stones Lingfengzi held in reserve.
Luo Chen stored them away carefully; after all, he was short on spirit stones himself!
Perhaps I could sell a batch of low-tier pills to earn some spirit stones? And while I'm at it, improve goodwill among the low-tier rogue cultivators?
Still, how to sell them will require some thought. If I put them up for auction to the highest bidder, people won't feel grateful; they'll only feel they earned them by paying through the nose.
As Luo Chen pondered the matter, numerous ideas sprang to mind.
His hands did not idle, however. Multitasking smoothly, he inspected the other items.
The tendon of the Nine Nether Phantasm Python!
Rich in vitality and qi, extraordinarily supple and tough, it was indeed a rare fourth-tier material.
"The core material for Caiyi's natal treasure—now I have it!"
Next were the several third-tier body-refining methods. As Luo Chen leafed through them, his interest was piqued.
"They all focus on speed. No wonder the Misty Sect went out of their way to collect these; their sect is famous for its escape arts."
"Though their grade isn't high, they are complete, without a single omission."
"If I have someone take these back to Wang Yuan for study, he might just be able to deduce and complete the final two forms of Breeze, Moon, Thunder, and Cloud Stepping onto the Immortal Path."
After finishing his inspection, Luo Chen felt quite satisfied.
Although the overall value of these items was not exceptionally high—far shy of the vast quantity of Crimson Firmament Qi offered by Jiuling Yuanjun, or the pill formulas and talisman pelts from Elder Fu—they were all useful to him.
Furthermore, he had secured a promise of assistance.
In this transaction, Luo Chen had certainly come out ahead.
...
After a brief rest, Luo Chen officially commenced his patrol duties the following day.
In truth, for a Nascent Soul master, many tasks did not require personal labor.
The Luotian Sect cultivators he brought had assembled with the cultivators previously forced to remain in the city. With the Luotian disciples taking the lead, they began fortifying defenses in the western sector.
Inspecting the city formations, patrolling the ramparts, and forming squads to sweep a hundred-li radius around Lingtian Pass—that was essentially the gist of it.
For a Nascent Soul master, the duty practically boiled down to a single task:
Release divine sense at regular intervals in a focused direction to prevent peak demon powerhouses from forcibly breaching Lingtian Pass.
As long as an intrusion was detected and reported to the city, the grand formation of Lingtian Pass would activate, ensuring that even a late-stage fourth-tier transformed great demon could not force an entry.
Regarding this, Luo Chen had harbored a concern.
While at the Castellan's Estate, he had asked plainly:
"There is a Demon Emperor named Qingshuang, whose true form is the divine bird Qingluan, and who commands the laws of space. Should she descend, can Lingtian Pass hold her off?"
To this question, Castellan Lingtian had given a firm, affirmative response:
"Our only fear is that she won't come!"
Only then did Luo Chen's worry subside.
Demon Emperor Qingshuang's battle record was simply too terrifying: she had routed five Nascent Souls in an instant, fought three Great Cultivators simultaneously, and even held her ground for a time against a Soul Transformation mighty figure.
Against such a being, if there were no countermeasure, this ancient fortress of Lingtian Pass—purported to be the greatest in the Eastern Desolation through the ages—would be no sturdier than a sheet of flimsy paper.
Naturally, he was curious as to what method could counter Demon Emperor Qingshuang.
Unfortunately, Castellan Lingtian kept it closely guarded, stating that it would not be deployed lightly until they met her in person, leaving Luo Chen no choice but to suppress his curiosity.
...
After sweeping the area with his divine sense, Luo Chen calmed his mind.
Once he grew familiar with the patrol duties, he realized where the trouble lay.
Extending divine sense at regular intervals was not particularly draining for a Nascent Soul master, but it was exceedingly disruptive.
Whether cultivating or handling other affairs, it proved inconvenient.
"Still, for me, this isn't much of a problem."
With a faint smile, Luo Chen retrieved two puppets from his storage ring.
They were none other than the Black Ape and the Red Dog!
Two split souls sank into the puppets.
Upon receiving orders from Luo Chen's true body, the Black Ape soared out, flying toward the walls of Lingtian Pass.
Though the split soul's divine sense was slightly weaker, it still possessed the strength of an ordinary early Nascent Soul cultivator, making round-the-clock reconnaissance all the more efficient.
As for the remaining Red Dog puppet, Luo Chen did not let it sit idle either, handing Lingfengzi's pill formula straight to it.
Although this formula was fourth-tier, its difficulty was not particularly high.
It was far simpler than the Nascent Soul Formation Pill or the Nine Separations Pill, and even fell a bit short of the Transformation Pill.
In Luo Chen's estimate, its concoction difficulty was only slightly above the fourth-tier Black Emperor Paste and roughly comparable to the Purple Qi Poison-Warding Pill.
Lingfengzi's failure to have it refined before was likely because his pockets were empty and no one had been willing to refine it for him!
At such a level of difficulty, Luo Chen did not even need to spend system achievement points.
He would let the split soul study it thoroughly; once it was familiar, his true body could simply take over and refine it directly.
In this manner, his true body was freed up.
Yet when was Luo Chen ever truly idle?
With a soft hum, a wisp of sword qi surfaced from his fingertip.
"I have already refined seven strands of Crimson Firmament Sword Qi. Three years will be more than enough to refine three more."
"Once I reach ten strands, that will mark minor mastery in the sword scripture. For my proficiency panel, it will also break through a minor tier. Perhaps then I'll see some additional transformation."
Luo Chen mused thoughtfully.
At the same time, the tendon of the Nine Nether Phantasm Python appeared in his hand.
"Caiyi wants a flying sleeve, streamer, whip, or something similar as her natal treasure. This material fits perfectly, and the attributes are ideal."
"The only issue is that I lack a blueprint for crafting such a treasure."
"I'll have to make the rounds and see if anyone else has a suitable diagram. If I can obtain one, using spare moments over these three years to craft Caiyi's natal treasure would be a fine achievement."
In mere moments, Luo Chen had mapped out his plans for the three years at Lingtian Pass.
It had to be said that the Soul Splitting Art left by Han Zhan had helped him immensely.
Without his severed split souls, how could he juggle so many responsibilities at once while remaining so thoroughly at ease?
He would likely have been like any ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, forced to pour all his energy into a single avenue of cultivation.
...
Just as countless cultivators in Lingtian Pass had expected, ever since the Pill Master arrived in the city, he had become an elusive dragon seen only in glimpses.
That glimpse upon entering the gates had become their sole chance to lay eyes on him.
Yet that hardly meant the Pill Master lacked a presence!
Whispered rumors began to spread that Shalongzi, leader of the Luotian Sect's younger generation, held vast quantities of pills!
These pills had all been refined personally by the Pill Master Luo Chen and entrusted to Shalongzi.
They encompassed pills across all three tiers from Qi Refinement to Golden Core, with an extensive variety of applications: cultivation aid, supplementary support, and even the rarest realm-breaking pills.
As long as Shalongzi agreed, one could exchange for the required pills from him at a relatively reasonable price.
Yet if he refused, no matter how high an offer one made, not a single pill could be had!
Before long, whenever cultivators had a moment to rest, many went out of their way to visit the western district to seek an audience with Shalongzi.
Those who lacked connections even began befriending other Luotian Sect cultivators, hoping to secure an introduction to reach Shalongzi.
Under these circumstances, the dozens of Luotian Sect cultivators gradually began enjoying different treatment within Lingtian Pass.
Whenever they went out, companions flocked around them.
During patrols, other cultivator squads maintained close contact with them, ensuring they avoided extremely perilous areas.
It might have sounded exaggerated, but such was the reality. Even those who did not seek pills had no desire to offend a Luotian Sect disciple.
Rubbing shoulders and forging goodwill was something anyone would do.
This state of affairs was precisely what Luo Chen wanted to see.
At first, he had considered using a large quantity of low-tier pills to burnish his own reputation and standing among rogue cultivators.
Upon further reflection, however, he realized the benefit to himself was negligible.
Low-tier cultivators could offer him very little help.
In contrast, relying on his reputation and the leverage of pills to allow his disciples to build vast networks of connections yielded far greater returns.
Looking to past precedents, this was essentially how disciples of Azure Pill Valley and the Medicine King Sect had once been treated—courteously received wherever they went.
It was because they had their sect and Luo Chen at their back that everyone treated them with respect and deference.
After handing down the instructions, Luo Chen did not pay much further attention.
In any case, he had entrusted the matter to Zeng Yilong, simultaneously humoring Wang Yuan's desire to instruct him. Through countless interpersonal dealings, Zeng Yilong would learn to judge the integrity of people's hearts and avoid being bewitched by a woman as he had been back at the Battle Arena.
One day, Luo Chen returned from the Castellan's Estate with an easy look on his face.
Castellan Lingtian was indeed a generous man!
When Luo Chen had "casually" mentioned having the tendon of a Nine Nether Phantasm Python without a suitable way to utilize it, the other party had generously given him a crafting blueprint.
It detailed the method for refining a magic treasure called the Mystic Nether Whip.
The most critical primary materials required were the tendon of a flood dragon or python demon beast, along with the Ming Water unique to the Mingyuan Sect.
Once crafted, this treasure would not only possess immense power and the ability to corrode enemy treasures, but could even briefly manifest the original form of the beast from which the tendon was harvested—truly marvelous.
To sweeten the deal, Castellan Lingtian had even gifted Luo Chen three drops of Ming Water to use after dilution.
"No wonder Castellan Lingtian enjoys such an excellent reputation—he is remarkably generous!"
"Compared to him, I seem rather petty at times."
Even as Luo Chen marveled, he could hardly wait to delve into the blueprint for the Mystic Nether Whip.
Yet when he returned to his cave abode, he was startled to find the gray-haired Xu Xiaoliu standing outside, looking as though he had been waiting for a long time.
"Supreme Elder, someone wishes to see you."
"For pills?"
Luo Chen asked out of habit. Many people had sought to commission pills from him recently, including disciples dispatched by various Nascent Soul powers to make discreet inquiries.
Most of them, however, sought out Chu Kui or Zeng Yilong.
Approaching through Xu Xiaoliu was exceedingly rare.
Rarity heralded the unusual.
And sure enough!
Xu Xiaoliu said in a low voice, "Not for pills, but to ask you to save someone."
Save someone?
Luo Chen's footsteps halted.
Moments later.
Luo Chen stood with his hands clasped behind his back before the window, quietly awaiting his guest.
Footsteps approached from outside the residence.
Within his divine sense, a familiar face appeared.
Still as cold and aloof as ever, yet the pride she had once possessed was long gone.
The footsteps gradually slowed until Xu Xiaoliu respectfully pushed open the main door for the visitor.
The figure hesitated briefly at the threshold, then took a deep breath and strode in.
Upon seeing Luo Chen's back, her pupils contracted.
Then, biting her lip, she swept aside the hem of her skirt and prostrated herself on the ground.
"Jueqing of Ice Fort greets Master Luo!"
Chapter 802