The exchange with Deng Taiyue took quite some time.
At least on the surface, Deng Taiyue seemed to be a very decent person.
He bluntly stated that if Luo Chen needed any medicinal ingredients while researching the Empowerment Pill, Luo Chen could approach him at any time, and he was even willing to lend a hand with various trivial matters.
On the way out of the side hall, Luo Chen learned quite a bit about Deng Taiyue.
The man possessed an Earth Heavenly Spiritual Root and was exceptionally adept in earth escape arts!
With his cultivation at the sixth layer of the Nascent Soul realm, there were few treacherous mountains or hazardous domains in the world that could impede him.
That was why, during the war between humans and demons, he could venture into the depths of the Million Mountains at the drop of a hat to sweep up all manner of scarce resources.
Exotic flowers, rare herbs, high-tier mineral veins, and even Demon Emperor cubs—he was capable of bringing them all out of the Million Mountains.
Master Yao had kept Deng Taiyue dangling with the Empowerment Pill, likely having his eye on this very escape skill.
Luo Chen was not so despicable.
Still, if a genuine need arose in the future, he would not hesitate to ask.
Leaving the side hall, the lively discussions in the main hall were still underway.
Many observant cultivators noticed Luo Chen and the visibly delighted Deng Taiyue.
This sight made many realize that Luo Chen had likely agreed to concoct the Empowerment Pill for Deng Taiyue!
The Empowerment Pill—a pseudo-Tier 5 divine pill of antiquity—was said to enlighten a cultivator like pouring wisdom into their mind, enabling them to comprehend law true intent ahead of time while still in the Nascent Soul realm.
Unfortunately, over thousands of years, the recipe had become hopelessly fragmented. To this day, no one had managed to complete it, let alone successfully brew it.
Could the Grandmaster do it?
Feasible or not, more and more Nascent Soul True Persons used the opportunity to cozy up to Luo Chen.
After all, what if?
If he really did concoct it, who wouldn't want to comprehend law true intent in advance and secure an extra safeguard for breaking through to the Soul Transformation realm?
Facing these flatterers, Luo Chen handled them with practiced ease.
When an occasional request came for him to brew pills, he excused himself as currently too busy, yet he left ample leeway in his words, saying that whenever free in the future, he would gladly craft some pills for his fellow Daoists.
This stance won him a great deal of goodwill.
While dealing with them, Luo Chen also listened to the others discussing the current situation in the Eastern Desolation.
"The Three Commanders have been blockading the outside of Lingtian Pass for several years now. Fortunately, Castellan Lingtian carved out the buffer zone of the Spirit-Severing Domain back then. Otherwise, with Lingtian Pass engulfed in non-stop warfare every day, how could we ever enjoy a moment of peace?"
"Yet this is no long-term solution. According to the intelligence gathered by Fellow Daoist Lingfengzi and several others, apart from the route at Mount Cangwu, the other four commanders have already entered territories formerly governed by the human race, drawing ever closer to Lingtian Pass."
"If their armies besiege the pass, can Lingtian Pass truly hold out relying solely on us?"
"Indeed. All Nine Commanders are of Great Cultivator rank! Not to mention the other Demon Emperors, just those nine demons making a move..."
"Do not underestimate our Lingtian Pass formations! It is said that Tianduzi has thoroughly mastered the Black Tortoise Four Directions Formation. Relying on it, he alone can hold off a host of ten thousand. Even against commander-level entities, he can withstand four or five of them by himself!"
"Formations truly are the crystallization of our human wisdom!"
"The demon race suffered heavy losses against both the Black Tortoise Four Directions Formation and the Twelve Heavens Divine Fiends Formation. Word has it that after pulling back to the rear over recent years, they have begun laying formations near their encampments as well. Some of our peers went to investigate, and the findings were laughable. Supposedly, their formations' power can at most ward off attacks from a few ordinary True Persons."
"Better not grow careless. Lingtian Pass is indeed impregnable, but before the surging torrent of the demon army, it is at best a stubborn reef. Without enough Great Cultivators holding the line, it will sooner or later be washed away. When will the Supreme Elders of your sects be willing to come to Lingtian Pass?"
"Still early! No rush, no rush!"
...
Observing with a slight smile, Luo Chen gradually sorted through the internal situation among the human factions of the Eastern Desolation.
Setting aside that colossus, the Mingyuan Sect, the Nascent Soul upper sects of the Eastern Desolation actually fell into three tiers.
The first tier enjoyed extremely close relations with the sacred ground, the Mingyuan Sect, such as the Dongyang Sect. These sects were the most ancient, housing numerous powerhouses, and often dominated an entire domain on their own.
The second tier consisted of regular sects that received fiefs after antiquity, branched out, and established their legacies. This tier was somewhat uneven.
Among them were top-tier forces like the Tiandu Sect and the Void Emperor Sect, which were not in the least inferior to the Dongyang Sect.
Yet there were also declining entities like Seven Caves Mountain and the Mount Tai Sect, which were gradually waning and running out of successors.
And within such sects, the leading figures made very different choices.
Master Yao, feeling his advanced age and dimming prospects on the Dao, focused his energies on grooming the younger generation. Deng Taiyue, on the other hand, sought to rely on himself to advance to the Soul Transformation realm, single-handedly turning the tide to revitalize his sect in the future.
Different choices naturally led to vastly different styles of conduct.
As for the third tier, it was rather complicated.
These were the newly risen upper sects that had emerged one after another over the past three thousand years.
These sects possessed heritage, yet it was not deep. They relied entirely on generation after generation of newly risen experts who led the sects forward with pioneering drive, gradually carving out a realm for themselves.
Precisely because of this drive, many top-tier powerhouses were born among these new factions.
Great Cultivators like Perfected Shenyuan and Patriarch Hehuan.
Jiuling Yuanjun, who rivaled Great Cultivators; True Person Jinling, with his formidable combat prowess; the Sect Master of the Tyrant Blade Sect; the Alchemy Emperor of the Medicine King Sect, who was well versed in the alchemical dao...
And even rising luminaries such as the Grandmaster Luo Chen, Han Zhan of the Luoyun Sect, and the Lone Wild Goose of the Sword World, Lin Qingxuan.
If nothing unexpected occurred, these new factions might eventually surpass the second tier, contend with the most ancient sects, or perhaps even produce a few Soul Transformation mighty figures.
Yet the unexpected calamity of the demon invasion disrupted many envisioned futures.
Patriarch Hehuan met a tragic demise, while Perfected Shenyuan was severely wounded.
A great number of Nascent Soul True Persons were reduced to stray dogs, many left without even a stable place to cultivate.
Let alone catching up, even preserving themselves had become an issue.
That was why Jiuling Yuanjun and the others urgently pressed the veteran factions on when their strongest experts would join this war.
Yet clearly, these established forces cherished their feathers above all else. Barring a matter of life and death, they would never easily step onto the battlefield.
Sending representatives to Lingtian Pass now was mostly for their own interests.
"The sacred ground sits high above."
"The veteran factions watch the fire from across the river."
"Only we are left struggling bitterly, with no end in sight to this great war."
"What bitterness, what sorrow, what hardship!"
Luo Chen felt a wave of melancholy wash over him, dampening his mood to socialize further.
Nascent Soul True Persons were mostly shrewd and perceptive; sensing that Luo Chen's enthusiasm was waning, they cut their visits short.
Only Pavilion Master Li of the Wan Jian Pavilion lingered a while longer to discuss the concoction of the Jade Emperor Clear Pupil Liquid.
Once the crowd dispersed, Luo Chen poured himself a cup of wine and drank it.
It melted the moment it touched his tongue, brimming with spiritual qi that reverberated through his internal organs, bringing immense comfort.
"Tastes good, doesn't it?"
Elder Lu, the host of the estate, sat down before Luo Chen with a genial chuckle.
"This wine is called the Five Temples Immortal Wine. It was created by True Person Liuyun of the Dieyun Sect by channeling the essential qi of the five elements and brewing five kinds of spiritual ingredients for a hundred years. It provides exquisite nourishment to the internal organs of True Persons like us. Every batch of new wine is met with demand far outstripping supply, while the aged vintages are all claimed by the Mingyuan Sect, leaving their own sect with only a modest reserve."
Luo Chen examined the spiritual wine in his hand closely, then sensed the state of his organs, unable to conceal his astonishment.
It truly was so!
After the wine was refined, the vitality in his organs had indeed grown stronger.
Even his body refinement bottleneck, which had shown no progress for nearly a century, showed faint signs of loosening.
This wine was immensely beneficial to body refinement!
He suddenly recalled that the heart of the Wuguang beast had been purchased by a cultivator named True Person Xiayun from the Dieyun Sect, who had mentioned back then that it would be used to brew wine.
This True Person Xiayun must also hail from the Dieyun Sect, a fellow sect member of True Person Liuyun.
For a moment, Luo Chen firmly committed the name of the Dieyun Sect to memory, intending to have his people reach out to them more in the future.
Seeing Luo Chen savoring it attentively with wonder on his face, Elder Lu smiled and said, "It seems you are quite fond of this fine brew, Fellow Daoist. I shall gift you a flagon shortly!"
Luo Chen rubbed his hands and replied bashfully, "One shouldn't accept rewards without merit. Such a precious item—it would hardly be proper for me to accept!"
Elder Lu gave a hearty laugh. "Hardly precious, just a century-old brew. It pales in comparison to the vintages cellared for thousands of years in the Dieyun Sect. Besides, how can you say you have no merit?"
Pointing at the bustling scene in the hall, he transmitted his voice: "A fair share of the credit for today's grand gathering belongs to your reputation as Grandmaster."
"Is that so?" Luo Chen blinked.
Elder Lu nodded. "Indeed. Ordinarily when I host a gathering, only a few or a dozen or so show up. Today there are over twenty. Why do you think they came?"
"Moreover, judging by today's exchanges, didn't True Person Taiyue reach an agreement with you?"
"I only hope that whenever I extend an invitation in the future, you will grace us with your presence, Fellow Daoist, so that this Shouyang Dao Discussion Gathering may flourish even more!"
With praises sung to such a degree, fine wine offered, and tangible benefits for himself, how could Luo Chen refuse?
He also realized that Elder Lu went to great lengths to host these gatherings on Mount Shouyang from time to time precisely to forge extensive connections.
To Elder Lu, his title served as an excellent banner to draw in more attendees.
Thus, it was a win-win situation!
Luo Chen readily agreed.
...
The quiet night slipped away, and dawn broke.
Breathing the cool morning air, streaks of light flew out of Mount Shouyang like fireflies, scattering toward various parts of Lingtian Pass.
This gathering had not lasted long, merely a little over two days.
In terms of Elder Lu's grand vision, it fell far short.
Conditions permitting, a mere two days was hardly enough for the Shouyang Dao Discussion Gathering—from sending invitations and arriving at the mountain to exchanging insights and debating the Dao.
It was far too rushed!
It would take at least a month to truly amplify the influence of a gathering of this caliber.
Regrettably, the current state of affairs could not support his vision.
Even so, Elder Lu was quite satisfied with this recent event. Numerous formidable experts had attended, along with figures versed in the myriad cultivation arts such as the Grandmaster, Master Yao, Old Fu, and Qin Baixiang.
A solid foundation had been laid; he could expand it gradually in the future.
By then, as the host holding an extensive network of connections, even a modest use of it would bring endless personal benefits. And if fully leveraged, it would bring immense advantages to the entire Dongyang Sect.
Leaving Mount Shouyang, Luo Chen did not return directly to his immortal's cave in the western city, heading instead to the Luotian Treasure Pavilion.
The pavilion had just opened its doors, and Huiniang and Caiyi were busy at work.
Seeing Luo Chen, Huiniang asked with a smile, "Husband, did you just return from the Hermit of Mount Shouyang?"
The Hermit of Mount Shouyang?
Luo Chen started, then quickly realized this was likely an honorific that outsiders bestowed upon Elder Lu.
Yet why take "Shouyang" as a title?
The next moment, realization struck him!
Wasn't such an honorific derived simply from holding gatherings on Mount Shouyang?
The man had been at Lingtian Pass for only a few years, without fighting or killing, nor paying much of a price, yet he had established a renowned title with such ease.
By contrast, Luo Chen's title of Grandmaster, if traced back carefully, had been built step by step starting from his Foundation Establishment days before reaching its current acclaim.
"I was being too narrow-minded. Expanding a network through personal reputation is too slow and produces modest results. How could it compare to Elder Lu building a platform and presiding at its center?"
"A sole proprietor truly can't compete with a platform builder!"
Luo Chen sighed emotionally in his heart, chatted with Huiniang for a while, and then brought Gu Caiyi into a secret chamber for a private conversation.
Huiniang felt curious about this, yet she was not jealous; she had always been generous and never believed Luo Chen would show favoritism.
Gu Caiyi, on the other hand, felt a pang of jealousy upon hearing Luo Chen's first question after entering the room.
"Has Perfected Tianshan sent any reply from Central Continent?"
What reply could Perfected Tianshan have sent? Naturally, it concerned the Consonance Gu inside Sima Huiniang!
Gu Caiyi shook her head. "The cultivators from the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance told me that Perfected Tianshan was sent to the Southern Border on business, and they cannot contact him for the time being."
Sent away on business!
Luo Chen nodded, but immediately noticed something amiss.
"The Southern Border? Not the North Sea?"
Gu Caiyi looked bewildered. "I do not know either. That was just how the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance cultivators explained it to me."
Luo Chen furrowed his brows deeply. How long had it been since Perfected Tianshan entered the Star Gate, and he had already been dispatched on missions?
And to the Southern Border, no less, rather than the North Sea where war burned fiercely!
Did the Tianyuan Dao Sect intend not only to target the North Sea, but also to make a move against the Southern Border?
His questions were not something Gu Caiyi could answer.
He therefore set the subject aside for the moment and stated his purpose directly.
"Has the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance prepared everything I requested?"
Gu Caiyi nodded and took out two storage bags.
"This one contains Huanzhen Liquid, and high-quality Huanzhen Liquid that has undergone extraction, which made it exorbitantly expensive. It was only acquired through True Person Gu's connections."
"The other bag holds the missing ingredients from the recipe for the Jade Emperor Clear Pupil Liquid. In particular, the eyeballs of the Jiamo demon and the Thousand-Eyed Squid took a tremendous amount of effort to procure in the quantities you demanded."
Luo Chen took the two bags, inspected them thoroughly, and finally looked satisfied.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Gu Caiyi shook her head. "Working for my husband is no hardship at all; it is my duty."
Luo Chen smiled gently. "Let us head outside. We shouldn't keep Huiniang waiting."
"Mm."
That day, Luo Chen lingered in the Luotian Treasure Pavilion for quite a while.
He made appearances before visiting customers from time to time, making his presence felt.
He also had some low-tier pills he had refined in his spare time placed onto the display shelves.
Only at sunset did he bring both women back to his immortal's cave.
Early the next morning, after enjoying a warm, intimate breakfast together, the two women departed one after the other.
Refreshed and invigorated, Luo Chen walked into the pill chamber.
"Pavilion Master Li has probably waited long enough. Let us concoct this Jade Emperor Clear Pupil Liquid first!"
There was not the slightest worry in his murmur; instead, his face was entirely relaxed.
Evidently, concocting the Jade Emperor Clear Pupil Liquid was nowhere near as difficult as he had claimed.
He opened his mouth and spat out a streak of light.
After spinning rapidly in midair for a moment, it landed with a rumble atop the specially excavated earth fire aperture.
And without anyone noticing, the Red Dog puppet had quietly appeared beside Luo Chen.
"Let us begin!"
Chapter 827