Deep beneath Crescent Moon Valley, could there truly be a place where spiritual energy was this concentrated?
Luo Chen was astonished, and then an inkling of an idea struck him.
However, he was in no hurry to head down and investigate.
Instead, he stepped outside first and showed his face before Gu Caiyi and the others, letting them know he was fine.
He knew very well that if anything truly seemed amiss with him, Mi Shuhua would certainly pay him a visit.
If that happened, whatever he had discovered during his subterranean exploration would be laid completely bare.
By dusk, most of the cultivators in the Pill Hall had left, and the pills refined that day had been safely stored in the pill-curing chamber.
Luo Chen called out to Gu Caiyi, mentioning that he would be heading back late today because he wanted to try refining a batch of Jade Marrow Pills.
Gu Caiyi, naturally, had no objections.
At present, Luo Chen was the only one handling the refinement of Jade Marrow Pills.
The other apprentices and fire-tenders were merely learning a few techniques he had passed down.
Once the Pill Hall cultivators had mostly dispersed, leaving behind only a squad of guards, Luo Chen returned to the stone chamber.
"Let's see whether that tributary of the first-rank spirit vein down below really exists!"
Lifting the stone slab, Luo Chen dropped into the underground mine.
He chose a tunnel that sloped downward and released his little puppet, following closely behind it step for step.
"Blocked off?"
"This way is a dead end too. Time to try another tunnel."
"The direction seems to be off."
"Looks like I'll have to use some force!"
When he was once again stopped by a collapsed end of a sealed tunnel, Luo Chen realized that the location had likely never been discovered before.
Consequently, there were no tunnels leading straight to it.
In the past, he would have had to use a magical artifact to clear the way, digging through little by little.
Now, however, he had just the right tool for the job.
Mountain-Cleaving Monument-Breaking Palm!
Surging spiritual energy gushed forth along his meridians.
As Luo Chen struck the ground with a palm, a dull thud rang out.
A large spray of shattered rocks burst into the air. Luo Chen made no attempt to dodge, letting the rubble rain down upon him.
They struck the protective light barrier of his mid-grade magical robe, pattering harmlessly to the ground.
"Seems it's pretty deep!"
With an exclamation, Luo Chen continued to repeat the motion.
One strike, another strike, and yet another strike!
Occasionally, he encountered patches of unmined star silver ore, which he painstakingly cut away using his Jasper Saber.
Throughout the process, his proficiency in Mountain-Cleaving Monument-Breaking Palm steadily climbed.
"At the end of the day, it's secular martial arts; its utilization of spiritual energy is rather crude."
"Still, that works to my advantage. It doesn't consume much spiritual energy."
Luo Chen glanced at his attribute panel, nodding in satisfaction as he watched the proficiency of Mountain-Cleaving Monument-Breaking Palm rise continuously.
About an hour later, Luo Chen had no choice but to call a halt to his efforts.
"Dammit, how can it be this deep?!"
"I doubt I can break through today. I'll continue tomorrow!"
If he delayed any longer, it would be far too late when he returned home.
Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang, his two bodyguards, were still waiting for him in Crescent Moon Valley.
Luo Chen ceased his excavation, turned around, and exited the narrow mine shaft.
Before leaving, he used a boulder to block the tunnel once more.
***
"Luo Chen came looking for me at headquarters today?"
Mi Shuhua had just finished conferring with a newly arrived Foundation Establishment cultivator when he heard Mi Junping's report.
He was thoroughly intrigued.
"What did the kid want with me?"
Mi Junping strongly disliked Luo Chen. That fellow had gained far too much benefit from the gang,
yet he carried on as though he were still unsatisfied.
Compared to the perks he had received, the value he currently generated for the Mountain Breaker Gang and the Mi family was still nowhere near enough.
"Hmph, what else? He must want more benefits from you. That fellow is downright insatiable!"
Seeing his daughter act this way, Mi Shuhua could not help but frown.
His daughter was still far too petty.
She focused only on short-term gains and losses, unable to see the long-term rewards.
Compared to what they were providing now, the future value Luo Chen could offer was immeasurable!
Yet Mi Junping had failed to master her impulses in her youth, falling in love with a cultivator and even bearing a child.
As a result, despite his full support and nurturing, she was forever barred from advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage in this lifetime.
Her failure had left Mi Shuhua with no choice but to offer the hard-won Foundation Establishment Pill as an incentive to outsiders.
The second generation of the Mi family had no worthy heir!
Fortunately, among the children of the third generation, there were still a few who were worth polishing.
After pondering for a moment, Mi Shuhua said, "Mi Li is home, right? Call her over. I have a few questions for her."
Mi Junping felt little affection for her own daughter.
It was because of that man and this child that her hopes of reaching Foundation Establishment had been dashed.
Yet under her father's piercing Foundation Establishment gaze, she had no choice but to fetch Mi Li.
Before long, Mi Shuhua learned most of what Luo Chen had done in the Pill Hall that day.
He had promoted an elderly cultivator to lead the fire-tenders? A kind-hearted gesture?
That squad leader had stepped out with Luo Chen for a brief period, supposedly because Luo Chen had inquiries regarding cultivation realms. It appeared Luo Chen had encountered a bottleneck or confusion in his cultivation.
Mm, if that was the case, the reason he had sought him out stemmed from this matter.
"In the afternoon, Hall Master Luo successfully refined a cauldron of Jade Marrow Pills," Mi Li said softly.
"He is indeed remarkably gifted in alchemy. At the very least, neither the second nor third generations of our Mi family can compare to him,"
Mi Shuhua remarked with a sigh.
"Something seemed to go wrong during the refining process, though. Hall Master Luo's eyes were bleeding."
Upon hearing this news, Mi Shuhua could no longer sit still.
"What happened?"
His urgency and concern were entirely genuine.
Mi Li pressed her lips together, feeling a pang of sorrow in her heart.
Grandfather had never shown such concern for her.
With an effort, she replied, "Hall Master Luo said he has been refining too many pills lately, constantly casting the Spiritual Eye Art, which caused severe eye strain."
Mi Shuhua paced in small circles around the room, his brows knitted tightly.
This was indeed an issue.
Although the Spiritual Eye Art was simple, it was actually one of the most hazardous low-tier spells.
Supposedly, in prominent sects, elders always instructed their disciples not to use it casually.
For one, it was easy to offend high-level cultivators.
Second, it could easily damage one's own eyes.
He truly had been far too impatient!
Luo Chen was merely a lad at the sixth layer of Qi Refining. Making him refine pills like this day in and day out would certainly harm him.
He had just criticized Mi Junping for her narrow-mindedness, yet now it seemed he had been shortsighted as well.
Which family didn't spend decades or a century to cultivate an alchemist?
After a moment's thought, Mi Shuhua retrieved a jade bottle from his storage bag.
"Mi Li, give this to Luo Chen tomorrow. Instruct him to place a drop in his eyes after every refining session."
Seeing the jade bottle, Mi Junping was astounded and blurted out,
"Father, that's the Moisturizing Pearl Liquid you obtained from the auction! Why are you giving it to that kid?!"
Mi Shuhua glanced at her and said coldly, "It offers no benefit to my cultivation, and keeping it serves me no purpose. Why shouldn't I give it to him?"
Mi Junping stammered, merely muttering under her breath that it must have cost quite a few spirit stones.
Sighing, Mi Shuhua could hold back no longer.
"Junping, carry yourself with a little more generosity in daily life. Recently, people have already come to me complaining that you are excessively harsh toward the gang's cultivators, constantly reducing or even withholding the rewards they rightfully earned."
"Father, those rogue cultivators don't deserve—"
"If this continues, the Mi family will lose the hearts of the people in the Mountain Breaker Gang."
"But with a Foundation Establishment cultivator like you around, what does it matter if we lose their favor?"
"Then how much longer do you think I have left to live?"
At those words, Mi Junping clasped her hand over her mouth as a terrifying thought seized her.
Could it be that her father was nearing the end of his lifespan?
Mi Shuhua shook his head, offering no further explanation, and waved for them to leave.
Mi Li led her dazed, distracted mother out, clutching the jade bottle in her hand.
Beneath the moonlight, she glanced back at Mi Shuhua's courtyard, a creeping dread taking root in her heart.
Lately, as a local Foundation Establishment clan that also controlled the Mountain Breaker Gang, the Mi family had been basking in unmatched prestige.
Their daily callers and social gatherings were like flowers blooming over brocade, oil poured onto a roaring blaze.
Yet if Mi Shuhua fell, what would become of the entire family?
She did not dare think any further.
***
***
"The Gang Leader gave this to me?"
Before the morning's pill refinement began, Luo Chen accepted the jade bottle with curiosity.
Giving it a gentle shake, he heard the faint slosh of liquid from within.
Mi Li said softly, "This is Moisturizing Pearl Liquid. After you finish refining pills each day, Hall Master, you can apply a drop to your eyes. It effectively relieves eye fatigue."
Moisturizing Pearl Liquid!
Hearing the name, Luo Chen froze for a moment.
This was an exceptional item!
The Qingyuan Alchemy Exposition contained records of this spiritual medicine.
It was an outstanding aid for low-level alchemists.
Yet ordinary alchemists could rarely afford it.
The reason was simple: this spiritual liquid originated from the foremost sect in the Jade Cauldron Domain—the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect!
As a sword-cultivator sect, the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect typically reigned supreme through combat prowess and had little reputation to boast of in the realm of pills.
However, as a great sect, they naturally could not allow themselves to be constrained by others in all things.
They had cultivated their own alchemists, who served the Sword Sect exclusively.
Moisturizing Pearl Liquid was a spiritual medicine they had developed.
Or rather, it was not originally Moisturizing Pearl Liquid, but Clarity Liquid!
Sword cultivators fought using sword pellets.
Among the methods for controlling sword pellets, divine sense was paramount.
Yet against certain foes, divine sense alone was insufficient; one had to rely on eyesight and hearing as well.
Thus, the alchemists of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect developed the medicine known as Clarity Liquid.
With prolonged use, a sword cultivator's eyes would undergo an incredible transformation—discerning truth from falsehood and peering through illusions.
Clarity Liquid was a top-tier medicine, typically reserved only for Foundation Establishment true disciples and Golden Core Masters.
However, if a pill could only serve internal disciples, it would lose far too much of its value.
Therefore, the Jade Cauldron alchemists altered the medicinal ingredients, creating a diluted version: Moisturizing Pearl Liquid.
This spiritual medicine was not only distributed to internal disciples but also sold externally.
The market was average, but the spirit stones earned were more than enough to offset the losses from concocting Clarity Liquid.
Moisturizing Pearl Liquid had little utility for high-level cultivators, but for those in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment realms, its effects were excellent.
Occasional use would relieve eye fatigue.
Prolonged use allowed a cultivator to easily discern various impure energies, such as yin energy, turbid energy, and fiendish energy.
Supposedly, this was because one of the primary ingredients was a mist-harboring pearl nurtured by a rare yin beast, the mist-harboring shellfish.
It was precisely for this reason that it was named Moisturizing Pearl Liquid.
Many formation masters frequently purchased this spiritual medicine in bulk.
Clutching the jade bottle, Luo Chen felt a surge of delight.
He wasn't suffering from any eye fatigue.
Back when his proficiency in the Spiritual Eye Art had reached the Perfect level, that shortcoming had already been resolved.
Yesterday's bleeding had merely been the result of the Spiritual Eye Art ascending to the Master level and taking root in his eyes.
Still, he naturally wouldn't turn away such a good item.
After all, this represented Mi Shuhua's heartfelt goodwill!
*I didn't even actively try to fleece him for perks, and he delivered it right to my doorstep.*
*Why couldn't I have met such a good boss in my past life?*
Marveling at his luck, Luo Chen happily stowed the bottle away.
He decided to find some free time to try it. After all, the book noted that regular use offered great benefits to alchemists.
"What are you all standing around for? Stoke the fires and let's make pills!"
Luo Chen barked at the gathered crowd.
Everyone sprang into motion. Gu Caiyi directed the apprentices to carry ingredients into the pill chambers.
Qu Hancheng, the newly appointed head fire-tender, also assigned six fire-tenders, stationing them across each chamber.
With two cultivators tending the fire, even if one made a mistake, the other could immediately step in.
Moreover, Luo Chen moved between the chambers, ensuring that nothing went awry.
***
After finishing his meal, Luo Chen sat in his room.
First, he inspected the medicine bottle. With his knowledge of alchemy, he confirmed there was nothing amiss with it, then placed a drop in each of his eyes.
After applying it, he blinked.
"Cool and refreshing."
"Aside from that, there doesn't seem to be any difference?"
"These eye drops have quite a reputation, but the effects aren't instantaneous."
Curling his lip, Luo Chen put the bottle away.
Be that as it may, it was Mi Shuhua's kind intention, so he might as well use a drop whenever he had time!
This single bottle would easily last him a month.
After putting the bottle away, Luo Chen rubbed his hands together and slipped into the mine shaft.
Time to continue today's gold miner game!
Digging time!
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
Because he was deep underground, the noise produced by Luo Chen's Mountain-Cleaving Monument-Breaking Palm would not travel up to Crescent Moon Valley.
Furthermore, he had blocked off the narrow passage, making it even more foolproof.
An hour later, Luo Chen straightened his back.
"Fucking hell, this is deep!"
"Still, I'm almost through. I'll continue tonight!"
During the afternoon's refinement, Luo Chen had genuinely put his heart into it.
Having accepted so many benefits from Mi Shuhua, he had to show the man some results!
Otherwise, if the old man saw no progress, grew disheartened, and dissolved the Pill Hall, where would he go to fleece perks in the future?
He had to admit, having grown accustomed to a crowd of people assisting him, he was thoroughly unwilling to return to the life of preparing his own herbs, watching his own fires, and refining alone.
Moreover, even after producing pills, one had to bother with collecting them into bottles and hawking them personally.
Just thinking about it felt tedious. How could it compare to the ease of his current life?
***
"Finally about to break through!"
Without him realizing it, night had fallen deep into the late hours.
He had already told his two bodyguards that he would be spending the night at the Pill Hall, so no one should come to disturb him.
Luo Chen took a deep breath and unleashed his Mountain-Cleaving Monument-Breaking Palm, now elevated to the Proficient level.
A transparent, pale-green palm print formed of spiritual energy materialized suddenly and bore down.
*Crack!*
Like an eggshell shattering, the final layer of the rock wall broke completely apart.
Almost simultaneously, a dense wave of spiritual energy gushed forth.
Startled, Luo Chen watched as his activated magical robe fluttered without wind, bracing for potential danger.
Excellent—no mishaps occurred.
Luo Chen dropped directly into the subterranean depths and looked around. It was a cavern about two meters across.
Though somewhat cramped, it offered more than enough room for him.
As his gaze wandered, Luo Chen's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Spirit stones!"
Exposed upon the cavern floor was a bed of glittering, translucent ore, flecked with points of silver light.
Those crystal-clear stones were clearly the raw, embryonic form of spirit stones.
Calling them spirit stones was inaccurate.
Strictly speaking, they were raw spirit stone ore!
The spirit stones circulating through the cultivation world were nearly identical in standard, size, and spiritual energy content.
Supposedly, spirit stones were produced within spirit veins.
The large sects that occupied these spirit veins mined the ore and used proprietary methods to cut the raw spirit stone ore into uniformly sized stones.
Afterward, they circulated them through the cultivation world as currency to purchase and gather resources from others.
The spiritual energy contained within those spirit stones was filled with impurities and intensely violent.
As a result, ordinary cultivators could not absorb it directly and could only use them as currency for trade.
Only cultivators from prominent sects possessed both the methods to produce standard spirit stones and the techniques to extract pure spiritual energy from them.
Even when away from a spirit vein, such cultivators could draw spiritual energy from the stones they carried to cultivate.
Luo Chen possessed no such methods; the spirit stones he earned could only be spent on expensive Qi-Nourishing Pills.
Now, however, things were different!
Before him lay a naturally formed spirit vein!
The spiritual energy naturally emitted by raw spirit stone ore within a native spirit vein could be absorbed directly.
This was precisely why various sects and factions established their headquarters atop spirit veins of different ranks.
And now, Luo Chen possessed such a spirit vein of his own.
Though it was tiny—merely a negligible tributary of the first-rank spirit vein beneath Dahe Market—it didn't need to support a multitude of cultivators!
"As expected, my guess was correct!"
Luo Chen took a deep breath, feeling the spiritual energy throughout his entire body become invigorated.
The spiritual energy he had expended tunneling through the ground with Mountain-Cleaving Monument-Breaking Palm seemed to recover considerably.
"This place isn't large, and the raw spirit stone ore here isn't plentiful."
"Yet it is more than enough to sustain my cultivation for a period of time!"
Luo Chen harbored no thoughts of excavating the raw ore to sell.
First, he had no means of crafting standard spirit stones.
Even if he sold the ore to the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion for a hefty sum of spirit stones, wouldn't he still have to spend them on pills to cultivate?
Going back and forth like that, how much of a price difference would be lost in the middle?
It would all end up in the pockets of those unscrupulous profiteers.
Second, natural raw spirit stone ore functioned much like a miniature spirit-gathering array, naturally drawing wandering spiritual energy from heaven and earth into its midst.
The reason major sects built their mountain gates atop spirit veins was that as long as a vein was not excessively mined, it would produce new spirit stones after a sufficient period of nurturing.
Leaving this large deposit of raw spirit stone ore intact would not only absorb the ambient spiritual energy of heaven and earth,
but could even siphon a portion of spiritual energy from the spirit vein's source.
"I've been fleecing Old Man Mi quite a bit lately, so I can ease off slightly."
"Fleecing a bit from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect's spirit vein, on the other hand, is completely fine."
At this thought, Luo Chen chuckled.
Soon, however, he shook his head.
*Why call it fleecing?*
This had rightfully belonged to him in the first place.
After all, he paid rent in the inner city, yet had never enjoyed the benefits of a true first-rank spirit vein.
All that spiritual energy had been cordoned off by the major shops and the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion with formations.
What was left for ordinary residents like Luo Chen was merely a meager trickle.
The concentration of spiritual energy in this cavern was what truly belonged to a first-rank spirit vein!
Having sorted out this logic, Luo Chen was completely free of any moral shackles—not that he had any to begin with.
"Let's see how much spiritual power I can gain by cultivating the Eternal Spring Art here!"
Sitting cross-legged, with the soles of his feet, palms of his hands, and crown of his head facing heaven, and the tip of his tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth,
he began circulating the Master-level Eternal Spring Art.
Chapter 96