Chapter 119: Practicing Astray

After reaching the Eleventh Layer of Qi Refining, Chen Luo distinctly felt stronger. The number of little spiritual energy snakes within him had increased to eighty. Considering that one hundred such snakes were needed for the intensity required to break through to Foundation Establishment, he was now not far from achieving it.

“The Spirit Foundation Pill’s effect was even more potent than anticipated, but thankfully I successfully broke through.”

Chen Luo let out a long sigh of relief. Regardless, he had endured the pill’s potency. Advancing straight to the Eleventh Layer of Qi Refining showcased a cultivation speed surpassing even those with heavenly spiritual roots. This single medicinal pill saved him over a year’s worth of time, making it quite a significant gain.

However, progressing beyond the Twelfth Layer of Qi Refining would require significantly more resources.

“First, sell ‘Spirit Foundation Pills’ for some time to recoup costs. Then, have Old Brother Zhou help find similar pill formulas and see if we can improve them or create new variations.”

Chen Luo glanced at the pill furnace in the corner; his recent intense pill concocting had nearly depleted his reserves. Without the Loose Cultivators Union’s support, facilitated by Zhou Tianyang, allowing him to exchange medicinal pills, he would have been hard-pressed financially two months ago.

As one progressed further in cultivation, the resources required exponentially increased.

After resting for half a day, Chen Luo ventured out to a nearby restaurant for a lavish meal. Since these establishments belonged to the Loose Cultivators Union, Chen Luo could dine without paying using his guest official token. The owner would later settle the bill with County Magistrate Zhou Tianyang.

“Shidi seems quite spirited today.”

Hu Qiudao entered the restaurant, took a seat across from Chen Luo, and unhesitatingly poured himself a cup of wine.

Ever since their last exchange meeting, interactions between Chen Luo and the Hu Family had diminished. Recently, the patriarch persistently urged Hu Qiudao to visit Chen Luo, hoping to explore if the Hu Family could assist in selling medicinal pills alongside him.

In Woodmount City’s small community, it was impossible to keep Chen Luo’s secret as an alchemist from the Hu Family.

Chen Luo understood the patriarch’s intentions well, but currently, all the spirit materials needed for his pill concoction were sourced through the Loose Cultivators Union. Selling directly to the Hu Family would complicate future collaborations with Zhou Tianyang.

The allure of profit stirs the heart—an age-old truth remains unchanged.

That’s why he had avoided meeting with his senior brother Hu Qiudao for some time. However, after breaking through to the Eleventh Layer of Qi Refinement today, Chen Luo changed his mind. He couldn’t abandon the connection with the Loose Cultivators Union, but cooperating with the Hu Family could also be beneficial. Engaging in multiple partnerships would maximize profits, and reaching the Eleventh Layer bolstered his confidence.

“Cultivation should have its ebbs and flows; blindly immersing oneself won’t lead to the immortal path,” Chen Luo responded with a smile. “Moreover, as disciples of Wu Dao Peak, cultivating our minds is equally important.”

Hu Qiudao’s cultivation realm remained at the sixth layer of Qi Refinement—a typical pace for someone with mid-grade spiritual roots.

In contrast, Chen Luo and Huang Ying enjoyed more affluent cultivation, resulting in significantly faster progress. Especially for Chen Luo, beyond having abundant resources, he also benefited from numerous external aids, making his rapid cultivation speed unsurprising. To outsiders, it would seem like he possessed either a heavenly spiritual root or a unique innate talent.

With Chen Luo’s current strength, Hu Qiudao was no longer on the same level; any divine ability could effortlessly dispatch him. Reflecting on their first encounter when they ascended the mountain, it felt like a lifetime ago.

“Old man asked me to inquire if our Hu Family can partake in the business of Qi Nourishing Pills and Spirit Gathering Pills?” Hu Qiudao set down his wine cup cautiously before posing the question.

He could no longer discern Chen Luo’s cultivation realm at all. This little junior brother, who had entered the sect just over a year ago, now felt as inscrutable as their own patriarch.

“Yes,” Chen Luo replied succinctly.

“That settles it then. If you need anything, let me know; we mustn’t let our own brothers suffer any losses.” Relieved, Hu Qiudao expressed his commitment.

As long as Chen Luo acknowledged him as his senior brother, that was enough.

In sects like the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, beyond the true Inner Sect disciples, there is often little cohesion among other disciples. Especially for Outer Sect disciples leaving after three years, once they depart, they are no longer considered part of the immortal sect. Having learned little of practical use during their time on the mountain, they merely retain the facade of being sect disciples. Aside from their remaining pride, they are virtually indistinguishable from solo cultivators, with some even faring worse than them!

The two fellow disciples drank together from daylight until late into the night.

As the crescent moon dipped below the western horizon, everyone finally returned to their homes.

Inside his secret chamber, Chen Luo dispelled the lingering scent of alcohol and began assessing his current state.

Apart from being at the Eleventh Layer of Qi Refinement, he had cultivated two divine abilities: Soul Technique and Wind Control Technique. Additionally, through the Loose Cultivators Union, he learned several minor spells such as Fire Control and Water Condensation Techniques. Combined with the intellects of five Five Phases Foundation Establishment cultivators, his offensive capabilities were temporarily sufficient. He felt confident that no law cultivator at his level could match him.

However, the issue of defense remained unresolved.

Originally, Chen Luo planned to address this problem only after reaching Foundation Establishment, but considering his current cultivation speed, it would take significantly longer than anticipated. Consequently, the need for defensive measures became increasingly pressing.

He couldn’t simply stay indoors until Foundation Establishment, could he?

Thus, he recalled the ancient technique obtained from Daoist Dry Corpse’s refined corpse—the Iron Body Art.

This technique must have been exceptional, given how deeply it resonated with the highly potent refined corpse, even till its demise. Moreover, having acquired the brains already, not practicing the art would be a waste of valuable resources!

Closing his eyes, Chen Luo focused his mind.

Gradually, he activated the refined corpse’s mind while recalling memories related to the Iron Body Art. As soon as these memories surfaced, the refined corpse’s brain swiftly became active, mobilizing Chen Luo’s blood and qi, preparing to commence practice.

‘Incorrect. With this method, even centuries would not suffice for mastery. To cultivate body refinement techniques, one must follow the twelve primary meridians, infuse them with blood, harness malevolent qi as an aid, and initiate with demonic essence.’

As soon as Chen Luo began circulating the Iron Body Art, a thought emerged in his mind.

The long-dormant mummified brain had once again sprung back to life.

In the eyes of this unknown-grade brain, no challenge seemed insurmountable. Once ‘awakened,’ it could provide guidance on any issue. The only drawback was its difficulty to activate; initially, it offered advice frequently, but now, responses were becoming increasingly rare. Whether due to being separated from the corpse for too long or some other reason remained unclear.

Chen Luo suspected that this might be connected to the Great Mausoleum in the Yue Kingdom. When he extracted the mummified brain, he may not have done so completely.

It was the only corpse that had ever caused the notification sound to momentarily stall—a memory vividly etched in his mind.

“Did I practice it incorrectly?”

Chen Luo halted his movements and opened his eyes, a hint of confusion flickering within them.

The refined corpse had spent its entire life attempting to master the Iron Body Art without success. Initially, he assumed it was either due to the technique being too challenging or the corpse’s insufficient aptitude. Now, it seemed highly likely that the mistake occurred right from the start.

“Malevolent qi, fiend beast essence blood.”

These were the two prerequisites provided by the mummified brain.

Obtaining malevolent qi was straightforward; Potter’s Field, where the dried corpse old ghost resided, was abundant with it, and any nearby grave pit would suffice. The challenge lay in acquiring fiend beast essence blood. In the territories controlled by the Divine Lake Immortal Sect across the three kingdoms, fiend beasts were scarce, making them rarely available in markets. Whenever they did appear, alchemists and demon cultivators swiftly purchased them, leaving little chance for Chen Luo to acquire any.

“It seems I need to give Zhou old brother some additional responsibilities now.”

Chen Luo thought about Zhou Tianyang, who had just recently突破 to the Twelfth Layer of Qi Refinement.

The effectiveness of the Spirit Explosion Pill instilled great confidence in him. He believed that once Zhou Tianyang emerged from seclusion, he would undoubtedly seek collaboration. At that time, adding fiend beast blood to the list of materials should be manageable, letting Zhou Tianyang figure out how to obtain it.

Time passed quickly, and before Chen Luo knew it, three days had gone by.

“Why do you need fiend beast essence blood now? It wasn’t part of the list before,” Zhou Tianyang said, feeling uneasy as he examined the updated spirit material inventory handed by Chen Luo.

Not only was the quantity substantial, but it also included many rare components.

Obtaining fiend beast essence blood was particularly challenging even within the Loose Cultivators Union.

“I’ve recently discovered that adding these materials increases the success rate significantly. By incorporating fiend beast essence blood, the likelihood of producing High-Grade pills greatly improves, and the yield will increase from three to five per batch.”

The number of pills mentioned was entirely at Chen Luo’s discretion. With his current level of pill concocting expertise, two sets of ingredients could produce one batch, yielding a minimum of three pills per batch. Giving away two additional pills posed no issue for him.

Zhou Tianyang looked skeptical, yet he couldn’t find any evidence to refute Chen Luo’s claim. Alchemists often wielded such arrogance, holding all the explanatory power, leaving others with no means to prove them wrong.

“I’ll inquire about this information, but don’t get your hopes up too high.” Zhou Tianyang, being astute, understood Chen Luo’s need for fiend beast blood without explicitly stating it. From his perspective, as long as there was profit to be made, he could turn a blind eye to the rest.

“Thank you, brother, I appreciate your help,” Chen Luo replied with a smile.

Being an alchemist proved immensely useful; without this identity, finding such information on his own would have wasted considerable time. Even collaborating with the Loose Cultivators Union wouldn’t grant him the same level of access.

The news arrived even quicker than Chen Luo anticipated. Within just two days, Zhou Tianyang had located a lead—a giant ape at the Qi Refinement stage!

The very next day after receiving this information, Zhou Tianyang visited Chen Luo’s residence.

Accompanying him were Daoist Dry Corpse from the Corpse-Raising Sect and Old Man Hu.

The top figures of Woodmount City had all gathered there.

“We’ve found a lead on the fiend beast essence blood you seek.”

Upon entering the room, Zhou Tianyang cautiously set up a spiritual energy barrier to isolate them from outside interference. Daoist Dry Corpse and Old Man Hu also looked cautious, which puzzled Chen Luo somewhat.

While a fiend beast could be valuable, it seemed excessive for such precautions.

“Besides the fiend beast’s trail, there is something else I believe Fellow Daoist Chen will find intriguing,” Daoist Dry Corpse said in a raspy voice. The fact that he, who usually rested in his stone coffin, had ventured out hinted at the high value of the discovery.

Chen Luo began forming a vague suspicion.

“A Foundation Establishment spiritual object!” Old Man Hu revealed bluntly.

This answer ignited even Chen Luo’s interest. Having reached the Eleventh Layer of Qi Refinement, he was increasingly close to Foundation Establishment and needed to start gathering certain items ahead of time.

“So far, only the four of us know about this,” Zhou Tianyang stated.

Initially, when Zhou Tianyang obtained the information, he intended to keep it for himself. However, the fiend beast proved too formidable to handle alone. With no other choice, he reluctantly sought partners for assistance.

In Woodmount City, there were only four individuals at the Late Stage of Qi Refinement, including themselves. After discussing together, they agreed that sharing would be beneficial. The Mingyue and Guan families resided in different cities, and relaying the news would take considerable time, so they decided not to wait.

“Where is it located?” Without wasting words, Chen Luo directly asked.

“At the bottom of Mushan River, beyond which lies a hidden canyon. I discovered it while tracking the fiend beast,” Zhou Tianyang disclosed the location of the Foundation Establishment spiritual object.

“I’ve taken care of anyone else who stumbled upon the canyon with me. However, the impact of such a spiritual object is immense, and I’m uncertain how long we can conceal this information. Therefore, I propose we depart immediately, addressing any issues along the way.”