Chapter 128: Limits and Testing Pills

For Chen Luo, three years was no short span. Since joining the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, he had been cultivating for nearly five years now. In this time, he had advanced as much as others would in fifty.

Utilizing the connections from the Loose Cultivators Union, both his and Zhu Jie’s cultivation bases soared rapidly. With the aid of countless Spirit Foundation Pills, they broke through two levels, directly ascending from the Eleventh to the Thirteenth Layer of Qi Refinement, reaching the Peak Qi Refinement Realm. Even Hu Qiudao, with occasional assistance from medicinal pills gifted by Chen Luo, achieved a breakthrough into the Late Stage Qi Refinement, solidifying his position as the head of the Hu Family.

This highlighted the crucial importance of resources. Without such an abundance of medicinal pills, despite having aptitude comparable to a heavenly spiritual root, it would have taken him fifty years to reach the Thirteenth Layer of Qi Refinement. However, with ample resources, that timeline dramatically shortened from fifty years to just five!

Wealth, Technique, Companionship, Location!

Wealth stands at the forefront.

In some realms, progress can indeed be accelerated significantly with external resources.

Within his body, the count of little spiritual energy snakes reached one hundred, fulfilling the first requirement for Foundation Establishment. The Iron Body Art progressed from Minor Accomplishment to Great Accomplishment. Although he hadn’t ventured outside, his strength had multiplied several times compared to three years ago. However, at this stage, the growth of his spiritual energy completely stagnated.

Recently, despite consuming numerous Spirit Explosion Pills, their effects were minimal, almost negligible.

‘Reaching the pinnacle of Qi Refinement, it’s time for Foundation Establishment.’

Seven minds simultaneously harbored this thought upon reaching the Foundation Establishment threshold.

With this realization, Chen Luo began contemplating the creation of the Foundation Establishment Pill. The spirit materials he had acquired three years ago from the Luxury Nation’s imperial family were nearly depleted. He had produced a large quantity of Four-Unlike Foundation Establishment Pills, but the results were far from satisfactory.

In fact, two pill furnaces had been destroyed in the process.

Attempting to substitute other spirit artifacts for crafting the Foundation Establishment Pill seemed overly optimistic at present. Based on his knowledge from the deer monster and Wood Attribute Foundation Establishment brains, such modifications were not feasible yet. The current Foundation Establishment Pill formula in the cultivation world has evolved over thousands, even tens of thousands of years. Each ingredient was refined through countless trials by pioneers, resulting in a stable and reliable version.

The dried-up corpse ghost’s Foundation Establishment Pill formula, although somewhat outdated, retained the core ingredients intact. Minor improvements in additional components and techniques did not significantly impact the pill’s overall effect, as Chen Luo concluded after refining several batches.

“I wonder when this conflict will end.”

As Chen Luo read the latest news, he couldn’t help but sigh.

The conflict with the Divine Lake Immortal Sect continued unabated, with no clear end in sight for his return.

For Chen Luo, obtaining Foundation Establishment resources was easiest within the sect. Unlike Mowen Jian, when he initially left, Daoist Wuwei had assured him that upon the sect overcoming this crisis, he could directly enter the Inner Sect.

Once becoming an Inner Sect disciple, he would have access to exchange the desired spirit materials. At worst, he could trade medicinal pills for contributions; with the three years’ worth of pills he accumulated, it would be more than sufficient. After all, he needed only one ingredient, not the entire Foundation Establishment Pill.

Attempting Foundation Establishment without proper resources carried too great a risk, easily leading to irreparable damage. Until there were better alternatives, Chen Luo preferred not to consider such a perilous approach.

Recently, he had begun cultivating ‘Xin Mo Jue,’ as taught by Daoist Wuwei. This technique detailed crucial aspects to observe during the Foundation Establishment process, emphasizing the importance of selectively consolidating one’s foundation. Blindly attempting Foundation Establishment could leave latent dangers, potentially obstructing future progress towards Core Formation.

“Mr. Chen, Deacon Zhu is looking for you.”

Outside, a disciple from the Loose Cultivators Union called out. The gatekeeper was still the same masked man; after Zhou Tianyang’s death, all the masked individuals became Zhu Jie’s subordinates and continued to assist Chen Luo with various tasks.

This particular masked man was not an immortal cultivator, nor did he possess spiritual roots.

In the Loose Cultivators Union, such individuals were most common. Having witnessed the existence of cultivators, they were unwilling to return to the ordinary world.

“Let’s go.”

Chen Luo pushed open the door and stepped outside.

A carriage, already hitched up, awaited him.

Bending down, Chen Luo entered the carriage and casually tossed a Qi Nourishing Pill to the masked man standing nearby.

“For you.”

“Many thanks, Mr. Chen.” Gratefully, the masked man knelt on the ground.

To Chen Luo, this casually crafted Qi Nourishing Pill represented a life-changing divine elixir for the masked man. Becoming a martial dao zongshi is often the pinnacle for many warriors, but by serving alongside cultivators, they have a chance to break through this limit and attain the rank of Great Grandmaster.

Once reaching the level of Great Grandmaster in martial arts, one can pose a significant threat to cultivators within the first three stages of Qi Refinement. This is the ultimate aspiration for the Loose Cultivators Union’s warriors.

Chen Luo paid no further attention to the masked man, as his bag of holding contained several large gourds filled with Qi Nourishing Pills. Showing tactfulness, the masked man promptly rose and began driving the carriage after expressing his gratitude.

The carriage leisurely made its way towards the ‘Bamboo Whisper Courtyard.’ Zhu Jie had renamed it upon her arrival, discarding Zhou Tianyang’s old signboard, Wendao Pavilion, considering it unlucky.

Along Qingzhu Street,

people braved the chilling wind, bustling with activity. Steam from a steaming bun shop billowed outward as the owner enthusiastically called out to customers. Nearby, at the blacksmith’s forge, the smith hammered away at a piece of iron, the crimson-hot furnace radiating waves of heat that dispelled much of the winter chill.

Due to the warmth emanating from the blacksmith’s area, a group of children gathered near the furnace, playing happily by its entrance, their faces beaming with joy.

Their world was simple; as long as they were well-fed, happiness filled their days.

The world of cultivators, however, seemed distant and disconnected from theirs.

Seated in the carriage, Chen Luo observed the lively scene outside the window.

Compared to the ordinary world, the realm of cultivators often felt cold and detached, like two distinct paintings representing separate realities.

“Is it almost the end of the year?” Chen Luo suddenly asked.

A gust of cold wind swept past, lifting dry leaves off the ground. Passersby shivered, tightening their collars around their necks before continuing on their way.

“It’s already the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth month,” replied the masked man driving the carriage.

The masked driver paused momentarily before hastily responding. He hadn’t expected Chen Luo to suddenly ask such a question.

From the perspective of ordinary people like him, cultivators were seen as immortal and unchanging for decades or even centuries. His father’s generation had joined the Loose Cultivators Union, and he vividly remembered seeing an immortal elder during his childhood. That elder appeared just as youthful then as they did now, despite the passing years.

Only humans aged and grew old gradually.

Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder:

What exactly are spiritual roots? Why don’t I have them?

In the Luxury Nation, the average lifespan for an ordinary person was around eighty years. Thirty to forty years represented nearly half their lifetime. However, for cultivators with lifespans exceeding one hundred fifty years, thirty years hardly altered their appearance. This often gave many common folk the misconception that cultivators lived forever, never aging or dying.

“Twenty-eight already?” Chen Luo glanced once more at the fading scene behind him, falling silent afterward.

Noticing this, the masked man tactfully closed his mouth as well.

The carriage traversed the long street and swiftly arrived at the ‘Bamboo Whisper Courtyard.’ After Zhu Jie moved in, she had extensively remodeled it. All the rock formations and pavilions left by Zhou Tianyang were dismantled and replaced with a bamboo forest. Over three years, the bamboo thrived, creating a lush and verdant landscape that was quite picturesque.

“We’re here.”

The masked man disembarked from the carriage and respectfully stood by the entrance. The interior was not his domain to enter. Chen Luo did not insist and walked alone into the courtyard.

A disciple of the Loose Cultivators Union hurriedly approached him.

“Pill Master Chen, Deacon Zhu has been waiting for you inside.”

The speaker was a newly initiated cultivator of the Loose Cultivators Union, with only a first-level Qi Refinement cultivation base. To the non-spiritual-root warriors outside, he would seem like a divine being, but before individuals like Chen Luo, he was merely a messenger.

“Lead the way,” Chen Luo responded, following the disciple into the courtyard.

After passing through the bamboo forest, they reached a secluded small yard.

“Ahh… you wretched fools… I…”

Even before entering, they heard chilling screams emanating from within the courtyard. The Loose Cultivators Union disciple and Chen Luo were accustomed to this; their faces remained expressionless as they pushed open the gate. Upon stepping inside, they immediately saw a corpse lying on the ground.

The body bore a gruesome sight, with skin torn all over and blood seeping from its eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The eyes were wide-open, never having closed even in death.

“Didn’t make it through?” Chen Luo asked as he approached.

The dead bodies scattered around were evil cultivators captured by the Loose Cultivators Union, used for testing medicinal pills and practicing techniques. Within the union, these individuals were merely ‘materials,’ openly priced commodities for sale. Previously, when Chen Luo had refined numerous ‘Foundation Establishment Pills’ with unstable effects, he had requested Zhu Jie to purchase some ‘materials’ from the Loose Cultivators Union to test the pills’ efficacy.

From the current scene, the results appeared highly promising.

“You’re sure you didn’t give them toxic pills instead?” Zhu Jie looked at Chen Luo skeptically as he entered.

Over the past half-year, she had already killed more than fifty people using his toxic pills. Even though the ‘materials’ within the union were inexpensive, handling so many deaths was becoming burdensome.

“Medicinal pills effective for our realm are not easy to refine; his sacrifice was worthwhile.”

Chen Luo didn’t reveal that these were test batches of ‘Foundation Establishment Pills.’ The name alone carried significant weight, and mentioning them could attract unwanted attention.

Approaching the corpse, Chen Luo knelt down and began a thorough examination.

The blood from the body had turned deep purple-black, staining the surrounding soil as it pooled on the ground. Nearby, several dark, poisonous insects stealthily drank the blood but couldn’t withstand its toxicity. After only a few sips, they too succumbed and perished.

Thus, alongside the dead disciple lay over a dozen centipede corpses and a few cockroaches.

Why is the poison so potent? Chen Luo wondered, puzzled.

During the refinement of the ‘Foundation Establishment Pill,’ he used entirely non-toxic herbs. In theory, combining such harmless ingredients should result in either no effect or certainly not this level of extreme toxicity.

Unless there was a mistake in the pharmacological pairing.

This issue seemed beyond even the deer monster’s perception.

“Have you found the cause?”

Zhu Jie also crouched down, but as she was not an alchemist, she lacked understanding of its intricacies.

Mastering any one of the Four Arts of Immortality is challenging for ordinary cultivators. This holds true for alchemy; those lacking sufficient aptitude could deplete a sect’s resources without successfully producing even a single medicinal pill. The perception of herbal properties and control over flames require immense innate talent.

“It seems to be an issue with the Mind-Focusing Grass.”

Chen Luo gently touched the forehead of the corpse, feeling an invisible surge of energy flow into his arm.

‘You Loose Cultivators Union bastards, I won’t let you off, even if I become a ghost.’

Ignoring the futile obsession, Chen Luo took advantage of the recent death to extract the desired information from these lingering thoughts. Upon ingestion, the pill did not instantly poison the victim; initially, it even enhanced their spiritual energy. However, once it circulated through the twelve main meridians, it began to deteriorate.

The culprit behind this adverse effect was none other than Mind-Focusing Grass, one of the primary ingredients in the Foundation Establishment Pill!

“Mind-Focusing Grass? That herb isn’t easy to obtain.”

Zhu Jie frowned.

Although she was unaware of the specific formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill, she knew the value of spirit medicines well. In the market, Mind-Focusing Grass was extremely expensive and tightly controlled by the three great sects. Ordinary solo cultivators had no means to acquire it even if they desired to.

Within their Loose Cultivators Union, such a herb was not available.

“Must it be specifically Mind-Focusing Grass?” Zhu Jie couldn’t help but ask. “Can there be no substitute?”

“This is the result after attempting a substitution.”

Chen Luo pointed at the corpse on the ground.

Having extracted all useful information, he had dispersed the useless brain remnants. At his current level, ordinary brains held little significance for him.

“What a hassle.”

Zhu Jie sighed.

“I’ll ask our brothers within the union to see what they can do, but don’t get your hopes too high. Mind-Focusing Grass is strictly regulated by the three great sects; even we might have difficulty obtaining it.”

“Just keep an eye out,” Chen Luo responded calmly. “If we find it, that’s great; if not, it’s not a deal-breaker.”

He didn’t press further. By now, he understood that the three great sects were not only restricting knowledge about the Foundation Establishment Pill but also controlling its crucial main ingredient. No wonder so few solo cultivators outside managed to achieve Foundation Establishment—the source itself was being cut off.

After bidding farewell to Zhu Jie, Chen Luo headed towards the Hallowed Burial Mound outside Woodmount City.

The dried-up corpse ghost had slept long enough; it was time to awaken him. Chen Luo recalled having another copy of the Foundation Establishment Pill recipe, missing only one key ingredient. From what he remembered, the old ghost seemed to have some leads regarding this final component.