Chapter 170: Ascending the Mountain

After completing the transaction, Chen Luo wasted no time and turned to head towards the outskirts of Blackstone City. During his deal with the little boy, he had also inquired about Potter’s Field nearby, intending to take his chances there, hoping to find a couple of high-level brains.

“Truly some fearless ones.”

As soon as Chen Luo left Blackstone City, several presences followed him, likely enticed by his generous spending at the market earlier.

Among these individuals, Chen Luo spotted a familiar face - the old man who sold him the cursed talisman was among them.

These fellows saw him as easy prey, ready for a big score.

“Haven’t even found news of the third-rank spiritual vein yet, and already attracting this swarm of flies.” A cold expression flickered across Chen Luo’s face as he accelerated towards the Outer City’s Potter’s Field.

“Don’t fight over it; this fat sheep has caught Blood Fiend Demon Monarch’s interest.”

“Bullshit, I clearly spotted him first!”

Once outside Blackstone City’s boundaries, the Plunderer Cultivators could no longer contain themselves. Each one unleashed their divine abilities, launching attacks at Chen Luo.

Chen Luo halted mid-flight, observing the group of more than a dozen approaching Plunderer Cultivators, then swiftly extended his hand.

Wind Control Technique.

The divine ability of Foundation Establishment exploded like mowing grass, sweeping through instantly. The foremost ‘Blood Fiend Demon Monarch’ didn’t even have time to scream before being sliced into eighteen pieces, blood splattering everywhere, utterly dead.

“A Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator?!”

The trailing Plunderer Cultivators, half a beat behind, were terrified out of their wits; some immediately fell to their knees, begging for mercy.

“Spare me, Senior.”

Chen Luo, unwilling to spare them a glance, extended his hand as Wind Control Technique surged forth.

Martial winds ravaged, and after one sweep, only scattered remains littered the ground.

These low-tier evil cultivators lacked not only in cultivation but also discernment. The potential of that little boy was quite promising, too bad he hadn’t followed.

With a wave of his hand, Chen Luo collected over a dozen bags of holding into his sleeve.

No matter how insignificant, every bit counts - nothing should go to waste.

Having dispatched them, Chen Luo resumed his flight towards Potter’s Field. This time, it was much quieter, with no further encounters of reckless Plunderer Cultivators along the way.

Outside Blackstone City, at Potter’s Field.

This desolate area lay atop another mountain peak, filled with miasmic fog, where venomous snakes and poisonous toads were commonplace.

Upon landing, Chen Luo wasted no words, skillfully retrieving a shovel to begin his work.

One grave—empty.

The second, third… all the way to the tenth, each one was devoid of remains! Chen Luo grimaced and halted his search.

He had been careless!

This area belonged to evil cultivators, for whom even dead bones held value. Bones could be used as materials for curses, decaying flesh for refining poisons, and occasionally, if remnants survived undeath, they would be dug up to create refined corpses.

As for ghosts, it goes without saying—the evil cultivators practicing Yin Ghost techniques relished such entities and promptly captured them upon encounter.

There wasn’t a cleaner place in all of Blackstone City than this. Not only were there no visible corpses or bones, but even residual resentful spirits had been swept away by those crafting ‘Soul Banners.’

“I’ll have to find another opportunity later.”

Stowing the shovel, he flew back towards the city.

Over the next few days, Chen Luo purchased a house in the Outer City. The previous owner, an early-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, had fallen on hard times due to his family’s mismanagement and could no longer afford to live in Blackstone City. Conveniently, as Chen Luo was seeking accommodation, the man sold him both the house and its deed outright.

“First, focus on pill concoction, then learn curse spells and yin thunder incantations.”

Inside his new residence, Chen Luo sat cross-legged, setting out a short-term cultivation plan. He had gathered all the ingredients for the Yang Yuan Pill, and the Heart Origin Stone obtained from Madam White Bone, ground into powder, would suffice for a long time. Now, it was time to convert these resources into his own strength.

Chen Luo retrieved Elder An’s cherished pill furnace and skillfully performed a spiritual gesture.

“Preheat before adding ingredients; the accumulated medicinal aura in the pill furnace can enhance the success rate,” recalled Chen Luo, drawing upon Elder An’s thoughts stored in his external brain.

As this pill furnace originally belonged to Elder An, he knew its usage details best. Following Elder An’s methods, Chen Luo began refining the first batch of Yang Yuan Pills.

“Add the ingredients in four stages.”

“Ensure harmonious fusion without any rejection.”

The well-paired deer monster brain and wood attribute Foundation Establishment cultivator brain sprang into action.

The pill furnace spun, releasing a fragrant aroma. Fortunately, Chen Luo had set up an isolation formation prior to entering secluded cultivation, preventing the scent from spreading outside.

After a moment, Chen Luo added the auxiliary ingredients prepared by Elder An to the pill furnace, along with a small portion of Heart Origin Stone powder, mixing them together.

As the temperature inside the furnace steadily increased, under Chen Luo’s adept control, the pill quickly took shape.

For Chen Luo, refining tier-2 medicine for the first time proved surprisingly effortless.

Without any complications, the refining process completed successfully. Upon opening the pill furnace, seven brown medicinal pills appeared at its base. Producing seven pills in one batch showcased Elder An’s superior pill-concocting skills compared to Chen Luo.

“High-grade Yang Yuan Pills, excellent.”

Capitalizing on his momentum, Chen Luo continued refining multiple batches until he exhausted all the auxiliary ingredients prepared by Elder An. With a full set of Yang Yuan Pills in hand, Chen Luo embarked on his journey into secluded cultivation.

Time swiftly passed, and before long, five years had gone by.

In Blackstone City’s Outer City, a dilapidated little courtyard lay overgrown with weeds, mice scurrying about. Occasionally, homeless solo cultivators would take shelter there for days at a time.

With no activity for five years, many people considered the courtyard abandoned. Some even used it as a site for burying murder victims or conducting illicit transactions.

Despite this, Chen Luo remained fully aware of everything happening outside.

During these five years of seclusion, he consumed an entire flask of Yang Yuan Pills. With such abundant assistance from the medicinal pills, his internal spiritual energy significantly increased, elevating his magical power from one Dragonfish to three.

At this point, the shortcomings of Xin Mo Art became even more pronounced.

As his primary cultivation technique, Xin Mo Art’s incompatibility with him began to significantly hinder his progress. Cultivating at the Foundation Establishment stage was inherently challenging, and any minor factor, when compounded over time, could have substantial impacts.

“Five years.”

Chen Luo opened his eyes, spreading his divine sense to perceive everything within the courtyard.

After five years of arduous practice, not only had his spiritual energy increased, but his divine sense also grew stronger. He advanced from near Late-Stage Foundation Establishment to nearly Peak Foundation Establishment, positioning himself among the exceptional cultivators at that level.

The only significant challenge remained his realm.

Cultivating through the Foundation Establishment stage proved even harder than he anticipated; despite five years of practice, he still hadn’t reached Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment.

“If Foundation Establishment is this difficult, how much more demanding must Core Formation be?”

Chen Luo attempted to access the Core Formation mindset, realizing that it didn’t consider his cultivation pace slow at all. According to the Core Formation perspective, cultivating during the Foundation Establishment stage typically spanned centuries, with those achieving Perfection within two hundred years being considered geniuses.

To the mummified brain’s understanding, achieving such progress within five years was only possible for ‘geniuses’ with single spiritual roots and exceptional comprehension.

Chen Luo then tried accessing the mummified brain once more.

‘Seek out a ninth-rank spiritual vein, cultivate within it, and you can break through within several months.’

This interaction further deepened Chen Luo’s insight into the mummified brain’s knowledge.

The being from the Great Mausoleum was undoubtedly not of Primordial Infant or Soul Transformation realms as he had initially guessed. A ninth-rank spiritual vein was something he had never even heard about, nor had his master, Daoist Wuwei. The plan they were pursuing outside the seven nations involved merely a third-rank spirit vein.

“At my current pace, breaking through to Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment will require at least twenty years.”

Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment required ten Dragonfish of magical power. With continuous consumption of Yang Yuan Pills, reaching this threshold would take Chen Luo at least sixteen years, assuming his cultivation speed does not diminish further.

It seemed practically impossible.

Chen Luo already felt his cultivation speed slowing down due to excessive consumption of Yang Yuan Pills, diminishing their effectiveness. Additionally, his current technique reduced the rate at which he could absorb spiritual energy by half. The wooden house was not located near any spiritual veins and offered inferior conditions compared to the cultivation rooms at Divine Lake Immortal Sect.

To address these issues, Chen Luo’s best course of action was to find a more auspicious location and acquire a new cultivation method!

“Cultivating in isolation within the Outer City won’t suffice! Acquiring pill-concocting materials is difficult, and there’s no opportunity to exchange insights with fellow Foundation Establishment cultivators. Continuing like this will only hinder my progress further.”

Chen Luo rose and stepped out of the wooden hut.

After five years, signs of activity finally emerged from the abandoned dwelling.

Upon exiting, Chen Luo swiftly dispatched the solo cultivator who had buried corpses in his courtyard, disregarding the few early Qi Refinement stage cultivators nearby.

Without pausing, he headed directly towards the Middle District of Blackstone City.

The Middle District bustled with activity, and as soon as Chen Luo entered, he noticed a significant increase in the concentration of spiritual energy. It matched the intensity found in the lowest-ranked (D-grade) cultivation rooms at Divine Lake Immortal Sect—this despite being just on the outskirts. This alone showcased the impact of the third-rank spiritual vein.

Chen Luo sought out a ‘relay station’ to enter the inner city.

The lack of cultivation techniques and suitable spiritual land was hindering his progress; these were urgent issues that needed immediate resolution. The best approach would be to head directly to the inner city district, first tapping into the third-rank spirit vein, then searching for appropriate techniques.

The inner city of Blackstone lay at the peak of the mountain, guarded by a surrounding formation, making it inaccessible without a guide. Chen Luo found one such authorized ‘guide’ among the few available within Blackstone City.

After paying the fee, Chen Luo boarded the relay station’s carriage.

Drawn by creatures with mythical beast bloodlines, the carriage effortlessly navigated the mountain path.

“Initially, there was no distinction between an Inner and Outer City in Blackstone. The true Blackstone City lies only atop this mountain. The areas we now inhabit below were constructed later by cultivators, merely adopting the name Blackstone City but not considered its authentic core.”

On the winding mountain road, the guiding cultivator narrated the history of Blackstone City.

This journey included over twenty individuals, each paying ten spirit stones, resulting in a substantial income for him.

Seated in the carriage, Chen Luo observed the scenery along both sides of the mountain path.

The distance between Blackstone City’s core and middle sections was considerable, with an altitude difference of nearly eight kilometers. The mountain itself was surrounded by large-scale protective formations and restrictions, making it impossible to fly up using a sword; approaching too closely would trigger the array, invoking attacks from its third-rank defenses.

The only way to enter the inner city was through the ‘relay stations.’

Alongside Chen Luo, there were four others traveling by carriage. The relay station at Blackstone City, adept at business, provided specialized carriages for Foundation Establishment cultivators. With demon-blooded horses pulling them, the carriages remained exceptionally stable, ensuring protection against mythical beast attacks while also showcasing the status of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Contrastingly, Qi Refinement Realm cultivators received less favorable treatment, crammed together in ordinary carriages that jostled constantly along the road.

After listening briefly, Chen Luo disregarded the small Qi Refinement cultivators and shifted his divine sense towards the four carriages behind him.

These carried Foundation Establishment cultivators, one of whom emanated such potent spiritual energy that even Chen Luo felt a sense of pressure—clearly a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment being.

The remaining three carriages stayed close, their occupants continuously communicating via divine sense, suggesting they were acquaintances.

“Encountering four Foundation Establishment cultivators at once is truly rare.”

Chen Luo subtly heightened his vigilance.

Those who reach Foundation Establishment are exceptional geniuses, one among thousands. Each of them must be taken seriously; even Chen Luo would avoid provoking peers unless absolutely necessary. One can never predict what divine abilities or life-saving trump cards they may possess.