Chapter 204: Cultivation

Number of brains acquired: +1, Total Foundation Establishment brains: 73.

To Chen Luo, this brain was purely a windfall, with excellent integrity.

Had he engaged in a fair fight, killing this mountain raider would have been no easy feat. The cultivator’s realm was at least late Foundation Establishment, possibly even full mastery. With such a disadvantage, if not defeated, they could simply flee. However, this foolishly brave adversary had charged directly into Chen Luo’s formation. Had Chen Luo not been concerned with preserving the brain’s integrity for his research and testing out his newly acquired divine ability, the cultivator would likely never have even seen his face before being annihilated.

Charging into an array with one’s physical body? A normal person wouldn’t attempt such a thing. This cultivator, misguided by incomplete information, hadn’t anticipated that even a powerful Gu Demon like Khan Jiu, at full mastery of the Foundation Establishment realm, could be slain.

After absorbing the enemy’s brain, Chen Luo gleaned valuable information. Among these fragments were traces of an obsession that caught his attention:

A mock-up seed?

Chen Luo glanced at the imitation seed he had inadvertently created using a Core Formation brain. He suspected that this might be what the mountain raider had been yearning for—a mock-up seed.

Half a day later…

Ding Zhao led Grandpa Sun and the other family heads up the mountain to pay their respects. This pivotal moment presented an opportunity to gauge Chen Luo’s condition. As vassal clans of Gu Demon Mountain, they lived under the towering tree of Chen Luo’s power. His state directly determined their fate.

“Leave the spirit stones and send them on their way,” Chen Luo said expressionlessly, not even sparing a glance for Ding Zhao, who stood respectfully at the door. I have no time to waste on such matters.

“Yes, sir.”

Ding Zhao bowed and withdrew.

Ever since befriending his former ‘Shidi,’ Ding Zhao’s standing on Gu Demon Mountain had risen like a tide. Even Elder Ding’s granddaughter began to take an interest in him. Ding Zhao saw through this clearly; his time as a rogue cultivator had taught him how treacherous human nature could be. He remained wary of those who pursued him, neither fully trusting them nor rebuffing their overtures.

Meanwhile, Ding Zhao seized this rare chance to focus on his cultivation. Recently, he’d made some progress, hinting at a potential breakthrough to the eighth level of Qi Refinement. However, he lacked the necessary spiritual energy and needed a specific Pill to achieve this. Without it, relying solely on his spiritual meridians, he estimated it would take at least another year to break through.

After seeing off the servants, Chen Luo retreated to his cultivation chamber, its furnace roaring with life.

It’s time, he mused. After so long, he was finally ready to concoct the ‘Pure Origin Primordial Qi Pill’. This tier-2 late-stage medicinal pill had been acquired from the vixen Su Linlin. None of the three alchemists whose brains he possessed had ever attempted it, making for a challenging endeavor.

The process for refining the Pure Origin Primordial Qi Pill differed significantly from conventional pills. He needed to harmonize the medicinal properties and amalgamate their effects simultaneously. In other words, during the refining process, Chen Luo would have to open the pill furnace multiple times to add new ingredients. This method greatly impacted the control of the flame temperature.

Each time the pill furnace was opened, external spiritual energy rushed in, disrupting the stable temperature within. Once closed, the temperature would rapidly fluctuate. This constant variation in the furnace’s heat was precisely why Pure Origin Primordial Qi Pills were exorbitantly priced. Even mid-grade versions were rare, let alone those of superior quality.

Chen Luo began heating the furnace using his tried-and-true technique. His divine sense spread out swiftly, organizing the surrounding spirit medicines. After waiting for the pill furnace to reach the desired temperature, he swiftly introduced the first batch of spirit medicines. The flame temperature experienced slight fluctuations, but these were quickly stabilized by Chen Luo’s adept hand.

Among the three alchemist brains he possessed, one was particularly skilled in temperature control. With this external brain’s assistance, Chen Luo easily overcame the temperature fluctuations.

The melted medicinal solution transformed into a soil-brown liquid. The combination of multiple medicinal ingredients had created a new pharmacological property. Maintaining the fire temperature, Chen Luo swiftly added fresh medicinal ingredients to the brown mixture. Once again, the fire temperature began to fluctuate, gradually altering the medicinal solution’s color.

Repeating this process nine times, by the tenth iteration, Chen Luo rapidly activated his fire control technique. A rich medicinal aroma began to waft from the surface of the pill furnace.

It’s time to open the furnace! Elder An’s brain signaled.

Wait just a moment.

We need ten more breaths.

For the first time, the three alchemist brains provided conflicting feedback. Each, grounded in their unique life experiences, had a valid perspective. Now, Chen Luo had to rely on his subjective judgment.

Controlling the fire temperature, Chen Luo extinguished the spiritual flame and chose to open the furnace.

Fwss…

The medicinal aroma filled the air as the flame inside the pill furnace faded. A jet-black medicinal pill flew out from within.

Success!

Chen Luo’s heart swelled with joy as he swiftly produced a porcelain bottle to store the precious pill.

“Low-grade?”

His expression froze on his face.

While the pill had indeed formed, he knew better than to consume a low-grade product. He didn’t want to risk future complications from pill toxicity. Carefully storing the pill away, he began to reflect on his experience during this batch of distillation.

Each of the three second-order alchemists had reached their own conclusions, but as fellow second-order practitioners, none suspected any flaw in their own pill-concocting techniques.

Should’ve cooked it ten breaths longer.

No, no more than three breaths.

That’s not right. The main issue was the fire timing for medicinal decomposition. The furnace temperature also fluctuated, resulting in this low-grade outcome.

Chen Luo reviewed his experiences, but even after careful consideration, he couldn’t pinpoint the problem. When faced with such uncertainty, the best approach was simply to trial and error.

After resting briefly to replenish his spiritual energy, he gathered fresh materials and began another round of refining.

Three days later…

Chen Luo had exhausted all his spirit materials. Through dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of failed attempts, he had finally mastered the technique for refining Pure Origin Primordial Qi Pills. His efforts culminated in a single, top-grade spirit pill.

The pill was a milky white, its outer layer constantly flowing like a living organism.

Chen Luo sat cross-legged, eyes closed, and swallowed the spiritual pill.

The spirit medicine dissolved, merging into every part of his body. As Chen Luo circulated the ‘Demonic Heart Art’, the spiritual energy within him surged. The power of the pill drew upon his cultivation method, wildly absorbing energy from the outside world. A vast vortex formed outside the room, energy pouring in from all directions. The formation of the fiftieth spiritual dragon quickened; its tail and hind claws emerged, remarkably lifelike.

After a long while, Chen Luo emerged from his breathing exercises.

The fiftieth spiritual dragon within him was now almost fully condensed.

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Pure Origin Primordial Qi Pill?

Sensing the changes within his body, Chen Luo felt as if every part of him had been thoroughly cleansed by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. His perception expanded further, and his flesh, blood, tendons, and bones all underwent transformation. The most striking change was in the bones inscribed with the Demon Bone Array Sigil Art. The sigils emanated a radiant, flowing light, as if the bones had come alive.

This extraordinary state lasted for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, before the flowing light gradually faded away.

Glancing at the dwindling supplies of spirit materials, Chen Luo spoke to Ding Zhao outside the room:

“Go procure Wulan Grass and Shangyu Flowers”

In one breath, he listed over twenty types of spirit materials, each sourcing from different locations. Some could be purchased at the market near the thirteenth clan’s foothills, while others required travel to more distant places. The main ingredients were supplied through fox spirit Su Linlin’s channels, but the auxiliary medicines needed to be acquired separately.

Before accepting any named disciples, Chen Luo would have to venture out for days every time his cultivation reached this stage. Now, with several disciples available to assist, he no longer needed to handle such matters personally—a single command was all it took.

“Yes, sir!”

Ding Zhao, who had been secretly cultivating outside, shuddered and sprang to his feet. Without needing further instruction from Chen Luo, he swiftly delegated the tasks. Within fifteen minutes, five named disciples had already descended the mountain.

After refining another batch of pills and consuming them, Chen Luo once again fully activated the Demonic Heart Art. The familiar sensation of the Demonic Heart phenomenon materialized.

Having cultivated this countless times before, Chen Luo followed the sensation as it led him outside.

This time, Chen Luo found himself in a sealed cultivation chamber. Inside, he witnessed a Qi Refining cultivator attempting to breakthrough to Foundation Establishment. The cultivator was extremely aged, with graying hair and eyes that glinted with an unyielding determination.

“Foundation Establishment!” the old cultivator exclaimed. “I must reach Foundation Establishment!!”

Chen Luo observed this stranger, who had been driven to madness, from the side without moving. He could sense that the cultivator’s condition was not good. Overly aged and relying on pill supplements for his qi and blood, each step towards the breakthrough was tremendously difficult. The probability of success for such a person reaching Foundation Establishment wouldn’t exceed ten percent!

“Qi and blood insufficient again? How is it depleting so quickly?”

The old cultivator’s consciousness was beginning to blur. He clutched an empty medicinal pill bottle, desperately trying to pour it into his mouth, but there was nothing left inside.

Some aspects of the breakthrough could be supplemented by external means, while others depended entirely on one’s inherent strength. External aids were just that—aid. The core lay in one’s self.

Otherwise, Foundation Establishment wouldn’t have been associated with individuals around fifty years of age.

The old man’s state grew increasingly strange as the qi and blood within him started to wane, and the power of the spirit artifacts began to disperse. Chen Luo continued to observe from the sidelines, his eyes fixed steadily on the scene unfolding before him.

“Foundation Establishment! I must reach Foundation Establishment!”

The old man suddenly went berserk, hurling the bottle of medicinal pills in his hand. The porcelain vessel crashed into the wall, shattering into countless fragments. Some of the shards pierced his flesh, drawing blood, but he seemed not to notice at all, continuing to desperately burn through his vital energy and blood.

Take him to witness the Foundation Establishment.

Chen Luo heard a voice in his mind. In the next instant, two figures identical to him appeared in the room, their fingers plunging into the old man’s body.

In the following moment, the crazed old man erupted with an immense surge of power, like the final blaze of a dying star. He consumed the last dregs of his life force in an instant.

“I made it! I’ve succeeded!! Ahahahah!!”

As he roared with laughter, the old man’s body slowly crumbled to ash, then vanished altogether. All that remained were two crumpled clothes in the now silent cultivation chamber. Never again would anyone know that a lone rogue cultivator had once attempted to break through to Foundation Establishment here.

A thread of power flowed into Chen Luo’s body, and the scene shifted. He found himself back in the cultivation chamber.

His strength had increased once more, yet he felt no joy. Instead, a sense of irritation settled over him.