https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-100-Qi-Refinement-Insights-and-the-Auction/12831599/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-102-Seventh-Stage-Qi-Refinement-Go-Find-a-City-Manager-/12831601/
Chapter 101: Intermediate Jade Marrow Pill
Chapter 101: Intermediate Jade Marrow Pill
The next morning, Luochen woke up to the sharp and bright crowing of a rooster, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
He made his way to the courtyard, drew water from the well, and washed up quickly.
Duan Feng was already there, fiddling with a flying sword.
"What are you doing?"
"The magical artifact is damaged. I’m cleaning it and preparing to buy materials to repair it."
"You know how to repair magical artifacts?"
Luochen was utterly surprised. Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly understood.
"Right, you come from the Duan family. I’ve heard they have an Icefire Spirit Spring and are particularly skilled at forging."
Mentioning the Duan family, Duan Feng’s expression darkened.
The atmosphere in the courtyard turned chilly for a moment.
Luochen realized that Duan Feng’s relationship with his family might not be harmonious.
Indeed, if they were on good terms, he wouldn’t need to leave the family and struggle alone in the Grand River Market.
For a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, earning spirit stones without the support of a sect or a unique skill was no easy task.
This was evident from the fact that Duan Feng had to participate in debates and also hunt demonic beasts in the mountains.
Luochen forced a laugh and changed the subject.
"Your Yang Wu Chicken lays eggs, so it should be a hen. Why does it crow every morning?"
"It has a trace of ancestral blood, making it hermaphroditic."
As he spoke, a wistful look appeared in Duan Feng’s eyes.
"My mother once gathered all sorts of elixirs and miraculous medicines to cultivate this Yang Wu Chicken to the second stage, hoping to fully revert its bloodline to that of a Phoenix-crowing Yang Wu Chicken. Unfortunately, she didn’t succeed in the end."
Elixirs capable of reverting a spirit beast’s bloodline were incredibly precious.
Ordinary families couldn’t even dream of obtaining them.
Moreover, from what Brother Qin had said, Duan Feng’s lineage wasn’t favored within the Duan family, so the help he could receive was minimal.
After a moment of reflection, Luochen chatted with Duan Feng for a bit more.
Before leaving, he hesitated and asked a question.
"Can you repair magical artifacts?"
"Simple repairs are no problem."
"Can you repair this knife?"
Luochen took out a small wooden knife from his storage bag.
It was one of the blades from his set of Jade Green Knives, which had been damaged during the battle with the Grayleaf Wolf yesterday.
At the time, he thought it could be restored with some spiritual energy. However, after a night, the spiritual light had only dimmed further.
If left unchecked, his Jade Green Knife would lose one of its blades, and the power of the blade formation he could condense would be significantly reduced.
Duan Feng took the wooden knife and examined it closely. Then, he said coldly, "I can repair it, but you’ll need a piece of Jade Green Wood Heart. It costs five spirit stones on the market."
Luochen was overjoyed. "Then I’ll leave it to you!"
He took out five spirit stones, then, after some thought, added another five.
"Hmm?"
"The extra is a reward for your effort."
Duan Feng was silent for a moment but eventually accepted the additional five spirit stones.
Seeing this, Luochen patted Duan Feng on the shoulder.
"Although you’re older than me, I have more experience living in the market. Sometimes, you don’t need to fight and kill to earn spirit stones; that’s too dangerous."
Duan Feng nodded but then took a deep breath.
"No, you don’t understand."
With that, he closed the door and left.
Seeing his lonely and stubborn back, Luochen scratched his head.
What doesn’t he understand?
You look like you have deep-seated grudges, probably dreaming of achieving supreme combat skills and then avenging your wrongs.
The target of your revenge is likely someone from your Duan family!
This cliche plot, he understood all too well!
...
In the Alchemy Hall.
A team of twenty apprentice alchemists, ten furnace workers, and the recently trained pill cultivators stood in rows, ready for action.
In front of them were Gu Caiyi and Sikong Shoujia.
At the very front stood the Hall Master, Luochen.
At that moment, Luochen was moving between the three alchemy rooms.
A moment later, he emerged.
"The renovation of the alchemy rooms is complete and can handle the upcoming Jade Marrow Pill refinement."
"However, I must warn you, especially the furnace workers. Pay close attention."
"The refinement of the Jade Marrow Pill is still unfamiliar to me, and there’s a high risk of danger. If you see signs of a furnace explosion, run immediately, understood?"
"Stop daydreaming! Did you hear me? I won’t be responsible if you die in the alchemy room!"
"Understood!"
The last sentence was delivered with a stern tone.
No one expected the usually gentle Luochen to speak so harshly, and they were all startled.
Sikong Shoujia raised an eyebrow, noticing that the boy had gained a subtle air of authority.
Perhaps, this was the result of being in a position of power and cultivating one’s aura!
"Alright, the apprentice alchemists, bring in all the materials needed for the Jade Marrow Pill. Remember to place them in the order I provided."
As the apprentice alchemists began their task, Luochen rubbed his temples.
He glanced at his attribute panel. After a month of various failures and a few successes, his proficiency with the Jade Marrow Pill was now at [Jade Marrow Pill Proficiency 101/200].
Honestly, with this level of proficiency, launching a large-scale refinement was a daunting task.
But he had no choice. Uncle Hua from the rice shop was clearly getting impatient.
Having invested so much in himself, even sharing the insights of a Foundation Establishment cultivator on refining Qi, Luo Chen knew he couldn’t afford to fail. If he didn’t show results, the Foundation Establishment cultivator would surely be furious.
Luo Chen didn’t want to face the wrath of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
So, he had to push himself to the limit, forcing the pace of refining the Jade Marrow Pill.
However, he was a kind-hearted person who had received nine years of compulsory education and understood the value of human life.
Therefore, even while pushing the pace, he made sure to prioritize safety over production.
"Hopefully, everything goes smoothly!"
Luo Chen muttered to himself, then swept his sleeve and entered the largest alchemy chamber.
...
"More fire, more fire! The temperature is too low!"
"Damn it, where did you learn the Flame Manipulation Technique? Can't you split the Fireball Spell in half?"
"Hall Master, there's a burnt smell coming from the second alchemy chamber!"
"Maintain the current heat here, I'll be right back."
"It's ruined, this batch is ruined. Remove the waste. Li Li, send someone to clean the alchemy furnace and prepare for the next batch."
"Hall Master, the alchemy furnace in the third chamber is shaking violently."
"Stand there like fools? Tell them to get out quickly!"
After a morning of refining, every attempt had failed, not a single success.
Luo Chen’s face was dark and terrifying.
The others dared not meet his gaze, keeping their heads down and focusing on their tasks.
After lunch, Luo Chen adjusted his mindset.
In the afternoon, instead of continuing to refine the Jade Marrow Pill, he directed Li Li and Tang Quan to refine the Fasting Powder.
This time, he let the apprentices handle the process themselves, only offering occasional guidance.
Surprisingly, this approach improved his mood.
Indeed, people find satisfaction and happiness in their areas of expertise.
With more hands and more alchemy furnaces, the afternoon saw both failures and successes.
Seeing the freshly molded Fasting Pills, not only Luo Chen, but the others felt better as well.
The morning’s failures had affected Luo Chen, but the others were even more anxious.
"Alright, that's it for today's alchemy. We'll continue tomorrow."
"These Fasting Pills are of average quality. The Alchemy Cultivators don’t need to store them in the Alchemy Chamber. Just give them out to the brothers in the Combat Chambers."
Luo Chen said this calmly, showing no sign of regret.
According to Uncle Mi Hua, the Fasting Powder was a guild benefit, occasionally given to the guild’s cultivators.
Of course, this applied only to low-grade Fasting Powder.
For medium and high-grade, they would still need to purchase them at internal prices.
After handling these matters, Luo Chen returned to the alchemy chamber.
Gu Caiyi stood outside the door, "Aren’t you going home today?"
"No, I won’t be going back."
"Then I’ll take my leave."
"By the way, if you see Duan Feng, ask him if my magical tool is fixed. If it is, have him bring it back for me. I might be staying at the Alchemy Chamber for a while."
Listening to his calm words, Gu Caiyi felt that Luo Chen seemed a bit different from before.
She couldn’t pinpoint exactly how, but he had a newfound focus and dedication.
"Could it be that he wasn’t really invested in the Alchemy Chamber before?"
On her way home, this thought lingered in Gu Caiyi’s mind.
Meanwhile, in the alchemy chamber, Luo Chen personally refined a batch of Jade Marrow Pills.
Seeing the twenty jade-white pills that emerged from the furnace, Luo Chen breathed a sigh of relief.
"Reaching the Proficient level, the success rate has indeed increased to twenty percent."
"All those failures today almost made me doubt myself."
Shaking his head, Luo Chen casually popped a Jade Marrow Pill into his mouth, as if it were a candy.
Stealing?
No such thing!
Just a chef tasting the dish to see how it turned out!
Leaving the alchemy chamber, he noticed the hall was quiet, with only a few late-stage cultivators responsible for guarding and patrolling outside.
These people belonged to the Alchemy Chamber but mainly came from the three Combat Chambers. Luo Chen had no interest in befriending them.
He took out the Green Essence Alchemy Manual and sat at the stone table on the cliff platform, studying it carefully.
"Last time, I only learned the Jade Breaking Technique. This time, I need to focus on the Heartsoothing Technique."
The Jade Breaking Technique was excellent for handling minerals.
Learning this technique allowed him to process the Jade Washing effectively.
The Heartsoothing Technique, however, was designed for handling various low-grade herbs.
Although he no longer handled the herbs directly, some could not be pre-processed.
It was said that some high-grade spirit herbs and fruits needed to be processed immediately after being harvested to prevent them from absorbing impurities and losing their medicinal properties.
While the Jade Marrow Pill didn’t have this restriction, Luo Chen couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t encounter a formula in the future that required this technique.
It was better to learn it in advance.
After memorizing the Heartsoothing Technique, even reciting it backward, Luo Chen took some common, inexpensive herbs from the herb storage and began practicing.
There were failures and successes, but Luo Chen was undeterred.
Occasionally, the patrolling cultivators would come in and take note of his efforts.
As night fell, Luo Chen sneaked out of the alchemy chamber with a Purple Cloud Copper Furnace, then returned to his stone house and activated the array.
Ensuring no one would disturb him, Luo Chen lifted the floor and descended into the mine tunnel.
After navigating through twists and turns, Luo Chen returned to the spirit vein cavern.
"I wonder if refining the Essence Nourishing Spirit Liquid here will affect the pure spiritual energy emitted by the spirit veins."
As he pondered, Luo Chen had already completed his preparations.
In the somewhat cramped cave, the Purple Cloud Copper Cauldron was placed on a stand, and a fierce fire burned for a while.
The surging heat made Luo Chen, even with his defensive robe activated, break out in a sweat.
But he wasn't concerned, still closely monitoring the concentration of spiritual energy in the area.
The Spirit Eye Technique, rooted in his eyes, served as an excellent real-time monitoring tool.
Three hours later, the flames died down, and the temperature of the cauldron gradually cooled.
Luo Chen let out a long breath of relief, "No problem!"
Next, he would begin his cultivation practice in the cave.
"Has he been staying in the Alchemy Hall this whole time?"
"Yes, for a month, he only returned to the inner city twice. When he did, it was just to buy some daily necessities."
"What about his results?"
"He focused most of his efforts on refining the Jade Marrow Pill. The success rate has improved, and out of ten attempts, he can now successfully refine two."
"Have any Medium-grade Jade Marrow Pills been produced?"
"Not yet, but one attempt almost succeeded. The Jade Marrow Pill in that batch formed one and a half cloud patterns."
"It seems he is indeed very dedicated!"
Uncle Mi Huahua's face showed satisfaction, and his tone carried a hint of joy.
After a moment's thought, he said, "Ask him if he needs any help with his daily life. If possible, the sect will assist him."
"Sure, I'll do that."
Sikong Shouxia agreed to the task.
The intelligence report for today was almost over.
But he hesitated, bit his lip, and cautiously asked, "Leader, how has my son, Yuanhong, been progressing in his cultivation?"
Mi Huahua glanced at him and said coolly, "Yuanhong has been very diligent. He is currently at the eighth level of Qi Condensation."
Sikong Yuanhong, the only son of Sikong Shouxia, was thirty-five years old with a three-attribute talent. He had been following Mi Huahua's teachings and could be considered his disciple.
With this talent, achieving the eighth level of Qi Condensation at his age meant he had a good chance of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage!
Sikong Shouxia's heart leaped with joy, and he began to think about the Foundation Establishment Pill in Mi Huahua's possession.
If Yuanhong could use that pill, he might truly achieve the Foundation Establishment stage!
"Thank you for your years of guidance. Yuanhong's path will still need your help. If he can achieve the Foundation Establishment stage, my Sikong family will serve the Mi family with all our might!"
Mi Huahua smiled and nodded.
As Sikong Shouxia prepared to leave, Mi Huahua suddenly said, "My youngest daughter is still unmarried and has reached the sixth level of Qi Condensation. She lacks a cultivation partner. I think Yuanhong is a good match. If they become a family, I will do my best to guide him."
Sikong Shouxia's body stiffened, unsure how to respond.
Mi Huahua's words implied that his only son would have to join the Mi family!
...
On his way back to the Alchemy Hall, Sikong Shouxia was lost in thought.
He was old and his vital energy was waning. Even at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, reaching the Great Perfection stage was a distant dream, let alone the Foundation Establishment stage.
Therefore, his hopes for this life were pinned on his only son.
For this reason, he was willing to serve Mi Huahua, becoming his confidant in the Broken Mountain Sect.
His trust was even deeper than that of the former Broken Blade Xu Renke and Heart Devouring Tiger Han Dang.
Now, Mi Huahua's words implied that he would only fully support Yuanhong's cultivation if he joined the Mi family.
This meant his son's future was secure, but his own family would have no successor.
His mind was in turmoil!
When he returned to the Alchemy Hall with a worried expression, he found everyone even more panicked.
"What's going on? What happened?"
He grabbed a guy, who, if he remembered correctly, was the son of a former eighth-level Qi Condensation cultivator named Tang, now following his uncle Zeng Wen.
His name was Tang Quan, right?
Tang Quan, with a look of fear, said, "The cauldron exploded. The third alchemy room just blew up, and there was one death and one injury."
"How could this happen? Is Luo Chen alright?"
Sikong Shouxia was both shocked and angry. If Luo Chen was killed, how would he explain it to Mi Huahua?
Today, the leader had been in a good mood and had even said he would take full care of Luo Chen's daily needs.
As he was overwhelmed with shock and anger, a furious roar echoed from the main hall of the Alchemy Hall.
"I've told you countless times, if you see signs of a cauldron explosion, forget everything and run!"
"Are you all deaf? Do you think the pills are more important than your lives?"
"Idiots, is a pill more important than your life?"
Sikong Shouxia squeezed through the crowd and saw Luo Chen pacing back and forth, his face ashen.
On the ground lay two people.
One was a shattered skeleton, pieced together from fragments.
The other was a bloody mess, with a woman using her skills to try and save him.
With just a glance, he recognized the bloody mess as the old cultivator Qu Hancheng, whom Luo Chen had personally promoted.
"Ugh!"
A mouthful of blood suddenly spewed out.
Murong Qinglian stepped back, a smile on her face.
"Relax, Qu Hancheng's spiritual energy went berserk, causing internal and external damage."
"Although his meridians are severely damaged, at least his life is saved."
"Luo Chen, I'm done here. I need to get back to the Medicine Hall; it's still very busy."
"Thank you, Sister-in-law. I really appreciate your help."
Luo Chen had someone escort Murong Qinglian away, his gaze then fell on Qu Hancheng.
Qu Hancheng had opened his eyes, his face pale and his body covered in blood.
A crack formed at the corner of his mouth as he raised his hand, revealing a red and white pill between his palms.
The white was the color of the pill, the red was his own blood.
"Hall Master, it’s a Mid-Grade Jade Marrow Pill."
"Damn it!"
Luo Chen slapped the Mid-Grade pill away, grabbing the old man by the collar.
He wanted to say something but ended up glaring at him fiercely.
Turning around, he noticed that Sikong Shoujia had already nervously picked up the Mid-Grade Jade Marrow Pill.
"Hall Master Luo Chen, you really refined a Mid-Grade Jade Marrow Pill!"
Luo Chen paid no attention to the Mid-Grade pill, only staring at Sikong Shoujia.
"Elder, the one who died is called Zuo Xiangyu. Arrange his funeral and take care of his family. Make sure everything is done properly."
Sikong Shoujia was taken aback.
Didn't you say before that if someone dies in the alchemy room, it’s not your responsibility?
Why are you now taking care of the funeral and the family’s welfare?
"Also, Qu Hancheng’s injuries must be treated with spirit stones. Furthermore, after he recovers, his monthly salary should be increased by two spirit stones."
"But—"
"No buts. If you have any questions, take this Mid-Grade Jade Marrow Pill to Chief Mi for a decision!"
"Okay, okay."
After handling these matters, Luo Chen's anger had subsided somewhat.
But he still cast a cold glare at all the apprentices and furnace workers present.
"I’ll say this again, if there are any signs of danger in the alchemy room, run immediately."
"Even if the Mid-Grade Cloud Proclamation Cauldron explodes, I won’t blame you."
"But if someone dies again, don’t expect me to take care of it."
"Hmph!"
Damn it, a bunch of idiots.
Luo Chen cursed as he entered the stone room, leaving behind a group of stunned old and weak apprentices.
The younger ones, like Tang Quan and Luo Erduo, had different feelings.
They weren’t concerned about the dead Zuo Xiangyu but looked at the injured Qu Hancheng with envious eyes.
This old man was getting a second salary increase!
Qu Hancheng lay on the ground, grinning foolishly, seemingly unconcerned about his injuries.
Inside the stone room, a first-tier Water Ripple Array had already been activated.
The others were already used to the Hall Master frequently activating arrays.
They guessed Luo Chen didn’t want to be disturbed, so no one would normally bother him.
Sitting on a soft couch, Luo Chen sighed.
In his hand was a whole bottle of Mid-Grade Jade Marrow Pills.
Half a month ago, he had already reached the Proficient level in refining and had secretly refined Mid-Grade pills.
The reason he hadn’t announced it yet was to keep his alchemy skills hidden.
After all, refining Mid-Grade pills so quickly would shock everyone.
But today, before he could collect the pills, the cauldron exploded.
It also injured two furnace workers, one of whom died.
"I didn’t kill them, but they died and were injured because of me."
This was the main reason for Luo Chen’s sigh.
The cauldron that exploded was a Purple Cloud Copper Cauldron he had bought from Xiang Xiang for two hundred spirit stones.
It was a first-tier low-grade magical tool with wide applicability.
But its flaw was also obvious.
It couldn’t be used frequently and required a certain interval between uses and regular maintenance.
But the alchemy hall’s work had never stopped during this period.
Even when he was cultivating in the spirit vein cave, he often used that cauldron to brew Primordial Spirit Liquid.
Back and forth, its "durability" had worn out.
Combined with the furnace workers’ negligence and poor fire control, it led to the explosion.
"Whatever, dwelling on this won’t change anything. I’ll just ensure the follow-up work is done properly."
After all, these people were following him.
He had indeed put in a lot of effort for them, teaching them some fire control techniques, basic alchemy knowledge, and even obtaining the Flame Manipulation Technique for them to practice.
One could say, this was Luo Chen’s initial team.
Putting aside this matter, Luo Chen opened his attribute panel, his gaze falling on the cultivation level.
【Cultivation Level: Qi Refinement 6th Layer: 99/100】
It had been exactly two months!
With no expense spared, using daily Qi Nourishing Pills, Jade Marrow Pills, Calming Incense, Primordial Spirit Liquid, and the excellent environment of the spirit vein cave, he had been advancing his cultivation at a rate of nearly two progress bars per day.
If not for the time spent refining Jade Marrow Pills and practicing the Breath Concealment Technique,
he would have already broken through to Qi Refinement 7th Layer.
But it wasn’t too late now.
Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen suppressed his excitement and took out the book "Qi Refinement Insights" written by Uncle Mi to read.
He was waiting for the cultivators in the alchemy hall to disperse.
Perhaps because of the cauldron explosion, which upset him, or because someone had died, the alchemy hall closed earlier today.
Sikong Shoujia didn’t waste any time and took the Mid-Grade Jade Marrow Pill directly to Chief Mi.
By late night, Luo Chen quietly took another Purple Cloud Copper Cauldron from the alchemy room and made his way to a hidden underground chamber.
"The time to break through is today!"
(End of Chapter)
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