https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-166-Expressing-Sincerity-Three-Foundation-Establishment-Pills/12920473/
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Chapter 167: Completing the Path to the Netherworld Pill, Strengthening the Body, and Nourishing the
Chapter 167: Completing the Path to the Netherworld Pill, Strengthening the Body, and Nourishing the Soul, Three Approaches Converge!
After returning to Luo Tianhui, Luo Chen once again immersed himself in the rhythm of dedicated pill refinement and cultivation.
During this period, Wang Yuan came to see him once.
It wasn't because of the 'Tian Peng Bian' technique, but because Wang Yuan had made a breakthrough in his research on dealing with evil ghosts and spirits.
However, Luo Chen already possessed the Green Fire Lantern, a high-grade magical tool, rendering Wang Yuan's method less useful to him.
"So, are we going to send people into the city to explore?" Qin Liangchen asked with great interest.
Currently, Qin Liangchen was nominally affiliated with the Alchemy Hall, serving as a nominal elder.
He occasionally helped with miscellaneous tasks but wasn't obligated to do so.
His primary role was in combat.
During the previous attack on the Fu family, he had taken action.
He single-handedly fought against Fu Jue, one of the three elders of the Fu family, and easily killed him.
It was undeniable that Luo Tianhong's Golden Silkworm Severing Technique was indeed extraordinary.
After getting used to his new hand, Qin Liangchen quickly adapted.
Even faster than the last time.
Perhaps, experience played a role!
Glancing at the enthusiastic Qin Liangchen, Luo Chen didn't give a direct response but instead inquired about the exploration progress of the other forces.
"The progress of the various families is uneven. Currently, the Nan Gong family is making the fastest progress, not only recovering the remains of their shop cultivators but also reaping significant gains."
"The Da Jiang Gang is the slowest, led by Li Da, a 9th-layer Qi Condensation cultivator."
Hearing the name Li Da, Luo Chen's eyes flashed with a gleam.
He remembered that during the time when Gao Tingyuan tried to delay him, he had mentioned the past exploration of the Soul Refining Cave Mansion.
It was Li Da who had accompanied him on that journey.
This person's strength was undeniable, and on the Debate Platform, he represented the Da Jiang Gang and won a match.
The cultivator from the Po Shan Gang whom he killed was Feng Linhu, the original master of the Mine Hall.
They were all old acquaintances.
"Li Da is leading the exploration?"
"In addition to the Netherworld Robe and the Green Fire Lantern bestowed by Gao Tingyuan, he must have other means of support."
"It seems that he also gained a lot from the Soul Refining Cave Mansion!"
Lianhun Sanren Guyue, after all, was a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator.
His posthumous legacy might not compare to that of a sect's Foundation Establishment cultivator.
However, for two 9th-layer Qi Condensation cultivators, it was undoubtedly valuable.
After listening to the news about the various families' exploration of the Great River Ghost City for a while, Luo Chen slowly shook his head.
"Let's not get involved in this muddy water."
"Alright!"
Qin Liangchen's enthusiasm waned, as he was simply feeling bored and wanted to return to his old home in the inner city.
There weren't many resources left there, but he wanted to retrieve some mementos of sentimental value.
Seeing his demeanor, Luo Chen smiled and said, "So bored, huh? How's your cultivation coming along, Brother Qin?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Liangchen's smile became a bit forced.
Luo Chen frowned, "What's wrong? Are you lacking pills, or have you hit a bottleneck?"
Qin Liangchen shook his head.
"I was only a few years away from reaching the peak of Qi Condensation."
"Bottlenecks don't exist."
"I don't lack pills either, as the various black markets also have high-priced pills transported from other places."
Luo Chen was puzzled, "Then what's the problem?"
Qin Liangchen sighed and placed his left hand on his right arm.
"My new arm is primarily constructed using Qing Jin Silkworm silk, supplemented by my own flesh and bones."
"But ultimately, it's not my original arm!"
"Now, my cultivation efficiency is much lower than before. The few years of painstaking effort will likely be extended to a decade or two."
According to his memory, Qin Liangchen should be fifty years old now.
A decade or two later, he would be well past sixty.
By then, even with the help of a Foundation Establishment Pill, the chances of Foundation Establishment would likely plummet.
Moreover, he only had three spiritual roots as his cultivation base.
Luo Chen understood, no wonder Qin Liangchen was so unenthusiastic.
If one's path was obstructed, he himself might feel the same.
The new arm was primarily constructed using the silk of the Qing Jin Silkworm, and although it simulated Qin Liangchen's meridians and acupoints, it was still not the original.
During cultivation, if the time spent was slightly longer, it would cause a stinging pain.
Prolonged cultivation might even damage the arm.
No wonder Qin Liangchen's cultivation speed had significantly decreased.
Luo Chen was helpless and could only offer comfort.
Fortunately, Qin Liangchen had a carefree personality and didn't let this mood persist.
"Let's talk about it later, the road is taken one step at a time, and there will always be a way out!"
He laughed heartily, putting the matter behind him.
Luo Chen sighed inwardly, but his face still showed a smile as he assigned a task to Qin Liangchen.
"Receiving a batch of medicinal ingredients?"
"Yes, it's from Zhenlong Black Market, and it should arrive in the next couple of days. I'll trouble you, Brother Qin, to make a trip there."
As he spoke, Luo Chen handed over a high-grade magical tool.
This was one of the spoils of war from the Battle of the Slanting Moon Valley, and it had a concealment function.
Although its effect was not as good as the Qi Concealment Spell of a peak cultivator, it was still quite mysterious.
Qin Liangchen took it and agreed to the task.
After he left, Luo Chen shook his head.
He had already done a lot, but when it came to cultivation, he was powerless.
Some things still had to be done by oneself.
Luo Chen took out a piece of animal skin and settled down to study it.
"Imperial Flow, based on its medicinal properties and effects, is indeed a beneficial spirit medicine for demon beasts."
"However, three of the auxiliary materials can only be absorbed by humans."
"In other words, can humans use this medicine too?"
"Having nature without life, supplementing nature returns to nature. Having nature with life, breaking free from the cage, embracing the heavens and earth."
"Does this mean that plant beings using the Imperial Flow Essence can draw closer to the Great Dao?"
"And non-plant beings can use this medicine to break free from the cage and get closer to the heavens and earth?"
"What's the meaning of the cage? And what do you mean by the heavens and earth?"
In his contemplation, Luo Chen had a vague guess.
But that guess was something he couldn't confirm.
After a long while, he put away the Imperial Flow Essence pill formula and took out another pill formula.
Path to the Netherworld Pill!
Main ingredients: Phantom Dark Grass, Snow Fox Demon Blood.
Twenty-seven auxiliary materials.
When consumed, it can enhance the foundation of a cultivator's divine soul and improve their spiritual consciousness.
This was an incomplete pill formula obtained from Uncle Mi.
Initially, Old Mi had given him two pill formulas in addition to the Qingyuan Danjie.
The Jade Marrow Pill was the most important, but the Path to the Netherworld Pill was just an additional bonus.
Although it was incomplete, he had obtained it a long time ago.
Luo Chen had already studied it extensively and gradually added some auxiliary materials to it, barely completing it.
He opened the system.
Holding the completed Path to the Netherworld Pill formula, Luo Chen's heart stirred.
【Path to the Netherworld Pill, complete first-stage pill formula, can enter the beginner level】
【Do you want to enter the beginner level?】
Luo Chen closed the system panel, satisfied, and put away the pill formula.
This proved that his direction of completion was correct, and those twenty-seven auxiliary materials could indeed be combined with the two main ingredients marked on the original pill formula.
However, he didn't choose to enter the beginner level directly.
The main reason was still to wait and see if Tianxingzi had managed to collect the corresponding materials for him.
He could still purchase some auxiliary materials from the Lianyun Trading Alliance.
But one of the main ingredients, Snow Fox Blood, was not so easy to obtain.
This was a specialty of Snow Lotus Shop.
The Snow Fox, a first-stage demon beast of the Great Snow Mountain, was adept at concealment and illusion techniques and was extremely intelligent, understanding human nature exceptionally well.
This thing was very difficult to capture and kill.
Even with Zhenlong Black Market's capabilities, it would be challenging to obtain!
...
As it turned out, Luo Chen had greatly underestimated Zhenlong Black Market.
That very evening, Qin Liangchen brought back a storage bag.
"It's all inside!"
"Among the listed medicinal ingredients, except for Yellow Springs Evil and North Sea Jade Pillar, we've obtained a considerable amount of the others. Out of the three thousand spirit stones you gave me, we spent one thousand seven hundred and eighty, and this is the remaining one thousand two hundred and twenty, count it," Qin Liangchen said.
So powerful!
They even managed to get Snow Fox Blood! Luo Chen was delighted as he took the storage bag without bothering to count the spirit stones.
"Do you think I'd doubt you, Brother Qin?"
Qin Liangchen smiled, "The cultivator who delivered the goods said that they couldn't find second-stage evil aura like Yellow Springs Evil, but they have a way to get North Sea Jade Pillar. They're currently making contact, and it's certain that they can supply it next month."
This outcome was within expectations.
Luo Chen had previously inquired about Blood Fiend Pills from Bai Meiling.
According to her, even the Medicine King Sect didn't have Yellow Springs Evil.
Being able to supply North Sea Jade Pillar next month was undoubtedly excellent news.
With this, the refinement of the Wondrous Pill could also continue.
Luo Chen nodded and put away the storage bag, then asked with a smile:
"How do you like using that Fu Zhang's golden gourd hammer?"
"It's great, except for being a bit heavy. It's extremely powerful, and as a gold-type magical tool, it suits me well."
After the battle at the Fu family, Qin Liangchen had specifically exchanged Fu Yu's spoils of war with Luo Chen for Fu Zhang's golden gourd hammer.
His original sword had been destroyed in battle, and he had been lacking a suitable magical tool.
Luo Chen had no objection and made the exchange.
After chatting for a while longer, Qin Liangchen yawned and left the Alchemy Hall.
Currently, he and Murong Qinglian were staying in a courtyard built by the Luo Tianhui.
In fact, most of the Luo Tianhui cultivators had chosen to build houses and live nearby.
Although the inner city was destroyed, the spiritual energy from the spirit vein had spread out.
Living here wasn't any worse than living in the inner city before.
And they didn't have to pay rent! Thinking of rent, Luo Chen subconsciously recalled Sun Shou from Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion.
What a pity, he was a pretty good senior.
He had intended to dedicate his life to the sect in this remote market town.
In the end, he perished silently, failing to achieve the longevity he had hoped for.
Remembering the past only brought unnecessary sorrow.
After a moment of reflection, Luo Chen entered the Alchemy Hall.
First, he retrieved the spirit stones inside and then placed the various medicinal ingredients into their respective medicine cabinets.
Many of these items required special processing.
Afterward, he took out all the necessary ingredients for refining the Path to the Netherworld Pill: the two main ingredients and twenty-seven auxiliary materials.
"Phantom Dark Grass needs to be dried; this is simple and can be done using the residual heat from the furnace."
He evenly spread a large patch of lush green Phantom Dark Grass on the fire stove usually used for baking medicinal ingredients.
The furnace below continued to emit heat.
As one of the two main ingredients, the processing of Phantom Dark Grass was the simplest.
However, Snow Fox Demon Blood was not so straightforward.
"The processing of Snow Fox Blood is very complex. It requires five steps... If only I knew the Huanxi Technique, I could save three of those steps."
"Zhanxin Grass is highly toxic and has a strong hallucinogenic property. It needs to be treated with Mine Dissolving Jade to remove the toxicity, but the hallucinogenic property must be retained."
"These auxiliary materials won't be a problem. I have them prepared in my own pharmacy."
...
It was midnight when Luo Chen finally finalized the processing methods for the various primary materials required for the Path to the Netherworld Pill.
Some materials had already been processed, while others would need to wait for a period of time.
But times have changed!
There were many things that he didn't need to do personally; he could just leave them to his disciples to handle after dawn.
His cultivation must not be neglected.
After another cultivation session, Luo Chen checked his attribute panel.
【Realm: Qi Condensation, Ninth Layer 8/100】
It had been almost four months since he broke through the ninth layer of Qi Condensation.
He was very satisfied with his cultivation progress.
In the first month, the progress bar slowly climbed from 1 to 2, at a snail's pace.
But in the following two months, with the help of the Spirit Essence Pill, his efficiency doubled, and now he had reached 8 progress bars.
"The specific cultivation speed should be around 1.5 per month."
"The Spirit Essence Pill is truly amazing!"
"I hope Tianxingzi can get me more of these."
Luo Chen estimated the remaining Spirit Essence Pills he had. After two months and ten days, he had consumed one pill every ten days, leaving only thirty-three pills.
In other words, he could sustain this for at most another year.
"No need to rush, no need to rush!" Luo Chen sighed. Even with this cultivation speed, it was already extremely defying the heavens.
This was the power of a dual-attribute cultivator.
With the support of the Spirit Essence Pill, he might not be far off from a single-attribute cultivator.
However, if he couldn't increase his cultivation speed, he could still enhance his strength in other ways.
Braving the chilly morning breeze, Luo Chen took out a small bottle from his storage bag.
Under the guidance of his spiritual energy, two drops of crystal clear liquid flew out and slowly fell into his widened eyes.
As soon as the liquid entered his eyes, Luo Chen felt a scorching pain, and he quickly closed his eyes.
It felt like both chili pepper and needles stabbing his eyes.
Tears fell involuntarily.
After a while, Luo Chen slowly opened his eyes.
Wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes, Luo Chen exhaled a breath of turbid air.
"Fortunately, I've cultivated the Bright Divine Soul Annihilation, and this pain is still within my tolerance."
Blinking his eyes, he felt that after a night of cultivation, his tired eyes had become clearer.
His eyes were deep and dark.
The light that entered them was like the stars in the boundless night sky, shining brightly.
"The Clear Essence Liquid is indeed ten times more effective than the Brightening Pearl Liquid!"
"After just two months of using it, I can see beyond a hundred li."
Luo Chen shook the empty bottle, feeling a sense of regret.
"No, I need to get more of this stuff!"
Luo Chen was well aware of the benefits of his Spirit Eye Technique.
This pair of eyes had brought him countless conveniences.
In the Battle of Slanting Moon Valley, he had seen through the disguise of a spy.
In the battles at the Lancang River and the Inner City of the Great River, he had witnessed the combat scenes that ordinary people couldn't see from a safe distance.
Especially in the Zhenlong Black Market, these eyes allowed him to see through the disguise of the Sky Roc Transformation Beast Hide and obtain the second-stage pill formula, Imperial Flow.
This was the first time since his transmigration that he had felt the thrill of a "lucky find."
Therefore, continuing to enhance his eyes was a set decision.
Even without the Clear Essence Liquid, he would persist in using the Brightening Pearl Liquid.
Little by little, day by day, he would eventually make progress beyond the current perfection of his Spirit Eye Technique!
In addition to the Clear Essence Liquid, Luo Chen's cultivation was not yet over.
He took out another bottle.
Golden Essence Liquid!
The perfect body-strengthening spirit medicine for Qi Condensation cultivators!
The reason Wang Yuan was able to reach the second level of body refinement in such a short time was not only due to his martial arts foundation from his mortal days but also because of this liquid.
Ever since he took over the Armory, he had allocated almost all the resources to the Great River Workshop, purchasing Golden Essence Liquid from the Jade Pavilion.
After achieving great success in the first level of body refinement, he had given Luo Chen a bottle of the excess Golden Essence Liquid.
It was then that Luo Chen first experienced the effects of this liquid.
Indeed, the effects were unique.
Its efficacy could be guessed from its name.
Golden Essence Liquid, with 'gold' representing the external physique, when consumed over time, would lead to a body as tough as vajra.
The 'jade' liquid, on the other hand, targeted the internal tendons and bones.
When it reached perfection, it would result in the Ice Muscle Jade Bone that Wang Yuan currently possessed.
As for how to cultivate the second level of body refinement, Wang Yuan had briefly mentioned it but didn't go into much detail.
If he had explained in detail, Luo Chen, who had not personally experienced body refinement, wouldn't have understood the intricacies.
He only knew that he must not neglect the strengthening of his physique.
The Golden Essence Liquid was for enhancing his physique, and the Path to the Netherworld Pill was for strengthening his divine soul.
Even if he couldn't reach an exceptional level, he couldn't afford to hold himself back when breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Without hesitation, Luo Chen drank a mouthful of the Golden Essence Liquid.
The sensation was like drinking lava.
But Luo Chen was already accustomed to it, and it was just like drinking hot soybean milk, causing him to smack his lips.
"It's a pity that I can't drink too much of it in one day, or it might burn my internal organs."
Luo Chen could feel that after the Golden Essence Liquid entered his body, his entire body felt tingly and sore.
This was a sign of his physique continuously strengthening.
"Now, I only have the Path to the Netherworld Pill left."
Cultivating Qi, strengthening the body, and nourishing the soul.
Luo Chen was determined to do all three!
All for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage!
(End of Chapter)
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