Immortality Begins With The Alchemical Master Chapter 173: Cloudfall Smoke Method, Time is of the Essence! - Novel Cool

Chapter 173: Cloudfall Smoke Method, Time is of the Essence!

Chapter 173: Cloudfall Smoke Method, Time is of the Essence!

"Hmm?"

"Fellow Daoist Meng Rou, is there something else you wish to say?"

Wang Yan Chang stopped in his tracks and looked at Luo Chen with curiosity.

Luo Chen smiled slightly, "I don't dare to presume to teach, but I just wanted to..."

He had originally wanted to inquire about the origin of the Zhenlong Black Market, but it seemed too abrupt.

So, as the words reached his lips, they naturally changed into something else.

"Recently, the situation seems calm on the surface, but there are undercurrents stirring!"

Wang Yan Chang tugged at the corners of his mouth, his gaze fixed as he silently waited for Luo Chen to reveal his true intentions.

Luo Chen didn't hesitate, "So, just in case, I want to double the supply of all the materials on the list next month."

"Can your side manage that?"

Double the medicinal ingredients? Wang Yan Chang's eyebrows furrowed, and then he shook his head, "I can't make this decision. I need to consult with Heavenly Star Master before giving you an answer."

"No problem, I can wait."

"Mmm."

Wang Yan Chang nodded and headed straight into the hall.

Outside the black market, Luo Chen shook his head imperceptibly.

His relationship with the Heavenly Star Master was decent, and the latter had frequently shown goodwill.

But this was by no means a reason for him to take advantage.

Investigating the other party's intentions might be the right thing to do, but it was merely to satisfy his own curiosity.

Even if he found out, what use would it be? It might even anger the other party and ruin their good cooperative relationship.

In comparison, the phrase 'time is of the essence' hinted at a potentially larger crisis looming ahead.

In such a situation, he should be stockpiling resources! These raw materials were the 'supplies' he needed the most.

Without these, his exquisite alchemy skills would be useless.

Soon, Wang Yan Chang returned.

He brought back the answer Luo Chen was looking for.

Doubling the supply of materials was possible!

With that, Luo Chen had no reason to continue bothering him.

After bidding farewell, he slipped into the night.

With his current strength at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, coupled with the Great Perfection Breath Retention Spirit Art and the complex environment of the outer district at night, as long as he was careful, even a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator might not be able to find him.

Of course, this didn't account for tracking methods like fire coverage and treasure-sweeping!

...

Luo Chen continued his stealthy journey.

When he reached a hundred li away from Luo Tianhui, he didn't enter directly.

After experiencing Mi Shujia's covert use of various methods against him, he had become more cautious.

Every time he went out, he would carefully inspect himself for any abnormalities.

In his opinion, no cultivator's methods could truly be silent and invisible unless their cultivation level was significantly higher.

The reason Mi Shujia had been able to deceive him in the past was mainly because Luo Chen's cultivation was only at the intermediate stage of Qi Condensation at that time.

By the late stage of Qi Condensation, those methods had unknowingly become an integral part of him.

Even if he was lucky enough to discover the spiritual power imprint, he still couldn't find the spirit sense imprint.

Even after Mi Shujia's death, the unclaimed spirit sense imprint coexisted with him for a long time.

If not for the discovery by the Jade Cauldron Domain's true inheritor, Luo Tianhong, and the personal intervention of the Golden Core cultivator Pang Renxiong, who knew how long that soul seed would have remained hidden.

If it had suddenly acted up during the Foundation Establishment breakthrough, the trouble would have been immense.

Now that Luo Chen's cultivation was high and his divine soul far surpassed others at the same level, it could even rival that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Additionally, with the Great Perfection Spirit Eye Technique, after a careful inspection, he could hardly find any issues.

Even so, he still felt it wasn't safe enough.

"Humph!"

He let out a low hum, and three cleansing spells were cast upon himself.

From the outside, it appeared as if Luo Chen was brushing himself off three times in a row.

After the third time, he checked again, and finally felt at ease.

Only then did he leisurely stride towards the Luo Tianhui residence.

"The Cleansing Technique has been at the Master Level for a long time, only two hundred more proficiency points away from Great Perfection."

"I should find time to max it out, there might be unexpected effects."

Luo Chen had high hopes for the Great Perfection of every spell.

Although the Great Perfection of the Carefree Wandering and the Pulling Technique had disappointed him.

But the Fireball Technique, Wind Control Technique, Breath Retention Spirit Art, and even the Spirit Eye Technique, all gave him great surprises at Great Perfection.

In comparison, the widely spread Cleansing Technique, a life-oriented spell, had shown great potential at the Master Level.

It could cleanse not only impurities but also various energies like pill energy, medicinal energy, spiritual energy, and even demonic energy.

He was eager to see what changes the Great Perfection Cleansing Technique would bring.

If it could clear the entire world and sweep the universe, that would be marvelous.

Mmm, he had reached the entrance.

Time to stop daydreaming!

Luo Chen calmly began his pre-cultivation preparations.

He brewed the Essence Cultivating Spirit Liquid, replaced the spirit stones in the small Spirit Attraction Array, and lit the incense burner with a complete Calming Incense...

After everything was ready, Luo Chen took the Dust Transformation Pill and began his cultivation for the day.

At dawn, Luo Chen leisurely concluded yesterday's cultivation.

"After taking the Path to the Netherworld Pill, not only did my divine soul grow, but there's also this unexpected benefit?"

Luo Chen felt refreshed even after a night of cultivation, which was unimaginable in the past.

The reason why cultivators at lower levels, without the aid of pills, had slow cultivation speeds was due to their insufficient divine soul strength, limiting the number of times they could cultivate their techniques daily.

Once in the morning and once in the evening was already considered the limit.

There were people in the cultivation world who tried to solve this problem.

The solution they proposed was to use external objects, like Calming Incense.

But this still didn't fundamentally solve the issue.

To truly resolve this problem, one had to reach Foundation Establishment, where the divine soul became powerful enough to project spirit sense.

Only then could one cultivate their primary technique multiple times.

It was rumored that high-level cultivators could seclude themselves for months or even years.

This was because they had overcome this problem.

Luo Chen had also been greatly troubled by this issue.

Even if he was lucky enough to pass the mental tribulation once, and his divine soul doubled, he would still struggle with the required number of times to circulate this cultivation technique.

But now, he saw hope to solve this problem during the Qi Condensation Stage!

"If I persist in taking the Path to the Netherworld Pill, perhaps very soon, I can circulate the Eternal Spring Technique multiple times in a day."

Muttering to himself, Luo Chen tidied up the Spirit Vein Cave.

He went to the Dan Hall and placed the purple cloud copper furnace back into the original pill chamber.

Then, he calmly took out a jade slip from his storage bag.

"Do I need to take a Great Path Oath?"

Holding the jade slip, Luo Chen took a deep breath and spoke in a jade-like voice.

"I, Luo Chen!"

"Hereby swear!"

"Whether I learn it or not, I will not pass on this alchemy technique to a second person."

"Whether intentional or unintentional, if there is any leakage or disclosure, I will surely suffer backlash from the Great Path, and my cultivation realm will never progress for the rest of my life!"

After his resolute declaration, the vague spiritual light swirling around the jade slip gradually dissipated.

At the same time, Luo Chen faintly sensed a slight discomfort.

As if something in the heavens had glanced at him in that instant.

"This cultivation world, could there really be something like the Heavenly Dao?"

Luo Chen muttered, carefully examining the jade slip in his hand.

After confirming that there were no hidden tricks, he carefully placed the jade slip on his forehead.

A flood of information instantly poured into his mind.

"Hmm..."

A muffled hum sounded, and Luo Chen's face paled.

But he persisted, not letting go of the jade slip.

After a long while, he slowly removed the jade slip.

Rubbing his forehead, Luo Chen couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"I didn't expect that this Chaos Birth Friend would almost get me into trouble!"

The vast amount of information in the jade slip was like a torrent, flooding into his mind.

The sheer volume of information was something that an average Qi Condensation cultivator couldn't resist.

Usually, senior sect members would set up corresponding restrictions, allowing cultivators to only see information relevant to their cultivation level.

This is also the reason why there are often cultivation techniques on the market that can be cultivated up to the intermediate Qi Condensation stage and those that can be cultivated to the perfection of Qi Condensation.

Long ago, someone had already started doing this.

If there were no layered restrictions, a low-level cultivator would suddenly be overwhelmed by a massive influx of information.

At best, their divine soul would be damaged, leaving them listless for several months.

At worst, they would become a fool, turning into an idiot.

Because Luo Chen had created a Foundation Establishment alchemist friend out of thin air, Heavenly Star Master didn't even consider this possibility. This amount of information was not a big deal for a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Naturally, he wouldn't set up any layered restrictions either.

If it weren't for Luo Chen's deep divine soul foundation, he might have been turned into a fool by the sheer volume of information from this set of alchemy techniques.

Even though he endured it, he still felt his head was heavy and hazy.

"I was careless..."

Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen went to the Spirit Vein Cave.

Only under the fragrance of the Moonlight Grass did he finally feel refreshed.

Glancing at the Moonlight Grass, he shook his head.

"Although there's a large amount of wood spiritual energy drawn by the Spirit Attraction Array, the time is still too short."

"If only it could be longer."

Rubbing his eyebrows, Luo Chen closed his eyes and savored the contents of the jade slip once more.

After a while, he opened his eyes as if in deep thought.

"Cloudfall Smoke Method."

"This set of water techniques is extremely profound, and by borrowing external objects, it can not only refine pills but also enhance the grade of the pills."

According to the records of this set of water techniques.

When refining first-rank spirit liquid, one can choose a place with rising steam to aid in pill formation.

For second-rank spirit liquid, not only is a place with rising steam beneficial, but the assistance of a spirit spring can double the effect.

When it comes to third-rank spirit liquid, the effect of the steam and spirit spring is reduced.

At this time, it's best to choose a place with dense water attribute spiritual energy and use a secret formula along with additional techniques to refine the third-rank spirit liquid.

"It is indeed a water technique for refining first to third-rank pills, but it seems a bit forced when it comes to refining third-rank spirit liquid."

"However, Imperial Flowing Plasma is only a second-rank spirit liquid, so it's more than enough."

"Not only that, this technique also records two pill techniques, which is an unexpected joy."

One is the Washing Palm, and the other is the Cloud Transformation Palm.

The former is the technique Luo Chen had been longing for, which can handle water and yin attributes.

After learning the Washing Palm, whether it's dealing with the Snow Fox Demon Blood in the Path to the Netherworld Pill or the cultivator's essence blood and Yellow Spring Evil in the Blood Slaughter Pill, the effect will be twice the result with half the effort!

As for the latter, it doesn't seem very remarkable at first glance.

Even in the cultivation world, it's not particularly extraordinary.

However, the Cloud Transformation Palm is the essence of the Cloudfall Smoke Method.

Both the derivation of steam and the infusion of spirit spring into the pill require the use of this pill technique.

"Next, I'll be busy!"

Although it was a complaint, a smile was evident on Luo Chen's face.

The longer he practiced alchemy, the more complex his emotions became.

Repeatedly refining the same kind of pill would make him feel weary.

But every time he encountered new knowledge about pill cultivation, he was extremely delighted.

However, no matter what.

He had gradually come to love this art, not just as a means of survival.

In the following days, in addition to his regular cultivation and research on the Fireball Technique, Luo Chen also spent extra time on pill refinement.

During the process of fire alchemy, he would occasionally use water techniques to process some medicinal ingredients.

No alchemy technique can be mastered in a hurry.

Luo Chen chose to break it down and familiarize himself with it step by step.

When it's time to actually practice, it will inevitably be easier.

This is the meaning of sharpening the axe before chopping wood!

...

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Luo Chen gradually woke up from his daze.

Looking at the empty bottle in his hand, he shook his head.

"The Path to the Netherworld Pills are finished, and I need to refine more."

After experiencing the first dream, he had gradually become familiar with the effects of the Path to the Netherworld Pill.

This was the third time, and his Divine Soul Foundation grew stronger once more.

That sense of fullness and expansion still lingered in his mind.

Without hesitation, Luo Chen entered a room filled with a pungent smell.

Several cages were covered in black cloth.

He casually cast a Soundproof Technique and then lifted the cloth.

"Wuu!"

A wolf's howl echoed as a skinny Gray-Leaf Wolf with bared fangs appeared before him.

Luo Chen smiled slightly and immediately activated the Soul Suppressing Technique.

In his eyes, a faint green light emerged.

The Gray-Leaf Wolf instinctively took a step back, but its body suddenly stiffened.

After a moment, Luo Chen effortlessly extracted the wolf's soul.

Compared to ordinary beasts, this Gray-Leaf Wolf, which had just entered the first-stage Demon Beast level, had a much stronger soul.

However, it was still powerless against Luo Chen's Soul Suppressing Technique, which he had already mastered.

With a light laugh, Luo Chen uttered a command.

"Za!"

With that single command, cracks appeared on the transparent light ball.

This was a sign of soul damage.

Only then did Luo Chen show a hint of strain, but everything was still under control.

After two more commands, the Gray-Leaf Wolf's soul completely shattered.

Instantly, the soul fragments were absorbed and devoured by the Soul Nourishing Tree.

The originally tender green buds now appeared even more lush and vibrant.

Faintly, there were signs of new branches about to sprout.

Huff...

Luo Chen exhaled a breath of turbid air and stopped practicing the Soul Suppressing Technique.

"As expected, using Demon Beast souls to cultivate is much faster than using beast souls."

"In just a short time, my proficiency in the Soul Suppressing Technique has advanced to the Proficient level."

Each tug-of-war, struggle, and shattering of enemy souls was a practice of the Soul Suppressing Technique.

The stronger the enemy's soul, the greater the advancement in proficiency.

To digest the three Path to the Netherworld Pills, Luo Chen had been practicing the Soul Suppressing Technique almost every day.

Recently, the number of beasts that had died at his hands had reached several dozen.

Later on, Luo Chen even instructed Liu Qiang to capture or purchase live low-level Demon Beasts to be kept in the Luo Tianhui.

Using these Demon Beasts for practice allowed his Soul Suppressing Technique to rapidly increase in proficiency.

Not only that, but the surge in his Divine Soul also became more solid, truly becoming a part of his foundation.

This mutual assistance had a synergistic effect, achieving more than the sum of its parts.

The Soul Suppressing Technique honed his strengthened Divine Soul, and in turn, the strengthened Divine Soul enhanced the power of the Soul Suppressing Technique.

It could even be said that there was an additional boost.

Nowadays, Luo Chen had increased the frequency of practicing the Eternal Spring Technique from four times to five times a day.

One extra time might not seem like much.

The impact on cultivation was merely absorbing an additional portion of Spiritual Energy.

However, accumulating these small gains would result in a terrifying improvement!

Additionally, Luo Chen discovered that with his strengthened Divine Soul, he had more advantages in alchemy.

Previously, he could only manage to refine sixteen portions of raw materials for the Jade Marrow Pill in a day, splitting his time between morning and afternoon.

Now, he had become adept at it.

Occasionally, he even had the spare energy to squeeze in time to refine the Blood-Boiling Pills needed by the Heavenly Star Master.

After leaving the beast room, Luo Chen nodded to Liu Qiang, who was standing guard outside.

Liu Qiang understood the meaning and immediately went to dispose of the Demon Beast's body.

As Luo Chen walked through the Luo Tianhui, he estimated the stock of pills.

"I've refined the Blood-Boiling Pill eight times recently, all using the Four Symbols Cauldron. Each time, I used four portions of raw materials, and with my proficiency, I've accumulated around forty pills."

"If I add the ten pills I've been keeping, I can make it a total of fifty."

"But there are still a few days left, so there's no need to rush delivery."

"I can take my time with the Jade Marrow Pill. Let's refine two more batches of the Blood-Boiling Pill!"

"I can't stop refining the Path to the Netherworld Pill either. In these few days, I should be able to make at least one bottle."

After making this decision, Luo Chen let out a sigh.

Unconsciously, he realized that he was running out of time.

The Jade Marrow Pill was his main focus, and he needed to refine a large quantity to earn enough Spirit Stones to purchase various cultivation resources.

The Blood-Boiling Pill was related to his collaboration with the Heavenly Star Master, and there were many things at stake, so he couldn't stop refining it either.

As for the Path to the Netherworld Pill, although it was for personal use, it was closely related to his Divine Soul Foundation and had a significant connection to Foundation Establishment. It was best not to stop refining it.

These were just the tasks related to alchemy.

He also needed to cultivate, which was the most crucial task and couldn't be stopped! The spells, the research on the Fireball Technique, represented his current strongest combat ability.

The Soul Suppressing Technique was used to temper his Divine Soul and deal with the Yin Soul Ghosts in the Ghost City.

There were also the Cleansing Technique, the two prerequisite spells for Mountain Collapse, and the Master Level Healing Technique, which was almost at the Master level.

Oh, and the recently acquired Cloudfall Smoke Method, which was related to alchemy.

The research on the Imperial Flowing Plasma Formula and the Blood Slaughter Formula.

"I don't have enough time!"

"Even an Iron Man can't keep up with this pace!"

"Now I understand why Wang Yuan refused to handle the trivial matters of the Luo Tianhui. These things also take up a lot of time."

"No, I can't keep doing things haphazardly like this."

As Luo Chen walked towards the alchemy hall, the cold mountain breeze made his steps feel heavy.

He felt that he had to make some choices.

Before, he had no choice, but now, as the leader of a sect, he could focus on what he wanted to do.

As for how to proceed, he needed to think carefully.

"Let's first refine today's batch of Blood-Boiling Pills, which will also leave me with ample time to do other things."

Luo Chen sighed.

He discovered another issue—the reason why the Blood-Boiling Pill and the Path to the Netherworld Pill were consuming so much of his time.

It was mainly because his proficiency wasn't high enough, and he couldn't get the help of the pill-refining disciples.

And to improve proficiency, he needed more time.

"Time is of the essence!"

"Hmm? Why did I say that?"

As Luo Chen entered the alchemy chamber to prepare for pill refinement, he paused in confusion.

(End of Chapter)

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