Immortality Begins With The Alchemical Master Chapter 174: You Have a Story, Hey, I Have Wine! (Part 1) - Novel Cool

Chapter 174: You Have a Story, Hey, I Have Wine! (Part 1)

Chapter 174: You Have a Story, Hey, I Have Wine! (Part 1)

"Eight?"

Inside the Four Symbols Cauldron, eight dark red spirit pellets, resembling blood, floated silently.

Luo Chen was surprised.

It was normal to have only one successful batch out of four sets of raw materials.

But for there to be eight successful pills instead of seven was truly unexpected.

Unconsciously, he raised his hand and looked at his slender fingers, deep in thought.

"The Washing Palm's treatment of the Explosive Ape Demon Blood removed some impurities, thus increasing the number of successful pills?"

"In other words, there's still room for improvement in the Blood-Boiling Pill formula!"

When he was refining the Blood-Boiling Pill earlier, he remembered that the Explosive Ape Demon Blood also belonged to the liquid category of materials.

So, he used the newly learned Washing Palm to try processing it.

Unexpectedly, there was such a pleasant surprise.

After the surprise, came reverence.

Indeed, the path of alchemy was profound and vast.

In the beginning, he thought he had exceptional talent.

With a little achievement, he felt he could be called a master.

But as he learned more pill formulas and mastered various alchemy techniques, he realized there was even more he didn't know.

"With this, there's no need to refine another batch."

Currently, he already had fifty-eight Blood-Boiling Pills, fulfilling Heavenly Star Master's request.

Leaving eight pills as backup for Luo Tianhui, he had fifty pills left.

In a few days, he could go and deliver them!

While he was at it, he could also check Zhenlong Black Market to see if they had collected twice the amount of medicinal ingredients for him.

Upon exiting the alchemy chamber, he realized that Gu Caiyi had been waiting for him outside.

"Have you been waiting long?"

"Not too long."

"Is there something you need?"

"It's still about the Jade Marrow Pill's production. The Duan family is urging us again. Also, the supply for the Wanderer market is insufficient."

Gu Caiyi hesitated as she spoke.

Luo Chen furrowed his brows, "Why is the Duan family's demand for pills so high? Are they following the Nan Gong family's example of closing their clan?"

"No, but their monthly demand for pills is indeed double that of the Li and Chen families."

Gu Caiyi couldn't understand it either.

Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and blurted out, "These days, the Duan family seems to be frequently sending people to contact Duan Feng."

Contact Duan Feng?

What did that mean? Luo Chen clearly remembered that Duan Feng, the outcast of the Duan family, had a deep-seated grudge against the family's patriarch.

During the Golden Core Ruins dispute, he disregarded everything to enter the mountain and seek opportunities.

His goal was to increase his strength to return to the family and take revenge.

Luo Chen vividly remembered his words, "The old dog doesn't have many years left to live!"

What kind of hatred would drive a Bloodline-related Qi Condensation cultivator to call a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator an old dog?

As for the 'old dog' in Duan Feng's words, Luo Chen was also 'familiar' with him.

Duan Qiankun!

Instead of cultivating diligently, he frequently visited Zhenlong Black Market.

Almost every time the market opened, he was there.

Luo Chen even remembered that most of the resources he acquired were related to cultivation and combat.

It seemed that Duan Qiankun was aware of his limited time and was preparing for the family's future.

Pills, talismans, medicinal ingredients, puppets, magical tools... Now, he was even reaching out to the previously abandoned Duan Feng.

He must be trying to resolve the grudge and bring Duan Feng back into the family.

Duan Feng was no ordinary cultivator.

He was known for his formidable strength and had gained fame on the Debating Platform.

In reality, his talent for forging was even more exceptional.

It was only for the sake of revenge that he turned to combat.

Nowadays, Duan Feng was an elder in the Battle Hall of Luo Tianhui, and in the future, he might very well break away and establish a Hall of Forging.

Luo Chen couldn't bear to let such talent return to the Duan family.

"Don't worry about the Jade Marrow Pill. Let Zeng Wen handle it with excuses. Anyway, this month, we'll only have the regular quota."

Gu Caiyi nodded. Indeed, she wasn't suitable for refusing people too often.

Zeng Wen was the right person for this.

His current role was primarily to do the dirty work.

"Alright, then I'll use the excuse of insufficient production to send Zeng Wen to deal with the Duan family's cultivators!"

"Yes, and you can also say that the Nan Gong family took too many Jade Marrow Pills."

Gu Caiyi's eyes lit up.

Yes, by doing this, they could shift the pressure to the Nan Gong family, and Luo Tianhui wouldn't offend them as much.

The news of the Nan Gong family's closed-door cultivation had spread throughout Dahexian Market.

Even if the Duan family wanted to negotiate, they couldn't find anyone to talk to.

After handling this matter, Luo Chen hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, he left the alchemy hall decisively.

...

Outside Crescent Moon Valley, a new complex of buildings lined the spacious Dueling Platform.

This was the residence of the Battle Hall, where most of its cultivators currently lived.

From time to time, Wang Yuan would organize small-scale training sessions.

The high salaries Luo Tianhui offered weren't just for escorting pills and patrolling.

Strengthening their combat power to face potential conflicts was the top priority.

Luo Chen's arrival was silent.

He walked with steady steps, gradually approaching a large house with a towering chimney.

Before entering, he could already hear the clanging sounds coming from within.

There were about five Intermediate Qi Condensation cultivators inside, processing various minerals and metals.

A pungent, hot smell permeated the air, even in the winter season.

The giant exhaust fan roared loudly.

Luo Chen frowned and looked at the equally massive forge.

Duan Feng, his upper body bare, was hammering metal ingots with each strike.

His streamlined muscles were less eye-catching than his grim expression, which drew attention.

He had a gloomy expression, and with each strike of the hammer, it seemed as if he was pounding not just the metal ingot but a person.

However, it wasn't just a simple emotional outburst.

Luo Chen could sense that with each rise and fall of the hammer, spiritual energy flowed and circulated.

"This is indeed a unique method of tempering spiritual energy."

Luo Chen's eyes lit up, and he vaguely understood the profoundness within.

With each strike, spiritual energy accompanied the ingot's forging, and like impurities being hammered out, it seemed to purify the metal.

Finally, when he retracted the spiritual energy back into his body, it was exceptionally refined.

"But why haven't I seen Duan Feng use this method before?"

"President!"

"Good day, President!"

As Luo Chen was pondering, the cultivator in the room finally noticed him.

After all, he was standing right at the door, without any disguise.

Duan Feng stopped his work, turned, and looked at Luo Chen.

Then, he put down the hammer, wiped his hands with a cloth, and walked out, carrying a piece of clothing.

...

Below the dueling platform, Luo Chen, dressed in a snowy fox fur, and Duan Feng, wearing only a thin outer shirt, seemed to be living in two different seasons.

One in winter, and the other in summer.

However, their moods seemed to be completely opposite.

Luo Chen enthusiastically chatted with him, while Duan Feng, as always, spoke coldly.

Luo Chen was used to this way of conversing, and he had his ways of engaging the other party's emotions.

You little rascal, trying to act all mysterious, huh!

"How are the people you've been leading recently?"

Duan Feng finally showed some interest, "They're doing well. They can handle some basic metal ore processing and have become my assistants."

"What about the magical tools?"

"Currently, they're in the maintenance and repair phase. It's still too difficult to forge brand-new magical tools."

Duan Feng sighed, "I only have two flying sword tool blueprints, one of low grade and one of medium grade. Using your words, they have no market competitiveness. At most, I can make them to meet our internal needs."

Just as alchemy requires pill formulas, forging tools naturally requires blueprints.

Unless one reaches the level of Master Hu Yan Zhuo, the casting master in Tianfan City, who can innovate and research various magical tools and treasures.

But it was clear that Duan Feng had not yet reached that level.

Luo Chen's expectations of him were not that high.

Chatting about these things was just to get the other party talking.

Starting with what he was most skilled at and liked the most.

Without much guidance, the other party could talk eloquently and endlessly.

"The batch of second-hand magical tools I collected from under Qinghe Mountain, I've basically repaired most of them. Selling them will not only allow you to recoup your costs but also make a small profit."

Luo Chen smiled, "You still remember that!"

Duan Feng scratched his head, "That little stall of Feng Hai Forge Shop, you invested two to three thousand spirit stones in it, and in the end, you only got a thousand back. How could I not remember that?"

That was true.

Feng Hai Forge Shop was one of the few businesses where Luo Chen had taken a loss.

Because of the turmoil among wanderers and the subsequent demon beast riot caused by the shrinking of the Tian Gong Duoling in the Gu Yuan Mountain Range, the business of the forging stall was affected.

Up until now, Luo Chen had yet to recoup his investment.

"Additionally, the magical tools recovered from the battles at Xieyue Valley and the Fu family, I've been working overtime to repair them."

"It won't be long before you can use them."

Among those magical tools, there were quite a few high-quality ones.

There were over ten medium-grade magical tools.

Among them were medium-grade magical tools with defensive attributes.

However, Luo Chen just shook his head and smiled.

"How could I possibly use so many magical tools by myself!"

Duan Feng was taken aback, then realized what he meant.

Indeed, while magical tools were good, it didn't mean that more was better.

One's energy and spiritual power were limited.

There wasn't enough energy to become familiar with and master so many magical tools.

During combat, spiritual power limitations also restricted the use of numerous magical tools.

Generally, cultivators of any realm would choose the most suitable magical tools for themselves.

The overall division would be one or two offensive magical tools, defensive magical tools, and mobility magical tools, with some unusual magical tools as a supplement.

Even with this combination, only cultivators in the later stages of Qi Condensation could barely manage it.

Early and mid-stage cultivators didn't have enough spiritual power to control so many magical tools.

Luo Chen also knew that he could mobilize many medium-grade magical tools.

These things could be considered part of his assets.

But all along, he had only been using the original set of magical tools, and it was only recently that he acquired a sword orb to make up for his lack of offensive power.

Even with the sword orb, he chose it because it consumed less spiritual power.

Duan Feng also understood this principle, but he hadn't thought of it before.

He thought for a moment and said, "If you can't use them, you can use them to reward the cultivators of Luo Tianhui!"

Luo Chen shook his head.

In the face of Duan Feng's puzzled gaze, he slowly said, "You should know that I didn't come to talk about these things."

Silence.

He fell silent again.

Luo Chen sighed, "I know that recently, the Duan family has been sending people to contact you. Can you tell me what you're thinking?"

"My thoughts?"

"Hehe..."

A hint of self-mockery appeared on the man's resolute face.

He opened his mouth, then muttered, "Do you want to hear my story?"

"I have wine!"

"Er..."

Before they knew it, the two had arrived at Duan Feng's room.

Luo Chen followed him inside and discovered that the small room was very well-organized.

The teacup was on the table, and the clothes were in the cabinet.

Some flowers that were rarely seen in winter were placed in the window, facing the sun.

From the kitchen, there was a faint aroma of food.

This place didn't look like the residence of a lonely bachelor at all.

At the very least, Luo Chen's stone house was as simple as it could get.

Luo Chen sniffed his nose, and Duan Feng spoke with some discomfort, "This is the food that Sister Xia prepared before she left, for me to eat at noon."

"Oh..."

The drawn-out tone made Duan Feng's face flush slightly.

He quickly ran into the kitchen and brought out a few side dishes.

Braised beef, stir-fried vegetables, and...

"Let's skip the rice, brother. We're here to drink, right?"

Duan Feng sheepishly put the small wooden bucket containing rice back into the iron pot, allowing the steaming water inside to continue heating.

By the time he came out, Luo Chen had already taken out a yellowish gourd.

He poured a cup of pale yellow, crystal-clear wine.

"Is this the Huangli wine from Xiao Yue's family?"

"Mhm."

Luo Chen nodded, a hint of gloom appearing on his face.

As the inner city transformed into a ghost city, Old Man Xiao Yue's whereabouts also became unknown.

Thinking about how he was already disabled and in the midst of such sudden chaos, he was most likely already one of the thousands of Yin ghosts in the Dahe River.

Now, this Huangli wine was truly a precious commodity, to be savored one cup at a time!

Earlier, Luo Chen's jokes had barely lightened the atmosphere, but now, with this melancholy mood, it became heavy once again.

At the same time, Duan Feng's voice took on a somber tone as he reminisced.

"My story isn't as complicated as you might think."

...

As Duan Feng narrated, Luo Chen gradually learned about everything he had experienced in the Duan family.

In fact, he had already heard some things through Duan Feng and Feng Xia, albeit vaguely.

Now, he was just filling in the gaps through Duan Feng's personal account.

As the oldest and most prestigious cultivator clan in Dahexian Market, the Duan family's development had always been lukewarm.

They had consistently produced Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and over the course of several hundred years, including the current patriarch, Duan Qiankun, there had been a total of three Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.

During this time, they had considered expanding their influence outside, but various factors always prevented them from doing so, confining them to their territory.

Although Dahexian Market officially had no second-tier spirit lands, the Duan family had long occupied a special ice and fire spirit spring.

With a unique secret technique, they could briefly create a second-tier spirit land.

This was sufficient for Foundation Establishment Cultivators to cultivate.

The inability to expand their influence outside, coupled with their reluctance to part with this spirit spring, was a significant factor.

As the local overlord, the Duan family held a prominent position in Dahexian Market.

Therefore, the cultivators within the clan were often considered superior.

Even in marriage, they rarely intermarried with outsiders, always choosing to marry within the clan.

Duan Feng's father had once made a name for himself.

He had even joined the Luo Tianhui sect, becoming one of their inner disciples.

Unfortunately, he later failed in his attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage and was demoted to an outer disciple.

After his cultivation path hit a dead end, Duan Feng's father worked for the Luo Tianhui sect while also returning to the family to support them.

During this time, he married a talented woman from the clan, and they had Duan Feng.

"Unfortunately, my father later died in a conflict between our family and a cultivator clan from Liuguang Market, leaving my mother and me to rely on each other."

"Rely on each other?"

Luo Chen was puzzled, "As far as I know, there are other members in your branch of the family!

(End of Chapter)

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