https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-40-The-Alchemy-Chamber-and-Immortal-Beans/12831511/
Chapter 41: Red, Eyes Red
Chapter 41: Red, Eyes Red
In the world of cultivation, a practitioner’s appearance often bears no relation to their age, due to the transportation of spiritual energy and the consumption of elixirs.
Therefore, in the realm of immortals, the worst thing you can do is judge a person by their looks.
Luo Chen didn’t know what kind of spiritual root attributes Gu Caiyi possessed.
However, he had asked about her age while chatting with Bai Meiling.
He remembered that Gu Caiyi was thirty-seven years old.
At thirty-seven, being at the Eighth Stage of Qi Refinement was neither good nor bad. Her talent was decent, but not outstanding, or she would have been recruited into a sect long ago.
But in just a few short days, she had broken through to the Ninth Stage of Qi Refinement.
This surprised Luo Chen greatly.
"How did you do it? Did you take some miraculous elixirs?"
"Hehe, you guessed right."
Gu Caiyi pouted, "Recently, the Great River Market has seen a lot of new faces, including many Foundation Establishment cultivators."
"The Zhongding Family and our Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion are the places they visit most frequently."
"For us Qi Refinement cultivators, elixirs that are precious are nothing to Foundation Establishment cultivators. We performed a new dance and pleased a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, who casually rewarded us with a bottle of Dust Transcending Pills."
Luo Chen’s eyes widened, "Dust Transcending Pills!"
"Looks like you’re not as ignorant as I thought!"
Luo Chen wasn’t stupid; he knew about Dust Transcending Pills.
These were top-tier elixirs for the Qi Refinement stage, capable of transcending the mundane and purifying the body.
A single pill’s potency far surpassed that of several Qi Nourishing Pills, and its price was ten times higher!
Even when low-rank cultivators couldn’t find Foundation Establishment elixirs, they would use Dust Transcending Pills to try and break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
Though the effect was far inferior to Foundation Establishment elixirs, it still had some impact.
"We received a bottle of Dust Transcending Pills, and each of us got one. As the lead dancer, I got two."
Gu Caiyi smiled proudly, "I’ve been staying at the Feathered Garment Pavilion for the past two days, and with the help of these two pills, I broke through to the Ninth Stage of Qi Refinement."
"Is your Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion still hiring?" Luo Chen’s voice was tinged with jealousy, his eyes turning red with envy.
"Go do what, be a manager?"
"Stop joking, I was also multi-talented from a young age, excelling in both singing and dancing!"
"Alright, no more teasing," Gu Caiyi’s expression turned serious, "I wanted to warn you that something might be happening in the Great River Market soon, with so many unfamiliar cultivators around. Be careful when you go out, and don’t offend anyone you shouldn’t."
Luo Chen nodded vigorously.
Foreign cultivators were the most feared.
Since they didn’t have roots here, they didn’t care much about the Great River Market’s rules.
Sometimes, they would kill in a fit of anger and then vanish, beyond the reach of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect’s stationed cultivators.
Late at night, Luo Chen thought about the events of the day, feeling a mix of emotions.
Others had effortlessly broken through to the Ninth Stage of Qi Refinement, just one step away from Foundation Establishment.
He, on the other hand, was still struggling at the Fourth Stage of Qi Refinement.
The significant gap made him feel a bit bitter, even as he tried to maintain a smile.
But despite his envy, Luo Chen was genuinely happy for Gu Caiyi.
Since he moved here, she had been very kind to him.
She would always greet him when they passed each other, giving him, a nobody in the cultivation world, a sense of existence.
When she found out about his difficulties with alchemical equipment, she used her connections to get him a high-quality, reasonably priced alchemical furnace.
Now that Gu Caiyi had made a breakthrough, he should be happy for her.
"But I can’t slack off either."
"These recent comfortable days seem to have dulled my edge."
"Gu Caiyi’s talent is definitely better than mine, yet she still works hard to earn cultivation resources. I’m just a cultivator with five spiritual roots, with only a few decades of lifespan left, and I only have one bottle of Qi Nourishing Pills left."
"What right do I have to live a leisurely life?"
Starting tomorrow, I have to work even harder!
A brand-new alchemy room.
A specialized alchemy artifact, the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace.
The Alchemy Technique for the Mysterious Pill, which he had reached the second level of proficiency.
Never has there been a better start!
Everything was ready; all that was missing was the fire!
Luo Chen’s expression was solemn as he skillfully cast a Fireball Spell, igniting the wood in the fire pit.
The flames roared to life, quickly heating up the small alchemy room.
Despite the intense heat, Luo Chen seemed unaffected, methodically placing the prepared herbs into the furnace.
He also performed the necessary hand seals, activating the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace.
The simple patterns etched on it glowed faintly, as if breathing.
Even though the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace was only a low-grade first-tier artifact, it was still a significant improvement over the inferior spirit iron pot he used before.
Here is the rewritten chapter with non-English characters replaced with their English equivalents or transliterations:
Luo Chen focused intently on the herbs inside the copper furnace, his Spirit Vision already activated in his eyes.
Even with obstacles, he could sense the flow of spiritual energy within.
Not only that, he occasionally opened the furnace lid to stir the ingredients with a wooden stick, preventing them from burning at the bottom.
Soon, it was noon.
It was time to open the furnace. The fire had been extinguished for half an hour, and the temperature inside had gradually cooled down.
"Up!"
With a Proficient Spirit Technique, he lifted the still-warm furnace lid slowly from a distance.
A strange fragrance spread, mixed with a hint of burnt smell.
With Spirit Vision still active, Luo Chen frowned as he looked down.
The first batch of Wondrous Pills had failed.
This was to be expected. Everything was new, and no matter how much preparation he did, there was no guarantee of 100% success.
Luo Chen didn't feel discouraged. He took a shovel and scooped out the burnt herbs.
After a quick rinse, he left the alchemy room.
As soon as he stepped out, even though it was noon, he felt a refreshing coolness.
The temperature difference between the alchemy room and the outside was significant.
At this moment, Luo Chen was somewhat grateful to Sun Shou.
Regardless of other factors, without any means to cool down, the inverted house at the center of the Ghost King's Suppression at least provided a bit of relief.
"Time to cook, take a shower, and continue in the afternoon!"
He steamed some rice, then went to the corner of the courtyard, using the Traction Technique to draw a bucket of water from the well.
Splash!
He poured the water over his bare body.
"Ah, that feels good!"
Luo Chen couldn't help but moan.
He hadn't noticed inside the alchemy room, but now he realized it was like a furnace in there.
"It must be a problem with my design and materials; otherwise, it wouldn't be so hot."
"If only a disciple from Ailao Mountain could design my alchemy room for me, that would be perfect."
He chuckled at the thought, shaking his head.
Where would he get the Spirit Stones to hire a disciple from a prestigious sect to design his alchemy room?
The fee would probably be at least a thousand Spirit Stones!
After a simple lunch, Luo Chen gritted his teeth and entered the alchemy room again.
Second batch, time to start!
"Is Luo at home?"
"Busy. Is there something, Caiyi?"
"Nothing, you continue!"
"Still alchemy?"
"Can't help it; life forces me to."
"Look at you, sounding so pitiful. I brought you a box of Green Essence Cakes; eat them while they're hot."
"Leave them outside; I can't leave right now. I'm about to add the main ingredients."
"I'll be off then. Chat when you're done."
In the afternoon, Luo Chen sat dazedly by the well, looking exhausted.
As Gu Caiyi stepped out, she noticed him.
Frowning, she walked over, "Luo Chen, what's been going on with you lately?"
"Just the usual alchemy," Luo Chen snapped back to reality, rubbed his eyes, and quickly stood up.
"Don't say nothing; look at you."
With a flow of mana, the remaining water on the ground formed a water mirror.
Luo Chen looked down and saw his red, swollen eyes, heavy eyelids, and dry, cracked lips.
His messy hair, long since free from the headband, stuck to his face.
At first glance, he looked like he had been working in front of a computer for a month in his past life.
Was it due to the high temperature in the alchemy room?
Luo Chen wasn't sure. In the past ten days, he had been trying to manage two batches a day.
The success rate was barely 20%, better than when he started, but not as good as he had hoped.
Using Spirit Vision to monitor the alchemy process was both draining of his spiritual energy and hard on his eyes, especially with the constant focus, which left him mentally exhausted.
Not wanting to appear weak in front of a woman, Luo Chen casually changed the subject.
His gaze fell on Gu Caiyi's arm, where a white, translucent silk robe was draped.
"Is this a new magical item?"
"You have good eyes!" Gu Caiyi lifted the silk robe, her eyes sparkling. "It's a gift from a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Fei Baiwen. A high-quality defensive magical item."
Luo Chen was taken aback.
A high-quality defensive magical item?
Someone actually gave this away?
He couldn't help but ask, "Are Foundation Establishment cultivators that rich? This item must be worth at least four to five thousand Spirit Stones, right?"
Gu Caiyi smiled, "Most Foundation Establishment cultivators aren't rich and might even be more frugal than us itinerant cultivators. But Fei Baiwen is different."
"Hmm? How so?"
(End of Chapter)
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