Immortality Begins With The Alchemical Master Chapter 440: Externally Strong, Internally Weak, Fragrant Recognition - Novel Cool

Chapter 440: Externally Strong, Internally Weak, Fragrant Recognition

Chapter 440: Externally Strong, Internally Weak, Fragrant Recognition

"Xiao Sanren, have you observed Luo Chen's current state?" Fu Jiusheng asked.

As he spoke, Yinsha Lady's grumbling stopped, and she looked at Xiao Sanren with great tension.

It wasn't just the two of them; He Lianyun, who had been acting submissive and even somewhat good-natured, also straightened his expression.

In reality!

Between their sincere cooperation with Luo Chen, there was not only the issue of medicinal ingredients and pill refining techniques but also another extremely important factor.

Strength!

If the strength gap was too great, this cooperation could easily turn into a huge joke of a lamb walking into a tiger's mouth.

Especially with Luo Chen's reputation for his prowess in the Battle Pavilion, it made people even more wary.

If the other party refined the Shadow Essence Pill and then turned on them, and even with the four of them joining forces, they couldn't stop him, then all their efforts would be in vain.

Therefore.

From the very beginning when they decided to seek cooperation with Luo Chen, the investigation into him had been ongoing.

This investigation had continued until now!

Ever since Luo Chen entered Cloudlink Tower, Xiao Sanren, a wandering cultivator with a powerful divine soul foundation and keen observation abilities, had been constantly observing Luo Chen's state. This was why he barely spoke during the discussions about cooperation.

At this moment, facing the burning gazes of the group, Xiao Sanren exhaled the stifling turbid air.

"I've managed to glimpse about three-tenths of his true strength and weaknesses."

"The rumors from the outside world are not false!"

"Luo Chen's current state is indeed that of a serious injury that has just healed, and his vitality is faint. The seemingly powerful aura is merely a facade, like a flower in full bloom or oil in a blazing fire."

"In my observation, he does possess some strength, and at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer, he is no weaker than most Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer cultivators."

"But!"

"That's as far as it goes."

Yinsha Lady was half-believing and half-doubting, "Are you sure you haven't misjudged him?"

Xiao Sanren smiled confidently, "Unless he's hiding his breath, has exceptional disguise abilities, and his divine soul foundation is far superior to mine, it's unlikely for anyone at the Foundation Establishment Stage to remain unnoticed under my observation for an entire day without revealing their true abilities!"

With this explanation, Yinsha Lady felt slightly more at ease.

She had personally experienced Xiao Sanren's abilities.

When her divine soul was being devoured, she fought the Lian Cang Four Elders alone. Even after being struck by her husband Yinsha's opportunistic palm, she still managed to annihilate the Four Elders.

It was with the inheritance of those four elders that Xiao Sanren was able to advance and strengthen her cultivation.

Now, she was just one step away from reaching the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Although she was reassured, Fu Jiusheng still felt uneasy.

As a herb gatherer, one must always remain cautious.

Even after successfully gathering the required medicinal ingredients for their employer and personally delivering them, one must stay vigilant against potential threats to their future gathering routes.

This caution prompted Fu Jiusheng to question Xiao Sanren further, "Is Luo Chen only comparable to a Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer cultivator? Aren't we underestimating him too much? You should know that two Golden Core Senior cultivators died at his hands, an achievement that we Foundation Establishment True Cultivators can never attain in our entire lives!"

Xiao Sanren frowned, finding it difficult to refute this point.

He could only speak the truth, "At least, that's what I've observed."

The Great Elder of the Lianyun Business Alliance, standing nearby, offered a serious explanation, "In fact, those two battles weren't as miraculous as the outside world made them out to be."

"How so?"

"The first time Luo Chen killed Di Wanyun, it wasn't his doing at all. Instead, he utilized a specific method in a particular situation, triggering the thousand-year-old heavenly thunder power accumulated on the ninth mountain of Thunderpile Mountain, which led to Di Wanyun's demise."

Fu Jiusheng blinked, and if this was the case, it made sense.

A specific method, combined with a particular situation, and with the assistance of external mighty forces.

He had witnessed such tactics before and had even executed them himself.

When he first entered the Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer, he lured a third-stage demon beast into a natural maze in the mountains and wore it down to death.

It was a significant achievement in his herb-gathering career!

"What about the second time?" he asked cautiously.

The Great Elder of the Lianyun Business Alliance smiled, "The second time was even simpler. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Luo Chen's methods were fully exposed. He relied on a one-time use treasure, the Thunder Immortal Pearl, and had the support of two powerful allies at the middle stage of the Golden Core Stage, which led to Qin Taiyan's defeat."

Fu Jiusheng frowned, "According to my knowledge, Qin Taiyan and Luo Chen had a head-on confrontation, exchanging several blows. Qin Taiyan's physique was terrifying, known as a humanoid demon beast."

The Great Elder didn't refute this point.

Instead, he nodded in agreement, "That information is indeed accurate. Not only Luo Chen, but within his Luo Tian Association, there are experts in body cultivation like Blood Tyrant Demon Yuan and Heavenly Tyrant Zi ChuKui. Moreover, many Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Battle Pavilion have also cultivated body refinement techniques. This seems to be related to their possession of various body-tempering spirit herbs and cultivation techniques, creating a group of formidable cultivators at the same cultivation level.

"However!"

"The path of body cultivation has already declined, and in the face of our magic treasures, it's nothing more than a mere target for slaughter. At least, I personally am not afraid of powerful body cultivators. What about you?"

Xiao Sanren let out a carefree laugh, "I, for one, am not afraid."

He had the confidence to say this!

What if one's physique was stronger?

It was merely a tough outer shell, and under his divine soul secret technique, it was as fragile as a toddling child taking its first steps.

"Hehe, my late husband was a wrath qi body cultivator, a second-stage grandmaster. I have some experience dealing with such a person," Yinsha Lady said with a confident smile, exuding a sense of strength.

However, her confidence seemed to come from more than just her understanding of body cultivation.

Seeing that the three of them didn't seem to care about Luo Chen's body cultivation realm, Fu Jiusheng felt that something was amiss.

If it was just a tough exterior coupled with an immature mind, then so be it.

But Luo Chen's performance today didn't make him seem like an unintelligent person.

Were these three people truly indifferent, or did they have the confidence to back it up?

"Actually, you're being deceived by Luo Chen."

Suddenly, Xiao Sanren spoke up.

As the three of them looked at him in confusion, he gestured towards the ground at the entrance.

They looked down subconsciously, but saw nothing unusual. The ground was smooth and flat.

However, upon closer inspection, they noticed something strange.

The ground seemed to be slightly uneven.

"What's this...?" Yinsha Lady asked, puzzled. "Great Elder, is the ground of Lianyun Tower always this uneven?"

He Lianyun was taken aback and asked, "Did Luo Chen do this?"

Xiao Sanren nodded heavily.

"It's widely known that Luo Chen is extremely skilled in spellcasting, not inferior to his alchemy. I used to think it was just exaggerated praise, but now it seems he does have some real talent."

"When he first entered, under the pressure of our three auras, he didn't back down at all. He even held his ground against the three of us without showing any weakness."

"But in reality, he couldn't withstand it, and he left two faint footprints on the ground."

"However, he used an incredibly precise cleaning technique to sweep away the footprints without a trace."

"That move was executed without any hesitation, and it even seemed like he was trying to take advantage of the situation. But after observing him carefully, I noticed the footprints."

"This Luo Chen is putting on a show of strength to hide his weakness!"

'Putting on a show of strength to hide his weakness'—these four words echoed in their minds, and as they thought about Luo Chen's behavior, more and more thoughts began to spread.

He was trying to turn the tables and take control, acting arrogantly and domineeringly.

He was confident and reckless, greedy, yet also seemed to be a bit cautious, even asking them to sign an essence blood covenant.

If these traits were considered individually, they would match his reputation as the "Number One Fire Spirit Lord of the Jade Cauldron Domain" in the Foundation Establishment stage.

But when considered together, they seemed a bit out of place.

And the reason for this inconsistency was that he was putting on a show of strength to hide his weakness!

"He's using his domineering attitude to hide his weakness and trying to take control of this collaboration!"

Once this thought became a unanimous conclusion in their minds, many of their doubts were resolved.

If it was just a powerful cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage, they wouldn't fear him even in a one-on-one situation.

Even if he was slightly beyond their abilities, by joining forces, they could still restrain him.

Luo Chen's current state was actually ideal for them.

Moreover!

It was common knowledge that alchemists expended a lot of spiritual power and mental energy when refining pills.

When they refined pills in the wild without the aid of earth fire, they would have to rely on Foundation Establishment True Fire.

In that case, Luo Chen's condition would deteriorate significantly.

So, he would be even less of a threat.

Therefore, the only issue left to consider was...

Yinsha Lady asked cautiously, wanting to confirm, "I gave the Shadow Essence Pill formula to Luo Chen. Will he use it as a basis to create a new pill formula and abandon us to refine pills on his own?"

Fu Jiusheng answered, "You're overthinking it."

"That's a third-stage pill formula derived from a Saint's pill formula and perfected by a Transformation Stage master. It's not something an ordinary third-stage alchemist can recreate."

"Luo Chen is only a second-stage alchemist. The fact that he can refine it is already beyond our expectations. How can he possibly take it further?"

With this reassurance, Yinsha Lady breathed a sigh of relief.

The pill formula was her only bargaining chip.

If someone were to refine pills on their own, she would be left with nothing.

"So, what's next?"

"Let's go our separate ways for now!"

"I'll gather the necessary materials for refining the Shadow Essence Pill."

"I need to enter seclusion for a while and see if I can reach the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage before we depart."

"See you in nine years!"

...

Inside the Yi Seventeenth Cave Mansion.

Luo Chen's eyes shone with determination, and a massive water mirror rippled before him.

On the map, there was no specific image, only four red dots constantly flashing.

One of the red dots left Heavenly Wave Immortal City and flew towards the far northeast.

"This is Fu Jiusheng. He has already reached the Grand Completion of the Foundation Establishment stage and doesn't need to seclude himself for cultivation. He only lacks the Core Formation Spirit Herb. But he's heading towards the far northeast alone. Could the Nine-Striped Snake Saliva Fruit's growing location be in that direction?"

Another red dot also left Heavenly Wave City, but it didn't go far.

"This is He Lianyun, probably returning to Lianyun Mountain where the Lianyun Business Alliance is located."

The remaining two red dots were moving closer to Luo Chen.

"They're right here on Heavenly Wave Peak!"

"These two must be You Ruolan and Xiao Sanren. They're probably trying to use the spiritual energy of the peak to push their cultivation to the Grand Completion of the Foundation Establishment stage within nine years."

Luo Chen muttered to himself.

If He Lianyun and the other three saw this, they would surely be shocked.

They had no idea when Luo Chen had marked them, allowing him to monitor their movements.

This brings us to Luo Chen's recent seclusion and his discoveries.

After achieving Grand Completion in the Second Stage Universal Spell, Water Mirror Spell, a rare mutation occurred.

Luo Chen could now detect anyone he marked within a thousand-li range.

How did he mark them?

The simplest way was through spirit perception imprints.

However, these imprints were easily detectable.

Therefore, Luo Chen, drawing on his own experiences, developed a unique marking method.

The inspiration came from Uncle Mi's surveillance of Luo Chen using both spirit energy and perception.

The core of this method was Fragrant Recognition, a technique from Ling Yuzhi's legacy.

Luo Chen integrated and modified it, creating Fragrant Incense Recognition!

The moment he entered Cloudlink Tower and opened the room, after withstanding the three of them, Luo Chen employed this technique.

His sleeve sweep served a triple purpose.

How could his Primordial Third Stage physical body possibly be pressured by the mere auras of three Foundation Establishment cultivators, causing his body to sink slightly?

It was just a show of weakness, creating footprints that he then tried to cover up with the Cleansing Technique.

He then seized the opportunity to strike, gaining the upper hand in the conversation and turning the tables.

Finally, when the Cleansing Technique erased the footprints, he used his unique method to attach the fragrant incense to the four of them.

It was perfectly normal for an alchemist to have the scent of fragrant incense on them.

So, the others didn't pay it any mind.

This allowed Luo Chen to use the Water Mirror Spell to observe their movements.

"Unfortunately, I haven't mastered this technique enough. If they use the Cleansing Technique on themselves a few times, my method will be nullified."

With a sigh, Luo Chen dismissed the Water Mirror Spell.

For now, he knew where these people were going.

He also realized that they weren't all on the same page, as they had split up.

Otherwise, they should have stayed at Cloudlink Tower for at least a night.

Instead, they had gone their separate ways.

Confirming that they weren't united made many things easier for Luo Chen.

These four were not weak; they were among the top cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage.

Even true disciples and direct descendants of major sects might not compare.

In a direct confrontation, they might not be as strong.

But in a life-or-death battle, the outcome was uncertain.

If the four of them joined forces, Luo Chen would be in trouble.

Without the Thunder Immortal Pearl, his advantages were his Third Stage physique, spirit energy, and divine soul foundation, comparable to a Foundation Establishment Grand Completion cultivator, and his proficient spellcasting.

Together, these made him unstoppable at the Foundation Establishment stage.

But considering the extreme conditions of outdoor alchemy, it wasn't entirely secure.

"So, my next task is to focus on this aspect."

"Enhance combat techniques and have more trump cards to deal with different situations."

"Study the Shadow Essence Pill formula! It's not just about learning this pill formula. If I can derive a suitable formula and replace the primary ingredient, I can completely abandon them and refine the pill myself."

"I also need to seek the Ice Fortress from the Heavenly Mountain Rejuvenation Water. It would be embarrassing if they can't provide it or refuse to give it to me."

The last task was the simplest of the three.

The other two were more complicated.

Fortunately, Luo Chen had nine years, and he wasn't alone!

That night, after a night of bitter cultivation in his chamber...

The next day, he sent out a message.

Soon, numerous Luo Tian Association cultivators began appearing in his cave mansion.

Double monthly votes, last day, brothers, please vote if you can.

(End of Chapter)

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