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Chapter 541: The Nine-Zhang Giant Cauldron, Refining a Hundred Pills
Chapter 541: The Nine-Zhang Giant Cauldron, Refining a Hundred Pills
In the quiet cultivation room, only the sound of long, intermittent breaths indicated someone's presence.
As another wave of Medicine Scourge was completely expelled, the redness on Luo Chen's face gradually faded.
Although the redness had lessened, years of consuming True Flame Pills and expelling Medicine Scourge had left his face permanently flushed.
If his physique were a bit more robust, and he went outside, he might also be nicknamed "Red-Faced Big Guy."
But that didn't matter.
The path of cultivation had countless variations, and each practitioner relied on their own means to attain the ultimate longevity.
And it was precisely because cultivators practiced various extraordinary techniques that they often exhibited unusual phenomena.
Some had red faces, purple faces, or even sickly waxy yellow skin.
There were also those who had mishaps in their cultivation, resulting in overnight white hair or dry, lifeless hair, which was not uncommon.
Luo Chen didn't care much about his facial complexion, but he could indirectly gauge the potency of the top-grade True Flame Pills by the changes in his skin tone.
"One pill is enough to match ten lower-grade ones!" Luo Chen muttered to himself, his eyes filled with delight.
Ordinary pills, depending on their grade, often showed a doubling trend in medicinal power.
One, two, four, and eight corresponded to lower-grade, medium-grade, high-grade, and top-grade levels, respectively.
Luo Chen had figured this out through his own experimentation.
As for other pill concocters? Sorry, even among ten thousand pill concocters, there might not be one who could refine a top-grade pill, so they couldn't discover this pattern.
And that was why Luo Chen was so delighted.
The medicinal power of the True Flame Pills was unique, slightly breaking this pattern.
Their medicinal power increased at a rate of one, two, five, and ten, respectively.
In other words, once the True Flame Pills reached high-grade, they underwent a qualitative change, reaching their maximum potential at the top-grade level!
This change far exceeded that of the Starlight Pills he had been taking for years.
And this was just the difference in change; if the medicinal power was truly compared, one lower-grade True Flame Pill had five times the power of a Starlight Pill.
The intricate details of the data were quite complex, and only Luo Chen, the one consuming the pills, could keep track of it all.
After some calculations, his delight gradually faded, leaving only a lingering sense of regret.
"The cost-effectiveness is actually quite high, but unless I drain the Feiyan Archipelago of its resources, they can't support my cultivation."
If he followed the most ideal method, he would naturally take top-grade True Flame Pills daily for cultivation, maximizing his progress.
One top-grade pill was equivalent to ten lower-grade True Flame Pills or fifteen lower-grade Starlight Pills.
As long as his finances could support it and he didn't develop resistance, Luo Chen's cultivation to the peak of the Golden Core stage would take no more than two hundred years, or even just a century, even with a lower-grade third-rank Spirit Vein.
The problem lay in his "finances."
Obviously, the Feiyan Archipelago couldn't support his daily consumption.
Just the previous situation had left the major families sighing and complaining.
If he took top-grade True Flame Pills daily for cultivation, he would drain all thirty-six islands of the Feiyan Archipelago.
A rebellion would eventually occur! Therefore, after some deliberation, Luo Chen could only control the grade of the pills he took daily to the high-grade level.
This way, ten portions of ingredients, with a fifty percent success rate, would yield five portions of True Flame Pills, or fifty high-grade pills, enough for nearly two months.
This was slightly cheaper than ten portions yielding one portion of top-grade True Flame Pills, or ten pills.
He would also be able to absorb more medicinal power, given the same amount of time.
It was all about cost-effectiveness, one focusing on cultivation speed and the other on finances.
After considering all factors, Luo Chen chose the most suitable plan for his current situation.
As he felt the Golden Core in his body slowly absorbing the residual pills, Luo Chen recalled his conversation with Wu Qi from the previous day.
Mara Stream.
Blood Nightmare Marrow Demon.
Twelve Stream Masters.
Canghai Righteous Alliance.
Finally, his thoughts lingered on the "ten years" mentioned by Wu Qi.
According to the current situation, in ten years, he should be able to steadily enter the fourth layer of the Golden Core stage, the middle stage.
By then, his strength would undergo a qualitative change.
At that time, his odds of victory against Wu Qi would be around seventy to eighty percent.
But that was just Wu Qi! And Wu Qi still had hidden abilities.
"In the Northern Sea's cultivation world, demons and monsters run rampant, and local cultivators' combat abilities are even stronger than those in the Eastern Wasteland regions. Perhaps only the new region's cultivators near the million-mile Barbaric Mountain are equally strong at the same level."
After two encounters with local cultivators of the same level, Luo Chen had a slight taste of the strength of the Northern Sea's cultivators.
He also adjusted his assessment of his own strength.
At the third layer of the Golden Core stage, he could fight those at the middle stage, but against late-stage Golden Core grandmasters, he would definitely lose, but he could escape.
This barely met the previous "sufficient self-protection."
And it was barely sufficient; he must flee to ensure his safety.
To withstand such an attack, he would have to reach the middle stage of the Core Formation Stage.
This left Luo Chen somewhat dissatisfied.
After diligently cultivating various techniques and tirelessly refining his Lifebound Treasure day and night, and practicing the so-called ancestral fire technique, he could only achieve this level.
It was indeed a blow to his confidence.
If others were to learn of his thoughts, they would likely scold him.
Thinking of battling late-stage Grand Cultivators at the initial and middle stages of the Core Formation Stage, how could he disregard the centuries of arduous cultivation others had endured?
"Not enough!"
"Far from enough!"
"With my current speed of cultivation, I must further enhance my combat abilities."
"Immortality alone is not enough, only by surviving a hundred battles can one find the truth."
After years of cultivation, Luo Chen's goal was no longer as simple as just achieving immortality.
Immortality, after all, was merely an extension of one's lifespan.
Advancing in cultivation naturally prolongs one's lifespan indefinitely.
But even for cultivators of this generation, there is still the risk of falling.
Therefore, beneath an endless lifespan, possessing endless combat power is the true meaning of "immortality"!
Especially after Luo Chen's assessment, he had a high chance of reaching the peak of the Core Formation Stage within two hundred years.
In that case, he would need to prepare for the resources required for Incarnation Pill as early as possible, to avoid future chaos and running around in all directions.
He didn't want to be like Fu Jiusheng, who only ventured out to find resources for the Core Formation Stage after reaching the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Therefore!
Ten years later, regardless of whether he joins the Mara Stream or not, he must make a trip to the Flying Swans Archipelago to meet more Core Formation Stage cultivators from the Northern Sea Cultivation World.
From them, he could trade for more resources related to the Incarnation Pill.
Especially the three primary materials for the Incarnation Pill: the Divine Iris Tail, Purple Monkey Flower, and Five Elements Lotus Platform.
Expanding his connections might be risky, but as Han Zhan said, the path of cultivation could never be smooth sailing, and risks were inevitable!
"My current methods, aside from refining my Lifebound Treasure, have basically reached their limit."
"To further increase my combat power, I can only rely on other aspects."
Luo Chen assessed his current state.
In the end, he decided to focus on body refinement.
With the abundant supply of high-quality blood food, his physique had reached the third stage of the Ancient Feral Beast level, a solid mid-stage level.
In five years, he had improved by ten levels, surpassing even the Jade Cauldron Domain's progress over several decades.
But even so, Luo Chen still felt it was too slow.
After all, body refinement was initially ahead of Qi refinement, and now it was about to be caught up by the latter.
Especially as body refinement progressed, the transformation of the physique became increasingly challenging, and the speed might even slow down.
Therefore, Luo Chen had been searching for external aids better than blood food and spirit meals long ago.
With Han Zhan's recovery, this problem was solved.
Black Emperor Ointment!
Luo Chen already had a plan for refining the Black Emperor Ointment over the years.
The Flying Swans Archipelago was out of the question, as the conditions were inadequate. He must go elsewhere.
"However, before I set out, some things must be prepared in advance."
"Not to mention anything else, I must prepare enough True Flame Pills for my use."
Just thinking about refining the True Flame Pills, a faint smile appeared on Luo Chen's face.
Currently, his proficiency in refining True Flame Pills had reached the peak, just right for trying out that so-called "Hundred Pills Refinement"!
...
After the battle between the Wu Family Patriarch and the Azure Sun Demon Lord, the Flying Swans Archipelago fell into an eerie silence.
The previous grievances and complaints were no longer heard!
If the Azure Sun Demon Lord's defeat of Yan Nantian showcased his prowess, surpassing even the previous generation's Flying Swallow Island Master, it was still within Cheng Dou and the others' calculations.
After all, without the skills, who would dare to take on such a task?
The strength Luo Chen displayed at that time was merely that of a normal Core Formation Stage cultivator.
But after Luo Chen boldly took action and repelled the renowned Wu Family Patriarch, Wu Qi, everything changed.
He was a figure of the sixth layer of the Core Formation Stage!
A late-stage Grand Cultivator, who walked with authority in the Northern Sea Cultivation World.
Such an existence even made the Azure Sun Demon Lord "behave".
Why did this group of Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, who usually just offered some medicinal ingredients, have so many complaints?
Under such a "silent atmosphere", the various families tacitly increased their tributes to Luo Chen.
They collected as many materials for the True Flame Pills as possible and delivered them to the Moon Invitation Island's Cheng Hairen.
Luo Chen was extremely satisfied with this!
Wasn't this like finding a pillow when feeling sleepy?
He was just about to prepare for several large-scale pill refinements, and the previously stored medicinal ingredients could only support three such attempts.
He planned to do it at least five times, and ideally, seven or eight times.
Only then could he gather enough True Flame Pills for a decade.
The people below were so dedicated, perfectly complementing his plans and saving him from having to explain himself.
Time passed bit by bit.
Three months had passed since that great battle.
During these three months, the various families did their best to repair the losses from the battle.
Even so, there were still four islands that had permanently sunk into the seabed.
These four islands did not possess high-grade spirit veins; they were only of the lowest rank, and ordinary mortals usually resided there. This was the reason why the major families did not bother to reclaim them after the war.
Thus, the Feiyan Archipelago had transformed from thirty-six islands to thirty-two.
The missing four islands, when viewed on the map, were precisely located on the flanks of the 'Feiyan' formation.
If one were to look down from high above, the two wings of the 'Feiyan' formation would appear slightly asymmetrical.
At this moment, no one paid attention to this.
Everyone's concern was focused on a single matter.
That was the "Demon Lord's Pill Refinement"!
...
On this day, above the Ten Mile Flat Lake, the white mist had completely dispersed.
The proud sun, hanging high in the sky, radiated endless golden light, shimmering on the lake's surface, creating a scene like rippling golden waves.
Along the lakeshore, an endless crowd of thousands had gathered, no one knew when.
Most of them were Qi Condensation Cultivators.
They huddled before Foundation Establishment True Cultivators, their gazes fixed on a small island in the center of the lakeshore, whispering among themselves.
"Is the Demon Lord truly going to refine pills publicly?"
"Yes, it's said that the spectacle might be grand!"
"Tsk, tsk, how grand can it be? Could it be even more magnificent than the Pill Refinement Assemblies held by those major Pill Dao sects in the rumors?"
"Who knows, but I do know that during these past months, the Azure Sun Demon Lord hasn't refined any pills and has been conserving his strength, while also waiting for others to prepare various raw materials for him in advance."
"What are you all muttering about? Being able to witness a third-rank alchemist refining pills in person might be the only impressive thing you can talk about in your entire life, so why aren't you paying attention?"
"Senior's rebuke is justified! We were being reckless."
"Yes, if we're lucky enough to learn a trick or two and pass it on to our descendants, it would be a valuable family skill."
Amidst the bustling discussions that resembled surging waves.
On the quiet, towering small island, figures moved in an orderly manner under the calm instructions of a tall female cultivator, flowing like a stream as they stepped out.
Each took their positions, then retrieved various medicinal ingredients from their storage bags.
Upon closer inspection, the medicinal ingredients taken out by each person were of the same type, with no deviations.
Eighteen people, spaced far apart, but upon careful observation, they had clearly formed a large circle.
In the center, a vacant area was left open.
Everyone exchanged glances, wondering if the vacant area in the center was where the pill refinement would take place. But they hadn't seen any special preparations!
There were no fire-resistant bricks, fire-enhancing arrays, or other auxiliary tools commonly found in pill chambers.
How was the Azure Sun Demon Lord going to refine pills? Just as everyone was filled with doubt and astonishment, a sudden commotion broke the silence.
Unbeknownst to them, in the center of the circular plaza, a man clad in a voluminous white Dao robe had appeared.
He stood there silently, his tall figure resembling a mountain, causing everyone to hold their breath in awe.
It was indeed the Azure Sun Demon Lord!
Suddenly.
The Demon Lord waved his wide sleeves, and a small cauldron flew out with a whirring sound.
The cauldron had a light gray hue, as if it didn't belong to the five elements, yet it also seemed to encompass all the elements of heaven and earth, including Yin and Yang.
As soon as it flew out, it grew in the wind.
Three inches, seven inches, one foot, one zhang, three zhang...
Along the lakeshore, some low-level cultivators couldn't help but exclaim.
"Is this a pill refinement cauldron?"
Finally, under everyone's astonished gaze, it transformed into a nine-zhang-tall cauldron, towering like a building, and stood firmly on Moon Invitation Island.
With three legs and two handles, its body was perfectly round, enveloped in a rich pill fragrance. It was indeed a pill cauldron, just significantly larger in size.
Luo Chen observed this scene with satisfaction, then opened his mouth and spat out a wisp of green flame.
With the support of his magical power, the flame also grew in the wind, turning into a raging fire that completely enveloped the Primordial Cauldron.
Not only that, he leaped into the air, overlooking the scene below.
His wide sleeves fluttered, and the nearby prepared medicinal ingredients, like flowing light, continuously fell into the Primordial Cauldron.
One portion, two portions... until a hundred portions of raw materials were all gathered in the cauldron, and only then did Luo Chen stop his actions.
At this moment, his expression became more solemn.
The test had arrived!
If he could successfully refine a hundred pills at once, it would save him a lot of time wasted on pill refinement in his future cultivation journey.
He could refine many pills at once and use the saved time for other endeavors.
In the Azure Sun Hall on Moon Invitation Island, a black soul banner stood at the entrance.
On the black banner, a pair of ghostly eyes stared intently at the figure above the giant cauldron.
"Such a grand spectacle, even the Pill King Sect only holds one every ten years."
"Even the major Pill Dao sect, Green Pill Valley, rarely witnesses such a scene."
"Such a spectacle, such a demeanor, such a posture, not a bit inferior to those fourth-rank alchemists from the Nascent Soul Upper Realm sects!"
"Luo Chen, haha... The cultivators here only know your name as the Azure Sun Demon Lord, but they don't know your Daoist name, Dan Chenzi, which is truly a pity."
(End of Chapter)
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