https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-562-A-Commoner-s-Innocence-A-Crime-of-Possessing-Treasures/12942281/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-564-The-Confusion-of-the-Dao-Heart-the-Demon-of-Shape-Transformation/12942283/
Chapter 563: Master, Do You Think I Can Form a Golden Core?
Chapter 563: Master, Do You Think I Can Form a Golden Core?
With Luo Chen's return, the once quiet Moonlit Island became lively once again.
Numerous alchemists and apprentices moved about, tending to various tedious tasks related to medicinal ingredients for Luo Chen.
The enormous cauldron occasionally appeared on the small island.
However, this time, not many cultivators dared to gather around and watch.
Within the Ten Mile Lake, a ferocious black dragon slumbered, and from time to time, massive demonic energy uncontrollably leaked out from its body.
Without Luo Chen's protection, ordinary Qi Condensation cultivators couldn't withstand that demonic energy.
Others assumed it was the black dragon guarding the island, preventing outsiders from approaching.
Only Luo Chen knew that the Black King was digesting the essence of the cliff snake it had devoured, which had failed its tribulation crossing.
As all his attention was focused on digestion, he fell into a state of "false slumber," causing his power to leak uncontrollably.
It was evident that once the Black King awakened, his strength would surge, and his innate talent and foundation might also improve significantly.
It was unknown whether the Black Scaled Python's ancestors had the bloodline of the cliff snake and could perfectly integrate with it.
The bustling alchemy work on the island affected many, and many benefited from it.
Xu Muxian was one of them.
Twelve years ago, he was just a branch member of his clan, not valued by anyone.
Twelve years later, with a Qi Condensation Seventh Layer cultivation base and a marriage into the Cheng family, the top family of the Flying Crane Archipelago, he had established his own family.
Walking on the various islands, everyone treated him with utmost respect, even Foundation Establishment cultivators would greet him with a smile.
The reason for all this was simply because he carried the title of "Demon Lord's Disciple."
But only Xu Muxian himself knew that being a Demon Lord's Disciple was merely a nominal title.
The guidance he received from the Celestial Fire Demon Lord was limited to providing a moderate amount of resources and occasional pointers during alchemy.
As for true master-disciple inheritance of cultivation methods and secret techniques, there was none!
Xu Muxian's heart was filled with complex emotions regarding this.
He sincerely wished to become the Demon Lord's true successor, but it was clear that the Demon Lord had no such intention.
Although the Golden Core cultivator was amiable, it was evident he didn't plan to establish the Flying Crane Archipelago as his base of operations; otherwise, he wouldn't have turned a blind eye to the thoughts of his subordinates.
In a side hall, Xu Muxian counted the pills and placed the cold jade trays filled with pills exuding a chilling aura onto a tray, then carried them towards the main hall.
As his gaze fell upon the cold jade trays, he looked at the pills with reverence.
Even if he couldn't become the Demon Lord's disciple, it didn't diminish his heartfelt admiration for Luo Chen!
Jade Dew Pills were extremely difficult to refine and were second-tier pills.
With his current alchemy skills, he couldn't imagine how to refine them.
Yet, under the Celestial Fire Demon Lord's guidance, he effortlessly refined large quantities of high-grade and even top-grade Jade Dew Pills!
Such skill was truly unimaginable.
Especially since this was far from the Demon Lord's limit.
The same was true for third-tier pills!
"In this lifetime, can I ever reach half the level of my master?"
As he muttered to himself, the middle-aged man, already approaching middle age, stepped into the quiet Celestial Fire Hall.
As soon as he entered, a deep roar thundered into his ears like a clap of thunder!
"Roar..."
Xu Muxian trembled, as if struck by a heavy blow, and even a trace of fresh blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
He took a few steps back involuntarily, retreating from the Celestial Fire Hall.
At this moment, the hall remained as quiet as before.
His eyes revealed a look of terror, "What cultivation method is my master practicing that causes him to emit such painful sounds?"
...
Inside the cultivation room.
Luo Chen's face was contorted with a sinister expression. His skin, originally red due to long-term consumption of True Flame Pills, now bore black lines, resembling the cracks in parched land during a prolonged drought.
On his naked body, a black aura flowed like water, slowly seeping into his flesh.
With each inch it penetrated, he couldn't help but let out a low roar.
It was like a woman in labor, or a beast's mournful howl, causing one's heart to tremble.
Just listening to the sound was terrifying; one could only imagine the pain he was enduring!
As time ticked by, the black aura on his body, under Luo Chen's strenuous refinement, finally completely seeped into his body.
A thin, dark film appeared on his dry skin, faintly visible.
"Huff..."
Luo Chen opened his eyes, his body limp, hands braced on his knees, and he breathed in the fresh air.
In his eyes, there was a hint of fear.
Just now, he had externally applied a fourth-tier Black Emperor Ointment that he had successfully refined!
Yes, it was a fourth-tier Black Emperor Ointment refined from a third-tier Demon Crab King's shell.
Before today, he had never consumed a fourth-tier body-tempering elixir of this caliber.
Even the one Han Zhan had rewarded him with outside the Sky Drum Plains battlefield was only third-tier.
Therefore, even though he knew how painful it was to refine Black Emperor Ointment, he didn't pay much attention to it.
Throughout his cultivation journey, the pain he had endured was far beyond this.
Whether it was cultivating the Bright God Slaying Art, Blood Demon Channeling, or Thunder Opening, each was an excruciating pain that ordinary people couldn't bear.
During his time in the White Night Ruins, when he relied on the power of heavenly thunder to cultivate the Ancient Third-Tier Physical Body, the pain he endured was even more terrifying.
But compared to consuming the Fourth-Tier Black Emperor Ointment, all of that seemed insignificant.
That pain was merely a prickling, a labor pain.
However, the Fourth-Tier Black Emperor Ointment, during the absorption process, felt like a blunt knife cutting into his flesh, causing continuous pain bit by bit.
From his toes to his skin, from his flesh and blood to his bones and internal organs, and even his bone marrow and brain, it felt like they were all being pierced with pain.
"No wonder this kind of spiritual medicine cannot be popularized. It can only be used in refining puppets."
"The difficulty in finding the materials is one thing, but the pain during the refinement process is unbearable for humans, except for puppets that have no sense of pain!"
Luo Chen panted, his heart filled with a hint of fear.
He had almost failed to endure it just now.
If he had fainted, not only would a portion of the Fourth-Tier Black Emperor Ointment be wasted, but the tempering of his body might also leave incomplete areas, and who knows what weakness this powerful body might develop.
If the enemy discovers this weakness during battle, it would be a fatal flaw between life and death.
Looking at the black jar in front of him, Luo Chen fell into a brief silence.
After a while, he carefully put it away.
"With my current physique, I can barely endure it, but it takes a huge toll on my mental energy. After refining one, I won't be able to do anything for a short period."
"Moving forward, it's better to mainly use the Third-Tier Black Emperor Ointment for body tempering."
"The Fourth-Tier Black Emperor Ointment still needs to be refined, but it can be stored for now. I'll use it later when my body tempering progress stalls."
After making his decision, Luo Chen cast a cleansing technique on himself.
Looking at his dry and rough body, he frowned.
He cast a Water Mirror Technique and examined his flushed face.
Although his appearance was still extraordinary, it was no longer handsome and dashing, but rather gave off a more rugged feeling.
Luo Chen wasn't a narcissist, and he didn't feel anxious about his appearance or physique.
As he carefully observed himself, he was analyzing the reason for this change.
Was it caused by the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture?
Or was it due to the large amount of True Flame Pills?
Or was it a mutation caused by the body tempering with the Black Emperor Ointment?
Or perhaps, the combination of all three led to this physical change?
If the physical changes were positive, then everything would be fine.
But if they were heading in a direction unfavorable for his cultivation on the True Immortal Path, then he would have to stop and carefully examine his current cultivation methods.
After some analysis, Luo Chen still shook his head in the end.
Holding his hand, he felt the continuous surge of power beneath his weakened physique, and his resolve to cultivate remained unshaken.
"It must be correct!"
"It's common for the cultivation of extraordinary techniques to bring about some changes in one's appearance."
"When I refined the Withering Vitality Flame, my hair even turned white, but it recovered later."
After murmuring to himself, Luo Chen put on a loose white Daoist robe and walked out of the cultivation room.
Upon reaching the main hall, he removed the soundproof array, and Xu Mu Xian entered.
Seeing his unstable aura, Luo Chen pinched a spirit art and carefully cast a Spring Breeze and Rain Technique.
The spell enveloped his body, and Xu Mu Xian, who had been injured in his heart and lungs by a roar earlier, instantly felt refreshed, as if his entire body had become lighter.
He respectfully presented the Cold Jade Plate.
"Master, these are the Jade Dew Pills I refined last time. The medicinal properties have already been subdued, and they can be stored now."
With a wave of his sleeve, the Cold Jade Plate floated into his hand.
Luo Chen carefully examined it and showed a satisfied expression.
Indeed, his pill refinement skills hadn't diminished. Even after a long time without refining the Jade Dew Pills, he still had a good grasp of it.
Even the success rate of top-grade Jade Dew Pills could now be controlled at around twenty percent, far surpassing the system's limit.
After storing this batch of Jade Dew Pills, Luo Chen stepped out of the main hall and strolled leisurely on Moonlit Island.
When he reached the lakeside, he extended his divine sense and slightly sensed Black King's refinement progress.
Even after being struck by heavenly thunder, the Clifftop Snake's body still contained vast energy, which Black King couldn't refine in a short time.
However, it could assist him.
Luo Chen raised his hand and poured a bottle of liquid into the lake.
A muffled sound came from the lake, and the swirling water currents sucked in the liquid.
Xu Mu Xian, who had been following beside him, saw this and his eyes widened in surprise.
That liquid was undoubtedly a top-grade Second-Tier pill!
His master was so generous, casually feeding it to a spirit beast.
This made him even more reverent towards Luo Chen.
"How is my spirit bird doing now?" Luo Chen casually asked.
Xu Mu Xian respectfully replied, "Tianxuan doesn't like cramped places. It's currently nesting on the Sea-Gazing Cliff and occasionally goes out to sea to hunt. Elder Moonlit also often sends people to provide it with fresh wild beasts to eat."
Luo Chen chuckled, "Tianxuan is living quite comfortably.
He clapped his hands and strolled on Moonlit Island, deep in thought.
The ten-year deadline was approaching, and his preparations were becoming increasingly sufficient.
Once he refined all the Demon Crab Kings into Fourth-Tier Black Emperor Ointment, he could free up his hands to refine a batch of high-grade Starry Sky Pills.
Then, he could use the Starry Sky Pills to deal with those Golden Core Cultivators.
As for the True Flame Pills, it's better to keep them for personal use!
Besides this, there's one more thing that must be considered.
(End of Chapter)This was the Demonic Emperor's discarded shell, a treasure that made the five great royal families of the Yao Clan covet it, their eyes burning with desire. Such a treasure was undoubtedly top-tier.
After obtaining it, he studied it several times, only to discover its resilient material, but nothing more.
According to Han Zhan, the true value of this treasure lay in the drop of 'Mystic Turtle's Essence Blood' contained within.
The Demonic Emperor of Xuan Yan was a top-tier expert of the Huan Shou Gui Clan, who had achieved the Divine Transformation stage by following the path of Huan Shou Gui's ancestral regression.
At the Fourth Stage, his physical body had already begun to transform into a Mystic Turtle.
Before his death, he left behind this discarded shell, containing a drop of Mystic Turtle's Essence Blood.
For a Yao Beast, this could be used for cultivation, offering a glimpse into the Fourth Stage.
However, for a human cultivator, its use wasn't as significant, unless they possessed a technique like the 'Heavenly Peng Transformation' to absorb its essence blood and cultivate secret techniques.
Luo Chen, of course, did not have such a technique, nor did Han Zhan.
Therefore, for Luo Chen, this treasure's greatest use was more of a double-edged sword.
Han Zhan suggested refining the Xuan Yan Shell into a magical treasure to enhance Luo Chen's abilities.
To be honest, Luo Chen's commonly used magical treasures were fewer than they had been in the past.
The Xuan Huo Sword was destroyed, two of the Soul-Breaking Three Nails were gone, and the Tian Yue Zi Jin Lun, after he switched to cultivating the Fire Dao, no longer resonated with him, so it was stored away.
Currently, the only magical treasures he could use were his innate treasure, the Primordial Cauldron, the Broken Moon Wings for flight, and the Rotten Branch Black Chess for soul protection.
For an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator, possessing three magical treasures was already an extraordinary feat.
Most Golden Core Cultivators only commonly used one or two magical treasures.
After all, having too many treasures meant more trouble in refining and nurturing them.
But Luo Chen was different!
Firstly, his divine soul foundation was profound, and secondly, his spiritual power was robust.
Moreover, the Primordial Cauldron could assist in alchemy refinement, and the Broken Moon Wings' spiritual power consumption was minimal.
He could easily refine more magical treasures.
Whether for attack, defense, or other special purposes, like the Sealing God Compass, these treasures were essential.
"If I had known I would focus on the Fire Dao, I should have kept that Fire Feather Fan from Zheng Xian back then."
Luo Chen felt a bit downcast.
When the Zheng family led by Zheng Xian attacked Dan Peak, Zheng Xian, a Foundation Establishment Full-stage cultivator specializing in the Fire Dao, used a high-quality fire-attributed magical treasure.
After Luo Chen acquired it, he traded it for resources to reach the Golden Core Stage, asking Cai Mo Hui Niang to handle the transaction.
Now, he lacked a suitable weapon.
Therefore, acquiring new magical treasures was a necessary task for the future.
But how would he obtain these new treasures? Refine them himself, purchase them, or seize them?
Luo Chen preferred the first two options.
Especially custom-made refined treasures!
The Broken Moon Wings were tailored for him, and after focusing on the Fire Dao, their power became even more impressive. When fully activated, their speed was terrifying.
This was the confidence Luo Chen had when traversing the Xuan Yan Island battlefield.
If he couldn't win, he could at least escape!
The Primordial Cauldron needed no introduction.
After over a decade of tempering, the impurities had decreased, and its resonance with Luo Chen had grown stronger.
Whether for alchemy or other purposes, Luo Chen had become more adept at using it.
In the future, it might become a deadly weapon in his hands!
One could say that while seized treasures might possess formidable power, they might not resonate well with the user, diminishing their effectiveness.
As for purchased treasures, unless one found a bargain, they were usually mediocre.
Who would willingly sell truly valuable items? Only custom-made treasures were the most suitable.
If he could refine this Demonic Emperor's discarded shell into a physical defense-type magical treasure, it would be perfect.
In all these years, Luo Chen had never possessed a defensive treasure that resonated with his attributes.
If the Xuan Yan Shell's refinement succeeded, combined with the Rotten Branch Black Chess, his defense would be impenetrable.
At the Golden Core Stage, he might even walk sideways!
Of course, a rough refinement method was beneath Luo Chen.
After all, it was the discarded shell of a Demonic Emperor, with excellent material.
The clan leader of the Huan Shou Gui Clan, Hai Luo, could withstand the attacks of five same-stage powerful cultivators using this shell without any additional auxiliary objects.
If Luo Chen refined it well, it would at least be a middle-grade defensive treasure!
Its potential might not be inferior to the Primordial Cauldron.
Han Zhan only had a few refinement methods for defensive treasures, which were suitable for the Xuan Yan Shell.
Therefore, Luo Chen planned to wait until he reached Fei Leng City to find a more refined method.
With the abundant resources of the Northern Sea, the development of the treasure refinement path shouldn't be weak. The scarcity of magical treasures in the Flying Swallow Archipelago was merely due to its remote location.
As Luo Chen pondered, a hesitant voice reached his ears.
"Master, do you think I have a chance to reach the Golden Core Stage in the future?"
Turning, Luo Chen looked at Xu Mu Xian.
The middle-aged man's face showed a hint of confusion, devoid of the spiritedness he had in his youth. After asking this question, his lips even trembled slightly.
(End)
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