https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-686-System-Cheats-Alternative-Paths-Three-Dan-Pills-Combined-and-Exam-Clearance/12942664/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-688-Puppet-Capital-The-Simplest-Challenge/12942666/
Chapter 687: Cleansing the Soul, The Old Immortal at the Sea's Edge
Chapter 687: Cleansing the Soul, The Old Immortal at the Sea's Edge
The void shimmers, and his vision twists and distorts.
Unsure if it's a change in the external world or a trick of his perception, Luo Chen finds himself teleported to a new realm within the stone house.
The second trial!
Before he can steady himself, Luo Chen instinctively extends his divine sense into his storage ring.
The precious bamboo slips cannot be taken, but the surplus spirit root pills and other elixirs he crafted himself are still there.
Using his divine sense, Luo Chen breathes a sigh of relief.
"Thankfully, they're all here!"
These three types of pills are not particularly high in rank, only first and second tier.
However, the auxiliary materials required for their refinement are extremely difficult to find within the Mountain and Sea Realm.
Several of them are ones Luo Chen has never heard of before, only learning about them through the bamboo slips within the Dan Realm.
In other words, even if he leaves the Demon Annihilation Land, it would be difficult to replicate the refinement of these pills in the outside world, unless he expends great effort to improve the pill formula.
Amidst his relief, Luo Chen also feels a growing sense of regret.
"If these pills could spread throughout the Mountain and Sea Realm, I might be able to change the entire realm's situation!"
The Mountain and Sea Realm is dominated by cultivators.
However, the majority of its inhabitants are countless, uncountable mortals.
In the Eastern Wilderness, these mortals are raised by large sects to help gather basic materials and provide cultivation seedlings, while in the Northern Sea, they are utilized more efficiently, but still only as expendable resources for various powers, performing menial tasks.
If these vast numbers of mortals could borrow the Spirit Root Pills for cultivation, even if they only reach the initial or intermediate stages of Qi Refinement, it would bring about a revolutionary change in this cultivation world.
At that time, everyone could cultivate, everyone would be like dragons, and such a prospect...
"I'm probably thinking too much. Even if it's truly possible, there aren't enough resources to provide for their cultivation."
Luo Chen sighs, turning his attention to the new realm he has just arrived in.
"Is this the second trial?"
He walks slowly, his gaze falling on the strange flowers and plants beneath his feet.
Like the first trial, it is also filled with various medicinal ingredients.
The difference is that the spiritual energy contained in these ingredients is much stronger than in the first trial.
According to his estimation, the overall age of these ingredients has increased from five hundred years or less to nearly a thousand years, with the best ones being around seven to eight hundred years old.
Higher-tier medicinal ingredients mean that the pills refined from them will also be of higher quality.
This is within Luo Chen's expectations.
It's normal for the second trial to be a bit more challenging than the first, isn't it?
Aside from his eyes, Luo Chen's divine sense continues to expand, as if searching for someone.
Finally, when he reaches the stone house similar to the first trial, his divine sense also fails to detect anyone else besides himself.
Facing this result, Luo Chen's heart is filled with both relief and worry.
Relief because he doesn't encounter any competitors, avoiding potential battles.
Worry because the other party has likely moved ahead, not only passing the first trial but also crossing the second trial.
Counting the days, Luo Chen has been in the Demon Annihilation Land for about four years.
He spent two years in the Forget Heaven and Five Elements World, and another two years in the Bright Heaven's Dan Realm.
But in reality, the Demon Annihilation Land has been open for five years!
Luo Chen delayed for a year before entering this place.
This means the other party has been in the inheritance site for at least two years, possibly four or five years.
Within this short time, they have passed two trials, indicating their exceptional pill refinement skills!
Luo Chen can't help but consider the possibility that the other party might take the lead, pass all the tests, and obtain the Azure Sun Demon Lord's pill refinement inheritance.
Facing this possibility, a sense of urgency hangs in the air.
"Forget it, let's take a look at the test first!"
Hum...
The red-robed cultivator pushes open two stone doors, revealing a stone path, a Dan Book, and three rooms.
The similar setup suggests that the subsequent tests will also be similar, with only the questions differing.
...
"Humans are the essence of all things, while demons are the true essence of heaven and earth.
However, humans and demons are on different paths. The brief lifespan of humans grants them wise intelligence, while the long years make demons dull and incompetent. At the same cultivation level, demons are no match for humans.
In my view, the gap between them is not just about external resources, but a greater issue lies in the differences in their cultivation paths.
We pill masters... refine corresponding pills to bridge the gap between humans and demons."
Luo Chen holds a jade slip on the same redwood desk, slowly reading the test question inscribed on it.
However, after reading, his face is filled with doubt.
In his opinion, the gap between humans and demons is indeed about external resources!
Qi Refinement cultivators facing first-tier demon beasts, Foundation Establishment cultivators against second-tier demon beasts, and even Golden Core cultivators facing third-tier demon kings, can occupy an advantage because of their external aids like artifacts, treasures, arrays, and talismans.
How can he refine specific pills to bridge this gap?
Shouldn't the lower-level demons be taught to skillfully use external objects?
Confusion filled his face.
But at least he vaguely grasped a pattern.
The first test, where the Heavenforge Demonic Lord wanted him to open the barrier between the mortal and immortal realms, was specifically targeting humans.
The second test, which emphasized the differences between humans and demons, actually focused more on the demons.
According to Tai Sui's words... assuming he wasn't lying to himself, the Heavenforge Demonic Lord's origins were peculiar, and he could be said to be neither human, nor demon, nor monster, but also a combination of all three.
Because he possessed the bloodlines of humans, demons, and monsters simultaneously, he was a "mutt."
Speaking of which, this might be a bit disrespectful.
But the truth was as such.
If this was the case, then the first two tests, which mainly focused on humans and demons, would likely make the third test primarily about monsters.
With this realization, a problem emerged.
Humans and demons were both familiar to Luo Chen.
But monsters...
"Thinking too far ahead, focus on the present!"
Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen picked up the jade slip once more, carefully contemplating and analyzing it.
How could he bridge the power gap between humans and demons of different cultivation levels? Only by grasping the essence of the problem could he find a targeted solution and formulate a corresponding pill.
...
Time passed slowly, and after several days, Luo Chen vaguely figured out the crux of the matter.
The distinction between humans and demons didn't lie in their physical qualities or talents but in their wisdom and souls.
Humans were born with short lifespans.
To pursue longevity, they had no choice but to rack their brains and delve into the Great Dao.
The utilization of external objects was essentially a derivative of their wisdom.
Demons, on the other hand, were different. Most demon beasts were born with long lifespans, which lessened their urgent need for cultivation.
Hence, the cultivation path of demons, from the very beginning, focused on accumulating power rather than nurturing their souls.
It was this initial disparity that led to the gradual divergence of the cultivation paths of humans and demons.
Although humans cultivated their bodies, they prioritized their souls more. Upon reaching higher realms, their physical bodies and cultivation power paled in comparison to their souls. Take Han Zhan, for example; even if his physical body was destroyed, his soul could still exist in this world.
But demons, relying on their massive bodies, accumulated terrifying spiritual energy. They could even form their demon cores at the second stage, a step ahead of humans.
It was common knowledge that humans could only condense their golden cores during the Golden Core stage.
If power was likened to work, demons initially relied on their innate abilities to utilize tools.
"My initial intuition was wrong."
"Demons, due to their innate physical advantages, instinctively relied on external objects (power) from the start. This led to a lack of refinement in their souls, causing them to fall behind."
"Power requires the soul to control it. With abundant demonic power but an inability to wield it skillfully, they can't even use tools to amplify their output, which is why they can't defeat humans of the same level."
"To change this, strengthen the soul."
After sorting out this point, Luo Chen began to unravel the tangled threads, gradually finding a starting point.
His ability to "solve the problem" so quickly was due to his long-term interactions with the Black Emperor and Tianxuan.
Especially with Tianxuan, Luo Chen had even tailored a cultivation technique for her after examining her body.
Among the human cultivators in this world, Luo Chen was undoubtedly one of the most knowledgeable about demon beasts.
Now, with the problem understood, finding the solution was simple.
He was indeed capable of refining pills to strengthen souls, and he even had one on hand!
A spiritual light flashed, and a second-stage supreme-grade Tongyou Dan appeared in his hand.
Luo Chen observed the surroundings for any changes.
There were none.
"Hmm?"
"Could it be that the assessment requires the pill to be taken within the pill refining room?"
Luo Chen hesitated and entered the pill refining room.
Even after he took out the Tongyou Dan, there was still no change.
The weak voice that couldn't be hidden didn't appear.
"What does this mean?" Luo Chen's expression darkened.
The provided answer shouldn't be discounted, right? The Tongyou Dan wasn't exclusively for cultivators; he had even tested it on Tianxuan, and it was indeed effective!
With his mind in turmoil, Luo Chen returned to the study.
He scanned the bookshelves, paused, and eventually went back to the desk with the jade slip.
His divine sense probed it, and the question echoed in his ears once more.
"Could it be that I'm off track?"
...
After a day of contemplation without finding an answer, Luo Chen decided to start over.
What did starting over entail?
Naturally, it meant reading the bamboo slips on the bookshelves in the study.
Compared to the first test, there were significantly fewer slips for the second test.
There weren't ten thousand, only a thousand.
Moreover, the content wasn't solely about medicinal ingredients; Luo Chen was pleasantly surprised to find several unique pill techniques among them.
Yes, pill techniques!
Techniques like Luo Chen's initial Su Xin Shou and Zhe Yu Shou.
These techniques were different from pill refinement methods; they were minor paths that focused more on processing medicinal ingredients.
All kinds of pill techniques were targeted at various medicinal ingredients.
For example, the Pure Heart Hand was skilled in handling wood-attributed ingredients. Some medicinal materials that couldn't touch the ground and become contaminated required the use of this technique.
The Jade-Breaking Hand and Star-Picking Hand were adept at processing earth-attributed and mineral ingredients. Some pills that used jade as materials required these techniques.
In his early years, Luo Chen had learned many foundational pill techniques, but as time went on, the number of foundational techniques he acquired decreased.
The last time he learned a new pill technique was when the Cloud-Chasing Hand was passed down to him by the Cloud-Chasing Smoke Master during their exchange in the Fallen Cloud Sect.
This time, the few pill techniques Luo Chen obtained made him quite delighted.
The Qi-Controlling Technique was specifically used to process various 'Spiritual Energy' type medicinal ingredients.
What exactly were Spiritual Energy type medicinal ingredients?
Some pills didn't solely rely on the ingredients themselves; before the refinement was complete, a large amount of special spiritual energy needed to be introduced.
However, the spiritual energy in the world was mixed together, and rarely was there a place as singular and pure as the Five Elements World.
Unless it was a Supreme Spirit Stone that contained a large amount of singular spiritual energy.
Obviously, no pill master would be willing to use a Supreme Spirit Stone for pill refinement.
In this situation, one could only guide spiritual energy from the outside into the pill, relying on the array to filter and block out other energies, thus introducing a single type of spiritual energy.
But even the best arrays would have some omissions.
Just like how cultivators, even those with a singular heavenly spirit root, would involuntarily absorb other types of spiritual energy during cultivation. This situation had its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was that those with singular spirit roots could display other types of techniques, but the disadvantage was that it affected their cultivation speed.
Getting back to the topic, the Qi-Controlling Technique was clearly a technique that could precisely differentiate between heavenly and earthly spiritual energy and was a pill technique for harvesting and incorporating it into the pill.
If one could master this technique, it would be a qualitative leap for Luo Chen's pill refinement skills.
It would even bring significant benefits to his cultivation.
Aside from the Qi-Controlling Technique, there was also the Light-Absorbing Technique and the Formless Hand, which made Luo Chen feel that they were profound and unfathomable just by looking at their descriptions.
According to the records on the bamboo slips, the Light-Absorbing Technique could seize various types of light from nature and incorporate them into pills, a truly mysterious technique.
As for the Formless Hand, it was said to control the formless and incorporeal, allowing the refinement of such existences into pills. But what exactly were these formless and incorporeal things?
The bamboo slips listed a few examples: the seven emotions and six desires, grudges and separations, and so on.
These descriptions were so intriguing that Luo Chen couldn't help but read them with great interest, even feeling like his eyes had been opened to a whole new world.
Even emotions could be used as medicinal ingredients and refined into pills? Of course, such an inconceivable pill technique also had extremely high cultivation requirements, and Luo Chen couldn't learn it in a short time. He could only memorize it carefully.
It was during this process of reading various books that Luo Chen gradually gained a new understanding of the question left by the Heavenforge Demonic Lord.
One day...
Sitting in front of the desk, Luo Chen meditated for a long time before slowly picking up his brush.
He wrote down the names of various medicinal ingredients.
"Previously, I was in a misunderstanding, thinking that only the distinction between humans and demons needed to be addressed, and strengthening the divine soul would be sufficient."
"In fact, due to their long lifespans and the accumulation of years, the divine souls of demon beasts are no less profound than those of humans of the same cultivation level."
"The reason for their weakness doesn't lie in quantity but in quality!"
"That vast divine soul, after the vicissitudes of time, becomes turbid and impure. Even if it's vast, it's still not as refined as a human's divine soul."
"Therefore, the key to solving this problem is not just strengthening the soul but purification."
"
"Just purifying the soul is not enough. The reason why demon cultivators' souls are so vast yet fragile is due to the mixed nature of their cultivation. So, we also need to refine the cultivation of demon cultivators. In this aspect, I can use the Spirit Pill commonly used by cultivators as a reference and create a new pill formula specifically for the demon race, a pure and refined demon cultivation pill."
...
"The Purifying Qi Pill and Soul-Cleansing Pill, these two pills are my answers to this assessment!"
One year later...
Inside the alchemy chamber, Luo Chen held a black and a white pill in his hands and recited aloud.
This time, that weak voice echoed again.
"Purifying Qi Pill, third-rank lower-grade pill, can assist demon cultivators in purifying their cultivation."
"Soul-Cleansing Pill, third-rank lower-grade pill, can help demon cultivators calm their minds and purify their divine souls."
"Evaluation result: Excellent, passed!"
Luo Chen, confident in his success, smiled slightly, his hands clenching the two pills.
The scene before him began to distort and collapse.
In the midst of the blurring between reality and illusion, his figure gradually appeared on a mountain peak.
At the foot of the mountain, an old woman was diligently picking spiritual fruits with a medicine basket in hand.
In an instant, their gazes met.
Luo Chen cupped his hands in greeting, looking down from above, "Azure Sun Demon Lord, greetings, Fellow Daoist!"
The old woman slowly straightened her back, "This old woman is the Sea Corner Heavenly Mother, greetings, Fellow Daoist!"
(End of Chapter)
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