Chapter 13

Mao hour.

White dew is frost, dusk is heavy.

It is still pitch black outside, but in the small house by the stream, Luo Chen is already busy.

In his previous life, he was such a character.

As long as there is a goal, he will do it persistently.

Compared to the painful getting up every day at that time, at least now he operates Changchun Gong once every morning and evening, which brings him a very comfortable experience after work, and getting up is not so difficult.

It's just

In that state, even basic tasks like processing medicinal herbs were impossible.

The workload for today was heavy, but there wasn't actually much to do.

Processing the raw materials for Grain Grain Bigu Pills and Zhongmiao Pills.

He was already intimately familiar with Grain Grain Bigu Pills; especially with his Grandmaster-level proficiency, it not only made the refining process effortless, but even the preliminary herb processing became much smoother.

Processing the raw materials for Zhongmiao Pills was also faster than last time.

Sometimes, when Luo Chen had free time, he would study his system.

It was a plain attribute panel; its only two functions were the increase of proficiency and the ability to use Achievement Points to reach the entry level for cultivation techniques of the same realm.

Not to mention the Achievement Points, he was becoming increasingly knowledgeable about the proficiency function.

It wasn't limited to success; failing enough times would actually bring proficiency as well.

Moreover, every time his proficiency broke through a realm, it seemed to grant him an additional kind of insight.

He could be certain that the conventional "practice makes perfect" was insufficient to explain that kind of insight.

It was more like, once he reached that level of proficiency, the system filled in all the insights belonging to that level for him.

Therefore, in the same category of skills, he was relatively more comprehensive than others at the same level.

This comprehensiveness was reflected in his Grandmaster-level Grain Grain Bigu Pills, which had a stable output rate and a quality guaranteed to be top-grade.

If the Grandmaster-level proficiency were maxed out, he didn't know if there would be any follow-up, but he imagined that by then, the grade of the Grain Grain Bigu Pills would be enough to reach the supreme grade!

Supreme-grade Grain Grain Bigu Pills... but aren't they still just Grain Grain Bigu Pills!

Common goods, high market saturation, many competitors, and slow consumption by customers.

Even supreme grade is useless; Zhongmiao Pills are still better.

A small exclusive product, a blue ocean market, mild medicinal effects; one could imagine there would be quite a few repeat customers.

The downside was that the cost was too high—five spirit stones per pot—and the failure rate was also high.

Moreover, the so-called blue ocean market wasn't very big to begin with.

Most of the rogue cultivators still persisting in the Dahe Market were those with aspirations for Foundation Establishment.

There weren't actually many who indulged in pleasure.

But for now, this was the only trump card product Luo Chen could put on the table!

Therefore, expanding production was a must, even if the current input costs and recovered profits didn't yet generate a net profit.

But Luo Chen had to persist!

As long as the success rate was built up, he, Luo Chen, would have a promising future!

Lunch was still beef rice.

Because his proficiency in Grain Grain Bigu Pills had reached Grandmaster level, his wastage had dropped to the minimum.

Originally, the frozen beef should have been consumed faster, but after switching to refining Zhongmiao Pills, the consumption speed had actually slowed down.

Luo Chen even felt that too much spiritual energy was leaking out of the yellow ox monster meat.

So, recently, he simply cut an extra finger-thick slice of meat whenever he cooked.

After finishing a satisfying meal, Luo Chen let out a burp.

It tasted milky!

Whether it was the materials for Grain Grain Bigu Pills or Zhongmiao Pills, they all had to go through the final processing step of time.

Sitting by the stream, he set up a fishing rod to fish.

Luo Chen had discovered that recently, the fish and shrimp in this stream, which originated from the Lancangjiang, had increased.

He planned to catch a few to satisfy his cravings.

While fishing, he opened his attribute panel.

【Name: Luo Chen】

【Lifespan: 27/75】

【Spirit Root: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth】

【Realm: Qi Refining Third Layer: 76/100】

【Cultivation Technique: Changchun Gong Proficient: 257/300】

【Spells: Cleaning Spell Entry 52/100, Entanglement Spell Proficient 176/200, Fireball Spell Perfect 315/500, Xiaoyaoyou Proficient 102/200】

【Skills: First-tier Alchemist: Grain Grain Bigu Powder Grandmaster 510/1000, Zhongmiao Pill Entry 13/100】

【Achievement Points: 1 point (can be used for entry-level cultivation techniques, spells, or skills of the corresponding realm)】

This time, the panel display made him very happy.

His realm, which hadn't moved for a long time, had risen from 75 to 76—a full point!

Breaking through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining was just around the corner!

There were no surprises in the other items; whether it was Changchun Gong, or the Grain Grain Bigu Powder and Zhongmiao Pills, they were all receiving positive feedback according to their existing progress.

Only the Fireball Spell and Xiaoyaoyou in the spells column made him pay a little more attention.

Xiaoyaoyou had leaped from the entry level to the proficient level, and the change it brought him was that his speed was getting faster and faster.

It was worth the effort of him running wildly on the plains every day.

As for the perfect-level Fireball Spell, he hadn't had time to test it yet.

Every day when he lit the fire to cook, he only felt that it was more effortless.

Half an hour later, there wasn't a single fish in the water pit he had dug!

"How can I be so addicted to pleasure? It's time to practice defensive arts!"

Luo Chen cast aside the fishing rod and aimed a fireball at the deepest part of the stream.

Boom!

The calm stream suddenly exploded with a huge splash, and the scalding steam spread in all directions.

Fish carcasses, charred by the fire, fell onto the pebbles at the bottom of the stream and slowly floated up, carried by the water rolling down from upstream.

Luo Chen looked at the results of this Fireball Spell with satisfaction.

One fire burns the stream, all fish sink!

As expected of a perfect-level Fireball Spell!

After slightly sensing the consumption of spiritual energy in his body, Luo Chen couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

"Huh, a Fireball Spell used to consume one-tenth of my spiritual power, but this time it consumed less than half of that!"

"Does this mean I can cast twenty Fireball Spells in one go?"

It had doubled!

This was an absolute qualitative change!

And... the speed seemed to have doubled as well?

Before, when lighting the fire to cook, he would follow the steps, chanting and forming seals, fearing he would blow up the stove, so the spiritual power he injected was very small.

Just now, without that concern, he threw out a fireball casually.

Only then did he realize that the speeds of the two were not in the same league.

A normal cultivator takes three breaths; when Luo Chen was at the proficient level, it shortened to two breaths, and now at the perfect level, it had broken through to one breath.

"One breath—a Fireball Talisman wouldn't be much faster than this!"

The activation of a talisman also has a process: injecting spiritual power, guiding the spiritual energy within, and aiming at the enemy.

This process usually requires an experienced hand to activate it calmly and quickly.

After all, it is an external object.

Feelings often lead to illusions.

To avoid illusions, Luo Chen simply cast three more Fireball Spells at the stream, *swish, swish, swish*.

No mistake!

Three Fireball Spells, plus the initial one, only consumed two-tenths.

The speed was also much faster than before, comparable to activating a Fireball Talisman.

Having obtained the experimental results, Luo Chen couldn't help but show a happy smile.

The spiritual power he absorbed and converted by practicing Changchun Gong every day was very small; every time he used his full strength, he only recovered one-fifth.

This meant he couldn't study spells extensively, fearing that his internal spiritual power would be empty and he would have no ability to escape if he encountered danger.

But now that the consumption of the Fireball Spell had decreased, it meant he could practice twice as much every day.

Moreover, what made Luo Chen happiest wasn't even this.

"With an activation speed comparable to a talisman, I can completely catch the enemy off guard when they least expect it."

"I finally have a combat method I can show off!"

All along, Luo Chen had lacked effective combat methods; it was just that he was as humble as dust, and no one cared about him.

But no one caring, and having combat ability oneself, are two different things.

His anxious state of mind eased slightly, and Luo Chen almost wanted to roar at the sky.

But after thinking about it carefully, he decided against it; better to keep a low profile.

Next time he breaks through his realm and becomes a great cultivator in the middle stage of Qi Refining, then he can roar at the sky!

He picked up a fish from the bank that had been stunned by the steam; he could have an extra meal tomorrow.

"Hmm, caught a fish today; fishing skill proficiency plus one!"