Chapter 244

The True Person of Alchemy Begins with Longevity, Main Text Chapter 249: The Huo Family is in for a Miserable Time! "Fellow Daoist Kang, long time no see!"

Hearing Luo Chen's familiar greeting, Kang Xianqiong was stunned for a moment.

"You and I have never met before, right?"

Luo Chen smiled slightly, "Back on the second floor of the Jinshi Pavilion, when I was discussing business with Fellow Daoist Kang Dongyue, weren't you in the room next door?"

Kang Xianqiong's pupils shrank slightly.

Although her grandfather had given her repeated instructions before she came, stating that this person Luo Chen was extraordinary and telling her to befriend him.

But she still did not expect that his spiritual sense would be so strong that he had already detected her eavesdropping back then.

One must know that the concealment array of the Jinshi Pavilion was not some inferior small array.

While she was shocked, Luo Chen was also filled with emotion.

This woman looked quite naive and inexperienced in the ways of the world.

Yet, just because she was born into a good family, she could reach the Foundation Establishment stage safely at a young age.

Who wouldn't envy such a lucky person?

"Since you have come all the way to Lanxiancheng, and I am now considered a local host, let me fulfill the duties of a host!"

"My Danxia Peak has three major scenic spots."

"Would you like to go and tour them together?"

Kang Xianqiong naturally had no objections and gave a graceful bow, "Then I shall follow the host's arrangements!"

Luo Chen smiled slightly and started walking.

The green and inexperienced female cultivator followed by his side, walking shoulder to shoulder.

The two strolled through Danxia Peak, spiraling up step by step from the mountain path.

Occasionally, when they encountered cultivators from the Luo Tian Society on the road, they would all respectfully bow to the two of them.

Kang Xianqiong observed everything fresh around her with great curiosity.

The scenery was secondary.

The people were the most important.

She discovered something.

The low-tier cultivators of the Luo Tian Society were all full of spirit, with smiles on their faces, harboring beautiful hopes for the future.

Those cultivators were not just blindly cultivating or living mediocre lives.

As they walked, they moved like the wind, and it seemed they all had their own duties and jobs.

At the very least, she saw a large group of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators busy in the scattered spiritual fields on the mountain.

"This Luo Chen is truly remarkable!"

"Clearly just a loose cultivator force, yet he has managed it like a small sect with a hundred-year heritage."

"Even compared to my Kang family, it is not inferior at all."

While she was secretly surprised.

Luo Chen was also observing her with the corner of his eye.

It was not strange for Kang family cultivators to come to Lanxiancheng.

What was strange was that she would take the initiative to find him.

However, this woman did not seem to understand social etiquette; they had been walking for so long, and she still hadn't stated her purpose.

It seemed she realized that such aimless wandering was meaningless.

Kang Xianqiong coughed lightly, "I suppose you must be curious why I came to Lanxiancheng after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage?"

"I am a little."

"I came here mainly for the immortal city auction half a year from now."

An auction?

Luo Chen's heart stirred, and he remembered the invitation in his storage bag.

It was sent to him by Xuan Yunzi of the Qingdan Valley; calculating the time, it was indeed about to be held in half a year.

This was not some small-scale auction like those in Dahefang or Taishanfang.

But a large-scale auction held once every ten years in Lanxiancheng, where attendees would come from all over the world, and their realms would range from the Qi Refining stage to the Jin Dan stage.

It involved numerous treasures.

"Do you have something you are determined to obtain?"

Kang Xianqiong sighed, "Indeed, I am in great need of a third-tier healing elixir!"

"A healing elixir? And a third-tier one at that!" Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, faintly feeling that something major had happened to the Kang family, "Could it be that Fellow Daoist Kang Dongyue is injured?"

Kang Xianqiong's expression dimmed slightly.

Seeing this, Luo Chen knew he had guessed correctly.

"Could it be that something happened in Taishanfang?"

Kang Xianqiong bit her pink lips and said, "You guessed correctly; a major event did indeed occur in Taishanfang."

It can even be called nondescript, how can anyone buy things while others are eating and drinking!

"My grandfather was seriously injured while protecting the clansmen and has been bedridden ever since."

"It was precisely because of this that I risked everything to rush to the Foundation Establishment stage, just to have enough strength to go out and find healing elixirs for him."

"Fortunately, I succeeded in Foundation Establishment, and I happened to hear that Lanxiancheng was about to hold an auction, so I rushed here in a hurry."

The words that followed were filled with emotion and a sense of relief.

Luo Chen, however, was focused on the first two sentences.

"A third-tier demonic beast? Attacking the Huo family of Chichan Mountain?"

"Yes, it was a Three-Legged River-Swallowing Toad, with the strength of a mid-third-tier beast; it was simply not something that a Foundation Establishment family like ours could resist."

Luo Chen asked in confusion, "The River-Swallowing Toad has a gentle temperament; why would it attack the Huo family for no reason?"

Facing this question, a blush appeared on Kang Xianqiong's face.

Under Luo Chen's puzzled gaze, she lowered her head and said, "According to my grandfather, it seems it was in its mating season..."

Mating season!

Subconsciously, Luo Chen swallowed his saliva.

Could it be because of the three top-grade Zhongmiao Pills he had casually thrown away back then to feed the River-Swallowing Toad?

Vaguely, he remembered when the Luo Tian Society left Taishanfang.

He had indeed felt the aura released by the River-Swallowing Toad in the upper reaches of the Lancang River.

Logically speaking, a River-Swallowing Toad that had eaten its fill would not do such a thing in a short time.

Could it be...

"The Chichan Mountain where the Huo family resides got its name because a group of Red Fire Toads bred in that first-tier earth fire vein, and it is even said that one Red Fire Toad had advanced to the second tier and was subdued by the Huo family as a guardian spirit beast."

Kang Xianqiong was somewhat angry.

"It was because of that second-tier Red Fire Toad that it attracted the Three-Legged River-Swallowing Toad."

"But what's strange is that the River-Swallowing Toad's mating season is usually once every hundred years, and in the past, it would always swim upstream to the Great Snow Mountain to find the group of Extreme Cold Ice Toads."

"I didn't expect that this time, it would be more than ten years early."

"It was precisely because of this that the Huo family had no precautions at all, and it even implicated my Kang family."

Luo Chen's expression became somewhat unnatural.

The reason for the River-Swallowing Toad's mating season being early was very likely caused by his three top-grade Zhongmiao Pills.

A single pill might not have been enough.

But three was a bit terrifying.

Although they were only first-tier top-grade elixirs, the River-Swallowing Toad itself was already nearing its mating season.

Thus, it was lured out early.

In other words.

He, Luo Chen, was the culprit behind the tragedy in Taishanfang!

Luo Chen asked cautiously, "Is Fellow Daoist Kang Dongyue's injury very serious?"

"Very serious! He has been bedridden for a long time, and even when he occasionally goes out, it is limited to that small area of Taishan; my grandfather simply cannot travel far."

Kang Xianqiong sighed, "That's why I have to make this trip!"

"And what about the Huo family?"

This was what Luo Chen cared about most!

The Huo family had no small grudge against him.

Even Huo Hu, the newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Huo family, was still being held by him.

"The Huo family?"

Kang Xianqiong laughed with schadenfreude.

"They are in for a miserable time!"

As Kang Xianqiong narrated the story.

Luo Chen finally learned the situation of the Huo family.

The Three-Legged River-Swallowing Toad descended from the sky, directly detonating that first-tier earth fire vein.

Chichan Mountain was originally an active volcano, and under such stimulation, it erupted directly!

Hundreds of Huo family cultivators and tens of thousands of mortal clansmen all perished in the raging mountain fire.

Huo Quan, that Foundation Establishment cultivator, was also forced to come out of seclusion.

At first, he forcibly used magic treasures to resist the River-Swallowing Toad.

However, how could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator resist a third-tier demon king?

It was nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot!

With just one strike, he returned empty-handed and was beaten into the raging fire vein of Chichan Mountain.

It could be said that because the River-Swallowing Toad was in heat and looking for a mate, the Huo family suffered an unprovoked disaster and was wiped out.

Destroying you, what does it have to do with you?

This was the might of a third-tier demon king; wiping out a cultivation family was nothing more than a flick of a finger.

"No wonder after we captured Huo Hu, no one from the Huo family chased after us for a long time."

"Even after being in Lanxiancheng for so long, there was no sign of any Huo family cultivators."

"I didn't expect there would be such good news!"

After hearing Kang Xianqiong's account, Luo Chen couldn't help but feel the stone that had been hanging in his heart fall to the ground.

He believed that with Huo Hu in his hands, he did not fear Huo Quan.

But the other party was, after all, a mid-Foundation Establishment, or even a late-stage great cultivator.

The fact that such an existence had not appeared for so long was like a thorn in his back.

Now, the threat was completely gone!

Without realizing it.

The two had already reached the top of the mountain.

Further up was a green thatched hut.

Kang Xianqiong looked curiously at the thatched hut above.

"Does someone live there?"

"Yes, a friend of mine."

Luo Chen stopped and looked from afar at the abrupt thatched hut above.

This thatched hut was the one from the peak of Xiaohuan Mountain.

When he left Dahefang, Luo Chen simply dismantled it and brought it with him.

Strictly speaking, this could also be considered a magic treasure, possessing the three major functions of attracting, gathering, and binding spiritual energy.

It was previously used to bind the spiritual energy emitted by the Ice and Fire Spiritual Spring.

After moving into Danxia Peak, Luo Chen rebuilt the hut on the peak.

And handed it over to Wang Yuan for use.

Wang Yuan was already at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining stage, and his demand for spiritual energy was not high; he focused mainly on body refining.

The reason he craved Foundation Establishment was not for the realm and combat power of the Foundation Establishment stage.

It was only because after Foundation Establishment, his lifespan would greatly increase, which would allow him ample time to sprint toward the third realm of body refining.

According to Wang Yuan, once a body refiner reaches the third realm, a qualitative change can occur.

His lifespan would also change for the first time!

It was precisely because of this that Wang Yuan had not been so anxious about Foundation Establishment all these years.

He still had plenty of lifespan left.

Moreover, he had suffered the consequences of being anxious before, so now, by laying a solid foundation, he could walk faster in the future!

Hearing Luo Chen say that a friend lived above, and seeing Luo Chen stop,

Kang Xianqiong also tactfully stopped moving forward.

"Fellow Daoist Luo, walking all the way here, Danxia Peak can indeed be considered beautiful. But it can't be called a scenic spot!"

"I wonder where the beautiful scenery you mentioned is?"

Luo Chen smiled slightly, "Why don't you turn around, Fellow Daoist!"

Kang Xianqiong turned around as instructed, stood shoulder to shoulder with Luo Chen, and looked out of the mountain.

As far as the eye could see, a vast sea of clouds had settled beneath their feet at some point.

She was stunned.

"A sea of clouds?"

"No, not just a sea of clouds!"

Luo Chen stood with his hands behind his back, looking into the distance with a far-reaching gaze.

The boundless clouds beneath their feet were like being on the shore of a great ocean, with waves rising and peaks surging, spray flying, and crashing against the shore.

The time had already reached the evening.

At this moment, on the distant horizon, a sun was slowly setting.

The dim, yellow afterglow shone between heaven and earth.

Where the sea of clouds could not reach, it looked as if it were burning.

The entire sea of clouds presented a sense of dim, yellow, undulating waves.

It was as if a yellowed scroll was unfolding for thousands of miles beneath their feet.

Kang Xianqiong watched this scene in a daze, feeling a sense of peace in her heart.

In the past, because of her grandfather's protection, she had lived a carefree and free life.

After her grandfather fell.

She finally knew the difficulty of supporting a family on her own.

Especially after Foundation Establishment, in order to search for healing elixirs, she had been running around everywhere, working extremely hard.

Only at this moment did her restless heart finally find a moment of peace.

Suddenly.

"Big Brother Luo Chen!"

Fellow Daoist turned into Big Brother?

Luo Chen felt a chill in his heart and turned to look at those pitiful eyes.

"Can Little Sister ask you for a favor?"

"Please speak your mind, Fellow Daoist!" Luo Chen still maintained the firmness in his heart; he would not be seduced by beauty!

Kang Xianqiong bit her lip, with a hint of pleading in her tone.

"The immortal city auction is full of strong people, and countless people will bid for the treasures within."

"With my strength, I may not be able to win the healing elixir I want."

"I heard from my grandfather that you are proficient in the art of auctions, Big Brother Luo. When the time comes, can you help Little Sister?"

So it was for this matter!

Luo Chen breathed a sigh of relief, and for some reason, he felt a little disappointed.

He had wanted to agree immediately, but his heart suddenly stirred, and the words he spoke changed.

"Helping you is not impossible; after all, my relationship with your grandfather is quite good."

Kang Xianqiong breathed a sigh of relief.

This was her main purpose in coming to find Luo Chen!

She really had no confidence in whether she could win the healing elixir she wanted.

After all, that was a third-tier elixir!

If Luo Chen agreed to help, her chances would be much greater.

Back at the Taishanfang auction, Luo Chen didn't make many moves, but he almost never missed.

This point had been highly praised by her grandfather later on.

However, looking at Luo Chen's words, it seemed there was more to be said?

"Big Brother Luo, whatever you need, Little Sister will definitely try her best to satisfy!"

Luo Chen smiled slightly.

"You don't need to go to any trouble!"

"Your Kang family's Golden Quality Jade Liquid doesn't seem to be selling very well, right?"

Kang Xianqiong was stunned.

She nodded subconsciously.

"Why don't our two families cooperate a little?"

"Golden Quality Jade Liquid?"

"Yes!"

Kang Xianqiong left.

She was currently staying in an inn in Lanxiancheng and usually didn't go out to wander, all to wait for the auction to begin.

Luo Chen stood on the mountainside, his face full of smiles.

Just now, in a few words, he had negotiated a business deal for the Luo Tian Society.

In fact, Luo Chen had discovered long ago that the Kang family's Golden Quality Jade Liquid was not selling very well.

This could be seen from the fact that he had easily exchanged a batch of equivalent top-grade Golden Quality Jade Liquid from Kang Dongyue back then.

The Kang family had a large amount of stock!

Limited by the small number of cultivators in Taishanfang, and most of them having no demand for body refining, it didn't sell well.

But this did not mean that the Golden Quality Jade Liquid was a useless elixir!

Luo Chen had been taking top-grade Golden Quality Jade Liquid for a long time, and his physique was becoming stronger and stronger, almost completely finishing the transformation of his "golden skin and jade bones."

That is to say, he would soon break through to the second realm of body refining.

Such a spiritual medicine must have a certain market!

Just because the Kang family couldn't sell it in Taishanfang didn't mean his Luo Tian Society couldn't sell it in Lanxiancheng.

At the very least, it could enrich the variety of elixirs in the Danxia Hall!

"Back when I was in the Qi Refining stage, Kang Dongyue even wanted to be an agent for my Zhongmiao Pills."

"I didn't expect that after many years."

"It has turned into me being an agent for his Kang family's spiritual medicine."

"Haha, the world is ever-changing, nothing more than this!"

After a light laugh, Luo Chen turned around.

Stepping on auspicious clouds, he headed straight for the green thatched hut on the peak.

Arriving outside the house, facing the howling mountain wind, Luo Chen was full of smiles.

"Brother Wang, if you don't establish your foundation now, when will you?"