Chapter 32

Outer city, southwest corner.

As the location closest to the Xiaoyue Mountain Range, the number of residents here has always been the smallest.

The reason is naturally because the main demon race of the Xiaoyue Mountain Range is wolves, which come and go like the wind and are bloodthirsty and ruthless.

Even if high-level demon wolves fear the formation of Dahe Market and dare not come over, there are always one or two demon wolves that haven't opened their intelligence that occasionally break through.

This is also the reason why Luo Chen has never dared to recklessly consume spiritual power in this place and always ensures he has the strength to escape.

Few cultivators come here usually.

But today, a large group of people came abruptly.

The leader was a short, stocky cultivator with a face full of the vicissitudes of life, his eyes full of ruthlessness whether open or closed.

"Are you sure it's here?"

"Second Brother Gao, according to the guidance of the Spirit-Seeking Compass, the aura left here is the most; Ting'e should have stayed here for a long time."

It had been five or six days since the Dajiang Gang suddenly attacked the seven halls of the Poshan Gang that day.

In that battle, the Poshan Gang suffered heavy losses.

But if compared to the manpower the Dajiang Gang lost in the mountains, the losses on both sides were just about the same.

If they continued to do this, it would be a bit unbearable for some loose cultivators who were just trying to make a living.

And these people were the majority who made up the gangs.

So Mi Shuhua, the leader of the Poshan Gang, came forward to try to negotiate peace.

The final outcome of the negotiation is unknown, but at least there won't be any major conflict in the short term.

As the second-in-command of the Dajiang Gang, Gao Tingyuan was finally free to care about his bastard younger brother, Gao Ting'e.

He had been missing for several days!

Everyone knows what it means for a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator to disappear in the outer city of Dahe Market for several days without saying a word.

Gao Tingyuan was anxious.

Then he found the experts responsible for river transportation and began to investigate the whereabouts of his younger brother.

Finally, he arrived here.

Gao Tingyuan looked at the scorched ground and then at a ruin next to it that had almost burned to ashes.

It was clear that a tragic battle had taken place here.

And the means that caused this tragic scene were, unsurprisingly, the Blazing Sun Talismans that Gao Ting'e had bought from the black market.

The aura of the Earth-Defense was thick, so he should have also activated that Earth-Defense Shield Spirit Talisman.

Gao Tingyuan's expression became increasingly gloomy, "The Blazing Sun Talisman was used, and the Earth-Defense Shield was also used. If it was just to kill a Zhou San, it would be absolutely impossible."

He looked at the ruins next to him.

"Who lives here?"

"A loose cultivator named Luo Chen, who used to run errands and do odd jobs for people, and later tinkered with some Grain-Grain Bigu Elixirs to sell."

"What is his cultivation?"

"Qi Refining Level 3, I guess, a poor ghost, living here just for the cheap rent of half a spirit stone a month."

"Where is he?"

"Haven't found him yet; it's said he's usually very isolated and doesn't associate with neighbors here."

A Qi Refining Level 3 loose cultivator couldn't pose any threat to a Level 5 cultivator.

Especially that person, who was Gao Ting'e, who had a body full of treasures.

"Can you find out where my younger brother's last aura stopped?"

The cultivator next to him increased the injection of spiritual power, and the Spirit-Seeking Compass in his hand trembled, finally stopping the pointer directly in front.

"In the mountains!"

"Go, follow me in and take a look."

"But we are not familiar with the situation in the mountains at all!"

"Hmm?"

Under Gao Tingyuan's gaze, several cultivators had no choice but to follow him in.

Crossing the weed-covered wasteland, they gradually went deep into the dense forest.

In the dense forest, some demon aura had already faintly appeared, making a group of cultivators very uneasy.

Even Gao Tingyuan was a bit indecisive.

The million-strong mountains of the Eastern Wasteland are rich in resources beyond measure.

However, after thousands of years, human cultivators have only opened up less than one percent.

It is rumored that there are countless third-tier demon kings and fourth-tier demon emperors in the mountains, and there are even ancient demons hidden among them.

The so-called mountain hunting by loose cultivators is actually just small-scale trouble in the outermost area.

Once they encounter a second-tier demon beast, they can only flee in panic, and most of them can't escape.

The reason the Poshan Gang can firmly control the business in the mountains is that they used human lives one after another in the early days to explore the territories of many second-tier demon beasts.

But even so, every time they enter the mountains, they have to be careful.

"This isn't right, Second Brother Gao."

"What's wrong?"

"The Spirit-Seeking Compass is starting to get chaotic."

"What do you mean?"

Gao Tingyuan looked at the Spirit-Seeking Compass; the pointer on it was running around wildly, pointing east for a while and west for a while.

In just a short moment, it pointed in four or five different directions.

"This situation has happened before. A brother in the gang was killed, his body was cut into several pieces and fed to a few big fish..."

The voice of the cultivator holding the Spirit-Seeking Compass became smaller and smaller.

Because Gao Tingyuan's face next to him had already become gloomy to the extreme.

The oppressive atmosphere perfectly integrated into this forest.

After a long while, he gritted his teeth and said: "Good! Good! Good! Not only did you kill my younger brother, but you also insulted his remains; don't let me find you!"

"Then Second Brother, what now?"

"Go back!"

The group of people felt relieved, and their steps back were much lighter.

Passing by the ruins, Gao Tingyuan paused his short, stocky body.

"Notify Old Five and have him find out clearly if any late-stage Qi Refining cultivators from the Poshan Gang came this way that night, and check the Level 5 ones too."

"Also, check the situation of the loose cultivator who lives here. If he's still alive, bring him to me."

"Don't let me find you, scum, I will make you wish you were dead!"

After saying that, he cast a ray of spiritual light with his hand.

The magic treasure flickered within the spiritual light, transforming into an azure water dragon that suddenly slammed into the ruins.

The only half-wall that hadn't collapsed also sank three feet into the ground, revealing only a sharp corner.

Luo Chen knew nothing about his old house being hit by another water dragon.

In fact, even if he knew, he could only give a like.

When he rescued some things from the house, he also added a few fireballs to burn the house more thoroughly, ensuring that not too many traces were left.

As for the two poor ghosts whose names he didn't know, Zhou San and Gao Ting'e, his handling method was also very simple.

Cut into several pieces, added some special Chinese medicinal herbs, roasted them slightly with the fire that burned the house, and threw them into the forest.

That kind of special "roast meat" is very attractive to demon beasts like wolves and dogs.

This formula was discovered by Luo Chen once when he was roasting beef himself, adding medicinal herb powder that was very nourishing for blood and qi, and then attracting a small wolf.

Since then, he had never used that formula again, for fear of attracting more powerful demon beasts.

After dealing with the bodies at that time, he found a place to hide and went straight to the inner city the next day.

As for whether it will be found out later, we'll see!

Luo Chen has no time to think about these things now; he just wants to refine elixirs.

The materials, which cost as much as two hundred spirit stones, had already been processed.

The refining of the Zhongmiao Pills was also back on track.

According to past experience, his success rate was about ten percent.

But this time, in the first five days of refining, he succeeded twice in a row.

The success rate was as high as forty percent!

How could he not be ecstatic?

However, as the subsequent refining progressed, this ecstasy gradually stopped.

Five consecutive failures made him realize that he had just eaten dumplings for the New Year before.

If he wanted to increase the success rate and control the cost to be lower, he still had to wait for the proficiency of the Zhongmiao Pills to go up.

"Soon, soon!"

Luo Chen glanced at the attribute panel, [Zhongmiao Pill Entry 91/100].

As long as he succeeds one more time, he can upgrade.

The feeling that as long as you work hard, there will be a reward is really great.

Even the work of smashing Fireball Spells in the corner of the wall and filling in new soil every day became more passionate.

Failed for a few more days.

"This time, it will definitely succeed."

Luo Chen wore a brand-new apron and lit a stick of incense for the newly molded Guan Er Ye, and even placed two Pinpo fruits next to it.

He felt that the failures of the past few days were because he forgot to offer incense to Guan Er Ye.

The Smoke-Absorbing Tower was still working; I have to say that this magic treasure invented by Tianfan City indeed has its unique features.

Even though Luo Chen was accustomed to various smells when refining elixirs, he was still very uncomfortable with the smell before the Zhongmiao Pills took shape.

But with this magic treasure, he no longer suffered from the devastation of that biochemical poison gas.

In the afternoon, Luo Chen carefully lifted the lid of the pot.

A red, jelly-like gelatinous substance came into view, and Luo Chen's eyes and brows softened.

"It's done, Er Ye!"

"We are the champions!"

He checked the attribute panel for the first time.

[Zhongmiao Pill Entry 91/100] — [Zhongmiao Pill Proficient 101/200]

At the moment the proficiency upgraded, Luo Chen faintly had the feeling of a window paper being broken.

Some insights he had never had before, under the system's blessing, converged into a trickle and were accepted and digested by him.

Some places he hadn't paid attention to in the past were also highlighted one by one.

Luo Chen had a feeling that if he opened another pot of Zhongmiao Pills, he would definitely be able to do better in the details, and the success rate should also increase a lot.

Creak!

The wooden door was suddenly pushed open.

A bright and atmospheric face stretched in.

Gu Caiyi's eyes lit up, "You really are at home; I bought some spiritual fruits at the Spirit Source Studio, want to try?"

Spiritual fruits from the Spirit Source Studio!

That must be tried; Luo Chen doesn't know what thin skin is.

Gu Caiyi pushed the door open, only then realizing that Luo Chen was standing in front of the stove wearing an apron.

While handing a large emerald green fruit to Luo Chen, she poked her head to look into the pot.

"What delicious food are you making again?"

"Meat jelly?"

"Why is there such a strong medicinal smell?"

Luo Chen took the fruit and took a bite.

It was full of juice, not too much spiritual energy, but it was very sweet.

This taste was much better than the wild hawthorn he had been eating recently.

He said casually: "It's not for eating, it's an elixir I'm refining. Eh, don't touch it, it's very hot."

Gu Caiyi was dumbfounded.

Pointing at the iron pot, she said doubtfully: "Can this thing refine elixirs?"