Chapter 434: A facade of strength, identifying people by elixir fragrance

"Xiao Sanren, have you observed Luo Chen's current state?"

As Fu Jiusheng asked this, Madam Yousha stopped her muttering and looked at Xiao Sanren with extreme nervousness.

It was not just the two of them; Helian Yun, who had previously appeared submissive and even acted like a pushover, also straightened his expression.

In reality!

Standing between them and a sincere cooperation with Luo Chen, beyond the issues of medicinal herbs and alchemy, was one extremely important problem.

Strength!

If the gap in strength were too great, this cooperation would easily turn into a massive joke of a lamb walking into a tiger's den.

Especially since Luo Chen's reputation for combat ability was well-known, which made people even more wary.

If the other party were to turn hostile on the spot after refining the Mingyuan Elixir, and the four of them combined could not suppress him, then all their efforts would be in vain.

Therefore.

From the moment they first decided to seek cooperation with Luo Chen, investigations into him had been ongoing.

This investigation had continued until now!

From the moment Luo Chen stepped into the Lianyun Building, Xiao Sanren, a rogue cultivator with a formidable soul foundation and keen insight, had been observing Luo Chen's state every moment, to the point where he had barely spoken during the mid-way discussions about the cooperation.

At this moment, facing the burning gazes of the others, Xiao Sanren exhaled a heavy, murky breath.

"I have managed to glimpse three-tenths of his true state."

"The rumors from the outside are not false!"

"Luo Chen's current state is indeed that of someone who has just recovered from a severe injury, and his life force is thin. The seemingly powerful aura is merely a superficial facade, like flowers embroidered on brocade or oil poured onto a fire."

"In my view, he does indeed possess some strength, and at the eighth level of Foundation Establishment, he is not inferior to most experts at the ninth level."

"But!"

"That is as far as it goes."

Madam Yousha was half-doubting. "Are you certain you haven't misjudged?"

Xiao Sanren smiled confidently: "Unless his ability to conceal his aura, his disguise capabilities, and his soul foundation all far exceed mine, there are few in the Foundation Establishment stage who could be observed by me for an entire day without revealing their true colors!"

With him saying this, Madam Yousha felt slightly more at ease.

She had personally experienced Xiao Sanren's capabilities.

Under a soul backlash, he had fought the four elders of Liancang alone, and even after receiving a palm strike from her husband, Ming Sha, who had kicked him while he was down, he still managed to annihilate all four elders.

It was precisely because he obtained the inheritance of those four that Xiao Sanren was able to advance instead of retreat, his cultivation becoming even more powerful.

Now, he was only one step away from the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage.

She was relieved, but Fu Jiusheng remained uneasy.

In the profession of herb gathering, one must always maintain constant vigilance.

Even after successfully gathering the herbs required by an employer and delivering them personally, one must always be on guard against anyone eyeing their subsequent herb-gathering routes.

This caution led him to press Xiao Sanren: "Luo Chen is currently only comparable to a ninth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator? Isn't that underestimating him too much? You must know, two Golden Core True Persons died at his hands; that is an achievement we Foundation Establishment cultivators could never reach in a lifetime!"

Regarding this point, Xiao Sanren frowned, finding it difficult to refute.

He could only speak the truth: "At least, from what I have seen, that is the case."

The Great Elder of the Lianyun Merchant Alliance, who was to the side, explained earnestly: "In reality, those two battles were not as mystical as the outside world makes them out to be."

"How so?"

"The first time he killed Di Wanyun, it was not Luo Chen's credit at all. Rather, he used a specific method in a specific location to trigger the power of heavenly thunder that had accumulated for a thousand years on the Ninth Mountain of Accumulated Thunder, and only then did he blast Di Wanyun to death."

Fu Jiusheng blinked. If that were the case, it could be explained.

A specific method, combined with a specific location, and requiring the assistance of external, immense power.

He had seen such operations before, and had even completed them himself.

Back when he first entered the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, he had lured a third-tier demonic beast into a natural maze in the deep mountains and ground it to death.

That was a highlight in his herb-gathering career!

"And the second time?" He remained very cautious.

The Lianyun Great Elder smiled. "The second time was even simpler. Under the eyes of the public, Luo Chen's methods were fully exposed. He relied on a one-time magic treasure, the Thunder Immortal Pearl, and had two mid-stage Golden Core experts as reinforcements, which is how he killed Qin Tairan."

Fu Jiusheng frowned, "As far as I know, he has had a direct confrontation with Qin Tairan, exchanging blows for several rounds. His physical strength is so formidable that he is known as a terrifying existence akin to a humanoid demonic beast."

On this point, the Lianyun Great Elder did not refute.

Instead, he nodded in agreement. "This intelligence is indeed true. In fact, it is not just Luo Chen; in his Luotian Association, there are those who excel in body refining, such as the Blood Demon Wang Yuan and Tian Kui Zi Chu Kui. Not only that, many Foundation Establishment cultivators in his Combat Hall also practice body refining. This seems to be related to their mastery of several types of body-tempering spiritual herbs and body-refining techniques. That is what created this batch of formidable cultivators at the same level."

"However!"

"The path of body refining has long since declined. Before our magic treasures, they are merely waiting to be slaughtered. At the very least, I am not afraid of powerful body cultivators. Are you?"

Xiao Sanren laughed freely. "I am naturally not afraid."

He had the confidence to say so!

What did it matter if the physique was strong?

It was nothing more than a hard shell, and under his soul secret techniques, it was as fragile as a toddler learning to walk.

"Hehe, my husband used to be a second-tier Great Perfection existence who practiced body refining with baleful energy, so I have some experience in dealing with this." Madam Yousha smiled gracefully, revealing a measure of strong self-confidence.

However, her confidence seemed not to be limited to her understanding of body refining.

Seeing that the three of them did not care about Luo Chen's body-refining level, Fu Jiusheng felt it was highly inappropriate.

If it were just a hard shell combined with an immature mind, that would be one thing.

But looking at Luo Chen's various performances today, he did not seem like a person lacking in intelligence.

Did these three truly not care, or did they have sufficient confidence?

"Actually, don't be deceived by that Luo Chen."

Suddenly!

Xiao Sanren issued a reminder.

Under the puzzled gazes of the three, he gestured with his chin toward the ground at the entrance.

The three were confused and looked subconsciously.

The ground was level; there was nothing there!

But looking closely, they discovered a slight anomaly.

The ground seemed to have a slight tilt.

"This is..." Madam Yousha was puzzled. "Great Elder, is the floor of your Lianyun Building always this uneven?"

Helian Yun was suspicious and asked subconsciously: "Caused by Luo Chen?"

Xiao Sanren nodded heavily.

"The outside world widely rumors that Luo Chen's attainments in spellcasting are extremely strong, not inferior to his alchemy. Previously, I thought it was just excessive hype, but now it seems there is indeed some substance to it."

"When he first entered, under the pressure of our three auras, he acted as if he would not yield an inch, and even with his own strength, he resisted the three of us without falling behind in the slightest."

"But in reality, he did not hold up; he left two shallow footprints on the ground."

"However, he used a precise Cleansing Spell to brush them away, erasing the traces of the footprints."

"That move was completely devoid of any smoke or fire, and even seemed to be an attempt to seize the initiative, but after my repeated observations, I discovered the traces."

"This Luo Chen is acting a bit like a facade of strength!"

A facade of strength?

The four words echoed in their minds, and combined with Luo Chen's performance today, more and more thoughts began to sprout.

Seizing the initiative, domineering and barbaric.

Confident and arrogant, yet amidst his greed, he seemed to carry a hint of caution, even making them sign a blood essence contract.

If viewed individually, these all lived up to his title of "First Fire Spirit Lord of Foundation Establishment" that shook the Yuding Domain.

But if viewed together, it was somewhat uncoordinated.

And the reason for this lack of coordination was the facade of strength!

"He is using a domineering attitude to cover up his weakness, attempting to lead this cooperation!"

Once this thought became a unified idea in their minds, many doubts were resolved.

If he were just an expert still within the Foundation Establishment category, with the abilities of the four of them, they would not fear him one-on-one.

Even if he were slightly superior, by joining forces, they could still form a restraint.

Luo Chen's current state was, to them, actually quite good.

Moreover!

Everyone knew that when an alchemist refined pills, the consumption of spiritual power and mental energy was immense.

When they refined pills in the wild, without the help of earth fire, they could only rely on Foundation Establishment true fire.

In this way, Luo Chen's state would plummet by more than half.

Then he would be even less of a threat.

Therefore, the only remaining issue to consider was one question.

Madam Yousha seemed to be confirming, asking carefully: "I have given the Mingyuan Elixir formula to Luo Chen. Will he use this as a blueprint to derive another formula, thereby casting us aside and working alone?"

Facing this question, it was Fu Jiusheng who gave the answer.

"Thinking too much."

"That is a third-tier elixir formula derived to the extreme from a holy land formula by a Soul Transformation great power; ordinary third-tier alchemists cannot derive it further."

"Luo Chen, a mere second-tier alchemist, being able to refine it is already beyond our expectations. How could he go any further?"

Having received a definitive answer again, Madam Yousha could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Her only bargaining chip was the elixir formula.

If one were to be abandoned and left to work alone, the loss would outweigh the gain.

"Then what's next?"

"Let's each go about our business!"

"I will gather the basic materials needed to refine the Mingyuan Elixir."

"I need to go into seclusion for a while to see if I can reach the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage before we set off."

"See you in nine years!"

In Cave Dwelling B-17.

Luo Chen's eyes were bright and piercing, and a huge water mirror rippled before him.

There was no specific image on it.

Tianlan Immortal City had a grand formation, and with many cultivators, the Water Mirror Spell could naturally not be cast at will.

But on it, at this moment, there were four red dots flickering constantly.

One red dot left Tianlan Immortal City and flew toward the far east.

"This is Fu Jiusheng. He is already at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, so he doesn't need to go into seclusion; he only lacks the Golden Core spiritual medicine. However, with him heading toward the far east alone, could it be that the place where the Nine-Pattern Snake Saliva Fruit grows is in the far east?"

Another red dot also left Tianlan, but the direction it went was not far.

"This is Helian Yun; he should be returning to Lianyun Mountain, where the Lianyun Merchant Alliance is located."

The remaining two red dots, while moving, were actually getting closer and closer to Luo Chen.

"They are right in Tianlan Peak!"

"These two should be You Ruolan and Xiao Sanren. Are they trying to use the spiritual land of Tianlan Peak to push their cultivation to the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment within nine years?"

Luo Chen muttered to himself.

If Helian Yun and the others saw this scene, they would likely be terrified.

They had no idea when Luo Chen had played tricks on them, allowing him to monitor their whereabouts.

This had to be attributed to Luo Chen's gains from his seclusion over the past few years.

After his second-tier general spell, the Water Mirror Spell, reached Great Perfection, a rare mutation occurred.

That was, anyone marked by Luo Chen could be detected within a range of a thousand miles.

As for how to mark them?

The simplest way, of course, was a spiritual sense imprint.

However, this kind of imprint was easily discovered.

Therefore, Luo Chen, through some of his own foundations, researched another marking technique.

The inspiration came from the time Mi Shuhua monitored Luo Chen using both spiritual power and spiritual sense.

The core of the technique was the "identifying people by scent" from Ling Yuzhi's inheritance.

And Luo Chen integrated it, changing it into "identifying people by elixir fragrance"!

Just as he stepped into the Lianyun Building and pushed open that door, after directly resisting the three of them, Luo Chen had used this method.

His flick of the sleeve was a plan to kill three birds with one stone.

Are you kidding? How could his third-tier ancient body be pressed down by the aura of three mere Foundation Establishment cultivators?

That was just a deliberate show of weakness, stepping out footprints, and then covering them up by using the Cleansing Spell to clean them away.

Afterward, he borrowed the momentum to seize the initiative in the conversation, thereby reversing the roles.

Finally, when the Cleansing Spell brushed away the footprints on the ground, he used his unique method to attach the elixir fragrance to the four of them.

It was perfectly normal for an alchemist to have elixir fragrance on them.

Therefore, those people didn't pay any attention to it at all.

That was why Luo Chen could cooperate with the Water Mirror Spell to observe the movements of the four.

"Unfortunately, I haven't studied this technique much. If these people were to use the Cleansing Spell on themselves a few times when they go back, they would eliminate my method."

Sighing, Luo Chen put away the Water Mirror Spell.

For now, he at least knew where these people were going.

And through their separation, he glimpsed that the four were not of one mind.

Otherwise, they should have spent the night at the Lianyun Building.

Instead of parting ways like this, each going their own way.

Determining that the few were not of one mind made many things much easier for Luo Chen.

These four were by no means weak; in the Foundation Establishment stage, they were definitely in the top tier of experts.

Even the true disciples of the upper sects and the Daoist seeds of the great sects pale in comparison to him.

In a direct fight, they might not be as good.

But if it were a life-and-death struggle, who would win was still unknown.

If the four of them joined forces, Luo Chen would really be in some trouble.

Without the Thunder Immortal Pearl, the methods he could rely on were his third-tier physique, spiritual power and soul foundation comparable to a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivator, and his not-so-weak spellcasting attainments.

Adding these together, running rampant in the Foundation Establishment stage was not a problem at all.

But considering the extreme environment of refining pills in the wild, it was not safe enough.

"Therefore, the things I need to do next must be based on this aspect."

"Enhance combat methods, have more trump cards, and deal with different situations."

"Study the Mingyuan Elixir formula! Not just to master this formula, but if I can derive a relatively suitable formula and replace the main ingredients, I can completely cast them aside and refine the elixir for my own use."

"As for the Tianshan Huiyang Water, I have to go and beg the Ice Fortress. If the other party can't provide it, or won't give it to me, then it would become a joke."

Of the three things, the last one was the simplest.

The other two were more cumbersome.

But fortunately, Luo Chen still had nine years, and he was not alone!

That night, after Luo Chen spent the night in hard cultivation in the practice room.

The next day, he sent out a sound transmission.

Soon, the cultivators of the Luotian Association began to appear frequently in his cave dwelling.

It's the last day for double monthly tickets, brothers who still have tickets, please help cast them, I beg you.