Chapter 92: I am a Foundation Establishment true cultivator, Mi Shuhua

Rogue cultivator, lackey, wage slave, tool, partner!

Luo Chen’s status, through his own efforts, was vaguely and constantly changing.

The changes in the Elixir Hall were also visibly progressing day by day.

That group of medicine apprentices, fire-tenders, and elixir keepers (elixir administrators) were also becoming familiar with their roles day by day.

A month’s time passed in the blink of an eye.

At the end of the month, Luo Chen took time out to attend a small internal meeting of the Poshan Gang.

There were not many people at the meeting: him, Mi Shuhua, Mi Junping, and the three hall masters of the combat halls—Zeng Wen, Luo Wudi, and Yang Wei.

And, the two deacons of the Elixir Hall, Sikong Shoujia and Gu Caiyi.

At the meeting, it was decided that each of the three combat halls would provide ten people—one in the late stage of Qi Refining and nine in the middle stage.

Thus, three small teams were formed.

These three teams would henceforth serve the Elixir Hall with all their might.

Protection work, transportation work, and some procurement work.

At the meeting, Luo Wudi brought up a matter.

"I have a lead over at the Xuelian Market. The risk is a bit high, but if we can open it up, the profit will definitely be very high."

"Since wealth is sought in danger, why not give it a try?"

Regarding this, the others were all eager to try.

However, upon learning of Luo Chen’s current elixir production, Mi Shuhua temporarily suppressed this proposal.

"This month, the Elixir Hall produced a total of 980 Zhongmiao Pills."

"This quantity can only barely satisfy the demand of the Dahe Market; even if we open up a route to Xuelian, we have no elixirs to ship there."

"Moreover, Xuelian is a place of bitter cold, not even half as prosperous as Dahe Market, so there is no need to waste effort on it."

These were Mi Shuhua’s exact words.

Luo Wudi felt it was a pity; he had wanted to use this to help one of his brothers rise to power and learn to stand on his own like Wang Yuan.

The insufficient elixir production limited this idea of his.

Regarding this, he could only encourage Luo Chen to refine more elixirs.

Luo Chen chuckled, indicating he would work hard.

Then, when the meeting dispersed, Luo Chen, right in front of them, received four Yangqi Pills from the pained-looking Mi Junping.

Luo Wudi, Yang Wei, and the others all widened their eyes.

Wasn't it said that only two bottles would be given per month?

Since when did that kid get a raise!

Are they sure Luo Chen isn't Mi Shuhua’s illegitimate son?

As for these thoughts of theirs, the person involved didn't care at all.

Go ahead and be envious; this is what I deserve!

Nearly a thousand Zhongmiao Pills a month—that is four or five thousand low-grade spirit stones!

What does this mean? It can buy forty or fifty bottles of Yangqi Pills, or two high-grade magic treasures, or even a dozen low-grade magic treasures.

And this is just for one month.

The lifespan of a Qi Refining cultivator is at least a hundred years.

Looking at it in the long run, as long as Luo Chen continues to produce elixirs, what he brings to the Poshan Gang will be stable and high returns.

Therefore, no matter how unwilling Mi Shuhua and Mi Junping were, this salary had to be paid.

……

Under the pitch-black night sky, Luo Chen sat alone on his bed.

The Master-level Changchun Gong circulated continuously; the Yangqi Pills in his body melted, and the vast spiritual power was continuously absorbed by him.

Finally, it merged into one with his own spiritual power.

This process of transformation and absorption lasted for a long time.

The feeling of fullness and satisfaction persisted throughout.

Until Luo Chen gritted his teeth and swallowed another Yangqi Pill.

"Breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Refining will happen today; let's break through in one go!"

As these thoughts flashed, he continued to repeat the previous actions.

Due to the influx of new spiritual power, that feeling of fullness and satisfaction became even more intense, even giving him the illusion of bloating.

Unknowingly, when Luo Chen finished his cultivation and opened his eyes.

His body was already permeated with the spiritual power fluctuations of the sixth level of Qi Refining.

"It’s done!"

After many years of effort, he had finally reached the level of Old Daoist Chen.

Now, among middle-stage Qi Refining cultivators, he was also in the most powerful tier.

He glanced at the attribute panel.

【Sixth level of Qi Refining 1/100】

Luo Chen’s originally happy mood suddenly became heavy.

The effect of the Yangqi Pills seemed to be getting worse and worse.

At the third level of Qi Refining, one Yangqi Pill could increase the progress bar by two points.

At the fourth level, one Yangqi Pill corresponded to one point on the progress bar.

At the fifth level, it took almost two Yangqi Pills to increase the progress bar by one point.

And this time, after breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Refining, Luo Chen had already calculated through the system.

He needed at least five to increase the progress by one point.

A bottle of Yangqi Pills only had ten pills.

In other words, if he wanted to advance to the seventh level of Qi Refining, he would need at least fifty bottles of Yangqi Pills.

That is a full five thousand low-grade spirit stones!

Moreover, there is a limit to the number of elixirs that can be refined in a day.

"Damn! It's a type of plant!"

"This isn't cultivation; it’s clearly eating spirit stones!"

Luo Chen the field mouse had turned into Luo Chen the gold-devouring beast.

His handsome face was currently uncertain; he always felt something was wrong.

Other low-level cultivators didn't waste spirit stones like he did!

Is it because of his five-element spiritual root aptitude?

Or is it because the Master-level Changchun Gong opened up all his meridians, causing his body to require more spiritual power to break through realms?

Or other factors?

For a moment, Luo Chen couldn't find the source of the problem.

He only knew that he had to get as many cultivation resources as possible, and he also had to find a way to refine more elixirs in a day.

Oh, there is one more point.

The effect of the Yangqi Pills is getting worse; it seems there is a gradual dilemma of drug resistance.

He still needs to find a new elixir that can replace the Yangqi Pills.

A thousand thoughts rushed into his mind.

Yet Luo Chen seemed to have gotten used to it.

After planning one by one, Luo Chen finally got out of bed.

"Regardless, breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Refining today is a joyous event."

"Let’s have a big drink!"

Holding a green gourd, drinking yellow pear wine, he walked into the courtyard.

At this moment, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.

In the small courtyard, it was silent, yet there was a figure sitting on a swing, swaying back and forth.

"Caiyi, you haven't slept yet?"

From the moment Luo Chen came out, Gu Caiyi had already discovered him.

She just nodded lightly, still swaying on the small swing.

Suddenly, she blinked.

"You’ve broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refining?"

"You discovered it; haha, as expected, even if a genius is low-key, even in this dark night, they are like the bright moon, attracting attention."

Luo Chen chuckled.

After thinking for a moment, he formed a hand seal, and his spiritual power circulated along a special route.

The leaking spiritual power fluctuations slowly retracted, entering the spiritual power seed specially condensed in his body.

In the blink of an eye, his leaking spiritual energy fluctuations became the level expected of the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Breath-Concealing Spirit Technique!

"Caiyi, look again, what realm am I at!"

Gu Caiyi took a look, her eyes brightened for a moment, then she said faintly: "Fifth level of Qi Refining."

As expected, the Breath-Concealing Spirit Technique was effective.

Especially in this month, he had practiced it from time to time and had already stepped into the proficient level, able to slightly and barely restrain his spiritual energy fluctuations.

Luo Chen retracted and released, his spiritual energy fluctuations large and small, playing with it happily.

After playing for a while, he felt that the atmosphere was as cold as the moonlight.

"Caiyi, what’s wrong? Are you in a bad mood?"

Gu Caiyi sighed, "Don't mind me, it’s just that seeing your realm rise so fast after joining the Poshan Gang, while my income has greatly decreased, I’m a bit worried for a moment."

Luo Chen was startled.

Income?

That’s right, Gu Caiyi’s monthly spirit stone income at the Tianxiang Pavilion used to be very good.

Especially at the opening ceremony of the Dao Discussion Platform, her "Startled Goose Dance" had stolen the show.

In the month that followed, she had earned even more.

But what about after leaving the Tianxiang Pavilion?

Even though she is now a deacon of the Elixir Hall, her monthly salary is only a little over a hundred spirit stones.

Sikong Shoujia also gets this salary, but don't forget, that old man also has the title of Elder, which comes with other extra income.

A monthly income of one hundred is already considered quite good.

Placed in the inner city, it is about the level of a small shop deacon or a large shop foreman.

However, this simply cannot satisfy the cultivation needs of a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator.

Relying on this income, in what year and month would she be able to cultivate from the ninth level of Qi Refining to the Great Perfection?

And how much time would it take to earn spirit stones to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill to break through to Foundation Establishment?

"I am already thirty-nine years old."

"Although I have always longed for Foundation Establishment, I know it is a fantasy."

"But the Huachen Pill that Fei Bowen gave me back then allowed me to luckily advance to the ninth level of Qi Refining. Now, only one step away, I am trapped here because of insufficient cultivation resources."

"I am not reconciled!"

"Luo Chen, leaving the Tianxiang Pavilion, was I right or wrong?"

Listening to these mutterings, Luo Chen was speechless for a moment.

He had jokingly said he would "keep" her, and then let Gu Caiyi join the Poshan Gang, becoming the current deacon of the Elixir Hall.

But only now did he realize.

The mere salary of an Elixir Hall deacon simply could not support her cultivation.

Of course, this was not his responsibility to begin with; introducing a livelihood to someone was always a kind and good deed.

Regarding Gu Caiyi’s confusion, Luo Chen could only say:

"While I can't say it’s right, it is definitely not wrong. That Hua-surnamed Foundation Establishment cultivator at Tianxiang Pavilion, only a month or two after arriving, I heard that two or three female cultivators died in the building."

Luo Chen casually mentioned these things he had heard, and Gu Caiyi was silent for a moment.

Seeing this, Luo Chen didn't know how to comfort her.

He and Gu Caiyi were different.

Besides his monthly salary, he actually had a share of the elixir profits.

Thinking of this, Luo Chen suddenly realized one thing.

Mi Shuhua and even the Poshan Gang’s investment in the Elixir Hall was basically getting larger and larger.

Apart from a few high-level members, there were dozens of middle and late-stage cultivators counting on the Elixir Hall for their meals.

If his own returns were slow to rise, he was afraid that this group of people eating with him would have problems.

Job hopping?

Finding side jobs?

Gradually becoming indifferent to the affairs of the Elixir Hall?

"It seems that the matter of the Yusu Pill cannot be delayed any longer!"

This thought flashed through Luo Chen’s mind.

For the sake of others, and even more for himself!

The profit ceiling of the Zhongmiao Pill was ultimately too low.

Only an elixir like the Yusu Pill, which is beneficial to cultivation, is a money-making tool!

……

……

Today was another day of opening the furnace to refine elixirs.

However, before opening the furnace, Luo Chen first met with the two deacons to receive three late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

They were the experts drawn from the three combat halls.

Specifically leading the team, responsible for transporting the Elixir Hall’s elixirs to designated places for sale.

A team of a full thirty cultivators, yet they were only escorting one thousand Zhongmiao Pills.

To be honest, it was a bit like using a cannon to kill a mosquito, using a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken.

But this was the gang leader’s hard order, and no one raised any objections.

Luo Chen knew very well that this personnel framework was not for the Zhongmiao Pills, but for the future Yusu Pills.

After handing this batch of Zhongmiao Pills to the three, Luo Chen also casually asked about the places they were to be sent.

It turned out that the Poshan Gang had already rented a small shop in the inner city, usually used to sell some scattered resources from the Guyuan Mountains.

Those resources were mostly things that the large sects didn't look down upon, and the Lianyun Chamber of Commerce didn't look down upon either.

The Poshan Gang couldn't digest them themselves, so they simply put them in the shop to sell.

There would always be rogue cultivators interested.

Now, Luo Chen’s Zhongmiao Pills would also become a special product in the shop.

Besides the shop, the Chengnan rogue cultivator market and a small shop in the outer city were also destinations for the Zhongmiao Pills.

After sending these people away, Luo Chen entered the elixir room unhurriedly.

Gu Caiyi directed a large group of medicine apprentices to move various processed raw materials into the elixir room.

Those fire-tenders also took their places one after another.

Luo Chen waved his hand, and today’s elixir refining began!

Looking at his high-spirited appearance, a group of odd-job cultivators couldn't help but show expressions of envy.

This month’s work had truly made them a bit numb.

Every day, they were repeating the same things.

Even as cultivators, they felt it was very boring.

They didn't know that if they were in modern society, they would be assembly line workers, only able to repeat the monotony day after day.

As for the future?

Becoming a noble alchemist?

Luo Chen had never heard of any assembly line worker rising to become a CEO.

Here with him, it was obviously impossible.

Luo Chen didn't care about these things; even Xiangxiang from the Tianxiang Pavilion had been a fire-tending child in the sect for three years.

He just focused on refining elixirs.

Beside him, Mili was also busy, from time to time wiping sweat for Luo Chen and handing him the wine gourd.

It was supposed to be observing elixir refining, so why did she feel like she had become a maid taking care of someone?

Mili was also a bit confused.

Since when did this situation start?

It seemed to have started the time Luo Chen asked her to buy cucumbers?

Although she grumbled in her heart, Mili knew what she had to do.

She was trying her best to learn and imitate, but unfortunately, a month had passed, and there had been no progress.

When the elixir refining ended again, she knew she hadn't learned anything again.

Just as she was disappointed, the elixir furnace opened.

A rich, extreme medicinal fragrance instantly attracted her attention.

"This is?"

An elixir the size of a longan, red to the point of being almost purple, was shining brightly at Luo Chen’s fingertips!

"High-grade Zhongmiao Pill!!!"

Mili was shocked and exclaimed.

The cultivators responsible for watching the fire all looked over.

Luo Chen looked at the high-grade elixir in his hand, his face showing wild joy, but in reality, his heart was calm.

After refining over a thousand Zhongmiao Pills last month, his proficiency had long reached the Master level.

The reason it hadn't been shown before was just because he felt the timing wasn't right.

After all, having just joined the Poshan Gang and refining a high-grade elixir was truly shocking.

But now, there was no need to hide his clumsiness.

For the sake of cultivation resources, sometimes one must be a bit reckless.

He tossed the high-grade Zhongmiao Pill to Mili.

After the woman caught it in a flurry, she saw Luo Chen floating into the stone house specially built for him.

"Today’s elixir refining had some gains; I need to go into seclusion for three days, do not disturb!"

After speaking, the stone door slammed shut.

A layer of shimmering light waves spread out.

That was a first-grade formation that Mi Shuhua had specially left for the Elixir Hall.

Mili stared blankly at this scene, then remembered something.

Without stopping, she left the Elixir Hall and flew towards the Mi family territory.

Inside the stone house, Luo Chen looked through the mountain wall window, his eyes deep, quietly watching this scene.

……

"Come in, why are you looking for me in such a hurry?"

Mi Shuhua woke up from his state of seclusion.

There were too many things in the family and the gang, which had already started to delay his cultivation.

Recently, he had finally finished building the framework of the Elixir Hall, and only then did he take time to start a small seclusion.

But only two days had passed, and he was woken up by a sound transmission talisman.

Therefore, his face was quite unhappy at the moment.

Mili didn't know her grandfather’s displeasure, holding the purple-red Zhongmiao Pill, and knelt before him.

"High-grade elixir!"

"Hall Master Luo refined it, just today!"

He reached out and grabbed the elixir.

Looking at the three purple-red medicinal patterns, Mi Shuhua was greatly shocked.

How long had that kid been in contact with the elixir path?

Counting it all up, it was no more than ten or twenty years, and he had actually refined a high-grade elixir!

This child’s talent for the elixir path was truly terrifying!

"Hall Master Luo said he had some insights into the elixir path, so he decided to go into seclusion for three days," Mili said again.

Mi Shuhua couldn't sit still anymore.

"Elixir path insights!"

"Seclusion for three days!"

"Maybe after coming out of seclusion, he will be able to refine Yusu Pills!"

"Yes, he definitely can. They are both first-grade elixirs; if he can refine high-grade Zhongmiao Pills, there is no reason he can't refine low-grade Yusu Pills."

Mi Shuhua paced back and forth in the quiet room, muttering to himself.

His old face kept changing expressions due to excitement.

"Low-grade is enough; it doesn't need to be too expensive. Set it at a dozen spirit stones, and it will surely trigger a buying frenzy among early and middle-stage cultivators."

"A bottle of Yangqi Pills is one hundred spirit stones; ordinary people simply can't afford it."

"As long as he can refine Yusu Pills, my Great Dao is in sight!"

Suddenly, he stopped pacing.

"Let’s go, to the Elixir Hall!"

"During these three days of seclusion, I will not allow anyone to disturb Luo Chen!"

"I will protect his Dao!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he unfolded his escape light, scooped up Mili, and flew out of the Mi family territory.

……

How to pass the time of three days?

Luo Chen stayed in the stone house, feeling a bit regretful.

The thought of being cooped up in this room for three days made him unable to sit still.

Heaven knows, although it is said that cultivators go into seclusion for thousands of years.

But in reality, since crossing over, he had never gone into seclusion for more than a full day.

It wasn't that he wasn't working hard.

It was just that low-level cultivators, due to their physique and spiritual sense, had a limit to how many times they could circulate their cultivation techniques each day.

Any more, and they would be exhausted, or even suffer various sequelae.

This predicament would only change after at least Foundation Establishment.

"Forget it, with the formation covering it, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s spiritual sense won't be able to detect what I’m doing inside."

"Let’s find something else to do!"

Luo Chen took out a piece of animal skin from his storage bag.

It was the second-grade elixir formula for the Blood Fiend Pill that Wang Yuan had given him.

He had had this thing for many days and would occasionally flip through it, but unfortunately, progress was extremely low.

After all, it was a second-grade elixir formula.

"The main ingredients must be replaced, otherwise, as soon as I start refining, I will definitely die if I am found out."

"So, what raw materials should I use?"

"Cultivator essence blood? I wonder if monster beast blood would work."

"Yellow Spring Yin Fiend, this thing is not easy to find. And I don't have the method to collect fiend energy either. I still have to ponder it..."

For a time, Luo Chen was obsessed with researching the second-grade elixir formula.

Occasionally waking up, he would eat a Grain Bigu Pill.

When tired, he would change his method.

Either reading "Qingyuan Elixir Explanation" (Qingyuanzi’s detailed explanation of the elixir path), or practicing the Breath-Concealing Spirit Technique.

Occasionally, he would even self-harm!

Cutting a small slit on his hand or something, then healing it with a healing spell, just to brush up his spell proficiency.

As for the "Yusu Pill" that Mi Shuhua cared about most?

Luo Chen didn't care at all.

That was a first-grade elixir formula; he could use achievement points to get started at any time!

In fact, he planned to get started on the day he came out of seclusion.

Thus, three days passed in a flash.

When the formation disappeared, Luo Chen stepped out of the room slowly.

Looking at the old man waiting outside, Luo Chen had a feeling of things being different and time passing like a white horse crossing a crevice.

Is this what cultivator seclusion is?

Only three days, yet it gave him a feeling that a long time had passed.

If his realm were higher in the future, and he truly went into seclusion, would it be like the vicissitudes of life, white clouds and grey dogs?

While he was in a trance, an old voice came to his ears.

"Three days of separation, and one must look at each other with new eyes."

"Little friend, you have actually broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refining."

Before Luo Chen could say anything polite, the other party asked impatiently:

"Can the Yusu Pill be refined?"

Luo Chen’s face froze!

Old man, give me some face, don't be so direct.

And I broke through my realm, shouldn't you give me a congratulatory gift?

Magic treasures, elixirs, I wouldn't mind those either. ===== CHAPTER 93 =====