Chapter 183: Two Pills Open the Source, the True Monarch Bestows Blessings

Sanyin Temple, main hall.

Long Xianzhi arrived at the hall, raised his hands in a salute, and said, "Apprentice pays respects to Teacher."

Chen Ci lifted his hand to signal him to rise, looked him over, and smiled, "I didn't expect that after going out for a trip, your Daoist practice would have improved. Not bad."

If his apprentice had only been at the level of a Jianghu Grandmaster before leaving, now that he had returned, his White Sun True Qi had already broken through the first acupoint. However, this could be considered a case of slow accumulation leading to a sudden breakthrough; after ordinary Jianghu figures practiced Fansu Martial Arts to Zhoutian Consummation, because they lacked a Qi-refining method, they could only bitterly cultivate Innate True Qi in their Dan Aperture, or attempt to open the first acupoint themselves. Once they found a Qi-refining method later, the cultivation of this first acupoint would be slightly easier, but that was all there was to it.

If his Registered Disciple wanted to practice the Baiyang Sword Solution to a profound level, he would have to try to nurture a breath of Lung Metal Sword Qi later on.

"Reporting to Teacher, during this trip, because I had to change my appearance to scout for information at times, I encountered some highwaymen on the road, and in one small county, I encountered a black shop run by a Side Door Cultivator who practiced evil arts. But fortunately, I have spent a long time drifting in the Jianghu, so it was mostly danger without disaster."

Long Xianzhi said respectfully, "Thanks to the spirit sword bestowed by Teacher, my True Qi cultivation improved slightly after winning the sword duels."

"Five Metal True Qi, regardless of whether it is from a Profound Gate or a Side Door, is indeed easier to cultivate through combat."

Chen Ci nodded, expressing his approval.

But deep down, a different thought inexplicably surfaced.

In just these few breaths of time, two hundred taels of silver in resources had gone down the drain; it was only because Master Chen was now wealthy and bold that he didn't care, but if it were before, he would already be cursing inwardly.

"As long as you aren't worked to death, keep working until you die. Pills, come!"

Eighty catties of Yellow Dragon Grass.

However, there was no incense offering for the True Monarch of Calamity Relief in Jiujiang Prefecture, which Chen Ci hadn't expected. It seemed Jiao Zhenren's backbone was quite stiff.

And Zhongjiang Prefecture was one thing, but the Liangjiang Sea Market was located at the estuary of Zhongjiang Prefecture. It was unlikely that the Liang Kingdom officials could govern the country without a Primordial Spirit True Monarch behind them, and it was possible it wasn't the same Primordial Spirit True Monarch behind the statue of the True Monarch of Calamity Relief. If that were the case, the so-called 'family affairs' of Longhu Mountain could be explained.

Thinking of this, he turned his head to look at the pill materials he had entrusted the Huang Family Caravan to purchase for him from Xishan Prefecture a few days ago.

A mere two hundred taels, hold it in, don't cry.

Three hundred catties of Yellow Bud Spirit Rice.

Medicine Gathering Spell: Entry/53/100 (Gather this spirit herb, nine can become one; spell completion thirty, can advance one)

Chen Ci had originally thought that some Longhu Mountain cultivators in the Liang Kingdom wanted to use the hand of their own Primordial Spirit True Monarch to expel the He Mountain Sect cultivators from Xishan Prefecture, but looking at it now, it didn't seem quite like that. No matter how poorly Xishan Prefecture was managed, at least they were getting things done; even within Longhu Mountain, it seemed not all cultivators were very concerned about this matter.

Chen Ci stroked his chin. This business was doable, but it wasn't as easy as he had thought. He would have to fire up the furnace at least fifteen times, and that was under the most ideal conditions, for it to possibly succeed. If things didn't go smoothly, twenty or twenty-five times was not impossible.

He didn't know if it was Chen Ci's elusive nature that had terrified the Ma Family Village cultivators that day, or if they had been caught red-handed and knew they were in the wrong, thus giving him the respect due to a disciple of a major Side Door sect, but in any case, the Ma Family had delivered the first batch of Corpse Ganoderma ahead of schedule.

Chen Ci cheered himself up, picked up a portion of Yellow Dragon Grass, calmed his mind, and cast the Medicine Gathering Spell.

Yes, just like that.

Twelve taels of Earth Bright Stone, market price twelve Spirit Pearls.

Like rot.

If it were like this...

Nine Springs Temple: Little brother He Mountain, how much money do you make in a month? Why are you grinding so hard?

Chen Ci pondered for a moment, his expression suddenly becoming a bit strange. Could there be such a possibility: that the Longhu Mountain Daoist's words were vague because he actually wanted to drag the He Mountain Sect cultivators of Xishan Prefecture into lying flat together?

After all, if everyone was slacking off, then no one was slacking off.

Having said that, Chen Ci shook his head and walked toward the backyard with a sigh. This Fuhu Altar in Xishan Prefecture only survived because of him, the He Mountain Light. A reward of over ten thousand taels of silver was still too little; at the very least, thirty years of tribute should be exempted.

After Chen Ci heard Long Xianzhi's report on what he had seen along the way, he let him go to rest, while he himself paced back and forth in the main hall.

"One hundred and fifty Yellow Sprout Pills, that is twelve bottles, plus half a bottle as a gift."

Yellow Dragon Grass, -1.

Twelve stalks of Corpse Ganoderma, said to be worth about forty or fifty Spirit Pearls, but they were priceless and marketless; few Side Door cultivators would acquire this spirit medicine, and if raised in a corpse-nurturing ground, one could also say they were worthless.

One hundred and twenty catties of Yellow Dragon Grass, market price twenty-four Spirit Pearls.

What is this, a pill farmer?

Just like the Nine Springs Temple in Dongshan Prefecture, they only needed to do a little better than the Fuhu Altar in Xishan Prefecture to be considered acceptable.

He roughly knew why the He Mountain cultivators of the Red Dragon and Fuhu branch temples loved to walk around in red dharma robes; after all, when out and about, one's status is defined by oneself.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"The pill master profession seems glamorous, but the bottom layer is also grinding like crazy. But if you are lucky enough to grind your way up, it is also incredibly profitable."

But somehow, a small He Mountain cultivator recognized the origin of that statue of the True Monarch of Calamity Relief and reported it to the Fuhu Altar. The Fuhu Altar couldn't make up its mind, so they just told the cultivators below to do their work diligently; as long as they didn't do a bad job, it would suffice.

Chen Ci was currently in the pill room, preparing for the refining of Yellow Sprout Pills and Nourishing Qi Green Ganoderma Pills. Just yesterday, the Ma Family Village finally settled the matter of the Corpse Ganoderma and delivered the first batch of pill materials.

Chen Ci grinned and clicked on his Gold Finger panel.

Plus a large amount of Qi-supplementing old medicines, Old Ginseng, Poria, Solomon's Seal, etc., which also cost him more than sixty Spirit Pearls. Calculating it, the material cost was quite high, but whether there would be a profit or loss depended on the success rate and the number of pills produced per furnace. If done properly, there might even be extra Yellow Sprout Pills for his own consumption.

According to his apprentice, from what he saw along the way, although there were statues of the True Monarch of Calamity Relief in the various counties of the East and West Prefectures of Quanzhou, the incense was not very prosperous, with Dongshan Prefecture being only slightly better than Xishan Prefecture. As for the three prefectures of Jiangzhou, the Jiujiang Prefecture where the Red Dragon Temple was located and the Zhongjiang Prefecture where the Liang Kingdom capital Yujing was located basically had no such statues. However, in Tianshui Prefecture, where the Shangze Temple—the Liang Kingdom headquarters of Longhu Mountain—was located, the incense for this True Monarch was the most prosperous; sometimes, a single county would have more than one Daoist temple enshrining this statue.

This situation was a bit complicated.

Ten taels of Earth Bright Stone.

Chen Ci gave a cold laugh: "Cultivators of our generation, the struggle for the Dao, grass snakes and gray lines, planning for a hundred years, how could we possibly lie flat and slack off? Harming people, that guy definitely wanted to harm people. Fortunately, I, Master Chen, have eyes like torches and saw through his conspiracy, humph."

However, the price was that Chen Ci needed to refine one hundred and fifty Yellow Sprout Pills within a month to hand over to the Ma Family Ancestor. If successful, the Ma Family Village would send the same amount of pill materials every month; if not, this transaction would not be able to continue.

*Cough*, regardless of that True Monarch of Calamity Relief business, whether it was a scheme by a Primordial Spirit True Monarch, a family affair of Longhu Mountain, or some plot to harm people or lie flat, it had nothing to do with Chen Ci. He was just a small He Mountain cultivator, he didn't understand anything, he didn't know anything.

Anyway, he wasn't going to worry about this matter anymore.

"Strange."

After calculating slightly in his heart, Chen Ci moved his gaze downward.

Fire Control Method: Entry/13/100 (Control pill fire daily, ten can advance one)

Qi Observation Spell: Entry/12/100 (Observe pill Qi daily, ten can advance one)

Condensing Pill Method: Entry/6/100 (Condense spirit pills daily, ten can advance one)

The current cost of pill materials for one furnace of Yellow Sprout Spirit Pills was about four Spirit Pearls. Since the Ma Family Village provided a portion of the materials, the portion falling on Chen Ci was about two Spirit Pearls.

"Refine it. I should be able to fire up twenty-two furnaces for the Yellow Sprout Pills. If I can get seven or eight pills per furnace, I can open up sources and reduce expenditure, using pills to nourish pills."

Chen Ci sat upright in front of his pill cauldron, arranged the various pill materials and Qi-nourishing medicines separately, and began to adjust his state, process the materials, and start refining the pills.

So what if I am a pill farmer? Once I, your master, refine the Nourishing Qi Green Ganoderma Pill, humph, this bit of effort is not worth mentioning!

One day later, inside the pill room.

Chen Ci focused his mind on the pill cauldron's heat and aura, using the Fire Control Method with one hand and the Qi Observation Method with the other, then suddenly retracted the incantations and gave a low shout: "Open!"

At the same time, he used both hands, activating the Condensing Pill Incantation, and with a vague grasp of his own Nether Yin True Qi, he wrapped the medicinal essence and spiritual energy surging from the cauldron, causing it to descend and collide with the several portions of syrup-like medicinal liquid, condensing into nine pale yellow, jade-like Spirit Pills that emitted a rich herbal essence, filling the entire pill room with the fragrance of pills.

However, two of the Yellow Sprout Pills had unstable medicinal properties and lost their pill aura; there was little benefit for a cultivator to swallow them, and they would instead cause medicinal properties to accumulate in the body, affecting cultivation.

Chen Ci felt a little regretful, but seven pills from one furnace was a decent result; although it had not yet fully covered the costs, the loss was not too great.

Moreover, there was an unexpected joy.

Condensing Pill Incantation: Entry/7/100 (Daily condensing of Spirit Pills, one can advance for every ten)

"I originally thought the Condensing Pill Incantation was the most difficult to refine among the Lesser Heavens Qi Absorption Method; after all, the Medicine Absorption Method, Fire Control Method, and Qi Observation Method can be practiced slowly using Spirit Materials like Spirit Rice, but this method requires actually opening the furnace to refine pills."

Chen Ci placed the seven Yellow Sprout Spirit Pills into a jade bottle and nodded: "But if the number of successful pills increases, this method is actually practiced quite quickly; refining one or two furnaces can improve one's pill method cultivation and insights into the Dao of alchemy, how wonderful."

No wonder in the Sea Market, many cultivators aspiring to the Dao of alchemy are willing to serve as alchemy apprentices or fire-fanning boys in major chambers of commerce; although it is hard labor, and sometimes they are guarded against by alchemists to prevent them from stealing techniques, and even have to sign long-term contracts with the chamber of commerce when they want to learn real things, once a pill method is learned, it is one's own, and there will always be a day to earn it back in the future.

"Come again, theory is theory; in the alchemy profession, one must refine more."

Chen Ci thought to himself.

Ten days later.

Chen Ci rubbed his temples and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

No matter the profession, anything involving the word "farmer" is never an easy task; having refined Yellow Sprout Pills for ten days, Master Chen had a feeling of dreaming back to the days of bitterly grinding Bigu Pills and practicing the Medicine Absorption Method.

It was too exhausting; this alchemy was not only a consumption of his own True Qi but also a huge burden on his energy.

Still the same saying, a weakling cannot refine pills.

So much so that, apart from the success rate of the Medicine Absorption Method, just a moment ago, Chen Ci lost control of the heat for the first time and failed to control the medicinal properties and spiritual energy; a furnace of Yellow Sprout Pills was either scorched and tasted off, or the pill bodies were pitted and uneven after condensing, lacking any appearance of a Spirit Pill.

"Only after refining pills myself do I know that low-level alchemists also earn hard-earned money."

Chen Ci tossed a Health-Preserving Pill into his mouth and regulated his breath for a long time before feeling his state improve slightly.

Nine out of ten furnaces succeeded, yielding a total of seventy-one Yellow Sprout Spirit Pills.

If one does not go for volume with such low-level mass-market Spirit Pills, it is really not certain that one can earn back the costs; his previous decision to focus on the Nourishing Qi Green Ganoderma Pill to overtake on a curve was indeed a wise move.

"I can still open twelve more furnaces; according to this trend, it should not be a big problem."

Industries that earn more must have high thresholds; if one could become an alchemist without suffering any hardship, that would be too simple.

Thirty days later.

Sanyin Temple.

Chen Ci had a sense of exhaustion from refining pills until he was drained.

Where is this a "pill farmer"? This is clearly a "pill slave"; damn it, one hundred and fifty Yellow Sprout Pills do not seem like much, but refining them really cost him his old life; not to mention being soaked in the pill room for a whole month, his refining of Dharma Artifacts, practice of talisman methods, and Qi-eating cultivation methods were all affected to some extent.

Although the Dao of alchemy is also a Great Dao.

But for the vast majority of cultivators in the world, it is a heterodox path that drags down cultivation and affects the path of the Dao; only those disciples of profound sects who do not lack cultivation resources, have heritage, talent, and guidance from famous teachers, and are willing to endure hardship and study, can balance both cultivation and alchemy, advancing side by side.

Even with the Gold Finger panel to assist him, having licked blood from the edge of a blade several times, and having been frugal for years, Chen Ci had begun preparing for the Dao of alchemy since arriving in this world; with a large amount of savings, it took him two or three years to barely master the refining method of one Yellow Sprout Spirit Pill, and he had not even been able to truly achieve a balance of payments.

"Damn it, who exactly are the people making money refining pills, ah, who exactly are the people making money refining pills?!"

Chen Ci paced in the hall, loosening his muscles and bones; hating every profession one enters, Master Chen expressed that this sentence is truly not wrong at all.

However, having been soaked in the pill room for a whole month, as the saying goes, heaven rewards diligence, and Chen Ci naturally had his gains.

In addition to the slight improvement in the Small Heavens Qi Absorption Pill Method:

Medicine Absorption Incantation: Entry/54/100

Fire Control Incantation: Entry/16/100

Qi Observation Spell: Entry/15/100

Condensing Pill Incantation: Entry/22/100

One hundred and fifty-seven Yellow Sprout Spirit Pills were his harvest for this month.

It looks like quite a lot.

But at the thought of having to give one hundred and fifty Spirit Pills to Ma Family Village, Master Chen's hand subconsciously pressed onto the handle of his White Bone Heart-Lock Hammer, the kind that couldn't even be taken off.

White Bone Heart-Lock Hammer, five seats in the reserved section!

"He Mountain Light, I am the He Mountain Light, phew, the future is long."

Chen Ci used his own incredibly strong willpower to barely suppress this thought that was not conducive to harmonious development.

The remaining seven Yellow Sprout Spirit Pills were worth about two or three Spirit Pearls in Xishan Market.

There were still over one hundred and thirty catties of Yellow Bud Spirit Rice left.

The Yellow Dragon Grass and Earth Bright Stone were completely consumed.

There was a little bit of the prepared Qi-supplementing medicine left.

Counting it up, if one excludes the twelve Corpse Ganoderma whose value is difficult to determine, this month, he lost about forty-plus Spirit Pearls on the pill materials for the Yellow Sprout Pills, which is nearly fifty thousand taels of silver!

"Looking at it this way, this month's harvest, apart from the progress of the Lesser Heavens Qi Absorption Method, only remains..."

Chen Ci slowly walked out of his Sanyin Temple, waved his hand to let Xiao Qingfeng not follow, and headed toward the mountaintop; once blown by the wind passing through the forest in the mountains, his faintly hot and throbbing temples slowly calmed down, then he flipped his hand, took out two dragon-eye-sized pills from his sleeve, gray-black and dull in color as if surrounded by yin energy, smelling of herbal fragrance when sniffed lightly, and smelling of the stench of a Corpse when sniffed heavily, and examined the strange Spirit Pills in his palm.

Nourishing Qi Green Ganoderma Pill.

Perhaps it was a stroke of luck, perhaps his hand for absorbing medicine and refining pills had been quite good over the past month, or perhaps the batch of Corpse Ganoderma provided by Ma Family Village was of high quality; since he began practicing the Medicine Absorption Incantation, he had consumed a total of twenty-two Corpse Ganoderma, and on the very last day, he succeeded once, obtaining a portion of Corpse Ganoderma essence, and taking advantage of the fact that he still had Qi-refining medicine on hand, Chen Ci opened the furnace to try refining a cauldron of Nourishing Qi Green Ganoderma Pill, and in the end, it actually succeeded, with two pills at that.

"As expected of me."

Chen Ci stared at these two Nourishing Qi Green Ganoderma Pills for a long time, exhaled a breath of turbid air, and then placed the two pills into two separate jade bottles, putting them away as if they were precious.

Apart from the Tiger Roaring Aperture Breaking Pill he had taken years ago, this Nourishing Qi Green Ganoderma Pill should be the best Spirit Pill he possessed; more importantly, this pill was refined by his own hands, and its significance was naturally different.

"If it weren't for the luck of refining two Nourishing Qi Green Ganoderma Pills, not only would this month have been a waste of effort, but I would have had to pay out fifty thousand taels of silver; however, the practice of the Dao of alchemy is just like this—if you don't burn money, you really can't keep practicing."

However, there was not much joy on Chen Ci's face; although this Nourishing Qi Green Ganoderma Pill was good, it was impossible to succeed every month; I am afraid there would only be a chance to succeed in one furnace every three months, and it is hard to say how many pills would be produced.

However, Chen Ci did not have much worry on his face; he still had savings of over three hundred Spirit Pearls, and his Small Heavens Qi Absorption Pill Method and the four incantations had all shown visible progress to the naked eye. Even next month, under the same conditions, the number of Yellow Sprout Spirit Pills successfully refined might increase. This simple life was becoming more and more promising.

"Bitter first, sweet later; you can do it, A-Ci."

Old Master Chen comforted himself, and only then began to ponder how to handle the two Nourishing Qi Green Ganoderma Pills in his hands.

Actually, there wasn't much choice. When an alchemist refines a Spirit Pill, they either swallow it themselves to increase their cultivation or sell it to others to earn some pill funds. It is impossible to keep them as souvenirs; that is a luxury only possible when the future Alchemist Chen—no, Master Chen—refines Treasure Pills or Longevity Pills.

Selling them isn't too difficult; either Xishan Market or Fuhu Altar would be able to take them.

It's just that regarding the price, Chen Ci is a bit uncertain. Such side-door Spirit Pills are rarely seen on the market. Whether they are priceless but unmarketable, or rare goods to be hoarded, he still needs to inquire a bit.

As for swallowing them for cultivation... sigh, he has been in this world for some years now. Killing and fighting are one thing, but the medicinal primer required to stimulate the medicinal properties of this pill is something Old Master Chen still can't quite stomach.

If it were last month when the situation was still unclear, he would have pinched his nose and taken it to increase his cultivation for self-preservation. Now that Changping County is peaceful and Chen Ci has the Spirit Ghost Nether Escape Method to rely on, it seems there is no need to be so harsh on himself.

It's just the Yellow Sprout Spirit Pills; he plans to halve the quantity next month, refining seventy to exchange with Ma Family Village for six Corpse Ganoderma, and use the remaining time to practice the Soul Fixing Talisman Method and the Golden Scale Wonderful Method. Advancing on all fronts is the right path.

"I seem to be only thirty-four years old, right?"

Old Master Chen put his hands on his hips. At this age, with this level of cultivation, eh... isn't that thirty-four actual years, thirty-five nominal, thirty-six by loose count, thirty-seven by fuzzy count, and thirty-eight by rough estimate? He's almost forty years old!

Forty years old.

Second layer of Qi Refining.

Hmm, forty years old, second layer of Qi Refining, the future is promising.

"Damn, this is really boring."

Old Master Chen curled his lip. If it weren't for his ambition for the Primordial Spirit and Longevity, with a mere Lower Grade Dao Foundation and a lifespan of three hundred years, he would already be an expert at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, alright?

Eh, why does thinking about it this way make it even more boring?

"At your age, how can you just lie flat?"

Chen Ci felt pained and remorseful; A-Ci still needs to work hard.

Thinking of this, Chen Ci simply went down the mountain and headed toward Due Palace. Although he no longer needs to worry about the Star Lord statue, he still has to take a look. The Yellow Sprout Pills he refined must be given to that man surnamed Ma, and he must have Ma Family Village prepare the next batch of pill materials, especially the Yellow Dragon Grass and Earth Bright Stone. At worst, he can just refine more Yellow Sprout Spirit Pills to trade; it's still more cost-effective than spending money to buy them at the market.

"If only Yellow Bud Spirit Rice could be grown by oneself."

Chen Ci felt a bit regretful, missing the Palm Heaven Bottle on this first day. If he had a Small Bottle of Heaven, Old Master Chen would grow Spirit Rice every day, grow Spirit Rice every day, and grind himself to death.

Hmph.

Due Palace.

As a newly established Dao palace in Changping County, the most famous thing is not the Due Star Lord statue inside, but rather the new Temple Keeper, Ma the Lame.

Ma the Lame managed the Changping County Yizhuang for nearly thirty years; it can be said that most of the county's residents have dealt with him. Over thirty years, which family wouldn't have had a few deceased relatives? As a Yizhuang worker, Ma the Lame would collect corpses and perform rituals in the past. When encountering poor families, he would even offer yellow paper, spirit money, and a straw mat on credit. Honestly, among the common folk of Changping County, his reputation is still decent.

But apart from the Changping County Yamen and some wealthy clans, not many people know that the lame old man guarding the Yizhuang is actually a Corpse Dao cultivator, and even among the side-door paths, he is a strong person with some real skills.

Such a Yizhuang worker suddenly becoming a Temple Keeper of a Dao palace naturally made the people of Changping County quite curious.

Especially the poor commoners; if someone in their family passed away and they couldn't afford a burial, they would subconsciously go to Due Palace. Ma the Lame would also provide some help, arranging the placement and encoffining of the coffin and remains at the Yizhuang.

Somehow, this Due Palace actually spread a reputation for being efficacious. If one encountered disaster, sincere prayers could ward it off and help one escape. Consequently, the incense at the Dao palace became quite prosperous.

But in the eyes of a cultivator like Chen Ci, he saw something else.

Spirit Light. The Duer Star Lord Jade Statue inside the statue had actually activated a thin layer of Spirit Light. Although it was very faint, like a phantom, Chen Ci could still distinguish it.

It seems he had overthought it before; as long as one manages it with care, this Star Lord statue, when worshipped with sincere incense, will eventually have Spirit Light emerge.

This man surnamed Ma is truly a talent. Sure enough, there is a specialty in every trade; the level of cultivation is not everything.

Chen Ci nodded with satisfaction. After all, this man surnamed Ma was found by him. If the Temple Keeper put in the effort, it means Old Master Chen put in the effort. If the True Monarch truly considers the hard work and merit in the future, eighty percent should be shared with little Chen.

"Ma Daoyou, I have been busy refining pills recently; this Dao palace has been left to your care, Daoist."

Chen Ci's expression was gentle as he raised his hand in a salute and handed over thirteen pill bottles: "One hundred and fifty Yellow Sprout Pills; please trouble you to notify the Ma Family to come and collect them."

"Understood, Temple Master Chen's pill method is indeed profound."

Ma Laodao reached out to take the pill bottles and set them aside without looking at them, instead saying: "Temple Master Chen, I have a request. Could you convert my entire salary into Nourishing Pills? The Soul Fixing Talisman is no longer needed."

"Naturally, that is fine."

Chen Ci replied with a light laugh. Although he had been working hard in the pill room refining Yellow Sprout Pills this month, he had also sent some Soul Fixing Talismans and Nourishing Pills to Due Palace via Qingfeng. Ma Laodao's salary was five Soul Fixing Talismans and ten Nourishing Pills.

Converting them all into Nourishing Pills would only be twenty pills, so there was no great difference.

However...

Chen Ci's heart stirred slightly. He discovered that the corpse aura and foul aura that had been deeply entangled with the True Qi Ma Laodao cultivated had actually vanished by half, and his aura had become much purer.

Is his own Refined Soul-Fixing Talisman that effective?

"Very good, then I thank Temple Master Chen."

Ma Laodao raised his hand in a return salute. It must be said, after working at the Dao palace for over a month, he really did have a bit more poise than when he was at the Yizhuang.

"Hmm, by the way, Ma Daoyou, tell the Ma Family Village to send more Yellow Dragon Grass and Earth Bright Stone; the difference can be offset with Yellow Sprout Pills."

The Spirit Light of the Star Lord Jade Statue had appeared, and the Yellow Sprout Pills had been handed over, so Chen Ci did not linger. He waved his hand and stood up, preparing to return.

Wandering outside is not as satisfying as going back to draw Soul Fixing Talismans. Whether it is the Soul Fixing Talisman Method, the Golden Scale Wonderful Method, or the Five Ghosts Possession Great Method, one must practice persistently to see results. A day or two, a month or two, or even a year or two of hard work might not necessarily yield results; otherwise, he wouldn't have immediately switched to pill refining to increase his cultivation after sensing the situation was not looking good.

"Easy to say, I understand. I will convey the Temple Master's request to the people of the Ma Family."

Ma Laodao stood up to see him off, following him all the way to the entrance of Due Palace before stopping.

Chen Ci glanced at the commoners offering incense in the Dao palace and was about to leave when he subconsciously felt something was wrong. He turned around and stared at the statue for two glances, scanned the commoners offering incense, and finally fixed his gaze on Ma Laodao, who was turning back.

"Ma Daoyou."

Chen Ci suddenly spoke, calling out to stop Ma Laodao. He wanted to ask something, but stopped, as if organizing his words.

"Temple Master Chen, what is it?"

Ma Laodao stopped and asked curiously.

"Nothing much, it's just..."

Chen Ci pondered for a moment before speaking gently: "It might be presumptuous, but your foot injury, Daoist, seems to have healed?"

"Oh, this?"

Ma Laodao also gave a smile, lifted his foot, and said with some self-satisfaction: "Thanks to the blessing bestowed by the Star Lord of Deliverance, this old Daoist's lame leg finally had the chance to heal. The Star Lord delivers from calamity, and bestows blessings upon believers. Temple Master Chen, if you encounter any disasters or calamities in the future, you may also come to the palace to offer a few sticks of Spirit Incense. I will personally pray for your blessings with sincerity, and surely the disasters will recede on their own."

Chen Ci: "."

"Mm, Daoist, what you say makes sense; I will certainly do so next time."

Chen Ci gave a gentle, approving smile, nodded to acknowledge him, and then departed with flair.

It was just that his pace was a tiny, tiny bit faster.

Chen Ci had finally discovered what was wrong; besides the fact that Ma Laodao's foot injury had healed and he could no longer be called Que Daoren, Ma Laodao's temperament had also inexplicably changed. He no longer resembled a heterodox Corpse Dao cultivator at all, but instead truly looked like a benevolent Temple Keeper, even bearing a slight resemblance to that divine statue.

It wasn't about his appearance; that would be too terrifying.

It was that kind of temperament, even having a bit of an ethereal, dashing, and kind-hearted feeling.

He knew this old Daoist's background; how should one put it, a long-time Corpse Dao cultivator could basically never be kind-hearted.

But how long had it been?

"Star Lord bestows blessings?"

Chen Ci's brows furrowed slightly, feeling a bit uneasy in his heart.

It wasn't that Chen Ci was worried about Ma Laodao; the two of them weren't even close, and looking at Ma Laodao's state, the benefits should outweigh the drawbacks. For a heterodox Corpse Dao cultivator like him, if he could latch onto the thigh of a Primordial Spirit True Monarch from Longhu Mountain, that would truly be good fortune.

Chen Ci was thinking about another matter.

"That... let's just say, those cheap fellow sect members of mine in Xishan Prefecture shouldn't have been completely wiped out, right?"

Master Chen inexplicably swallowed his saliva, feeling that this matter should, probably, have nothing to do with him, right?

(End of this chapter)