Chapter 110: Mid-Grade Jade Essence Pill (I)

At the sharp, piercing crow of a rooster, Luo Chen slowly opened his drowsy eyes. Morning light filtered through the window lattice, and a cool autumn breeze stirred the faint scent of dew in the air.

Stretching lazily, he stepped out into the courtyard, drew a bucket of well water, and washed up quickly. The chill of the water helped clear away the remnants of sleep.

To his surprise, Duan Feng was already up, standing in the courtyard with a flying sword in his hand, meticulously wiping it down.

"What are you doing?" Luo Chen asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"My enchanted artifact was damaged," Duan Feng replied flatly. "Just cleaning it up and preparing to buy materials for repairs."

"You can repair enchanted artifacts?" Luo Chen blinked in disbelief.

The answer left him stunned, but a moment later, understanding flickered in his gaze. "Ah, right. You’re from the Duan family. I’ve heard they have an Ice-Fire Spirit Spring and are specialized for artifact forging."

At the mention of the Duan family, Duan Feng’s expression stiffened visibly. The atmosphere in the courtyard turned cold.

Luo Chen sensed it immediately—this wasn’t a fond family relationship. If things had been harmonious, Duan Feng wouldn’t be living in a rented room in the inner city, battling his way through Dahe Market alone.

For a ninth-stage Qi-Refining cultivator, life wasn’t exactly easy without the backing of a sect or family. Without a specialty skill or steady support, earning spirit stones could be a daily struggle.

And judging by how Duan Feng not only competed on the Debate Platform but also ventured into the mountains to hunt demonic beasts—it was clear he wasn’t exactly living the cushy life.

Luo Chen chuckled awkwardly, quickly shifting the topic. "By the way, that Yangwu chicken of yours... it lays eggs, so it should be a hen, right? Then why does it crow every morning?"

"It’s a hermaphrodite," Duan Feng replied, his tone calm as always. "It has a trace of ancestral bloodline reversion."

Luo Chen raised his brows, intrigued. Duan Feng’s gaze softened, a rare flicker of nostalgia shining through..

"My mother spent years gathering rare spirit herbs to help the chicken evolve into a second-tier spirit beast. She hoped it would fully revert to its bloodline and become a Phoenix-Crowing Yangwu Chicken. Sadly, she never succeeded."

A pill capable of triggering bloodline regression in a spirit beast... that was an extraordinary thing. Such alchemy was beyond the reach of most ordinary families.

Moreover, Luo Chen had heard from Big Brother Qin that Duan Feng's branch of the Duan family was not well-regarded. It was unlikely they could wield much influence.

After a moment of quiet reflection, Luo Chen chatted a bit more with Duan Feng before preparing to leave. Just as he turned to go, a thought tugged at him.

He hesitated, then turned back. "You said you can repair enchanted artifacts?"

"Simple repairs are no problem." Duan Feng replied.

"Then, can you fix this knife?" Luo Chen asked as he retrieved a small wooden knife from his storage pouch.

It was one of the sub-blades from his set of jade blades, which had been damaged during yesterday's fight with the Grayleaf Wolf.

It was one of the sub-blades from Luo Chen’s jade blade set—damaged during yesterday’s battle with the Grayleaf Wolf. At the time, he had assumed it just needed a bit of spirit power to recover. But after leaving it to rest overnight, he was surprised to find its spirit light had dimmed even further. If left untreated, that sub-blade would eventually crumble. And once that happened, the overall power of his blade formation would suffer considerably.

Taking the wooden knife, Duan Feng inspected it carefully before saying coolly, "I can fix it, but it will need a piece of jade wood core. Those sell for five spirit stones apiece in the market."

Luo Chen’s eyes lit up. “Then I’ll leave it to you!”

Without hesitation, he handed over five spirit stones. Then, after a moment’s pause, he pulled out another five and placed them in Duan Feng’s hand.

“Hm?” Duan Feng raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting the tip.

“The extra’s your fee,” Luo Chen said with a grin. “You're doing me a favor.”

Duan Feng was silent for a moment before eventually accepting the additional five spirit stones.

Seeing this, Luo Chen gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder. “Even though you’re older than me, I’ve definitely spent more time out in the market. Let me give you a tip—earning spirit stones doesn’t always mean risking your life out in the wild. You’ve got a skill. Use it. Hunting demonic beasts is way too dangerous.”

Duan Feng gave a slow nod but then took a deep breath and replied, “No. You don’t understand.”

With those words, he turned and shut his door behind him, the conversation abruptly cut short.

Watching Duan Feng's solitary and stubborn figure retreat, Luo Chen scratched his head.

What don't I understand?

he thought.

You look like you're bearing a deep grudge. Maybe you're plotting to perfect some ultimate combat technique and take revenge on someone. And that target of vengeance is probably someone from your Duan family!

Such a clichéd story. Of course, I get it!

Luo Chen chuckled to himself.

***

In the Alchemy Hall, the team was assembled.

Twenty apprentices, ten fire handlers, and a handful of newly trained cultivators stood in neat rows, poised for duty. At the front of the group were Gu Caiyi and Sikong Shoujia, flanking the forefront was Hall Leader Luo Chen.

At this moment, Luo Chen was inspecting the alchemy rooms alone. He moved methodically through each of the three refurbished chambers, taking note of every detail. After a short while, he emerged from the last room, his expression calm but serious.

“The renovations are complete. Everything’s ready for the next phase of Jade Essence pill refinement.”

He paused, then swept his gaze across the assembled team.

“But let me be absolutely clear—especially you fire handlers—listen closely. I am still not fully proficient in refining the Jade Essence pill. The chances of failure are high, and that includes furnace explosions. If anything looks off, you run. Immediately. Understood?”

He raised his voice as he added sharply, “What are you staring at? If you die in the alchemy room, I’m not responsible!”

Startled, the entire team jolted to attention. They hadn’t expected such a stern tone from the usually easygoing Hall Leader.

“Yes, we understand!” they replied in unison.

The final line was delivered with stern authority. Even Gu Caiyi looked mildly surprised by the sudden shift in tone, while Sikong Shoujia arched an eyebrow with interest. In his mind, he quietly noted the change.

He’s developing presence,

Sikong thought.

Perhaps this is the demeanor that comes with holding responsibility

.

“Alright,” Luo Chen continued, his tone softening. “Apprentices, bring in all the materials needed for the Jade Essence pill. Arrange them exactly as I instructed. No mistakes.”

As they worked, Luo Chen rubbed his temples with a sigh. A trace of fatigue showed on his face. He pulled up his status panel with a mental flick, scanning it quickly.

After an entire month of relentless effort, dozens of failures, and only a handful of hard-earned successes, the proficiency for the Jade Essence pill had finally advanced.

Jade Essence Pill: Skilled (101/200)

To be completely honest, Luo Chen had little confidence in starting a large-scale refinement with his current skill level.“Skilled” proficiency wasn’t enough—not when each batch of Jade Essence pills could cost a small fortune in materials. But unfortunately, he had no choice. Mi Shuhua was getting impatient.

The man had invested heavily in Luo Chen—resources, pills, and even a jade scroll containing his personal Foundation Establishment cultivation insights. It was only a matter of time before he began expecting returns. And if Luo Chen couldn’t deliver? Well, the wrath of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was not something he wanted to experience firsthand.

Thus, he had to push himself to hasten the pace of refining Jade Essence pills.

Still, despite the urgency, Luo Chen remained true to his principles. He was, after all, a decent man who had undergone nine years of formal education in his previous life; he understood the value of human life above all else.

Even if he had to accelerate the pace of refinement, he absolutely refused to risk the lives of his apprentices and fire handlers in the process.

Safety came first.

"I hope everything goes smoothly," he muttered, flicked his sleeves, and strode into the largest alchemy room.

***

"Increase the fire! The temperature isn’t high enough!

"Idiot! Didn’t I already teach you the Flame Manipulation? Split your Fireball in half, not just dump it all at once!"

"Hall Leader! There’s a burnt smell coming from the second alchemy room!"

"Maintain the firepower here—I’ll go check it out.

"It's ruined. This furnace is wasted. Remove the scraps. Mi Li, get someone to clean the alchemy furnace and prepare for the next batch."

"Hall Leader! The furnace in room three is shaking like crazy!"

"Why are you standing there like an idiot? Tell everyone to evacuate!"

By the time the sun reached its peak, the entire morning had gone up in smoke—figuratively and literally. Not a single successful batch. Every attempt at refining Jade Essence pills had failed.

Luo Chen stood silently, his expression dark and unreadable. A tense air filled the hall, and no one dared meet his eyes. The apprentices and handlers buried themselves in their tasks, trying not to attract any attention.

After a quick lunch, Luo Chen took a short break to clear his mind and adjust his mood.

In the afternoon, he decided not to continue refining Jade Essence pills but instead directed Mi Li and Tang Quan to work on fasting concoctions. This time, he handed over control to the apprentices. They would lead the process, with Luo Chen merely observing from the sidelines and offering occasional guidance.

To his surprise, this method lifted his spirits.

Indeed, there was joy in doing what one was truly good at. And for now, pill refinement—particularly the fasting concoction—remained his greatest source of satisfaction.

With more hands on deck and a larger number of furnaces in use, the afternoon alchemy session brought a change in fortune. While there were still a few failures, several batches succeeded as well. The sight of freshly molded fasting pills lifted not just Luo Chen’s spirits, but everyone else’s too.

The morning’s string of failures had weighed heavily on the entire team. The apprentices and fire handlers had been walking on eggshells, fearing Luo Chen’s wrath or worse—disappointment. But now, the gloom had eased.

"Alright, that’s it for today. We’ll resume tomorrow," Luo Chen announced, his voice calm and composed. He glanced at the fasting concoctions, nodding slightly. "These are of average quality. No need to store them in the pill repository. Just distribute them to the brothers in the combat hall."

This was standard policy, as laid out by Mi Shuhua himself. Low-grade fasting pills were considered a basic welfare benefit for gang members. Of course, this only applied to the low-grade fasting concoctions. If they were of mid-grade or high-grade, they still had to pay the internal price to purchase them.

After handling these matters, Luo Chen went back into the alchemy room.

Outside the door, Gu Caiyi was waiting. "Not going home today?" she asked.

"No. I’ll be staying here for now," he replied without hesitation.

"I see. Then I’ll take my leave."

She turned to go, but Luo Chen’s voice called after her. "Oh, if you see Duan Feng, ask if my enchanted artifact’s been repaired. If it’s ready, just bring it back for me. I’ll be here for the next few days."

Gu Caiyi paused, then gave a faint nod. As she walked down the stone steps, she couldn't help but glance back once more.

Something about Luo Chen had changed. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it—it wasn’t his tone, nor his words, but a certain air about him. A quiet focus, a steadiness. The kind that came from being fully immersed in something meaningful.

Could it be that he hadn't really cared about the Alchemy Hall's matters before?

She mulled over the thought as she made her way home.

Meanwhile, in the alchemy room, Luo Chen stood alone before the great cauldron. A fresh batch of Jade Essence pills gleamed in the dim firelight—twenty of them, pristine and luminous with a subtle jade sheen.

He let out a long breath. "With the proficiency now at Skilled level, the completion rate has finally hit twenty percent. Looks like we’re getting somewhere.

"After so many failures today, I almost started doubting myself."

Shaking his head, Luo Chen casually tossed a Jade Essence pill into his mouth, chewing it like it was candy.

Stealing a taste? No way!

This was just the chef testing his dish, nothing more!

Exiting the alchemy room, he found the hall nearly empty. Only a few late-stage cultivators remained on duty, patrolling the area. They were technically assigned to the Alchemy Hall but hailed from the three combat halls, sent as guards. Luo Chen had little interest in mingling with them.

Instead, he walked over to the cliffside platform outside the stone hall, pulled out his copy of

The Treatise on Green Origin Pills

, and settled down at a stone table to study under the open sky.

“Last time, I only learned the Jade Fracture,” Luo Chen murmured, flipping through the jade scroll. “This time, I need to focus on mastering the Unadorned Heart.”

The Jade Fracture was a technique specialized for handling mineral materials. It was because of this technique that Luo Chen had been able to efficiently process washed jade. But the Unadorned Heart was different—it was specifically designed for processing low-tier herbs.

Though Luo Chen no longer personally handled every batch of medicinal ingredients, there were certain herbs that could not be pre-processed in advance. It was said that some high-tier spirit herbs or fruits needed to be processed for alchemy immediately after picking. Otherwise, they would absorb impurities from the earth, rendering their medicinal properties useless.

The Jade Essence pill didn’t pose such challenges for now, but there was no guarantee Luo Chen wouldn't encounter a pill recipe requiring this technique in the future. It was better to learn the technique early than be unprepared when the time came.

After thoroughly memorizing the Unadorned Heart until he could recite it backward, Luo Chen fetched a handful of inexpensive herbs from the storage and began to practice.

There were successes. There were failures. But above all, Luo Chen was completely immersed in the joy of refining.

From time to time, patrolling cultivators passed by the alchemy hall, pausing when they saw Luo Chen hard at work. They noted it with some admiration and carried the news onward.

Late into the night, Luo Chen quietly carried a Purple Cloud Copper Furnace from the alchemy room back to his stone house. Activating the formation array for privacy, he lifted the floor slab and descended once more into the winding tunnels of the mine.

Several turns later, he arrived at the secluded spirit vein cavern.

I wonder if refining essence nurturing liquid directly here will affect the purity of the spirit vein's energy?

As he pondered, Luo Chen had already finished his preparations.

In the somewhat cramped cavern, the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace burned fiercely for a while. The surging heat caused Luo Chen to sweat profusely even with his defensive robe activated.

But he paid no attention, continuously monitoring the concentration of spirit energy in the area. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he remained focused, eyes glowing faintly as his Grandmaster level Spirit Eyes monitored the flow of ambient spirit energy in real-time.

Three hours later, the flames died down, and the furnace's temperature gradually cooled.

Luo Chen let out a long breath. "No issues!"

Next, he began his cultivation within the cavern.