Chapter 122: My Strength is Unripe, but Transformation is Inevitable (I)

Luo Chen’s growing confidence wasn’t just because of the Four Symbols Cauldron—though it certainly played a part. The true source of his assurance lay within his own status panel: the Jade Essence pill proficiency had quietly reached Perfection level.

Upon reflection, the pace hadn’t been particularly fast. From the first time he began refining Jade Essence pills until now, several months had passed. The Poshan Gang had provided abundant support—ample manpower, endless medicinal materials, and a stable environment. Were it not for the need to conceal his true alchemical capabilities, Luo Chen suspected his proficiency might have already broken through to Grandmaster level.

At Perfection level, the stable success rate was forty percent, with all produced pills being mid-grade. Through careful manipulation, Luo Chen ensured only half of those were publicly revealed. The other half—his hidden harvest—was quietly stashed away. These extra mid-grade pills supported his personal cultivation needs, especially his daily spiritual energy consumption and spell practice.

The extra mid-grade Jade Essence pills he produced were conveniently siphoned off for his own use, sustaining his daily consumption of enchanting power.

At noon, as expected, Mi Junping personally came to the Alchemy Hall. She stared intently at Luo Chen, trying to find any resemblance between him and either herself or Mi Shuhua. In the end, she abandoned the idea that Luo Chen might be Mi Shuhua’s illegitimate son.

However, the treatment of four bottles of Dust Transformation pills and a box of calming incense every month truly pained her. Even herself, a Foundation Establishment cultivator Mi Shuhua’s biological daughter, had never enjoyed such benefits.

Luo Chen paid no mind to her thoughts and resumed his pill-refining in the afternoon after a short rest. He still needed to familiarize himself with the Four Symbols Cauldron, so he didn’t let anyone else assist today.

The success rate in the afternoon wasn’t great; only twenty Jade Essence pills were produced out of the four batches of materials in one cauldron with the rest being waste beads.

Luo Chen secretly pocketed ten pills and handed the rest over to the alchemists for storage. If Mi Shuhua ever found out about Luo Chen’s embezzling, he would probably brandish the Heavenly Moon Golden Wheel to teach him a harsh lesson.

***

That night, beneath the cover of darkness, a figure descended into the earth via a concealed mine shaft.

Clang!

The low-grade Purple Cloud Copper Furnace landed in the spirit vein cavern as Luo Chen began to take out batches of high-quality firewood he had secretly taken from the Alchemy Hall. He lit the fire and began preparing essence nurturing liquid, letting the flickering flames illuminate the cavern walls.

As the fire crackled and smoke curled upward, Luo Chen reached for his chest instinctively.

It had been exactly one month since his breakthrough to the seventh stage of Qi-Refining. With the aid of the meridian repair liquid, the injuries he had sustained during his advancement were now completely healed. In fact, not only had his meridians recovered—they were stronger, wider, and more resilient than before.

If he were to face another violent surge of spirit energy like the one from his last breakthrough, he was confident he could withstand it with ease.

This was good news!

The tougher his meridians became, the more pills Luo Chen could refine without risking damage. Even if he couldn’t immediately absorb all the spirit energy, the surplus could be temporarily stored in his now broadened, more resilient meridians. That alone justified the large number of mid-grade Jade Essence pills he had been quietly skimming from each batch.

Still, a thought crossed his mind

—Maybe I shouldn’t rely so heavily on mid-grade Jade Essence pills?

The issue of medicinal resistance lingered in his thoughts. If he could hold out a few more days without them, perhaps he could begin secretly refining top-grade Jade Essence pills for personal use. That would not only maximize his cultivation but reduce waste and dependency on lower-tier resources.

While he mulled over these things, the essence nurturing liquid had finished brewing. Stripping off his clothes, Luo Chen stepped barefoot into the steaming copper cauldron. Another night of stewing himself like an herbal soup.

As the warmth seeped deep into his flesh and his blood surged with medicinal energy, Luo Chen pulled out an incense burner.

"This must be the birthday gift Tang Quan gave me," he murmured. A rare flicker of fondness crossed his features. "That kid’s more thoughtful than he looks. Maybe I should consider letting him take over part of the Myriad Wonders pill production in the future."

With a soft smile, he lit a stick of calming incense, letting its faint fragrance drift through the steamy air. Sinking deeper into the heat, he swallowed a Dust Transformation pill, activated the Long Spring Art, and emptied his mind until it was as still as a mountain pool.

In this state of total focus, the night passed in the blink of an eye.

When Luo Chen opened his eyes again, Luo Chen fell into deep thought.

At the sixth stage of Qi-Refining, his daily regimen consisted of two qi-nourishing pills, one portion of essence nurturing liquid, a few low-grade Jade Essence pills, and seven full cycles of Long Spring Art, always accompanied by calming incense. With this setup, cultivating in the spirit vein cavern would yield two full points of advancement per session.

Now, things were different. He was at the seventh stage of Qi-Refining!

The qi-nourishing pills had been replaced by Dust Transformation pills, which were twice as effective. He still took two. A portion of essence nurturing liquid, low-grade Jade Essence pills swapped for mid-grade ones, and still seven cycles of Long Spring Art.

It could be said that Luo Chen had done his utmost to optimize his cultivation resources.

However, after an entire night had passed, his progress bar had only ticked from (1/100) to (2/100) after a full night of cultivation.

"So even though my resources nearly doubled... my efficiency has halved," Luo Chen muttered.

"Is this what they mean by higher cultivation realms requiring exponentially more time to cultivate?" Luo Chen sighed in reflection but felt no frustration.

He had expected this outcome. Still, experiencing it firsthand solidified the reality. There was no shortcut. The eighth and ninth stages would only be more grueling.

And it made sense. If advancing through the latter stages of Qi-Refining were simple, the Dahe Market wouldn’t be littered with tens of thousands of rogue cultivators still stuck in the early stages. Among them, only a few hundred had even reached the seventh stage.

People like Sikong Shoujia and Qin Liangchen, who had reached the ninth stage, were no longer considered ordinary rogue cultivators. They had titles, responsibilities, or even their own venture within the Poshan Gang.

The true average was represented not by the elites, but by the quiet workers in the Medicine Hall, or the alchemy assistants in the Alchemy Hall—those who represented the average cultivation realms in Dahe Market.

Emerging from the spirit vein cavern, Luo Chen stacked a fresh pile of rocks over the entrance as he always did, careful to hide all traces.

But just as he reached the midpoint of the mine shaft and prepared to ascend, a sudden thought struck him like a cold breeze.

What if something happens? What if I get trapped down here... and no one knows where I’ve gone?

Surveying his surroundings, Luo Chen recalled that the known mine exits all led to the center of Crescent Moon Valley. If something ever happened to the Alchemy Hall, those exits would offer little safety.

His eyes drifted toward the three mine tunnels he had explored long ago—remote paths that snaked away from the main routes.

Perhaps I should find time to clear one or two of them and create alternative exits,

he thought.

With that idea lodged in his mind, Luo Chen returned to his stone hut, dismantled the formations, replaced several depleted spirit stones, and wandered out into the valley.

The outer districts had grown chaotic in recent days, and many cultivators had opted to stay overnight in the stone houses built along the valley walls rather than risk traveling home. By early morning, the valley was already bustling with activity.

Rustle, rustle......

"The snow is so thick," Luo Chen murmured, crunching through the fresh layer underfoot.

He didn’t use the Wind-Control this time. Instead, he walked slowly, deliberately, letting his feet sink into the snow. After a night of intense cultivation, a leisurely stroll and some fresh air were exactly what he needed to relax his mind and body.

Leaning against a railing, he gazed out at the scene below, appearing as though he were contemplating some profound Daoist principle.

"Little Luo, what are you thinking about?" came a voice, clear and melodious like a flowing stream.

Without turning, Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Nothing much. Sister-in-law, you’re here early."

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"I didn’t go home yesterday," Murong Qinglian replied, stepping up beside him and stretching languidly. "Someone has to watch over the Medicine Hall."

Her curvaceous figure drew Luo Chen’s eyes for a brief moment—his gaze lingering just a second longer than it should have.

Murong caught it instantly. "Well, well, were you spying on the female cultivators of our Medicine Hall?" she teased.

Ahem, ahem!

Luo Chen cleared his throat and straightened his posture. "Of course not! I was just... curious about the spirit botanists' cultivation techniques."

Murong Qinglian laughed—light, free, like blossoms fluttering in the wind. "Oh really? Should I collect a few spirit planting techniques for you, then?"

"That wouldn’t be bad!" Luo Chen replied earnestly.

In truth, many of his skills were already at the Perfect or Grandmaster level. Learning a few spiritual planting techniques could help him earn additional achievement points. Besides, it was common for alchemists to manage a personal herb garden. Which alchemist didn’t have their own small herb garden?

Murong tapped him lightly on the forehead. "You really know how to put on a show."

After thinking for a moment, Murong Qinglian spoke more seriously, "Little Luo, I know the female cultivators in the Medicine Hall quite well. They may not have high cultivation realms, but they’re mostly clean, upright, and kind-hearted. They’d rather earn their spirit stones through hard work here than go to sordid places like Tianxiang Tower or Chunchao Pavilion."

Luo Chen blinked, caught off guard. "Sister-in-law, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"You’re not that young anymore," she said, more directly this time. "And with your spirit roots... Well, why not settle down while you’re still strong and full of potential?"

Once she made her point, Murong Qinglian became visibly invested in the idea.

"From a practical perspective, you’re so busy every day that you don’t even get to go home. Having a Dao companion could help with many things, or at the very least, keep you warm during the cold winter nights.

She leaned closer. "And long term, it makes even more sense. Find a Dao companion, have a child with spirit roots, train them for ten years or so, and send them to a sect. If you’re lucky, they might reach Foundation Establishment in twenty or thirty years, and you’ll still have time to reap the rewards."

Luo Chen finally understood. She was here to urge him to get married. Maybe she even wanted to play matchmaker.

Luo Chen laughed, shaking his head. "You know what? The more I hear, the more it makes sense."

“Right?” Murong Qinglian’s face lit up like the morning sun. “Tell me what kind of person you like, and I’ll help you find someone.”

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, lips curving into a mischievous smile. “I like someone whose eyes curve when they smile... not too slim, a bit more curvaceous.”

Murong Qinglian tilted her head thoughtfully.

Ah, so he prefers the fuller-figured type!

“They should be bold and generous,” Luo Chen continued, growing more animated, “not petty or narrow-minded.”

A reasonable request, Murong thought. As the Hall Leader of the Alchemy Hall, Luo Chen regularly dealt with important figures. Someone petty would only cause trouble.

“They must also be kind to me,” Luo Chen added, “know how to cook soup, prepare meals, and give me advice to keep me on the right path.”

Before she could mentally cross-reference the Medicine Hall roster to see if any candidates matched, Luo Chen added with a casual tone that nearly made her choke.

“Oh—and their cultivation realm can’t be too low. At least the ninth stage of Qi-Refining. Like you, Sister-in-law!”

Murong Qinglian froze mid-step, blinked, then burst out laughing as she covered her mouth. “You cheeky brat! Aren’t you afraid your Brother Qin will beat you up?”

Luo Chen puffed out his chest with mock bravado. “Hmph, beat me? I may be weak now, but when I grow stronger, things will change!”

“Change my foot!”

A furious shout rang out from above—Qin Liangchen’s voice, sharp as a sword. A cascade of snow came raining down from the upper balcony, smacking against the railing and showering over Luo Chen’s head like icy justice.

Luo Chen’s face was drained of color. “Crap!”

He turned on his heel and bolted, slipping and sliding as he fled down the snowy path.

Behind him, Murong Qinglian was doubled over in laughter, her peals echoing through Crescent Moon Valley, while Qin Liangchen stood above, face dark with fury and arms crossed, watching his sworn brother disappear into the snow.