In the southwestern corner of the outer city.

As the area closest to the Howling Moon Mountains, this part of the city always had the fewest residents.

The reason was obvious, the dominant demon clan of the Howling Moon Mountains was made up of wolves, swift as the wind and viciously bloodthirsty.

Even though high-tier wolf demons feared the formations protecting Dahe Market and dared not cross the boundary, one or two unintelligent ones would occasionally wander in.

This was why Luo Chen never dared to waste his spirit power recklessly here, always ensuring he had enough reserves to escape.

Normally, very few cultivators came to this area, but today, a large crowd unexpectedly gathered. At the forefront stood a short and stocky cultivator, his weathered face etched with a ruthlessness that radiated even when his eyes were closed.

"Are you sure it's here?"

"Second Brother Gao, according to the Tracking Aura Disk, the residual aura is strongest here. Ting'e must have stayed here for quite some time."

It had been five or six days since the Dajiang Gang's sudden assault on the seven branches of the Poshan Gang.

The Poshan Gang had suffered heavy losses in that battle. However, compared to the Dajiang Gang's losses in the mountains, the casualties on both sides were about equal.

If this continued, it would become unbearable for some rogue cultivators who had only joined the factions to make a living. And these were the people who made up the majority of the factions. Thus, Poshan Gang's leader, Mi Shuhua, stepped forward to attempt peace talks.

The results of the negotiations were unknown, but at least there would be no large-scale conflict in the short term.

As the second-in-command of the Dajiang Gang, Gao Tingyuan finally had time to deal with his scoundrel of a younger brother, Gao Ting'e.

Gao Ting'e had been missing for several days! A mid stage Qi-Refining cultivator disappearing for several days in the outer city of Dahe Market without a word was self-explanatory.

Gao Tingyuan was anxious. He sought out the expert responsible for river transport and began tracking his younger brother's whereabouts. In the end, he arrived here.

Gao Tingyuan stared at the scorched ground and then at a nearby ruin that had nearly burned to ashes. It was clear that a fierce battle had taken place here.

Moreover, the means to create such devastation were undoubtedly the Sunburst talisman Gao Ting'e had purchased from the black market.

The strong presence of Earth Shield energy suggested that the Earth Shield talisman had also been activated.

Gao Tingyuan's expression grew darker. "The Sunburst talisman was used, and so was the Earth Shield. If this was just to kill someone like Zhou San, it's absolutely impossible."

He glanced at the ruin nearby.

"Who lived here?"

"A rogue cultivator named Luo Chen. He used to run errands for people and later started selling fasting pills."

"What's his cultivation realm?"

"Third stage of Qi-Refining, just a brokeass. He lived here to save on rent, half a spirit stone a month."

"Where is he?"

"Haven't found him yet. Apparently, he's usually reclusive and doesn't interact much with his neighbors."

A third stage Qi-Refining rogue cultivator couldn't possibly pose any threat to a fifth stage Qi-Refining cultivator, especially someone like Gao Ting'e, who was loaded with treasures.

"Can you trace where my younger brother's last aura was located?"

The cultivator nearby intensified his infusion of spirit power, causing the tracking disk in his hand to tremble and vibrate, finally stopping with its pointer aimed straight ahead.

"In the mountains!

"Let's go, follow me in and take a look.

"But we don't know anything about the situation in the mountains!"

"Hm?"

Under Gao Tingyuan's intense gaze, the other cultivators reluctantly followed him into the mountains.

They crossed a weedy wasteland, gradually making their way into the dense forest.

In the dense forest, traces of spirit energy had already begun to appear, making the group of cultivators uneasy. Even Gao Tingyuan seemed uncertain.

The Great Million Mountains of the Eastern Wilderness were overwhelmingly rich in resources. Yet after thousands of years, human cultivators had only developed less than one percent of its area.

Rumor had it that the mountains were home to countless third-tier demon kings and fourth-tier demon emperors, with even ancient demons lurking in the depths.

What rogue cultivators called mountain hunting was really just minor skirmishes on the outermost regions.

Encountering a second-tier demonic beast usually meant fleeing in panic, though most wouldn't make it out alive.

The Poshan Gang's firm grip on businesses in the mountainous areas came from early sacrifices. Countless lives were sacrificed to map out the territories of second-tier demonic beasts. Yet even so, every mountain expedition required extreme caution.

"Something's not right, Brother Gao."

"What is it?"

"The tracking disk is going haywire."

"What do you mean?"

Gao Tingyuan looked at the tracking disk; its pointer was spinning wildly, pointing east one moment and west the next.

In just a short while, it had pointed to four or five different directions.

"This has happened before. A brother in the gang was killed, his body cut into pieces and fed to several big fish…"

The cultivator holding the tracking disk spoke softer and softer.

Because Gao Tingyuan's expression had darkened.

The oppressive atmosphere perfectly matched the forest's eerie vibe.

After a long pause, he ground his teeth and said, "Good! Good! Good! Not only did you kill my brother, but you desecrated his corpse. Don't let me find you!"

"So, Brother Gao, what do we do now?"

"We're heading back!"

The group breathed a sigh of relief, their steps noticeably lighter as they made their way back.

Passing by the ruins, Gao Tingyuan paused, his stocky frame halting briefly.

"Inform Old Wu to investigate if any late-stage Qi-Refining cultivators from the Poshan Gang came here that night, and check the fifth stage ones too.

"Also, look into that rogue cultivator who lived here. If he's still alive, bring him to me.

"Don't let me find you, you scum. I'll make you wish you were dead!"

After saying this, he sent out a flash of light powered with spirit energy.

Within the light, an enchanted artifact faintly appeared, transforming into a blue flood dragon that slammed into the ruins. The only remaining half-wall sank three chi into the ground, leaving just a jagged corner exposed.

Luo Chen had no idea that his old home had just taken another hit from a flood dragon.

In fact, even if he knew, he could only applaud it.

When he had salvaged some items from the house, he had added a few more fireballs to burn it down more thoroughly, ensuring no traces were left behind.

As for Zhou San and Gao Ting'e, the two brokeasses whose names he didn't know, his method of dealing with them had been simple.

He had cut them into pieces, added a special medicinal herb mixture, lightly roasted them over the fire that burned the house, and tossed them into the forest. This type of 'roast meat' was particularly attractive to wolves and canine-type demonic beasts.

***

Since then, he never used that recipe again, fearing it might attract even stronger demonic beasts. After dealing with the bodies, he found a hiding spot and headed straight to the inner city the next day.

As for whether it would be discovered later, he decided to leave that for the future. Luo Chen didn't have time to dwell on these matters now; all he wanted was to refine pills.

The materials, costing as much as two hundred Spirit Stones, had already been prepared. The refining of the Myriad Wonders pill was back on track.

Based on his past experience, his success rate hovered around ten percent. But this time, in just the first five days of refining, he had succeeded twice in a row. The success rate had soared to forty percent!

How could he not be ecstatic?

However, as he continued refining, the initial joy gradually faded.

Five consecutive failures made him realize that his earlier successes had just been a lucky streak.

To truly improve his success rate and reduce costs, he needed to raise his proficiency with the Myriad Wonders pill.

"Almost there, almost there!"

Luo Chen glanced at his status panel

Myriad Wonders pill: Beginner (91/100)

One more success, and he could level up.

The feeling of being rewarded for hard work was simply exhilarating.

Even his daily routine of casting fireballs at the corner of the yard and replenishing the soil felt more fulfilling than before.

He still failed several more times.

Even so, he said to himself, "This time, I'm definitely going to succeed."

Luo Chen, wearing a new apron, lit incense before a freshly molded statue of The Holy Ruler Deity Guan. He even placed two bibhitaki fruits beside it. [1]

He believed his recent failures were because he had forgotten to make offerings to Holy Ruler Deity Guan.

The Gentle Smoke and Sparse Rain Incense continued to operate, and Luo Chen had to admit that this enchanted artifact from Tianfan City was truly ingenious.

Even though Luo Chen was used to the various smells of pill refining, the scent that emerged before the Myriad Wonders pill solidified still made him uncomfortable. But with this enchanted artifact, he no longer had to endure the torment of such noxious fumes.

By afternoon, Luo Chen carefully lifted the pot's lid.

A bright red, jelly-like substance greeted him, and Luo Chen's expression softened.

"It's done, Holy Ruler Deity Guan! We're the champions!"

The first thing he did was check his status panel.

Myriad Wonders pill: Skilled (101/200)

At the moment his skill level upgraded, Luo Chen vaguely felt like a barrier had been shattered. Insights he had never experienced before flowed into his mind under the system's enhancement, slowly absorbed and understood. Details he had previously overlooked now stood out one by one.

Luo Chen felt that if he were to refine another batch of Myriad Wonders pills, he could refine the details even further and significantly improve his success rate.

Creak!

The wooden door suddenly swung open.

A radiant and confident face peeked in.

Gu Caiyi's eyes lit up. "You're home, as expected. I bought some spirit fruits at the Spirit Source Pavilion. Want to try?"

Spirit fruits from the Spirit Source Pavilion!

Of course, he had to try them. Luo Chen had no concept of being shy.

Gu Caiyi pushed the door fully open and finally noticed Luo Chen standing at the stove, wearing an apron. While handing Luo Chen a large green fruit, she craned her neck to peek into the pot.

"What are you cooking up this time? Meat jelly? Why does it smell so medicinal?"

Luo Chen took the fruit and bit into it.

It was juicy, not particularly rich in spirit energy, but deliciously sweet.

The taste was leagues better than the wild hawthorns he'd been eating recently.

"It's not food; it's a pill I'm refining. Hey, don't touch, it's hot," he said casually.

Gu Caiyi looked utterly bewildered.

Pointing at the iron pot, she asked, questioning reality, "You can refine pills with this thing?"

1. Bibhitaki known as one of the three key components of the ancient Triphala formulation, its detoxifying and strengthening properties, benefiting both physical and spirit well-being. The fruit is also symbolic in cultivation worlds for enhancing spirit energy, aiding alchemists in crafting elixirs that fortify one's foundation or improve mental clarity. ☜