Due to channeling spirit energy and consuming pills, cultivators would often have appearances that don't match their age. Therefore, in the cultivation world, the last thing one should do is judge a person by their looks.

Luo Chen didn’t know what kind of spirit roots Gu Caiyi had. But during a conversation with Bai Meiling, he inquired about her age.

He remembered that Gu Caiyi was already thirty-seven years old. Being thirty-seven and at the eighth stage of Qi-Refining wasn’t too bad, but it wasn’t exceptional either. Her aptitude wasn’t poor, but it wasn’t outstanding enough to be recruited into a sect.

Yet in just a few days of not seeing her, she had actually broken through to ninth stage Qi-Refining.

This left Luo Chen utterly astonished.

"How did you manage that? Did you take spirit pills?"

"Hehe, you guessed right."

Gu Caiyi pouted and said, "Recently, I don’t know why, but Dahe Market has seen an influx of new faces, including some Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"Zhongding Restaurant and our Tianxiang Tower have become their most frequented spots.

"Unlike us Qi-Refining cultivators, pills are nothing to Foundation Establishment cultivators. Recently, we performed a new dance, and it delighted a late-stage Foundation Establishment grand cultivator. He casually rewarded us with a bottle of Dust Transformation pills."

Luo Chen’s eyes widened. "Dust Transformation pills?"

"Looks like you’re not entirely ignorant."

Of course, Luo Chen wasn’t foolish enough not to know about Dust Transformation pills.

These were supreme-grade pills for the Qi-Refining Realm, with the power to transcend the mundane.

One pill had medicinal efficacy several times greater than qi-nourishing pills of the same tier and sold for ten times the price!

In fact, when low-tier cultivators couldn’t find Foundation Establishment pills, they often used Dust Transformation pills to attempt a breakthrough.

Though not as effective as Foundation Establishment pills, they still offered some results.

"We received one bottle of Dust Transformation pills, and everyone got one. As the lead dancer, I was given two."

Gu Caiyi smiled smugly. "Over the past two days, I stayed at the Feather Garment Pavilion and used those two pills to break through to ninth stage Qi-Refining."

"Is Tianxiang Tower still hiring?" Luo Chen’s tone turned sour as envy glimmered in his eyes.

"What would you do? Be a guard?"

"Nonsense! I have been multi-talented since young, both singing and dancing!"

"Alright, I’ll stop teasing you." Gu Caiyi’s expression grew serious. "With so many unfamiliar cultivators arriving, I wanted to let you know that something might be happening in Dahe Market. Be careful when going out and don’t offend anyone you shouldn’t."

Luo Chen nodded solemnly.

Foreign cultivators were the most concerning. They had no roots here and didn’t care about Dahe Market’s rules. Sometimes, they killed in a fit of anger and fled a thousand miles away, beyond the jurisdiction of Jade Cauldron Sect’s stationed cultivators.

In the quiet night, Luo Chen reflected on the events of the day, feeling conflicted.

Others had so effortlessly advanced to ninth stage Qi-Refining, just one step away from Foundation Establishment. Meanwhile, he was still struggling at fourth stage Qi-Refining. The stark disparity left him forcing a smile while feeling bitter inside.

Yet, despite his bitterness, Luo Chen was genuinely happy for Gu Caiyi.

Ever since he moved here, this woman had been exceptionally kind to him. She always greeted him when passing by, giving him, a nobody in the cultivation world, a sense of existence. When she learned about his struggles with alchemy tools, she used her connections to help him procure an affordable and high-quality alchemy furnace.

Now that Gu Caiyi had made a breakthrough, he genuinely felt happy for her.

However, I can’t afford to slack off either. These recent leisurely days seem to have dulled my edge.

Gu Caiyi’s aptitude is undoubtedly better than mine, yet she still works hard to earn cultivation resources. Meanwhile, I’m just a five spirit root cultivator with only a few decades of life left. I don’t even have more than one bottle of qi-nourishing pills left.

What right do I have to live so leisurely?

Starting tomorrow, I must work even harder!

He had a brand-new alchemy room and a specially designed Purple Cloud Copper Furnace for alchemy. In addition, his alchemical skills for crafting Myriad Wonders pills had reached the second level of proficiency. He had never had such a promising start!

Everything was ready—he just needed to ignite the fire!

Luo Chen’s expression grew serious as he deftly cast a Fireball Technique, igniting the firewood in the hearth. The flames roared and surged, quickly turning the small alchemy room into a sweltering furnace.

Standing amidst the heat, Luo Chen appeared unfazed as he carefully placed the prepared medicinal materials into the furnace.

Not only that, but he also formed a hand seal, activating the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace.

The simple engravings on the furnace glowed faintly, pulsating as if alive.

Even though the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace was just a low-grade Tier One enchanted artifact, it had still crossed the threshold of being an enchanted artifact. It was leagues better than the subpar spirit iron pot he had used before.

Luo Chen focused intently on the changes in the medicinal materials within the copper furnace, with his Spirit Eyes Technique enhancing his vision. Even with obstructions, he could perceive the flow of spirit energy within.

He occasionally opened the furnace lid to stir the contents with a wooden stick, preventing the materials from burning.

Soon, it was noon.

It was time to open the furnace. The fire had been out for an hour, and the furnace temperature had gradually cooled.

Rise!

Using his Skilled Traction, he grabbed the warm furnace lid from a distance and slowly lifted it.

A strange fragrance wafted out, mixed with a hint of burnt char.

With his Spirit Eyes, Luo Chen peered into the furnace and frowned slightly.

The first batch of Myriad Wonders pills had failed.

It was an expected outcome. Everything was new, and no amount of preparation could guarantee a perfect result.

Luo Chen didn't feel any disappointment. He grabbed a scoop and removed the burnt residue from the furnace. After a simple cleaning, he exited the alchemy room.

Even though it was midday, he felt a refreshing coolness as soon as he stepped out.

The temperature difference between the alchemy room and the outside was immense.

At this moment, Luo Chen found himself appreciating Sun Shou’s arrangements.

If nothing else, this backroom built over the Ghost King’s suppression site at least offered a trace of coolness without needing cooling equipment.

"Cook, bathe, and then continue in the afternoon!" He said to himself as he set the rice to steam. He then went to the corner of the courtyard, and used the Traction to fetch a bucket of water from the well like how Gu Caiyi had done.

Swoosh!

He poured it directly over his bare body.

Luo Chen couldn’t help but let out a groan. "So refreshing!"

He hadn’t noticed while fully focused inside, but stepping out made him realize the alchemy room was practically a furnace.

It must be a design or material issue, otherwise, it wouldn’t be this hot. If only a disciple from Ai Lao Mountain could design an alchemy room for me, that would be perfect.

Luo Chen chuckled at his own imagination and shook his head.

Where would he ever find the spirit stones to hire disciples from a prestigious sect to design an alchemy room for him? Just the fee to have them show up would likely start at several hundred spirit stones.

After a simple lunch, Luo Chen gritted his teeth and returned to the alchemy room.

Commence refining the second batch!

"Little Luo, are you home?"

"I am busy, anything urgent, Caiyi?"

"No, you carry on. You’re refining pills again!"

"No choice, life’s demands, you know."

"You sound pitiful. I brought you some Green Essence Cake, eat it while it’s hot."

"Leave it outside. I really can’t stop; I’m just about to switch the fire to the main ingredient."

"Alright, I’ll leave. Come chat when you’re done."

By the afternoon, Luo Chen sat blankly by the well, looking utterly exhausted.

Gu Caiyi stepped outside and caught sight of this scene.

Frowning, she walked over. "Luo Chen, what’s been going on with you lately?"

"Nothing much, just daily alchemy." Luo Chen snapped back to attention, rubbed his eyes, and quickly stood up."

"Don’t say it's nothing. Just look at yourself."

With a swirl of enchanting power, the remaining water on the ground merged into a mirror-like surface.

Luo Chen looked down and saw his swollen, red eyes, heavy eye bags, and cracked, dry lips. His disheveled hair had long escaped its tie and clung messily to his face.

At first glance, he looked like he had been pulling all-nighters in front of a computer for a month in his past life.

Was this all because of the intense heat from the alchemy room? Luo Chen wasn’t sure. Over the past ten days, he had pushed himself to refine two batches daily.

The success rate was barely acceptable, better than his beginner stage but still far from the expected twenty percent.

However, refining with an enchanted artifact required constant vigilance with the Spirit Eyes. It not only consumed spirit energy but also strained his eyes, leaving his mind utterly drained over long periods.

Not wanting to show weakness in front of a woman, Luo Chen casually changed the subject.

His gaze instinctively fell on Gu Caiyi’s arm, draped in a white, translucent garment.

"Is that a new enchanted artifact?"

"Good catch!" Gu Caiyi lifted the garment, her expression glowing with pride. "It’s a top-grade defensive enchanted artifact, gifted by a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Fei Bowen."

Luo Chen froze.

A high-grade enchanted artifact, and a defensive one at that? Someone was actually willing to give that away?

He couldn’t help but ask, "Are Foundation Establishment cultivators all this wealthy? This artifact must be worth four or five thousand spirit stones."

Gu Caiyi smiled coyly. "Most Foundation Establishment cultivators aren’t that rich and might even be stingier than us rogue cultivators. But Fei Bowen is different."

"Oh? How so?"