Chapter 463: Repeated Failures, Luck Wasn't On His Side

Outside a spacious cave residence on Danxia Peak, the sheer cliff offered a breathtaking view. Luo Chen stepped out, with Sima Huiniang following close behind.

“It’s nothing serious,” Luo Chen said mildly. “He only failed because he lost control of the spirit energy while channeling it through the eight extraordinary meridians. That caused internal damage, serious but not irreversible. I’ve already treated the injuries. As long as he takes meridian-repairing liquid regularly, he should make a full recovery in a few years.”

He spoke lightly, but the truth was far more complicated. Sima Xian’s injuries were not as light as he suggested. Few could manage what Luo Chen had achieved, completing all twelve principal meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians while still at the mid stage of Qi Refinement. Most cultivators had to wait until Foundation Establishment to even attempt it, and even then, they proceeded with utmost caution. That was one of the many reasons Foundation Establishment proved so difficult.

Fortunately, Sima Xian had used Imperial Nectar for his breakthrough attempt. Its medicinal properties were relatively gentle. If he had relied on a traditional Foundation Establishment pill, he might not have survived.

Sima Huiniang walked down the stone path with Luo Chen at her side. She sighed. “We expected this. My brother is already past sixty, long beyond the prime window for breaking through.”

Luo Chen nodded, his tone tinged with regret. “Murong Qinglian failed, Bian Zhen failed, and now your brother.... All of them prepared flawlessly, yet still...”

He looked toward the clouds. “Lately, it feels as if luck just isn’t with us.”

Sima Huiniang forced a smile. “You don’t need to sound so discouraged. Rogue cultivators like us were never favored by the major sects. Failing at Foundation Establishment is to be expected.”

“But it’s still hard to accept,” Luo Chen muttered, smacking his lips. At this point, he could only hope Qin Liangchen would succeed. If not, the Luo Tian Society would suffer its fourth failure in Foundation Establishment. That would be devastating, not only for Qin Liangchen but also for his friends and the entire Luo Tian Society.

The mountain wind turned sharp and cold. Luo Chen suddenly asked, “Have you told your brothers about our relationship?”

Sima Huiniang tucked her hair behind her ear and answered calmly. “I haven’t said anything, but they probably suspect something.”

Luo Chen frowned. “Doesn’t that seem unfair to you?”

"Unfair?" Sima Huiniang tilted her head and smiled at him. "I think it’s fine."

"I never gave you a formal..."

She interrupted gently. “Tell me, how many cultivators ever had a Foundation Establishment ceremony as grand as mine?”

To her, that memory meant more than any wedding.

“Rather than being caught up in trivial matters, you should focus on cultivation. What the Luo Tian Society really needs is a late-stage Initiate strong enough to protect it.”

Luo Chen chuckled. “Well, now you’re the one lecturing me.”

“How could I ever dare lecture our President?” she replied, feigning innocence.

“I liked you better when you called me ‘hubby,’” he teased her. But then, his tone turned serious. “The truth is, I came today to tell you something important. I may be heading out soon, and when I do, I’ll need you to hold things together here.”

Sima Huiniang’s expression grew solemn. “Managing the Luo Tian Society is my duty. Even if you never asked, I would have done it thoroughly. But heading out? Where to?”

Luo Chen slowly uttered three words. "Green Pill Valley."

***

Tao Yisheng had been missing for quite some time, with no trace left behind. It was far too long to be explained by mere seclusion. Most likely, he had already returned to Green Pill Valley.

In other words, the opportunity for Tao Wan and Luo Chen to meet would soon arrive.

Luo Chen had reached this conclusion, yet he felt no urgency. He continued cultivating and refining pills within his cave residence, day after day, just as he always had.

Through his relentless practice, mid-grade and top-grade Jade Dew pills popped up one after another, and his mastery advanced rapidly. He was drawing ever closer to Perfected Mastery.

There was a simple reason behind such large-scale production. If Tao Wan truly came seeking him, Luo Chen would almost certainly need to travel far, and the length of his absence would be difficult to predict. Because of this, he had to prepare Jade Dew pills for Tantai Jin in advance. These pills were the foundation of their alliance with the Ice Fortress, and not a single delivery could be missed.

In fact, Luo Chen was already planning to provide a surplus for the following year’s allotment. That way, if he left, the Ice Fortress would take his departure more seriously and ensure that nothing untoward happened to him at Green Pill Valley.

***

While Luo Chen remained composed, focusing on alchemy and cultivation, Tao Wan’s cave residence in the distant Green Pill Valley was shrouded in tension.

"Are you certain?"

“Yes. She offered him an incredibly generous reward. She even brought out a spirit fruit that extends lifespan. Huang Hezi has indeed sided with her.”

“Shangguan Yan... Very well. Very well.”

As Tao Wan muttered the name, her face darkened with gloom.

Green Pill Valley was no upstart sect. It was a major sect with nearly a millennium of history, though it had relocated to the Jade Cauldron Domain only four hundred years ago. Over the centuries, the sect had produced countless Golden Core cultivators. At present, there were fifteen of them. But with so many powerful families and rival factions, the sect had become a place of constant internal struggle.

The Tao family had once stood among the most prestigious within the sect. But after their patriarch passed away two centuries back, their influence had steadily declined.

As one power fell, another inevitably rose. The Shangguan family had seized the most from this shift, and Shangguan Yan, Tao Wan’s peer, had always been at odds with her. Still, Tao Wan had not expected her to stoop so low, poaching her people right before the Dao Scion competition.

“No wonder Huang Hezi was absent from today’s council meeting,” she muttered. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm.

A handsome man below frowned and asked, "If that’s the case, once the Dao Scion competition begins, your ranking might plummet to the bottom."

Tao Wan disliked being addressed so casually, but Qi Lingyun was her most reliable ally for now. She needed his help to withstand the early rounds, so she suppressed her irritation.

“My ranking doesn’t matter. At worst, I’ll fight my way back up. What I truly fear is failing to make it into the final nine.”

Qi Lingyun chuckled. “You’re overthinking. Even if you don’t pass the alchemy round, you can rest easy about my round.”

At the eighth stage of Foundation Establishment, his strength was undeniable, and his every word radiated confidence.

Tao Wan nodded, silently acknowledging his assurance. But once everyone had left, she made a decisive choice.

“Yisheng, tomorrow you’ll accompany me out of the sect. We’re going to Tianlan.”

Tao Yisheng had been waiting outside the cave, and he rushed in with delight. “Sister, you’ve finally made up your mind?”

"This isn’t about a decision. I wanted to have you invite Luo Chen here to assess his skills anyway." Tao Wan sighed. "But with Huang Hezi’s defection, I no longer have any capable alchemists under me. Those two so-called second-tier alchemists are nothing but titles without real skill. Even you could teach them a thing or two. Given the situation, it's better I make the trip myself to show proper respect."

Tao Yisheng nodded repeatedly. "Luo Chen's alchemy skills are definitely no worse than Huang Hezi’s. He deserves respectful treatment!"

"Do you really have that much faith in him?" Tao Wan couldn’t help but ask. She had never seen her brother revere someone this much.

Tao Yisheng patted his chest. “I now fully deserve the title of second-tier alchemist. And that is due to only one thing: his guidance. Apart from the few third-tier alchemists in the sect, there’s no one I trust more. Luo Chen has his own exceptional talents.”

Tao Wan blinked. What had begun as a desperate gamble now stirred a faint hope within her.

***

Inside the alchemy room, smoke billowed, and the air was heavy with medicinal fragrance. A wave of icy force surged from the Ice Emperor Cauldron.

With a thought, Luo Chen waved his hand, and dozens of gleaming, snow-white pills fell neatly onto a chilled jade tray. After a quick inspection, he divided them into two groups. The distinction was clear: some were mid-grade, others top-grade Jade Dew pills.

This was entirely deliberate. Having reached Grandmaster level, Luo Chen could control the resulting quality of his pills with remarkable precision. At present, his collaboration with the Ice Fortress was still limited to mid-grade Jade Dew pills, and even that level of skill was enough to draw serious attention from the Ruthless Lineage. Revealing too much too soon would only invite unnecessary trouble.

On occasion, Luo Chen refined a portion of top-grade Jade Dew pills. Part of this was to sharpen his mastery, but more importantly, it allowed him to provide high-quality cultivation pills for Sima Huiniang.

An ordinary Foundation Establishment Initiate required pills, but not in excess. What truly mattered was access to spirit land. Excessive pill consumption could cause pill intoxication, and without a specialized detoxification method, the harm outweighed the benefits.

Luo Chen had always followed a strict regimen of one pill a day, and that was already far beyond the norm. Most cultivators took one pill every three to five days, and someone like Sima Huiniang, burdened with managing the affairs of a large organization, had even less time for regular cultivation.

Given the limited quantity she could consume, Luo Chen chose to make up the difference with quality.

“She’s the woman I’ve chosen. There’s no reason she should be shortchanged.”

He had always been generous to his friends, and even more so to those closest to him. If he could not give everything they needed, he would at least give them the best within his means.

As Luo Chen sorted the freshly refined pills, he calculated how much longer it would take to reach Perfected Mastery with the Jade Dew pill.

“At full capacity, I’d need only three or four months. But since I’m also making mid-grade ones, it’ll take twice as long. Oh well... Not much of an issue.”

Even refining only mid-grade Jade Dew pills earned him a net gain of forty thousand spirit stones each year. After accounting for Sima Huiniang’s portion, he still had twenty to thirty thousand left. Compared to the time when he had lost money selling pills, this income was more than satisfactory. It was not an immense profit, but the benefits gained through the business made it an enormous return.

Now that he had accepted the Luo Tian Society’s role as a loyal vassal of the Ice Fortress, the situation appeared far more favorable. At the very least, all of their businesses operated smoothly and without obstruction. Few minor sects could claim such treatment; not every group was qualified to serve the Ice Fortress.

Luo Chen exited the alchemy room.

Bai Meiling was waiting outside, holding a transmission talisman. “Master, this just came to the cave.”

Luo Chen arched a brow as he reached for the talisman and infused it with spirit power. It burned without wind, and Tao Yisheng’s warm voice echoed in his ear. “It’s been a while, Fellow Daoist. If you’re free, please visit Cave Residence Bing Five. Your junior awaits you.”

Luo Chen’s lips curved slightly.

So they couldn’t hold back after all.

Yet he did not go immediately. Instead, he washed up, entered the meditation chamber, and began cultivating in peace. After unblocking all his meridians, cultivation had become more tiring, but the satisfaction afterward made it incredibly rewarding.

So cultivation really can be addictive!

Luo Chen thought to himself.

As for the Tao siblings, Luo Chen knew well that everyone had their own desires. With that in mind, he intended to wait for the best offer and seize as much initiative as possible.