Chapter 637: The Foremost Initiate of the Jade Cauldron Domain (I)

The azure lightning flashing across the nether sea heralds the origin of life!

The phenomenon before them was unmistakable. It was the signature phenomenon that appeared only when the Nether Origin Pill was successfully formed.

The phenomenon was because supreme-grade ingredients like the Sapphire Lightning Flower had been used. Some of the lightning energy within it had not been completely refined, spilling outward to form this wondrous display.

Had Luo Chen's alchemy mastery reached the peak of the third tier, even this faint sign would not have appeared. He would have been able to compress the medicinal power to its utmost limit, perfectly locking it inside the pill. From this alone, it was evident that the Nether Origin Pills he had just refined were low-grade. However, even a low-grade third-tier pill was enough to send shock through every heart present.

Consuming this pill during an attempt to break through to the Golden Core Realm would raise one's odds of success by twenty percent! For those trapped at the Perfected Mastery of Foundation Establishment, this pill was far more tempting than any other treasure.

As the four gazed at the dark, round pills gleaming softly in Luo Chen's hand, greed flickered in their eyes. Yet Fu Jiusheng was the first to rein in his desire and said hoarsely, "Four pills? You only refined four?"

That question immediately caught everyone's attention. There were five of them present! Four pills meant that one of them would be left out, and no one wanted to be that person. In an instant, they all grew wary of one another.

Yet, contrary to everyone's expectation, Luo Chen shook his head with a faint smile. "Of course not. I refined five, and I've already stored mine away. These four are yours."

As he spoke, he flicked his wrist. The four Nether Origin Pills turned into streaks of light and flew toward the four of them. Each pill landed neatly in a waiting palm, and the four immediately examined their prizes. Their eyes shone with infatuation, their gazes soft and trembling like rippling water.

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"This matter is concluded. My friends, let us depart," Luo Chen said with a faint smile, although a trace of weariness could be seen on his face. It was only natural; he had refined without rest for five days and five nights. Even though he had not fought a single battle along the way and had maintained his condition at its peak, the exhaustion of alchemy weighed heavily upon him.

But the moment he took his first step forward, his expression darkened. The four had moved to block the exit.

"My friends, what is the meaning of this?" he asked calmly.

Lady Yousha tucked away her pill and stared greedily at him.

"Five pills? One for each? What a coincidence!" she sneered. "I may not know alchemy, but I do know that one furnace of materials can produce ten pills. Fellow Daoist He prepared over a dozen sets of ingredients for this Nether Origin Pill. Dan Chenzi, I suspect you've kept more for yourself!"

Hearing her accusation, Luo Chen could not help but laugh at the sheer absurdity. She had just admitted she knew nothing of alchemy, yet she now dared to speak with such certainty! In this world, those capable of successfully refining an unfamiliar pill on their very first attempt were truly one in a million. And she still dared to talk of a higher yield?

The worst part was that he was entirely innocent; he had truly acted like the gentleman he was considered to be, and he had not hidden a single pill. There were truly only five and not a single one more. Many pills had exceedingly potent energy, but those meant for breaking through, in particular, were designed to release that energy in one powerful burst. Thus, their medicinal properties were violent and domineering, unsuitable for ordinary cultivation.

When Luo Chen first created Imperial Nectar, each batch of ingredients had yielded only three portions. Even having reached Beginner-level proficiency in a pill, the success rate was still just one in ten. Whether Luo Chen used only one batch and

luckily

produced a set of pills, or he used ten and

eventually

a set of pills, in the end, it was still just one in ten. Moreover, considering where the pill originated, producing five pills from one furnace, rather than the usual three, was already beyond his expectations. And yet, these complete ignoramuses dared to imagine there were more!

Still, he had anticipated this possibility. Human greed was boundless, and in such moments, it could never be underestimated. Luo Chen's expression stayed perfectly calm as he turned to the other three. "Do you all share her opinion?"

The serenity in his tone, coupled with that unsettling composure, made the three uneasy.

Fu Jiusheng was the first to speak. Holding onto the pill Luo Chen had given him, he said solemnly, "I have no intention of obstructing you. I merely acted out of caution. With my remaining lifespan, I can only attempt Core Formation once in this life. Now that I have obtained this pill, it is enough. Whatever happens next has nothing to do with me."

As he spoke, he stored away his pill and raised a hand. From the corner of the cavern, formation flags flew toward him, followed by a spinning formation disc that returned neatly into his palm. Once everything was packed, he cupped his fist and nodded toward Luo Chen. "Fellow Daoist, thank you for refining the pill."

Without waiting for Yousha to reply, he turned and withdrew. In the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared into the dark tunnel from which they had come.

No one had expected Fu Jiusheng to leave so decisively, without even a trace of hesitation or lingering greed. Even Luo Chen, who remained outwardly calm, could not help but feel a flicker of surprise.

The worst-case scenario he had envisioned was a four-on-one encirclement. Yet among the four, the one he regarded with the greatest caution was not Elder Lianyun with his black nails, nor Hermit Xiao, who specialized in divine soul assaults, nor even Yousha, who seemed to be still at the ninth stage of Foundation Establishment. It was Fu Jiusheng!

What made Luo Chen wary was not only Fu Jiusheng's cultivation, but also his profound mastery of formations, of which he had revealed only the smallest fraction. After all, a formation was forever the best means for the weak to overcome the strong.

Even with his many trump cards and extensive battle experience, Luo Chen knew that if he had to face a fully prepared Min Longyu in battle, he could not claim absolute confidence of victory. Now that Fu Jiusheng had left so freely, Luo Chen found one less worry on his mind. That left only two who had yet to declare their stance.

"What about you two?" Luo Chen asked evenly.

Hermit Xiao grinned and twirled the jade flute in his hand before letting it rest upright before him. "Sorry, I'm still young, and one Nether Origin Pill might not be enough. If you happen to have another to spare, how about you hand it over? Once I have it, I'll turn around and leave. Your feud with Lady Yousha will have nothing to do with me."

Hearing his words, Lady Yousha's face changed dramatically. With her strength alone, facing the famed Luo Chen was as good as courting death, and she would have nine chances out of ten to die. Before she could try to mediate, Luo Chen rejected the proposal outright.

"Apologies, but my word is my bond. Five means five. There are no extras."

Hermit Xiao's expression darkened. He shook his head and said coldly, "In that case, I'll just have to take one myself."

While the two spoke, He Lianyun seemed to have already made up his mind. "For me, one pill is already—"

"Fellow Daoist He!!!" Lady Yousha's shrill voice cut him off before he could finish.

He Lianyun frowned and looked toward her. She drew a deep breath, her tone turning urgent and sincere. "Do you not wish for greater assurance in your Core Formation?"

He Lianyun shook his head. "With my remaining lifespan, one will suffice. If I were to take two, the second would only come when I'm already at death's door. Should I fail then, I wouldn't even have time to put my affairs in order."

Among the five who had entered the Myriad Pythons Grotto, Fu Jiusheng and He Lianyun were the oldest. One had already lived past 230 years, while the other was 220. Though they appeared to have another two-three decades before the natural lifespan of an Initiate ran out, for Core Formation, that time was already dangerously short.

If the breakthrough succeeded, it would not matter. But if it failed, there would not even be enough time to recover from the backlash. Moreover, someone like Fu Jiusheng, a herbalist who had spent his life traversing dangerous mountains and marshes, was accustomed to injury. His lifespan was likely even shorter than it appeared.

Under such circumstances, risking a battle of life and death against the formidable Luo Chen was far less appealing than retreating with dignity. It was wiser to find a third-tier spirit land, cultivate quietly for a time, and make a steady attempt at Core Formation. That was how Fu Jiusheng had seen it, and likely how He Lianyun was measuring his choices as well.

However, Yousha suddenly spoke up again, her voice sharp and deliberate. "As far as we know, Luo Chen still possesses four Core Formation secret arts. And that Heavenly Mountain Revitalization Liquid he received from the Ice Fortress, who can say how much he actually has? With his ties to the Ice Fortress, do you really believe they only gave him a single portion?

"Fellow Daoist Lianyun, if the three of us join forces and make him hand over his remaining Nether Origin Pills, the Heavenly Mountain Revitalization Liquid, and those secret arts, wouldn't your chances of Core Formation increase even further?"

Higher chances of success... He Lianyun wavered. There was no denying that Yousha's words hit precisely where his greed and fear converged. After managing the Lianyun Trade Alliance for so many years, his merchant's mindset had long been etched into his bones. Every decision he made was based on weighing risks against profit, and nothing came before self-interest. Now, with a greater benefit laid out before him, how could he not waver?