"Why have the Frost Wolf packs started coming to the outer regions recently?"

"Such bad luck! We managed to hunt down two first-tier demonic beasts but didn't even have time to carve them up and put them in our storage bags."

"Maybe it's that time of the year when the wolves battle for the title of Wolf King over in the Howling Moon Mountains. I heard that hundreds of years ago, many wolf packs fled to the outer regions to avoid the chaos."

"Forget it, let's head back to the market and take a break. It's been exhausting lately."

"Yeah, as long as no one's hurt."

These were a few short sentences, filled with frustration but also the relief of having survived.

A few cultivators walked from the plains toward the center of the market, pausing briefly as they passed Luo Chen's house.

Then a clear, straightforward female voice called out, "Fellow cultivator, things aren't very safe around here lately. If you have the means, you should consider moving closer to the inner city!"

Luo Chen didn't reply. If he had the means, he would have moved already.

Besides, being near the inner city wasn't the same as being in the inner city; how could it be considered truly safe?

Those rogue cultivators lived by the edge of the blade, and incidents of waylaying others in the dark happened far too often.

More than once, he had seen bloodstains and bones on his way into the city.

Although this area was dangerous, in reality, the cultivators from the market set up a beast-repellent zone on the plains every year. Low-tier demonic beasts instinctively stayed away, and even stronger, second-tier beasts didn't dare approach human-populated areas.

Relatively speaking, where he lived now was still fairly safe. Besides, he always presented himself as penniless, scraping by with a few spirit stones each month. Few cultivators bothered to pay him any attention.

"Huiniang, why bother with that young man? Soaking in the creek and playing with clay in broad daylight, he's probably new to Dahe Market! Come on, let's go home."

Perhaps not hearing any reply, the people outside muttered a few more words, then left together.

When Luo Chen heard them leave, he couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief.

Compared to demonic beasts, he feared human cultivators more. But that woman, Huiniang, had a point. Times change, and if something really was happening in the Howling Moon Mountains, this southwestern area—being the closest—could indeed be dangerous.

"My mood is steady enough now, not too tense or relaxed. Tomorrow, I'll officially start alchemy! This time, it will definitely succeed!"

***

After a full day and night of rest, both his body and mind were in peak condition.

At dawn, after practicing the Long Spring Art , Luo Chen put on a dusty gray apron and walked to the kitchen window.

A clay figure with a long beard and holding a wooden sword stood there, with phoenix eyes, arched brows, and a bit of red on its cheeks.

"Holy Ruler Deity Guan, please bless me with success!"

In a calm and composed manner, he opened the pot, added water, stoked the fire, and lit it with the Fireball. He simmered the secondary ingredients, then roasted the minerals, added broth, and in sequence, added fallopia , jade yam, fire hound whip, and more.

After simmering for about six hours, he added the final water-based spirit ingredient, conpoy, to balance yin and yang. Throughout, he adjusted the heat, alternating between high and low. He waited another four hours before he opened the pot!

A pot of light red paste wobbled inside. When he poked it with a fresh wooden spoon, it jiggled like jelly.

This feels quite bouncy! But it is still a failure.

According to the alchemical recipe, the final product should be deep red. Only then would the Myriad Wonders pill have maximum potency.

Even though Luo Chen had failed, he wasn't too disheartened. It was clear that this batch was already very close to success. At least it had solidified well and reached a springy texture.

For cultivators, if someone wasn't afraid of medicinal toxicity, eating this whole pot might actually have some effect.

Of course, the side effects would certainly be severe.

So Luo Chen didn't plan to sell it; doing so would likely get him beaten up.

He tasted a tiny bit to confirm the potency difference, reviewed the process in his mind, he nodded, and then dumped the residue across the stream.

That night was the usual—cultivation, then sleep. The next day, he dutifully worshiped Holy Ruler Deity Guan before he started alchemy.

It was another failure!

On the third day, he worshiped Holy Ruler Deity Guan again and resumed alchemy.

Success!

Yes, a success!

Luo Chen exclaimed inwardly.

Looking at the large pot of vibrant red jelly, Luo Chen felt a sense of hard-earned triumph, and his eyes couldn't help but moisten.

"Wasted eight sets of ingredients—that's about forty spirit stones lost. And if I subtract the forty fasting concoctions I could have made in those eight days, that's another eight spirit stones. Ugh, I nearly lost everything I had," Luo Chen said to himself as he hurriedly scooped out all the paste, ignoring the heat, and cut it into chunks with a bamboo knife, shaping each piece into a round ball.

This would be complete after a night of drying. He still had one set of ingredients left, so he could try again tomorrow.

The next morning, Luo Chen eagerly went to the kitchen alchemy table. Sure enough, the ten round balls had shrunk to the size of longans. The moisture had evaporated, leaving only the essence behind.

Just one of these could make a man feel invincible!

He cherished them in his hands and carefully placed the small red pills into a jade bottle before he worshiped Holy Ruler Deity Guan once more.

"Holy Ruler Deity Guan, you have a kind heart. Even though I transmigrated, you still watch over me. When I make it big, I'll build you a temple and cast you a golden statue!"

After finishing his worship, Luo Chen donned his apron and clenched his fist tightly.

"As expected, I'm a natural-born alchemy genius!

"I'll definitely become famous someday. I've even thought of a nickname—the Alchemy God of the Eastern Wilderness. Just as impressive as the Saint Alchemist of the Central State!"

After a bit of self-encouragement, Luo Chen got busy once more.

In the smoky, fiery kitchen, a hot yet joyful atmosphere filled the room. But as the bright sunlight streamed in, what greeted him was a face with no expression.

"Hehe, everyone makes mistakes, even the best. The Saint Alchemist blew up his furnace when refining first-tier pills as a kid.

"Next time for sure—it'll definitely work!"

He said that, but Luo Chen still felt a pang of pain.

This batch of ingredients alone cost five spirit stones!

He was losing so much!

"No, I have to sell this one bottle of Myriad Wonders pills at a high price, or I won't even break even!"

***

Dawn was breaking.

The world seemed shrouded in a white misty veil, and the Great Million Mountains looked like a giant maw of an abyss, wide open and waiting for Dahe Market.

A young man in a faded, low-grade robe ran like the wind through the muddy shanty district of rogue cultivators.

A female cultivator emptying a chamber pot in the morning couldn't help but laugh and curse as she saw him.

"Running fast, huh, kid? Looks like there's a dog chasing you!"

Luo Chen was indeed very fast. He seemed to truly have some connection with martial arts. In just a few days, he had raised his skills in the Carefree Wander from beginner to skilled.

Not only did it grant him an achievement point, but it also doubled his speed. Before, he could barely run a hundred meters in nine seconds. Now, with a few strides, he covered more than a hundred meters.

It used to take an hour and a half to walk to the city gate, and running would take at least thirty or forty minutes! But today, he made it there in just twenty minutes!

Luo Chen hadn't experienced the Wind-Control Seal, but he felt that the Carefree Wander wasn't bad. And he was only at the skilled level; there were still Proficient, Perfection, and Grandmaster levels ahead.

There was great potential to unlock!

When he arrived at the southwestern rogue cultivator area, it was still dark, and this time, Old Man Chen Xiuping wasn't there before him.

In the large area designated for stalls, only a few people were set up.

Luo Chen glanced around and didn't set out his pills immediately but instead wandered over to a stall. "Brother Wang, you're here pretty early!"

Wang Yuan glanced at him but didn't respond.

Luo Chen chuckled without embarrassment and squatted down to leaf through the books.

Wang Yuan called out, "Five Essential Spells for the Qi-Refining Realm—don't touch it, it costs money."

"How much?"

"Two mid-tier spirit stones."

"Why don't you just rob!"

"I did rob someone for it!"

"Uh, forget I said anything."

Wang Yuan was at the seventh stage of Qi-Refining, the kind of knife-edge rogue Luo Chen often muttered about, known for village brawls and roadside robbery.

Luo Chen couldn't afford to offend him, and Wang Yuan didn't think much of him either. They only exchanged a few words when setting up their stalls.

Back when Wang Yuan was down on his luck and forced to hunt in the Ancient Plains, Luo Chen had given him a few fasting pills on credit.

So, in a way, they did share a bit of history.

"Don't touch that one either. It contains an insidious dark technique. Hey, your hands are really itchy! Watch out, or I'll rob you as soon as you leave the inner city! Here, you can look at this one. If you want to buy it, I'll give you half off—five spirit stones."

If he could read it for free, why buy it? Even if he had money, he wouldn't waste it like that!

Luo Chen eagerly picked up the

Scenes of the Six Domains

and started reading it with great interest. He ended up reading for two hours. Only when the market got busier did Luo Chen reluctantly put down the book.

"Brother Wang, I'll be going now. Here's a bag of Mala beef jerky for you—have some as a snack."

Wang Yuan glared at him. "Get lost!"

He looked at the bag of beef jerky, swallowing a barely noticeable gulp, then shifted uncomfortably.

Back at his slate stall, Old Man Chen was already setting out talisman paper and talismans.

Seeing Old Man Chen, Luo Chen asked, "Uncle Chen, do you know about the Crane Among the Clouds?"