Chapter 88: Today is My Stage!

The death of a late stage Foundation Establishment cultivator had thrown Dahe Market into an uproar.

The Golden Core Adept from Ai Lao Mountain was furious and summoned every Foundation Establishment cultivator in the area for questioning.

But in the end, no useful information was uncovered. Rumor had it that the Golden Core Adept stormed into the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion, causing a significant conflict with the two sword cultivators stationed there.

The overwhelming pressure of a Golden Core's aura had blanketed the entire inner city. However, none of this had anything to do with Luo Chen. The death of a wealthy foreman and live-in son-in-law wasn't his concern.

There was only one thing that concerned him.

The opening of the Alchemy Hall.

For this reason, he had spent the past three days at Crescent Moon Valley. He couldn't rely on that group of fledgling disciples. Though, the group of mid stage cultivators reassigned by the Poshan Gang earned his appreciation.

For three days, he did nothing but teach these twenty people how to manage the fire!

Yes, fire management!

When to let the flames blaze high and when to keep them low. How much firewood to add or remove. If the temperature wasn't sufficient, how to precisely control a Fireball to make adjustments.

Luo Chen imparted much of his life's knowledge about fire control during those three days.

Meanwhile, the medicinal materials he needed had all been delivered by Mi Shuhua's people. Whether through procurement or direct supply from the gang's Medicine Hall, Luo Chen no longer had to worry about sourcing medicinal materials.

Time flew by amidst the chaos of the outside world, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Crescent Moon Valley was bustling. Over half of the Poshan Gang's two hundred late stage Qi-Refining cultivators had gathered, with only a few left behind to maintain order elsewhere. Led by Gu Caiyi and Sikong Shoujia, they arrived in waves, filing into the valley one after another.

Soon, the celebrations began. Rituals, formal greetings, and other common ceremonies played out, but everyone knew these were just the prelude. The real highlight of the event was about to begin—

The Furnace Lighting and Alchemy Demonstration!

"Is that kid Luo Chen?"

"The Alchemy Hall Leader is so young!"

"He doesn't look older than thirty. His cultivation seems a bit low, but I wonder if his alchemy skills are up to par."

"If he wasn't capable, Old Man Mi wouldn't have gone out of his way to elevate him to this position."

"I heard the Alchemy Hall's profits are supposed to benefit everyone. Is that true?"

"Heh, you believe that? The share will definitely go to the hall leaders and the late stage Qi-Refining elites. We, the regular folk, will still have to work hard to earn spirit stones."

"Why so cynical? Didn't your brother get transferred to the sales team? Once the Alchemy Hall starts producing pills, they'll be selling them, won't they?"

"Hard to say, hard to say!"

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Amidst the chatter, Luo Chen made a striking entrance.

There was no grand introduction, no formal pleasantries. He didn't waste time getting to know everyone.

Dressed in a pristine, moon-white daoist robe, his long black hair flowed freely behind him, secured by a simple wooden hairpin. His presence alone carried an air of authority, his expression one of quiet confidence.

At a single glance, he looked like a cultivator of refined grace and poise.

But what he did next was far less poised and graceful.

"Light the flames!

"Lit the furnace!"

All three alchemy rooms ignited in sequence, with roaring flames leaping high into the air.

Amid the rich aroma of burning Green Steel Wood, Luo Chen moved through each alchemy room, his expression solemn as he oversaw the delicate process.

One by one, the ingredients were carefully measured and placed into the alchemy furnaces under his meticulous guidance.

At the heart of the facility lay the largest furnace, a massive cauldron as tall as a person.

Here, adding medicinal materials wasn't as simple as tossing them in. Luo Chen had to activate the Traction alongside the Wind-Control, lifting himself into the air to hover above the cauldron, carefully adjusting each addition with precise control.

But rather than a disadvantage, this massive cauldron had its perks—

While the two Purple Cloud Copper Furnaces could only refine one batch at a time, this cauldron could handle two simultaneously.

The cultivators outside watched as Luo Chen moved between the three alchemy rooms, conducting his work with steady precision.

His movements were seamless—

Instructing attendants to adjust flames, adding ingredients, forming hand seals to stir the contents within the furnace— every action was precise and controlled.

The crowd couldn't help but murmur among themselves.

"This is my first time seeing an alchemist at work! To think it would be so refined and intricate—how elegant!"

"He's so skilled—this Little Luo Hall Leader must have been refining pills since he was in the womb!"

"To refine three furnaces simultaneously—what incredible mastery!"

"Fellow Daoist, what do you mean by that?"

"To be honest, I once heard in Taishan Market that Kang Dongyue, the Pavilion Leader of Golden Stone Pavilion and a second-tier alchemist, can only refine one furnace at a time."

"Really? Does that mean Hall Leader Luo's alchemy skill is no less than that of a second-tier alchemist?"

"Hard to say, hard to say!"

Inside the alchemy room, Luo Chen couldn't hear the chatter outside.

If he could, he would have burst out laughing.

What a joke!

Today was his moment on stage, and there was no way he'd let it flop. So, for his demonstration, he chose to refine his specialty: the fasting pill!

He was practically at Perfected Mastery for fasting concoctions and his skill level was maxed out!

Three furnaces? He could easily handle three more.

About two hours later, under the gaze of over a hundred pairs of eyes, Luo Chen took a deep breath.

"Extinguish the flames!

"Disperse!"

At his command, the fire-tending cultivators in all three alchemy rooms swiftly retreated.

Luo Chen always emphasized caution—the conclusion of alchemy was the most perilous moment.

At that time, the furnace might explode, or toxic fumes from failed pills could be released, which is why alchemists usually handle the collection alone.

At this moment, the doors to all three alchemy rooms were wide open. Under everyone's watchful gaze, Luo Chen exhaled his spirit energy and activated his Grandmaster level Traction.

The lids of all three furnaces instantly flew up and landed on the iron racks attached to the walls.

With a lift of his hands, countless pills floated out of one of the Purple Cloud Copper Furnaces.

At a glance, nearly fifty or sixty pills hovered steadily in midair.

But that wasn't all—following his gestures, the same scene unfolded in the other two furnaces.

In the central alchemy room, the large cauldron produced over a hundred pills.

Almost immediately, a rich aroma spread through the air, a harmonious blend of herbs, meat, and grains, merging into the unmistakable fragrance of alchemical pills that every cultivator recognized.

"Are those fasting pills?"

"Seems like it!"

"All that effort, and it's just fasting pills?"

"Wait, something's off!"

Amid the murmurs, Luo Chen casually flicked his hand.

Over two hundred fasting pills floated effortlessly, dispersing toward the late stage Qi-Refining cultivators of the Poshan Gang, ensuring that each of them received at least two.

Mi Shuhua, standing among them, instinctively caught two pills that carried a translucent, flesh-colored sheen.

"Top-grade fasting pills?" A flash of astonishment crossed Mi Shuhua's face.

The fasting pills distributed among the crowd, though technically unranked, possessed potency rivaling genuine low-grade medicinal pills due to their high refinement quality. Rather than sustaining a cultivator for just a few days, these pills could suppress hunger for ten to fifteen days, providing ample energy for prolonged activity.

Had Luo Chen actually refined top-grade fasting pills in a standard batch?

Mi Shuhua glanced around, finding the same astonishment reflected in the eyes of others.

"Both of mine are top-grade!"

"I've got one mid-grade and one top-grade—see the incomplete pill markings!"

"Two mid-grade!"

"One low-grade and one top-grade!"

Taking advantage of the distraction, Luo Chen discreetly wiped away his sweat.

Refining fasting pills wasn't difficult, and producing top-grade ones wasn't a challenge for him either.

However, what truly required effort was achieving a varied distribution—ensuring that the batch contained pills of different grades rather than just uniformly producing top-tier pills.

High, mid, and low-grade pills—all three varieties were present. In truth, this was the norm for alchemists when producing pills.

Due to the complex interplay of medicinal properties and the control of spirit energy, pills in any batch would naturally turn out different—some would be flawless, others merely decent, and some verging on failures.

The number of pills and their quality were always uncertain. Only a true grandmaster alchemist could consistently produce a uniform, high-quality batch.

And when it came to fasting pills, Luo Chen was undoubtedly a grandmaster. If he wanted to, he could have refined an entire batch of perfect, top-grade fasting pills.

However, this level of mastery couldn't be revealed to Mi Shuhua and the others.

It would be far too monstrous!

If word spread, even Mi Shuhua wouldn't be able to protect him.

Stronger factions would hunt him down, not to recruit him, but to enslave him as a mere tool—a never-ending pill-making machine for their own benefit.

Compared to these unknown factions, the Poshan Gang was far more manageable.

His grand plan to "pluck wool" [1] had only just begun.

Thus, when he first took on the title of Alchemy Hall Leader, he had spent ten full days at home, studying how to refine pills with consistent results.

If he had only Beginner level proficiency, it would have been impossible. But his mastery of fasting pills was at a Grandmaster level, and the system-provided knowledge spanned every tier of experience.

Through trial and adaptation, he had successfully grasped the perfect method of maintaining controlled variation.

That's how today's performance came to be.

"Sixty top-grade, one hundred twenty mid-grade, and thirty-one low-grade pills."

Upon receiving the results, a genuine smile of delight spread across Mi Shuhua's face and patted Luo Chen on the shoulder. "With you here, I can rest easy about the Alchemy Hall!"

Before Luo Chen could say anything flattering in return, he turned to address the crowd.

"This batch of fasting pills will serve as a token of greeting to everyone. They're not highly valuable, just a gesture of goodwill.

"Our Hall Leader Luo Chen's true expertise lies beyond these unranked fasting concoctions.

"In time, he will showcase his full skills and refine excellent pills for our gang.

"With his addition to the Poshan Gang, we will only grow more prosperous, and everyone's cultivation resources will increase.

"So, be sure to support Hall Leader Luo Chen in the future!"

This old man sure loved to talk.

Luo Chen's heart churned with mixed feelings, but he wore a suitably proud expression on his face.

The cultivators from various halls began shouting enthusiastically.

"We'll definitely support him!"

"Having Hall Leader Luo is a blessing for the Poshan Gang!"

"I, Long Gen, will be the first to support Hall Leader Luo. He'll lead our Poshan Gang to dominate Dahe Market and make a name in the Jade Cauldron Domain!"

Listening to these flattering words that cost no spirit stones, Luo Chen responded with a reserved smile.

From today onward, he had truly established his name.

The Poshan Gang's number-one alchemist!

One day, he might even be Dahe Market's top alchemist, the Jade Cauldron Domain's finest, or even the best in the Eastern Wilderness.

After all, one must have dreams.

1. 薅羊毛 (hao yang mao) is a Chinese slang term that refers to the practice of taking advantage of freebies, discounts, or loopholes in promotions, often in a systematic or opportunistic manner. The phrase originates from the literal act of plucking wool from a sheep, metaphorically describing small but repeated gains at little or no cost. It is commonly used in the context of online shopping, credit card rewards, and financial loopholes. ☜