Immortality Begins as an Alchemy Master 83

Chapter 83: Herbal Compendium

Because it was an incomplete recipe, Luo Chen wasn’t particularly concerned. But after reading it, his mood remained unsettled for a long time.

The Through-幽 Pill.

Main ingredients: Illusory-幽 Grass, First-Rank Demonic Fox blood.

Auxiliary ingredients: Sun-Breaking Ginseng, Seven-Element Flower.

One auxiliary ingredient was missing.

Additionally, the specific proportions were absent.

The refining method and relevant taboos were also unspecified.

All vanished into dust with the burnt half of the bamboo slip.

However, the description of the Through-幽 Pill’s effects made ripples in his heart.

“It can increase the foundation of spiritual sense. With long-term consumption, it makes one extremely sensitive to ethereal ghost creatures.”

With this simple sentence, Luo Chen desperately wished this recipe was complete.

It could increase the foundation of spiritual sense!

Ever since Qin Liangchen and his wife told him about the cultivation knowledge of soul, spiritual sense, and divine sense, he had been very attentive to it.

After repeatedly inquiring, he also learned a seemingly plausible rumor.

It was said that those with sufficiently strong spiritual sense foundations often found it easier to break through to the Foundation Establishment Period than others.

Wasn’t this increasing the chances of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Period!

Luo Chen, with his five-spirit root aptitude, already faced difficulties in cultivation; breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Period would likely be even more arduous.

Although he was only at the fifth layer of Qi Refining now, he hadn’t given up on reaching the peak of Qi Refining.

Therefore, how could he not care about matters related to spiritual sense?

“An incomplete recipe doesn’t mean I can’t refine the pill!”

Luo Chen thought to himself.

The system did indicate that investing enough achievement points could complete the recipe and allow him to learn it.

“Moreover, it seems Uncle Mi Shuhua doesn’t care much about this incomplete recipe. Giving it to me is just for me to use as a reference, to accumulate knowledge in alchemy so I can refine the Jade Marrow Pill for him.”

“I’ll ponder it carefully first. When the time is right, I’ll see if I can secretly refine it.”

His mind made up, Luo Chen carefully put away the Through-幽 Pill bamboo slip.

He placed it in the same important position as the Blood煞 Pill and Jade Dew Pill.

The former Luo Chen, penniless, was nominally an alchemist but could only refine Valley-Clearing Powder.

That Valley-Clearing Powder couldn’t even be called a first-rank elixir; it was simply an inferior Valley-Clearing Powder.

Later, he mastered the Myriad Wonders Pill, which opened up his true path in alchemy.

Now, he possessed three brand new recipes—a joyful event for any alchemist.

He was eager to immediately begin his alchemic endeavors.

But Luo Chen didn’t start refining pills right away. Instead, his life became quite leisurely.

Besides his daily cultivation, he oversaw the construction of the Slanted Moon Valley pill chamber.

Additionally, he managed to borrow a book from the Broken Mountain Sect’s merit hall after much persuasion.

《Herbal Compendium》

This was a book that had been on Wang Yuan’s stall for years before he became successful.

But no one ever bought it.

After Wang Yuan took sole charge of a hall, these items were returned to the Broken Mountain Sect, with the merit hall responsible for their disposal.

Luo Chen went to borrow it, but Mi Junping flatly refused, saying he had to buy it with spiritual stones.

Heh.

Was he, Luo Chen, the kind of fool who would pay?

They were family, and he had to pay spiritual stones?

He directly used Uncle Mi Shuhua’s name, and the other party reluctantly lent it to him.

“I knew that once Uncle Mi Shuhua starts investing heavily in me, my subsequent small requests will be easier to satisfy.”

“This, my friends, is called leveraging sunk costs!”

Lying in a rocking chair, with mountain springs flowing nearby and his subordinates working in front of him, Luo Chen focused entirely on the Herbal Compendium.

The reason he was reading this book instead of the 《Alchemy Explanations of Qing Yuanzi》 was because it was a requirement from the latter.

“The way of alchemy begins with recognizing herbs, then processing materials, requiring mastery of fire control, and then gradually refining pills.”

This is a long process of accumulation.

Luo Chen had always known his alchemic foundation was crude, even calling it trash wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

His ability to refine high-grade Valley-Clearing Powder and medium-grade Myriad Wonders Pills relied solely on the system’s bestowal of knowledge and his own day-by-day skill improvement.

But beyond those two pills, his understanding was shallow.

Hence, the embarrassing situation he faced when discussing alchemy with the charming Miss Xiangxiang.

Now, with the opportunity and guidance from a senior expert, he naturally wanted to fill in the gaps in his foundation.

First, he started with recognizing herbs!

Looking at a long, thin organ in the compendium, Luo Chen suddenly realized.

“So the Fire Dog Whip doesn’t only have an aphrodisiac effect, it can also be used to assist in cultivating fire-type spells. Just by holding it in your mouth, you can feel the rich… uh, forget it, I won’t mention that effect!”

“Tsk tsk, Blue Citrus Grass looks ordinary, but it has as many as forty-nine uses! No wonder the Duan Family nearby has planted such a large area of Blue Citrus Grass.”

“Jade Wash? Isn’t this the main ingredient for the Jade Marrow Pill? Let me take a closer look.”

Just as Luo Chen was immersed in his studies, unable to extricate himself, Si Kong Shou Jia rushed over.

“They’re gone!”

“What’s gone?” Luo Chen didn’t look up.

“The cultivators from the Ai Lao Mountain Sect of Immortal Construction Residence just left, without even asking for the remaining spiritual stone payment!”

Luo Chen looked up, blinking.

“Isn’t this good news?”

He doesn’t even have to pay the balance!

Si Kong Shou Jia shook his head, “I’m afraid something happened.”

“Heh, whatever happened is Ai Lao Mountain Sect’s business, what does it have to do with us?”

“But the pill chamber isn’t finished yet!”

Luo Chen suddenly stood up and cursed.

“These contractors are so irresponsible, even small projects are freaking unfinished!”

After saying that, he hurried to the pill chamber.

After careful observation, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“It’s fine. Sect cultivators are still credible. The basic framework of the pill chamber is built, and the remaining materials can be added later.”

Si Kong Shou Jia also breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this.

These three pill chambers, from labor to materials, cost two thousand spiritual stones, enough to buy a decent top-grade artifact.

He had never enjoyed such an expensive house in his life.

Now that there were no problems, he also smiled.

“Sect cultivators, credit first, give them a thumbs up!”

Seeing Si Kong Shou Jia using the hand gesture he used a few days ago, Luo Chen couldn’t help but shudder.

Old man, don’t be so trendy!

“One more thing, I won’t be here tomorrow, you keep an eye on things.”

Si Kong Shou Jia asked in confusion, “Where are you going?”

“Sending a few friends off. Their ten-year rotation period is over, and they’re going back to their sect,” Luo Chen said calmly.

The old man blinked, his body stiff.

Ten-year rotation period, returning to the sect!

This wasn’t the rule for small shops in Great River City, but a tradition of the six major upper sects.

When did Luo Chen get to know such sect cultivators, and their relationship was so good that he needed to send them off personally?

“I’m off!”

Luo Chen slipped away.

On his way out of the valley, he greeted Gu Caiyi and Murong Qinglian, who were busy working.

Gu Caiyi didn’t follow. She had just joined the Broken Mountain Sect and was in the process of befriending cultivators and making herself known.

Moreover, her Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivation meant she was no ordinary sect member.

At Luo Chen’s request, she was now a Dan Hall deacon, roughly on equal footing with Si Kong Shou Jia in the Dan Hall.

Slanted Moon Valley belonged to the outer city, but it was actually far from the actual outer city.

Accidents were easily encountered along the way.

Therefore, the Broken Mountain Sect usually arranged guards to protect Luo Chen.

Two Qi Refining Late Period brothers, one surnamed Zhou and one surnamed Liu.

The two were skilled in combined attacks and were not afraid of ordinary Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivators working together.

Nothing unexpected happened along the way.

Upon entering the Inner City, Luo Chen waved goodbye to the two.

Looking at his dashing back, Liu Qiang was filled with envy.

“Look at the life he’s living, and look at ours. A mere Qi Refining fifth layer, and we, two Qi Refining eighth layers, have to escort him every day. He must have been an emperor assassinated in his past life!”

“Watch your words, Brother Liu!”

Zhou Yuanli whispered, “Elder Brother Luo is not someone we can criticize.”

Liu Qiang snorted, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

“Don’t be late tomorrow, otherwise, you can’t explain it to the Sect Master.”

Liu Qiang stiffened, and then his speed increased even further.

At the city gate, Zhou Yuanli shook his head. His brother always aimed too high.

Previously, he had foolishly tried to compete for the position of Mining Hall Master, saying that since Wang Yuan, a Qi Refining eighth layer, could be a hall master, so could he!

Then, he was beaten up.

Now that he had finally gotten an easy job with him, and a lot of spiritual stones to earn, he was still not satisfied.

He really needed to advise him more!

(End of Chapter)

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