Chapter 199
Chapter 199
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 199
Chapter Title: Five Years Pass, Mid-rank Alchemist
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Senior, my senior sister is about to attempt her breakthrough to Foundation Establishment."
Jiang Ruxu's voice, crisp and pleasant, emanated from the sound-recording bamboo as if she were whispering right beside him.
This sound-recording formation made from sound-recording bamboo was truly marvelous.
His understanding of the wonders of formations had grown significantly, and he was eager to try comprehending them himself.
But he suffered from a lack of any formation inheritance.
From the records in the *Chronicles of Tiannan*, it was clear that Formation Masters were exceedingly rare, seemingly all within the Tiannan Sect.
Rogue Formation Masters were seldom seen.
At the very least, Chen Jianghe had never met a rogue Formation Master, nor had he even heard of one.
He only knew that when Mirror Moon Market City was established, the Yun Clan had spent more than half of its fortune to invite a Formation Master from the Tiannan Sect to set up a second-tier large-scale defensive formation on the lake's central island.
This implied that the inheritance of formations might be entirely under the control of the Tiannan Sect.
It was practically impossible for a rogue cultivator to comprehend the Dao of formations.
As for the formations inscribed by artifact refiners during their craft, those were merely common minor offensive and defensive arrays, along with specialized artifact-refining formations.
They could barely be considered true formations.
The magic of formations could seize the ingenuity of creation, the power of the sun and moon, and the might of heaven and earth.
"Xinyan is attempting her breakthrough to Foundation Establishment. I should watch over her."
Alchemist Zhuang had a great influence on him, and the care he had shown could not be measured in spirit stones. As for his descendant...
Chen Jianghe would naturally do his best to look after her.
The message from the sound-recording bamboo had just arrived, which meant Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan were both out of seclusion.
He went directly to the turtle's tail where the two women were staying and used the sound-recording formation to have them open the isolation array and let him in.
"Senior."
Seeing Chen Jianghe, Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan both greeted him sweetly and led him into an exquisite little courtyard.
The courtyard didn't look large, but it felt very serene.
It had everything: flowers, grass, spiritual plants, a small bridge over a flowing stream, a pavilion, and stone benches.
The chirping of birds could be heard, adding to the tranquil and elegant atmosphere.
This small manor must have been built on Golden Ao Mountain by a spiritual architect hired by Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan.
Compared to his own simple wooden cabin, it was truly a refreshing sight.
Chen Jianghe sat down under the pavilion.
Zhuang Xinyan stood obediently by his side, while Jiang Ruxu went to brew tea.
"What are your chances?"
Chen Jianghe asked with concern.
"With the authentic Foundation Establishment Pill you helped me acquire, I have an eighty percent chance of success."
An eighty percent chance was very high.
Even the direct descendants of many Foundation Establishment immortal clans would find it hard to reach such a level.
After all, Alchemist Zhuang had been a second-tier alchemy grandmaster. Under his full support, Zhuang Xinyan had never lacked cultivation resources at any stage.
She hadn't even needed a Calamity Dispelling Pill to break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining.
Her Qi Refining eighth level had progressed in tandem with her body tempering cultivation.
Upon reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining, she began cultivating a spiritual technique, bringing it to perfection along with her cultivation base.
It could be said that Alchemist Zhuang had planned every step for her.
The same was true for Jiang Ruxu.
However, Jiang Ruxu also had to practice alchemy, so she was about a year behind Zhuang Xinyan.
"Mm."
Chen Jianghe nodded and said to Zhuang Xinyan, "Golden Ao Mountain has a second-tier, high-grade spirit vein and a Spirit Gathering Formation. It will allow you to break through smoothly."
"Don't be nervous. Keep a calm mind. You can succeed."
"Go on."
Listening to Chen Jianghe's words, Zhuang Xinyan's phoenix eyes shifted, a brilliant light flashing within them, and she nodded with determination.
"I will definitely succeed."
Just then, Jiang Ruxu walked over with a pot of spirit tea, placed it on the stone table, and also offered Zhuang Xinyan a word of encouragement.
With that, Zhuang Xinyan entered the private cultivation chamber.
When building this small manor, the two women had requested the construction of a private cultivation chamber and had the Spirit Gathering Formation set up inside it.
This made the spiritual energy within the chamber even more abundant and dense.
"Senior, please have some tea."
Jiang Ruxu poured a cup of tea for Chen Jianghe. Her pretty eyes held a smile as she moved a step closer to him, her voice as pleasant as an oriole's song.
Chen Jianghe nodded, took a small sip, and savored the sweet fragrance of the spirit tea. It was indeed much better than Old Chen's tea.
Then, he turned his gaze to the private cultivation chamber, watching the signs of Zhuang Xinyan's breakthrough attempt.
This time, there was no need for the second-tier, high-grade Spirit Gathering Formation disc, so there was no heaven-and-earth spiritual energy phenomenon in the early stages of the breakthrough.
An hour later.
Zhuang Xinyan began to assail the magical power barrier, drawing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into her body. This caused the spiritual energy of Golden Ao Mountain to converge towards the turtle's tail.
A hundred-zhang vortex formed abruptly, the spiritual energy far denser than what the second-tier, high-grade Spirit Gathering Formation disc could gather.
At that moment.
At the turtle's head, by the waterfall, sat a quiet and elegant courtyard. Luo Xiyue, who had been meditating with her eyes closed, felt the surge of spiritual energy and opened her eyes.
She looked towards the turtle's tail.
"Her foundation is solid. She can achieve Foundation Establishment."
"It's just a pity I can't refine second-tier, high-grade spirit pills. Otherwise, I could have given them a fortuitous opportunity."
She murmured to herself, then took out a Profound Ice Lotus seed, refined it in her palm for a moment, and swallowed it.
At the same time, she took out a Warm Sun Flower to counteract the frigid energy of the Profound Ice Lotus seed, allowing her to fully absorb its spiritual power.
While Luo Xiyue was cultivating...
Zhuang Xinyan had already begun the second infusion of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy, making both Chen Jianghe and Jiang Ruxu tense.
For Zhuang Xinyan, the most difficult part was the fourth trial, the Heart of the Dao trial.
The first three trials were relatively easy to pass.
Zhuang Xinyan had a simple personality and had been protected by Alchemist Zhuang for decades, leaving her with a naive mind.
Although the Heart of the Dao trial during the Foundation Establishment breakthrough wasn't comparable to the inner demon tribulation of Core Formation...
It still had requirements for one's mental state.
A single misstep could trap one in a self-created illusion, unable to break free.
If too much time passed, one's body would explode from the excess of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy.
Three hours passed.
Chen Jianghe's brow furrowed. He stood up from the stone bench, walked out of the pavilion, and looked at the private cultivation chamber with a hint of worry.
Jiang Ruxu was filled with anxiety, her heart in turmoil.
Alchemist Zhuang had treated her like a granddaughter, giving her the same resources as Zhuang Xinyan without distinction.
Now that Alchemist Zhuang was gone, she couldn't let anything happen to Zhuang Xinyan.
*Whoosh~*
Suddenly, the third infusion of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy began.
This brought a sigh of relief from both Chen Jianghe and Jiang Ruxu.
Although Zhuang Xinyan had struggled through the Heart of the Dao trial for three hours, the result was good. She had finally passed it.
An hour later.
Zhuang Xinyan walked out of the private chamber.
Having just broken through, she couldn't yet control her aura perfectly. The powerful magical power fluctuations of a Foundation Establishment cultivator emanated from her.
It signified that at this moment, she had become a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"Xinyan, congratulations."
"Senior Sister, congratulations on reaching Foundation Establishment. From now on, you'll be able to help Senior." Jiang Ruxu went to Zhuang Xinyan, took her hand, and said joyfully.
Hearing this, Chen Jianghe just gave a light chuckle.
What help could he possibly need?
Zhuang Xinyan looked at Chen Jianghe with an excited expression and said, "Senior, I've succeeded in reaching Foundation Establishment! I've fulfilled my grandfather's wish."
"Mm, Fellow Daoist Zhuang's spirit in heaven will surely be very happy to know you've succeeded."
Chen Jianghe nodded with a smile.
Then, he added, "You've just broken through and need to stabilize your cultivation. I won't disturb you any longer."
"I'll see you out, Senior."
Jiang Ruxu said softly.
Chen Jianghe didn't refuse and left the small, elegant manor.
"Senior, have you tried alchemy yet?" Jiang Ruxu suddenly asked.
Hearing this question, Chen Jianghe was certain that the so-called inheritance left by Alchemist Zhuang had been given to him by these two women.
"Not yet," Chen Jianghe admitted.
He had been too busy lately, needing to build up his own resources so he could afford any treasures he might fancy in the future.
How could he have time to try alchemy?
"Oh... is that so!"
A hint of disappointment flashed in Jiang Ruxu's eyes, but she sensed from Chen Jianghe's words that he intended to try it eventually.
She immediately said, "If Senior wants to try alchemy, you can come to my senior sister and me. We have a first-tier alchemy furnace here, as well as the medicinal herbs for refining first-tier spirit pills."
"Aren't you using the first-tier alchemy furnace?"
"My spirit has reached perfection. I just need to absorb some heaven-and-earth spiritual items that enhance the spirit, and I'll be able to reach spiritual perfection and attempt my breakthrough to Foundation Establishment."
Jiang Ruxu said happily, "After I reach Foundation Establishment, I plan to try refining second-tier spirit pills."
"Refining second-tier spirit pills?"
Chen Jianghe's face lit up. "Alright then. When I have time, I'll come and try my hand at the Dao of alchemy."
Chen Jianghe was quite pleased to hear that Jiang Ruxu was going to refine second-tier spirit pills.
Once Jiang Ruxu became an alchemy grandmaster...
If he obtained another second-tier water-attribute spirit core, he could have it refined into second-tier Water Spirit Pills. One water-attribute spirit core would become five second-tier Water Spirit Pills.
Learning from Ruan Tieniu how difficult it was to obtain second-tier spirit cores had shattered Chen Jianghe's dream of having Xiao Hei cultivate by devouring them.
Directly devouring second-tier water-attribute spirit cores was the fastest cultivation method for Xiao Hei.
As for second-tier Water Spirit Pills...
Although it was the most cost-effective cultivation method, the speed was much slower.
The main reason was that the primary ingredient for refining second-tier Water Spirit Pills had a substitute; second-tier Water Spirit Grass could be used instead of a second-tier water-attribute spirit core.
As for the pill formula...
That would be easy to obtain.
Once Jiang Ruxu became an alchemy grandmaster, she could exchange pill formulas with other alchemy grandmasters, just as Talisman Masters exchanged their talismanic inheritance.
"I need to try alchemy as soon as possible. Only by becoming an alchemy grandmaster myself can I better build connections."
Returning to the spirit spring.
Chen Jianghe sat cross-legged under the Dragon Pattern Red Pine, quietly contemplating his future plans.
His soul was extraordinary; it was impossible that he didn't possess some transcendent talent.
Both the Dao of alchemy and the Dao of formations required an extremely high level of soul essence and spiritual sense.
The Dao of formations, given his current status and position, was completely out of reach.
But he could access the Dao of alchemy.
After a long period of contemplation.
Chen Jianghe made a decision.
First, he would accumulate resources and get Xiao Hei and Maoqiu's cultivation of Immortal Crystal Rice on Golden Ao Mountain on the right track.
He would use this to build his wealth.
Although spirit stones couldn't buy rare spiritual items, they could purchase most of what he needed.
So, he still had to earn spirit stones.
He also needed to inscribe second-tier talismans, and he had to create more Crimson Flame Cloud-Soaring Talismans. For a spirit thief, escape talismans were a necessity.
He would put the Meteorite Thunderfall Talismans on hold for now.
He could inscribe some Golden Light Body-Protecting Talismans as needed.
In between cultivating and inscribing talismans, he also needed to practice the Jade Dew Muscle-Growing Curse. Once he mastered it...
That would be another source of income.
He couldn't let it go to waste.
As for the forbidden art, Absolute Ice Seal, he wanted to cultivate it, but without ten-thousand-year-old profound ice, he simply couldn't.
With all this, his days were scheduled to be extremely full.
Trying alchemy would have to be squeezed in somewhere.
He also needed to squeeze in some time to cultivate a spiritual technique.
As for the body tempering technique, he would have to wait another two years to cultivate it.
He had the Second Revolution Spirit-Nourishing Pills. Not cultivating a spiritual technique to enhance his soul essence and strengthen his spiritual sense would be a waste.
After all, a stronger soul meant a more robust mental force, which would make inscribing talismans less taxing.
Infusing talismans with spiritual energy would also be much faster.
"There's also the matter of helping Ruan Tieniu modify the Profound Heaven Dragon Pattern Rope."
Thinking of this, Chen Jianghe looked at the sound-recording bamboo nearby and used the formation's jade pendant to leave a message for Luo Xiyue.
He asked when she would have time to help Ruan Tieniu modify the Profound Heaven Dragon Pattern Rope.
However, Luo Xiyue did not reply.
Chen Jianghe wasn't in a hurry.
Perhaps Luo Xiyue was cultivating or refining an artifact at this moment.
Subsequently, Chen Jianghe wrote a letter each to Yu Daniu and Gao Peiyao, informing them of his current whereabouts.
After finishing the letters.
Chen Jianghe swallowed a Spirit Gathering Pill and cultivated the *Myriad Waters True Scripture*. After circulating his energy for three minor cycles...
He began inscribing talismans.
At this moment, Chen Jianghe felt that the peaceful and fulfilling life of cultivation had returned.
Time flew, and the years flowed by.
In a flash.
Five years had passed.
At the turtle's tail, in the Clear Sound Pavilion.
This was the cultivation place of Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan.
At this moment, the two women were outside the alchemy room, anxiously watching the flickering firelight within.
"Junior Sister, will Big Brother Chen succeed in refining the Spirit Accumulating Pills?"
Zhuang Xinyan said in a low voice.
She had also tried alchemy in the past and was a low-rank alchemist, but out of ten attempts, her furnace had exploded six times.
For her safety, Alchemist Zhuang eventually had her give up alchemy. Thus, in her eyes, alchemy was extremely difficult.
Her delicate brows were slightly furrowed, her exquisite, jade-like face filled with worry, afraid that Chen Jianghe's furnace would explode.
"He won't. Big Brother Chen has a high aptitude for comprehension and is well-versed in the medicinal principles of first-tier alchemy. Although this is his first time refining a mid-rank spirit pill, his success rate for low-rank spirit pills is already as high as seventy percent."
Jiang Ruxu smiled faintly and said softly, "That's only a little lower than my success rate back then. Refining mid-rank Spirit Accumulating Pills shouldn't be a problem."
Four years ago, Jiang Ruxu had successfully reached Foundation Establishment, becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator. At the same time, she had also made a breakthrough in the Dao of alchemy, becoming a second-tier alchemist.
She had joined the Second-tier Alchemist Exchange.
Thousand Mountains Market City didn't have an Alchemist Alliance, but it had an Alchemist Exchange similar to the one in Qinghe Market City.
There were pros and cons.
The pro was that she could exchange pill formulas.
The con was that there were restrictions on selling spirit pills.
But not joining was not an option. She would be suppressed by all the alchemy grandmasters in Thousand Mountains Market City and wouldn't be able to survive there.
Actually, this wasn't really a con.
She could sell the second-tier healing pills she refined to Ruan Tieniu, who could then take them to the Arctic Snow Forest to barter or sell.
There were also the second-tier Water Spirit Pills, which were needed by Chen Jianghe.
She could sell those directly to him.
After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, the two women had become even more radiant and beautiful. Jiang Ruxu wore a light purple gauze dress, while Zhuang Xinyan wore a green, floral-printed gauze dress.
They waited obediently outside the alchemy room.
Craning their necks, they gazed at the alchemy room, waiting for Chen Jianghe to emerge.
Half an hour later.
Inside the alchemy room, Chen Jianghe skillfully formed the pill-forming seal, his spiritual sense guiding the spiritual seal to attach to the alchemy furnace.
With his delicate control over magical power, he switched between gentle and fierce flames with ease.
A hundred breaths later.
As magical power surged from Chen Jianghe's hands, the fierce flame suddenly intensified. A wave of heat generated within the furnace, causing the lid to tremble slightly and emit a large amount of white smoke.
*Whoosh~*
The fierce flame turned into a gentle one. Coordinated with the pill-forming seal, the medicinal liquid instantly solidified into spirit pills amidst the boiling.
Another hundred breaths passed.
A medicinal fragrance wafted out from the alchemy furnace and into Chen Jianghe's nostrils, making him smile.
"The mid-rank Spirit Accumulating Pills are done."
With a thought.
Three Spirit Accumulating Pills appeared in his hand.
He inspected their quality; they were even better than the Spirit Accumulating Pills he had bought back at the fourth level of Qi Refining.
"To become a mid-rank alchemist in five years... it seems I do have some talent for the Dao of alchemy."
Chen Jianghe muttered to himself.
Over these five years, he had come to the Clear Sound Pavilion to practice alchemy many times. With his profound understanding of medicinal principles, coupled with his powerful spiritual sense and delicate control over magical power...
He started directly with Spirit Awakening Pills.
After only two furnace explosions, he had grasped some of the key points of alchemy.
Although furnace explosions still happened frequently over the past five years, his alchemy skills had improved at a flying pace.
This was likely related to his cultivation level.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual sense and control over magical power far surpassed that of a Qi Refining cultivator.
Most importantly, his mastery over his spiritual sense and magical power had reached a level that ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators would find hard to match.
After all, he was a second-tier Talisman Master.
"My talent in alchemy is average. The reason I could become a mid-rank alchemist in five years is because my cultivation realm is high, and my control over spiritual sense and magical power far exceeds that of ordinary cultivators."
"It seems my extraordinary soul must be a talent for the Dao of formations, or perhaps a talent for comprehension."
"It's just that I have no way to access the inheritance of formations right now."
"As for having strong comprehension ability? I'll find out when I become a high-rank alchemist."
After becoming a high-rank alchemist, advancing to a second-tier alchemist wasn't just about improving one's alchemy skills.
It was more about one's comprehension of the Dao of alchemy.
So, whether his comprehension ability was strong or not would become clear once he became a high-rank alchemist.
He placed the three mid-rank Spirit Accumulating Pills into a prepared jade bottle and walked out of the alchemy room.
He had only used the two women's alchemy furnace, not their medicinal herbs. Being able to use the furnace was already good enough.
He couldn't possibly use their herbs as well.
Besides, the herbs for refining first-tier low- and mid-rank spirit pills were very cheap.
For example, the herbs for this batch of Spirit Accumulating Pills cost only three spirit stones, but these three pills could be sold for fifteen spirit stones.
It was clear that alchemy earned spirit stones much faster than inscribing talismans, but it consumed a great deal of spiritual sense and mental energy.
As a Foundation Establishment cultivator refining low- and mid-rank spirit pills, Chen Jianghe didn't feel it.
When he started refining high-rank spirit pills, or even second-tier spirit pills, he would clearly feel the mental drain.
It would be much greater than inscribing talismans.
"Big Brother Chen, congratulations on becoming a mid-rank alchemist."
"Big Brother Chen is so amazing! I practiced alchemy for ten years and was still just a low-rank alchemist, and my furnace exploded all the time."
When Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan saw Chen Jianghe walk out of the alchemy room, they immediately gathered around him, their cherry-like lips chattering endlessly.
But it was extremely pleasant to the ear.
As for why they had changed how they addressed him, calling him "Big Brother Chen"?
It was because Chen Jianghe had asked them to.
Both women were now Foundation Establishment cultivators. If they continued to call him Senior, it felt somewhat inappropriate.
So, Chen Jianghe wanted them to use a different form of address.
Although he had been friends with Alchemist Zhuang, he wasn't going to have Zhuang Xinyan call him "Grandpa."
Chen Jianghe had originally thought of having Zhuang Xinyan call him "Uncle."
That way, Jiang Ruxu could do the same.
But before he could even say it...
Jiang Ruxu blurted out "Big Brother Chen," and Zhuang Xinyan immediately followed suit.
This left Chen Jianghe a bit speechless.
But on second thought, there was nothing wrong with it.
They were all Foundation Establishment cultivators. Making them call him "Uncle" would be taking advantage of them, wouldn't it?
Chen Jianghe looked at the two women, who were even more beautiful and charming after reaching Foundation Establishment. Their skin was like jade, white and delicate.
As they gathered around, a fragrant breeze wafted over.
"It's just a mid-rank alchemist, what's there to congratulate? Ruxu, you're already a second-tier alchemist. In the Dao of alchemy, you're my senior."
Chen Jianghe teased.
This made the two women giggle, their full figures trembling lightly, a delightful sight to behold.
After some small talk.
Chen Jianghe returned to his own area.
A secluded small residence was built over the spirit spring, with a courtyard that enclosed the spring entirely. There was no particularly elegant landscaping.
However, there were quite a few strange rocks and exotic plants, as well as the Dragon Pattern Red Pine, a second-tier, mid-grade spiritual plant.
Overall, the small courtyard was very tranquil.
At the foot of the mountain, there was another, more luxurious building with green bricks, glazed tiles, and carved beams and painted rafters. The twenty-zhang-square courtyard had over a dozen unique landscape features.
These two courtyards were built three years ago by Chen Jianghe, who had spent two hundred spirit stones to hire three spiritual architects.
The timber used was all first-tier spiritual wood.
For the dozen or so landscape features in the Welcoming Immortals Residence at the turtle's foot, many of the materials used were spiritual items.
The reason the usually frugal Chen Jianghe had been so extravagant...
One was for his own dignity as a Foundation Establishment cultivator. He was now a high-level cultivator, after all; there was no need to keep living so austerely.
The second was that Xiao Hei and Maoqiu had a high talent for spiritual farming.
Arriving at the spirit fields.
Seeing the eighty *mu* of spirit fields managed so neatly and properly by Xiao Hei and Maoqiu, he was delighted.
This season's Immortal Crystal Rice was about to mature. Looking at the rising spiritual energy and the plump, translucent grains...
It was sure to be a bountiful year.
In the first year of planting Immortal Crystal Rice, Xiao Hei and Maoqiu were both novices. Even though they were dexterous spirit beasts...
Chen Jianghe had been prepared to take a loss.
But to his surprise, under the management of Xiao Hei and Maoqiu, the eighty *mu* of Immortal Crystal Rice had yielded two *shi* per *mu*.
He had broken even!
This truly made Chen Jianghe overjoyed.
In the second year of planting, Xiao Hei and Maoqiu had started turning a profit. Although the yield was only two *shi* and three *dou* per *mu*...
One *mu* of Immortal Crystal Rice only earned nine spirit stones, but eighty *mu* brought in seven hundred and twenty spirit stones.
In the past, he wouldn't have dared to even dream of this.
Two spirit beasts were bringing him a profit of seven hundred and twenty spirit stones a year.