Longevity begins with alchemy master

Strictly speaking, the gift sent by Steward Yan was not a reward for the young city lord of Yixian City, but merely a personal gift for their first meeting.

It wasn't particularly valuable, but it could solve Luo Chen's immediate problem.

At first glance, it only contained rice, flour, and cooking oil, but all of these were things that Luo Chen desperately needed.

He was once a Nascent Soul cultivator, capable of achieving the state of abstaining from grains by absorbing the spiritual energy of the world without needing to eat. However, the Great Destruction Realm is different; there is no spiritual energy to speak of, so Luo Chen cannot absorb energy from the outside.

Previously, I could still maintain my daily activities by decomposing and absorbing the source blood in my body, and the consumption wasn't too great. But if I add the source blood lost during healing, then this source blood becomes like water without a source; it can be said that every bit used is a bit less.

That's why Luo Chen wanted to leave the village so early on.

With the large batch of meat and refined rice delivered by Steward Yan, although the energy content was not high, it was enough to supplement their diet.

Moreover, the steward Yan was a clever man; he even included a lamp in the gift he sent.

"What kind of lamp is this?" Jing Lan looked at the broken oil lamp in front of her with curiosity.

Luo Chen calmly explained, "The Disfigured Green Lamp."

Clearly, Steward Yan had thoroughly investigated Luo Chen's background, even his actions in Qingshan Town that day.

It's likely that they learned about Luo Chen's interest in this lamp while inside the Wanxiang Pavilion, which is why they specially bought it and gave it to Luo Chen.

This lamp originates from the Zhaoying Sect in the southern border region of the mountains and seas.

Originally powered by Gu worms, it was later modified by Luo Chen to be usable by both magic power and source power. Its functions are not complicated: it can see through illusions, dispel illusions, and reveal the true nature of illusory things.

Now that the lamp is no longer powered by magic and is too damaged, it is actually of no use to Luo Chen.

He told Jing Lan to dispose of the thing however she wanted, and then he focused on his cultivation.

Jing Lan was quite interested in the old-fashioned broken lamp, added some lamp oil, and carefully placed it on the table in the room.

It was late at night.

Jing Lan lay on the table, looking at the oil lamp in the room and the tall figure sitting cross-legged behind it, her eyes filled with a sense of peace.

I wish it could continue like this forever.

However, she was also looking forward to leaving this place.

"There are still four months left!"

……

The day when Steward Yan returns is set at the end of the year when the tobacco workshop affairs are concluded, which is still four months away.

For ordinary people, this is an agonizing wait.

But for Luo Chen, who was focused on cultivation, this time was still not enough.

The orthodox path of body cultivation, in the second stage of training, mainly focuses on comprehending the changes in qi and blood.

Previously, Luo Chen hadn't pursued that path deeply due to various reasons, including his talent, time constraints, and future prospects. Now, starting over, he's surprised to find that this path isn't actually that difficult for him.

Perhaps it was because he had read extensively, perhaps it was because he had practiced many ancient martial arts techniques, or perhaps it was because he had once possessed a physical body at the fifth level of the Ancient Era. In any case, he was already at a high level in this field.

Furthermore, since the path of body refinement has a similar meaning of different paths leading to the same goal, once you get the hang of it, you will progress rapidly.

The subtle strength is formed in an instant during the changes in Qi and blood.

The subsequent internal strength was nothing more than a matter of two or three days of practice for him.

Transforming energy is the most difficult stage in understanding the four types of energy. It requires smooth operation, internal circulation of potential, and then the combination of qi and strength, spreading all the energy throughout the body. In this way, whether it is attack or defense, one can control the energy at will, and the energy can be freely manifested.

This stage took Luo Chen a bit longer, a full half month, to fully unleash his inner strength.

Of course, if those orthodox body cultivators saw that Luo Chen had comprehended the three types of energy in the transformation of qi and blood in less than a month, and had broken through three minor realms in a row, their eyes would probably pop out of their sockets.

But for Luo Chen, there was really no need to be proud of this.

His foundation in body cultivation is incredibly solid!

If the Blood River Realm is to be carefully divided, it actually has nine complete minor realms. Wang Yuan explained them to Luo Chen back then, namely [Refining the Internal Organs], [Changing Tendons], [Washing the Marrow], [Opening the Meridians], [Opening the Acupoints], [Manifest Strength], [Hidden Strength], [Transforming Strength], and [Elixir Strength].

Of these nine minor realms, Luo Chen had already completed the five steps of Yi Jin Xi Sui, Lian Zang Tong Mai, and even opening all the major and minor acupoints in the body hundreds of years ago.

Now we are simply building upon this foundation, taking a strategic and overarching approach to perfect what was left unfinished.

After understanding the transformation of internal energy, Luo Chen needed to consider the last of the four internal energy types—the internal energy of the elixir—the elixir energy!
A secluded spot in the back mountain.

Luo Chen sat cross-legged under a large tree, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Transforming energy is the most difficult stage in the transformation of qi and blood. The difficulty lies in its complexity, as it requires spreading the energy throughout the entire body to every corner.

However, the Dan Jin realm is the most dangerous stage in the transformation of Qi and blood. Back then, Wang Yuan was stuck at this minor realm for a long time.

It is called dangerous because it requires you to concentrate all the energy you have in your body into one point!
In martial arts cultivation, this is called "Dan"!
It is similar to the Golden Elixir in the Qi Refining process, but there are some differences.

He not only emphasized the unique fusion of internal strength, but also stressed the inner strength of the will. The process of fusing internal strength is extremely painful, requiring a strong martial will to endure the pain while controlling the fusion of internal strength.

This fused pill is like the egg that gave rise to all things in the primordial chaos. The more concentrated, smaller, and more restrained it is, the more powerful it will be in battle. It may even affect the cultivation of the next realm.

As for willpower, Luo Chen was not worried at all.

With his strong Dao heart and unwavering will, he didn't care about a little pain at all.

What he was thinking about at that moment was how to avoid damage to his body during the process of absorbing the elixir.

This body, though seemingly healthy, is actually like a crumbling building; it cannot afford the slightest mishap until it is fully recovered.

"Perhaps I can try it little by little, master the steps of forming the elixir, and only take that step after I'm absolutely sure I'm on the right track," Luo Chen muttered to himself.

Compared to Qi cultivation, martial arts training places greater emphasis on daily practice.

As for proficiency, his attribute panel can still be opened.

In other words, he can completely decide when to embrace the elixir and when to take that step based on his progress in materializing his skills!
Moreover, this process is not achieved through arduous training; he can also draw inferences from one another and improve his proficiency by practicing martial arts techniques derived from internal strength.

"Let me think, what martial arts techniques did Wang Yuan write in his book 'Divine Qi Battle'? The Blood God Calamity Finger, which mainly uses Ming Jin (manifest force), the Immortal Return to Penglai, which uses An Jin (hidden force) to kill unexpectedly, and the most vicious Blood Transformation Demon Finger..."

……

Even in the Great Cataclysm Realm, the seasons still change.

However, this change is relatively vague compared to the previous Shan Hai Jie (mountain and sea boundary).

Because of the three suns hanging high in the sky, the temperature difference between day and night is extremely large, and the seasonal changes also show a polarized situation.

Spring and autumn are extremely short, while winter and summer are scorching.

The summer begins in April and doesn't end until September or October.

But the end of the sweltering summer does not mean the arrival of a cool autumn. On the contrary, the days to come will be even more difficult for ordinary people.

This period is the peak season for natural disasters, particularly wind and rain.

Ordinary people dare not stay outside for too long, and some part-time jobs can only be done from home.

The job Jinglan wanted to take, tanning thousand-fold rope, was one that could be done at home without going to the tobacco workshop.

Of course, Jing Lan will be leaving Qingshan Town with Luo Chen later, so she won't need to do this.

With her free time, she simply stayed home sewing clothes to prepare for her upcoming long journey.

"At the end of the year, heavy snow fell and it was especially cold. It was fine if you didn't go out, but if you were going to travel far, you would need a thick coat to keep warm."

Jing Lan looked at Luo Chen's simple linen clothes and said as she sewed them.

Luo Chen wanted to say no, but seeing the woman's eager gaze, he didn't refuse.

"Oh, by the way, it's very likely to rain ghosts tonight. Among the gifts sent by Steward Yan is a complete Dream Stone. Take one out and light it!" Jing Lan reminded her.

Luo Chen hummed in agreement and went to retrieve a Dream Stone.

But before it was even lit, a chill ran down my spine, and I instinctively looked towards the door.

In the dim sky, a faint white light flashed, followed immediately by a deafening clap of thunder.

Boom!

Jing Lan didn't seem to feel much, and just smiled as she looked outside.

"See? I told you it was going to rain."

Outside, the sound of large raindrops hitting the ground began to ring out, and a chill spread through the air.

Luo Chen walked to the door and looked at the streaks of white light in the sky that seemed to tear the heavens apart, his expression extremely solemn.

Is that the soul-stirring thunderous sound that Steward Yan mentioned?
In the hearth, firewood was piled up, and wisps of smoke rose from the burning dream stone.

After dinner, Jing Lan went to sleep, while Luo Chen continued his cultivation.

He is already quite proficient in gathering his essence and embracing his inner core to comprehend the inner energy, and he will probably succeed soon.

In this way, one can make more sophisticated use of one's own Qi and blood power in the future, rather than using the simple and crude source power.

Outside, the rain poured down, but inside, Luo Chen sat cross-legged, his mind focused and his spirit tranquil.

A stream of energy flowed continuously through the meridians that were being cleared within the body, and energy also emanated from the acupoints. In the midst of chaos, it seemed as if a chicken egg was being born.

Suddenly!
Luo Chen frowned slightly, subconsciously opened his eyes, and looked outside the wooden door.

It seemed as if some sinister force was lurking in the shadows. (End of Chapter)