Chapter 40: Pill Chamber, Immortal Beans

I don't know if it's because Fu Xiuxiu has been home these past two days.

Bai Meiling seems to be coming home from work a little earlier every day.

After returning, she drags Fu Xiuxiu out shopping, or they chat in the courtyard, occasionally letting out crisp, delicate laughter.

Of course, she also finds excuses to slip into Luo Chen's room from time to time.

Watching Luo Chen build the alchemy room bit by bit, a hint of admiration grows in her eyes.

"With your craftsmanship, even if you can't make it in alchemy later on, you could go find a job in Mount Ailao."

"Mount Ailao? What's that for?"

"It's a Golden Core sect in the Yuding Domain. They specialize in various minerals, and at the same time, the sect is very skilled at construction. Aren't these bricks and stones of yours bought directly from Xianzhuju, a shop affiliated with Mount Ailao?"

Xianzhuju was a property of Mount Ailao?

Luo Chen truly didn't know this.

Or rather, he didn't know much about the Mount Ailao sect at all.

Bai Meiling gave him a casual explanation, and only then did he realize that Mount Ailao was thriving in the Yuding Domain.

Loose cultivators aren't very particular about where they live; a wooden hut or a cave is enough to keep them happy.

But the cultivators of wealthy sects are not so easygoing.

Their residences and cave dwellings are often meticulously designed.

From lighting and illumination to medicinal gardens and alchemy rooms, every location must be carefully selected, and the best materials must be used for construction.

Especially with large-scale buildings, there are countless intricacies involved.

From grand mountain gates and celestial realms to small marketplace buildings, it's not just about building the house and laying the floor; the entire large-scale formation must be completed.

How spiritual wood is matched, how ores penetrate and gather spiritual energy, and how feng shui orientation affects a cultivator's long-term residence—all must be considered.

Even whether the floor is suitable for the takeoff and landing of large flying ships must be taken into account.

Some famous grand formations are specially set up to not only integrate with the mountains and rivers but to merge with the architecture itself, reaching a state where they draw strength from one another.

In the three hundred years since the Yuding Sword Sect established dominance in this domain, there has been a period of grand development and massive construction.

During this vast process of development and construction, Mount Ailao has indeed contracted many projects, earning a fortune.

"The initial construction of our Dahe Market, from layout design to implementation, was handled entirely by Mount Ailao."

"Rumor has it that in Mount Ailao's Divine Craft City, even a random cave dwelling starts at a price of a hundred thousand spirit stones, and it's only for a seventy-year lease."

After listening to Bai Meiling's explanation, Luo Chen was truly stunned.

Real estate in the cultivation world is actually this lucrative!

No matter what, once I have spirit stones in the future, I must hire an expert from Mount Ailao to redesign everything.

"By the way, is there some conflict between Sister Xiuxiu and Sister Caiyi?" Luo Chen curiously inquired about the gossip.

Matters between women are complicated, and he didn't want to get involved.

But gossip between women always sounds interesting.

Bai Meiling tilted her small head. "There's no conflict!"

"Sister Xiuxiu is very gentle. She's usually very amiable and rarely has conflicts with people."

Luo Chen paused. "Then why does Sister Xiuxiu seem uncomfortable whenever I mention Sister Caiyi?"

"Oh, you mean that!" Bai Meiling smacked her lips and waved her small hand. "It's all because of Sister Xiuxiu's Dao companion matter."

Fu Xiuxiu used to have a Dao companion?

Luo Chen's interest was instantly piqued.

"Sister Xiuxiu's Dao companion was an inner disciple of the Yuding Sword Sect. But because he failed his Foundation Establishment attempt, he was transferred to become an outer disciple deacon."

"Outer deacons cannot focus solely on quiet cultivation; they need to be dispatched to various places to manage the sect's various industries."

"That man came to Dahe Market, met Sister Xiuxiu, who was still a loose cultivator at the time, and the two became Dao companions."

As Bai Meiling spoke, she shook her head.

"However, because he failed Foundation Establishment, his Dao heart was damaged, and he later indulged in pleasures. Even after having Sister Xiuxiu, he would still frequently spend nights at the Tianxiang Pavilion."

"One morning, he died—he died in a private chamber at the Tianxiang Pavilion."

"Senior Sun Shou personally went to retrieve the body."

To die under the peony flowers, to be a romantic even as a ghost?

Luo Chen couldn't help but give a mental thumbs-up; he was truly a role model for his generation.

"Since then, Sister Xiuxiu hasn't been very fond of people or things related to the Tianxiang Pavilion. And since Sister Caiyi works there, she might be triggered by the scenery, so she doesn't really like Sister Caiyi!"

As Bai Meiling explained the reasons one by one, Luo Chen finally understood.

It was essentially a case of hating the house and the crow that perches on it.

Having satisfied Luo Chen's curiosity, Bai Meiling remembered her own question.

"Can Fire Dog Whips also be used to refine high-grade Fasting Pills?"

Luo Chen hurriedly pushed her away. "I'm going to be busy. It's going to smell quite strong in a bit!"

"Eek! Remember to turn on the smoke extractor, or I'll report you."

Bai Meiling pinched her nose and ran away in disgust.

With a casual flick of spiritual power, he activated the exhaust fan, then took the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace out of his storage bag.

*Clang!*

"The volume of a single unit is still a bit small. It would be great if there were three, five, or even a hundred-unit large-capacity storage bags."

After all, it was only a first-grade low-rank magical tool; it couldn't adjust its size at will.

This Purple Cloud Copper Furnace alone occupied nearly eighty percent of his storage bag's space.

Previously, he had no choice but to stuff the medicinal herbs inside the furnace.

If he didn't take them out now, the main ingredients would start to smell like the others.

He carefully placed the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace above the fire pit and added water.

He took a bundle of yellowish Green Steel Wood, stuffed it underneath, and struck a Fireball Spell; the wood began to burn slowly.

Having switched his alchemy tools, the peach wood and redwood he used to use were no longer suitable.

The heat those two types of wood could release was too low; it would take an unknown amount of time to heat the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace.

Therefore, Luo Chen had specifically purchased the expensive Green Steel Wood.

This type of first-grade spiritual wood contains oil, which can release considerable high temperatures once ignited.

"Rumor has it that when high-level cultivators refine pills, they either use the medicinal fire within their bodies or borrow the earth fire or heavenly fire from between heaven and earth. I wonder when I'll be able to use such methods?"

After muttering a few words and ensuring the insulation of the fire pit was fine, Luo Chen turned and left the alchemy room.

He would burn the furnace first to heat it up and, in the process, burn off some of the latent medicinal vapors inside.

These operations were all based on experience.

When Miss Xiangxiang sold him the furnace, she had also left instructions in the manual.

Burning the furnace was only the first step; next came the testing of the furnace. Only after becoming familiar with it could he refine pills with peace of mind.

For the next two days, he would focus on processing the medicinal herbs!

*Crackle! Pop!*

*Bang! Snap!*

"What's that sound?"

A lazy, questioning voice came from outside. Luo Chen opened the stone door of the alchemy room and walked out, covered in dust and soot.

Looking at his disheveled appearance, Gu Caiyi couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"What are you doing? And why did you partition a room inside this house?"

*Whoosh!*

Luo Chen fanned himself and cast a Cleansing Spell on his body.

With a *pop*, the dust clinging to him scattered in all directions, forcing Gu Caiyi to quickly dodge.

He went to the water vat, scooped up a large ladle of cool water, and gulped it down before he could catch his breath.

"Damn it, no wonder famous alchemists need to be equipped with fire-tending boys. This alchemy room is definitely not a place one can stay in frequently."

After cursing, he finally had time to explain to Gu Caiyi.

"This is my newly built alchemy room. How is it? Not bad, right?"

Gu Caiyi waved her hand, brushing away the surrounding dust.

"It's fine, but I suggest you stay in there every day."

Luo Chen's face soured, but he didn't mind. "I'm testing the furnace. I stir-fried some Immortal Beans; want some?"

"Immortal Beans?"

Luo Chen ducked into the alchemy room and quickly brought out a plate of entirely golden beans.

The beans had shells, but they had already cracked during the high-temperature stir-frying process.

With a gentle peel, the pure white kernels inside were revealed.

"They're bitter hazelnuts!" Gu Caiyi picked one up skeptically. "These things are very bitter. Can you even eat them?"

"Try it and you'll know."

Luo Chen was already peeling them himself, stuffing several into his mouth.

Gu Caiyi peeled the golden shell and put the tender white kernel into her mouth.

Her rosy lips moved slightly, and her eyes slowly brightened.

"Oh! Not bad at all! How did you fry them? They're actually fragrant and crunchy, and there's even a hint of spiritual energy contained within."

Luo Chen said vanity-filledly, "A secret recipe, I can say no more!"

Gu Caiyi rolled her eyes at him and snatched the entire plate of Immortal Beans.

Luo Chen didn't mind. He added a bucket of water to the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace and then walked out carrying a small water kettle.

In the courtyard, Gu Caiyi sat on the child-sized swing that Xiao Hu usually used, holding the plate of Immortal Beans and peeling them one by one in a leisurely manner.

Opposite her, Luo Chen, holding the small water kettle, watered a row of potted plants one by one.

"These are Fu Xiuxiu's plants, right?"

Luo Chen gave an affirmative hum and observed the two spiritual plants Sister Xiuxiu had specifically instructed him to watch, ensuring there were no issues.

Four days had passed since their last gathering.

Fu Xiuxiu's rest days had ended, and she had returned to work at the Divine Talisman Pavilion; she only had one day off per month.

Because she had been promoted to manager recently, she had stayed at the Divine Talisman Pavilion for a long time before accumulating three days of leave.

Before leaving, she had entrusted these flowers and plants to Luo Chen for care.

"You're quite the familiar one, aren't you? You've only known her for a bit and you've already tricked these plants into your hands."

"Don't talk nonsense! How can you call matters between neighbors 'tricking'?"

"Tsk, I saw it just now. You moved that Moonlight Grass to your bedside. You must be secretly working hard on your cultivation every night!"

Luo Chen's face flushed red. How could this woman's eyes be so sharp!

But truth be told, the effect of the Moonlight Grass was indeed quite good. Although it couldn't compare to Soothing Incense, it had about a tenth of the effect.

Over the past two days, the maximum limit of his Spring Long-Life Technique's circulation had increased once during his nightly sessions.

After cultivating every day, he felt even more energetic when he woke up in the morning!

Consequently, his daily training of spell proficiency had shot up rapidly, and several spells had broken through to new levels.

Luo Chen quickly changed the subject. "Why haven't I seen you come back these past few days?"

"Eh, wait, your cultivation level?"

Gu Caiyi smiled slightly. The narrow swing pressed against her voluptuous hips, creating an exaggerated visual contrast with her slender waist.

"You noticed? I've reached the ninth level of Qi Refinement!"