Chapter 140: Chapter 133: Ye Jingzhou’s Return (2)
Evidently, to the Loose Cultivators of Jinyun Valley, Ye Jingzhou was the sky above their heads.
’He’s back so soon. Could it be that the materials for the pill formula have been gathered?’
But Chen Che was thinking of something else.
’Doesn’t this mean I’ll have to refine pills for him soon?’
Chen Che narrowed his eyes.
Xiao Chan’s appearance had certainly been a major distraction. But he never forgot that he was now the only Pill Master left in the Valley, nor did he forget that strange, massive tripod.
If Ye Jingzhou needed alchemy performed, there was no way he could be bypassed.
’This is definitely going to be another thankless task...’
Chen Che let out a long sigh. Ever since he saw Tributor Li working day and night to complete the pill formula, he had suspected it was no simple recipe.
’It’s a pity I haven’t even had a single glance at it. Otherwise, I could have determined what kind of formula it is—is it Tier Two, or Tier Three?’
’It’s best not to stand out in this matter, just wait and see... I should focus on the shop for now.’
...
Everyone had thought that with Ye Jingzhou’s return, all of Jinyun Valley would be rolling up their sleeves, ready to hunt down the troublemaking Evil Cultivator. Even many Loose Cultivators in the Market were eager to give it a try.
What no one expected was that the three Foundation Establishment Major Cultivators left that very same day.
The brewing storm dissipated without a sound.
Chen Che, however, immersed himself in alchemy. After all, the shop was low on many pills, and he needed to quickly replenish the stock of some of the rarer ones.
However, under his guidance, Zhao Deyou was now also able to refine Tier One Middle-grade Elixirs, albeit only some of the simpler ones.
"Acceptable. The pill’s effects are a bit weak, which shows you’re still unpracticed. Just keep at it for a while longer. Once you’ve mastered a few more formulas, you can select some children from the Mortal World to join the shop. You’ll be the one to teach them," Chen Che said casually.
"Huh!?"
Zhao Deyou was stunned. Although it seemed like he was just being asked to take on a few apprentices, to him, it was a granting of authority, an elevation of status. It also meant that Chen Che was making good on his promise to let him become a ’master craftsman’.
His rise from a low-level Loose Cultivator to a Pill Shop master had already made him the envy of many other loose cultivators.
’And if he were to become a ’master’ himself...’
Overjoyed, Zhao Deyou bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Shopkeeper. I will not fail to live up to your expectations."
"Just focus on doing your job well."
Chen Che nodded slightly. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Ding Fei come jogging into the backyard. Ding Fei leaned in and whispered that Meng Qingxuan had arrived.
He walked out and, sure enough, saw Meng Qingxuan sitting there, a broad smile on her face as she toyed with a teacup. She seemed to be in a very good mood. Her appearance left Chen Che feeling a bit baffled, but he still clasped his hands and asked:
"What can I do for you, Miss Meng?"
"I know you’ve been in a bad mood, so I’ve come to specially invite you to a little gathering I’m hosting today."
As she spoke, Meng Qingxuan looked at him with eyes full of expectation.
"A little gathering?"
Chen Che raised an eyebrow.
Meng Qingxuan nodded. "This gathering is mainly for my Meng Family, the Zhou Family, and the Tang Family. It’s nothing too important. We’ll just chat about interesting things, exchange some cultivation experience, and generally relax and unwind."
’So it’s a private tea party!’
Chen Che mused to himself.
Of course, he knew that this kind of private gathering wasn’t something just any cultivator could attend. Entry was by invitation from acquaintances only. It might seem trivial, but once inside, if one put in some effort to network, there were always some benefits to be gained.
’But why bother?’
’No matter how much you hang out with the children of rich families, you won’t become one of them. In the end, your own strength is what truly matters.’
"I’ll pass. I have other things to do," Chen Che declined.
"Hmph!"
The smile vanished from Meng Qingxuan’s face. Her expression turned cold as she slammed the teacup down and stormed away.
...
"Miss Meng personally invited him to the gathering, and he just flat-out refused. Does he really not know what he’s missing?"
By evening, the small gathering had ended.
A few cultivators left together, still discussing what had happened at the gathering. Even their gait seemed mocking.
You see, everyone had been quite expectant. The host of this gathering was Meng Qingxuan, but she had never personally invited anyone before. They all wanted to see just what kind of grand personage she would invite. But to everyone’s surprise, the person in question never even showed up.
"Does anyone know who this mystery man is?"
They hadn’t dared to discuss it while Meng Qingxuan was present, but now that the gathering was over, the topic came up naturally. A cultivator holding a folding fan was the first to broach the subject.
Immediately, another delicate-featured female cultivator let out a soft laugh.
"Who else could it be? It’s obviously that Pill Master Tributor from Jinyun Valley!"
They were all acquaintances at the small gathering, and the news that Meng Qingxuan had invited Chen Che beforehand wasn’t intentionally hidden, so of course some people knew the inside story.
"Hah~"
Hearing this, the crowd reacted with a mix of sighs, soft laughs, and shaking heads.
Clearly, their reactions were mostly mocking.
"If he didn’t come, it’s his loss!"
One of the cultivators let out a sigh of mock pity, then stopped and cupped his fist.
"I’ve gained a great deal from this gathering. I’m going into seclusion for half a month. Farewell, everyone!"
"Sun Hao is about to have another breakthrough!"
"If he breaks through this time, he’ll probably reach the Qi Refining Eighth Layer. Tsk, and he’s not even thirty yet..."
Watching his departing figure, everyone’s faces showed envy.
It should be known that not everyone who squeezed their way into the small gathering was a child of a great family; there were also some talented cultivators. They all came for a reason, of course.
Some for connections, some for resources, and others for cultivation experience...
This Sun Hao had only joined the gathering two years ago, at which time he was merely at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. During their conversations, he meticulously noted down everyone’s cultivation experiences. That, combined with the pills he sometimes bought at the gathering, had unexpectedly made him the one who progressed the most among them all.
...
’I’m in a great mood. Why would I need to go unwind?’
Chen Che returned to his Cave Mansion.
He had taken care of ’Ye Zhihan,’ which let him vent a lot of frustration. Jinyun Valley had even compensated for the Pill Shop’s losses at three times the value. On top of that, he’d also obtained a Tier Two Weapon and a Gold-Plated Jade safe box.
’Things like this should happen more often.’
As for the small gathering, to him, it was just a waste of time.
"CHIRP CHIRP!"
Seeing Chen Che return, the Little Chick was incredibly excited.
The little thing was used to running wild outside, but as soon as the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators arrived in Jinyun Valley, it had been ordered not to take a single step out of the Cave Mansion. After all this time, it was absolutely famished.
’Didn’t I just feed you this morning?’
Feeling the hunger transmitted through its divine sense, Chen Che felt a bit helpless. He walked over to the Chixia Tripod and refined a few batches of pills.
"CLATTER!"
He poured a large pile of pills into the bird’s bowl.
He lit three sticks of Concentration Incense, swallowed a Leopard Embryo Elixir, and closed his eyes, sensing the surging Qi and Blood within him. At the same time, he began performing a set of broadcast calisthenics to accelerate his body’s absorption of the pill’s effects.
Increasing one’s Qi and Blood was just that simple and brutal.
Medicinal supplements, dietary supplements, and tempering the body.
Of course, this was only for the Qi Refining Stage. After stepping into the Foundation Establishment Realm, improvement would become much more difficult. After all, the body’s Qi and Blood couldn’t be increased indefinitely; that would require the support of a Cultivation Technique.
For Chen Che, however, that time was still far off.
WHOOSH~
As he executed his punches and kicks, a gale seemed to rise within the Cave Mansion, howling incessantly. Each fist, each foot, seemed simple and casual, but carried immense force. Even the Spiritual Qi in the Cave Mansion was drawn in, faintly forming a vortex.
HUFF!
Only when the pill’s effects were fully absorbed did Chen Che stop. He habitually glanced at the Micro Crystal Brain before him, and a set of data appeared on its crystalline surface:
[Name: Chen Che]
[Realm: Qi Refining Seventh Layer (42.23%)]
[Qi and Blood: Qi Refining Eighth Layer (19.12%)]
[Divine Sense: Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer (43.68%)]
[Warning: True Essence reserves are 201.4% higher than cultivators of the same tier.]
Chen Che’s gaze immediately fixed on the last line. Though his face remained calm, his heart was burning with excitement:
’I’ve finally reached 200%...’
