You Want Pills, I Want You!

Lu Chen's heart ached terribly.

He had merely used the Yin-Yang Cauldron to restore a Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill, yet it had consumed two hundred strands of Yin-Yang Essence in one go.

He looked at the Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill in his hand.

On the tiny pill were five pill patterns—and nine flame patterns as well.

That was right, nine flame patterns.

One flame pattern represented one turn.

For a pill to achieve nine turns, after it was formed, it still had to undergo nine rounds of tempering and purification by pill fire, leaving behind nine flame patterns upon the pill.

The pill patterns and flame patterns seemed wrought by nature itself, its medicinal power contained within.

The entire pill was crystalline and translucent, its surface covered in a faint spiritual glow.

This was a lower fifth-grade Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill.

"So this is a Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill? If I eat it, I can raise my cultivation too!"

Lu Chen could not help swallowing.

He still had two failed Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pills.

And there were only seven strands of Yin-Yang Essence left in the Yin-Yang Cauldron.

He would have to cultivate together again to obtain more Yin-Yang Essence.

When would he finally be able to restore the failed Nascent Soul Pill?

He would deal with the Joyful Union Sect's senior sister first.

Lu Chen took out a small jade bottle, carefully placed the Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill inside, then tightly stoppered it.

He then left the Waste Pill Repository and locked the door.

Fortunately, no one happened to bring failed pills to the Waste Pill Repository at that moment.

Lu Chen returned to the small building, sat cross-legged on the floor, and began cultivating.

After all, he was a menial disciple. It was perfectly reasonable for him to use every available moment to cultivate.

The Five Elements Swallowing Heaven Scripture truly deserved to be the Primordial Five Elements Immortal Sect's sect-defending cultivation method.

When he circulated this technique, its speed in devouring and refining the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, as well as Pill Poison, was countless times faster than the Qi Refining Art he had cultivated before.

Hmm, I have three Realm-Breaking Pills.

I'll raise my cultivation to Qi Refining, Fifth Level first.

Lu Chen flicked his right hand, and a Realm-Breaking Pill immediately appeared in his palm.

Without hesitation, he swallowed it directly.

The pill entered his stomach, and its medicinal power gradually erupted.

Lu Chen circulated the Five Elements Swallowing Heaven Scripture to refine the pill's power.

Very soon, he felt a swelling sensation in the center of his brow.

As the Realm-Breaking Pill's medicinal power was continuously refined and absorbed by Lu Chen, his will gradually strengthened. Powerful force of will gathered and condensed between his brows, while vital energy surged through his entire body.

The five-element energy refined from the pill's power by the Five Elements Swallowing Heaven Scripture raced madly through his body, tempering his sinews, bones, flesh, and blood while purifying the Five-Element Spirit Root within him.

"Break for me..."

Lu Chen felt the will within his brow beginning to transform into divine sense.

The divine aperture between his brows was like an egg, while divine sense was the chick inside the shell.

The chick within was clearly about to crack the shell and emerge, but at that very moment, the pill's power began to falter.

Good heavens, one Realm-Breaking Pill wasn't enough to break through to Qi Refining, Fifth Level?

Fortunately, I still have Realm-Breaking Pills.

Lu Chen took out another Realm-Breaking Pill and swallowed it immediately.

The weakening pill power within Lu Chen's body surged once more.

"Today, I enter Qi Refining, Fifth Level..."

Lu Chen pressed on in one burst, circulating the Five Elements Swallowing Heaven Scripture with all his strength and gathering every trace of pill power into the divine aperture between his brows.

"Crack!"

A shattering sound seemed to ring out within the divine aperture.

The space imprisoning his divine sense developed countless cracks like an eggshell.

Yet just as it was about to shatter—

The Realm-Breaking Pill's power was exhausted again.

"Damn it!"

Other people used one Realm-Breaking Pill for one minor realm. He had swallowed two in succession, and though success was within reach, it still failed in the end.

Cultivating with Five-Element Spirit Roots was truly countless times harder than for ordinary cultivators.

"Fuck it, I'm going all in!"

Lu Chen took out the final Realm-Breaking Pill and swallowed it in one gulp.

The medicinal power of the third Realm-Breaking Pill erupted inside his body.

That tyrannical pill power directly smashed through the divine aperture.

"Boom!"

It was as though a bomb had suddenly exploded inside Lu Chen's mind. His divine sense finally broke through its shackles and burst forth from his divine aperture.

In the next instant, everything within a radius of ten zhang appeared in his mind at once.

It was too wondrous.

This was divine sense perception.

Without even using his eyes, he could know everything around him.

Under the cover of his divine sense, he could clearly sense both the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and Pill Poison.

The surrounding spiritual energy and Pill Poison immediately converged toward him.

"I've finally broken through to Qi Refining, Fifth Level..."

Lu Chen let out a long breath.

Newborn power continued to grow stronger.

His five-element vital energy became even purer.

Especially the formation of divine sense.

He sensed an unfathomable connection between himself and the Yin-Yang Cauldron in his dantian.

He used his divine sense to envelop the Yin-Yang Cauldron within his dantian.

In the next moment, his divine sense was abruptly sucked into the Yin-Yang Cauldron, appearing within a space.

"This is... the space inside the Yin-Yang Cauldron?"

The space was not large, only about ten zhang in radius. The ground lay beneath his feet, while all around was a gray haze. Clear qi rose, turbid qi sank, cycling endlessly.

Had the Yin-Yang Cauldron advanced again?

Or had he only sensed this space within the Yin-Yang Cauldron after cultivating divine sense?

"Hey, Lu Chen, wake up! Come receive the failed pills!"

Just then, a voice seemed to drift over from the edge of the heavens.

He was startled.

The next instant, his divine sense returned to his body, and when he opened his eyes—

The visitor was Zhou Dazhuang.

"I'm telling you, Lu Chen. You're just a menial disciple guarding the Waste Pill Repository, with cultivation at Qi Refining, First Layer. I'm not trying to discourage you, but no matter how hard you cultivate, it's all in vain. Your Five-Element Mixed Spirit Root has already doomed you to never make another inch of progress."

As Zhou Dazhuang spoke, he handed Lu Chen a sack of discarded materials.

"Since I have nothing else to do, I might as well cultivate."

As Lu Chen spoke, he took out the account book and brush.

"Let me tell you something. Manager Pang broke through to the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining last night."

Zhou Dazhuang lowered his voice.

"Hm?"

Lu Chen was taken aback. Manager Pang had actually broken through to the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining?

"Everyone says Manager Pang wants to clash with Manager Zhao from the Black-Character Alchemy Room at the Sect Grand Tournament and replace him!"

As Zhou Dazhuang spoke, he picked up the brush and signed his name in the account book.

"Is that so? Pang Yong actually wants to become the manager of the Black-Character Alchemy Room?"

Lu Chen chuckled. With him around, that fellow was destined never to become the manager of the Black-Character Alchemy Room.

"Lu Chen, you'd better be careful. Manager Pang might attack you during the Sect Grand Tournament. I have things to do, so I'll be leaving first."

After speaking, Zhou Dazhuang bade farewell and hurried back to the Yellow Alchemy District.

"Hm, which senior sister from the inner sect wants my life?"

Lu Chen muttered thoughtfully.

There were only six days left until the Sect Grand Tournament.

He had to obtain Yin-Yang Essence as quickly as possible.

He needed to restore Body-Tempering Pills, Marrow-Washing Pills, and Azure Wood Longevity Pills.

Before the Sect Grand Tournament, he had to cultivate the Five-Element Body-Refining Technique to Copper Skin Realm, Great Accomplishment.

Copper Skin Realm, Great Accomplishment was enough to stand head-on against a cultivator at Great Accomplishment in Foundation Establishment.

By then, so long as none of those few Golden Core Realm powerhouses attacked him, no one would be able to do anything to him.

That was the terror of body cultivation from the Primordial Five Elements Immortal Sect.

If he cultivated to the Iron Bone Stage, even if a great Golden Core cultivator came, he could punch him straight back to his grandmother's house.

Lu Chen opened the sack of discarded materials Zhou Dazhuang had brought and roughly checked the failed pills inside.

They were all the lowest-grade failed pills.

Most were failed Body-Tempering Pills, Beauty-Preserving Pills, Spirit-Gathering Pills, Essence-Restoring Pills, Eternal Spring Pills, Marrow-Washing Pills, and the Joyful Union Pills unique to the Joyful Union Sect.

These Joyful Union Pills were good stuff.

One Joyful Union Pill was enough to turn even an aloof fairy into a wanton slut!

When Lu Chen picked up a Joyful Union Pill, a line of words immediately appeared in his mind: Failed Joyful Union Pill. One strand of Yin-Yang Essence required for restoration.

The Yin-Yang Cauldron had truly advanced.

Ever since he cultivated divine sense and broke through to Qi Refining, Fifth Level, the Yin-Yang Cauldron had become linked to him in breath and aura.

As long as his hand touched a failed pill, the pill's name and the amount of Yin-Yang Essence required to restore it would directly emerge in his mind.

And the Yin-Yang Space had awakened as well.

He tried storing a small jade bottle inside the Yin-Yang Space.

With a thought from his divine sense—

"Store!"

The small jade bottle in his hand instantly vanished, directly stored within the Yin-Yang Space.

"Haha... this way, I won't have to worry about anyone stealing the things on me."

He directly stored the jade bottle containing the Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill inside the Yin-Yang Space.

Hmm, I need to get a pill cabinet and put it in the Yin-Yang Space to store pills.

He then restored the failed Joyful Union Pills.

One strand of Yin-Yang Essence could restore three failed Joyful Union Pills.

Then he used the remaining six strands of Yin-Yang Essence to restore nine failed Body-Tempering Pills and nine failed Marrow-Washing Pills.

He carefully placed these graded pills into small jade bottles, then waited for night to fall.

Night descended.

Lu Chen went straight down the mountain.

After all, no one would come to this Waste-Pill Valley at night.

After breaking through to Qi Refining, Fifth Level, his speed down the mountain had increased considerably.

It had once taken nearly one shichen, but now he reached Hehuan Town at the foot of the mountain in less than half a shichen.

At that moment, Hehuan Town was brilliantly lit.

There were six days left until the Joyful Union Sect's Sect Grand Tournament.

Many disciples of the Joyful Union Sect had descended the mountain to buy cultivation resources at the market in town.

This was the Joyful Union Sect's grand tournament, held once every ten years.

It was also the day for Joyful Union Sect disciples to rise to prominence.

Everyone wanted to achieve a good ranking at the Sect Grand Tournament and catch the eye of the sect elders.

Lu Chen used the Five-Element Body-Refining Technique to alter his appearance.

No one could recognize him.

He headed directly for the House of Ten Thousand Beauties.

Going up and down the mountain was truly troublesome.

It seemed he should visit the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion and see whether they had a portable teleportation formation. Wouldn't it be much more convenient to use one to teleport directly to the House of Ten Thousand Beauties?

He would not have to fear being followed, either.

Hmm, he would have Zhao Hong look into it.

When he put on his signature bronze mask and entered the House of Ten Thousand Beauties, everyone in the main hall immediately looked toward him.

Lu Chen discovered that quite a few inner sect senior sisters from the Joyful Union Sect were among those seated there.

"I've prepared the spiritual herbs!"

When Yun Feiyan saw Lu Chen enter, she directly tossed a storage pouch before him.

Lu Chen opened the storage pouch and looked inside. It contained more than a dozen kinds of spiritual herbs wrapped in spiritual light, their medicinal fragrance assailing his nostrils.

"Not bad. I'll go upstairs and start refining pills now. Just wait!"

Lu Chen spoke as he directly put away the storage pouch and went upstairs.

"This guy... he's going straight to pill refinement?"

Yun Feiyan was dumbfounded.

Everyone present was dumbfounded as well.

Especially the two women seated in the corner.

One was Jiang Yingyue, the Supreme Elder of the Joyful Union Sect, and the other was Ye Chenyu, the sect master of the Joyful Union Sect.

Both had concealed their auras, so even Yun Feiyan and Jiang Yurou could not recognize them.

No one had expected Lu Chen to take Yun Feiyan's bag of spirit herbs and head upstairs to refine pills.

That was a Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill. He was opening the furnace to refine it just like that?

Did he not need to make any preparations?

Jiang Yingyue was also greatly shocked.

Even if she were refining a Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill, she would have needed to prepare several portions of spirit herbs.

Because even she was not confident she could refine a Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill with just one portion of ingredients.

They could never have imagined that the alchemy expert they believed in could not refine pills at all.

Lu Chen was merely bluffing them.

His so-called trip upstairs to refine pills was no more than putting on a show.

He went straight to the sixth floor. After entering his room, he had Zhao Hong stand guard outside.

Bing'er, Huo'er, and Qing'er were next door at the moment.

They all knew Lu Chen was going to refine a Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill next door.

They were all curious and eagerly anticipating it.

Could their master truly refine a Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill that even an Alchemical Grandmaster might fail to produce?

If their master truly could refine a Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill, then they had made the right gamble and followed the right person.

Lu Chen happily took out the bag of spirit herbs Yun Feiyan had given him.

He checked them over.

As long as his hand touched these spirit herbs, their medicinal properties and age would directly appear in his mind.

After advancing once more, the Yin-Yang Cauldron had become unbelievably useful.

There were fifteen types of spirit herbs in total. One main ingredient was a Dragonblood Fruit that was seven or eight hundred years old.

If he used Yin-Yang Essence to increase the age of these spirit herbs, their value would soar a hundredfold.

This entire bag of spirit herbs was his now.

Wait, was there not a plot of land in the Yin-Yang Space?

If he planted these spirit herbs in that plot, would they survive?

Lu Chen acted the moment the thought came to him. In the next instant, he entered the Yin-Yang Space with the spirit herbs.

He carefully planted these spirit herbs, along with the spirit herbs he had previously bought at the market, in the soil of the Yin-Yang Space.

After finishing, he directly emerged from the Yin-Yang Space.

Mm, it was still early. Time to cultivate.

He directly swallowed a Body-Tempering Pill and used the body-refinement section of the Five Elements Swallowing Heaven Scripture to refine its medicinal power.

The results were striking.

Of the pill's full medicinal power, he refined eighty percent.

After using up nine Body-Tempering Pills, his body-refinement cultivation broke through from the Bronze Skin Realm, Early Stage to the Copperhide Realm, Mid-Tier.

He continued taking Marrow-Washing Pills.

A powerful aura seeped out from the room.

Zhao Hong thought Lu Chen truly was refining pills inside.

After the nine Marrow-Washing Pills were used up as well, Lu Chen's body-refinement cultivation completely stabilized.

Copperhide Realm, Mid-Tier!

Lu Chen abruptly opened his eyes, and two icy gleams shot forth from them.

As he clenched his right hand, a string of explosive cracks immediately rang out from his entire arm.

He felt strength coursing through his whole body, as though one punch could pierce through heaven and earth.

Mm, even against someone at the Foundation Establishment Realm, Middle Stage, I have the strength to fight.

"How long have I been in the room?"

Lu Chen rose, opened the door, and asked.

"Master has been in the room refining pills for nearly two hours."

Zhao Hong, who had been standing guard outside all along, hurriedly replied.

"Did Master succeed?"

Zhao Hong cautiously asked.

"Tell that woman to wait. I'm going to discuss the Dao of Yin and Yang with my three precious beauties first!"

Lu Chen spoke as he walked out and directly knocked on the door to the next room.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the main hall, Yun Feiyan had grown impatient from waiting.

"Senior Sister, even Martial Uncle Su Mei, an Alchemical Master, would need several months of preparation to refine a Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill. This guy started refining the moment he arrived. Could he be a swindler? Maybe he stole your spirit herbs, then plans to tell you the refinement failed. Then all your spirit herbs will end up in his pocket."

Jiang Yurou worriedly said.

"This..."

Yun Feiyan was both startled and furious upon hearing this.

Could this guy really be a swindler who cheated people out of spirit herbs?

Those spirit herbs had cost her all her savings to obtain.

No one could have imagined that Lu Chen was currently turning dragons and phoenixes upside down with three peerless beauties in his room.

Time slipped away.

Before they knew it, it was already the latter half of the night.

Only then did Lu Chen open the door and come out.

He had gained another sixty-five strands of Yin-Yang Essence.

"Tomorrow, help me find a set of teleportation formations. Also, stop by the Cultivation Transmission Pavilion and buy some basic cultivation techniques suitable for Bing'er and the others. As for spirit stones... mm, tell them we'll trade pills for them."

Lu Chen instructed Zhao Hong.

"Yes, Master!"

Zhao Hong accepted the order.

Only then did Lu Chen head downstairs.

"This man must be a swindler! I'm going to settle the score with him!"

Just as Lu Chen came downstairs, Yun Feiyan finally could no longer hold herself back and was about to rush upstairs to confront him.

"Who says I'm a swindler? The pill you wanted is right here!"

As Lu Chen spoke, he flipped his right hand, and a pill directly appeared in his palm.

"Look carefully. Is this not a Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill?"

Lu Chen directly thrust the pill in his hand before Yun Feiyan's face.

"Five pill patterns, nine flame patterns... This... this really is a Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill... and... and it's even a fifth-grade Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill."

Yun Feiyan stared at the pill in Lu Chen's hand in utter disbelief, so shocked that she could barely speak.

"It really is a Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill..."

Jiang Yingyue in the corner was stunned.

Everyone in the hall was shocked beyond words, all staring fixedly at the pill in Lu Chen's hand.

"It should be a lower fifth-grade Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill."

Lu Chen added.

"Give it to me!"

Yun Feiyan stretched out her right hand, intending to snatch the pill.

Lu Chen withdrew his hand.

Yun Feiyan grabbed empty air.

"You lost. I now command you to come upstairs with me immediately and Dual Cultivate."

Lu Chen smugly said.

"What... you..."

Yun Feiyan was shocked and furious upon hearing this.

"What? You said it yourself—you would let me deal with you however I wanted if you lost. Are you trying to go back on your word now?"

Lu Chen's gaze toward Yun Feiyan immediately turned cold.

Yun Feiyan hesitated.

"You want the pill, and I want you. If you regret it, then I'll keep this Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill. After all, plenty of people want this pill. If you refuse to Dual Cultivate with me, there are plenty willing to do so."

Lu Chen spoke as he turned and headed upstairs.

The Sect Grand Tournament was approaching, and quite a few Personal Disciples of the inner sect truly wanted a Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill to break through their cultivation.

Especially Lin Yue.

She was Yun Feiyan's greatest rival.

If Yun Feiyan lost to Lin Yue at the Sect Grand Tournament, then her position as the Joyful Union Sect's senior disciple would no longer be secure.

Her sect master's faction would no longer be able to hold its head high within the sect either.

Everyone watched Yun Feiyan.

"Senior Sister, how about I Dual Cultivate with him in your place?"

Jiang Yurou stepped forward. She had her own little schemes as well. If she could latch onto a Pill King capable of refining Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pills, would she not soar to the heavens?

"Junior Sister, do not speak nonsense..."

She gritted her teeth and chased after him upstairs.

At the final moment, she ultimately compromised.

For the sake of breaking through to the Golden Core Realm, for the sake of securing her position as the Joyful Union Sect's senior disciple, she had no choice but to do this.

"In such a short time, using only one portion of spirit herbs to refine a fifth-grade Nine-Turn Boundary-Breaking Pill... could he truly be a Reclusive Pill King?"

Jiang Yingyue and Ye Chenyu were both immensely shocked.

They did not stop Yun Feiyan.

Because if this could establish a connection with this Reclusive Pill King, it would be an enormous blessing for the Joyful Union Sect.

Their Nascent Soul Pill would have hope as well.

After all, only a Pill King could refine a Nascent Soul Pill.

After Yun Feiyan entered the room, Lu Chen directly shut the door, then waved his hand and removed the veil covering her face.

His eyes immediately lit up.

Holy shit!

The Joyful Union Sect's senior disciple truly was beautiful—too beautiful, like a celestial fairy.

A perfect figure, paired with a flawless face and skin so pale it seemed to glow.

She was simply perfect.

Only, she was as cold as frost, carrying an air that kept people a thousand miles away.

A cold and aloof fairy?

Just you wait!

Doesn't she still have to obediently Dual Cultivate with me?

"Come on, let me see whether the Joyful Union Sect's senior disciple is any good at this!"