Wang Yuan stared in shock. He had never imagined that the beast hide, which contained a third-stage Physical-Refining technique, still concealed another layer of secrets. Just a thin piece of hide... and yet! No! It wasn’t just him, even that Foundation Establishment cultivator likely hadn’t realized it either! "This beast hide... I have no idea which demonic beast it came from, but it naturally possesses a concealing effect and can be sliced into multiple layers. I even think I could cut through another layer. Luo Chen stroked the hide, his eyes filled with curiosity. "No, if the technique is refined enough, even more layers might be possible." If not for his Perfected Mastery Spirit Eyes, capable of distinguishing between truth and illusion, he might have missed this entirely. His vision for subtle details was sharper than most cultivators. Even then, he had almost overlooked it. It wasn’t until he had it in hand and nitpicked over details to lower the price that he finally caught a hint of something unusual. Compared to Luo Chen’s fascination with the hide itself, Wang Yuan’s attention was entirely focused on the contents of the second, hidden layer. If the first stage concealed a third-stage Physical-Refining technique, then whatever lay beneath had to be even more valuable. Even though Sky Roc Transformation [1] was an incomplete technique, its presence alone suggested the second layer was incredibly precious. Luo Chen made no effort to hide it. With a flick of his wrist, he unfolded the beast hide directly in front of Wang Yuan. "White peony, bamboo yellow, blood scorpion powder, purple-backed hollyhock, celestial star grass..." Wang Yuan barely glanced at the first few lines before he immediately understood. "It’s an alchemical formula!" Luo Chen put the hide away and smiled slightly. "Exactly. And from what I can tell, it’s a complete second-tier formula. That’s why I didn’t hesitate to pay extra spirit stones to buy it." His gaze swept over the densely packed list of medicinal ingredients, but his brows furrowed slightly. Luo Chen frowned slightly. "But this formula is quite ancient, and its effects aren’t fully described. Even if it’s complete, I’ll need to experiment before I understand its true function." As Luo Chen muttered to himself, Wang Yuan shook his head. He had no interest in alchemical formulas. He had already obtained a complete second-tier Blood Fiend pill recipe in the past. Yet even now, he hadn’t been able to make use of it. Only alchemists like Luo Chen found formulas so fascinating. "Three thousand five for a formula? You still got ripped off." Luo Chen was unfazed. "How is that a loss? If I refine it successfully, I could make a fortune." "That’s true!" Wang Yuan laughed. "I forgot that besides alchemy, you're also quite the businessman." He waved the beast hide in his hand. "Either way, this Physical-Refining technique is partly yours too. Once I figure something out, I’ll let you take a look." "Alright." Luo Chen nodded but didn’t care too much. Right now, even Qi-Refining alone kept him pressed for time, he had no room for Physical-Refining. If it weren’t for the need to build a strong enough physique for his Foundation Establishment breakthrough, he wouldn’t have bought so much Golden Jade Liquid. In truth, very few people in the cultivation world chose the dual-cultivation path, as Physical-Refining only provided significant combat benefits at low tiers cultivation realm. At higher realms, enchanted artifacts and treasures could traverse dozens of li in an instant, making it nearly impossible for physical cultivators to even get close. Yet at the stage where physical refinement was most useful, it was restricted by the requirement to reach Foundation Establishment before the age of sixty. With time being a pressing concern for most cultivators, few were willing to burden themselves further. Take Wang Yuan, for example. Early on, he had certainly benefited from his refined physique. His battle prowess was nothing short of formidable. But now, the disadvantages were becoming increasingly apparent. The path ahead was unclear, and suitable techniques were hard to come by. Although, He had reached the second stage of physical refinement, yet lacked battle techniques that could match a Foundation Establishment cultivator. On top of that, cultivating both paths had drastically increased his financial burden. As for Luo Chen himself, he needed to focus on developing his Qi-Refining first and alchemy was the craft that could provide him with tremendous support. "This formula... it's strange. It doesn’t seem like it was meant for human consumption. Why would, " Wang Yuan shook his head. He had seen Luo Chen in this state before. It was the same expression he had when Wang Yuan handed him the Blood Fiend pill formula. He never understood how a mere alchemical formula could hold such an irresistible allure for an alchemist. Not wanting to disturb Luo Chen, Wang Yuan quietly left. It was midnight. Muttering filled the room, occasionally laced with frustration. "A hundred auxiliary ingredients, far more than the Blood Fiend pill. This is unbelievably complex. The primary ingredient is simple, just one. But it must come from the same demonic beast, requiring its bones, blood, and flesh, none can be missing. "And yet, it doesn't specify which beast. Could it mean that any second-tier demonic beast would work? "Imperial Nectar... Based on some alchemical records, it should be a legendary substance beneficial to demonic beasts. Why does this pill share the same name? "Sinking into the sea, following the essence... Eternal mulberry fields..." It must be refined using water-based alchemy techniques?" After a long while, Luo Chen lifted his gaze from the alchemical formula, his face weary. This formula was far more intricate than the Blood Fiend pill! So many auxiliary ingredients, such unconventional refinement methods, yet even its effects and restrictions remained unclear. After an entire night of contemplation, he had gained nothing. That was rare for him. When he first acquired the Blood Fiend pill formula, he had found it challenging but not impossible to refine. The only real obstacle to refining the Blood Fiend pill had been its three primary ingredients! If he had an ample supply of ingredients, he was confident that, within a thousand failed attempts, he could grasp its essence. That sounded excessive, but Luo Chen was one of the few who could confidently make such a claim. For an ordinary first-tier alchemist, even ten thousand tries might not guarantee a single success. The threshold for becoming an alchemist was unimaginably high! Luo Chen had already mastered the fundamentals of alchemy and had refined three to four different types of pills, many of which were top-grade. Among first-tier alchemists, he was undoubtedly at the pinnacle! Yet this Imperial Nectar formula left him completely at a loss. The primary ingredient was, in theory, quite simple, just the bones, blood, and flesh of a second-tier demonic beast. Acquiring such materials wasn’t particularly difficult. At the black market auction last night, second-tier demonic beast corpses had appeared both midway and at the end. This was no surprise, given the proximity to the Great Million Mountains, where demonic beasts roamed in abundance. For some wandering Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators, those without roots, obligations, or sect restrictions, hunting demonic beasts and treasure-seeking were their main sources of livelihood. As long as they took the necessary precautions and prepared adequately, hunting a lone second-tier demonic beast was hardly a challenge. However, the problem wasn’t just acquiring the ingredient, it was the lack of specificity. The formula didn’t indicate which beast was required! This meant Luo Chen had no way to conduct targeted research, making the refinement process much more complicated. Then there was another issue of water-based alchemy. Throughout his alchemical journey, Luo Chen had only practiced fire-based alchemy, producing mostly pastes and solid pills. In theory, water-based alchemy was simpler than fire refinement, but he had no experience with it. Even though The Treatise on Green Origin pills contained one or two water-based methods, he had never attempted them. However, their pill tier was too low to guarantee effectiveness for second-tier pills. That uncertainty alone made this endeavor even trickier. "This formula was sewn together with Sky Roc Transformation. It must be a complementary pill, right?" Luo Chen made this assumption. In the end, he shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it for now. He would keep the formula for later, studying it whenever time allowed. Perhaps after reaching Foundation Establishment, he would gain a deeper understanding of its mysteries. "A mere first-tier alchemist like me... How did I end up with three second-tier pill formulas while still stuck in the Qi-Refining Realm?" Luo Chen chuckled at himself before carefully stowing away the beast hide. Then, he reached into his storage pouch and retrieved an item. Though called an "orb," it was actually quite large, about the size of a baby's fist. He wondered if the cultivators of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect ever felt discomfort swallowing and expelling it repeatedly. Examining it closely, Luo Chen discovered its peculiar structure. Its surface was not smooth. Instead, it was covered in intricate, thread-like patterns, as if spun together from golden filaments. "Perhaps it's this unique structure that allows it to take on myriad forms in the hands of a sword cultivator!" Sighing in admiration, Luo Chen bit his finger. A moment later, he channeled his spirit power, guiding it toward the fresh wound. A single drop of crystal-clear blood oozed from his fingertip, carrying a faint herbal fragrance as it shimmered in the dim light. Luo Chen let out a muffled groan, his face paling slightly before quickly returning to normal. This was essence blood, the very core of a cultivator’s physical and spirit foundation. In theory, regardless of one's cultivation realm, a cultivator could only extract ten drops of essence blood before it began to harm their vitality. If extracted within this limit, the lost blood could be gradually replenished through cultivation over time. However, exceeding that limit would have unimaginable consequences. For this reason, cultivators rarely used their own essence blood unless absolutely necessary, whether for life-saving techniques or high-risk refinement methods. It was simply too damaging to one's foundation. Yet Luo Chen had no choice but to do so now. To use this sword orb, one either had to continuously nourish it with spirit power and divine sense over time until it moved as an extension of their own will or they had to resort to another, more extreme method. 1. 天鹏 (Tian Peng) refers to a mythological giant roc or divine bird in Chinese folklore, often associated with incredible speed, strength, and dominance over the skies. 鹏 (Peng) originates from the classic text Zhuangzi, where it describes a massive bird capable of flying thousands of miles. **天** means "sky" or "celestial," so **天鹏** can be understood as a “Sky Roc". ☜