In the next moment, seven snow-white pills dropped into his hand. "Master, are those the Spirit Passage pills?" Qu Lingjun eagerly stepped forward. The others looked on with curiosity. The name of the Spirit Passage pill was well-known among the higher ranks of the Luo Tian Society cultivators. Rumor had it that it was incredibly effective for achieving Foundation Establishment. It had even been classified by Sima Huiniang as one of the two top-tier Foundation Establishment spirit medicines of the Luo Tian Society. The other was the essence-nurturing liquid that Luo Chen had personally improved. However, the essence-nurturing liquid required consistent use over a long period, while the Spirit Passage pill was the opposite. Especially during the first use, the effect was astonishing. This was the first time the four alchemists had witnessed Luo Chen personally refine the Spirit Passage pill, so it was no wonder they were visibly excited. Luo Chen didn’t say anything at first. Instead, he carefully examined the pills resting in his hand. Drawing on his past experiences taking the Spirit Passage pill, he concluded that this batch had indeed improved in quality. Though they were still technically low-grade, their quality was higher than before, nearly reaching the standard of a mid-grade pill. “So, the Ice Emperor Cauldron really does improve pill quality,” he murmured under his breath, visibly pleased. With a flick of his hand, Luo Chen separated five pills and distributed them to the four alchemists. The extra one was, of course, given to Qu Lingjun. After all, he was Luo Chen's personal disciple, so the latter naturally favored him a bit more. “Don’t go back tonight,” Luo Chen said. “Take the Spirit Passage pill here, and leave tomorrow. With me watching over you, nothing serious will happen.” Qu Lingjun blinked in surprise. “Is it dangerous to take this pill?” Luo Chen gave a slight nod. It was the perfect moment to explain. “There’s something called the Spirit Passage Dream,” he said. “It’s a spontaneous vision that occurs after consuming the pill. It’s particularly intense the first time, and that’s also when the pill’s effect is at its strongest.” He paused to let that sink in. “The longer you stay inside that dream, the more your divine soul will grow. But there’s a limit. If you become too deeply immersed, unable to distinguish dream from reality, it can damage your soul instead.” It was a bit contradictory, but that was simply the nature of the pill. The four alchemists exchanged uncertain glances. Then, young and proud, Qu Lingjun stepped forward and thumped his chest. "I definitely won't let you down, Master!" Mi Li held her pill and nodded as well. Qiu Ying, the eldest of the group and once the steward of the Alchemy Hall, remained composed. Rather than jumping in immediately, she asked a few more questions about the pill’s effects, timing, and how best to manage the Spirit Passage Dream. Luo Chen answered each of her inquiries with patience. Even young Ma Shoupu found his courage. His voice carried a note of defiance as he echoed Qu Lingjun’s confidence. Finally, Luo Chen turned and stepped out of the alchemy room. His voice rang out calmly behind him. “Each of you, find your room and take the pill in seclusion. Don’t disturb one another.” He didn’t need to say anything else. The moment had come. Now, it was up to them. “Master, do you value those four a lot?” Bai Meiling’s soft voice drifted over as she approached. Luo Chen remained seated on the plush sofa, the faint scent of sandalwood curling around him. In his hands rested a white book that felt cold to the touch. Its cover glinted faintly like frozen jade, and the characters on each page shimmered as though alive. It was the third-tier Alchemy Insights given to him by the Fairy Ruthless, titled Shang Hu Alchemy Insights. Compared to the simple and accessible The Treatise of Qing Yuanzi, Shang Hu Alchemy Insights was far more complex. It covered second and third-tier alchemical techniques, using difficult language. Even for Luo Chen, it took considerable effort just to grasp a line or two. In half a month, he had only managed to work through a few pages. At this moment, he didn’t even lift his head as he replied to Bai Meiling, "Of course, I value them. Why do you ask?" Bai Meiling asked doubtfully, "But their cultivation is only at the seventh stage of Qi Refinement, and their alchemical skills are nothing compared to yours. Why spend so much effort on them?" With a light laugh, Luo Chen countered, "Because they have potential worth investing in!" Among the four, Qu Lingjun showed the most talent; his foundation was solid and his comprehension sharp. Ma Shoupu followed closely behind, with a natural intuition for medicine. Mi Li’s performance was decent, while Qiu Ying, though steady, was the weakest in skill. But that was only relatively speaking. On the greater scale, they were indeed, as Bai Meiling said, weak and unskilled. Yet Luo Chen had spared no effort in guiding each one of them, personally answering their questions, demonstrating techniques, and even giving them each a Spirit Passage pill. In the Luo Tian Society, that pill was usually reserved for ninth stage Qi Refinement cultivators. Why go to such lengths? After going through the Divine Ghost Heartmirror simulations... Even though those simulations weren’t actual glimpses of the future, they still served as valuable lessons.  In them, Luo Chen had refined pills for over two hundred years. On the surface, it seemed like his cultivation hadn’t suffered, but in truth, the burden had been overwhelming. If he could reclaim some of that alchemy time and dedicate it to cultivation instead, wouldn’t his achievements be even greater? That question practically answered itself. The logic was simple: The Divine Ghost Heartmirror simulations didn’t take into account the existence of the status panel. To grind proficiency, what he needed was time. Right now, Luo Chen still had many skills that were far from Perfected Mastery. What he needed was time to cultivate, improve, and break through. If he remained shackled to endless pill refinement, then he would never reach the heights he aspired to. So what was the solution? Easy. Train a few skilled alchemists who could step in and share the workload. Of course, one might have been inclined to think Luo Chen was using them as mere tools, exploiting them ruthlessly. But even if Luo Chen said that to their face, they would not only not feel indignant, but even jump at the opportunity. In the cultivation world, being “exploited” by someone powerful was often the greatest fortune one could ask for. Countless people yearned for the chance, yet never got it. Luo Chen was a certified second-tier alchemist, and in certain specialized pills, a Grandmaster in his own right. Even if one had to work their fingers down to the bone in exchange, receiving personal instruction from someone like him was an unimaginable blessing. Without Luo Chen, Qu Lingjun, with his four spirit roots, would have struggled to stand out his whole life. Mi Li, who had lost her family and was frail and sickly anyway, would have had no future at all. As for Qiu Ying and Ma Shoupu, without someone to discover and cultivate their talents, they would never have realized their potential. Now, with Luo Chen’s guidance, they could fully unleash their gifts and had a real chance of reaching Foundation Establishment in the future. Grudges, entanglements, and conflicts of interest. Whether right or wrong, Luo Chen saw them all. And the four of them understood this in their hearts, too. Luo Chen set aside the Shang Hu Alchemy Insights and rose from the sofa, making his way toward one of the quiet rooms. Just as he had expected, the first to awaken was Qiu Ying. She sat dazed on the edge of the bed, a trace of melancholy in her eyes. Seeing her like that, Luo Chen smiled gently. "Rest well or go out for a walk." "Mm, thank you, President," Qiu Ying murmured. Then, without another word, she curled up on the bed and hugged her knees tightly. Whatever she had seen in the Spirit Passage Dream clearly hadn’t been pleasant. Luo Chen didn’t press the matter. After that, Mi Li, Ma Shoupu, and Qu Lingjun all woke up one after another. True to his word, Qu Lingjun had held on the longest, enduring nearly ten minutes inside the dream, about the time it took to drink two cups of tea. He hadn’t let Luo Chen down. Luo Chen himself had only lasted fifteen minutes the first time. "Go out for a stroll," Luo Chen said with a relaxed tone. "Get some fresh air and take in the night view of Tianlan Peak. Mi Li and the others are waiting outside." He ruffled the young man’s hair. Though he was already in his twenties, Qu Lingjun’s face was soaked with tears, as if he’d wept like a child. Whatever he had experienced, it must have been terribly sorrowful. Luo Chen stood in the living room, quietly watching as Mi Li helped Qu Lingjun out of the cave residence. Then he turned to Bai Meiling and said, "Keep an eye on them. Let them wander nearby if they want, but don’t let them stray into other cave residences’ areas." Bai Meiling nodded eagerly. Though it was late, her eyes were bright. She was always the most lively at night. After settling everything, Luo Chen quietly stepped into his secluded cultivation chamber. He wore the Divine Ice Jade close to his chest and took a seat cross-legged on the Ice Silkworm Meditation Mat. With a flick of his sleeve, he lit a stick of Divine Fiery Incense. At once, fragrant smoke coiled gently through the room, mingling with the dense spirit energy that saturated the space. Luo Chen inhaled slowly, steadied his breathing, and focused his mind. He began to cultivate according to the Yi Wood Medicine King Codex with practiced ease. For the past half month, he had been resting. Apart from casually practicing the Five Organs Nourishment Fist and reading, he had done nothing else. No alchemy, no cultivation, no social obligations. The comfort and peace of that period had fully replenished his exhausted divine soul. He could feel it becoming even stronger than it had been before. As for how much stronger, he couldn’t tell just yet. In any case, everything was ready now. It was time to focus on cultivation. He wanted to see just how much his cultivation speed could increase in this fully upgraded environment! A glance at his status panel confirmed where he stood. Realm: Foundation Establishment Stage Three (10/100) Hey readers, I’ve adjusted some terms to better fit the novel’s context. In the Five Elemental Roots, jin (金) can mean either “gold” or the broader concept of “metal.” In Daoist cosmology, both are correct, but later in this novel, 金 points more towards the metallic qualities. From here on, I’ll use Metal for consistency when referring to the elemental root, while still allowing variation in specific spells/techniques. For example, 金枪术 belongs to the Metal element but emphasizes gold, so translating it as Golden Spear Spells still works. This will keep the element standardized as Metal while letting techniques, spells, and items reflect their intended qualities, whether gold, iron, copper, or any other metal. Ruthless Fairy -> Fairy Ruthless 376, 377, 378, 379, 382, 383, 384, 397, 405, 408, 427, 436, 439 meridian repair liquid -> meridian-repairing liquid 112, 114, 122, 128, 133, 158, 172, 234, 236, 239, 242, 275, 312, 345 essence nurturing liquid -> essence-nurturing liquid 99, 101, 104, 109, 110, 111, 116, 122, 134, 141, 144, 145, 147, 168, 221, 239, 243, 275, 280, 285, 325, 345, 347, 351, 356, 358, 359, 360, 361, 363, 365, 381, 383, 386, 388, 389, 398, 424 Let me know if there are any questions, and please let me know if you spot any that I missed. Thank you ❤️ ! Happy reading!