On his way back to the city, Luo Chen pondered this suggestion. That was clearly a path that could work for him, since he did have a good relationship with the Ice Fortress. Maybe there was a chance to get top-grade pills from them.0 Luo Chen muttered to himself, "But still... if the Ice Fortress had enough pills, they wouldn’t be so desperate for my Jade Dew pills. I wonder how that will work...." 0 He didn’t have high hopes for that.0 Aboard his flying boat, he carefully counted the spirit stones Li Jinhuang had brought back. The price for the Spirit Passage pills had been set by the two of them before Li Jinhuang left. Given that this pill was rather niche but could significantly enhance the divine soul foundation, they had set it extremely high. 0 Mid-grade bottles were priced at four hundred spirit stones each, while top-grade bottles were to be sold for nine hundred each. Those prices were jaw-dropping for a first-tier pill. Even the mid-grade ones were nearly as expensive as a second-tier qi-consolidation pill, and the top-grade ones even surpassed the price of low-grade qi-consolidation pills and Ascending Dragon pills!0 It sounded like they were fleecing idiots, but anyone who had survived the Quicksand Wasteland was no sheep. Initially, the Spirit Passage pills had no buyers. But within just half a month, the demand surged. Later, Li Jinhuang even intentionally limited the supply, putting them up for auction rather than selling for a fixed price.0 Top-grade Spirit Passage pills started at nine hundred, but that was just the opening bid. The highest final price reached two thousand, far beyond what mid-grade qi-consolidation pills fetched at the Tianlan auction.0 Luo Chen had been thinking about this issue: Why were Foundation Establishment cultivators so desperate to buy these top-grade Spirit Passage pills? 0 It probably has to do with what Chu Kui said about the importance of a strong divine soul during Core Formation. Any Foundation Establishment Initiate willing to get involved in the Nascent Soul sect battlefield definitely has ambitions. Faced with a pill that could directly boost their divine soul, who wouldn’t spend whatever it takes to buy a few bottles? Even if it only gives them a twenty percent boost, that might slightly improve their chances of forming a core later on. Everyone’s fighting for the Golden Core!0 With a sigh, Luo Chen tucked the storage pouch away, a satisfied look in his eyes. His earnings totaled one hundred ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. It was a small but significant offset on his initial investment.0 As for the future, he no longer intended to refine mid-grade or top-grade Spirit Passage pills. At first glance, those pills seemed very profitable, but in reality, it was only an illusion. The cost was three times that of Jade Essence pills, yet even successful attempts only yielded three pills per batch at best. Moreover, repeated use of this pill would reduce its effectiveness. Adding the fact that its effect on the divine soul was something extremely rare—rare enough that it could easily draw the attention and greed of the major sects—and mass production became a completely futile endeavor.0 From now on, Luo Chen planned to refine only supreme-grade Spirit Passage pills for his use, and he thought he could occasionally refine a few low-grade ones to distribute as internal benefits within the Luo Tian Society.2 His flying boat sped through the sky, and in no time, he returned to the Tianlan Immortal City.0 Without delay, Luo Chen headed straight to the Green Pill Valley shop. He first asked whether Xuan Yunzi was present. He hoped to get information about mid-grade Ascending Dragon pills from him. Compared to the frigid austerity of the Ice Fortress, the Green Pill Valley was known for its alchemy in the Jade Cauldron Domain, and it was more likely to have mid-grade Ascending Dragon pills for sale. Besides, he and Xuan Yunzi seemed to have a decent relationship. Unfortunately, after asking around, he learned that Xuan Yunzi had already returned to his sect.0 The attendant explained, "Daoist Uncle Xuan was not stationed here long-term anyway. His alchemy skills are highly valued in the main sect. He only came to Tianlan Immortal City to personally acquire a few key medicinal materials at the auction.  He got what he came for and left about half a year ago."0 Luo Chen could only sigh in disappointment. With Xuan Yunzi gone, he could only give up the idea of trying to build new connections with Green Pill Pavilion’s current Foundation Establishment cultivators. Instead, he simply took out his discount card and purchased nearly a full year’s supply of low-grade Ascending Dragon pills in one go. Even with the discount, the final tally came to nineteen thousand spirit stones.0 The rate at which he was spending money made Luo Chen’s heart ache. He only had sixty thousand spirit stones as savings, and over the course of a full year, had managed to accumulate another hundred thousand through various means. Adding in the one hundred ten thousand he had just earned from the Spirit Passage pill sale, his total assets stood at around two hundred seventy thousand. But that was just a rough figure.0 In truth, even though Luo Chen hardly left his residence, his daily expenses were far from trivial. Whether it was high-quality spirit rice, meticulously butchered second-tier demonic beast meat, the daily use of Divine Fiery Incense, or occasional supplemental pills, his spirit stones were being consumed at an alarming rate. Two hundred seventy thousand? No, it was really just two hundred forty thousand considering the expenses, and now, he’d already spent nineteen thousand in one go.0 For more chapters visit novel{f}ire.net Once he was out, Luo Chen didn’t take out his Langqi Flying Boat but instead strolled down the wide street. He still had a few things he needed to buy. Alchemy consumed not only his energy but also visibly wore down some of his tools. He also needed to buy Hundred Flower Dew for the Jade Dew pills and get another year’s supply of Divine Fiery Incense. That alone would cost him another ten thousand.0 Fortunately, Sima Huiniang adjusted the Luo Tian Society’s merit policy. Otherwise, at this rate, I’d lose my annual one hundred thousand surplus. Even so, with all my expenses, I can barely save a few tens of thousands each year. How will I ever compete for Core Formation pills in the future? And if I do manage to form a Golden Core, I'll also need a tailor-made life-bound enchanted treasure, and that’s another huge expense.2 Luo Chen knew that he would never choose one of the standard enchanted treasures sold on the market for this purpose; those were too predictable, and their functions were already well understood. Plus, their potential growth was extremely limited.0 He shook his head and let out a soft sigh. No use thinking that far ahead. That’s all for after Core Formation.0 After leaving Fragrant Delights Pavilion, he made a quiet detour to Tianyi Tower. There, he didn’t hesitate and spent seven thousand spirit stones on a brand-new supreme-grade enchanted robe. It came with built-in cleansing, defensive, dust-repelling, and wind-controlling functions. In an instant, he spent twenty thousand spirit stones there.0 It’ll only take me about a year to reach the mid stage of Foundation Establishment. After that, each level will need even more spirit power, and progress will only slow. I must secure enough top-grade pills.0 With that being said, he’d need a massive amount of funds. Right now, he had only two hundred thousand spirit stones left.0 He cursed under his breath. "It’s not enough. Nowhere near enough."0 Without long-term planning, short-term trouble was inevitable. Luo Chen had already started strategizing for his cultivation after reaching mid stage Foundation Establishment. First of all, he had to make sure he had enough financial resources; otherwise, even if someone gave him access to top-grade pills, he might not be able to afford them. And he couldn’t forget that the rent for the supreme-grade cave residence he'd eventually need was astronomical.0 Moreover, the Ice Fortress’s ten-year term at Tianlan Immortal City seemed to be nearing the end. Would the new Golden Core sect grant him the privilege of an annual lease? If not, he’d have to pay a staggering four hundred and eighty thousand spirit stones all at once!0 The profit from Jade Essence pills is plain to see. Should I prioritize turning a profit with Jade Dew pills?0 As he arrived at the entrance of the Heavenborn Water Defensive Formation, Luo Chen casually greeted the guarding cultivator and walked in, still turning over his plans in his mind.0 Jade Dew pills sold for a high price, but also had very high costs. A single batch of ingredients cost one hundred spirit stones, and the price often fluctuated, sometimes spiking beyond reason. The worst part was that once the price rose, it never seemed to come down again. Luo Chen found that infuriating.0 Previously, it had taken him ten batches of materials to produce just one bottle. To build a relationship with the Ice Fortress, he had willingly sacrificed the high selling price of such a rare pill, offering it at just five hundred spirit stones per bottle. In other words, he was spending a thousand to make five hundred, losing propositions just to maintain the relationship. That was the reality of human nature.0 However, as Tantai Jin’s demands for Jade Dew pills kept increasing, Luo Chen’s losses only grew. Every bottle costs him five hundred in losses, amounting to two thousand five hundred a year. After the ten-year term was up, he’d have to supply a hundred bottles per year, and that would be a straight loss of twenty-five thousand spirit stones! And that didn’t even take into account the time and effort he would waste.2 If I want to keep the relationship close and still get money out of them… Then I have to raise the quality of the pills I sell.0 Luo Chen was able to do that. His skill level in refining Jade Dew pills had already reached Proficient, allowing him to produce mid-grade Jade Dew pills.0 But he then shook his head and whispered to himself, "No, I can’t rush this."0 To go from novice to mid-grade proficiency in just a few years might be brushed off as the luck of a genius, but it was still too risky. Luo Chen forced himself to suppress his impatience, reminding himself that it was only money. For now, his earnings were enough to sustain his cultivation. The future could be planned for in advance, but he couldn’t be hasty. Everything needed to proceed step by step.0 "Master, you’re back!" Bai Meiling’s voice broke his thoughts.0 Luo Chen replied with a nod of acknowledgment.0 "What would you like to eat tonight?" she asked.0 "I’ll skip dinner. Just stew that Silk-Feathered Chicken so I can drink the broth in the morning. Oh, and here’s a top-grade Hundred Yin enchanted robe I picked up from Tianyi Tower. Try it on and see if it fits."2 Bai Meiling took the still-flapping Silk-Feathered Chicken and the Hundred Yin enchanted robe, eagerly returning to her room. As a ghostly entity, all her clothing was made of manifested yin qi, and this enchanted robe was crafted from hundreds of strands of yin qi combined with special materials, perfect for her. From now on, she wouldn’t need to waste any of her yin qi on clothes.0 After she went inside, Luo Chen entered his cultivation chamber. Looking at the low-grade Ascending Dragon pill in his hand, he let out a bitter sigh. "Fine then, slower cultivation it is. I’ll focus on reaching the middle stage for now."0 He flicked his finger and the Ascending Dragon pill slipped into his mouth. The smoke of Divine Fiery Incense rose in gentle tendrils, filling the air with its scent.0 Within the mist, Luo Chen, now dressed in a robe with crimson cloud patterns, sat cross-legged. His mind clear, he began to absorb vast amounts of spirit energy into his sea of qi. Within the third layer of his sea of qi, the spirit energy coalesced into a thick cloud bank. After a long while, a single drop of spirit liquid fell with a soft drip, merging into the nearly full pool of spirit liquid below.0