After reining in his scattered thoughts, Luo Chen returned his focus to cultivation. Since reaching the fourth stage of Foundation Establishment, his cultivation progress had once again slowed. Even with uninterrupted effort, he estimated that a single step forward would take nearly twenty days. The sluggish pace left him dissatisfied. Yet there was little he could do. At present, he had no access to higher-tier medicinal pills that could accelerate his cultivation. Logically speaking, an alchemist like Luo Chen might lack many things, but the one thing he should not have been short of was cultivation pills suited to himself. In truth, however, he had faced shortages the entire way. It was like farmers going hungry despite growing grains. The root of the problem was obvious: Luo Chen lacked a proper cultivation pill formula. In fact, he had long instructed Sima Huiniang to privately collect as many second-tier alchemical formulas as possible, especially those that boosted spirit energy. Even incomplete versions would be worthwhile. If he could just get a hold of them, he could refine them himself for personal use. With the system on his side, he could even refine supreme-grade pills and greatly accelerate his cultivation. Sadly, the results had been pitiful. The only formula they’d secured was for a second-tier Beauty Preservation pill, which had limited value. At first glance, it sounded impressive, something that would be instantly popular among female cultivators. But the truth was far from glamorous. Qi Refinement cultivators couldn’t afford second-tier beauty pills, and Foundation Establishment cultivators didn’t need them. After reaching that realm, a cultivator could fast with ease and cleanse their bones and blood during breakthroughs. Under such conditions, maintaining a youthful appearance was just a matter of spirit power. Figures like Tantai Jin and Fairy Ruthless were over a hundred years old, yet still appeared youthful and radiant. Luo Chen himself had already spent a number of years at the Foundation Establishment Realm and retained the appearance of a young man. The cultivators who visibly aged were those who had advanced late in life or simply had no interest in preserving their looks. Age would naturally show in time. If cultivators were unwilling to spend even a thread of spirit power, why would they waste money on beauty pills? Naturally, Luo Chen had no interest in studying that formula. And given the Luo Tian Society’s level of influence, it was clear that they were incapable of acquiring genuine second-tier cultivation pill formulas. It was not just the Luo Tian Society; other Foundation Establishment-level organizations also struggled with it. The reason was not complicated: The major sects held such formulas with a particularly tight grip. Luo Chen had seen signs of this as far back as his Qi Refinement days. Back then, he had been merely refining low-grade Jade Essence pills, with only a fraction of the effectiveness of proper qi-nourishing pills, yet Mi Shuhua had fretted constantly. They had to coordinate with various parties and even give a cut to Miao Wen from the Sword Sect to ensure smooth sales. Only then had they been able to distribute the Jade Essence pill without obstruction. Had he produced pills that actually surpassed qi-nourishing pills in efficacy, the Medicine King Sect would likely have acted immediately, perhaps even eradicating the Dajiang Gang outright. Even now, with Luo Chen aligned with the Ice Fortress, he would not dare cross that line. That was why he had not even broached the subject of the alchemical formula during negotiations with Tantai Jin. Whether she had them or not, she would never hand them over. Besides, Shi Boying had said that most of the Ice Fortress’s current cultivation pills were still sourced externally from Green Pill Valley and the Medicine King Sect. There was no need for him to ask for trouble. With no new alchemy formulas and only the existing qi-consolidation pills and Ascending Dragon pills to rely on for cultivation, did Luo Chen still have a way to speed up his cultivation? Actually, he did. He would begin with his physical body! In a recent exchange with Wang Yuan, he had been told that once Meridian Unblocking was completed, the blood qi could flow unhindered throughout the body. Its power would be applied far more efficient than before. After hearing this, Luo Chen wondered if the principle could be applied to qi cultivation, and the more he thought of it, the more he felt like it should. For qi cultivators, meridians were the channels through which spirit energy flowed. The more open channels one had and the wider they were, the greater the amount of ambient spirit energy one could draw into the body within the same span of time. That naturally meant faster cultivation. To illustrate, the world was a vast sea, and spirit energy was its water. A cultivator’s sea of qi was like a dry little pond. The meridians were the pipes connecting the two. The thicker, tougher, and more numerous the pipes, the more water could be diverted into the pond in any given moment. Such was the logic of cultivation! For more chapters visıt 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹~𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮~𝚗𝚎𝚝 This theory was not without precedent. In fact, Luo Chen himself had proof of it. Back in the Qi Refinement Realm, he had already opened his eight extraordinary meridians, something usually accomplished only after reaching Foundation Establishment. At the middle stage of Qi Refinement, his Long Spring Art had reached Grandmaster level, enabling him to connect all twelve primary meridians and the eight extraordinary ones ahead of time. From that point on, his cultivation speed had more than doubled. Now, what Luo Chen needed to do was extend and strengthen those channels even further, opening the minor meridians and reinforcing the existing ones. This method applied perfectly to the Foundation Establishment Realm as well. Even the Eternal Youth Evergreen Sutra emphasized guiding spirit energy to clear the meridians, and that was proof enough of the benefits. Cultivators far more experienced than him had long ago recognized the value of Meridian Unblocking, and some had even created dedicated techniques for it. What Luo Chen needed to do next was accelerate the process and complete the Meridian Unblocking stage ahead of time. Others may not be able to achieve it, but he could refine Blood Fiend pills to aid him. Wang Yuan’s recommendation to use Blood Fiend pills made the benefits obvious. Luo Chen glanced over his stockpile of ingredients. He could already estimate how many of these pills he could refine. Even after setting aside a share for Wang Yuan’s exclusive use, there would still be a substantial amount remaining. He had no intention of using them for general cultivation. For the purpose of clearing and strengthening meridians, only a minimal dose would be required. Luo Chen did not hesitate. That very day, he committed himself to an intense session of Blood Fiend pill refinement. After all, the direction of the Luo Tian Society had already been established. With the lingering prestige of the Foundation Establishment Ceremony and Sima Huiniang firmly overseeing daily operations, Luo Chen had even less to worry about. After struggling for so long, he had finally attained a stable environment where he could control his own time. In the days that followed, he set aside all miscellaneous tasks and poured his full attention into refining pills. With such undivided focus, he didn't even notice the three months that passed. In the alchemy room, Luo Chen counted the Blood Fiend pills with astonishment written on his face. As far as he knew, a newly practiced pill would have about a ten percent success rate. Over these three months, he had carefully refined one hundred batches. By that logic, he should’ve produced seventy to eighty pills at best. Yet in his hand now were over one hundred and thirty Blood Fiend pills. "Even without relying on the system to learn it, my yield is higher than expected," he murmured. "Could this be my own ability? Or is it the Ice Emperor Cauldron increasing the yield?" The sample size was too small, and without a control group, he could not reach any firm conclusions. But that uncertainty did not diminish the joy swelling in his chest. With so many Blood Fiend pills, he could easily meet Wang Yuan’s needs and still have more than enough for himself. "Well, whatever it is, these should be enough for me." After resting for a day and giving Little Ling a few simple instructions, Luo Chen entered the secret chamber. A crimson pill rested in his palm, releasing a strange fragrance that seemed to seep into his bones. The scent was both alluring and unsettling, like blood mixed with wine, musk, and perfume. Even a single whiff made him feel as though his blood was boiling. "So this is the first pill I’ve truly refined by hand..." Luo Chen muttered. With a faint smile, he swallowed the pill and quietly waited for the pill's medicinal effect to take hold. After a few breaths, his entire body shuddered, and his expression shifted. Within him, a mighty surge of blood fiend qi exploded as the pill dissolved. It surged like a serpent bursting from the earth, with heaven-rending killing intent. Like a great flood dragon charging through a massive river, it churned violently, struggling to transform. Fine strands of blood seeped from Luo Chen’s skin before he even noticed. He let out a muffled grunt and instinctively activated Divine Breaker of Malevolence, using sheer willpower to endure the overwhelming surge of blood qi. More than just enduring it, he guided the blood fiend force to assault his clogged minor meridians. Of the nine stages of the Blood River Realm, the Meridian Unblocking was the fourth. In qi refinement terms, it was roughly equivalent to the fourth or fifth stage of Foundation Establishment. Luo Chen was once again attempting to break through a bottleneck, but this time, it was in an entirely different cultivation system.