Immortality begins with Becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster

Chapter 855: Chapter 349: Good Intentions Gone Awry, Perfect Timing (Vote for monthly ticket)

“Foundation Establishment is simpler than I imagined, yet more difficult than I ever thought.”

“The three obstacles you once mentioned, I have passed them all without flaw: a strong divine soul, pure and concentrated spirit qi, and a robust body, with preparations made to perfection. She worried that I might become overzealous and rash, so she deliberately had me suppress it for three months after reaching Qi Refinement Finalization, personally checking that my yuan qi was sufficient before giving me the Foundation Establishment Pill.”

“I have also safely passed the three calamities of the Spirit Root. Whether it was my tongue root, dantian, or Primordial Yin, all were without blemish.”

“Once I had broken through the Dantian Barrier, the path of Foundation Establishment was beckoning me. At this moment, all I needed to do was to connect the main meridians and gather spirit power to successfully establish the foundation.”

“But it just happened then that my restless mind bolted like a wild horse. Holding fast to my determination to catch up with you, I pressed on urgently. But just as I was about to succeed, I started to fear the possibility of loss. If I really established my foundation, would you still want me? She is obviously far more excellent than I.”

Perhaps it was because she had been healed by Luo Chen’s pure wood spirit power once before.

...

Or perhaps it was seeing Luo Chen that stirred her emotions.

At this moment, Gu Caiyi spoke continuously as if in a state of a returning light and reflecting.

“When I woke up, more than half of my dantian had been destroyed, and the vast spirit power, with nowhere to be gathered, had wreaked havoc through my meridians.”

“Thus, my attempt at Foundation Establishment failed.”

The woman looked blankly at Luo Chen.

“I know you desire a Dao Companion Cultivator not for her beauty, but for a good person who can accompany you on the cultivation journey.”

“If I cannot establish my foundation, in a few decades, I’ll turn into a handful of yellow soil, adding only to your sorrow.”

“Originally, I didn’t want to act like a young girl in such a way.”

“But I’m scared!”

“I’m afraid if I don’t say it now, I might die in a few years. By then, there would be no more chances…”

“You won’t die!”

Luo Chen interrupted her.

With absolute determination!

“I’m not comforting you or deceiving you. Give me at most one year, and I will certainly heal your injuries.”

Gu Caiyi tried to smile, a little dazed.

She murmured.

“Really?”

Luo Chen did not speak, but nodded firmly.

The woman’s lips curved slightly, and a faint glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.

“You should rest for now!”

“You are leaving?”

“They are coming.”

Gu Caiyi was momentarily stunned. Then, a blush spread across her face, and she released Luo Chen’s hand.

Luo Chen made sure she was properly covered with the blanket.

Standing up, he opened a corner of the window, allowing a bit of fresh air into the room.

After that, he left the room unhurriedly.

Behind him, Gu Caiyi watched his departing figure and slowly closed her eyes.

…

In the snowy landscape, figures were visible in the dim light.

After that figure clad in bright red appeared, a succession of greetings followed.

“President!”

“President!”

“President!”

Luo Chen, with his hands clasped behind his back, swept a calm gaze over the crowd.

“Everyone go back. We will convene the Luo Tian Creed council in three days.”

“Hui Niang, stay behind!”

The crowd exchanged glances, but no objections arose in the face of Luo Chen’s increasingly formidable authority.

After paying their respects, they dispersed.

Now, the snowy ground hosted only the two of them, both with equally disarrayed thoughts.

Sima Huiniang said nothing, merely stretching her slender neck to look at Luo Chen.

Luo Chen also remained silent, simply looking at her.

Having not seen each other for a year and a half, the other’s demeanor was more majestic than before, but her lovely cheeks had thinned notably.

After a moment, Sima Huiniang lowered her swan-like neck and softly said, “You’re back.”

“Yes, I’m back. You’ve had a hard time while I was away.”

Upon hearing the words ‘hard time’,

For some reason, Sima Huiniang felt a twinge in her nose.

Lowering her head, she shook it gently.

“It’s not hard working for you.”

Luo Chen sighed, stepped forward, and grasped the woman’s soft, boneless hand.

“Tell me, what’s the situation?”

The situation, of course, was not about the Luo Tian Creed.

It referred to the master of this small courtyard behind him—Gu Caiyi.

As her hand was held by the man, with the overpowering masculine scent enveloping her, Sima Huiniang felt a weight in her heart finally lift.

She turned back to look at the courtyard.

“Since you left for Danxia, Hall Master Gu reached Qi Refinement Stage Finalization and applied for a Foundation Establishment Pill with the merits she accumulated over the years.”

“I indeed had a Foundation Establishment Pill at that time. It was one of the three gifts I received from Dan Taijun during my Foundation Establishment Ceremony.”

“By all rights, I should have granted her request.”

“But as we discussed before, the Luo Tian Creed is in the midst of rapid development and needs a lot of manpower. Hall Master Gu, in charge of the Golden Hall, is a pivotal part of our revenue process—I can’t do without her. Plus, Hall Master Murong’s Foundation Establishment was scheduled before her, so I gave her the pill three months after Hall Master Murong’s successful Foundation Establishment.”

Luo Chen listened intently to her.

What she said corresponded with what he had heard from Murong Qinglian and Gu Caiyi the night before.

It was clear that Huiniang had omitted some details.

Like making Gu Caiyi solidify her Qi Refinement Finalization, fearing she might act too hastily.

Like the special rental of the Second Order Lower Grade Immortal Mansion with the best conditions for her.

“Before Foundation Establishment, Elder Wang Yuan and I assessed that Hall Master Gu had a solid foundation with particularly pure spirit power, even surpassing me and Duan Feng. Logically, her chances of success should have been higher than ours.”

“But sometimes, unless it’s a certainty, there’s always a chance.”

“She failed.”

“Her injuries are very severe, worse than my elder brother’s failure back then.”

“On behalf of the Luo Tian Creed, I spent a fortune to invite the famous medical sage Sun Yue Zhi from Immortal City.”