Immortality begins with Becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster

Chapter 346: Chapter 169: Divine Soul Soars, Cultivating Divine Intimidation Technique (Looking for Monthly Votes)_1

”Where are you from and what’s your level?”

”From the Yuanzhao Kingdom, I am at the Third Level Qi Refinement Stage.”

”That’s quite low, isn’t it?”

The monk at the Merits Hall disdainfully glanced at Luo Chen before recording his name in a thick book.

Thereafter, he called out to the outside.

A pale-faced young monk hurried in.

”This newcomer, take him to the Mining Hall!”

”Yes, Steward Mi.”

The young monk respectfully complied, taking Luo Chen out of the room.

Walking outside, he cheerfully introduced himself, ”What should I call you?”

”Luo Chen.”

Luo Chen replied, his voice low.

Seeing his gloomy demeanor, the young monk laid a hand on his shoulder.

”Met with some trouble? Talk about it, lighten up a bit!”

Luo Chen’s face stiffened. He just shook his head and remained silent.

Shortly, the young monk led him to the headquarters of the Mining Hall.

A monk from the Mining Hall handed him a carrying basket and a shovel.

”Every month, you must fulfill the task of mining six hundred catty of Bin Iron Ore.”

Luo Chen took the items, then asked in a quiet voice, ”And if I can’t complete it?”

The man sneered, ”If you can’t complete it, you get no salary. But if you do, you get ten Spirit Stones. For every extra hundred catty you mine beyond the six hundred, you’ll receive an additional Spirit Stone.”

Luo Chen slightly opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.

For a Third-Level Qi Refinement cultivator who wants to earn big, hard labor like mining is needed.

On their way out, the monk who had brought him there was squatting to the side, playing with ants.

Seeing Luo Chen, he stood up immediately.

”Got everything you need, right? Let me take you to the mountain!”

”The Bin Iron Ore mine is located in Flower Fall Mountain in Ancient Plains Mountain Range. There aren’t many Demon Beasts there, so it’s relatively safe.”

”Since I’ve brought you here, you can come to me if you run into any problems.”

”Remember my name, I’m Tang Quan!”

My name is Tang Quan...

Luo Chen was momentarily stunned,

But under the pressure of life, he went with anticipation to Flower Fall Mountain in the Ancient Plains Mountain Range.

At daybreak, hundreds of dispirited people shouldered their baskets and picked up their shovels, entering the vast underground mines.

Luo Chen was among them.

On the first day, he experienced the difficulty of mining.

His hands were scratched and bloodied, but he finally managed to dig up a small lump of Bin Iron Raw Ore.

When he weighed his findings, they weighed less than ten catty.

He said nothing and went back to rest.

The second day was even worse. He didn’t manage to dig up a single piece of Bin Iron Raw Ore.

The monk who collected the ores rolled his eyes at him.

However, things improved on the fifth day.

”Twenty-two catty, Luo Chen is it?”

”Yes.”

”Okay, it’s been noted. You can go.”

Luo Chen sighed with relief and forced a smile.

He received a ball of Spirit Rice. This was a treat meant for qualified miners.

Standing alone in a corner, he wolfed down the rice ball.

Looking at the dazed rogue cultivators around him, he swore he wouldn’t become like them.

He joined the Broken Mountain Gang not to mine, but to earn enough Spirit Stones to continue his pill refinement!

After a month,

Luo Chen scraped by and met the quota of six hundred catty of Bin Iron Ore.

This did impress Tang Quan, who had brought him in.

He had thought Luo Chen would accomplish nothing for the first few months.

To his surprise, Luo Chen met the quota in his first month.

”You’re a qualified miner!”

”No, I’m not a miner!”

”Huh?”

Luo Chen didn’t explain. He continued to eat his rice ball in silence.

Five months later, Luo Chen again managed to save up fifty Spirit Stones and even a few more.

He asked the increasingly familiar Tang Quan for a leave of absence.

He then stayed in his room and began refining pills.

Tang Quan squatted to one side, watching him work.

He then witnessed failure after failure.

”Have you gone mad?”

”Why would a rogue cultivator make elixirs?”

”Are you really up for it?”

”As I see it, you should use your earnings to buy elixirs for cultivation. After you reach the Fourth Level Qi Refinement Stage, I can have you transferred to the Battle Hall.”

”Despite the danger in Battle Hall, the rewards are high!”

Luo Chen managed a smile before falling silent.

He had used up his savings and the few remaining Spirit Stones were insufficient for refining Allure Pills.

Thus, he returned to the Broken Mountain Gang’s Mining Hall to mine once more.

This time, it only took him four months to save up fifty Spirit Stones.

Seeing that he was again about to buy medicinal herbs, Tang Quan became anxious.

”You really don’t know your limits, do you?”

”Without a mentor’s guidance, without support from a major Force, how could you possibly refine a First Order Pill?”

Luo Chen pushed past him and entered the Hundred Herbs Pavilion of his own accord.

”Boss Liu, ten portions of Fire Dog Tail, Jade Yao Column...”

Tang Quan stood at the back, shaking his head and sighing.

Such a stubborn person.

But, how could a rogue cultivator possibly become a respected Pill Refiner?

It’s fine, he’ll give up after a few more failures, won’t he?

This assumption was partly right, yet also partly wrong.

Luo Chen did continue to fail. Over the course of a year, he failed countless times.

Even so, he never gave up.

After ten years had passed,

Tang Quan had already reached the Sixth Level Qi Refinement and no longer served as a low-level runner. He had become a proud member of the Battle Hall.

Meanwhile, Luo Chen was still at the Third Level Qi Refinement.

Because he had been mining for many years, his figure was hunchbacked, and he became quieter.

But his expression wasn’t numb or indifferent like the other miners.

When he saved up fifty Spirit Stones again and planned to take leave to focus on refining pills, the steward of the Mining Hall stopped him.