At the time of Mǎo.
Dew turns to frost, and dusk settles in.
The world outside remains pitch-black, but Luo Chen is already bustling around his small house by the stream.
In his previous life, that was his personality.
As long as there is a goal, he would persist relentlessly.
Working 996 was exhausting, even having WeChat meetings after work, but he never once arrived late.
Compared to painfully waking up each day back then, at least now he can perform the Longevity Technique every morning and evening. The experience post-practice renders a pleasant feeling which makes it less difficult for him to climb out of bed.
However, he cannot perform the exercise more than three times a day. Otherwise, it gives him a headache unbearable enough to affect even his ability to perform the basic task of processing raw materials for alchemy.
Today require significant effort and the tasks are simple.
He must process raw materials for the Fasting Elixir and the Allure Pill.
He is sufficiently familiar with the Fasting Elixir, especially at his Grandmaster Level proficiency. This allows him not only to refine the potion smoothly but also to process its raw materials more smoothly.
The processing of raw materials for the Allure Pill is faster than last time too.
Sometimes, Luo Chen takes time to study his system.
The attribute panel looks ordinary, its only two functionalities are to increase proficiency and enable him to learn new Cultivation Techniques of the same level using Achievement Points.
Ignoring the Achievement Points for now, he understood more about the proficiency functionality.
It is not limited to successes. Enough failures can also increase proficiency.
Moreover, each time proficiency breaks through a boundary, it seems to provide him with additional enlightenment.
He is confident that traditional adage "practice makes perfect" is inadequate to explain this new understanding.
It seems that once proficiency reaches a certain level, the system tops up all the understanding for that level.
Therefore, in a specific skill, he is comparatively more comprehensive than those at the same level.
This breadth of knowledge is demonstrated in his consistent production quality of the Grandmaster Level Fasting Elixir, which is always at Ascendant Grade.
He's not sure if there's something beyond Grandmaster level proficiency, but he imagines that at that point, the quality of the Fasting Elixir would have reached Top Grade!
A Top Grade Fasting Elixir...But after all, it would still be just a Fasting Elixir!
It's a common commodity with high market saturation, and the number of competitors is high. The consumption rate of customers is also slow.
Being top grade doesn't mean much; the Allure Pill is better.
It's an exclusive product with a blue ocean market. The pill is mild in effect and probably has a fair number of return customers too.
The downside is its high cost—five Spirit Stones per batch, with a high failure rate.
Moreover, the so-called blue ocean market isn't very large to begin with.
The majority of rogue cultivators still persevering in The Great River District are ambitious and aim to establish their foundation.
In fact, there aren't many who indulge in luxury.
But for now, this Allure Pill is the only ace product Luo Chen has!
Therefore, expansion is necessary, even if the current production cost and benefits do not generate net profits.
But Luo Chen must persist!
As long as the success rate improves, Luo Chen can see hope for his future!
...
Noon arrives, and it's still time to stew beef.
Since his proficiency in Fasting Elixir has reached Grandmaster level, he's minimized waste.
He was supposed to use up the frozen beef quicker, but since he started refining the Allure Pill, the consumption rate has actually slowed down.
Luo Chen even feels that there is too much Spirit Qi leaking from the Yellow Ox Demon Beast meat.
So, he would cut an extra thick slice of meat whenever he is cooking.
After having a satisfying meal, Luo Chen belches contentedly.
Rich and creamy!
Regardless of whether it's the Fasting Elixir or Allure Pill, each requires time as the last step of the processing procedure.
Luo Chen sat by the stream, set up a fishing rod, and started to fish.
He discovered that the small stream originating from the Lancang River had more fish and shrimp recently.
He planned to catch a few to freshen up his taste buds.
While fishing, he also opened the attribute panel.
[Name: Luo Chen]
[Lifespan: 27/75]
[Spirit Roots: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth]
[Realm: Qi Refinement Third Level: 76/100]
[Cultivation Technique: Mastery in Longevity Technique: 257/300]
[Techniques: Cleaning Technique Beginner Level 52/100, Entanglement Technique Proficiency Level 176/200, Fireball Technique Perfection Level 315/500, Carefree Wandering Proficiency Level 102/200]
[Skills: First Order Pill Refiner: Fasting Pill Grandmaster 510/1000, Allure Pill Beginner 13/100]
[Achievement Points: 1 point (can be used for corresponding cultivation technique, technique, skill foundation)]
This time, the display on the panel delighted him.
After a long time, his cultivation level had increased from 75 to 76, a full point increase!
The breakthrough into the fourth stage of Qi Refinement was just around the corner!
The other categories offered no surprise; whether it was the Longevity Technique, or the Fasting Pill and Allure Pill, they all developed at their respective rates and yielded positive feedback.
Only the Fireball Technique and Carefree Wandering under the Techniques category caught his attention.
Carefree Wandering had leaped from Beginner Level to Proficiency Level, making him faster and faster.
It was no waste of his effort running wildly across the plains every day.
However, he hadn't had the chance to test out the Fireball Technique, which had reached the Perfection Level.
Every day when he lit a fire for cooking, he simply found it more smooth and natural.
Half an hour later, there was not a single fish in the hole he had dug for water!
"How can I be so indulged in the moment? It's time to cultivate the Protective Dao Technique!"
Luo Chen cast aside his fishing rod and aimed for the deepest part of the stream, unleashing a fireball.
Boom!
The calm stream instantly exploded, causing a large splash and waves of scorching steam to spread out in all directions.
One burnt fish carcass after another dropped onto the pebbles at the bottom of the stream, slowly floating up again with the influx of upstream water.
Luo Chen looked satisfied at the results of the Fireball technique.
A single fireball had incinerated the stream and sent all the fish to their doom!
Indeed, it was the Perfection Level Fireball Technique!
Recalling the consumption of Spirit Qi in his body, Luo Chen couldn't help but raise his eyebrow.
"Huh, a Fireball Technique used to consume 10% of my Spirit Power, but this time it consumed less than 5%!"
"Does this mean I can cast 20 Fireball Techniques in one go now?"
That's a double increase!
This is an absolute qualitative change!
Plus... it seems like the speed has also doubled?
When he was cooking before, he had to meticulously form the hand seals and chant; he was afraid of blowing up the furnace and infused only a minor amount of Spirit Power.
Just now he had no such concern and casually threw out a fireball.
Only now did he realize that the differences in speed between the two were significant.
The usual cultivation practitioners would take three breaths to release the technique, but Luo Chen had managed to reduce it to two breaths when he achieved mastery. Now, at the Perfection Level, he had broken through to only one breath.
"It takes only one breath, as fast as releasing a Fireball Talisman!"
Activating a talisman also has a process: injecting Spirit Power, guiding its inner Spirit Qi, and then aiming it at the enemy.
Usually, only experienced veterans can calmly and quickly activate talismans.
After all, it is an external object.
The feeling, it often produces an illusion.
To avoid any illusion, Luo Chen simply directed three more Fireball Techniques at the stream.
There was no mistake!
Three Fireball Techniques, plus the one at the beginning, only consumed 20% of his Spirit Power.
The speed was also much faster than before, comparable to activating a Fireball Talisman.
Upon attaining the experimental result, Luo Chen couldn't help but reveal a happy smile.
Each day he practiced the Longevity Technique, drawing in and converting only a small amount of Spirit Qi. Even when he exhausted himself to the fullest, he could only recover one-fifth of his Spirit Power.
This resulted in him not being able to study techniques extensively since he feared running out of Spirit Power and being helpless if danger arose.
But now the consumption of Spirit Power by his Fireball Technique had decreased, meaning that he could practice one more time every day.
Moreover, what thrilled Luo Chen the most was not this.
"A speed comparable to the activation of a talisman, it can completely catch the enemy off guard."
"Finally, I have a worthy combative technique!"
Up till now, Luo Chen had been craving an effective combat technique, but he was so low-profile that nobody paid him any attention.
Being unnoticed and having combat capability was different.
His previously anxious state of mind had become significantly more relaxed, and Luo Chen felt an urge to roar to the sky with joy.
But after thinking about it, he decided to keep things low-key for now.
He would wait until his next breakthrough into becoming a Middle Stage Qi Refinement Great Cultivator to roar to the sky!
He picked a fish, which had been stunned by the steam, from the bank. It would be his extra meal tomorrow.
"Hmm, I caught a fish today, so my Fishing Skill proficiency increased by one!"