C10 Fourth Level of Qi Refinement Stage

Chen Chu gazed at the now-empty wooden box and breathed a sigh of relief. He had been concerned that the mercenaries might balk at the price, but it turned out his worries were unfounded. They were like junk food addicts who had just discovered gourmet cuisine, completely captivated by the taste.

With his concerns about the sales route put to rest, Chen Chu hurried back to the Chen Family's medicine refining hall.

The Third Elder, after tallying up the bags of gold coins, was grinning from ear to ear. Despite the considerable sum spent on the Origin Returning Pills today, the mercenaries' fervor made it clear that turning a profit was only a matter of time.

Meanwhile, in Wanbei City's Jin Family meeting hall, the mood was starkly different from the jubilation at the Chen residence. The atmosphere was heavy with tension.

Three middle-aged men sat in the hall, among them Chen Yan, the former Second Patriarch of the Chen Family.

"The Chen Family has launched a new medicine today," announced the Jin Family Patriarch, a middle-aged man in his early forties with dark skin, piercing eyes beneath sharp brows, a prominent nose, and a scar half a centimeter long by his mouth. His lean figure was clad in a blue robe, exuding an aura of astuteness and efficiency.

"A dying grasshopper's final twitch," Chen Yan commented with a note of disdain. The shoulder wound inflicted by Chen Tong still hadn't fully healed, and the memory of his desperate escape, like a dog floundering in water, still made him seethe with anger.

"Brother Chen Yan, you know the Chen Family best. What's your take on this?" Jin Shengang inquired, his tone laced with skepticism.

Chen Yan's face contorted slightly, detecting the insinuation in Jin Shengang's question. The Patriarch hadn't shown much regard for his defection, a stark contrast to their prior collaboration. But with no choice under the circumstances, he swallowed his resentment and explained, "My spies have reported back. The Chen Family is selling a superior second-grade pill this time. Even if they've managed to secure a second-grade alchemist, their resources are limited. They won't be able to produce much. It's merely hastening their demise."

"Moreover, I've learned that the Chen Family has recently clashed with the Ye Family's personal alchemist. I'm confident that in a few days, the Ye Family will approach us to strategize a partnership to take down the Chen Family."

Jin Shengang nodded in agreement, feeling a surge of satisfaction. Despite his disdain for the double-dealing Chen Yan, he couldn't deny the thrill of using the Chen Family's own to bring about their downfall.

With a third-level Genuine Essence Stage fighter on our side, we can topple the Chen Family without any losses.

Once we disrupt the power balance in Wanbei City, the Jin Family can swiftly grow by absorbing the Chen Family's strength. The Ye Family won't be able to stir up trouble then. Wanbei City will be ours for the taking.

"Brother Chen, your words have put my mind at ease. Once the Chen Family collapses, the position of hall master is yours, with full authority over the Black Rock Mine."

Chen Yan's heart swelled with joy, and he bowed gratefully, "Thank you, Patriarch, for your trust. I am wholly devoted to our cause."

Though he had been downgraded from elder to hall master, Chen Yan's actual influence had significantly increased, and any resentment towards Jin Shengang evaporated.

Jin Shengang's smile was tinged with an imperceptible hint of murderous intent.

"I shall take my leave now."

With spirits high, Chen Yan briskly exited the council hall, quickly vanishing from Jin Shengang's view.

At that moment, a young man who had been silently standing behind Jin Shengang finally spoke up, "Father, granting such a person real power is risky. If he could betray the Chen Family, he might just as well betray us."

Jin Shengang leisurely sipped his tea, replying with a smug tone, "Yukang, you're missing the point. Even a dog won't guard the house without the promise of a bone. People are no different."

Jin Yukang nodded pensively, then added with concern, "Still, Father, be cautious with him. His words aren't entirely reliable. The success rate for a superior second-tier pill isn't high. If he can produce a hundred pills at once, I suspect the Chen Family might have a third-tier alchemist at their disposal."

"I'm aware of the situation. I know the Chen Family's background quite well. Tier 3 alchemists are a proud bunch, looking down on a non-mainstream family like the Chen's. Your task is simply to refine the Wind Walking Pills—ensure they're of consistent quality and quantity daily. I'll wear him down eventually."

Upon returning home, Chen Chu collapsed onto his small bed, sprawled out and exhausted. His Essence Strength was depleted, leaving his head spinning and his eyelids fighting to stay open. With effort, he rose and sat cross-legged, quickly entering a cultivation state.

Chen Chu's muscles ached relentlessly, a constant reminder that increasing his strength was of the utmost importance. As he breathed, the Spiritual Qi from Heaven and Earth flowed into him, and he painstakingly removed impurities before integrating the hard-earned Genuine Qi into his Qi Sea. After repeating this dozens of times, his Qi Sea felt as if it could hold no more. It was as though a lock within him was slowly coming undone, and his body shook as his face turned a deep shade of red.

He directed the pre-purified Genuine Qi towards the saturated cyclone within him. He thought he heard a faint crack, and his body shook violently. The cyclone in his Dantian unleashed a powerful suction, greedily drawing in the room's Spiritual Qi. After a voracious absorption lasting several minutes, it finally subsided.

Chen Chu was ecstatic. The once full Qi Sea had condensed to the size of a walnut, containing only three precious drops of Genuine Qi. Yet he could feel his Genuine Qi was now more than twice as potent as before.

"The pace is too slow. I need to start crafting some enhancement pills soon," he mused.

As Chen Chu's eyes fluttered open, he was startled to see daylight streaming through the window—time had flown by during his cultivation. His gaze then fell upon a bowl of hot porridge and a small dish of meat sauce on the table, eliciting a rumble of hunger from his stomach.

"Xiaowan sure has a knack for taking care of others," Chen Chu mused appreciatively.

Having satisfied his hunger, he stretched and performed a set of Chen Family Fist in the yard, but it left him feeling somewhat unfulfilled. As a War God, Chen Chu had access to a wealth of Profound Rank and even lower-tier martial skills in his memory. Regrettably, those skills demanded stringent physical conditions that he currently didn't meet, so he reluctantly set them aside.

His sights would have to turn to the Martial Arts Library instead.

The library's first floor was freely accessible to clan members who had reached the fifth level of the Qi Refinement Stage or higher. Yet, it mostly housed martial skills of the lower Yellow Rank. The more advanced techniques and the upper-tier Yellow Rank martial skills were sequestered on the second floor, which only opened occasionally and was reserved for those who had attained the ninth level of the Qi Refinement Stage or higher.

Thanks to Chen Chu's recent exploits in alchemy, the guards at the door didn't challenge him, allowing him to enter without issue.

Inside, on the training ground of the first floor, two young clansmen were sparring. Chen Chu's eyes quickly identified one of the combatants!