Chapter 58 Being Too Good to Oneself

Zhou Chen wrapped the alchemy furnace in his divine sense, spending a full three hours to initially refine it.

Looking at the alchemy furnace quietly suspended in his palm, Zhou Chen smiled.

The furnace was indeed a rare treasure, not broken like the previous Pisces pendant.

Alchemy required fire.

It could be a spiritual fire nurtured by heaven and earth, but Zhou Chen did not possess one.

Alternatively, Zhou Chen could convert his own Tai Chi energy into alchemy fire, but that would be somewhat wasteful and would require a period of cultivation to replenish.

Fortunately, this alchemy furnace had fire-attribute array patterns built into its interior; one only needed to insert spirit stones to ignite the flames.

Having asked Xiao Yunmei outside the door to fetch twenty spirit stones, Zhou Chen finally began the pill refining process.

Zhou Chen first selected a few spiritual materials, preparing to refine a batch of Marrow-Washing and Vein-Cleansing Pills.

The grade of the Marrow-Washing and Vein-Cleansing Pill was very low, and its primary function was to serve mortals, allowing them to quickly cleanse the acquired impurities within their bodies.

Its applicability was broad, and even Zhou Chen himself could take it.

Possessing the divine sense strength of the Foundation Establishment stage, even though Zhou Chen had never touched alchemy before, he succeeded on his very first attempt.

This was mainly because the grade of the Marrow-Washing and Vein-Cleansing Pill was truly very low, making the difficulty close to zero.

If an Qi-Refining stage immortal cultivator were to refine it, there might still be a slight chance of failure.

However, Zhou Chen possessed the heritage of an ancient top-tier Qi-refiner, and his current soul strength had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, so refining it was utterly without difficulty.

Before long.

The alchemy furnace in front of him, which had been magnified to a height of one meter, emitted wafts of medicinal fragrance.

A scent of vegetation and wood spread out, making one feel as if they were standing amidst a vast plain of forests, enveloped from head to toe by the power of nature.

Catching this medicinal aroma outside the door, Xiao Yunmei felt her body relax considerably.

In her heart, she grew even more convinced that her decision this time was correct.

An immortal cultivator who possessed high cultivation, was proficient in array formations, and could also refine pills must be an ancient senior who had lived for hundreds of years.

Having such an ancient senior become the backing of the Yunmei Auction House made Xiao Yunmei feel incomparably secure.

Yet very soon, the usually brilliant and perceptive Xiao Yunmei vaguely harbored an ominous premonition.

Why would an ancient senior who had lived for hundreds of years allow her to gain such massive advantages without reason?

Although the two of them appeared to be in a cooperative relationship, Xiao Yunmei knew very well that, given Zhou Chen's strength and ability, he was entirely qualified to make a major aristocratic family serve him. Why, then, would he choose her humble little auction house?

The capabilities of the Yunmei Auction House were indeed quite good, but compared to those gargantuan families, they fell utterly short.

Could it be that Zhou Chen actually harbored other motives?

During the years Xiao Yunmei spent founding the Yunmei Auction House, she had also acquired quite a few ancient texts recording immortal cultivators.

She was well aware that immortal cultivators stood transcendent above mortals and above ancient martial artists as well.

Especially those immortal cultivators who had lived for hundreds of years; their singular focus was on higher realms and gaining a longer lifespan.

As their cultivation progressed, their emotional attachments to others would gradually fade, leaving them solely dedicated to pursuing the Dao of immortality.

Then why was Zhou Chen treating her so well?

Did he want to use her?

That was impossible!

After all, the cooperative relationship between the two of them was inherently one of mutual utilization.

What on earth could he still be plotting?

Xiao Yunmei could not figure it out.

Throughout the entire Yunmei Auction House, the only thing that differed from other great families and could offer a benefit to Zhou Chen was probably herself, possessing a special physique.

Yet Zhou Chen did not look like a man with designs on her body either.

This question was one Xiao Yunmei simply could not puzzle out.

Her mind ran wild with a multitude of possibilities.

For instance, perhaps Zhou Chen was actually extremely evil, wishing to control everyone and transform the Yunmei Auction House into his private property.

It was also possible that Zhou Chen was a paragon of virtue among immortal cultivators, who pitied her plight and thus chose to help her.

Zhou Chen had no idea that his actions had caused Xiao Yunmei, a woman severely lacking in a sense of security, to spin so many wild imaginations.

As an illegitimate daughter, Xiao Yunmei had relied almost entirely on herself, step by step, to reach where she was today.

Only she knew the bitterness and hardships involved.

Just as Zhou Chen had remarked earlier, Xiao Yunmei was merely a mortal, a woman at that, and one cursed with the seductive fragrance spiritual physique.

Achieving her current status through her own methods rather than currying favor with men using her body proved that Xiao Yunmei was indeed extraordinary.

Yet such a upbringing also forged a deep-seated sense of crisis toward everything around her, which was why she so desperately sought to find a backing for the Yunmei Auction House—or rather, for herself.

She lacked a sense of security far too much, because there was not a single person she could truly trust, not even her own biological father.

After all, even her biological father wished to strip away everything she had worked so hard to achieve and bestow it upon her half-sister.

Xiao Yunmei remained lost in these chaotic thoughts until the door behind her was pushed open.

Zhou Chen walked out of the room and handed the refined pills, neatly bottled in jade vials, to Xiao Yunmei.

"I've looked over the previous auctions; pills that increase lifespan, enhance cultivation, and retard aging sell for the highest prices."

"Therefore, I have refined ten pills each of the Longevity Pill, the Xuanling Pill, and the Beauty-Preserving Pill."

"As for the Longevity Pill, an ordinary person can gain roughly five to ten years of extended life. Taking it a second time will halve the effect, and taking it a third time will halve it once more based on the second dose."

"The Xuanling Pill is suitable for both ancient martial artists and immortal cultivators. Its effects are several times better than the Foundation Establishment pills auctioned yesterday, and most importantly, it can cleanse the physical body and enhance one's aptitude."

"The Beauty-Preserving Pill is rather ordinary, nothing special; it improves a person's skin and makes them appear younger to a certain extent. You can find someone to test it yourself, and the effects will be immediate."

Having introduced these three types of pills, Zhou Chen gestured toward the table inside the room where five bottles of pills were displayed.

"Those are fifty Qi and Blood Pills, meant to be given to the bodyguards to ingest. They can enhance their qi and blood strength, and the results are equally remarkable. Try them and you will see."

"Oh, and that bodyguard whose cultivation I crippled first earlier can be cultivated with priority; give him all the surplus Qi and Blood Pills. His aptitude is quite good."

Back in the training room, the bodyguard who had stepped forward first also possessed the highest cultivation, reaching the peak of Dark Force, and was soon to step into the realm of Transformation Grandmaster.

His talent was decent, and in the future, he could become a high-end combat powerhouse to guard the Yunmei Auction House when Zhou Chen was absent.

Finally.

Zhou Chen handed Xiao Yunmei two jade boxes as well.

"Inside here are three top-quality Xuanling Pills. Take one when you cultivate, and keep an interval of at least three days before taking the second."

"This is the Marrow-Washing and Vein-Cleansing Pill, used to wash away the acquired impurities of the fleshly body. There are no particular taboos for taking it... Oh, right, remember to take it before bathing, because your skin will expel dirty substances, and you will fart and shit more frequently. Earwax, eye discharge, and nasal secretions will also increase significantly."

Hearing Zhou Chen's words, Xiao Yunmei's pretty face involuntarily flushed red.

Having finished his instructions, Zhou Chen prepared to leave as well.

Passing down cultivation techniques tonight, setting up array formations, refining pills, and remotely controlling the strange insect squad to assassinate that evil cultivator youth had left Zhou Chen's divine sense utterly exhausted.

Xiao Yunmei watched Zhou Chen's retreating figure, then looked down at the jade vials and boxes in her hands.

She truly could not figure out if everything Zhou Chen had done for her was simply a bit too good to be true.