Chapter Ninety: The Purple Mansion Is Complete

Gep Gan descended, retrieved his flying sword, and felt a wave of pure fire spiritual energy rushing at him. He could not help admiring it: the alchemy grounds of Flame Wave Peak truly lived up to their reputation.

The alchemy chambers were built in the rear mountains of Flame Wave Peak. Each chamber was its own cave dwelling, with a small pavilion erected at the entrance. Stewards were assigned inside to handle daily maintenance and collect spirit stones. Guarding such chambers was a lucrative post, rich with hidden profits.

The chambers were divided into three grades. The first grade was the best, with dense spiritual energy and fierce flame power. The second grade was far inferior, with milder flame and average spiritual energy. The third grade referred to chambers that had been built with some flaw and could only barely function; they were usually cheaper and rented to outer sect disciples at the spirit-gathering stage.

Elder Cui Yun’s chamber was naturally a first-grade one, and among first-grade chambers, it was of particularly fine quality.

Gep Gan alighted lightly outside the cave dwelling, put away his flying sword, and walked toward the pavilion.

The pavilion was not large. Inside, seated in a great armchair, was a pale-faced cultivator in his twenties, at the completion of the spirit-gathering stage, eyes closed in repose.

Gep Gan cupped his hands and said, “May I ask if senior brother is the steward here?”

The pale-faced cultivator opened his eyes. Seeing that Gep Gan looked ordinary, carried himself gracefully, and spoke politely, he knew from experience what sort he was: a pauper come to inquire about the prices. His temper flared at once. He thought, You interrupt my good sleep? You’re asking for a beating.

So he cleared his throat and said in a grand manner, “What are you making all that noise for? Can’t you see I’m sleeping? You saw the foot of the mountain, didn’t you? Go rent a third-grade alchemy chamber, two spirit stones a day. Hurry up and leave. This isn’t somewhere you can afford!”

Gep Gan did not leave, and still said with a pleasant expression, “May I ask whether this is a first-grade premium alchemy chamber?”

“What if it is? Let me tell you the truth: this is the private alchemy chamber the sect has assigned to Elder Cui Yun. No idle outsiders are allowed inside. Stop bothering me here,” the pale-faced cultivator said angrily.

Gep Gan thought, What a fool who looks down on others. He flicked his hand, and with a sharp crack, a delicate token slammed onto the table.

Just as the pale-faced cultivator was about to explode, he suddenly saw the token on the table. He picked it up in disbelief and examined it carefully, then asked, “How did Elder Cui’s token end up with you?”

“Nonsense. Of course the elder gave it to me. Do you think I stole it? Listen carefully: I am Elder Cui’s disciple. The elder ordered me to refine several pills. If you delay me, I will report to the elder that it was your deliberate obstruction that caused the pills to be delayed. We’ll see then,” Gep Gan said, glaring.

The pale-faced cultivator’s expression changed drastically. Elder Cui Yun had an extremely peculiar temper; offend him, and there would be no good end. At once, his face shifted to another, and he said with an ingratiating smile, “Senior brother, do not take offense. So you have such backing. Please go in at once. Leave all the formalities to me, Wang Beile, and I will handle everything personally. Please, senior brother, enter.”

Wang Beile was an astute operator. He had always been in charge of Elder Cui Yun’s alchemy chamber and had reaped many benefits—bribes from those who came to collect pills. Step by step, he had cultivated to his present level, yet still could not form his foundation.

Gep Gan nodded and said, “Watch carefully. If anyone disturbs me while I’m alchemizing, you’ll answer for it.”

With that, he picked up the token and entered the pavilion.

He thought to himself, Refuse a toast and you’ll be forced to drink a forfeit. I had meant to reward you with a bottle of marrow-cleansing pills, but you put on airs before me. After giving you a scolding, I’ve even saved the pills. Truly a cheap bone.

Inside the pavilion was a stone gate wreathed in runes. Gep Gan inserted the token into a recess. The runes flickered, and with a crisp click the stone gate parted to the left and right, revealing a passage just wide enough for two people to pass through. A suffocating surge of fire spiritual energy rushed out.

Gep Gan drew back the token and stepped inside. The stone gate closed of its own accord. The chamber within was about thirty feet across, and in the center stood a cauldron about ten feet wide, wrapped in purple patterns.

A meditation mat lay beneath the shelter of eight formation flags. No need to ask—this was the Eight Treasures Spirit-Gathering Formation.

The stone walls were exceptionally sturdy, forged from fine ironstone, ensuring no leakage of spiritual energy and no imbalance in temperature.

Gep Gan embedded spirit stones into the formation flags, sat cross-legged on the mat, formed hand seals, and activated the array. Countless strands of spiritual energy surged toward the formation, though fire spiritual energy made up the largest portion, with the rest scarcely mattering.

With a sweep of his hand, a wave of resentment billowed from his sleeve.

It took the form of Red Plum, charming and delicate, holding the demonic gourd in both hands as she said respectfully, “What commands does Master have for this servant?” At the same time, she curiously surveyed her surroundings.

Gep Gan looked at Red Plum and smiled faintly. “Although you are my spirit pet, I have never truly thought of you that way. I, Gep Gan, also came from humble beginnings and have tasted all the flavors of this world. I understand all too well what it means to be another’s servant. From now on, just call me big brother.”

At this, Red Plum felt a warmth in her heart. Though she was a resentful spirit, burdened with dense grievance and devoid of ordinary emotions, even she was stirred deep in her soul.

In the cultivation world, those who kept pets did so only for their own slaughter and exploitation; they cared nothing for the lives or deaths of their beasts, let alone speaking to them as equals.

In others’ eyes, that would be an insult.

Red Plum immediately nodded and said, “Thank you, big brother, for not treating me as an outsider.”

Gep Gan smiled with satisfaction. “I am going to break through to the foundation-forming stage. Guard me; kill without mercy anyone who disrupts me.”

“Big brother, rest assured. So long as Red Plum has even a wisp of spirit left, I will never let anyone come within a single step!”

Only then did Gep Gan relax. He took out a large quantity of pills and laid them in order before him: fourteen foundation-forming pills, spirit-replenishing pills, and grain-dispelling pills.

Then he composed his mind and sorted through the cultivation method of the Six Paths Sword Art once more, ensuring it was exact and without the slightest deviation.

After that, Gep Gan picked up a bottle of marrow-cleansing pills and swallowed them in one gulp. Following the cultivation method of the Six Paths Sword Art, he began to forge his purple mansion and lay the foundations.

In Gep Gan’s understanding, the human foundation used oneself as the medium to refine the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for one’s own use.

The earth foundation used the earth as the medium to refine the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for one’s own use.

The heaven foundation used the void as the medium to refine the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for one’s own use.

However strong the self might be, it could never compare to the vast earth; and however broad the earth might be, how could it compare with the boundless void?

Gep Gan cast off worldly distractions with his spiritual power, broke free from the shackles of the earth, and plunged into the misty emptiness, slowly sensing the true bearing of the void.

Within his own dantian, he opened the purple mansion and forged the heaven foundation.

Days passed one after another. The marrow-cleansing pills were soon exhausted, and next came the foundation-forming pills. Their medicinal force was unimaginably violent, but with the tender leaves to neutralize and purify them, and with the Solid Foundation Three Element Art providing magic power three times that of an ordinary cultivator, there was no great issue.

Forging the purple mansion took a full six months and consumed seven foundation-forming pills. By then, Gep Gan’s purple mansion was tough and substantial. This was thanks to the top-grade spiritual fruit king and the source pill qi of Gu Tian; the two fused into one and were cast successfully in a single effort.

Because he had originally cultivated the Solid Foundation Three Element Art, his dantian was already three times larger than that of an ordinary cultivator. On that basis, he then cultivated the Six Paths Sword Art, which was itself three times that of an ordinary cultivator. Three multiplied by three meant that the purple mansion’s capacity was eighteen times that of a normal cultivator.

Fortunately, Gep Gan had grasped the secrets of forging the heaven foundation and sensed the void as he built the purple mansion, vast and immense, so he succeeded by sheer luck. If it had been anyone ordinary, there would have been no need even to think about it.

The purple mansion was now complete, the first step of foundation formation accomplished. Next came refining qi into liquid.

Gep Gan did not dare delay. He immediately swallowed a foundation-forming pill and began the second step: refining qi into liquid.