Immortality begins with Becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster

The Ninth Ring is no longer suitable for me.

This is the conclusion Luo Chen made after a whole year of cultivation.

In a year’s time, by constantly adjusting the opening and closing of acupoints and guiding varying levels of chaotic energy into his body, he has gradually explored his limits and perfected the balance between energy introduction and absorption refining.

Unfortunately, the chaotic energy concentration in the Ninth Ring has not reached Luo Chen’s necessary limit!

Indeed, for the ordinary martial artist, the Ninth Ring seems extremely dangerous. Yet for Luo Chen, who is now familiar with the environment, it no longer satisfies his cultivation speed at peak state.

A cultivation session often involves opening seven hundred and twenty acupoints and can sustain for at most three days.

After three days, his body can endure, but the nearby energy becomes exceedingly thin, almost nonexistent.

Luo Chen either has to stop and wait for the chaotic energy around to gather again or he has to open only a third of his acupoints, which allows for continuous cultivation.

Yet the latter can only maintain a third of the cultivation speed.

This is unacceptable to Luo Chen.

Thus, he must switch his cultivation environment.

According to the book gifted by Gu Xun and Xiang Fei’s words, the closer one is to the tower’s center, the more concentrated the chaotic energy.

Luo Chen made his way forward, approaching the central area.

Occasionally, he would encounter some martial artists engrossed in their cultivation.

There were many, each sitting on cultivation stones of various sizes.

Luo Chen did not disturb them, choosing to actively avoid them at a safe distance.

As he was nearing the center of the Ninth Ring, his steps paused slightly.

Because the owner of the nearby cultivation stone was someone he knew.

Fang Zhibai showed a moment of surprise upon seeing Luo Chen.

”Brother Luo, I heard you were cultivating at the east periphery. How come you’ve come here?”

Luo Chen admitted, ”I’m planning to change locations.”

Fang Zhibai instinctively asked, ”Is it the central platform?”

After speaking, he worried that Luo Chen might not be aware of the dangers involved, so he specifically added a reminder.

”The central platform is not only a passage to the next ring, but also an energy channel where chaotic energy pours from the upper ring down to the lower one. The chaotic energy there is more violent and not suitable for our cultivation, martial arts human immortals included!”

”Thank you for the reminder, I know about that.” Luo Chen smiled and then said, ”I’ll take a look first. If it’s not feasible, I’ll go to the Eighth Ring.”

Fang Zhibai was taken aback.

In disbelief, he asked, ”It’s been only a year, and you’re not satisfied with the Ninth Ring’s cultivation environment?”

Luo Chen said helplessly, ”I’m a little different from you all.”

Alright, Fang Zhibai acknowledged that people are indeed different.

Just like him, while others were gradually adapting in the Ninth Ring periphery, thanks to guidance from his elders, he had already come to cultivate near the central platform early on.

In ordinary times, he took pride in this.

But compared to Luo Chen’s progress, that pride was shattered to nothing.

In silence, he recalled his initial judgment in issuing the Wuyou Golden Order to Luo Chen.

At that time, he favored Luo Chen because of his strong physical body, allowing him to easily defeat the Iron Butcher at the late stage of the Furnace Realm.

That level of physical body in the Annihilation Nine Rings indeed had a natural advantage in enduring impacts from chaotic energy.

He found a reason for their differences between himself and Luo Chen.

Seeing Luo Chen about to leave, Fang Zhibai suddenly reminded him, ”There’s one thing you need to note. The cultivation stones that are common in the Lower Three Rings are quite limited in the Middle Three Rings. If you’re not confident, it’d be better to avoid forcefully entering the Middle Three Rings.”

Luo Chen gave him a surprised look.

This detail was truly unknown to him.

Neither Gu Xun nor Xiang Fei mentioned it.

Perhaps the former didn’t care, and the latter didn’t know, but Fang Zhibai brought it up, indeed providing a bit of help to him.

Moreover, it was most important that Fang Zhibai’s words revealed his high opinion of him, already considering him for the Middle Three Rings.

”Thank you, Brother Fang, for the pointers!”

Luo Chen cupped his hands and then floated away.

Watching Luo Chen’s distant back, Fang Zhibai sighed emotionally.

Someone like Luo Chen, as long as he adapts to the environment, the Annihilation Nine Rings is as natural as a fish in water, a dragon in the sea for him!

...

The location of the central platform.

Luo Chen silently observed.

Like a towering tornado, turbulent chaotic energy poured down from above, flooding the Ninth Ring.

In such an environment, martial artists simply cannot cultivate normally.

Tightly closed acupoints would be forcibly opened by external pressure.

Luo Chen stood still for a long time, finally deciding to step into a higher level.

Because of the Primordial Chaos Tripod, even if he can temporarily endure, it is still too dangerous.

He needs to have all dangers under his control.

With a step forward, Luo Chen entered the central platform.

In an instant, immense pressure descended.

Luo Chen closed his acupoints tightly, his physical body tense, as he moved against the pouring energy upward.

This process of moving against the current wasn’t long, about half a joss stick’s worth of time.

For an ordinary martial artist, it might take longer, but Luo Chen didn’t find it difficult.

Upon entering the Eighth Ring, Luo Chen didn’t even search for a cultivation stone. He immediately opened some acupoints and quietly observed the concentration of the incoming chaotic energy.

”Compared to the Ninth Ring, the concentration has increased.”

”But still, it’s not enough!”

”Rather than spending long to adapt here, only to soon need to change the cultivation environment again, it’s better to directly enter the Seventh Ring.”

After making the decision, Luo Chen didn’t linger, continuing to move forward.