"Why call the police?"
"I don't recognize this Magic Array, but it looks like it's Tier Three. The average person can't afford something like this."
Master Wu narrowed his eyes, sizing up Chen Che.
'Good heavens.'
'Someone who can inscribe this kind of Array in their home has to be a Golden Core Great Power at the very least. Did this harmless-looking student in front of me really sneak into a Golden Core Cultivator's house without a sound? Or did he secretly slip into some restricted area of the Immortal Sect?'
'This is outrageous!'
Chen Che also realized what was happening and quickly said:
"You're being too paranoid. If I'd really done something illegal, how would I dare to show up here so brazenly? The Law Enforcement Department isn't just for show!"
"That's true."
Master Wu reconsidered and couldn't help but nod.
After all, the Violent Breaking Array Method he taught could instantly destroy an Array Disc. With such a huge commotion, how could the homeowner not have noticed? They probably would have already called the police.
Besides, several days had already passed. Given the speed of the Xianmen Law Enforcement Department, they would have probably already come to his door for questioning.
Despite thinking this, he still took out a 'liability waiver'.
Only after having Chen Che sign it did he say:
"The runes in the photo are quite complex. I only recognize a part of a Spirit Gathering Array. As for the rest, I can't make it out right now. Send me the photo. I'll look through some books later, and if I find anything, I'll tell you tomorrow..."
"Okay!"
After sending the photo to him and agreeing to come back tomorrow, Chen Che left.
The moment Chen Che stepped out of the locksmith shop, Master Wu immediately turned on his computer and started searching for recent news about burglaries in the city, then began looking through them one by one.
...
Chen Che wasn't too bothered by Master Wu's vigilance.
The man's profession was relatively unique, so it was normal for him to be a bit sensitive.
Besides, it wasn't like there were no criminals in the Immortal Sect. After all, it takes all kinds to make a world. Coupled with the fact that they possessed a certain amount of power, there were bound to be people who did illegal things. There were plenty of examples.
On the way back, Chen Che stopped by a pawn shop and pawned four taels of Spiritual Sand.
He had originally thought the pawn shop would inquire about the origin of the Spiritual Sand, but the broker paid him directly without even asking. This came as a surprise to Chen Che, who had prepared several excuses. But on second thought, he realized it was normal:
'That's right. In a way, pawn shops are a gray-area industry. If they investigated the origin of every single item, they probably wouldn't be able to do any business at all.'
'But a 10% fee is a bit steep...'
Four taels of Spiritual Sand only fetched him 36,000 yuan.
Still, even after paying Master Wu tomorrow, he would have a good amount left over. As for the remaining twenty taels, he planned to keep them for emergencies.
When he arrived back in Yunzhou, the sun was already high in the sky before he left his house.
However, he was already known as a bit of a loafer here, and with his uncle's family on the rise, he had become a completely marginal figure. What's more, the Spirit Valley harvest was already finished, so no one would find it strange even if he disappeared for two or three days.
Perhaps the only one who paid him any mind was his aunt, Mrs. Fang of the Chen Clan.
And that was only because she was always eyeing his few acres of fields.
"So this is actually a Tier Three Array. I wonder what's down there?"
With his hands behind his back, Chen Che studied the small well in the main hall.
The surrounding runes were golden and shaped like swimming fish. Spiritual Qi rose like a gentle mist. Gazing down, the small well seemed bottomless.
"If only I had an Upper Spirit Root..."
Chen Che couldn't help but sigh.
With this Cave Mansion as his foundation, he couldn't say for sure if he could reach Foundation Establishment before the college entrance exams, but reaching the Qi Refining Ninth Layer was practically a sure thing. After all, even on Earth Element Star where everyone practiced Cultivation, not everyone could achieve Foundation Establishment.
Unfortunately, a person's Spiritual Root was determined by fate; no one could change it.
'Can't be too greedy.'
He shook his head, reined in his emotions, and prepared to start Alchemy.
Today, Ding Dawei had taught them about the Bone Marrow Supplement Pill.
This Pill was Tier One Middle Grade.
Its main function was to nourish a Cultivator's body and replenish the energy consumed during Cultivation. It was also jokingly referred to by everyone as a low-spec 'Fasting Pill'.
Although it wasn't the Qi Gathering Pill, he still planned to practice refining it more.
After all, Ding Dawei had specifically emphasized in class:
"The Alchemy Dao college entrance exam has ten major sections: basic, advanced, and final challenge questions. The Bone Marrow Supplement Pill falls under the advanced category. Everyone, please note, the Bone Marrow Supplement Pill hasn't been on the exam for two years. If it's not on it this year, it's 100% going to be on it next year. It's up to you whether you learn it or not..."
He took out the Pill Furnace.
After taking a light breath, he formed a Seal Technique, and Spiritual Fire erupted from the bottom of the furnace.
The Pill Furnace's temperature rose rapidly.
Opening his Storage Pouch, he took out the already ground and prepared Spirit Grasses one by one. He first grabbed a handful of pink powder and sprinkled it above the Pill Furnace. In an instant, the medicinal powder transformed into a cloud of red mist and rose up.
This was to test the temperature.
Previously, when he'd practiced Alchemy, he had encountered issues with the Pill Furnace's temperature being too low, resulting in a low yield of finished Pills.
But in class today, Ding Dawei had taught this method for testing the temperature.
Of course, some students were curious and had asked in class:
"Teacher Ding, with modern technology, even mortals can measure the temperature of the sun. So why don't we Cultivators use these measurement tools during Alchemy? Not only could we precisely control the temperature, but we could also increase the efficiency of Alchemy."
"Why do we still cling to the old ways of Alchemy?"
This sentiment was immediately echoed by many classmates. Even Chen Che believed that, in many situations, it was appropriate to use tools.
However, Ding Dawei had explained:
"The endpoint of science is Immortal Technique. The process of Alchemy is incredibly complex, and much of it cannot be explained by science."
"In some cases, scientific instruments are completely unable to detect what's happening."
Moreover, an over-reliance on tools can lead to the degradation of certain cognitive abilities. It's the same principle as not allowing calculators in a mortal's math exam.
That's why all the major Immortal Sect exams have always strictly prohibited students from using scientific tools.
Of course, once you entered the workforce, it didn't matter. Some Pill production lines even encouraged the use of scientific tools to guarantee the yield, quality, and consistency of the Pills.
Seeing that the temperature was right,
Chen Che finally placed the Spirit Grasses into the Pill Furnace one by one, sat cross-legged in front of it, formed a Seal Technique with his hands, and injected his True Essence into it.
However, Alchemy only looked easy; in reality, it was more tiring than Cultivation.
Because when you got tired from Cultivation, you could rest at any time.
But you couldn't do that with Alchemy. You had to continuously inject True Essence into the Pill Furnace. Once you started, you couldn't stop until the Pill was successfully refined.
Furthermore, it wasn't just a simple injection of True Essence; you also had to repeatedly use your True Essence to smelt the medicinal ingredients together into one.
Therefore, within the Immortal Sects, every renowned Alchemy Master was also a person of profound Cultivation.
Before long,
a batch of Pills was finished refining.
He took them out and looked: three finished Pills of average quality. Chen Che studied them for a moment but didn't dare to eat them.
While he still had time,
he quickly refined several more batches of Pills until his True Essence was completely depleted. The final batch was even a complete failure halfway through the refining process because he ran out of True Essence.
However, he had now completely mastered the refining method for the Bone Marrow Supplement Pill. The next step was to constantly make adjustments, familiarize himself with each step, and master more techniques.
He put away the refined Pills. After his True Essence recovered, he was about to continue expanding his meridians as usual.
"Huh?"
But in the very next moment, his eyes snapped open.
He discovered that his True Essence was much more abundant than before.