The Dreamy Love Tripod is wonderful, but naturally, it also has its drawbacks.
Almost all top-grade magic tools consume an excessive amount of Spirit Power.
And the Ice Royal Tripod is no exception.
Luo Chen doesn’t mind this, though, as the meager amount drained is insignificant compared to his Spirit Power, which is several times more substantial than those of the same rank.
There’s another drawback to the Ice Royal Tripod, and it’s quite fatal.
The massive tripod stands two feet tall, with a rounded body and a diameter of ten feet, a dazzling giant.
However, it lacks the Ruyi Array size control feature shared by many magical objects, meaning that it can’t be shrunk to fit into usual storage tools.
Strictly speaking, this isn’t a drawback.
According to instructions left by Shi Lan, the Ice Royal Tripod was originally designed based on the Sect Stabilizing Pill Tripod, with a towering height of three feet!
That’s a full ten meters tall!
Such a behemoth is typically left in the Pill Hall of the Ice Castle for use by the Golden Core Ascendant Masters.
No consideration was given to portability from the outset.
The Tripod Luo Chen has is a result of a failed casting, slightly smaller in dimension.
Even so, it’s still too large to fit in any of his storage bags.
"It seems the Jueqing Fairy did this to prevent me from fleeing with the Tripod!"
After a chuckle, Luo Chen directed a Spiritual Secret towards the Earth Fire below.
A streak of flame slid out like a snake emerging from its hole.
The fire wasn’t very large, but the intense heat it contained made Luo Chen’s heart skip a beat.
"This heat is comparable to that of the Foundation Establishment True Flame of early Foundation Establishment Stage practitioners."
"No wonder—it’s a Second Order Earth Fire!"
After reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, any cultivator, regardless of the type of their Spirit Root can control a Foundation Establishment True Flame.
Even cultivators without a fire Spirit Root can manipulate it.
Because "Foundation Establishment True Flame" is not so much a flame as it is the potent energy produced by the violent activation of Spirit Liquid formed from the transformation of Spirit Power.
Its nature is explosive and turbulent.
Therefore, it’s likened to "fire".
Usually, Foundation Establishment True Cultivators rarely use Foundation Establishment True Flame.
Only under special circumstances requiring an extreme energy input do they employ it.
For instance, during Pill Refinement or Tool Casting when it’s necessary to dramatically elevate the temperature.
Or when facing intangible Yin Soul Ghostly Matters, requiring a powerful energy to destabilize their Divine Soul and body.
Using True Flame fails to maximize the use of the refined Spirit Liquid.
It’s incredibly wasteful.
Now, with the assistance of the Second Order Earth Fire.
Luo Chen can reduce the frequency of using Foundation Establishment True Flame during Pill Refinement.
Especially for Second Order pills!
During the refinement of the Jade Dew Pill, he had to generate multiple True Flames, which drained a significant amount of Spirit Power.
That’s why he requested the Second Order Earth Fire from the Jueqing Fairy.
She was well-versed and understood his concerns immediately, hence she agreed to his request without any hesitation.
"The Ice Royal Tripod consumes Spirit Power, and the Second Order Earth Fire conserves Spirit Power. A give and take. I’m not at much of a loss, and increasing Pill Refinement efficiency means I can potentially earn more!"
Luo Chen was ecstatic.
He took several herbs from his storage bag and tossed them into the Ice Royal Tripod.
He let the strands of Second Order Earth Fire heat the Tripod.
This wasn’t for Pill Refinement, but for moderating the Tripod temperature!
Just like when humans buy a new cast-iron pot, they have to season it.
Premium Pill Tripods also require a seasoning process.
Clearly, this Ice Royal Tripod was brand new and had never been used before. Luo Chen needed to season it by warming it up gradually.
Taking advantage of this time, Luo Chen started experimenting with the Array formations on the Tripod one by one.
He continued this way until the afternoon when his work was finally done.
By the time he stepped out of the Pill Room, his Immortal Mansion was utterly transformed.
There were no traces left behind by its previous occupant, Ling Yuzhi.
In its place were meticulous arrangements and antique furniture adding a sense of elegance.
Each room was lit up with Moonlight Stones, and in quiet corners, First Order Spirit Springs filled with Spirit Fish emitted faint Spirit Qi.
The drugstore, which was directly connected to the Pill Room, was organized by Bai Meiling with Luo Chen’s commonly used medicinal herbs neatly arranged by categories.
There was a faint scent of sandalwood in the air.
Mi Li had lit some incense in the main hall.
"Chairman." Mi Li greeted him.
Luo Chen nodded at her and looked around his spacious newly refurbished Immortal Mansion, feeling quite moved.
After years of struggling, he finally had a decent home.
Even if it’s just a rented one.
"Alright, everyone stop working and come rest for a while."
Luo Chen beckoned and reclined on the soft couch.
The couch, custom-made for Luo Chen by Sima Huiniang, was filled with feathers of flying creatures and upholstered in real magical beast leather.
Sitting on it was a sheer pleasure.
This seemed somewhat at odds with Luo Chen’s usual austere image as a cultivator.
But Luo Chen had his own views on it!
Shouldn’t one enjoy a bit after years of hard work?
Of course, indulgence for indulgence’s sake was out of the question.
Reclining on the couch, Luo Chen looked at the four people seated opposite him.
"Have you encountered any issues recently during Pill Refinement?"
"Take advantage of my free time today, and I’ll answer your queries."
As if they were ready for this, the four people had a bunch of questions.
Qu Lingjun was the first to ask.
Among the four, his understanding of pill refinement was the strongest. He had already mastered the stable refinement of Medium Grade Jade Marrow Pills.
But the more he learned, the more he recognized his ignorance.
Consequently, his mind was filled with questions.
These were related to the refinement of Jade Marrow Pills, pill techniques, fire control, medicinal herbs...
Luo Chen was able to answer the majority of those questions.
He left a portion of them for later, planning to provide detailed explanations during the actual Pill Refinement process.