Collecting Rent From All Realms, Even Empresses Must Pay Tribute
Ch. 74 - Refining the Foundation Establishment Pill

Just as Ye Chuan was about to enter the bathroom and unleash his singing prowess, his phone vibrated.

He picked it up and saw that it was a message from Luo Xi—

Luo Xi: ChuanChuan, what are you doing?

Seeing the message, Ye Chuan initiated a video call. 

A few seconds later, the call connected, and Luo Xi's face appeared on the screen. 

She was still wearing her school uniform, having just parted ways with Ye Chuan, but her ponytail was undone, her long hair flowing freely.

She blinked her beautiful eyes curiously, but didn't see Ye Chuan on the other end. She noticed that the video seemed to be showing a bathroom. "Chuan Chuan, are you… taking a shower?"

"Yeah," Ye Chuan replied, his voice echoing in the bathroom. "Beautiful Luo Xi, want to join me?"

Luo Xi's face flushed crimson. "That's weird, how can we shower together?"

"I was just asking," Ye Chuan said. He hadn't been serious.

"Okay, but don't make any noise," Luo Xi whispered.

Ye Chuan, who was still lathering his hair, paused, hearing a conversation from the other end of the phone—

"XiXi, are you going to take a shower?"

"Yeah, I want to shower early."

The screen was still black, shaking a few times before the sound of a bathroom door locking echoed.

Then, the screen lit up again, and Ye Chuan knew that Luo Xi was in the bathroom. Only her face was visible, and she made a "shh" gesture.

Seeing Luo Xi actually enter the bathroom, Ye Chuan was amused by her boldness, but from this angle, he couldn't see anything. 

He chuckled. "I can't see anything. Why don't you move the camera up a bit?"

"No way," Luo Xi snorted.

"Fine," Ye Chuan sighed. "Can't even look, not sharing the good stuff with your bro."

"Pervert!"

The screen shook again, and this time, Ye Chuan could see… the upper hemisphere.

"Is this okay?" Luo Xi's face was flushed.

"So-so."

"Then no more." The video call ended abruptly.

Ye Chuan touched his nose, amused. Why was she so easily embarrassed? She hadn't been like this before they started dating.

But her shyness was quite cute.

At least Ye Chuan liked it.

He put his phone aside, turned on the music, and started showering.

…

After his karaoke session in the shower, Ye Chuan returned to his room and found that Lan XiaoKe had tidied up the place. 

The floor was so clean it was almost shining, the quilt neatly folded, and the trash taken out.

Lan Xiaoke was holding a broom, a smug look on her face.

It had to be said that the maid outfit suited her.

"Quite clean, good job," Ye Chuan said, looking around. Seeing that Lan XiaoKe had indeed done a good job, he took out his phone. 

"Here, I'll transfer you three hundred."

"Woohoo!" Lan Xiaoke happily spun in mid-air. She had only expected a hundred yuan.

"I'm going back to my room, knock on the wall if you need anything!" Lan XiaoKe said and was about to phase through the wall, but she forgot that she couldn't take the broom with her, and Ye Chuan's bed was against the wall.

With a thud, the broom fell onto Ye Chuan's bed as she phased through the wall.

Ye Chuan stared at the broom on his bed: "..."

Lan XiaoKe's head popped out of the wall. Seeing the broom on the bed, she made an "OvO" face. "That… the broom is a bit slippery."

"One hundred yuan deduction," Ye Chuan deadpanned.

"How can you be so mean?! Waaah!"

…

After Lan XiaoKe cleaned up the bed again, Ye Chuan didn't actually deduct any money. After all, it was money she had earned for him. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he extended his hand, and his hair quickly steamed.

A few seconds later, his wet hair was completely dry.

"Spiritual energy is so convenient," Ye Chuan thought. 

Chaotic spiritual energy could be used for anything. He had just heated his hair, and it dried instantly.

After drying his hair, Ye Chuan opened the Pill Refining interface on his phone.

"280,000 for ingredients, that's highway robbery." Ye Chuan shook his head, looking at the price, but still chose to purchase the materials.

[40% chance of successfully refining a Heaven-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill, 60% chance of failure, 0% chance of furnace explosion (Success rate is affected by pill quality, furnace quality, alchemy level, etc.)]

Seriously?!

Forty percent?

He was spending 280,000 yuan for a 40% chance of refining a Heaven-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill?

Ye Chuan felt his vision darken, once again considering the Human-Grade Foundation Establishment.

But he also knew that a stronger foundation meant a stronger future.

He had to go for the Heaven-Grade.

But spending 280,000 for a 40% chance was a bit risky. He didn't have much money left and couldn't afford many attempts.

Ye Chuan decided to upgrade his pill furnace.

Upgrading the furnace would increase the success rate, and he might need to refine other breakthrough pills in the future. He preferred tangible improvements to throwing his money away.

[Upgrade Pill Furnace quality? Cost: 100,000]

[Pill Furnace quality upgraded successfully!]

[Pill Furnace: Xuanmiao Furnace (High-Mid Grade)]

[60% chance of successfully refining a Heaven-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill, 40% chance of failure, 0% chance of furnace explosion (Success rate is affected by pill quality, furnace quality, alchemy level, etc.)]

Sixty percent?

Spending one hundred thousand to upgrade the furnace had increased the probability by twenty percent.

More than half now.

Ye Chuan gritted his teeth. "Spend!"

The 280,000 vanished, and Ye Chuan immediately closed his eyes.

"Come on, I think it'll work, it'll work and be amazing," Ye Chuan muttered, then opened his eyes—

[Pill refining in progress. Time remaining: 239 hours 59 minutes]

[Spend 10,000 to accelerate?]

Ye Chuan: "..."

Are you fucking kidding me…

Ye Chuan cursed inwardly, seeing that he had to wait ten days. After a moment's thought, he clicked "Accelerate."

He had already spent so much, might as well go all in!

[Congratulations! You have obtained a Heaven-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill. Added to backpack.]

Success!

"Hahahaha, I actually did it! I succeeded!" Ye Chuan hadn't expected to succeed on his first try. 

Seeing the Heaven-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill in his backpack, he grinned from ear to ear.