Immortality begins with Becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster

After confirming this thought, Lie Ying Venerable’s expression grew even uglier.

Within the Sky Phoenix Clan, the Yan Emperor was one of the rare Late-stage Integration powerhouses, only a single step away from the Mahayana Period.

If it were just an ordinary enemy, there would be no need to send him out at all.

In other words, there was a real possibility that an Integration Great Venerable had bullied the weak, wiping out his clansmen in an instant.

The Yan Emperor drained the wine in his cup, slowly stood up, and turned his gaze toward the west.

”On the Youxuan Continent, with the Human Clan at the head, this matter should be investigated starting from the Human Clan’s side.”

”Fittingly, back then the Qi Xia incident, although on the surface was done by remnants of the Demon Race, according to what Qi Xia said after her return, it also could not be separated from the Human Clan’s forces.”

”On this trip, I shall get to the bottom of it all at once!”

...

West of the Sunset Plain.

As he left the wilderness behind, human habitation gradually appeared nearby.

Mountain villages, Mortal Dynasties, Cultivation Marketplaces, Sect Immortal Cities...

Luo Chen traveled along the way, Divine Perception spread out, taking in everything in sight.

A long-lost feeling of ease finally welled up in his heart.

To be able to release his Divine Perception so wantonly—how could that not make one feel joy?

The pity was that his Primordial Spirit had collapsed, his Purple Mansion withered; even with powerful Divine Perception, he was nothing more than duckweed without roots.

This left a persistent sense of unease lingering in his heart.

Suddenly, within his Divine Perception came a mixed and dense surge of Spirit Qi.

Luo Chen lowered his head to look and saw a grand Immortal City seated upon the earth.

”Taisu Immortal City?”

Luo Chen’s eyes rolled slightly as he made up his mind, put away his Speed, and descended.

Outside the moat, Luo Chen stopped and stood.

Glints of light like threads moved to and fro all around.

One Immortal Cultivator after another, looking like they had immortal airs and Daoist bones, gathered from all directions and then entered the Immortal City named Taisu.

Above in the sky, many Magic Boats circled.

Such a scene was so familiar!

It actually gave Luo Chen a feeling of having returned to the East Desolate Immortal World.

This feeling grew even stronger when he paid Spirit Stones to enter the city.

”Does the Mystic Realm have this same custom too?”

Just as this thought surfaced, Luo Chen couldn’t help but smile.

If his judgment back then was correct, the Five Great Sacred Lands of the Mountain Sea Realm originated from the Mystic Realm; even if the various rules and systems had been adapted to local conditions, overall they were still about the same.

Familiarity was only natural.

Luo Chen strolled along the wide main street, spreading his Divine Perception to continue observing the surroundings.

The Realms of the Immortal Cultivators coming and going were generally not low.

Most were in the Golden Core Period, and Nascent Soul True Masters were far from rare.

By contrast, the Foundation Establishment Realm was rather uncommon; Qi Refinement Cultivators were even fewer—hardly one to be seen in half a day.

Well, that figured!

Just the single Ascendant Grade Spirit Stone required for entering the city was enough to filter out most Qi Refinement Cultivators.

From this alone, Luo Chen could roughly guess the Mystic Realm’s—no, more precisely, the Taisu Immortal City region’s—Immortal Cultivation economic situation.

The bottom-tier Immortal Cultivators were still as poor as ever!

Another matter Luo Chen was concerned about also took on a rough shape under his careful sensing.

”Within the Immortal City, the Spirit Qi concentration is decent, overall at the Second Order Spirit Vein level.”

”The cluster of buildings in the central core of the city is radiating a Spirit Qi concentration that only a Third Order Spirit Vein would have.”

”A Fourth Order Spirit Vein... there is one place, but while the concentration is there, the purity is indeed lacking. Clear but not superior, internally mixed and impure. Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators can stay there, but long-term cultivation would be quite improper.”

All of these conditions could be observed through Divine Perception.

But more detailed information about this place would still take some effort.

Luo Chen swept his Divine Perception and quickly found a target.

He headed straight toward the city gate. A young man in an earthy-yellow Magic Robe was squatting on the ground, a blade of grass in his mouth, looking around at the passing crowd in utter boredom.

When Luo Chen’s figure appeared in front of him, he couldn’t help the look of expectation that came over his face, and hurriedly stood to greet him.

...

”You’re saying that Immortal Cities like Taisu City are countless on the Youxuan Continent?”

”Right! After all, the Youxuan Continent has abundant Spirit Qi and rich resources; all the Great Sects need bases to gather resources, and Immortal Cities are the product of that system of rules. However, the founding of an Immortal City also has strict standards. Immortal Cities on the scale of Taisu City can only be established by Divinity Transformation Sects and above. Small Sects and minor factions below the Divinity Transformation level can only build smaller Immortal Cities, or at most marketplaces.”

Huang Yuanhua spoke with extreme attentiveness, and the content of his words often expanded severalfold depending on the other party’s questions.

There was naturally a reason he was trying so hard to perform.

Ten Ascendant Grade Spirit Stones were his payment.

Such a price was the largest job he had come across in recent years.

Not to mention Foundation Establishment Cultivators—even Golden Core Ascendant Masters weren’t this generous.

If not for the man in front of him looking even younger than he was and not revealing any Qi Power, with no Realm visible at all, he would have suspected the other party was a Nascent Soul Old Monster.

But which Nascent Soul Old Monster wasn’t broad in learning and rich in experience? How could he possibly be ignorant of the local situation?

Huang Yuanhua suspected that this person was probably a carefully nurtured genius of some Small Sect, who had spent decades buried in the Sect, focused solely on cultivation, and thus ended up both wealthy and clueless.

After listening to the introduction, Luo Chen pondered for a moment and then slowly asked, ”On the Youxuan Continent, are there many Sects at the Divinity Transformation level and above?”

Huang Yuanhua nodded heavily. ”Many, an awful lot. Famous ones and unknown ones together number in the tens of thousands. The reason for this situation isn’t complicated either, because the overlord of this continent, that is, the Youdu Source Court, doesn’t bother much with governance. Other than limiting the number of Holy Sects, they don’t care about the Small Sects and minor factions at all.”

”Youdu Source Court?”

”Yes, that’s the only overlord-level power on the Youxuan Continent, with countless experts inside. Even those Mahayana Period Immortal Cultivators bearing the title of Heavenly Venerable—their number is probably more than two! By comparison, although the Sky Phoenix Demon Clan still clings to life, it merely occupies a corner in peace.”

When he heard that Youdu had a two-digit number of Mahayana Venerables, Luo Chen’s expression became extremely vivid.

Although the Mystic Realm Secret Record mentioned many times that Youdu was a top-tier force of the Mystic Realm, he had only assumed they had one or two Mahayana Venerables, never imagining their foundations to be so deep!

Or rather, he had underestimated the foundations of the Mystic Realm?

Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen set the Youdu Source Court aside for the moment and asked about the rest of the situation.

Huang Yuanhua thought as he spoke, his words flowing quickly.

Beneath the Youdu Source Court were nine Great Sects, which were Holy Lands known as Holy Sects, each with Integration Great Venerables sitting in town!

And beneath the Nine Great Holy Sects were the countless large and small Sects that Huang Yuanhua had mentioned earlier, numbering in the tens of thousands.

The standouts included the Ten Thousand Flowers Sect, Five Elements Divine Sect, Cold River Sect, and so on.

Hearing the name ”Five Elements Divine Sect” once again, an unusual look flashed across Luo Chen’s face.

”The Taisu Immortal City where we are now was founded by the Su Ling Sect. The Su Ling Sect isn’t very strong; I hear its Sect Master only broke through to the Void Refining Stage a few hundred years ago. But because they run the herb business, the Su Ling Sect is very well known. Even in front of Tianyuan Daoist Sect, one of the Nine Great Holy Sects, they can still get a word in.”

Huang Yuanhua spoke this gossip with great relish, even wearing a somewhat proud expression.

Luo Chen had already gradually sorted out the general picture.

On the Youxuan Continent, the Sky Phoenix Clan occupies a corner in peace, while Youdu is the true overlord, called the Youdu Source Court.

But Youdu doesn’t administer things, letting the powers beneath it grow unchecked.

Thus the Nine Great Holy Sects came to be active on the stage.

Moreover, because the Mystic Realm’s Spirit Qi concentration is extremely high, many Rogue Cultivators attain Dao. In order to transmit their Daoist Lineage, they establish Sect Families to pass down their own Cultivation Techniques and philosophies.

The region they were currently in was under the jurisdiction of the Su Ling Sect.

And the nearest of the Nine Great Holy Sects was the Tianyuan Daoist Sect!

”Speaking of which, the Su Ling Sect will be holding a Spiritual Assembly three years from now, which will be a great opportunity for Rogue Cultivators like us.”

”Spiritual Assembly?”

”That’s just selecting disciples!”

Luo Chen was curious. ”What do you mean by that? You all already have skills, and your Realms have some Achievement; as a dignified Void Refining Power, why would they be choosing disciples?”

Huang Yuanhua explained, ”The Su Ling Sect differs from other Sects with strict lineages; they mainly run the herb trade and have a very vast herb-cultivation system within the Sect. As a result, they’re desperately short on manpower and routinely hold large-scale recruitments after a period of time. Rogue Cultivators who have Achievements in the field of herbs are especially given wide convenience. Of course, a clean background is still required.”

As he spoke, Huang Yuanhua revealed a rather self-satisfied smile.

”I, Huang, though not talented, have Mastery of many Spirit Planting Techniques and am highly confident I’ll be chosen!”