An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

A stern shout erupted into the night sky, ”The Dajiang Gang is handling business here. Bystanders, step aside!”

Luo Chen froze momentarily, then was overwhelmed with joy.

Yes, yes! I’m exactly the idle bystander!

Carrying his snakeskin bag, he hurried toward a dark alley, retreating backward as he fled.

His gaze remained fixed on the four individuals, afraid that they might casually launch an attack against him. Under his observation, he realized the four weren’t a group. Clearly, three cultivators were vaguely encircling a man who was closer to his side.

Due to the night and the fact that their backs were turned, Luo Chen couldn’t discern their expressions.

However, when the man spoke, Luo Chen could roughly guess his expression, for he was familiar with the person being surrounded.

Wang Yuan!

”Li Zixiong, do you know what I do, are you sure you want to stop me?”

”Stop you? Kill you! You, Wang Yuan, are just a scoundrel who handles dirty work for the Poshan Gang. Do you think anyone’s truly scared of you?”

”Kill me? With just you and these two stage five cultivators?”

”Enough, attack!”

A thunderous shout signaled the start of the battle.

Meanwhile, a certain bystander had retreated into the dark alley.

Luo Chen’s heart raced, his face slightly flushed; anyone who didn’t know might think he was fighting.

In truth, it was rare for him to witness a cultivator skirmish, and he was overly tense.

He had heard of the Dajiang Gang and Poshan Gang.

The Dahe Market was established by the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, and its main administrators were their powerful members.

Within the market, businesses aside from those owned by the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect were run by the other five great sects of the The Far East Six Domains.

However, a large market with tens of thousands of rogue cultivators was bound to have a highly complex structure.

Especially near the Great Million Mountains in the Eastern Wilderness, where there were abundant resources that many coveted. There were so much resources there that even the scraps from that place could provide rogue cultivators with a comfortable living.

Thus, over the years, three formidable forces had emerged in the Dahe Market.

Aside from the foreign Lianyun Trade Alliance, there was the Poshan Gang.

The Poshan Gang thrived off the mountain, most rogue cultivators hunting there would join them. They banded together to hunt demons and, when encountering lone rogue cultivators, were fine with killing them for their treasures.

Then there was the Dajiang Gang, who lived off the Lancang River. The benefits brought by that river, in some ways, made the Dajiang Gang as powerful as the Poshan Gang.

On the surface, the two seemed to keep out of each other’s way.

Yet, where there were people, there was conflict. Friction and skirmishes were not uncommon.

And this time, Luo Chen witnessed it firsthand.

Of course, from the daytime conflict and Wang Yuan’s earlier conversation, Luo Chen had pieced together some truths.

This fight, while partially sparked by the longstanding discord between the two gangs, had more to do with the enchanted artifacts Wang Yuan had been selling.

As expected, the original owners of those blood-stained artifacts were members of the Dajiang Gang, likely relatives or friends of Li Zixiong.

Huddled in the alley, Luo Chen held his breath, concentrating.

He had the urge to watch the fight outside but, after a brief thought, decisively took another small path home.

Such a fight was beyond his capacity to involve himself in.

Standing by and watching might very well cost him his life.

”Since Brother Wang lent me the book earlier today, it feels a bit ungrateful to be doing this.”

Luo Chen wasn’t someone to forget favors, but with only a stage three cultivation, risking his life to help would likely only cause more trouble.

Thus, slipping away was the best option!

A few minutes later, Luo Chen entered another alleyway.

If he remembered correctly, there was a small grove at the end of this alley, and passing through it would bring him close to home.

Just as he planned to quicken his pace, the sound of rushing wind came from behind him.

Luo Chen turned abruptly and, under the moonlight, saw a figure. He quickly hid at the alley’s corner, concealing himself.

It was one of the two fifth stage Qi-Refining cultivators.

He seemed to be searching for something, flying two to three meters above the ground using Wind-Control, all the while glancing around.

The night wind blowing into the alley carried a faint scent of blood.

This person is injured!

His breathing is heavy, and he’s seriously hurt.

Judging by his searching movements, it seems Brother Wang escaped the ambush.

As expected of someone who licks blood off the blade daily, he managed to severely wound his enemies and retreat unscathed in a three-on-one fight.

With his mind racing, Luo Chen only hoped the man would leave quickly.

However, some things rarely go as one wishes.

”You damned bastard, I told you to get lost, but you had to run into my hands!”

Before the words finished, a black shadow darted toward him like lightning under the moonlight

Whoosh!

”Since I can’t kill Wang Yuan, I’ll vent my anger on you!”

The shadow was so fast and abrupt that Luo Chen couldn’t react in time.

He hastily activated the tattered robe’s protective shield and drew his sword, barely managing to pull out his low-grade enchanted sword in time.

Clang!

Rip!

The sword shattered, the shield broke, and the shadow pierced his body in an instant!

Chen Xiao withdrew his Wind-Control and landed on the ground, staggering slightly.

There was a large wound on his shoulder, so severe that even the stench of blood couldn’t be masked.

Upon arriving here, he realized he wasn’t fit to continue pursuing Wang Yuan.

Conveniently, there was a third stage cultivator hiding nearby, and in his injured state, the man posed a potential threat to his safety.

Thus, the ever-ruthless Chen Xiao struck instantly, giving the other party no time to react.

And the result? Just as he expected.

”Even Wang Yuan couldn’t defend against my Soul-Breaking Nail. You, as a mere third stage cultivator, should feel honored to be killed by it.”

After finishing his words, he couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of blood. Spat!

This place is unsuitable for lingering. I need to collect the spoils and leave quickly!

Just as this thought crossed Chrn Xiao’s mind, a flash of fire entered his vision. He’s not dead?

Bang!

Chen Xiao reacted swiftly, immediately activating the shield on his robe.

However, as the fire burst open, another massive fireball came crashing down.

It wasn’t just one fireball. As the first one exploded, a continuous stream of fireballs followed, driving him to the brink of despair.

”How is this possible!”

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The continuous barrage of fireballs was too fast, leaving Chen Xiao with no chance to catch his breath.

Without any pause, twenty consecutive fireballs blasted out like a string of cannonballs.

Chen Xiao, a fifth stage cultivator, wore only a mid-grade tier-one robe. Its defensive properties were decent, but it had already been slashed open earlier during Wang Yuan’s escape.

Now, in his rushed state, it couldn’t even withstand the third fireball before collapsing entirely.

By the end, the fireballs were no longer hitting a person but a charred corpse.

Luo Chen leaned against the wall, his face pale as a sheet and his body trembling uncontrollably.

A man may have no intention of harming a tiger, but the tiger might still want to kill the man.

He had no intention of starting any conflict, yet other party wanted his life!

Had it not been for the other party’s depleted enchanting power and poor condition, along with his constant vigilance and quick use of the enchanted sword and robe to block the initial shadow attack, he would have been dead by now.

Gritting his teeth, Luo Chen forced himself to stand. ”You deserve to die! You really deserve to die!”

There was a deep hole as thick as a finger on his abdomen and he could feel something like a nail inside his body, causing him unbearable pain.

Enduring the pain, Luo Chen walked up to the pile of charred remains.

The guy was completely burned, and his mid-grade robe was utterly tattered, devoid of its earlier luster.

As Luo Chen poked around with his broken sword, his eyes lit up. ”At least something was left behind.”

A pitch-black storage pouch was hidden beneath the tattered robe.

Just as he picked up the storage pouch and before he could celebrate, the sound of something tearing through the air came from the rooftop.

Looking up, he saw under the moonlight a burly man holding a large blade, carrying two heads, descending like an eagle.