An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

For some reason, Luo Chen felt that Wang Yuan was even colder than before. Wang Yuan still didn’t say much, but occasionally, a single remark from him felt so chilling.

Luo Chen naturally had no idea about Wang Yuan’s recent illustrious achievements, nor that he had earned the title of Mad Blade.

Murdering and stealing treasures had nothing to do with him. Even if it did, it would only be out of necessity. He, Luo Chen, was devoted to pursuing the Dao!

After rifling through a pile of books, Luo Chen finally found his target.

”Brother Wang, can I be counted as your little brother?”

”Hmm, barely.”

”Then, as your little brother, do I get any benefits, like…”

”This book won’t do. It was consigned to me for sale by a ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator from the Poshan Gang. If you want to read it, you’ll have to buy it.”

The book in Luo Chen’s hand was none other than the long-unsold Five Essential Spells for Qi-Refining that Wang Yuan had been displaying at his stall.

But Luo Chen clearly remembered that Wang Yuan had once said he stole this book, didn’t he?

So much for rogue cultivators not lying to each other!

Muttering curses, Luo Chen reluctantly pulled out two hundred low-grade spirit stones and carefully stowed the book in his storage pouch.

Wang Yuan glanced at him and suddenly chuckled.

”That guy Chen Xiao was truly unlucky. After half a year of painstaking effort, all he did was prepare a wedding dress for you.”

What do you mean, a wedding dress for me? I’m a guy, you know.

”The poor guy I killed before was named Chen Xiao?”

”Yeah. He discovered an elder’s hidden cave, spent half a year breaking through its formation, and reaped a bountiful harvest. But all of it ended up yours.”

Luo Chen touched his storage pouch and suddenly understood.

No wonder a mere fifth-stage rogue cultivator had a storage pouch and a high-grade enchanted artifact like the Soul-Breaking Nail—he must have stumbled upon some fortuitous encounter!

”They and their brothers had quite a haul, which gave them the guts to ambush me. Too bad they didn’t know how to use their treasures.”

”What do you mean by that?”

”For example, this Soul-Breaking Nail. It easily broke through my defense but only managed to lightly wound me. It was less threatening than one of his thunderbolts.”

Perhaps Wang Yuan was in the mood to mentor Luo Chen, as he casually elaborated, ”If he had coated the Soul-Breaking Nail with poison, I would’ve been in real danger back then.”

Luo Chen froze for a moment, then gave a thumbs-up. ”You’re really cunning, Brother!

Noticing Wang Yuan’s displeased expression, Luo Chen immediately corrected himself, ”Oh no, I mean you’re incredibly battle-savvy, Brother!”

Wang Yuan shook his head. ”Whether it’s cultivators or mortal martial artists, the logic of battle is the same: it’s about killing your opponent. Too many rogue cultivators in Dahe Market are too rigid, just trading blows with enchanted artifacts in a formulaic way.

”Of course, it’s also possible he couldn’t get his hands on poison effective against cultivators.”

Luo Chen nodded emphatically.

Cultivators, by breathing in spiritual energy, gradually enhance their physiques, even if they don’t intentionally practice body refinement.

Otherwise, high-tier cultivators who recklessly channel vast amounts of spirit energy wouldn’t be able to withstand the strain on their bodies.

A jade bottle was handed to Luo Chen.

”This is Chaos Spirit Powder I acquired. Apply it to the Soul-Breaking Nail, and once it touches the enemy’s flesh, their spirit energy will become disordered and unusable.”

So this is the benefit of being a little brother?

Luo Chen eagerly accepted it, planning to apply for it as soon as he got back. He too wanted to become someone seasoned in combat!

”Remember, Chaos Spirit Powder only lasts a short while, and those with sufficient spirit energy can suppress its effects easily. So once you fire the Soul-Breaking Nail, be prepared to end the fight as soon as possible,” Wang Yuan cautioned solemnly.

Wang Yuan’s warning carried weight. He still had a few bottles left for himself, but there was no need to tell Luo Chen that. He wasn’t one to talk much by nature, and today he had already said a lot.

Seeing this, Luo Chen left behind a bag of snacks and tactfully left.

Before leaving the market, he glanced back and noticed that Wang Yuan seemed to be practicing cultivation. ”Using his time at the stall to harness the first-tier spirit vein in the inner city?”

This realization gave Luo Chen a brief moment of excitement.

However, he quickly dismissed any thought of imitation.The marketplace was bustling and noisy, far from a conducive environment for quiet cultivation. If someone disturbed him recklessly, he could easily go astray in his cultivation.

Wang Yuan likely had some means of assurance to dare such a thing. If he tried to emulate it, it could be a death-seeking experience.

”So you really are an alchemist!”

In the afternoon, after freshening up, Caiyi wandered over to the backroom.

She saw Luo Chen grinding an unfamiliar mineral with a pestle.

The spacious house was filled with various herbs.

The mingled scents were slightly unpleasant at first. But Luo Chen seemed to enjoy it and was long accustomed to the smells.

Seeing Caiyi leaning against the doorway, Luo Chen grinned and poured the golden powder from the mortar into a wooden bucket.

The bucket already contained another herb steeping, and as the golden powder was added, a strange reaction occurred instantly.

Bubbles rose continuously, making a gurgling sound.

After washing his hands, Luo Chen walked to the doorway and stretched lazily.

”Want some hawthorn? I got it as a bonus from the herb vendor today. No spirit energy, just sweet and sour.”

Caiyi took a handful of hawthorn from Luo Chen, but her gaze lingered on his storage pouch.

”You alchemists are really well-off, having storage pouches by the mid-stage of Qi-Refining.”

Her tone was filled with envy.

Envy? Woman. I earned this with my life!

Naturally, Luo Chen didn’t flaunt his wealth. Instead, he steered the conversation toward asking about the neighbors.

When moving to a new place, it was better to get to know the people around. Otherwise, conflicts could arise, disrupting his work.

However, as he listened, his expression stiffened.

”There’s the main house, the east and west wing rooms, two smaller side rooms, and your large backroom. Altogether, six households lived here.

”The east wing houses Fu Xiuxiu, at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining. She works at the Divine Talisman Pavilion and has already been promoted to a manager.

”The west wing houses the Qin family of three. Qin Liangchen and his wife are both at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining. You won’t see them around since they’re escorting their son to the Luoyun Sect for entry trials.

”The two side rooms are occupied by Bai Meiling and Feng Xia, both female cultivators at the seventh stage of Qi-Refining. They work at the Hall of Hundred Herbs.”

After hearing the rundown, Luo Chen couldn’t help but be shocked.

What a gathering of hidden talents!

Such a small courtyard housed three cultivators at the ninth stage of Qi Refining and two at the seventh. And then there was Luo Chen, stuck at the fourth stage.

Poor me—I could use a hug, thought Luo Chen.

Caiyi, of course, didn’t hug him. Instead, she straightened her posture, laughed, and said, ”As for me, I’m Gu Caiyi, at the eighth stage of Qi Refining. I work as a dancer at Tianxiang Tower.”

”How’s the pay?”

”Not bad. Didn’t you notice I live in the main house?”

Luo Chen sighed and shook his head.

He had thought reaching the mid-stage of Qi Refining made him a notable cultivator—only to find himself thoroughly outclassed.

That said, while he was surprised, he wasn’t entirely shocked.

Among the tens of thousands of rogue cultivators in Dahe Market, there were hundreds at the late stage of Qi Refining. They were a rare sight in the outer city but commonplace in the inner city.

”The world has yin and yang, and so does spirit energy. Here in the north of the city, a ghost king is sealed, and over time, the energy has become predominantly yin. Men are yang, women are yin—so naturally, most tenants here are female cultivators!”

Luo Chen suddenly understood but then asked worriedly, ”Would staying here for too long affect my cultivation?”

”It shouldn’t… right?” The tall Caiyi crossed her arms, looking unsure. ”We female cultivators gain benefits in yin-heavy places, but for male cultivators, at worst, you just don’t get any extra advantages.”

The conversation eventually shifted to the pills Luo Chen refined. With curiosity and a hint of expectation, Caiyi asked, ”What kind of pills do you refine?”

”Fasting pills.”

”Yes, fasting pills!”

That evening, on her way to work, Caiyi was still mulling over their earlier conversation.

At Tianxiang Tower, most of the girls had woken up and were preparing to eat something to fill their stomachs. The spirit food provided once a day was a real treat, and Gu Caiyi would never miss it.

As she ate the delicious food infused with spirit energy, Gu Caiyi spotted Yu Xiang, who was taking small bites of her food.

”Xiangxiang, you know about alchemy. Let me ask you something.”

”Hmm?”

”Do mid-stage Qi-Refining cultivators make a lot of money refining fasting pills?”

Yu Xiang blinked, then pressed her lips together and smiled.