An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

The alchemy room was not the cramped, damp place Luo Chen had feared. Instead, he found himself immensely pleased as he stepped inside.

The space spanned nearly a thousand square meters, nestled deep within the heart of Crescent Moon Valley. It was said to have once served as the primary platform for the Sword Pavilion to process Star Silver ore, where mined ore was accounted for before being transported.

A spring trickled down from the mountain wall, pooling in the southeast corner of the alchemy room.

”The alchemy room’s placement here is ingenious!” Luo Chen praised it aloud before quickly adding, ”However, the layout here needs to be restructured.”

”You are the leader of the Alchemy Hall, so everything will be done according to your ideas,” Sikong Shoujia responded with a cheerful smile.

”We’ll need to divide it into five rooms—two large and three small. One large room will serve as my residence, and the other as a pharmacy for processing medicinal ingredients. The three small ones are straightforward; they will be the actual alchemy rooms. I have a first-tier low-grade alchemy furnace. When will Leader Mi deliver the two alchemy tools he promised?”

Sikong Shoujia patted his storage pouch. ”They are already here, a mid-grade cauldron and a low-grade Purple Cloud Copper Furnace.”

Luo Chen blinked in surprise. A cauldron? What a treasure!

As for the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace, he was already familiar with its quality, both are the products of the Treasure Pavilion.

”I have experience setting up alchemy rooms, but I fear it might not suffice for large-scale alchemy. So...” Luo Chen chuckled and said, ”Could we invite cultivators from Ai Lao Mountain to help design it?”

Ai Lao Mountain was the largest construction company in the Jade Cauldron Domain, renowned for its architects, contractors, and a plethora of spiritual dwelling materials.

Sikong Shoujia hesitated for a moment. ”Is it necessary?”

”Not necessary?” Luo Chen’s expression turned serious as he spoke sternly, ”If the alchemy room is poorly designed, it can lead to poisoning, fires, explosions, and various other dangerous situations.”

”Uh, Little Hall Leader Luo, don’t try to fool me. I’ve had my share of schooling,” Sikong Shoujia replied, still half-skeptical.

Luo Chen sighed. ”You don’t believe me? Then go ask Elder Qin or Li Si and the others. Just recently, I blew up my own alchemy room. It was Li Si and his brothers who helped rebuild my house.”

Sikong Shoujia opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. The thought of the fees charged by the cultivators from Ai Lao Mountain made his face flush red.

”This matter likely requires the Leader Mi’s decision.”

”Ah, it’s actually not as expensive as you might think. We can’t afford Foundation Establishment cultivators, but hiring one or two at the late stages of Qi-Refining would suffice. They may not have extensive experience, but even if they haven’t eaten pork, they’ve seen pigs run. [1] A few tips from them can yield twice the results with half the effort.”

Hearing this, Sikong Shoujia let out a breath of relief. Late stage Qi-Refining cultivators from Ai Lao Mountain wouldn’t cost too many spirit stones.

”Then there’s the matter of materials. The materials for constructing the alchemy room must not be substandard.” Luo Chen’s expression turned solemn, as though he were engaging in a task of utmost divinity.

”Last time, I used the cheapest creek-white stones as fireproof bricks. This time, we must purchase creek jade! The kind that costs one spirit stone per piece. Laying them under the alchemy furnace will significantly enhance the fire-gathering effect.”

One spirit stone per piece of jade! Sikong Shoujia felt his composure slipping once again.

”Ah, perhaps you outsiders don’t understand, but the fire used for alchemy is also highly demanding.”

”This place lacks earth fire, and I don’t have Foundation Establishment true fire, so we can only use ordinary fire for alchemy.

”Even with ordinary fire, there are specific requirements. The flames produced by different firewood vary in temperature. Woods like peach wood and spruce are not suitable. We must purchase large quantities of Green Steel Wood and Sweet Wax Wood.”

Sikong Shoujia was not some inexperienced rogue cultivator from the lower rungs. He had spent decades striving in Dahe Market and was a grand cultivator at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining, standing at the pinnacle of rogue cultivators. Thus, he was fully aware of the value of firewood like Green Steel Wood and Sweet Wax Wood.

They were only sold in bulk, starting at hundreds of spirit stones, and the prices at Spirit Source Pavilion were anything but low.

He swallowed hard and asked, ”With such an investment, are you sure the pills you refine will recoup the costs?”

”Is this considered large?” Luo Chen widened his eyes and asked back with a puzzled tone.

”Not large?” Sikong Shoujia’s eyes were blank with disbelief.

Luo Chen sighed with an air of melancholy. ”I suppose so. You raiding cultivators who only know how to fight and kill wouldn’t understand the elegance of the alchemy art.”

Who only knows how to fight and kill? I’ve even taught disciples! And besides, who are you calling a raiding cultivator? I belong to a faction and would never stoop to such disgraceful acts.

Sikong Shoujia’s face flushed red. Yet, he could not argue against the last point.

Truly, he knew nothing about alchemy! Or rather, ninety-nine percent of rogue cultivators had no understanding of alchemy. What they knew was limited to the effects of certain pills and how many spirit stones were needed to buy them.

As for how they were refined? What primary materials were used? What kind of environment and tools were required? That was even more of a mystery.

”Oh, I almost forgot. Buy a few more Gentle Smoke and Sparse Rain Incense; they are incredibly useful!

”Here, here, don’t ruin this spring water. Who knows? Its quality might enhance the grade of the pills. And over there, build me a library. Alchemy requires continuous learning; stagnation is unacceptable.”

”And also...”

Sikong Shoujia was already in a daze. Gu Caiyi, standing nearby, was equally taken aback.

After a while, seeing Luo Chen still chattering endlessly, listing requests that were not excessive but quite reasonable, Sikong Shoujia finally could not hold back any longer.

”Hall Leader Luo, this matter is significant, and there are many details to consider. I cannot decide immediately. Why don’t you come with me to see the Gang Leader?”

Hehe, why not continue calling me Little Hall Leader Luo?

Luo Chen chuckled inwardly, then showed a look of suspicion. ”Elder Sikong, weren’t you the one in charge of all logistics?”

Sikong Shoujia wiped the sweat from his forehead. ”I’m getting old; my mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be. Just follow me for now!”

Luo Chen shrugged, gave Gu Caiyi a meaningful glance, and followed him out of the Alchemy Hall.

As they walked out, the cultivators of the Poshan Gang they passed along the way all greeted Sikong Shoujia with respect. As for Luo Chen, they didn’t recognize him and assumed he was one of Sikong Shoujia’s juniors.

After they left, Gu Caiyi stood in the vast hall within the mountain and sighed with emotion. ”I didn’t expect Luo Chen to be so knowledgeable about alchemy. He seems even more skilled than Xiangxiang.”

Recalling Luo Chen’s confident demeanor as he spoke eloquently and issued instructions, Gu Caiyi found it all rather unbelievable. That kind of confident bearing was completely unlike the frugal and petty man she usually knew.

”Oh, I can’t just stand around here. I need to find Sister Murong and gather information about the Alchemy Hall’s specifics, especially who will be placed in it.”

This was a task Luo Chen had assigned her, and she had to get it done! The more she understood the internal situation, the better Luo Chen could strategize later—knowing who to command and who to treat with care.

***

Above a small forest, two figures soared through the air.

Sikong Shoujia rode his enchanted artifact with the practiced ease of a ninth-stage Qi-Refining cultivator. Luo Chen, however, relied on his newly gifted Cloud-Stepping Boots. His speed matched Sikong’s effortlessly, leaving the elder quietly astonished.

He kept his composure and laughed as he flew. ”Hall Leader Luo, your Wind-Control is truly at the peak of Perfection!”

Luo Chen waved dismissively. ”All thanks to these boots Leader Mi gifted me. I don’t deserve your praise.”

The old man’s gaze fell on the blue-and-white boots, and he suddenly understood. A high-grade enchanted artifact, inscribed with Wind-Control—no wonder its speed was so remarkable. But if he knew this was only half of Luo Chen’s speed, he wouldn’t remain so composed.

In fact, this was Luo Chen’s first time activating the Cloud-Stepping Boots. The speed was entirely comparable to a ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator flying on an enchanted artifact.

Moreover, this was without him actively using the Wind-Control or the Carefree Wander. If the three were combined, the speed could at least double!

Luo Chen even wondered if this speed already far exceeded that of an ordinary ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator. How much of a gap remained compared to a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

By the time they landed at the Poshan Gang’s main headquarters, Mi Shuhua had already prepared tea in the Radiant Moon Hall. He was all smiles, as if he had recalled something that brought him great joy.

1. 没吃过猪肉也见过猪跑 (mei chi guo zhu rou ye jian guo zhu pao) is a common Chinese saying that implies that even if someone hasn’t personally experienced something, they’ve seen or heard enough to understand it. ☜