An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”What’s wrong, you don’t like the title?”

A Dao title!

Faced with Mi Shuhua’s smiling expression, Luo Chen suddenly understood. This wasn’t some casual nickname like Descending Mountain Tiger or Devouring Heart Tiger—it was a formal Dao title, something cultivators of status and accomplishment bore with pride.

Dao titles were typically claimed by members of great sects, famed rogue cultivators, or practitioners of the demonic path. The last time he had encountered one was in the name of Qing Yuanzi, the author of The Treatise on Green Origin Pills. That cultivator had taken the title ”Qing Yuanzi” to reflect their achievements in alchemy.

And now, somehow, he had one of his own.

Luo Chen blinked and muttered, ”It’s not that I don’t like it, but...”

”You’re wondering why I gave you a Dao title, aren’t you?” Mi Shuhua said, his smile deepening as if he had read Luo Chen’s mind. ”Although your existence isn’t exactly a secret among the local powers in Dahe Market—and most of them follow the rules—some rogue cultivators at this auction might not be as... civilized. If your name and cultivation realm are exposed too early, it could attract unnecessary trouble.”

That explanation did make sense.

Mi Shuhua continued, ”Besides, if we want the Jade Essence pills to sell better, they need to be associated with a reputable alchemist. Dan Chenzi has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

Luo Chen opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.

So it turned out, Mi Shuhua had pulled the exact same trick he had used back when he borrowed the name of Revered Yunhe from the Hehuan Sect to sell Myriad Wonders pills. This time, Mi Shuhua had created the grand-sounding persona of Dan Chenzi to lend prestige to the Jade Essence pill.

Looking toward the auction floor, Luo Chen saw several people whispering about the efficacy of the pills. Upon hearing they were most effective for early- to mid-stage cultivators, many lost interest. However, a few Foundation Establishment families appeared intrigued. Each bought one or two bottles, likely to test them before making larger investments.

Luo Chen realized that Mi Shuhua had deliberately withheld the previously refined Jade Essence pills, choosing to auction them instead. The purpose wasn’t to fetch a high price but to establish a reputation.

Indeed, these Foundation Establishment cultivators are sharp!

He had never considered the situation from this angle before. It wasn’t that Luo Chen lacked intelligence—rather, his cultivation realm was still too low to comprehend the broader strategies and power plays of the higher tiers.

To put a pill with only average efficacy like the Jade Essence pill up for auction... It had seemed unnecessary, almost foolish. But now, Luo Chen realized: Mi Shuhua must have struck some kind of agreement with cultivators from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.

The more he thought about it, the more connections began to emerge with the earlier incident on bidding enchanted treasure.

Mi Shuhua had known about the treasure’s hidden potential. That couldn’t have been a coincidence. It must have come from insider knowledge—perhaps from a Sword Pavilion cultivator directly involved in organizing the event.

The Jade Essence pills are hard to sell?

The claim that might not have been due to market disinterest but rather resistance from larger players—organizations like the Spirit Herb Pavilion and the Medicine King Sect, who already dominated the medicinal pill trade.

But what if the Poshan Gang leveraged the name of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect?

Even if only one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect were involved, that would already be enough to suppress opposition. In that case, the proceeds from the Jade Essence pills likely include a share for one of the Jade Cauldron Sword cultivators present.

The realization struck Luo Chen like a bolt of lightning.

Unknowingly, his humble Jade Essence pills had already entered the sights of Foundation Establishment cultivators. The game had changed. The stakes were higher than he imagined.

He felt a sudden surge of gratitude that he had joined the Poshan Gang early on. At the very least, he still had a measure of autonomy. If he had remained a rogue cultivator, isolated and unsupported, such attention would have crushed him.

While Luo Chen was lost in thought, the third round of the auction came to a close. The fourth round, featuring contributions from sect cultivators, was about to begin. The atmosphere shifted subtly—more intense, more competitive.

Even those seated beside him began to stir. Wang Yuan, usually calm and unshaken, made his move and bid aggressively. He ended up spending two thousand spirit stones to acquire a rare pill reputed to enhance physical cultivation significantly.

Then came another batch of items.

”This round features goods provided by Treasure Pavilion,” Luo Tianhong announced, his voice ringing clearly across the hall. ”I doubt I need to explain the name Treasure Pavilion. There are ten items in this lot, including two large storage bags, each with a ten-unit capacity. Starting price: ten thousand spirit stones each.”

Luo Chen’s eyes lit up. A large storage bag with ten-unit capacity? That would be incredibly useful!

Yet when the final bid landed at just twenty thousand spirit stones, he blinked in confusion.

”Wait... in Treasure Pavilion, aren’t storage bags priced at ten thousand spirit stones per unit? Why are these large-capacity ones selling so cheaply?”

Mi Shuhua chuckled softly beside him. ”That’s the public price—the rate charged to rogue cultivators. The actual production cost of a storage bag is nowhere near that.”

”Huh?”

”Storage bags are valuable, yes—but only for low-tier rogue cultivators who have no other options,” Mi Shuhua explained. ”In reality, sect cultivators buy them in bulk. When purchased wholesale, a single bag might not even cost a thousand spirit stones.”

Seeing Luo Chen’s confusion, Mi Shuhua explained, ”If you obtain a second-hand storage bag and try to sell it, no one will offer a high price. Treasure Pavilion won’t even bother recycling them.”

Luo Chen frowned. ”Then why do they set such high prices?”

”To make sure low-tier rogue cultivators can’t afford them,” Mi Shuhua replied without hesitation.

That answer left Luo Chen even more bewildered. ”But shouldn’t products be priced reasonably?”

Mi Shuhua let out a long sigh. ”Low-tier cultivators don’t have much to their names—maybe a few talismans and one or two enchanted artifacts, all easy to carry. The only thing of real value is their earned spirit stones. But spirit stones vary in size, and once you have more than two hundred, they’re a pain to lug around. And of course, no one would leave their spirit stones at home just waiting to get robbed.”

Luo Chen considered this, then asked, ”So, if they can’t afford a storage bag, what would they do with their spirit stones?”

”They’d turn them into resources,” Mi Shuhua answered. ”Pills, enchanted artifacts, talismans—anything to strengthen themselves. Or, if they’re clever, they might exchange them for mid-grade spirit stones to make them easier to carry.” ”But who are they buying from?” Luo Chen asked hesitantly.

”Let’s not discuss the latter and focus on the former.” Mi Shuhua pressed, giving Luo Chen a meaningful look.

Luo Chen wasn’t slow. Mi Shuhua had practically spelled it out already. The answer clicked.

Those spirit stones would inevitably be spent—converted into strength. And where did they buy those resources? From sect-operated shops, sanctioned markets, or even the black market, all of which were, directly or indirectly, controlled by the major sects. In the end, the spirit stones always returned to the hands of the major sects.

Seeing Luo Chen’s sudden realization, Mi Shuhua explained, ”The ten-thousand spirit stone price tag is actually quite reasonable. Early and mid stage cultivators can’t afford it, but late stage cultivators who can protect their wealth can save up and eventually buy one. And for us Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators, buying such items isn’t too difficult. If you have an internal connection, it’ll be even cheaper.”

Damn it, unscrupulous merchants! Whether it’s Treasure Pavilion or the sects producing these storage bags, they’re all outright crooks!

Luo Chen cursed silently in his heart.

But just as he was grumbling internally, his attention was drawn to an item now being introduced by one of the ”unscrupulous merchants.” on stage.

”The Four Symbols Cauldron, a top-grade enchanted artifact!

”This cauldron has extraordinary utility—it serves as an offensive enchanted artifact, possesses some defensive capabilities, and can also be used for alchemy! It was crafted by Elder Hu Yanzhuo, a Golden Core Adept from Tianfan City. It was initially intended to become an enchanted treasure, but due to incompatibilities with the inscribed formations, the final product became top-grade instead.

”If any Fellow Daoist is interested, feel free to participate in the bidding. Starting price. three thousand spirit stones!”

As Luo Tianhong spoke, the crowd quickly quieted down again. Though the cauldron was indeed versatile, but to put it bluntly, the Four Symbols Cauldron was a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. It touched on everything but excelled at nothing.

For Qi-Refining Realm cultivators who sought highly specialized tools—either powerful offensive artifacts or defensive weapons—they didn’t like it. Foundation Establishment cultivators, on the other hand, didn’t even blink unless it was a supreme-grade enchanted artifact or enchanted treasure.

But in the eighth private room, Luo Chen’s eyes sparkled.

”This item is meant for me,” he declared with utter conviction.

He turned eagerly to Mi Shuhua. ”Leader, isn’t there still an empty alchemy room in the hall? If I had this cauldron, I could refine more pills each month. It’s not even expensive, and no one seems interested. Think about it—more pills for the gang, more spirit stones coming in, and the brothers stay fed and warm all winter!”

He leaned forward earnestly. ”Leader, this cauldron isn’t expensive, and few are bidding on it. We can’t let this opportunity slip by. Opportunities like this don’t come twice...”

Mi Shuhua’s face twitched. That damn tone—it was all too familiar!