An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Confirmed?”

”How can they be so sure?” Luo Chen asked curiously amidst the crowd.

This time, it was Sikong Shoujia’s turn to explain to him.

”The formation surrounding the relic is the renowned Heavenly Spirit Seizing array.

”This array could only be set up by a Golden Core Adept from the legendary Valley of Ghosts and Divinities. Ordinary Golden Core cultivators are incapable of such a feat.”

Luo Chen grew even more curious. ”Valley of Ghosts and Divinities? There’s no sect by that name in the Jade Cauldron Domain!”

Sikong Shoujia stroked his beard leisurely and replied, ”It’s normal for your younger generation not to know of it.”

Luo Chen and the others froze, their expressions awkward. Why are you acting like some wise elder? We’re all from the same generation. You’re decades older, but you’re still in the Qi-Refining Realm.

Yes, in the cultivation world, age means nothing, everything is ranked by realm!

”Back then, sixteen factions initiated the pioneering war, led by the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect with assistance from five other superior sects. You should at least know their names.

”Among the sixteen factions, the remaining ten were also illustrious, such as the Luoyun Sect and Ai Lao Mountain. Among them, Valley of Ghosts and Divinities was a sect specializing in array formations.

”During the pioneering war, the Valley of Ghosts and Divinities played a crucial role—laying formations across the mountains and purging water demons wherever they encountered rivers or lakes.

”Unfortunately, when they faced a beast tide led by a fourth tier Beast Emperor, the Valley of Ghosts and Divinities’s camp suffered a devastating blow. The Jade Cauldron Daoist Master couldn’t arrive in time, resulting in the near-total annihilation of Valley of Ghosts and Divinities.

”Later, an elder Golden Core Adept from Valley of Ghosts and Divinities hastily arrived to gather the remaining survivors and withdrew from the pioneering war in disgrace.”

”Four hundred years have passed, and that elder Golden Core Adept has long since passed away. The Valley of Ghosts and Divinities lacked successors and gradually fell into decline. Today, only a single branch remains, functioning as a cultivation family under the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect’s banner.”

Listening to Sikong Shoujia’s detailed account, the crowd couldn’t help but feel captivated.

The pioneering war! What a magnificent event that must have been.

The sixteen factions united to conquer the Lianxia Mountain Range, slaughtering millions of beasts and ultimately establishing the Jade Cauldron Domain, creating a new land of cultivation for humanity.

Amid this vast war, there were rising stars like Revered Yunhe, as well as tragedies such as the complete downfall of Valley of Ghosts and Divinities.

”Valley of Ghosts and Divinities wasn’t the only major faction to suffer heavy losses. There were others, like the Minghuang Sect and Haoran...”

”Stop, stop, stop! You’re going way off topic!” Luo Chen interrupted Sikong Shoujia’s long-winded tale and asked, ”When the Valley of Ghosts and Divinities’s camp was destroyed back then, shouldn’t they have all died? How did someone make it all the way to Ancient Plains Mountain to set up formations?”

Sikong Shoujia spread his hands. ”How would I know? Back then, they never found the Supreme Elder of Valley of Ghosts and Divinities’s corpse. Everyone assumed he survived, but as the sect declined and he never returned, people believed he’d probably been devoured by a beast.

”However, it seems that the Supreme Elder was indeed resourceful enough to escape into the Ancient Plains Mountain Range.”

Through his explanation, everyone came to understand. The Heavenly Spirit Seizing array was a top-level third tier formation, which could only be created by a Golden Core Adept who was also a grandmaster of array formations.

Given enough time, its power could even rival that of a fourth-tier formation, capable of resisting a fourth-tier Beast Emperor.

Moreover, this formation had a unique characteristic! It didn’t strictly require spirit stones to set up; it could rely on the terrain and natural spirit veins to form, drawing in ambient spirit energy from the heavens and earth.

Even after countless years, the formation could remain intact.

Therefore, people speculated that the relic discovered in the Ancient Plains Mountain Range belonged to a Golden Core Adept and was the resting place of the Supreme Elder from Valley of Ghosts and Divinities.

”It’s said that someone from our gang managed to enter the outer region of the formation and found several spirit herbs over five hundred years old. If they got deeper inside, there might even be thousand-year-old herbs!” Sikong Shoujia marveled, clearly eager to explore.

Someone nearby questioned skeptically, ”Wasn’t this four hundred years ago? How could there be five-hundred or thousand-year-old treasures?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone else looked at him like he was an idiot.

He froze for a moment before realizing his mistake, his face turning bright red.

The Supreme Elder of Valley of Ghosts and Divinities might have passed away four hundred years ago, but the resources in the Ancient Plains Mountain weren’t limited to that time span.

Under the protection of the grand formation, the resources inside could safely continue growing for much longer. Let alone a thousand years; even ten thousand year old treasures wouldn’t be out of the question.

”Wait, are you saying that our Poshan Gang discovered this relic?” Luo Chen inferred from the old man’s words.

Sikong Shoujia nodded. ”Of course! The Ancient Plains Mountain Range has always been one of our primary areas of activity. It’s only natural that our gang’s cultivators would be the first to discover such a large relic.”

At his words, the alchemists and Medicine Hall cultivators all grew excited.

If the Poshan Gang had discovered the relic, then wouldn’t the spoils rightfully belong to them? Surely, as members of the gang, they’d get a share! Even if they couldn’t get a share, they’d at least have the advantage when applying to explore it. For a moment, the cultivators from both halls were filled with anticipation.

Seeing this, Luo Chen, who had initially been excited, gradually calmed down.

There were no secrets under the heavens, and the Poshan Gang wasn’t exactly a sect known for its unbreakable unity. Now that even people like them knew, how much longer before everyone in Dahe Market knew?

Perhaps those with even a shred of intel had already heard the news and when it came to a Golden Core relic, especially the resting place of a Supreme Elder, how many treasures might it contain?

It was simply unimaginable! This grand feast likely wouldn’t have a place for mere rogue cultivators like them.

While Luo Chen remained composed, it didn’t mean everyone else could.

Especially as, over the next two days, increasingly outrageous rumors from the Ancient Plains Mountain began to stir everyone up.

Mount Li Seeds, the essence of second-tier spirit fruits, are highly beneficial for Foundation Establishment cultivators, particularly those who follow the path of earth refinement.

The eight hundred year old heaven and earth root, a key ingredient for Foundation Establishment pills, has aged to such an extent that its medicinal potency now rivals that of a standard low-grade Foundation Establishment pill. Consumed raw by a cultivator, they could increase Foundation Establishment success rates by twenty percent.

If refined into Foundation Establishment pills by a master alchemist, the result would be at least mid-grade pills, nearly raising the success rate from the initial thirty percent for low-grade pills to forty percent!

Apart from these two spirit herbs, there were also other precious medicinal materials, such as Violet Simian flowers and Yin Scale herb.

These treasures alone were enough to stir everyone’s emotions. These were merely wild natural treasures. Rumor had it that the Supreme Elder had brought nearly half of Valley of Ghosts and Divinities’s assets into the pioneering war.

Among them were not only Foundation Establishment pills but even resources for Core Formation. Under such immense profits, the entire Dahe Market was boiling with excitement.

Every day, hundreds and thousands of cultivators flocked to the Ancient Plains Mountain Range. Even the threat of demonic beasts had been cast aside by them.

Luo Chen had been keeping a close eye on the situation’s developments, but he hadn’t expected the impact of the Golden Core relic to reach his Crescent Moon Valley as well.

Standing on the cliffside platform, Luo Chen’s gaze fell into the valley below.

There, Luo Wudi was locked in conversation with Murong Qinglian. Their discussion was anything but private—completely unguarded, loud enough for any half-curious cultivator to eavesdrop.

”We’ll take fifty people from the Medicine Hall to enter the mountains with me. They’ll be responsible for identifying and harvesting spirit herbs.” Luo Wudi declared.

”That’s too many! Taking so many people at once will make it impossible for the Medicine Hall to operate normally,” Murong Qinglian rejected.

”It’s not too many. Besides, cultivators can keep thirty percent of the profits from the herbs they find.” Luo Wudi argued.

”But that relic is already attracting so many people—it’s dangerous,” Murong Qinglian countered.

”Dangerous?” Luo Wudi’s gaze swept over the cultivators watching from nearby, and he chuckled softly. ”Why don’t you ask them if they’re willing to go?”

Seeing the eager expressions of the Medicine Hall cultivators, Murong Qinglian couldn’t help but smile bitterly. ”Fine, have it your way!”

Luo Wudi clapped his hands and said, ”Anyone who wants to join, come register with me. Priority will be given to those with higher cultivation realms!”

In an instant, eighty percent of the Medicine Hall cultivators surged toward him, each hoping to secure a spot.

Luo Chen watched it all indifferently.

When he turned back, he noticed that a group of alchemists from the Alchemy Hall were also staring intently at the scene below.

”What are you staring at!”

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out.

Luo Chen glared at them coldly. ”A bunch of weaklings—do you want to court death too?”

Most of them fell silent. But a few still muttered under their breath, saying things like ”blocking someone’s path is as bad as killing their parents.”

It was Luo Erduo! Luo Wudi’s nephew.

”If you want to go, then get lost! This Hall Leader won’t stop you!” Luo Chen declared sharply. ”But once you walk out that door, don’t bother coming back!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Luo Erduo eagerly flew down into the valley.

A few other cultivators hesitated but eventually left the Alchemy Hall as well.

”You all... sigh!” The one sighing was Qu Hancheng, as those who left were mostly fire handlers—and the ones with higher cultivation realms at that.

Seeing Luo Chen’s lingering anger, Qu Hancheng could only smile bitterly.

”Hall Leader...”

”What, you want to go too?” Luo Chen snapped, turning his head impatiently.

Qu Hancheng stammered nervously, ”I’m too old for that, and I have little ones to look after. How could I possibly go? I just wanted to ask... with some people gone, are we still continuing the alchemy work this afternoon?”

Luo Chen exhaled and patted his shoulder reassuringly. ”Of course, we’ll continue!

”Not only will we refine pills, but we’ll refine a lot, refine intensively, and refine more!

”When they’re fighting to the death, we’ll stay here and refine pills peacefully. Mi Li, Tang Quan, stop researching the Myriad Wonders pill for now. Here’s your new task—start producing more fasting concoctions!

”Later, Elder Sikong can send someone to set up stalls at the entrances to the Ancient Plains. They’ll eat the meat, but there’s no reason we can’t have the soup!”

Hearing this, the Alchemy Hall crowd was momentarily stunned. The smarter ones, like Gu Caiyi and Sikong Shoujia, had their eyes light up.