An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Mi Shuhua returned to Dahe Market three days ago.

Wang Yuan’s words echoed in Luo Chen’s mind repeatedly.

He had returned three days ago, yet with the Poshan Gang on the verge of collapse, why had he remained hidden?

And now, he had sought me out in such a hurry, using every psychological ploy at his disposal, even going so far as to offer a Foundation Establishment pill. What was his true intention?

Luo Chen thought back to the old man who once carried a ruddy complexion, always grinning like a content landlord. Today, however, his face was ghostly pale, completely devoid of color.

A memory surfaced, the pile of mid-grade spirit stones in the chamber’s corner, reduced to mere dust. Doubt and suspicion churned within Luo Chen. Then, in a flash of realization, he understood the truth. Mi Shuhua was merely putting up a strong front.

”Even a small spirit-gathering array is costly to maintain, let alone a second-tier one!

”If these formations were truly that effective, why would rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators willingly submit to powerful factions or seek refuge as guest elders?

”I don’t know how long a second-tier spirit vein created by a second-tier spirit-gathering array can last, but no Foundation Establishment cultivator could possibly afford its cost indefinitely.”

All eight corners of the stone chamber had ten mid-grade spirit stones each. That was a total of eighty mid-grade spirit stones which is equivalent to eight thousand low-grade spirit stones!

Mi Shuhua had spent eighty thousand spirit stones in a single auction on enchanted treasures. For a rogue cultivator of his age to have advanced to the mid stage of Foundation Establishment, the amount of resources he must have consumed was unimaginable.

Which meant that his savings... were likely depleted! That was precisely why, now grievously injured, Mi Shuhua found himself nearly at the end of his rope.

”That’s why he would go to any lengths to force me into refining Jade Essence pills at full capacity.”

In a blink, Luo Chen connected the pieces and formed a picture of truth. Mi Shuhua had not emerged victorious from the struggle over the Golden Core Ruins. This was evident from Xuanyi Society openly opposing the Poshan Gang.

Xuanyi Society was backed by five Foundation Establishment families, with three Foundation Establishment cultivators openly supporting them. Even with mid stage Foundation Establishment cultivation and enchanted treasures at his disposal, what chance did Mi Shuhua have?

Moreover, the Golden Core Ruins had drawn in far more Foundation Establishment cultivators than just these.

Based on what Luo Chen knew, several well-known figures had ventured into the ruins. Among them were Hua Foundation Establishment cultivator from Hehuan Sect, affiliated with Tianxiang Tower; Wang Haichao from Dajiang Gang; Kang Dongyue from Taishan Market; and Tu Xianping from Snow Lotus Market.

And that was just the ones whose names were known. Who knew how many more had gone in secret?

With such formidable enemies lurking in every direction, how could Mi Shuhua have possibly escaped unscathed?

Furthermore, the Poshan Gang had operated around the outskirts of Ancient Plains Mountain for years, treating it as their own territory.

With their long-standing presence, Mi Shuhua had likely been forced to take a leading role, swept up in the tide of greater powers. This only made things more dangerous, increasing the likelihood of him taking action.

As Luo Chen pieced everything together, he found no amusement in Mi Shuhua’s predicament.

Instead, an unsettling feeling crept over him.

Zeng Wen had specifically warned him to stay cautious recently. With the Poshan Gang suffering heavy losses in manpower, other factions were bound to make a move.

And now, Mi Shuhua was gravely injured...

A storm is brewing!

***

Early the next morning, Luo Chen left home at the break of dawn and made his way to the Spirit Herb Pavilion, Hall of Hundred Herbs, and Spirit Source Pavilion.

He spent a large sum of spirit stones, purchasing a vast array of pills, cultivation resources, and even stocked up on over a hundred jin of spirit rice.

By the time he was done with his purchase, his savings, which had exceeded five thousand spirit stones, had dwindled back down to just a thousand. In short, Luo Chen had made all the necessary preparations to flee at a moment’s notice.

Before leaving the city, he sought out Yuan Xiaoyue and brought her to Mi Xu Ice City’s milk tea shop.

”For the foreseeable future, I’ll likely be spending most of my time at the Alchemy Hall. I won’t be coming to the inner city as often.” Luo Chen stated.

Xiaoyue blinked in confusion. ”You didn’t visit the inner city that often before either!”

Hehe, this little girl... Feng Xia couldn’t help but smile to herself.

Unlike Xiaoyue, she immediately caught the weight behind Luo Chen’s words. Her expression turned serious as she asked, “Did something happen?”

”Not yet.” answered Luo Chen.

Not yet meant that something could happen soon? Feng Xia frowned slightly, nodding as she mentally noted his words.

”There may come a day when the supply to the milk tea shop and snack stall suddenly stops. You should be prepared for that.” Luo Chen warned. ”Business had already declined significantly compared to before, barely sustaining itself at this point.”

Hearing Luo Chen’s warning, the two women exchanged glances.

After a moment, Feng Xia reached into her storage bag and pulled out a top-grade ice-element flying sword. ”Then take this. Cooling things down is actually quite simple.”

Luo Chen shook his head. ”That won’t be necessary.”

A top-grade enchanted artifact wasn’t anything special to Luo Chen, he had plenty of weapons at hand.

”Keeping it in the milk tea shop makes for a good gimmick, and in an emergency, you can use it to protect yourself.” Luo Chen explained.

Feng Xia looked at Luo Chen gratefully.

”Also, keep an eye on Duan Feng. If things get too dangerous, tell him to stop taking up dirty jobs.”

”I doubt I can convince him. Lately, he’s been going out every day, working on refining artifacts more diligently than anyone else,” Feng Xia said with a wry smile.

Luo Chen shook his head. ”I’ve said all I can. If danger comes, just run. Material possessions aren’t worth risking your lives over.”

After leaving them with these instructions, Luo Chen strode off without looking back.

***

On the way out of the city, Gu Caiyi gave Luo Chen an odd look.

”Why are you staring at me?”

”Nothing, just that you treat your friends very differently from how you treat others.”

Luo Chen thumped his chest proudly. ”Of course! I’m known as ‘Loyal and Righteous Little Mengchang [1]’ and ‘A Man of His Word, Like Guan Yu [2]’!”

”Who is Mengchang? And who is Guan Yu?”

”Hmm... you know the deity statue I often worship? That’s Guan Yu. He was a famous general from my homeland—fiercely loyal and honorable!”

Gu Caiyi tilted her head, pondering. Is that really true?

Luo Chen reflected on himself. Whether in this life or his past one, he had always been like this he had never really changed.

When it came to friends, he could accept their generosity without hesitation, and he would never hesitate to offer them his help in return. Even after transmigrating, he had always treated Wang Yuan, Old Man Chen, and even the neighbors from SiHeYuan with genuine sincerity.

If someone achieved success, he could offer his commendations without expecting anything in return, even if it meant flattering them. And if they ever fell on hard times, he would do whatever he could to help.

Just like Gu Caiyi, like Feng Xia, and more recently, Duan Feng, who had only just become his friend.

However, his attitude toward outsiders was entirely different—cautious and guarded. He rarely spoke at length with those he didn’t know well, always keeping his distance. And whenever the opportunity arose, he made one thing clear, his own interests came first.

This was especially evident in Luo Chen’s dealings with Mi Shuhua!

From the very start, their relationship had been imbalanced. It had always been a purely transactional relationship based on mutual benefit and due to the overwhelming difference in power, Mi Shuhua had always held the upper hand.

Had Luo Chen refused to establish the Alchemy Hall and refine pills for Poshan Gang, there would have been only one outcome—death.

No one had ever explicitly stated it, but the reality was undeniable.

Even after becoming the leader of the Alchemy Hall, he was still nothing more than a tool. And Mi Shuhua? He was the capitalist who wielded that tool.

When it came to capitalists, Luo Chen had only one approach. Take everything I can from him!

He never hesitated to assume the worst about Mi Shuhua’s motives and precisely because of that mindset, he had managed to extract valuable benefits from him time and time again.

In truth, he hadn’t let Mi Shuhua suffer too much loss either.

Aside from the initial losses when the Alchemy Hall was first established, once the mid-grade Jade Essence pills were being refined, Mi Shuhua had already begun profiting.

Against someone who had always used him and might one day suppress him when he attempted Foundation Establishment, Luo Chen had constantly reminded himself never to fall for the man’s gentle persuasion or clever leadership tactics. If he ever truly believed in the lies hidden beneath Mi Shuhua’s kindly smile, he might very well end up like Devouring Heart Tiger Han Dang or Sick Tiger Zeng Wen.

And after yesterday’s so-called ’confrontation’ Luo Chen had once again come to a stark realization.

He could never afford to trust this man!

As Luo Chen’s cultivation progressed, Mi Shuhua’s desire to control him only grew stronger.

The thought of facing such a cunning and manipulative figure during his future attempt at Foundation Establishment was chilling. It would be far too dangerous. Caution was one thing but dealing with the current situation required more than just vigilance. It demanded decisive action.

Returning to Crescent Moon Valley, Luo Chen launched his grand alchemy work!

The entire Alchemy Hall and even the Medicine Hall shifted into full operation under his lead. By the end of the very first day refining Jade Essence pills, the results left both stewards, Gu Caiyi and Sikong Shoujia, utterly stunned. The pill formation rate was beyond anything they had anticipated.

From just fourteen furnaces’ worth of raw materials, the pill formation rate had reached an astounding fifty percent and the success rate was a full one hundred percent—every single pill was mid-grade Jade Essence pills!

Not a single one was low-grade!

”One hundred and forty mid-grade Jade Essence pills!” Gu Caiyi swallowed hard, unable to believe it.

If sold, this batch alone would be worth seven hundred low-grade spirit stones! If they kept this pace up for an entire month, wouldn’t that mean a revenue of over twenty thousand?

Gu Caiyi suddenly turned back, only to see Luo Chen casually washing his hands in a nearby mountain spring.

He wasn’t surprised at all? It even seemed as if he had expected this outcome all along.

Compared to Gu Caiyi’s shock, Sikong Shoujia was so overwhelmed that he was rendered speechless. He immediately took the ledger and left the Alchemy Hall, eager to report this delightful news to Mi Shuhua.

Luo Chen clapped the dust off his hands, watching Sikong Shoujia’s retreating figure disappear down the mountain path.

”Aren’t you tired?” Gu Caiyi asked worriedly from behind him.

Tired? Luo Chen chuckled softly. In the past, having to deliberately control the pill formation and success rates, that was what had been truly exhausting.

Now, he merely had to keep all the pills at mid-grade, making the process much easier.

Staring at Luo Chen’s handsome side profile, Gu Caiyi couldn’t help but say, ”If this isn’t just a lucky streak, then at this rate, you’ll be making over twenty thousand spirit stones a month. That’s over two hundred thousand in a year! Forget about regular pills, even enchanted artifacts would be pocket change for you.”

”Woman, you’re thinking too simply.” Luo Chen smiled faintly before disappearing into his small house.

Gu Caiyi remained standing by the cliff, letting the wind brush against her face. The lingering warmth of summer brushed against her skin as she thought over his words.

In that moment, she realized just how naive she had been.

The cost of all those pills alone would run into the thousands. And that wasn’t even counting transportation, sales, or manpower, each of which would further cut into the earnings.

The actual profit, when broken down, wasn’t as astronomical as it had first appeared.

Still, even with all the expenses factored in, the final sum was nothing to scoff at especially for a mere Qi-Refining cultivator. It was a fortune by any standard.

Gu Caiyi’s gaze lingered on the modest stone house where Luo Chen resided. She had always known he was talented but somewhere along the way, without anyone realizing, his alchemy skills had reached an awe-inspiring, almost terrifying level.

Unknowingly, a trace of reverence had begun to take root in her heart.

Meanwhile, inside the stone house, Luo Chen let out a sigh.

What a shame. Of all the profit generated from these pills, he was only entitled to a mere twenty percent.

It was far too little! But bound by his Dao oath, he had no choice.

”Fine, I’ll just endure it for another month or two! Once I’ve saved up enough spirit stones to start over elsewhere, I’m making my escape!”

***

Luo Chen’s preparations for his escape didn’t stop there.

In addition to his daily pill refinement, Luo Chen threw himself into training with renewed intensity. He focused on honing his Spirit Suppression and spent every spare moment mastering the Blue Musk Gathering Serpent Banner.

A supreme-grade enchanted artifact—it would become one of his greatest assets when the time came to make his escape. He had to figure out the key techniques to avoid the issue of spirit power depletion that had happened to Qiu Bai.

Amidst his hectic schedule, half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

That night, Luo Chen roamed through the rugged mountain terrain, his figure flickering between the towering peaks

In his hand, he firmly gripped the Blue Musk Gathering Serpent Banner. His gaze settled on a corpse lying on the ground—a one-horned ram.

A formidable creature among first-tier demonic beasts, one of the most aggressive species among goat-type beasts.

Even within the Howling Moon Mountains, it held its own place.

Despite the numbers of wolf demons, it had to hunt in packs to take down just one of these beasts. If a wolf was unlucky enough to be gored by its sharp, spiraled horn, a single strike from the one-horned ram would torn intestines apart, leaving its body in ruin.

Among the people Luo Chen knew, only Duan Feng had ever successfully hunted one before, and that had been deep in the Ancient Plains.

In the past, if Luo Chen encountered such a beast, he would either flee or resort to hit-and-run tactics to slowly wear it down.

But this time, he had slain it with a direct frontal assault.

”I’ve almost fully grasped all the applications of this supreme-grade enchanted artifact.”

Back at the auction, Tian Xingzi’s introduction of the artifact’s capabilities had been woefully incomplete. Aside from directly summoning three wood-element flood dragons, they could also be summoned individually.

This greatly conserved spirit power. Even when summoning all three at once, there was a technique to it, it wasn’t as crude as how Qiu Bai had used it. It was simply that Qiu Bai didn’t have enough time to fully explore its intricacies before.

Just now, pairing it with his jade blade, Luo Chen had summoned only a single wood-element flood dragon and effortlessly slain the one-horned ram.

Right now, my combat prowess is firmly at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining. I could even put up a fight against someone at Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining.

I haven’t crossed blades with a Foundation Establishment cultivator yet, but with the Blue Musk Gathering Serpent Banner and my Perfected Mastery Fireball, I might even pose a real threat.

And this isn’t even my full arsenal!

With a mere thought, Luo Chen’s entire aura withdrew. His presence faded into near nonexistence like a lifeless piece of deadwood swaying in the night breeze..

With a flicker of spirit power, he activated the Carefree Wind-Control and took off.

Throughout the process, the spirit energy he maintained did not fluctuate in the slightest.

”This is the Perfected Mastery of Spirit Suppression!

”This time, I can’t rely on luck, I need to test it thoroughly!”

Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen flew toward the great canyon deep within Changyin Mountain.

Soon, he arrived outside the Cold Osmanthus Grove. As he touched the Cold Osmanthus leaves, his spirit energy shifted abruptly, emanating a chilling presence.

He pressed forward until a small snow-white wolf appeared.

A first-tier Frost Wolf. In terms of size and its emitted demonic energy, it was roughly equivalent to a human at the early stage of Qi-Refining.

Crouching down, he quietly reached out and touched the young Frost Wolf. The little wolf lifted its head in confusion, staring at this strange being and he thought, Since when could Cold Osmanthus trees move?

Luo Chen quickly withdrew his hand, a single strand of white fur pinched between his fingers.

Then, his spirit energy began to shift.

Within three breaths, his entire spirit energy was identical to that of the Frost Wolf.

Perfected Mastery of Spirit Suppression!

Not only had it reached the pinnacle of suppressing spirit energy and spirit fluctuations, but it had even gained an additional ability.

It could replicate another being’s spirit energy and this imitation wasn’t limited to humans, even demonic beasts and trees could be mimicked.

It was precisely because of this that Luo Chen now had the confidence to explore the Changyin Mountain Gorge once more.

He stepped past the little wolf and pressed forward. Following the protruding cliffs of the gorge, he moved step by step under the cover of the dark moonlight, drawing closer to the frigid pool.

Only when he was five hundred meters away did he finally come to a stop.

”Even at this close range, that aged second-tier wolf demon hasn’t noticed me. This proves that the Perfected Mastery of the Spirit Suppression is enough to deceive a Foundation Establishment cultivator.”

Luo Chen glanced at the wisps of Ice Soul Fiend energy seeping from the frigid pool, then turned and left without hesitation. This time, he hadn’t come to hunt for treasure or slay demons.

It was merely to test the effectiveness of the Spirit Suppression against the keen senses of a second-tier wolf demon.

The final results left him quite satisfied.

He was now certain that if he used a Cleanse to remove the spirit imprint that Mi Shuhua had placed on him, then fled to a distant location to hide—The man would never be able to find him!

A newfound confidence surged within him!

But Luo Chen didn’t run. He had painstakingly refined mid-grade Jade Essence pills for the Poshan Gang for half a month, yet he hadn’t even collected his share of the profits. If he were to flee, he had to at least bring enough startup funds!

Besides, he had one more loose end to tie up.

I still need to give Wang Yuan an explanation, thought Luo Chen.

1. This phrase references Meng Changjun (孟尝君), a famous figure from the Warring States period known for his generosity and righteousness. The phrase 义薄云天 (yi bo yun tian) literally means ”righteousness soaring to the sky”, implying someone whose honor and loyalty are unparalleled. ☜

2. This phrase draws inspiration from Guan Yu (关羽), the legendary general from the Three Kingdoms era renowned for his loyalty and unwavering commitment to his word. The expression 千金一诺 (qian jin yi nuo) means ”a promise worth a thousand gold”, highlighting a person who values their word above all else. ☜