An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

After returning to Luo Tian Society, Luo Chen quickly settled back into his routine of cultivation and alchemy.

During this time, Wang Yuan came to see him once. It wasn’t about the Sky Roc Transformation; rather, Wang Yuan had made a breakthrough in methods for dealing with ghostly entities. However, Luo Chen already possessed the Green Firefly Lantern, a top-grade enchanted artifact, which was far more effective than any small tricks against spectral entities.

”Should we send people into the city for exploration?” Qin Liangchen asked with great interest.

Currently, Qin Liangchen was nominally affiliated with the Alchemy Hall as an honorary elder. He would occasionally assist in managing miscellaneous affairs, though he was not obligated to do so. His real value lay in combat. During the previous attack on the Fu family, he had participated in battle. He had single-handedly fought against the Fu family’s Third Elder, Fu Jue, and slain him with ease.

It had to be said, Luo Tianhong’s Golden Silkworm Reconnection was truly remarkable. After his new hand was reattached, Qin Liangchen had quickly adapted, even faster than before. Perhaps having experience made the process smoother this time.

Luo Chen glanced at the eager-looking Qin Liangchen but did not immediately answer. Instead, he inquired about the progress of the other factions’ expeditions into the ruined city.

”The exploration progress varies between factions. So far, the Nangong family is advancing the fastest. Not only have they retrieved the remains of their cultivators from their stores, but they’ve also gained substantial rewards.

”The Dajiang Gang is progressing the slowest, with Li Da, a ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator, leading their efforts.”

Hearing the name Li Da, Luo Chen’s eyes gleamed sharply. He vividly recalled that back when Gao Tingyuan had tried to stall him, he had mentioned their past expedition into the Soul-Refining Cave. Li Da had been one of the two who ventured inside.

This man was no ordinary cultivator. During the Debate Platform battles, he had fought on behalf of the Dajiang Gang and secured a victory. More notably, it was Li Da who had killed Forest Tiger, the original head of the Mining Hall under the now-defunct Poshan Gang. They were all old acquaintances in one way or another.

”Li Da is leading the exploration? Besides the Netherworld enchanted clothes and the Green Firefly Lantern that Wang Haichao gave him, he must have other trump cards as well. It seems that during their time in the Soul-Refining Cave, he obtained quite a substantial harvest.”

The Soul-Refining Hermit Gu Yue had been a Foundation Establishment cultivator before his death. Though his legacy might not have matched that of a sect-affiliated cultivator, to two ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivators, his remains were a priceless fortune.

After listening to more reports about various factions’ progress in the ghost city of Dahe, Luo Chen slowly shook his head.

”Let’s stay out of this mess.”

”Alright then,” Qin Liangchen sighed, visibly disappointed. He had only suggested going because he had been bored lately and wanted to visit his old home in the inner city.

There weren’t many resources left inside, but there were a few sentimental trinkets he wished to retrieve.

Seeing him like this, Luo Chen chuckled. ”That bored, huh? How’s your cultivation progress lately, Brother Qin?”

At the mention of this, Qin Liangchen’s smile became somewhat strained.

Luo Chen frowned. ”What’s wrong? Running low on pills, or have you hit a bottleneck?”

Qin Liangchen shook his head. ”Back then, I was only a few years away from reaching Perfected Mastery Qi-Refining, just a matter of steady progress.

”Bottlenecks? There were none.

”And I’m not lacking pills either. Most black markets still have high-priced Dust Transformation pills brought in from other regions.”

Luo Chen frowned. ”Then what’s the issue?”

Qin Liangchen sighed, running his left hand over his right arm. ”The new arm was crafted mainly from Azure Gold Silkworm threads, fused with my own flesh and bone. But in the end, it’s not my original arm!

”Now, my cultivation efficiency has dropped significantly. What should have taken just a few more years will now take at least ten or twenty more.”

By his recollection, Qin Liangchen should be around fifty years old now.

In ten or twenty years, he’d be well past sixty. By then, even with a Foundation Establishment pill, his chances of breaking through would plummet. Not to mention, his innate talent was only at the level of a three-spirit-root cultivator.

Luo Chen finally understood why Qin Liangchen seemed so disheartened. Having his cultivation path obstructed, if it were him, he’d probably feel the same way.

The new arm, constructed mainly from Azure Gold Silkworm’s silk, had been fused with his flesh to mimic his original meridians and acupoints. But in the end, it wasn’t truly his own.

During regular cultivation, prolonged sessions would cause a sharp stinging pain. If he persisted for too long, he might even damage the limb. It was no wonder that his cultivation speed had plummeted.

Luo Chen could do nothing but offer some consolation.

Fortunately, Qin Liangchen was a naturally optimistic person and didn’t dwell on it. ”We’ll see how things go. The road is taken one step at a time, and when the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a way forward!” He let out a hearty laugh and brushed the matter aside.

Luo Chen sighed inwardly but kept a smile on his face as he handed Qin Liangchen a task.

”Receiving a shipment of medicinal ingredients?”

”Yes, from the Precious Dragon Black Market. It should arrive in the next two days. I’ll need you to handle it, Brother Qin.”

As he spoke, Luo Chen handed over a top-grade enchanted artifact. It was one of the spoils from the battle at Crescent Moon Valley and had concealment abilities. Though not as effective as a perfected Spirit Suppression, it was still quite remarkable.

Qin Liangchen accepted it and agreed to the task.

After Qin Liangchen left, Luo Chen shook his head.

He had done all he could, but when it came to cultivation, he was powerless to help. Some things had to be solved on one’s own.

Taking out a piece of beast hide, Luo Chen focused his mind and began his study.

Imperial Nectar... Based on its medicinal properties and effects, it is indeed a beneficial spirit medicine for demonic beasts.

However, three of its auxiliary ingredients can only be absorbed by humans. In other words, does this mean humans can also use it?”

Possessing nature but no life, it returns to nature. Possessing both nature and life, it escapes its cage and embraces the heavens. Could this mean that plant-based beings using Imperial Nectar can attune themselves to the Great Dao?”

And that non-plant beings can use it to break free from their cage and draw closer to the heavens? What is this ‘cage’? And what does ‘the heavens’ truly mean?

As he pondered, Luo Chen had a vague hypothesis. Yet, he couldn’t be certain.

After a long moment, he put away the Imperial Nectar formula and took out another.

Spirit Passage pill!

Main ingredients were Phantom Shade Herb and demonic fox blood. Twenty-seven auxiliary ingredients.

Consuming it could enhance a cultivator’s soul foundation and strengthen their spirit consciousness.

This was an incomplete pill formula, obtained from Mi Shuhua.

Back then, the old man had given him two pill recipes alongside The Treatise on Green Origin pills.

The Jade Essence pill was the real priority, while the Spirit Passage pill was just an added bonus.

Though incomplete, he had obtained it quite some time ago. Luo Chen had studied it extensively and had even added a few auxiliary ingredients of his own, managing to patch it up to a functional state.

He opened the system panel.

Holding the now-complete Spirit Passage pill formula, he focused his thoughts.

Spirit Passage pill, a complete first-tier pill formula. Ready for Beginner mastery.

Would you like to learn it?

Luo Chen closed the status panel and put away the formula with satisfaction.

This confirmed that his supplementation was correct, the twenty-seven auxiliary ingredients could indeed be harmonized with the two primary materials listed in the original formula.

However, he didn’t choose to learn it immediately. The main reason was that he needed to see if Tian Xingzi had managed to gather the necessary materials for him. Some of the auxiliary ingredients could still be purchased from the Lianyun Trade Alliance.

But one of the main ingredients, snow fox blood, was much harder to obtain. This particular ingredient was a specialty of Snow Lotus Market.

The snow fox, a first-tier demonic beast from the Great Snow Mountains, was highly adept in concealment and illusions. Not only was it incredibly intelligent, but it also possessed an uncanny understanding of human behavior.

Catching and hunting one was no easy feat. Even with the influence of the Precious Dragon Black Market, acquiring it would likely be a serious challenge.

***

As it turned out, Luo Chen had greatly underestimated the Precious Dragon Black Market.

That very night, Qin Liangchen returned with a storage pouch.

”It’s all in here!

”Everything on the list is here, except for Netherworld Yin Fiend and Northern Sea Conpoy. They managed to get quite a lot of the others. Out of the three thousand spirit stones you gave me, I spent one thousand seven hundred and eighty. Here’s the remaining one thousand two hundred and twenty, count it if you want.”

Luo Chen was taken aback by their efficiency, they had even managed to get snow fox blood!

He took the storage pouch with great delight, not even bothering to check the remaining spirit stones.

”Would I ever doubt you, Brother Qin?” Luo Chen said with a chuckle

Qin Liangchen grinned. ”The Wang fellow handling the delivery said that Netherworld Yin Fiend Qi is a second-tier fiend qi, and they really couldn’t find it. But they’ve made arrangements for Northern Sea Conpoy and should have a supply ready by next month.”

That outcome was within expectations. Luo Chen had previously asked Bai Meiling about it while gathering materials for the Blood Fiend pill.

According to her, even the Medicine King Sect didn’t have the Netherworld Yin Fiend. Having Northern Sea Conpoy secured for next month was excellent news, it meant he could resume refining Myriad Wonders pills.

Nodding, Luo Chen stowed away the storage pouch and asked with a smile, ”Are you getting used to that golden melon hammer from Fuzhang?”

”It’s great. A bit heavy, but extremely powerful. Plus, it’s a metal-attribute artifact, which suits me perfectly.”

After the battle with the Fu family, Qin Liangchen had specifically exchanged Fu Yu’s spoils for Fuzhang’s golden melon hammer with Luo Chen. His original greatsword had been destroyed in battle, and he had long been searching for a suitable replacement.

Luo Chen had no objections and agreed to the trade.

After chatting for a while, Qin Liangchen yawned and left the Alchemy Hall.

Currently, he and Murong Qinglian were residing in a courtyard built by the Luo Tian Society. In fact, most of the cultivators in Luo Tian Society had chosen to build homes nearby.

The inner city had been destroyed, but the spirit energy from the spirit veins had spread outward. Living here wasn’t much different from residing in the inner city. And there was no rent to pay!

Thinking about rent, Luo Chen suddenly recalled Sun Shou from the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion.

What a pity, he had been a fine senior.

He had once envisioned dedicating his entire life to his sect, serving faithfully in this remote market city. Yet in the end, his fall had been silent and unremarkable, never living long enough to see a peaceful death in old age.

The departed were gone, and reminiscing would only add to his sorrow.

After a moment of reflection, Luo Chen stepped into the Alchemy Hall.

He first retrieved the stored spirit stones, ensuring everything was in order. Then, he carefully sorted and placed the various medicinal ingredients into their designated cabinets. Many of these materials required special processing before they could be used in alchemy.

Once all was settled, he turned his attention to the Spirit Passage pill. He gathered the necessary components, two primary materials and twenty-seven auxiliary ingredients, laying them out in preparation for refinement.

”The Phantom Shade Herb needs to be dried. That’s simple enough, the residual heat from the furnace should do the job.”

He spread a large bundle of vibrant green Phantom Shade Herb evenly over the drying platform, where medicinal herbs were typically roasted.

Among the two primary ingredients, handling Phantom Shade Herb was the easiest whereas dealing with the snow fox demon blood was an entirely different matter.

”Handling snow fox blood is extremely complex. There are five necessary steps... If only I had mastered the Flowing Creek Hand, I could skip three of them entirely.

”Unlike the herb, Luminous Star Grass is highly toxic and possesses strong hallucinogenic properties. I’ll need to use detoxifying mineral jade to remove the poison while preserving its hallucinogenic effects.

”These auxiliary ingredients, at least, aren’t too troublesome, there are already processed ones in my pharmacy.”