An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Three days later.

Xiao Huan Mountain, which had been quiet for an entire year, suddenly bustled with life.

Lanterns fluttered in the breeze, colorful banners draped across terraces, and the once-quiet paths bustled with footsteps and conversation. Between pavilions and towers, vibrant floral arrangements bloomed in full splendor. The whole scene shimmered with a dreamlike, festive air.

Cultivators even cast spells to conjure a misty cloudscape that veiled the entire scene in ethereal beauty. At first glance, the setup appeared festive and celebratory.

But upon closer inspection... it was a little disjointed. The decorations clashed, the aesthetic was uneven, and the coordination left something to be desired. Still, as a coalition of rogue cultivators banded together, no one really cared about such trivialities.

Liveliness was all that mattered!

In truth, there weren’t many precedents for Foundation Establishment Ceremonies. In sects and sacred groups, where disciples numbered in the thousands, no one threw a celebration just because some junior reached Foundation Establishment. At most, close friends and family might gather, offer a few words of congratulations, and move on.

Only when a cultivator stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm would the mountains open, banners rise, and guests from all corners of the cultivation world arrive to witness the birth of a Sage.

But in small, remote corners of the world like Dahe Market or Snow Lotus Market, where most cultivators never made it beyond Qi-Refining, even one Foundation Establishment Initiate was enough to shake the land.

To show off their strength, the sect or faction of such a cultivator would often host what they called a ”Foundation Establishment Ceremony.”

Now, Luo Tian Society atop Xiao Huan Mountain was doing the same.

Even the number of guests from outside was limited, more out of practicality than humility. The crowd was made up mostly of internal members, all gathered to celebrate their president’s breakthrough.

Early that morning, Luo Chen descended the mountain. It wasn’t to greet fellow Foundation Establishment guests out of courtesy, but simply to catch up with his friends.

“You broke through to Foundation Establishment.

“Never would’ve thought you would have... truly, never!”

Consecutive exclamations of disbelief spilled from Zeng Wen’s mouth.

Luo Chen chuckled and said, “With talent like mine, wasn’t it only natural?”

Zeng Wen rolled his eyes, treating Luo Chen’s words as nothing more than self-congratulatory flair.

In truth, he knew Luo Chen too well for that.

Back when he had reached the ninth stage of Qi-Refining, Luo Chen had still been running a humble stall in the rogue cultivator market of Dahe inner city, just another struggling face in the crowd.

And now, in the blink of five years, Luo Chen had stepped into Foundation Establishment... while Zeng Wen was still stuck in place, spinning his wheels.

“Is this your son?” Luo Chen asked, gesturing toward the little one in Xiugu’s arms.

“Yeah, handsome, isn’t he?”

“Let me hold him.” Luo Chen reached out and took the round, chubby little boy from Xiugu’s arm.

Whoa, he grinned, adjusting the weight. “He’s heavy! Looks like he’s gonna be a big, fat little guy, just like his dad!”

Zeng Wen glared at him.

Xiugu, on the other hand, just chuckled warmly. “President, Xiaolong is already two years old.”

As Luo Chen looked down at the chubby child resting quietly in his arms, he couldn’t help but feel how swiftly time had passed.

What seemed like just a single secluded cultivation session ago, Zeng Wen had already established a family and settled into a new life. Even the kid was already two years old.

“His name is Zeng Yilong ?”

“Yeah. Brother Wen said he hopes the boy won’t end up like him, a lowly worm, but will rise to become a true dragon [1] among cultivators.”

That meant the child had spirit roots, and it made perfect sense.

Both his parents were cultivators in the late stage of Qi-Refining. Zeng Wen himself had a fairly good aptitude; otherwise, he wouldn’t have reached the ninth stage. With that kind of lineage, their child having spirit roots was almost inevitable.

Luo Chen chuckled softly as he teased the quiet, round-faced boy. Then, his gaze shifted to someone standing behind Zeng Wen.

“Tang Quan,” he called out, “Huiniang mentioned you’ve been doing well lately.”

Tang Quan bowed respectfully and replied, “All thanks to the President’s early guidance!”

Luo Chen sighed and handed Zeng Yilong back to Xiugu.

What guidance had he given?

He had completely misjudged Tang Quan’s development. He had steered Tang Quan down the path of alchemy, long hours spent at the furnace, only to yield nothing of value. What helped him thrive now was not alchemy, but taking over the management of the Alchemy Hall.

At least his cultivation had reached the sixth stage of Qi-Refining. That alone was cause for a small celebration.

As Luo Chen sighed, the previously cheerful atmosphere of reminiscing suddenly turned somber. He paused in surprise and realized something.

He wasn’t the same person he used to be anymore!

After reaching Foundation Establishment, a faint yet ever-present pressure lingered in his every word and gesture, it weighed heavily on others.

It was evident from little Zeng Yilong’s reaction. When Luo Chen held him, the boy had been perfectly calm; the moment he returned to his mother’s arms, he grew restless.

Fortunately, the heavy atmosphere was quickly broken.

“President! Congratulations on reaching Foundation Establishment! This is my gift to you!” The first voice came from the gentle Mi Li.

The second belonged to a boy with a voice Luo Chen didn’t immediately recognize.

Luo Chen looked at the boy in surprise. “Lingjun?”

The youth scratched his head shyly. “Yeah, it’s me!”

Tsk tsk!

It had only been a few years, and he’s changed this much?

He’d grown nearly two full heads taller, and even his voice had lost its boyish pitch, now sounding far more composed.

“I almost didn’t recognize you.” Luo Chen grinned as he took the jade bottle from the youth’s hand.

“Let me see what you brought me as a Foundation Establishment gift.”

Before the ceremony was announced, Luo Chen had already told his friends not to bring gifts. Given their current cultivation realms, whatever they gifted was of little practical use to Luo Chen.

A simple “congratulations” to show their goodwill would have been more than enough.

Under Qu Lingjun’s hopeful gaze, Luo Chen uncorked the jade bottle.

He froze the moment he saw what was inside.

A single snow-white pill rolled gently into his palm. The moment its fragrance hit his nose, he recognized it; without a doubt, it was a Jade Essence pill, a low-grade one.

But it wasn’t made by Luo Chen himself.

Luo Chen didn’t even have the ability to produce a low-grade pill anymore. The cloud markings on it were faint, intermittent, barely holding together. And yet, that was precisely what made his heart quake.

“You made this?” Luo Chen asked, unable to suppress his voice as a storm of emotion churned within him.

Qu Lingjun scratched his head, a little embarrassed. “Not exactly. Sister Mi Li and Brother Tang Quan helped me.”

Luo Chen’s stern gaze shifted instantly to the two of them.

Tang Quan raised his hands quickly. “I didn’t teach him much. Just demonstrated a few techniques you showed me back when I was learning alchemy.”

Mi Li seemed slightly nervous under his gaze, but her voice remained even. “I’ve been studying the Jade Essence pill formula for years. I only followed it step by step, combining it with your insights, President.

“I was going to refine it myself, but after failing several times, I gave up. Then Little Lingjun asked to try, so...”

With Luo Chen’s expression still grave, no one else dared to breathe too loudly.

Even Qu Lingjun, who had stood brimming with hope just moments ago, now stood stiffly in place, lips pressed together, waiting, unsure if he’d done something wrong.

After hearing their explanations, realization dawned on Luo Chen.

It made sense. Mi Li had spent far more time studying the Jade Essence pill than he had.

After all, the alchemic recipe came from the Mi family. She had been trained to be an alchemist from a young age by Mi Shuhua, and likely knew every ratio and ingredient by heart.

What she lacked was practice and perhaps a bit of innate talent.

As for techniques, Luo Chen had never formally taught anyone. But during Tang Quan’s countless failures with the Myriad Wonders pill, he’d shared more than a few methods. Tang Quan, in turn, had passed them down.

What he hadn’t expected was that, under these conditions, Qu Lingjun could actually apply those insights and successfully refine a low-grade Jade Essence pill.

Luo Chen stared long and hard at Qu Lingjun.

Then, in a quiet voice, he said, “After the ceremony, don’t wander off. I’ll come find you.”

With those simple words, he carefully tucked the Jade Essence pill away.

Just as he turned to leave, he paused, casting a glance over his shoulder.

“I like this gift,” he said softly.

At those words, the entire mood in the room visibly relaxed.

Mi Li let out a long, relieved breath.

Beside her, the young boy’s face lit up with unfiltered joy, a brilliant smile blooming across his features.

***

”President, it was my decision to let Mi Li and Qu Lingjun refine pills,” Sima Huiniang admitted in the Grand Universe Hall, her tone steady and direct. ”You had been in seclusion for far too long, and our ties with the Dajiang Gang, the Nangong Family, even the Li and Chen Families, were growing increasingly strained.

”We didn’t dare disturb you, but we also couldn’t let the pill business falter. So, we had Mi Li, who’d shown some alchemy skill, try to refine Jade Essence pills. Unexpectedly, it ended up being Qu Lingjun, who’d always been the assistant, who refined a successful batch.”

Luo Chen’s gaze deepened. ”How many times did he fail?”

Sima Huiniang took out the Alchemy Hall’s record book and respectfully handed it to Luo Chen without opening it.

As Luo Chen flipped through the pages, she reported in detail from below.

“There were seventy-nine attempts in total. During the first thirty-five, three came close to success but fell short. The first true breakthrough came after the sixtieth batch, seven pills formed, ten were wasted.”

She took a breath before adding, “The bottle he gave you was from a furnace fired five days ago. That time, eleven pills were completed. All were of the lowest grade.”

Seventy-nine times.

Thirty-five, sixty, seven pills, eleven pills...

Each number drifted through Luo Chen’s mind like echoes in a deep cavern, lingering longer than they should.

After a long silence, he finally closed the ledger with a soft thump and handed it back to Sima Huiniang. His fingers lingered on the worn cover for a moment, then let go.

”I understand. This time, I’ll treat it as a merit. You, Tang Quan, and Mi Li will be rewarded.

”But next time, no, there won’t be a next time. Without my permission, no one in the Alchemy Hall is allowed to refine any pills outside of what I’ve authorized.”

He didn’t elaborate on what the punishment would be should someone cross that line again, but he didn’t have to. Given Luo Chen’s usual ruthless stance toward outsiders, it was clear that even insiders wouldn’t be spared if they erred.

A chill crept up Sima Huiniang’s spine as her heart trembled.

She quickly bowed and responded respectfully, ”Yes, President.”

”President, what about Qu Lingjun?”

Luo Chen’s gaze flicked to her. His expression remained unreadable. ”I have plans for him,” he said flatly. ”You’ll know when the time comes.”

”Understood!” she replied quickly.

With that matter settled, there was still time left in the morning.

Sima Huiniang took the opportunity to begin reporting all the issues that had accumulated over the past year during Luo Chen’s seclusion. Most of them had already been dealt with, decisions made, and plans already in motion.

As for unresolved issues, they would be left to Luo Chen’s judgment.

”The ghost city is getting more dangerous?” Luo Chen frowned slightly, but before he could ask Huiniang further, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the hall.

He paused and looked toward the group that entered.

At the front were Qin Liangchen and his wife, their expressions complicated.

”Congratulations on your Foundation Establishment, President!”

”Congratulations on reaching Foundation Establishment!”

He was no longer just Little Luo, nor the familiar Luo Chen they once knew.

Instead, it was a heartfelt ”President.”

Luo Chen sighed inwardly. He had already sensed this shift long ago.

His expression remained calm as he smiled and gestured for the couple to sit.

Next came the taciturn Duan Feng, the beaming Gu Caiyi, and Granny Yuan, who entered shakily with the help of her grandson Yuan Dongsheng.

With that, the six hall leaders of the Luo Tian Society were all present.

Each of them offered Luo Chen sincere congratulations. As for how much envy or bitterness lay hidden beneath their words, no one could say.

Luo Chen accepted each greeting with composure. He did not share the easy smiles and lighthearted banter that he had exchanged with Zeng Wen’s family earlier in the outer hall.

He understood that the change in cultivation realm and status had already, unconsciously, altered the way they interacted.

People as easygoing as Zeng Wen were rare, after all. This was the same man who had dared to demand compensation from a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator like Mi Shuhua in front of a crowd.

Luo Chen was fully aware of all this.

He still regarded them as friends. But he would no longer express it through words, only through his actions in the days to come.

Soon, the Grand Universe Hall was filled with all of the Luo Tian Society’s senior members.

Only four seats remained unoccupied.

Everyone knew who those seats were reserved for.

Suddenly.

Luo Chen’s expression shifted slightly.

”Huiniang, take some people and go welcome them,” he instructed.

Sima Huiniang paused, then realized what he meant and hurried out of the hall.

Moments later, loud ceremonial announcements echoed from outside.

”Foundation Establishment cultivator Nangong Jin offers congratulations to Dan Chenzi, with a gift of a five-hundred-year-old spirit ginseng!”

After the announcement, all the Qi-Refining cultivators inside the hall rose to their feet.

Soon, Nangong Jin’s figure appeared before the crowd. Behind him walked Nangong Qin, a familiar face to all.

”Haha, you’ve gone to great expense, Fellow Daoist,” Luo Chen said cheerfully.

A hearty laugh escaped from Luo Chen’s lips. Yet he remained seated, unmoving, merely extending his hand. ”Please, Fellow Daoist Nangong Jin, take your seat.”

Nangong Jin returned the greeting, then followed an attendant to the seat at Luo Chen’s left.

After Nangong Jin’s arrival, the other Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived one after another.

Li Yixian, the matriarch of the Li Family, second only to the Duan Family in Dahe Market’s history, appeared before the public for the first time.

”Foundation Establishment cultivator Li Yixian offers congratulations to Dan Chenzi with a gift of a second-tier cultivation technique!”

At those words, the Luo Tian Society cultivators attending the banquet outside the hall erupted in astonishment.

Even the most basic second-tier technique was worth several thousand spirit stones. And yet she was gifting it so easily?

This was far more valuable than the five-hundred-year-old spirit ginseng that Nangong Jin had brought.

But Luo Chen didn’t show the slightest hint of surprise.

This was a deal they had agreed to privately beforehand.

And to obtain this technique, he had paid no small price.

Very soon! Luo Chen saw Li Yixian’s appearance for the first time.

She had an elegant figure, and her voice sounded like music from the heavens. But her looks were exceedingly plain, even among female cultivators, she could only be considered ordinary.

She looked at Luo Chen and offered him a graceful salute.

”I greet you, Fellow Daoist,” she said softly.

Luo Chen studied her face, his gaze flickering before he gave a slight nod.

Then, he deliberately averted his gaze, allowing it to fall on the young man behind her.

Li Ao. He was the most outstanding of the younger generation in the Li family and had recently taken over as patriarch.

In terms of cultivation realm and status, he was not inferior to Nangong Qin, son of Nangong Jin.

The fact that Li Yixian had brought him to such an event clearly showed how much she valued him.

”Dan Chenzi, I’m afraid Elder Zhou Qing of the Lianyun Trade Alliance won’t be coming today,” Li Yixian said as soon as she sat down.

”Oh?” Luo Chen raised an eyebrow.

Li Yixian explained in a quiet voice, ”Right now, the two Nascent Soul sects outside are fighting fiercely. The Lianyun Trade Alliance is suspected of being a covert ally of the Luoyun Sect and has been targeted by the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. Elder Zhou Qing was recently summoned back to Tianlan Immortal City by headquarters.”

So that’s what’s been happening?

Having been in seclusion for so long, Luo Chen was genuinely unaware of the upheaval in the outside world.

It seemed the two Nascent Soul sects had escalated from minor skirmishes to targeting each other’s affiliated forces. Whether the Lianyun Trade Alliance truly was a covert pawn of the Luoyun Sect remained uncertain. But judging by their involvement in setting up the ambush of Pang Renxiong at the inner city, it was likely that the alliance had played a part as well.

As Luo Chen pondered, his spirit consciousness suddenly stirred, and he turned his gaze outside.

At the same time, Li Yixian lifted her head and looked in the same direction.

Noticing their synchronized movement, Nangong Jin was taken aback.

Then, realization dawned on him. But his expression turned a little awkward.

That brief moment of delay revealed the gap between the three of them in divine soul foundation.

Li Yixian smiled gracefully and said, ”It seems Fellow Daoist Wang Haichao has arrived.”

Not long after she spoke, ceremonial shouting came from outside.

”Wang Haichao of the Dajiang Gang congratulates Dan Chenzi with the gift of a second-tier spell manual!”

After that, two figures stepped into the main hall. But it was not Wang Haichao, it was two ninth stage Qi Refining cultivators.

Min Longyu and Li Da.

Luo Chen frowned. Wasn’t Min Longyu an affiliated cultivator of the Lianyun Trade Alliance? When had he come under Wang Haichao’s banner?

At that moment, a surge of wild spirit power erupted as a cerulean flood dragon burst into the hall. Its momentum was fierce, its thrashing tail and swinging head made the entire hall tremble. Yet the force remained highly condensed, demonstrating the spellcaster’s formidable control.

This move was premeditated! If handled poorly, one could be seriously injured, or at best, left thoroughly drenched and embarrassed.

This was Luo Chen’s Foundation Establishment Ceremony! If he were drenched like a drowned rat, it would be a major loss of face.

All at once, everyone in the hall held their breath.

Luo Chen’s eyes flickered, and he gently swept his right hand.

Whoosh...

A breeze swept through, and the massive azure flood dragon dissolved into a spray of raindrops, vanishing without a trace.

What technique was that?

Wang Haichao appeared before Min Longyu and Li Da, wearing a look of astonishment. ”Fellow Daoist, your strength truly lives up to your reputation!” he exclaimed.

1. The character ”龙” (long), meaning ”dragon,” in the name Zeng Yilong (曾一龙), carries deep cultural and symbolic weight. In Chinese tradition, dragons represent power, nobility, transformation, and spiritual ascent. In cultivation settings, being called a ”dragon among cultivators” implies unparalleled potential and greatness. ☜