An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

The Jade Cauldron Domain spanned a vast region. While not quite as expansive as the Medicine King Domain, famed for stretching tens of thousands of li, it still held the majesty of a true great domain.

With such a broad expanse, it was naturally impossible for the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect to monopolize the entire domain. The sect merely held nominal supremacy over the region.

Within the domain, the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect led six other Core Formation sects. Together, they were known as the Seven Jade Cauldron Sects.

Beneath them lay a multitude of sects, both large and small.

Apart from sect territories, there were also rogue cultivator hubs centered around immortal cities and marketplaces. Some of the larger immortal cities boasted top-grade spirit lands and were no weaker than standard Core Formation sects.

Marketplaces, on the other hand, were a more peculiar case. There were over a thousand large marketplaces across the Jade Cauldron Domain.

As for the smaller ones, they were as numerous as fish in a river, utterly uncountable. Wherever spirit energy was abundant, or travel routes converged, there would always be cultivators stepping up to establish a marketplace. Some of the more prosperous ones would gradually attract sect attention, and eventually, sect-affiliated businesses would settle in.

Among this countless sea of marketplaces, Dahe Market was one of the rare exceptions. Its rise was not due to any one person, but purely because of its location. Situated at the edge of the Great Eastern Wilderness and facing the undeveloped Great Million Mountains, it held enormous strategic value. Hence, combined with its abundant resources, it naturally attracted a growing populace over time.

In comparison, the surrounding marketplaces were relatively unremarkable. Aside from Snow Lotus Market, which held similar strategic importance, the rest were typical, lacking any special advantages. More importantly, they were all located far from Dahe Market. Even the second-closest, Taishan Market, was separated by a vast stretch of wilderness, eight thousand li away. Though eight thousand li sounded daunting, but for Foundation Establishment cultivators, it was merely a day or two of full-speed flight.

The reason few people ever traveled directly between the two markets wasn’t just the distance, it was the vast, untamed wilderness that stretched between them. Towering mountain ranges like the Nanwa Snow Mountains and Ninefold Mountain stood in the way, their peaks looming high and dangerous. These regions were teeming with demonic beasts, including roaming third-tier threats. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators had to remain vigilant when passing through.

As for Qi-Refining rogue cultivators, or mortals, the journey across those eight thousand li was nothing short of grueling. Most who had managed to reach Dahe Market in the past had either traveled with well-guarded trade caravans or relied on the Dajiang Gang’s ships to get across safely. Those lucky enough to make it on foot were exceedingly rare.

Now that all four major forces were on the move, families, followers, and belongings in tow, their pace had inevitably slowed. Migration wasn’t something that could be rushed.

In the past three days, they had covered only about one third of the total journey. And the next stretch would be even slower. The terrain ahead offered no shelter on either side, and traveling at night was out of the question. Progress, if anything, would crawl.

Still, no matter how far the road, every step brought them closer. Like rivers rushing toward the sea, they would reach their destination, one way or another.

On the fifth day, Luo Chen stood quietly on the deck, letting the gentle breeze wash over him. The air was fresh, crisp with the scent of water. Mist from the rolling waves rose to meet his face, cool and bracing, clearing away the fatigue that clung to him after days of travel.

“How much farther to Taishan Market?” he asked, his voice calm, eyes fixed on the horizon.

Beside him, Qin Liangchen gave a cheerful grin. “Not far now. Once we get past this flat stretch of river, it’s all downstream. A day or two at most, and we’ll be there.”

That soon? Luo Chen had assumed it would take much longer. But then he recalled how, back when the Debate Platform first opened, rogue cultivators from nearby markets had gathered so swiftly.

Clearly, distance meant little to cultivators. The only reason they were moving so slowly now was because of the sheer number of people traveling together.

With so many on the move, it was inevitable that trouble would follow.

“You mentioned before it took quite a while to send Xiaohu to Luoyun Sect, didn’t it?”

At the mention of his son, a soft warmth surfaced on Qin Liangchen’s face.

He said with a sigh, “It did take quite a while, almost half a year.”

“You must have passed through a lot of places along the way, then?”

“We did. The first stop was Taishan Market, then Yuelang Market. We tried to avoid territory held by cultivation families, which meant detouring a lot... In the end, we spent half a month waiting in Qianye City before the Luoyun Sect began their disciple recruitment.”

Luo Chen asked curiously, “Qianye City? Isn’t that one of the immortal cities?”

”That’s right! It’s ranked seventh among the ten great immortal cities of the Jade Cauldron Domain,” the speaker said with admiration. ”The place is teeming with cultivators, Qi-Refining ones as common as clouds, Foundation Establishment experts as frequent as falling rain, and even Golden Core Adepts show up now and then.”

Listening to Qin Liangchen speak, one could almost believe that Qianye Immortal City was the very heart of the cultivation world.

Compared to that, a remote place like Dahe Market felt no different from a mundane countryside town, quiet, small, and lacking in everything a cultivator might need.

It was a world apart from Dahe Market. In a place like Qianye Immortal City, as long as you had the wealth, cultivation resources were never an issue. You didn’t have to worry about scarcity or inflated prices. It wasn’t like Dahe, where even with a pouch full of spirit stones, you might still walk away empty-handed. Over time, this gave rise to various factions and organizations. Surrounding a single super immortal city, one might find dozens, if not hundreds, of cultivation clans.

“To be honest, an environment like that might actually be better for our Luo Tian Society to grow.” Qin Liangchen said with a sigh, then shook his head. “Unfortunately, Qianye City is far from here, and it’s very close to Luoyun Sect and that entire region is caught up in sect wars.”

Luo Chen looked thoughtful. “What about Tianlan Immortal City?”

Qin Liangchen paused, caught off guard by the question. “It’s definitely closer,” he replied after a moment. “If we don’t take any major detours, we could reach it in a month or two by passing through Glowing Stream Market.”

“How’s the situation there?”

Looking at Luo Chen, a wild thought crossed Qin Liangchen’s mind.

Don’t tell me he’s planning to move the entire Luo Tian Society to Tianlan Immortal City?

Out loud, he continued answering Luo Chen’s question seriously. “Tianlan and Qianye are quite different. Qianye is mainly backed by the Luoyun Sect and three other sects. Tianlan, on the other hand, was jointly funded by all seven major sects of the Jade Cauldron Domain. Geographically, it’s not in any one sect’s heartland, and currently...”

Qin Liangchen was one of the few members of the Luo Tian Society who had traveled beyond their borders in recent years. His experiences and breadth of knowledge far exceeded those of the local cultivators. Through his explanations, Luo Chen was able to gain a rough understanding of the broader structure of the Jade Cauldron Domain.

The domain was shaped by the influence of seven great sects, each of which nominally ruled over its own super immortal city. In addition to these seven, three more supercities had been jointly constructed in strategically important regions, funded and maintained through a collective effort. Together, they formed the famed Ten Immortal Cities of the Jade Cauldron Domain.

Luo Chen was already familiar with one such organization tied to these cities, the Lianyun Trade Alliance, whose headquarters were based in Tianlan Immortal City. Surrounding it were the territories of three prominent sects: Ai Lao Mountain, the Ice Fortress, and the Hundred Flowers Palace.

Nominally, the entire Jade Cauldron Domain belonged to the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. In reality, it was governed under a one-great-six-small system of shared rule.

Some marketplaces were clearly aligned with specific sects, Snow Lotus Market, for example, was under the Ice Fortress’s jurisdiction, while Taishan Market fell within the Flame Alliance’s sphere of influence. Dahe Market, however, was a different story altogether. It resembled more of an isolated enclave, loosely and remotely managed by the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.

The sects maintained control over their domains through these immortal cities and marketplaces, seeking to absorb and manage as many cultivation resources as possible. Beyond that, they also developed vast stretches of land without spirit energy, allowing large mortal populations to flourish under their indirect rule.

Mortal kingdoms, marketplaces, cultivation families, immortal cities, Golden Core major sects, and Nascent Soul upper sect, layer upon layer, these elements formed the rich, intricate web that made the Jade Cauldron Domain the bustling powerhouse it was today.

As the two continued chatting, Luo Chen’s expression suddenly changed.

Qin Liangchen, puzzled by the shift, was immediately interrupted by the rising uproar from up ahead.

“It’s sinking! It’s going down!”

“It’s being pulled under!”

“Heavens, what is that monster?!”

Crash! Crash!

A deafening roar of surging waves erupted across the river.

“Go regroup with the others!” Luo Chen called out.

Luo Chen tossed the order to Qin Liangchen without looking back and leapt into the air. A soft white cloud gathered beneath his feet, rising swiftly and carrying him upward. Within moments, he crested the treetops, and saw clearly what was happening in the distance.

A massive vortex, easily over a hundred zhang wide, spun slowly in the middle of the wide Lancang River. Though it looked slow, it had formed and expanded in the blink of an eye.

By the time Luo Chen laid eyes on it, the lead enchanted ship had already been swallowed halfway. The activated defensive formation hadn’t even lasted a breath before vanishing into nothingness.

Over a thousand cultivators fled the ship in panic. But no matter how they flew, they couldn’t escape the vortex’s pull.

Some who barely reached the riverbank were pierced clean through by terrifying jets of water. It was as if escape itself had been forbidden.

“A third-tier demonic beast!” Luo Chen’s expression shifted dramatically.

His gaze snapped toward Wang Haichao, who had already exited the ship.

“Gang Leader Wang, what’s going on here?!”

He wasn’t the only one, Li Yixian and Nangong Jin also flew out, faces pale and stricken. Yet despite their alarm, Wang Haichao, while grim, did not appear particularly worried.

He sent a voice transmission: “No need to worry. This beast has a gentle temperament. As long as it’s well fed, it won’t cause trouble.”

Well fed? What kind of nonsense explanation was that? Luo Chen’s face turned deathly grim as he stared at the ship being slowly devoured by the whirlpool.

The rogue cultivators still trapped inside the vortex continued screaming for help.

“Help me!”

“Please! Save me!”

“There’s a demon king! It’s going to eat us!”

“Gang Leader Wang, I paid for my ticket! Save me, please!”

“Wang Haichao! If you let us die, you’ll burn in hell!”

Aboard the giant Dragon Whale vessel, Wang Haichao watched it all with cold detachment. Despite the flood of furious curses, he remained unmoved, as though he couldn’t hear a thing.