An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

On a mountain path shrouded in mist, two figures walked in single file. The higher they climbed, the stronger the mountain wind blew, and the thicker the fog became.

Duan Feng followed Luo Chen in growing confusion, unsure why he had been summoned. If it were about the Artifact Hall, Luo Chen could have just said so; why all the silence? Was he being mysterious on purpose? That didn’t fit with Luo Chen’s usual temperament toward his own people.

In the past, Duan Feng might have been able to guess what was on Luo Chen’s mind. But ever since Luo Chen’s Foundation Establishment, his thoughts had become increasingly unfathomable. Unless Luo Chen himself chose to speak, others could only guess in vain.

I just don’t get it... Duan Feng had no choice but to keep following.

Along the way, with the mist occasionally parting, he spotted several abandoned cave residences left by past cultivators. The spirit energy there was rich, far denser than in his cave on Xiaohuan Mountain.

Duan Feng memorized each location. He planned to speak with Sima Huiniang later and see if she could arrange for him to move in. He was just two or three years of steady effort away from reaching the Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining. With the aid of one of these dense spirit energy caves, he might be able to shave some time off that goal.

Suddenly, Luo Chen came to a halt. He didn’t turn around, so Duan Feng couldn’t see the brief hesitation on his face. In the end, Luo Chen made up his mind.

While Duan Feng remained puzzled, Luo Chen flicked his wrist, and a storage pouch appeared in his palm. He handed it over and said, ”These are yours.”

Duan Feng froze for a moment, then curiously opened the pouch. ”Revitalization liquid, Glazed Balm, calming incense...”

They were all spirit medicines essential for breaking through to Foundation Establishment. As he read through the items, astonishment slowly spread across his face. ”You... prepared these for me?”

”Keep going.”

”Right, right.” Duan Feng beamed with joy. Though he didn’t understand Luo Chen’s intention, he was genuinely delighted. When someone handed you all the materials needed for Foundation Establishment, how could you not be happy?

”Huh? What kind of pill is this?” asked Duan Feng.

”A first-tier Spirit Purification pill,” Luo Chen said. ”It accelerates the refinement of your internal spirit power, shortening the time from ninth-stage Qi-Refining to Perfected Mastery. With these first-tier Spirit Purification pills, you may reach Perfected Mastery in under a year.”

”Hsh!” Duan Feng sucked in a sharp breath, his grip tightening on the pouch as its weight seemed to multiply in his hands.

This gift... was far too great. Had anyone else in the Luo Tian Society received such treatment from Luo Chen? Or... am I the only one? Duan Feng thought, then said, ”Isn’t this a bit too—”

”Keep going,” Luo Chen interrupted.

Suppressing the surge of emotions, Duan Feng’s eyes landed on a small rhizome. ”What’s this?”

Just as his fingers brushed against it, Luo Chen’s calm voice reached him. ”An eight-hundred-year-old Heaven and Earth Root. It increases the success rate of Foundation Establishment by twenty percent. Even if the breakthrough fails, it won’t cause major harm to the body. Its value is no less than that of a regular Foundation Establishment pill.”

”This is so... Huh?” Duan Feng turned over the tongue-shaped root, intended to examine it closely, only for his eyes to land on a small slip of paper tucked beneath it.

Two unmistakable words were written there: Duan Feng.

The handwriting was all too familiar. It struck him like a bolt of lightning.

”Duan... Qian... Kun!” Duan Feng spat each syllable, his expression wavering between disbelief and shock.

Luo Chen reached out and patted his shoulder lightly. ”I unlocked Duan Qiankun’s storage pouch and found these items inside. They were packed together, clearly prepared meticulously for someone. And that someone... was you.”

The words were spoken calmly.

But in Duan Feng’s heart, they stirred a storm.

Impossible! That old dog stole my Foundation Establishment pill, ruined my mother, and left me with no standing in the Duan Family! How could he have prepared all the cultivation resources from ninth stage Qi-Refining to Foundation Establishment... for me? This can’t be real!

No.. wait! Maybe... it’s actually possible! A long time ago, he had repeatedly sent people to persuade me to return to the Duan family. Was it Duan Rui’s failure that drove his desperation so much that he pinned all his hopes on me? If that were the case, then it almost made sense.

But then... What did that make me? I led people to kill him, to destroy the Duan family. Did that not make me the heartless beast? No, I wasn’t wrong. I did it to take revenge on my mother and myself. But...

”Duan Feng!!!”

A thunderous shout rang out like a great bell, resounding in Duan Feng’s ears, his mind, and deep within his heart.

Duan Feng’s entire body jolted as he snapped out of his daze.

Seeing this, Luo Chen couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. What he feared most was that Duan Feng wouldn’t be able to handle the shock, his enemy turning into a benefactor.

Wouldn’t that mean everything he’d done before... had been wrong?

Under such a crushing blow, cultivators were especially prone to falling into cultivation deviation. In other words, Heart Devils.

Just like Luo Chen himself, when he was still in the Qi-Refining Realm, he had once been struck by a Heart Tribulation out of nowhere. He had barely survived it. But as for Duan Feng, Luo Chen had no idea what his tolerance was like. That’s why he had brought him to this secluded place so he could use the Soul-Intimidation to jolt him back if necessary. So far, it seemed nothing had gone wrong.

”Luo Chen, I...”

He didn’t call him President like usual, just Luo Chen, instinctively.

It was a clear sign of how chaotic Duan Feng’s emotions were at this moment. His body trembled, his eyes clouded with confusion as he looked at Luo Chen. Pain, regret, stubbornness, and longing all tangled together into a twisted expression.

Luo Chen took a deep breath and clutched his shoulder firmly. ”I hesitated at first about whether I should give you this, because I knew it would hit you hard. But after thinking it through, I decided to hand it over. By reason, these were meant for you by Duan Qiankun. By merit, they’re part of the spoils you, me, and Wang Yuan earned. It was your rightful share.

”As for how you choose to see it, that’s your decision. But regarding Duan Qiankun, I’ll say that you were absolutely right to do what you did. Never doubt yourself, especially on the cultivation path. We all stumble, make mistakes, and face unintended consequences. But you must never regret your choices, nor let the past shake the person you are now.

”These resources are yours by right. There’s no guilt in accepting them. Do you understand?”

The trembling in Duan Feng’s body gradually eased. Gripping the pouch, he no longer felt it weighing on him like a mountain, though his mind remained in turmoil.

After a long silence, he gave a bitter smile. ”I need some time alone.”

”Alright. Go on, then. I’ve already asked Su Xiaolin and Bian Zhen to manage the Artifact Hall for now,” Luo Chen replied.

Duan Feng turned and walked down the mountain in a daze. He paused briefly, then, without looking back, said softly, ”...Thank you.”

With that, his figure vanished into the misty clouds.

Luo Chen let out a sigh. What’s there to thank me for?

Still, with this matter resolved, a weight had lifted from his chest. With Duan Feng’s temperament, as long as he didn’t sink too deep into the trap at the start, he would eventually find his way back. Those resources were far too valuable to be wasted.

Luo Chen turned toward the summit, and his thoughts shifted. Right now, the Luo Tian Society is still rebuilding from the ground up, but with Huiniang holding down the center, I don’t need to micromanage everything. That frees up a bit of time for me. Next... I’ll push the Clear Origin Mystical Pill Method to minor mastery as soon as possible!