An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

“Also,” Luo Chen added, “I have a list here. Have someone gather all the materials on it, ten sets of everything, and send them to my cave residence.”

As Sima Huiniang blinked in confusion, a thin sheet of paper fluttered down into her hands. She caught it instinctively, already preparing herself for the next wave of logistical tasks.

Blue Smoke Jade, Lingting Fragrant Herb, ten-year-old cold ginseng, angelica root, fallopia, motherwort, aloe vera...

The densely packed list of medicinal ingredients made Sima Huiniang’s eyelids twitch involuntarily. In particular, there were several herbs she recognized well. They were especially beneficial to female cultivators; even when taken raw, they produced visible results.

Just one glance left Sima Huiniang wondering, Was the president planning to refine some sort of pill specifically useful to female cultivators?

Before she could dwell further, Luo Chen’s voice sounded in her ear. “Gather them quickly, but assign different people and purchase them separately. Don’t forget.”

Sima Huiniang nodded firmly. She could sense how much importance Luo Chen placed on the list he had handed her, and without hesitation, she resolved to oversee the matter personally. With that, the arrangements for the Jade Essence pills came to a close for now; the next steps would depend on execution.

Luo Chen then turned to Duan Feng. He saw the smooth, almost overflowing aura surrounding him and spoke with a note of approval, “You haven’t been slacking. You’ve reached Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining.”

Duan Feng pressed his lips together and gave a silent nod. By all rights, he shouldn’t have reached Perfected Mastery so soon; it should have taken him several more years. But with the resources Duan Qiankun had left behind, the breakthrough became possible. He had always been talented, and with this final push, he succeeded. Even so, he remained composed at Luo Chen’s remark.

Sima Huiniang couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened. According to Luo Chen’s promise, whoever among them reached Perfected Mastery Qi-Refining first could purchase that Foundation Establishment pill from him at the original auction price.

Among that group, the closest to Perfected Mastery were herself, Murong Qinglian, Duan Feng, and Bian Zhen. Though her work kept her busy, she enjoyed the best resources among them. By all rights, she should’ve been the first to reach Perfected Mastery. Yet Duan Feng had overtaken her in the end.

So now...

“When do you plan to attempt Foundation Establishment?” Luo Chen asked.

Duan Feng raised his head and answered frankly, “There’s no time like the present. Since I’ve already reached Perfected Mastery, there’s no point in delaying. I plan to use my savings to rent a second-tier low-grade cave residence on Tianlan Peak and make my breakthrough within the next two days.”

Sharp-edged and brimming with momentum, this was the Duan Feng Luo Chen remembered: ruthless and decisive, the man who had once set his sights on killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator while still in Qi-Refining.

Luo Chen nodded. “Do you need any assistance?”

Duan Feng shook his head. “You’ve already helped me plenty. I’ve been studying that Foundation Establishment insight you gave me for over a year. I’m confident in my chances.”

That much was true. His foundation was solid, and the resources left by Duan Qiankun had been tailored to him, perhaps even more fitting than anything Luo Chen could have prepared. With Luo Chen’s five attempts at Foundation Establishment and the insights he had shared, if Duan Feng still lacked confidence, he might as well give up altogether.

“By the way, I have a faint idea of what those two mithril spheres might be.” Duan Feng suddenly said.

Luo Chen raised a brow but saw that Duan Feng looked somewhat hesitant. “Is there something wrong?

Duan Feng replied, “I’m just speculating. I won’t know for sure until I reach Foundation Establishment and undo the restriction formations.”

As he spoke, Duan Feng lifted a small booklet with spirit energy and sent it floating over. Luo Chen caught it and flipped it open. The moment his eyes fell on the content, his pupils contracted slightly. He shot a deep, searching look at Duan Feng.

“Alright,” Luo Chen said quietly. “Then I’ll wait for your successful breakthrough.”

Standing off to the side, Sima Huiniang had quietly observed their entire exchange. Yet not once had either of them mentioned the Foundation Establishment pill. Not a single word. That left her a little puzzled.

Before she could dwell on it, Luo Chen turned to her with a faint smile. “Don’t bother guessing. Duan Feng has his own fortuitous encounter. He won’t be needing that Foundation Establishment pill for now.”

Sima Huiniang froze. Then, despite her effort to remain composed, a surge of joy rose in her chest. The slight curl at the corner of her lips betrayed her joy.

Luo Chen only smiled. At his current cultivation, one or two Foundation Establishment pills no longer meant much. As long as he remained determined and willing to pay the price, obtaining more was far easier than in the days when he had been a lone rogue cultivator scrambling for survival.

Next, Luo Chen and Sima Huiniang discussed various internal matters of the Luo Tian Society. In particular, they touched on relations with two nearby factions. One of them was the Geng family, their former enemies. Now that things had calmed, it was best to seek peace. After all, a close neighbor was better than a distant relative. Allowing hostility to linger would benefit no one.

Sima Huiniang suggested inviting them to resettle in Biyou Valley and resume their previous business operations. From early dealings, they had not seemed as stubborn as expected. After all, nothing moved people like profit.

Biyou Valley wasn’t particularly large, but after a hundred years of rogue cultivators squatting on Danxia Peak, it had gradually nurtured a modest commercial atmosphere of its own. Over time, stalls had popped up, trade had taken root, and a small but steady stream of commerce had begun to flow. Given this foundation, it wasn’t unreasonable to consider managing the valley as a small marketplace. Over the past year, both Gu Caiyi’s pills and Duan Feng’s enchanted artifacts had been sold through that very channel.

“If managed well,” Sima Huiniang suggested, “we could even host small-scale auctions in Biyou Valley in the future. Whether it’s for building reputation or generating income, there’s definitely potential.”

Luo Chen wholeheartedly agreed with her proposal. Forget the Luo Tian Society, even the Poshan Gang had its own private black market. Within that hidden economy, his Jade Essence pills had already earned a name.

Sima Huiniang turned into another matter. “Granny Yuan has passed, but the Medicine Hall cannot remain without a leader for even a day. I have three potential candidates in mind: Bian Zhen, who has a high cultivation; Feng Xia, who is highly knowledgeable in medicinal herbs; and Yuan Dongsheng, who specializes in spirit plant cultivation. President, who do you favor?”

Luo Chen considered for a moment before replying steadily, “The Medicine Hall is crucial; it touches on two of our Luo Tian Society’s lifelines.”

Those lifelines were the Alchemy Hall and the more than four hundred plots of spirit fields. The former was manageable with Luo Chen’s direct oversight. The latter, though not lucrative now, would one day yield immense profits with patience and time. In fact, many small sects survived entirely by managing their spirit fields.

“We need someone with strong cultivation at the helm,” Luo Chen replied. “Though Bian Zhen joined us later, his loyalty has been tested and proven. He shall serve as Head of the Medicine Hall.”

Sima Huiniang hummed in agreement. Truthfully, she had thought the same. With Bian Zhen’s cultivation, keeping him under Zhou Yuanli’s authority had been a waste of talent.

“Still, letting an outsider lead specialists always carries risk. That’s why Feng Xia and Yuan Dongsheng’s responsibilities should be expanded accordingly. Appoint them as Spirit Botanist Elder and Spirit Medicine Elder of the Medicine Hall, respectively, each overseeing their domain. Bian Zhen will preside over the overall operation,” said Luo Chen.

After hearing the plan, Sima Huiniang couldn’t help but feel wholeheartedly convinced. “Brilliant insight, Chairman!”

Luo Chen smiled faintly.

Brilliant insight? Hardly. The Luo Tian Society simply lacked the manpower to spare. All he had done was place each capable person in the role most suited to them.

Still, Bian Zhen’s appointment brought another matter to light. After so many battles, most of the survivors in the Luo Tian Society were elites. Each had gained greatly, their cultivation rising sharply. Just this past year alone, three more had reached the ninth stage of Qi-Refining. They could not be left idle.

“I heard you’ve established an outer division?” asked Luo Chen.

Sima Huiniang was momentarily taken aback, but quickly nodded. “I modeled it after the major sects and created an Outer Hall. At present, it’s just Xu Xiaolu hired as a steward and a few mid-stage Qi-Refining cultivators running errands.”

Luo Chen rubbed his chin thoughtfully. After a while, he said, “Draft a proposal. See if we can transfer a group of members who don’t have any standout talents, but possess decent strength, and assign them to the Outer Hall. These people will be responsible for miscellaneous affairs that don’t fall under the main halls’ purview. They’ll act as bridges, both externally and internally, connecting all the departments. Appoint an Elder to oversee the Outer Hall. You’ll be in charge of coordinating them.”

Sima Huiniang noted it down silently, already planning to begin implementation.

With that, the brief meeting came to a close.

Luo Chen spent the night at Danxia Peak. The next day, he attended Granny Yuan’s funeral, then returned to the Immortal City with Duan Feng.

Once back, Duan Feng went off to lease a cave residence and prepare for his Foundation Establishment.

As for Luo Chen, he plunged straight into the bustling heart of the Immortal City. His figure began appearing in major shops all across the city.

Now that his cultivation path was set, a massive procurement spree was inevitable!