An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Just a modest sum of spirit stones, and I’ll take care of them for you!” said Chu Kui.

Luo Chen stared at him, momentarily stunned by the man’s brazen and unfiltered intent to kill. His honest little heart felt as if it had been struck. Were all the people of Tianlan Immortal City really this unrestrained?

Were all the people of Tianlan Immortal City really this unrestrained?

Luo Chen couldn’t help but ask, ”Do you have a grudge with them?”

Chu Kui blinked. ”No past hatred, no present feud.”

”Then why...”

”Come on! I’m just addressing your urgency and fulfilling your need. Don’t you have that need, Fellow Daoist Luo?” Chu Kui thumped his broad chest and declared with full confidence, ”Leave it to me, and you’ll never have to worry again!”

Luo Chen slowly shook his head. His current disputes with those two factions hadn’t reached the point of bloodshed. In fact, thanks to Sima Huiniang’s efforts, relations between the Geng family and the Luo Tian Society had already begun to ease. Soon, they would be reestablishing their presence in Biyou Valley.

As for the Divine Craftsman Sect, they had suffered nothing worse than a bruised ego. If that was enough to warrant a full-scale war, then cultivators might as well abandon cultivation altogether and throw artifacts at each other all day.

Of course, precautions still had to be taken. For now, the Luo Tian Society was focused on rebuilding, recovering, and laying foundations. If they could endure this crucial period, they would secure strong roots in Tianlan Immortal City. Starting a fresh battle at this time would be nothing short of foolish.

Chu Kui’s disappointment was plain when he saw Luo Chen turn him down. Luo Chen noticed his expression and asked, ”If you’re this determined, Fellow Daoist Chu, surely there are others in the city who need your help. Why single out the Luo Tian Society?”

Chu Kui answered without hesitation, ”Naturally, because I think you can afford the price for my services.

Luo Chen’s eyes flickered.

Chu Kui let out a low chuckle and poured more Taibai Wine into his cups. ”Not to pry, but Fellow Daoist, judging by your bearing... you hardly look like someone struggling for spirit stones.”

”Oh? What gives you that impression?”

Chu Kui pointed down at the platform, then up at the mountainside. ”Renting a second-tier cave residence right when you arrived? Had the Ice Fortress cultivators reserved a top-grade of that tier? Hardly the actions of a penniless wanderer, wouldn’t you say?” Some might say you’re just putting on airs, but not me! Anyone who can casually lease Danxia Peak for a whole decade must have deep pockets.”

Luo Chen nodded with understanding. He was aware that his movements upon arrival in Tianlan Immortal City had been far from discreet. Anyone with a little curiosity could dig up most of it. It ran against his principle of not flaunting wealth, but he was no longer a lone cultivator. He was leading a faction.

He had already demonstrated his strength. Only by exhibiting both authority and wealth could he and the Luo Tian Society face fewer obstacles in the beginning. Running a faction was nothing like walking the path of a lone rogue cultivator. The latter prized caution and survival, and the former demanded bold gestures and a focus on prioritizing profit. Only by showing sufficient power would one earn respect.

Luo Chen asked, ”If you’ve got no grudge with the Divine Craftsman Sect, why not go to them first and then turn on me after they hire you?”

Chu Kui sneered. ”Pft, those paupers couldn’t even afford my down payment.”

That piqued Luo Chen’s curiosity. With a faint smile, he asked, ”What’s your rate, Fellow Daoist Chu?”

”That’s easy!” Chu Kui’s eyes practically sparkled with gold. ”A force like the Divine Craftsman Sect with early stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, I’ll handle them for only a hundred thousand spirit stones. Mid stage Foundation Establishment cultivators? That’ll be two hundred thousand spirit stones. I even take on late stage Foundation Establishment cultivators too, and the price depends on whether they’ve got powerful enchanted gear or powerful backers. It’s simple. As long as the spirit stones are in place, I’ll smash any enemies into pieces.”

Luo Chen stared at him, mouth slightly open, completely at a loss for words.

Even the business of assassination has such detailed price tiers? And not just that, the price was outrageous. One or two hundred thousand spirit stones... Just how many years would it take an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator without any special skills to save up that much?

Luo Chen took a sip of wine, then swallowed hard. Setting his cup down, he asked, ”And what does Fellow Daoist usually do to make a living?”

Chu Kui sighed and muttered, ”What else can I do? I don’t have any other talents, just a bit of skill in combat. So most days, I rely on rewards from the Debate Platform, work as an enriched retainer for a few minor cultivation families, and take on the occasional bounty to scrape by. It’s all hard-earned blood-and-sweat money!”

Luo Chen nodded in agreement. Yes, blood and sweat. You sweat, while someone else bleeds.

Chu Kui could see now that Luo Chen wasn’t the type to constantly look for fights. He was sharp and calculative but not bloodthirsty. That meant today’s business deal was going nowhere. Luo Chen had already made up his mind, and no amount of persuasion or price-haggling would move him.

Chu Kui said, ”Building a faction like yours is different from our rogue cultivator lives; it’s far more complicated. You’ll run into trouble sooner or later. When that happens, I hope you’ll remember me. I’ll say it again, if the spirit stones are in place, I’ll break any enemies into pieces!”

Luo Chen naturally agreed. Making connections with someone who ranked among the top experts in Foundation Establishment was bound to be beneficial. And the man didn’t ask for anything, just spirit stones. Anything solvable with spirit stones wasn’t a true problem. Once the pill business took off, he would never lack for them again.

Just as Luo Chen was about to speak again, he noticed Chu Kui turning to look toward a certain direction. Sensing something himself, he followed his line of sight.

The surrounding mist suddenly thinned. A ripple of moisture spread outward, and from halfway down the mountain came a sharp surge of nascent energy.

Chu Kui let out a surprised hum and said, ”Who’s the lucky one? Someone just broke through to Foundation Establishment. He’s one of us now!”

Luo Chen abruptly rose to his feet. ”My apologies. This drinking session will have to end here.”

Chu Kui raised an eyebrow, then realized what this meant. ”In that case, may fate let us drink again another day.”

”Absolutely. I’ll host next time!”

With a respectful clasp of fists, Chu Kui cast one last glance at the surging energy flow before summoning his white cloud and drifting away.

Once he had departed, Luo Chen turned toward the secluded cave residence nestled into the mountainside opposite, his eyes brimming with anticipation.

Duan Feng!

Just moments ago, Duan Feng had released the aura of a Foundation Establishment breakthrough. That meant he had entered the final critical stage of his breakthrough, and in such a moment, the last thing one could afford was interruption. Yet despite choosing a secluded location, Tianlan Peak was no desolate place. Cultivators of all kinds filled the mountainside; someone was bound to notice.

Chu Kui, a late stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, had sensed it instantly. Luo Chen, with his formidable divine soul, had detected it almost as quickly. And now, as the wave of energy flow spread wider, more and more cultivators began to take note. Threads of spirit consciousness swept out from every direction, probing to locate the source.

Luo Chen’s brow furrowed. He ordered Little Ling to guard their cave, then shot into the air without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, he landed before Duan Feng’s cave residence.

He did not attempt to conceal himself; his finely honed Foundation Establishment aura surged outward. His piercing gaze swept in all directions as he released a thread of spirit consciousness voice transmission.

”Everyone, there is nothing to see here. There is a city decree that no cultivator is to be disturbed while cultivating on Tianlan Peak. Be on your way.”

With his open speech, the incoming spirit consciousness paused momentarily, then gradually withdrew one after another.

Luo Chen had spoken the truth. On Tianlan Peak, fighting of any kind was strictly forbidden. Any violation of the decree, regardless of which of the Seven Sects happened to be on rotation, would be met with swift and merciless punishment.

Those cultivators were just curious; not worth stirring up trouble for a little curiosity.

As the tide of spirit consciousness receded, Luo Chen exhaled in relief. Even with his strong divine soul, being probed by so many cultivators at once had been suffocating. Among them, he had no doubt, were mid and even late stage Foundation Establishment experts.

Turning around, he stared at Duan Feng’s cave and resisted the urge to go in. Interference at such a moment was forbidden. He remembered clearly his own Foundation Establishment, when Nangong Jin had tried to approach him. Back then, it had been Wang Yuan who personally blocked the approach.

Now, the tides of time have shifted, and it was his turn to serve as a protector for Duan Feng.

”It should be soon,” Luo Chen murmured.

As he whispered to himself, he quietly laid down another defensive formation outside the cave residence, just in case.

***

Three days later, a long howl split the air. Brief and sharp, it echoed across the peak before vanishing without a trace.

Inside Duan Feng’s cave residence, two figures now sat across from each other.

Luo Chen studied him closely. Duan Feng’s energy was sharper than ever, his spirit power surging and ebbing like the tide. A satisfied smile touched Luo Chen’s lips. ”Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Little Duan!”

Duan Feng had been about to respond with the same solemn courtesy, but Luo Chen’s offhand ”Little Duan” nearly made him lose his composure. Still, he shook his head with a smile. ”I’ve finally reached Foundation Establishment.”

That single line carried the weight of his long and bitter struggle. In it were the exhaustion, perseverance, and hardships of every step along the road to Foundation Establishment.

Luo Chen personally poured him a cup of spirit wine in celebration.

After clinking cups, Duan Feng let out a long sigh. ”I didn’t realize Foundation Establishment was this hard. If you hadn’t simulated the breakthrough process for me before I went into seclusion, I might’ve failed at the very last step of condensing my spirit energy into liquid form.”

Luo Chen certainly understood the difficulty of the breakthrough. His own breakthrough had been forged through nothing but sheer willpower, each step grueling. The degree of difficulty varied from person to person, but those with weaker aptitudes always faced the hardest trials.

Suddenly, Duan Feng stood up.

Hmm?

To Luo Chen’s surprise, he stepped away from the stone table and bowed deeply. ”Thank you for supporting me on this path. I am deeply grateful!”

Luo Chen opened his mouth slightly, then grinned. ”You little brat!”

He didn’t dodge the gesture. Instead, he received the bow with calm generosity.

”So, what do you plan to do next?” asked Luo Chen.

Duan Feng considered for a moment before replying, ”The technique isn’t a problem. I just need to follow the Foundation Establishment section of the Ocean-Severing Wave manual step by step. For the next few years, my main focus will be stabilizing my realm.”

Luo Chen nodded. That was how it should be. He himself had taken three full years to truly settle his cultivation after breaking through.

Right now, Duan Feng’s spirit energy was fluctuating wildly, proof that his foundation was unstable. In such a condition, combat was far too risky.

Just like Huo Hu. That man had only barely stepped into the Foundation Establishment Realm, yet he couldn’t wait to leave the Flame Alliance. Worse still, he had gone out looking for fights. And in those fights, he had even dared to wield an enchanted treasure.

Reckless and childish!

True combat strength was never about cultivation or fancy weapons. It had always been about controlling the power one has. If that power wasn’t fully under your control, then it wasn’t real strength. It was just noise.

Wang Yuan had embodied this principle better than anyone.

And now, Luo Chen himself has become a model of the principle. Even with countless killing moves at his disposal, he always relied on the ones he could execute with certainty. He never cast Solar Flare just because it was powerful, only when the timing was right and the purpose clear. Every technique had its time and place.

Even so, Luo Chen sighed. ”Alright then, go into seclusion for a few years. I’ll let Liu Qiang and your disciples watch over the Artifact Hall in your stead.”

The sigh came from knowing just how short-handed the Luo Tian Society remained. But no matter how tight the manpower, solidifying Duan Feng’s foundation had to come first.

To his surprise, Duan Feng chuckled as he shook his head and said, ”I do need to stabilize my cultivation, but I don’t have to go into full seclusion.”

”Huh?” Luo Chen blinked.

Duan Feng grinned. ”Did you forget how I refined my spirit power during Qi-Refining?”

Luo Chen frowned slightly, thinking carefully. Then it clicked. Back then, Duan Feng had refined his spirit energy little by little by forging enchanted materials, hammering metals while working on artifacts.

”Wait, are you saying you can still use that method now, even after Foundation Establishment?”

Duan Feng gave a slight nod. ”Yes, this is a derivative technique born of the Duan family’s fusion of artifact arts. It was... that old man who sent someone to teach it to me.”

He paused, his expression a bit strained but noticeably more at ease than before. ”I was only able to achieve Foundation Establishment because of the help you gave me. I have no other way to repay you, but the Luo Tian Society is your lifeblood. It’s only right that I contribute.”

Luo Chen replied with a sigh, ”It’s not like you need to rush into anything.”

”No!” Duan Feng shook his head firmly. ”You may not think much of the Artifact Hall, but after overseeing it for a year, I believe it has real potential. If managed properly, it could bring in considerable profits for the Luo Tian Society. Besides, after Foundation Establishment, one’s need for resources skyrockets. I can’t just break through and then sit around waiting for you to hand out miracle pills!”

His last line carried a teasing tone.

Luo Chen couldn’t help but chuckle. If the Artifact Hall could be properly developed, it would stand alongside the Alchemy Hall and the Medicine Hall, responsible for hundreds of spirit fields, as the Luo Tian Society’s third major revenue stream. And walking on three legs was always steadier than on one or two.

As the head of the Artifact Hall, Duan Feng would also see a significant boost in the spirit stones he earned.

”Oh, right!” Suddenly, Duan Feng flipped his palm, and two spherical objects appeared in his hand. The spheres shimmered with a silver-white sheen, their surfaces flowing like molten metal.

The moment he saw them, Luo Chen’s heart skipped a beat. ”They’re confirmed?”

Duan Feng nodded solemnly. ”Confirmed. These two are undoubtedly enchanted treasure embryos.”

Even as he spoke, his breathing grew heavy with excitement. And not just his. Though Luo Chen had tried to brace himself, even he felt his chest tighten. His lips pressed into a thin line as he struggled to contain the ripple of anticipation.