An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Indeed, it was the Luo Tian Society that had come with ill intent. They offered high-quality pills and attentive service at rock-bottom prices and stormed into the first-tier pill market of Tianlan Immortal City without the slightest regard for convention or fairness. The ones who should be worried were the local businesses, not them.

As for potential retaliation from those forces?

It was nothing to fear. As long as matters did not escalate into violence, they would have to be resolved through proper business tactics.

Luo Chen might not have been a master of commerce, but he was by no means inferior to those rigid old cultivators. More importantly, pills were never a one-sided trade. Everything depended on the choices of rogue cultivators. Their wealth, cultivation paths, and personal needs all varied, which meant a divided market was inevitable.

Even before the Luo Tian Society’s arrival, Tianlan Immortal City’s pill market had never been truly unified. There was no reason to believe the existing factions would suddenly band together just because the Luo Tian Society had entered the market. In fact, the more likely scenario was something else entirely.

As for what that would be...

***

”Patriarch, we’ve finished the investigation!”

Zheng Kejian glanced at the man and uttered a single word. “Speak.”

The cultivator tasked with gathering intel trembled inwardly and hurried to report everything he had learned the day before.

“The force disrupting our pill business is a rising power called the Luo Tian Society. They arrived in Tianlan Immortal City two years ago, reportedly from the remote Dahe Market. Their leader is a second-tier alchemist, known especially for refining a first-tier pill called the Jade Essence pill. It first appeared in the city around the same time they arrived, about two years ago.

“At first, it was sold sporadically, and most assumed it was just rogue cultivators peddling homemade pills, so no one paid attention. But about a year ago, the Luo Tian Society began formally selling the Jade Essence pill. Their main outlets are Biyou Valley and Danxia Hall. They’ve pushed campaigns like grand opening discounts, membership cards, special offers, flyers...”

As Zheng Kejian listened, he could practically see how the Luo Tian Society had slipped into the pill market and then expanded with ruthless speed. What began as quiet probing had turned into a sudden and aggressive push. Every step showed forethought. This was no reckless upstart.

Crossing swords with such a person would be no easy struggle.

Zheng Kejian lowered his head and stared at the pile of pill bottles in his hands. Yesterday, he had ordered the family’s cultivators to test them. The results had been startling.

Forget the other pills, the Jade Essence pill alone outstripped the Zheng family’s own Flame Ganoderma pill. Even compared to the Spirit Herb Pavilion’s qi-nourishing pill, it held its ground.

Yet this high-quality pill was being sold for only eighty-five spirit stones per bottle. Qi-nourishing pills were now priced at one hundred and twenty spirit stones a bottle. Even the weaker Yellow Dragon pill was sold by the Green Pill Valley for one hundred and ten. Their Flame Ganoderma pill had followed suit, now priced at one hundred spirit stones per bottle.

How could I bear to give up that much profit? Zheng Kejian groaned internally, feeling a deep sense of helplessness. Such excellent pills, and yet sold so cheaply. No wonder their business had been impacted in just one short year.

”Patriarch?” someone called out.

Zheng Kejian lifted his head. He no longer had the energy to blame his subordinates’ incompetence. The priority now was to reclaim the market, and haste would only lead to greater loss. At the very least, he had learned one thing from the Luo Tian Society’s mastermind: move calmly, methodically, and always with purpose.

Suddenly, he asked, ”What about the other first-tier pill sellers? What’s their situation now?”

The cultivator froze.

Zheng Kejian’s mouth twitched, but he held back his words.

”Useless!” Zheng Kejian scolded coldly. ”Go find out, now!”

The cultivator scrambled away.

Watching the man flee, Zheng Kejian let out a long sigh in the empty hall. A cultivation family had its advantages: cohesion, numbers, and strength. Most matters required no direct involvement from the head.

However, the drawbacks were just as glaring. While the family sustained them, it also shackled them.

Over the years, the atmosphere had grown increasingly stagnant. Low-tier cultivators went through the motions, doing only what they were told, incapable of initiative or adaptability.

Couldn’t they at least gather intel on other competitors while investigating the Luo Tian Society?

After another sigh, Zheng Kejian steadied himself and said, ”None of this is a real problem! Now that I’m personally overseeing the family, these problems can all be resolved one by one.”

Knowing he had no hope of ever reaching the Golden Core Realm, he had already passed the second-tier cave residence to his son, allowing resources to be concentrated on the sixth stage Foundation Establishment Supreme Elder and his heir. As for himself, he would shoulder the everyday burdens of the Zheng family, bearing its rise and fall on his own back.

He entered his room and changed into a plain gray robe. To the astonishment of the Zheng family’s two first-tier alchemists, he then stepped into the alchemy chamber for the first time in years.

”Patriarch, what are you—”

Zheng Kejian gave a faint smile and rolled up his sleeves. “It’s nothing. I haven’t refined in a long time. I thought I’d get reacquainted.

”You two still haven’t managed to refine top-grade Flame Ganoderma pills, have you? Then today, you can observe my process and maybe learn a thing or two!”

The two alchemists froze in shock, then were immediately overtaken by overwhelming joy.

Zheng Kejian was a genuine second-tier alchemist, and when it came to refining Flame Ganoderma Pills, his mastery had already reached the level of Perfection. With his guidance, they might finally succeed in producing top-grade pills.

Driven by mounting pressure, Zheng Kejian threw himself back into alchemy. At the same time, the Zheng family’s intelligence-gathering efforts began to show results.

Later that night, weary from his alchemy session, Zheng Kejian listened as the latest reports were delivered.

The Danyuan Sect, the Li family, the Hu family... all were struggling. Some were faring even worse than his own.

After hearing the report, the heavy stone in his heart finally settled. That meant the plans he had drafted earlier in the day could finally be put to use.

Luo Tian Society... Dan Chenzi... My Zheng family’s foundation is not something to be underestimated!