An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Seeing the flickering new entry, Luo Chen froze. The system now recorded his Physique Refinement progress? But what was with that long string of ellipses that followed?

As he watched, more words slowly emerged.

Physique Refinement Stage Two: Tendon Transformation, Marrow Cleansing, Organ Refinement, Meridian Unblocking...

At last, all the words merged like rivers flowing into the sea, turning into a single fraction: 3/100.

Luo Chen couldn’t help but laugh. ”So after all that, it’s just another progress bar!”

He was completely speechless. Yet as his gaze lingered on that faintly flickering number 3, he noticed it pulsed slightly, as if it might rise again at any moment.,

Does this have something to do with the slow transformation my body’s undergoing right now? he wondered.

He could clearly feel it. Ever since reaching the second stage of Physique Refinement, his body held limitless potential, like a treasure trove waiting to be explored. The problem was, he had no idea where to begin. If he had a proper cultivation method, perhaps he could unlock every bit of that power, one step at a time.

But as it just so happened, he did have a proper manual. It was none other than the Wang Secret Manual that Wang Yuan had given him, which contained not only first stage methods but also some second-stage Physique Refinement techniques. In fact, it specifically mentioned terms like Tendon Transformation, Marrow Cleansing, Organ Refinement, and Meridian Unblocking.

In all fairness, Luo Chen’s Physique Refinement cultivation had always been rather unsystematic. That must have been why the system had hesitated to classify his Physique Refinement progress and, in the end, defaulted to a familiar progress bar format like it did for his Qi Refinement cultivation.

”If only I had enough time to explore these strengths...” Luo Chen sighed to himself. “But there’s just not enough time!”

Shaking his head, he chose not to dwell on it for now. He could always talk it over with Wang Yuan later and get the basics. For the time being, his priority remained focusing on techniques that brought faster results and immediate benefits—like the Turtle Spirit Armor!

***

By now, it was the hour of the rabbit. This was the time Luo Chen had set aside each day for studying. Just two hours a day, but it could make a big difference in his adventures through the cultivation world.

Without absolute strength, all the so-called power and cultivation rank meant nothing. One careless step and a cultivator could perish instantly. That’s why reading more books, learning more about the world was always a good idea.

And this Turtle Spirit Armor was exactly the kind of miraculous technique that could save his life in case of great danger.

This technique had come from a nameless rogue cultivator of the Dajiang Gang during the Battle of Gaoling Plains. At the time, he’d played dead on the battlefield with such great skill that even Luo Chen’s spirit consciousness had been deceived. Its effect was truly remarkable!

After thoroughly studying the technique, Luo Chen’s interest had only deepened. It turned out to be a complete second-tier spell, one that could even be learned in parts! It was divided into four sections: Turtle Breath, Armor, Death Avoidance, and Life Extension.

Turtle Breath, as the name suggested, mimicked a turtle’s breathing, concealing one’s life signs to the point of appearing dead.

Armor was a defensive spell that condensed spirit energy into armor, covering the entire body, even the eyes and body apertures. It was a perfect, seamless full-body defense.

Death Avoidance was a bit more esoteric. The cultivator could sever a piece of flesh from themselves to avoid a fatal injury, surviving with only a minor wound.

Life Extension allowed one to condense all their spirit energy into a single breath in a desperate situation, forcibly clinging to life. However, it only lasted for three days; if no means of recovery were found by then, death was still inevitable.

As he read through the whole spell set, Luo Chen couldn’t help but find it truly wondrous and profound. For three years, Luo Chen had kept it in mind, occasionally pulling out the turtle shell that contained its records to study. But because his time had always been tight, he hadn’t yet begun practicing it.

Now, he had finally grasped the keys to the first two sections. He felt ready to begin.

“If I can master this spell,” Luo Chen murmured to himself, “it will be a major life-saving card in desperate times.”

That rogue cultivator had only grasped the basics of Turtle Breath, yet he had managed to evade Luo Chen’s spirit consciousness, even across realms. That alone was proof of how extraordinary the spell truly was.

With his aptitude for spells and access to ample resources, Luo Chen was confident he could master the entire second-tier spell in full.

He carefully reread all the instructional materials, taking in each detail with focused precision. Before he realized it, two hours had already slipped by. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, Luo Chen sat cross-legged once more and began to practice the technique in earnest.

First up, Turtle Breath!

One inhalation and one exhalation make up a single breath cycle. The duration of each cycle varies from person to person; some breathe quickly, with each breath lasting only five or six seconds, while others take slower, deeper breaths that can stretch on for dozens of seconds. Take creatures like chickens, for instance: They have fast heartbeats and short lifespans, and their breath cycle only takes two to three seconds.

By complete contrast, this technique was modeled on the ancient Black Tortoise, which was said to live for thirty thousand years. According to legend, it normally breathed only three times a day, and if it fell into deep sleep, its breath cycle spanned three hundred years!

During the exhalation and pause, it would remain completely motionless, as if it were dead, with no signs of life. But when it finally inhaled, it would draw in the energy of an entire region in one breath. It was a terrifying, almost godlike phenomenon.

Of course, this mere second-tier technique couldn’t replicate such divine power.

Still, with advanced mastery of the technique, a cultivator might manage to breathe only once every three years. Even at minor mastery, they could appear dead for three months. No one would be able to tell if they were alive or dead!

For practice, start by holding each breath for about a minute. Repeat it seven times, then rest briefly. Seven sets in total, that’s forty-nine cycles.

It sounded easy enough. But in practice, one had to follow specific hand gestures and channel spirit power in a precise way to cultivate it.

With his eyes half-closed, Luo Chen first focused his gaze on his nose, then guided that attention down to his mouth, and then to his heart. He pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth and settled his heart, his spirit, and his thoughts onto his lower dantian, the area just beneath the navel. He kept his mind still, allowing no stray thoughts to arise.

His left thumb and middle finger joined to form a circle. The right thumb was inserted into that circle. He then interlocked both middle fingers, while the remaining fingers wove together into a complex, crisscrossed hand seal. The seal then shifted slightly to one side, forming a long, narrow ellipse.

Once he had taken the posture, Luo Chen took a deep breath and held it for one full minute.

After the minute passed, he slowly, quietly exhaled.

In this way, Luo Chen continued to cycle through the breathing technique, again and again.

***

Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and the seasons changed without notice. Soon, it was the fifth month.

One day, a flying boat sailed confidently away from Tianlan Immortal City, headed for Danxia Peak. Snowflakes drifted around the boat as it cut through the sky.

On the deck stood two figures—Min Longyu, who had just finished stabilizing his Foundation Establishment cultivation, and Luo Chen, who had spent half a year in seclusion as well.

“You know,” Luo Chen said casually, “this isn’t Dahe Market anymore, so your Foundation Establishment Ceremony can’t be too lavish.”

Min Longyu smiled knowingly. “It’s fine, I’m not one to fuss over formalities.”

“It’s good that you don’t mind,” Luo Chen said, fingers interlaced and sleeves covering his hands like a mundane scholar’s. “For this ceremony, Huiniang has called back all the ninth stage Qi Refinement cultivators from outside. You should share your experience with them.”

Min Longyu nodded vigorously. He had been with the Luo Tian Society for three and a half years now. Although he hadn’t held any official position before, he had contributed a lot, earning his share of essence-nurturing liquid and Spirit Passage pills. Those three years had been the most dedicated time in his cultivation career, and it had given him a sense of belonging to the Luo Tian Society. Especially after Luo Chen had personally helped him break through, that sense of belonging had deepened into genuine affection.

He knew full well that relying on himself alone in the cultivation world would get him nowhere. Especially after reaching Foundation Establishment, the demand for resources grew to levels that Qi Refinement cultivators couldn’t even imagine.

Only if the Luo Tian Society grew stronger could he continue to progress on this path. Sharing his Foundation Establishment experience would help the Luo Tian Society produce more Initiates, and this was, without a doubt, the fastest way to strengthen the Luo Tian Society.

Besides, he wasn’t the first one to do it. Luo Chen, Duan Feng, and even Wang Yuan, who had reached Foundation Establishment a year ago, had all done the same. When sharing their experiences, they had held nothing back.

He didn’t know if other small sects in Tianlan Immortal City were the same, but at least the Luo Tian Society’s leadership genuinely shared everything. They truly worked together with one heart and one mind.

All of this was thanks to this man!

Min Longyu stole a glance at Luo Chen’s profile and was suddenly struck by a strange sight.

Eh? Why is he not breathing?

Luo Chen suddenly exhaled a long, continuous breath. In the cold stillness of winter, the warm air from his lips stretched out like a pale white dragon, winding and curling through the drifting snow.

Seeing this strange sight, Min Longyu was stunned. “President, are you practicing some kind of technique?”

“That’s right!” Luo Chen smiled faintly. “Why? Are you Interested? I can teach you!”

Min Longyu hurriedly waved his hands. “No thanks. I’m just a beginner in formation studies, and I can’t afford to be distracted by anything else.”

“You’re too modest!”

Min Longyu’s family background was indeed formations and more formations; his foundation had been laid solid since childhood. Even at the Qi Refinement Realm, he had already been a renowned formation expert. Now that he had reached Foundation Establishment, he could lay down arrays using just his spirit consciousness and had even started researching incomplete formation discs. Calling him a formation master was no exaggeration. In fact, if he was just a beginner, then every other formation master in the world would have to close shop and take a job as a street sweeper.

“But it’s good that you think that way.” Luo Chen sighed. “As we cultivate, our lifespans increase dramatically. But on the long path of immortality, time is always in short supply. Just having one or two things you can truly rely on is already a great accomplishment.”

Min Longyu also felt deeply moved. One never truly knew a mountain’s height without climbing it, and one never knew how hard the road was without walking it. Qi Refinement cultivators envied the long lifespans of Foundation Establishment cultivators, yet the latter often felt life was fleeting.

As they spoke, the Langqi Flying Boat covered three hundred li, arriving at Danxia Peak.

The Foundation Establishment Ceremony had been discussed in advance, so everything was ready by the time they arrived. An internal gathering of Luo Tian Society’s high-ranked cultivators commenced.

Luo Chen sat in the main seat, but the real protagonist was Min Longyu. He spoke with great eloquence, sharing the difficulties he’d encountered during Foundation Establishment and how he had overcome them.

Luo Chen occasionally chimed in with his insights, though his gaze drifted across the Grand Hall of Luo Tian Society.

Everyone had been so busy these past few years, laying down roots, developing, and strengthening the Luo Tian Society. In the process, everyone had gained something.

Sima Huiniang was the busiest, yet her cultivation had not stagnated. She was probably only a year or two away from reaching Perfected Mastery of Qi Refinement. She had a Foundation Establishment pill that Luo Chen had given her. Given her aptitude, temperament, and constant preparation, not to mention her attentiveness to Luo Chen’s teachings. Based on the simulations of the Divine Ghost Heartmirror, she had the highest chance of successfully climbing that wall. Luo Chen wasn’t too worried about her.

Right now, his concern was with two others.