An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, Luo Chen realized that the direct benefits of cultivating in a spirit land could rival the effects of supplementary pills.

Cultivating for one day in a low-grade second-tier spirit land produced about half the effect of a low-grade qi-consolidation pill. When paired with supporting resources like Divine Fiery Incense and repeated cycles of his core cultivation technique, the spirit energy absorbed could nearly match the effect of a regular qi-consolidation pill. If one cultivated in a second-tier top-grade cave residence, the benefits increased significantly. This theory generally applied to ordinary early stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, and Luo Chen fell in that category.

In fact, his dependence on spirit lands far exceeded the benefits he would gain from second-tier, low-grade pills, because his physique was stronger and his divine soul foundation was deeper. With the support of Divine Fiery Incense, he could do ten cycles a day, and beacause of that, his demands for spirit energy density were extremely high.

Fortunately, he had secured a second-tier top-grade cave residence. After one day of cultivation, if the spirit power refined from low-grade pills counted as one unit, and mid-grade as two, then the spirit power refined purely through his cultivation technique reached nearly five! It was for this reason that he had delegated various powers and responsibilities to Sima Huiniang to oversee the Luo Tian Society, while he stayed holed up in his cave residence, cultivating almost every day.

Even in alchemy, with the Ice Emperor Cauldron and second-tier earth fire, he had completely abandoned the support of the Alchemy Hall’s cultivators. With their assistance, he could have produced even more Jade Essence pills each day, but that would have meant being constantly on the move and thus wasting many precious cultivation opportunities.

The longer he cultivated, the deeper Luo Chen’s understanding of the importance of spirit lands became. Qi Refinement cultivators could do without, but Foundation Establishment cultivators needed a stable spirit land to reside in. This dependence would likely be even stronger once he reached the Golden Core Realm. And if he reached the Nascent Soul Realm, even a third-tier spirit land might not be enough to sustain his daily cultivation. Only a fourth-tier spirit land could suffice.

Understanding this, Luo Chen finally realized why every major sect always established their headquarters in places brimming with spirit energy. He also saw why the Falling Cloud Sect had dared to initiate war against the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, even knowing they were outmatched.

It was because in the entire Jade Cauldron Domain, only Mount Jade Emperor, home to the Sword Sect, had a fourth-tier spirit land. The Falling Cloud Sect’s Grand Elder, Han Zhan, must have been extremely envious of Mount Jade Emperor after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm.

Returning his thoughts to the present, Luo Chen found himself back on Tianlan Peak, where the days passed quietly in his steady and organized cultivation routine. The external turmoil of the world seemed to have nothing to do with him. He focused only on cultivating, reading, practicing techniques, and alchemy.

A year passed in the blink of an eye.

***

At Cave Residence Bing Seventeen, the door to the cultivation chamber swung open, and a figure emanating intense spirit fluctuations emerged from within. He wore a crimson cloud-pattern enchanted robe, and his tall, commanding presence stood out. His features were soft, yet his outline was sharp, and beneath his sword-like brows, his starry eyes were deep and unfathomable.

Bai Meiling, sensing the energy shift, quickly floated over. Her gaze lit up with anticipation. ”Master, have you reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment?” she asked eagerly.

Luo Chen glanced at her, but before he could even reply, Bai Meiling shrank back slightly. ”Master, your energy flow is too strong...”

Only then did Luo Chen realize the issue. He immediately activated the Perfected Mastery Spirit Suppression, restraining his energy fluctuations. After a moment, his divine soul stabilized, and though trace amounts of spirit energy still leaked out, Bai Meiling seemed much more at ease.

Luo Chen frowned. ”Have you mastered the basics of the Divine Ghost Secret Record I gave you?

Bai Meiling pouted, but her eyes were glistening. ”I’m not a genius like you, Master. You can just master any divine technique whenever you want. But I’ve already mastered the basics! I can even open the Soul-Gathering Banner and use the spirit essences inside to cultivate. It’s just that you’re too strong, Master, not that I’m too weak!”

What a way to put it! Luo Chen thought. A mix of complaints and flattery, all at once. But he decided not to argue with her. She had indeed been diligent, switching from the incomplete Soul-Refining Art to the Divine Ghost Secret Record, and had reached the late stage of Ghost Soldier. Her progress was quite respectable.

Luo Chen instructed her, ”Stay home and guard the place. I’m going out for a bit.”

Bai Meiling looked at him with a hopeful gaze. ”Master, where are you going? Can you take me along?”

Ever since she refined the Sun-Avoiding Pearl, she’d been eager to get out. But since Luo Chen always stayed home, she had been stuck wandering the small confines of their cave residence, bored out of her mind.

”That place isn’t suitable for you. Just stay home.” With that, he turned and left the cave residence.

Before leaving, he glanced at the one-mu spirit field. The Luminous Star Grass, Yin Moon Flower, and Xuyang Tree were all thriving. Yuan Dongsheng had invested great effort into tending them over the past year. These three spirit plants corresponded to the attributes of stars, moon, and sun, respectively, and spanned grades one to three. Combined, they produced excellent growth results, with short growing cycles and high economic value. This cultivation plan had come from Yuan Dongsheng after diligently studying spirit plant texts and analyzing the second-tier field. In his words, this was an experiment, and if successful, they could replicate it throughout the entire Danxia Peak. With enough effort, additional second-tier spirit fields could be developed.

Luo Chen’s mind remained calm as he soared through the sky. Breaking through to the fourth stage of Foundation Establishment was certainly a reason to be pleased. But he had anticipated this day long ago, so there was no overwhelming joy. After all, it was just a minor realm advancement.

”Fellow Daoist Luo, heading out?” someone called out.

A man sat in a pavilion, sipping wine and enjoying snacks, appearing thoroughly content.

Luo Chen descended and replied with a faint smile, ”Yes, I have some business to deal with. Not everyone can be as leisurely as you, Fellow Daoist Wang.”

Wang Pingzhi, who was on gate duty, laughed heartily. ”You’re too modest; everyone knows that under your diligent leadership, Luo Tian Society is flourishing.”

Luo Chen chuckled, then remembered something and added, ”You flatter me! You must know my subordinates by now. Please be sure to look out for them when they pass through.”

”But of course!”

The snacks he now enjoyed had all come from Luo Tian Society cultivators, little ”tributes” they offered whenever they came and went. Having accepted their generosity, he naturally felt obliged to return the favor from time to time. This was especially true for Qu Lingjun, who never failed to bring along some little novelty whenever he visited.

After a brief chat, Luo Chen exited the grand formation. His destination was neither outside the city nor any new place, but rather a place both familiar and strange.

***

”Senior, are you here to compete or to watch the competition?” a disciple asked respectfully.

”Neither, actually. I’d like to rent a training ground. Do you have any recommendations?”

The disciple replied enthusiastically, ”Our Sword Pavilion Debate Platform offers seven types of training grounds for Foundation Establishment cultivators. We have an open plain with no obstacles, a marshland where rivers converge, a rugged mountain terrain...”

After listening to the various options, Luo Chen chose the first one, the open plain—not because it suited his needs best, but because it was cheap. Renting it for a day costed only three hundred spirit stones, a drain for most Foundation Establishment cultivators but a bargain for Luo Chen. For most, it was cheaper to just practice spells in the wilderness outside of Tianlan Immortal City.

After helping him select the training ground, the Sword Pavilion disciple asked, ”Would you like a sparring partner?”

Luo Chen waved his hand. ”No, I’ve invited a friend. He’ll be here shortly.”

After he spoke, he suddenly realized something. ”The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect and the Falling Cloud Sect are at war. How is it that there are Foundation Establishment sword cultivators offering sparring sessions at the Sword Pavilion

The disciple chuckled. ”Those matters are beyond us; I’m just an ordinary disciple, so I’m not qualified to comment on them. But as far as I know, aside from Thousand Leaves Immortal City, the Sword Pavilions in the other nine immortal cities are all operating normally.”

Luo Chen frowned. That’s a war, a real battle! Why does the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect act as if it hasn’t gone all out yet?

The disciple added, ”If you’d like a sparring partner from the Sword Sect itself, the price might be a bit high, and you’d have to schedule it in advance.”

He handed Luo Chen a booklet. ”I have a roster here. These are all Foundation Establishment experts who live in the city year-round. If you’d like, I can arrange one for you.”

Luo Chen took the booklet and began flipping through it. At first glance, he didn’t think much of it. But when he turned to the very first page, he stopped cold. At the very top of the first page, he saw the familiar name.

It was his neighbor, Chu Kui!

The description read:

Tianlan Immortal City’s Chu Kui, Foundation Establishment Stage Eight, Number Seven on the Elite Prodigy Board. Rich combat experience and vast knowledge. Able to coach Foundation Establishment cultivators below the late stage in all combat techniques. Gentle temperament, teaches according to one’s aptitude, will point out your fatal flaws.

Price: Ten thousand low-grade spirit stones

Luo Chen swallowed hard. He hadn’t expected that Fellow Daoist Chu was moonlighting as a sparring partner. Admittedly, it was quite a lucrative sideline. The price was just... outrageous. Ten thousand spirit stones per session? That was practically daylight robbery.

Yet, according to the disciple’s enthusiastic sales pitch, plenty of people booked Chu Kui for training. Of course, it was mostly Foundation Establishment disciples from Golden Core sects who had just left the mountain. Almost no rogue cultivators could afford something like that.

If it had been him, fresh out of the sect, newly advanced to Foundation Establishment, and with spirit stones to burn, Luo Chen figured he would have hired Chu Kui for a session or two as well. From the roster’s description, Chu Kui didn’t just spar; he helped identify flaws in technique, broke down one’s combat style, and even offered tailored guidance for future improvement.

Luo Chen mused, No wonder that guy lives in a top-grade cave residence year-round, his income sources are so diversified!

If this were a video game, his income streams would look like this: ladder grinding every day to maintain a high rank on the Elite Prodigy Board, reaping leaderboard rewards; taking on private carry jobs for those who needed a boost; and occasionally doing PvP to keep things lively while studying his opponents’ gear and combos.

Tsk tsk, no wonder they call him Rainmaker of Tianlan! Luo Chen sighed in admiration and waited quietly in the Honored Guest lounge.

Before long, the person he was waiting for arrived.

”Eh? You’re still at the third stage of Foundation Establishment?” Wang Yuan asked, surprised.

Luo Chen corrected him. ”No, I’ve advanced to the fourth stage.”

Wang Yuan carefully examined Luo Chen, and indeed noticed faint fluctuations of his spirit power that corresponded to mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

Wang Yuan shook his head in amazement. ”Your Spirit Suppression is really something!”

It certainly was. Even right after breaking through, when his cultivation was unstable, Luo Chen had managed to suppress most of his spirit power fluctuations. Once he completely stabilized it, few in the same realm would be able to discern his true cultivation.

Luo Chen smiled contentedly and led Wang Yuan into the training ground.