An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

No matter how innocent you were, owning a treasure beyond your power to protect was a deadly sin. If word spread that the Luo Tian Society was sitting on a stockpile of Foundation Establishment pills, every force below the Golden Core Realm would be eager to act against them. Lu Rong and his group might just be the beginning. There could be endless trouble to come.

Xing Zhonghan seemed to realize the weight of what he’d just revealed and looked at Luo Chen, eyes filled with suspicion and uncertainty. ”Fellow Daoist Luo, does the Luo Tian Society really have a lot of Foundation Establishment pills?”

”Seriously? Where the hell would we get things like that?!” Luo Chen rejected the idea without hesitation.

Xing Zhonghan was half-convinced. ”I’m willing to believe you, but those other forces outside...”

The unspoken warning sent a cold shiver down Luo Chen’s spine.

Xing Zhonghan shook his head. ”Anyway, this has nothing to do with me. You’ve treated me well before, and Ying Yang is my sworn enemy. If they dare make a move, I’ll stand with you.”

”Thank you, Fellow Daoist Xing.” Luo Chen cupped his fists. ”Why don’t you stay here at Danxia Peak for a while?”

Xing Zhonghan readily agreed. He was alone now, and his cultivation had stabilized entirely. If it hadn’t been for Ying Yang constantly hiding at home and always traveling with that woman from the Jade True Temple, he would have avenged himself long ago.

Now that they were eyeing the Luo Tian Society’s supposed stash of Foundation Establishment pills, Luo Chen naturally wanted another Initiate to tip the balance against him. It was the best chance for his revenge!

***

At the heights of Tianlan Peak, far from the waterfall’s thunderous roar, the air was serene. Luo Chen stood with his hands clasped behind his back outside an ice-covered cave residence. He had been waiting for a long time, yet the owner inside had given no response.

With a quiet sigh, he turned away and left.

Back in his cave residence, Luo Chen reflected on the increasingly chaotic events lately. A plan had already taken shape in his mind. Those who coveted Danxia Peak’s wealth or the Luo Tian Society’s Foundation Establishment pills had not appeared out of thin air. They had likely been lurking for years, patiently hiding their intentions.

Now, however, they were stirring restlessly. The trigger was likely the sect rotation and the change of leadership in the Tianlan Immortal City. Every shift in power brought a measure of chaos. For those at the bottom, it was a helpless time; they suffered no matter who rose or fell. For those in the middle, it was a chance to profit. For those at the top, it could even be welcome, so long as the disorder stayed under some modicum of control.

After the chaos settled, new powers would emerge, and the Tianlan Immortal City’s new rulers would seize wealth and install loyal factions. After centuries of this cycle, nearly every struggling small force in the city had ties to the major sects.

This was why Luo Chen knew the trouble would never truly end. How could the Luo Tian Society possibly have so many Foundation Establishment pills? Yet no one would believe him if he denied it. In just a few short years, the society had nurtured Foundation Establishment Initiates one after another.

This all depends on the Ice Fortress’s stance! If the Ice Fortress shows even the slightest sign of support, no one will dare target the Luo Tian Society. I don’t believe they’d be willing to give up the Jade Dew pills and watch the Luo Tian Society decline.

Luo Chen took a deep breath, planning to visit that Cave Residence Yi One again tomorrow. It was useless to look for Shi Boying because she had no way to approach Fairy Ruthless. But Tantai Jin, a late-stage Initiate, leader of the Tianlan Immortal City’s Enforcement Team, and Ice Fortress’s representative in the city, was another matter entirely. If she spoke on his behalf, the threats would vanish.

The next morning, Luo Chen once again arrived at that ice-covered cave residence. He waited the entire morning, but there was no response. He was sure she was inside and that she hadn’t entered seclusion. That couldn’t possibly be the case; it was a time of transition between two sects managing the city’s affairs, and there was no way she’d be in seclusion now. Yet her refusal to see him left Luo Chen feeling deeply uneasy.

After an entire morning without any sign, Luo Chen left reluctantly.

On the third morning, snow fell in soft, swirling flakes.

Inside the cave, two female cultivators watched a water mirror that displayed Luo Chen’s sullen expression.

”Junior Sister Tantai, are you really not going to see Luo Chen?” Shi Boying asked.

Tantai Jin replied flatly, ”Why should I see him?”

Shi Boying couldn’t help but say, ”I’ve heard he’s been getting into a lot of trouble lately, and quite a few Foundation Establishment Initiates have their eyes on him. We’ve worked with him and even let him use the Ice Fortress banner. Shouldn’t we help him out?”

Tantai Jin shot back. ”There are plenty of vassals using the Ice Fortress banner. Do I have to step in every time one of them gets into trouble?”

Shi Boying fell silent.

”Besides,” Tantai Jin added with a faint snort, ”they aren’t even targeting Luo Chen himself. Those people care about Danxia Peak and the so-called stockpile of Foundation Establishment pills. They also want the Luo Tian Society out of the way. None of that has anything to do with the Jade Dew pill.”

Shi Boying suddenly understood. All the talk about the Luo Tian Society and Danxia Peak had little to do with the Jade Dew pill business. As long as Luo Chen lived, he alone could refine Jade Dew pills. The business would never falter, and he would never dare cut it off. After all, the business operated under the command of a Golden Core Adept. Unless Luo Chen no longer wished to live, the Jade Dew pill business would remain untouched.

Tantai Jin exhaled softly. ”I’ve been very busy lately, people from the Green Pill Valley come here every day to discuss important matters with my master, so I have no time to deal with these trivial things. If Luo Chen still wants to pester me, just dismiss him for me!”

Tantai Jin looked a little impatient; thus, Shi Boying acknowledged with a quiet nod. As a Senior Sister, her only advantage was having joined the discussion. Most of the time, she acted more like a subordinate.

Yet before she left, something came to mind, and she spoke again, ”Luo Chen doesn’t seem like the type to give up on the foundation he built with his own hands. If something goes wrong, I’m afraid his life might be in danger.”

Tantai Jin’s brows twitched as her gaze turned cold. ”Did you take favors from him?”

Shi Boying’s face flushed, and she fell silent. The atmosphere inside the cave residence grew unbearably tense.

Outside, the icy snow stung Luo Chen’s face, but his once-chaotic thoughts had become crystal clear.

He finally understood. The Ice Fortress valued him for his alchemy skill. The Luo Tian Society that clung to him meant nothing to them. A few hundred Qi Refinement cultivators and a handful of Foundation Establishment Initiates were worthless rabble in the eyes of a giant like the Ice Fortress.

The Luo Tian Society depended on him, and he depended on Ice Fortress. But the vassal of a vassal was no true vassal. The Luo Tian Society was loyal only to him, not to the Ice Fortress. And in truth, he wasn’t particularly fond of them either. Conversely, Ice Fortress wouldn’t lift a finger to help Luo Tian Society in times of trouble.

Having realized this, Luo Chen no longer felt any desire to see Tantai Jin. He looked at the snow-covered cave residence, feeling neither anger nor resentment.

Some things can only be done on your own, he thought.

With that thought, he turned and left.

Inside the cave residence, the two women were not surprised by the familiar scene. The only unusual thing was that Luo Chen didn’t return over the next few days.

Shi Boying, who had prepared a bellyful of excuses, felt as if she had punched a ball of cotton. Having just finished a conversation with Tao Wan from the Green Pill Valley, Tantai Jin returned to the cave residence.

”Has he given up?” she wondered.

”I don’t know, but I heard he’ll be attending the funeral of the Li family patriarch at Qinhua River tomorrow,” came Shi Boying’s reply.

”Hehe, in these troubled times, he still dares to show his face. He’s really not afraid of death!” Tantai Jin sneered.

”Junior Sister, are you really not going to help him?” Shi Boying asked.

Tantai Jin grew a little annoyed. She couldn’t help but wonder just how many favors this Senior Sister had accepted from Luo Chen over the years.

Shi Boying, however, remained composed. ”I just think he’s a decent person. We’ll have to work together in the future, so there’s no need to make things so tense,” she said evenly.

”You’re meddling too much,” Tantai Jin shot back.

The weight in her tone made the air inside the cave residence grow heavy again.

Shi Boying lowered her head, unwilling to quarrel with her powerful Junior Sister.

Tantai Jin studied her for a moment, and a thought flickered across her mind.

”I have my own plans for this. No need to say anything else,” she said firmly.