An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

In Tianlan Immortal City, governing powers rotated every ten years, repeating seven times to complete a seventy-year cycle.

At first glance, such a system seemed unreasonable. Cultivators enjoyed long lifespans. Even those at the Qi Refinement Realm could live for a century, while those Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators easily reached several hundred years of age.

Compared to such long lifespans, a mere decade was far too short for a sect to develop its holdings properly. After all, most of the spirit lands around Tianlan Immortal City held immense potential. With just a few extra decades of careful management, any sect could reap vast profits.

Even so, what appeared flawed made perfect sense in its historical context. The ten-year limit was established three centuries ago, when the human race first solidified its hold on the Jade Cauldron Domain. At the time, sixteen sects had paid a steep price to pioneer the Jade Cauldron Domain.

The Nascent Soul sects from the outer domains had endured the trials with relative ease. However, for Golden Core sects that sought to settle within the Jade Cauldron Domain, the cost was devastating.

Among the top ten Golden Core sects, three were completely wiped out during the founding war. Another, gravely weakened, declined steadily over the next three centuries until it slipped from the ranks of the major sects.

Thus, the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect rose to prominence and led the remaining six Golden Core sects to form the current Seven Jade Cauldron Sects.

Resources were desperately needed. Every sect had suffered, and every force had been drained. None could afford to grant a single sect long-term control over a newly built immortal city. If one faction occupied a city for a century, the others might never see their turn, especially if their own strength faltered in the meantime.

After all, Golden Core Adepts were rare, and without one, no sect could hope to oversee a great immortal city. Thus, the initial tenure for guarding the cities was set at ten years, just long enough for each sect to claim a share of benefits.

However, with the profits came deep flaws. Cheap leases of spirit lands, chaotic governance, rampant corruption and flattery, sect infighting, and conflict were endless. These issues hadn’t gone unnoticed. The shrewder sects understood them well; they knew that in time, such rotation would exact a heavy price. Yet not every flaw that was seen could be immediately changed.

Every system had a lifespan of its own. Even the flawed ones endured for decades, upheld by tacit consensus. Only when those flaws erupted and struck at the ruling class would reform become inevitable.

For now, the ten-year term had not touched the ruling sects’ bottom line. In fact, with two Nascent Soul sects currently locked in war, some even hoped the cycle would turn faster.

At present, the Ice Fortress and Green Pill Valley were in the process of transferring authority over Tianlan Immortal City. By precedent, this transition typically lasted a month or two. Once complete, the Ice Fortress’s Golden Core Adepts, its Foundation Establishment cultivators in the enforcement teams, and stewards would gradually withdraw from the city and return to their own sect. At most, a few personnel would remain behind to oversee the Ice Fortress’s industries in the city.

The handover period always marked the most chaotic period in Tianlan Immortal City. And this time, the chaos was far more intense than ever before. At the center of attention stood the newly risen Foundation Establishment faction, the Luo Tian Society.

The rise of the Luo Tian Society had been unbelievably fast, for they had drawn the covetous eyes of many. Most expected them to be ruthlessly stamped out during this transition. Yet no one had anticipated that, under the leadership of their formidable president, the Luo Tian Society would not only endure but seize the moment to expand!

The Hu family was annihilated by the society’s own vassals, the Li family. Soon after, the neighboring Geng family was wiped out by their formation master. Those who had offended the Luo Tian Society, such as the Danyuan Sect, Sky Eagle Peak, and the Jade True Temple, had all met miserable ends.

In just two or three days, the society had shifted from defense to full-scale retaliation. Now came the time for reaping.

Outside Danxia Peak, rogue cultivators often looked up to the skies. They watched mid-grade and top-grade flying boats come and go. Every departing flight was empty, carrying only cultivators. Every return flight, however, came back fully loaded.

Gasps and exclamations rippled through the onlookers as the treasures passed through the skies.

”They’re cleaning out every last possession from those fallen factions!”

”Hey, aren’t those the Jade True Temple’s Jade Silkworms and Ink Mulberries?”

”Good heavens, they uprooted all three thousand Ink Mulberry trees?”

”Look! Are those Sky Eagle Peak’s eagle nests?”

”One, two, three... seven! All seven nests have been taken!”

”They’ve struck gold! The Luo Tian Society is filthy rich now!”

”Sky Eagle Peak made over a hundred thousand a year from spirit eagle sales...”

”And those Ink Mulberries! The leaves feed Jade Silkworms, the bark makes talisman paper, and the fruits, Ink Blood Mulberries, are excellent first-tier spirit fruits!”

”Wait, aren’t those two Qi Refinement cultivators alchemists from the Danyuan Sect?”

”Dear heavens! The Luo Tian Society already specializes in alchemy, and now that they’ve taken in two more alchemists, they’re going to skyrocket!”

”What about the Geng family? They had rare mineral refinement techniques. Don’t tell me the Luo Tian Society got those, too?”

”The Geng family’s place was already in ruins yesterday. I bet their entire legacy was carted away already.”

Outside Danxia Peak, the roadside buzzed with cultivators. Day after day, they kept their eyes fixed on the Luo Tian Society’s flying boats, watching as they ferried cargo to and from the mountain.

Whenever something familiar or precious appeared among the haul, whispers flared into speculation. With each returning load, envy simmered in their hearts. Yet none dared to act. The Luo Tian Society’s cultivators radiated murderous intent, like a storm always on the verge of breaking.

Gradually, some began to get the idea.

”What am I even doing, just standing here watching?” someone muttered. ”If the Luo Tian Society’s feasting on meat, maybe I can at least get some broth!”

Just like that, the crowd started to thin. One by one, rogue cultivators slipped away, no longer content with gossip. They made for the ruins of the defeated sects, hoping to scavenge whatever leftovers the victors hadn’t yet claimed.

It was obvious that the Luo Tian Society’s actions this time were aimed solely at destroying the enemies’ sect legacies while seizing their wealth. However, their sect gates and established residences remained completely untouched. After all, in name, these assets still belonged to Tianlan Immortal City.

Amid these sweeping campaigns, two particular forces had fallen into a strange silence.

At Xuchen Mountain within the Wei family estate, the head of the family Wei Bufan sat alone in his opulent manor. His expression was dark as a storm cloud.

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators he had invited looked rather awkward.

”Brother Wei, it’s not that we don’t want to help,” one of them said, ”but we’ve already stayed two days. Since the Luo Tian Society hasn’t shown up, perhaps they’ve lost interest in retaliating against your Wei family.”

The second added quickly, ”Your cousin was the one at fault. That Fire Spirit Lord seems reasonable. He won’t take things out on Xuchen Mountain. Since nothing has happened, we’ll return to our cultivation. If anything urgent comes up, use a voice-transmission jade token to contact us.”

Seeing the two ready to leave, Wei Bufan forced down his anger and said, ”The Luo Tian Society hasn’t come yet only because they were short-staffed. Once they gather enough strength, they will definitely come knocking. Fellow Daoists, please stay a few more days. I’ll see to it that you’re well-compensated in spirit stones.”

But his words only made them more eager to go. That Fire Spirit Lord Luo Chen was no easy opponent. Details of the Qinhua River battle had long since spread like wildfire. Without even drawing on enchanted artifacts, Luo Chen had used exquisite spellcraft to defeat three early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Hu family. Even if the three of them joined forces, could they really stand against Luo Chen?

Next came a flood of excuses, spirit beasts about to hatch back at their cave residence, urgent family matters, and so on. In the end, Wei Bufan had no choice but to see them off.

After they left, one of the Wei family elders asked anxiously, ”What do we do now?”

Wei Bufan rubbed his temples. This was all his cousin’s fault. Why covet the Li family’s resources? Xuchen Mountain already had its operations. They had not been desperate for that bit of wealth, and now they had provoked Luo Chen. If the Luo Tian Society decided to launch an attack...

”Wait!” A sudden realization struck him. Wei Tuo had been targeting the Li family’s resources, not the Luo Tian Society. In other words, the Wei family and the Luo Tian Society had no direct enmity.

Moreover, Luo Chen had not suffered much in that conflict. That meant there was room to negotiate. The fact that the Luo Tian Society had first attacked Sky Eagle Peak rather than Xuchen Mountain said it all.

Once he figured that out, a flicker of hope stirred in Wei Bufan’s heart. He immediately called over an elder of the family.

”Ping’an, wait here. I’ll write a letter and deliver it to Danxia Peak.”

Wei Ping’an froze. ”Eh?”

”Make sure it reaches the Luo Tian Society’s president directly,” Wei Bufan ordered. With that, he turned and hurried into his study.

Wei Ping’an stood outside, face ashen. Why does it have to be me? Danxia Peak is a deathtrap right now. Delivering this letter is nothing short of suicide...

***

Compared to the sliver of hope lingering at Xuchen Mountain, the mood within the Divine Craftsman Sect was far more suffocating.

Sect Master Fei Changqiu, at the fourth stage of Foundation Establishment, sat silently across from the second stage Grand Elder. Both wore troubled expressions. No one had expected events to spiral this far out of control.

They had already planned to shift their operations away from Tianlan Immortal City. But just before the move, Lu Rong had insisted on pulling one last scheme. That really was the kind of thing his personality would lead him to do; it was nothing abnormal.

But he had to succeed! And now he’s dead and gone to the Western Paradise. What about the rest of us?

”Sect Master, should we run?” the Grand Elder asked.

Fei Changqiu gave him an annoyed glare. ”Run? Luo Chen is at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, and am I not too?”

The Grand Elder opened his mouth, then thought better of it. Luo Chen barely reached mid-stage and he’s already referred to as the Fire Spirit Lord. You’ve been around for years and you don’t even have a Dao title! Your battle prowess isn’t remotely comparable.

In truth, Fei Changqiu just couldn’t bring himself to abandon the sect’s foundation, especially now that Lu Rong’s death meant even more resources falling into his hands.

After a moment’s thought, Fei Changqiu said hesitantly, ”From what I hear, the Luo Tian Society has been ruthlessly efficient in their strikes, yes?”

The Grand Elder blinked, then his eyes lit up. ”You mean to say...”

”We hold fast,” Fei Changqiu declared. ”I’ve got connections with the Iron Sword Hall. If we report this up the chain, the Luo Tian Society will pay dearly.”

With that plan in place, Fei Changqiu felt much calmer. He even waved his hand with grand confidence. ”Who knows? Maybe we can have the Luo Tian Society disbanded altogether. When that happens, we’ll be the first to seize their territory. I’ve heard there’s a treasure trove. If we get it, we won’t lack anything for advancing to late stage Foundation Establishment. We might even have a shot at Golden Core!”

The Grand Elder was thrilled. ”Sect master, your plan is brilliant!”