An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

For the Luo Tian Society, rewarding merit and punishing faults was a surprisingly straightforward process. After all, only a handful had truly taken part in the battle: Luo Chen, Wang Yuan, Duan Feng, and Min Longyu. Setting aside Luo Chen’s role as the leader, the primary rewards were distributed among the remaining three.

By merit, Min Longyu stood above the rest. He had been stationed at Danxia Peak; he had slain two Foundation Establishment cultivators, eradicated the Geng family, and contributed decisively to the destruction of the Divine Craftsman Sect. His contributions were immense. Through the sheer might of his formations, he had even driven off rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators who lingered with thoughts of taking advantage.

His rewards had been issued from the very beginning. He was granted the storage pouches of Geng Shuzhen and the Divine Craftsman Sect’s Grand Elder. On top of that, Luo Chen personally gifted him Geng Lie’s enchanted-treasure warhammer. Under the name of the Luo Tian Society, Sima Huiniang also granted him fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones..

It was a reward that could only be described as lavish. If word spread, it would surely spark envy among countless rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators. But to Luo Chen, it was all absolutely worth it. In fact, there was nothing more worth doing.

Forgiving the past and setting aside Min Longyu’s previous attack had proven one of Luo Chen’s wisest decisions. With a formation master like him at his side, every decision he made could be carried out with much greater ease, whether it was offense, defense, or anything else.

Min Longyu himself was also quite pleased with the reward. The enchanted treasure and fifty thousand spirit stones alone were already a generous offering. And he still had two unopened “mystery boxes”! Who knew what kind of surprises awaited inside?

Once Min Longyu had been rewarded, it was Wang Yuan’s turn as the second-highest contributor. He had slain Lu Rong on his own, wiped out the Danyuan Sect, and assisted in breaching the Divine Craftsman Sect. Three great feats, and his reward was accordingly generous.

Lu Rong’s storage pouch was given to him outright. Among its contents was even Lu Rong’s enchanted smoking pipe, which now belonged to him. In addition, the Luo Tian Society granted him thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones and twenty bottles of second-tier cultivation pills.

Last came Duan Feng. With his spirit power depleted, he had taken part in only a single battle. At the early stage of Foundation Establishment, he had held off Jade True Temple’s Miao Yu and ultimately assisted Min Longyu in killing her. It was meritorious, though not exceptional.

His reward was simple: twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones and ten bottles of qi-consolidation pills. Additionally, Luo Chen decided to give him the enchanted furnace that once belonged to Divine Craftsman Sect Master Fei Changqiu. Or rather, not to him personally, but to the Artifact Hall!

That furnace could be used for artifact forging, and with it, Duan Feng would be able to create the two enchanted treasure embryos he had been preparing much sooner.

When they were told the distribution of rewards, all three men accepted the outcome calmly. Even though Min Longyu’s share was by far more generous, neither Wang Yuan nor Duan Feng voiced a single complaint.

In fact, even if they had received nothing at all, they wouldn’t have protested. After so many years, they had grown accustomed to life in the Luo Tian Society, and it already felt like home. Would one demand rewards for protecting one’s own home? Besides, did the generous daily benefits they enjoyed mean nothing?

While the Foundation Establishment Initiates received most of the attention, Sima Huiniang focused on the Qi Refinement cultivators.

Sima Xian had led the Battle Hall in the capture of Sky Eagle Peak and the Jade True Temple, and his merit was beyond question.

Bian Zhen and Qu Lingjun had led the Medicine Hall and Alchemy Hall returned from the Danyuan Sect with a trove of precious medicinal materials, and even two first-tier alchemists. That, too, was worthy of reward.

Murong Qinglian and Gu Caiyi, who had managed the rear and provided logistical coordination, were credited with their share of merit as well.

The Outer Hall cultivators, though they had suffered heavy losses, had fought with burning spirit. They, too, deserved recognition.

With so many moving parts, Sima Huiniang had to draft a thorough and rather complex rewards-and-penalties proposal. The document was so intricate that anyone who even glanced at it would feel a headache.

It went far beyond simple allocations of spirit stones and pills. It covered positions, salaries, accumulated merits, and more. In fact, two individuals had already accumulated enough merit to directly exchange for the precious Foundation Establishment pills.

Those two were Sima Xian and Murong Qinglian. And it wasn’t just them; according to the merit-based policies previously set, Bian Zhen was also nearing the threshold to exchange for a Foundation Establishment pill.

Sima Xian could wait, as he had not yet reached the peak. But Bian Zhen had already achieved Perfected Mastery of the Qi Refinement Realm and was in urgent need of one.

As for Murong Qinglian, a year of recuperation had nearly restored her health. Given her age, her need for the Foundation Establishment pill was pressing as well.

And thus the problem arose: Where would the Luo Tian Society find so many Foundation Establishment pills?

***

”You don’t have to worry about this. I’ll handle it,” Luo Chen said with confidence.

In response to Sima Huiniang’s concern, his tone carried unshakable assurance.

Seeing his confidence, Sima Huiniang did not press further. Instead, she raised another issue. “Right now, the Luo Tian Society is at a critical juncture. We’ve taken assets from many different sources, and each one requires careful management.”

Luo Chen nodded in understanding. ”Short on manpower?”

Sima Huiniang nodded, then shook her head. “A shortage of manpower is part of it. But the greater problem is unclear responsibilities.”

Luo Chen’s brows furrowed.”Hmm?”

Sima Huiniang sighed and gave examples on the spot.

Many of the spirit fields under the Medicine Hall’s name were not actually managed by its cultivators alone. In peacetime, more than half the work had been handled by idle members of the Battle Hall. However, as the war broke out, there were not enough hands left to tend to the fields.

Now, with Danxia Peak hosting several newly introduced, high-value spirit plants, the situation had become even more pressing. These weren’t ordinary medicinal herbs, but plants with distinct economic value of their own requiring full-time specialized attention.

And that was not even the only problem. For instance, the Plume-Snatching Eagles were not doing well at all. Barely a month had passed since their nests were moved from Sky Eagle Peak, and already several young eagles had died from poor care. That was a major loss!

There were more such cases. The breeding of Jade Silkworms, the feeding of Green-Scaled Dragon Fish... Every corner of the operation seemed to be struggling.

Luo Chen rubbed his temples, overwhelmed by the sheer number of problems.

“That was my oversight,” he admitted sheepishly. “I focused too much on bringing good things home and neglected the aftermath.”

He had believed he’d done well enough. Yet in just a few days since Sima Huiniang had taken charge, she had uncovered a whole slew of issues.

Sima Huiniang simply smiled. “President, there’s no need to blame yourself. With your vision and capability, it’s only natural that your focus lies beyond these minor details. Leave the patchwork to me.”

That compliment hit the mark. Luo Chen grinned, pleased. “So, what’s your plan? Recruit more people?”

“It’s not just about adding numbers,” she said seriously. “What the Luo Tian Society needs now is transformation.”

Luo Chen nodded. He had long felt something about their structure was off. Apart from the succession system he had suggested, he had not been able to pinpoint what needed to change.

“I’ve looked into it,” Sima Huiniang continued. “What suits us best is the structure of a mature, well-established sect.”

She paused, then said, “If we compare the Luo Tian Society to a great tree, then your succession system is the root, the source of its vitality. Above those roots, we Foundation Establishment Initiates are the trunk. And the many branches and leaves? They must be properly pruned, nurtured, and guided to absorb resources efficiently.”

The analogy was simple but effective enough. Luo Chen nodded in agreement and waited for her to continue.

Under his gaze, Sima Huiniang continued to explain in an unhurried, steady voice.

“The original seven halls of the Luo Tian Society are no longer sufficient,” she explained. “I propose that alongside the existing seven halls, we establish three more: an Agriculture Hall, a Beast Hall, and a Succession Hall.

“For the Agriculture Hall, we can draw on the core members of the Medicine Hall. Yuan Dongsheng is an experienced spirit botanist, and he is more than qualified to lead it.

“As for the Beast Hall, it is a necessary response to our rapidly expanding population of spirit beasts. This is not something we can afford to neglect. We may need to offer high salaries to bring in skilled beast tamers from Tianlan Immortal City.

“And the Succession Hall... will implement your succession system. After so many battles, we’ve gathered an extensive collection of cultivation techniques. A mere library isn’t enough to make use of them properly. Take my own breakthrough, for instance. I had to sift through countless second-tier manuals before I finally settled on the Waterside Pavilion Art. If someone had curated and organized those techniques, I could have saved so much time.”

Her long explanation might’ve given anyone else a headache, but Luo Chen listened carefully. He knew all too well the Luo Tian Society’s growing pains, and he had to admit that Sima Huiniang’s plan was nothing short of thoughtful and thorough.

Splitting the Medicine Hall, for instance, and forming a dedicated Agriculture Hall wasn’t just reasonable; it was necessary. The Medicine Hall’s responsibilities had long been rather murky. It was originally intended to support the Alchemy Hall, but after several relocations, most ingredients were now sourced externally. Over time, the Medicine Hall had shifted toward cultivating spirit plants and managing spirit fields.

This had created an odd situation. Many of the cultivators tending the fields were not even part of the Medicine Hall. Instead, idle members of the Battle Hall would fill in during peacetime. While that arrangement worked temporarily, it was clearly unsustainable.

By establishing an Agriculture Hall, many of these issues could be streamlined and resolved. However, this also meant, the three hundred or so members of the Luo Tian Society were far too few.

“So... we’re recruiting?” Luo Chen asked.

Sima Huiniang nodded firmly. “Yes, we must recruit with open standards. Low-level rogue cultivators at the early or middle stage of Qi Refinement will suffice. We can raise them as needed. As for higher-level cultivators, they must possess a specialized skill and be of immediate use. My goal is for every hall, excluding the Succession and Law Enforcement Halls, to have no fewer than one hundred members.”

Then her expression shifted. She hesitated, glancing at Luo Chen as though weighing something unspoken.

Luo Chen caught the hesitation and asked, “What is it?”

Sima Huiniang hesitated a moment longer, then took a deep breath and spoke bluntly, “Honestly... I think the Battle Hall is being underutilized. During peacetime, most of them are just farming. And the Law Enforcement Hall? Frankly, they don’t see much action either. What they handle could just as easily fall under the Battle Hall. There’s overlap in their duties.”

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow. “You’re suggesting a merger?”

Sima Huiniang didn’t meet his eyes. She merely gave a small nod.

Seeing her reaction, Luo Chen suddenly understood the source of her hesitation.

The Battle Hall was led by Sima Xian, her own brother by blood; whereas the Law Enforcement Hall was led by Zhou Yuanli, Luo Chen’s former personal guard and trusted confidant.

Most of the Law Enforcement Hall’s members had been hand-picked by Zhou Yuanli from Luo Chen’s original group of Qi Refinement bodyguards. Even though they usually kept a low profile, no one in the Luo Tian Society would dare cross them. They were Luo Chen’s personal blades, sharp and ready for internal matters.

For Sima Huiniang to suggest merging them wasn’t just a bold move; it was political. With that, the atmosphere between them grew subtly tense.

But it did not last long. Luo Chen let out a light chuckle, shattering the subtle unease between them.

“The Law Enforcement Hall was never meant to be permanent. It was only something I set up for Zhou Yuanli after I reached Foundation Establishment. A merger makes perfect sense. As for how you want to handle Zhou Yuanli... Go ahead and act however you think is right. You have my full support!”

At his words, Sima Huiniang finally exhaled, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her mind raced, and already, a plan began to take shape.

“I intend to merge the Law Enforcement Hall into the Battle Hall, but without disbanding the enforcement team. They’ll remain active.”

“You mean they’ll coexist?” Luo Chen asked, intrigued.

Sima Huiniang nodded firmly. “Not just coexist. I also want to establish a specialized intelligence unit within the Battle Hall.”

At this point, her expression turned solemn.

“President, if we analyze the troubles the Luo Tian Society faced this time, the signs were already there. But we lacked professionals who could consolidate those fragmented pieces of intelligence and analyze them thoroughly. As a result, we ended up with rogue cultivators coveting the fortune of the Luo Tian Society.”

Hearing this, Luo Chen suddenly realized just how crucial intelligence really was. Had it not been for Li Jinhuang’s warning and Xing Zhonghan’s message, he might have led Wang Yuan and the other Foundation Establishment cultivators to the Qinhua River to show force. If that had happened, the Luo Tian Society would have been left dangerously exposed.

Intelligence... That was a blind spot I overlooked, Luo Chen thought.

Sima Huiniang pressed on. “The new Battle Hall will still focus on combat, but we’ll select loyal and capable individuals to form the enforcement and intelligence teams. That’s my idea for now. What do you think, President?”

Luo Chen clapped his hands without hesitation. “Excellent idea. I think it’s entirely workable!”

Relieved by his approval, Sima Huiniang breathed a sigh of relief. “With that, we won’t have ten halls, we’ll have nine.”

“Halls...”

After hearing the word repeated so many times, Luo Chen was growing tired of it. He muttered it to himself a few times, then looked up under Sima Huiniang’s puzzled gaze.

He suddenly spoke, “We’re changing everything anyway, let’s change this too! The term ‘hall’ feels too grounded, too much like a street gang.”

Sima Huiniang fell silent for a moment. It was true. The current system had been inherited from the Poshan Gang, the Luo Tian Society’s predecessor. And back then, as the name suggested, it had been a gang of rogue cultivators. Now that they were evolving into a full-fledged sect, the names did seem lacking in grandeur.

“We won’t call them Halls anymore. From now on, they’ll be Palaces,” Luo Chen declared.

Palaces? Sima Huiniang repeated thoughtfully, testing the sound of the new titles. Then she tried them aloud. “The Nine Palaces of the Luo Tian Society?”

Luo Chen smiled faintly. “Isn’t it fitting? When I first named it the Luo Tian Society, it was to invoke the Great Luo Nine Heavens, supreme and vast.”

True enough. It all ties together.

But details like this meant little to Sima Huiniang. As long as the president was satisfied, she had no reason to object.

Just as their discussion was drawing to a close, Luo Chen suddenly asked, “Didn’t you say before that we needed to prune overgrown branches? Yet with this plan, we’ve ended up adding more departments.”

Sima Huiniang smiled. “You only prune branches after the tree is flourishing. Right now, the Luo Tian Society is still a sapling. What it needs isn’t trimming, it needs wild, unrestrained growth, until it reaches the heavens!”

Unrestrained growth, until it touches the heavens!

Luo Chen’s eyes lit up again. He clapped his hands in admiration. “Excellent!”