An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Chapter 475: Green Pill Valley’s Market, A Familiar Face Appears

The layout of Green Pill Market wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. In fact, it was much the same as every other large-scale marketplace Luo Chen had seen in his travels. He didn’t linger at the shops run by the various families. Instead, he held onto the token Tao Yisheng had given him and made his way straight into a tall, ancient-looking building—Gaoyang Tower.

This place was known as one of the market’s more refined and exclusive trading venues. Those who gathered here were all at least early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators; no one beneath that threshold would think of stepping inside.

By the time Luo Chen arrived, the hall was already crowded with cultivators. Dozens of cultivators milled about, exchanging goods, negotiating deals, some immersed in casual conversation, others in the midst of barter. Luo Chen, having spent the past weeks in seclusion, recognized almost no one. Without acquaintances to approach, he kept to himself and studied the trades with silent interest.

Is it really this simple? he wondered.

The scene struck him as surprisingly straightforward. Unlike the elaborate procedures of formal auctions, Gaoyang Tower operated on direct exchange. Transactions relied entirely on individual need and initiative, without unnecessary embellishment. Some went on stage to shout their offers; others left messages on jade plaques within the tower, specifying what they wanted in exchange. There were also cultivators bartering directly with one another during conversation.

Luo Chen lingered for a while, quietly observing the trades around him. The approaching True Inheritor Sword Duel seemed to shape the market, with most transactions revolving around weapons and talismans. Within a short span, he had already seen several supreme-grade enchanted artifacts being traded away. On rare occasions, even enchanted treasures appeared for sale.

What struck him as unusual was the lack of interest. Items once coveted by Foundation Establishment cultivators now failed to draw much attention. At first, Luo Chen was surprised by this, but seeing how little interest others showed, he quickly understood the reason.

Those who could participate in the True Inheritor Sword Duel were mostly late-stage Initiates. All of them had lived for one or two centuries at least; acquiring one or two enchanted treasures in that timespan was to be expected.

As Tao Wan had mentioned, enchanted artifacts and enchanted treasures were flooding the Jade Cauldron Domain. Even small places like Dahe Market had enchanted treasure trades, which showed just how saturated the market had become. Besides, most enchanted treasures couldn’t be used immediately after acquisition. They usually required prolonged sacrificial refinement to function properly. Now that they were being sold off hastily, only a few early-stage cultivators showed interest. The rest simply weren’t tempted.

The sight of treasures left untouched stirred a flicker of temptation in Luo Chen, yet after carefully studying their properties, he dismissed the idea. None suited his needs. The Luo Tian Society already possessed several enchanted treasures, and Duan Feng had even forged one from the two treasure embryos left behind by the Duan family last year. Buying more would serve little purpose. Only if a water-element or defensive enchanted treasure appeared would he consider a purchase. Sima Huiniang still lacked an enchanted treasure suited to her.

Maybe I could trade Wei Tuo’s old nine-ringed pewter staff for a water-element enchanted treasure?

Just as Luo Chen was mulling it over, an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator suddenly shouted aloud, ”One family-heirloom Revival pill for sale! Anyone interested?”

The moment the words ”Revival pill” were spoken, many people turned to look instinctively. Once they saw who it was, someone chuckled. ”Liao Liang, selling off your family goods again?”

”Yeah, last time you sold off your ancestor’s enchanted treasure. Now you’re putting up a third-tier healing pill that can bring people back from the dead. Truly the classic ’grandson selling grandpa’s land’[1], not the least bit sentimental!”

Liao Liang’s face turned several shades of pale and green. But he didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he turned away from the hecklers and kept shouting with stubborn determination.

”Anyone interested? A third-tier Revival pill! As long as you’re still breathing, it can bring you back from the brink of death! If your dantian and sea of qi are damaged, this pill can restore them, and even repair your entire meridian system! I only want spirit stones. Whoever bids the highest, I’ll sell it to them!”

Laughter continued to ripple through the crowd. Some explained Liao Liang’s plight to those unfamiliar with his story. It was the usual tale where his family had fallen from grace, his talent was mediocre, and he needed a tremendous amount of resources to cultivate. To sustain himself, he had often sold off family heirlooms for spirit stones.

Despite the laughter, Luo Chen’s gaze never left the pill in Liao Liang’s hand. Every word the man had shouted was true. The Revival pill had truly heaven-defying effects. It was a renowned third-tier medicine, one of the rare few miracle pills capable of repairing a damaged dantian and restoring the sea of qi.

But what drew Luo Chen’s full attention was the phrase ”bring you back from the brink of death.” He had long cultivated a powerful second-tier defensive technique, Turtle Spirit Armor. Once it was fully mastered, the technique granted its user a chance to stave off death, prolonging life even when struck by fatal wounds. Yet, its life-saving grace came with a catch. What it offered was a mere reprieve, and that reprieve lasted only three days. Without a method of repairing the damage they’d suffered, death would still claim the user. With that technique and this pill in hand, Luo Chen would gain a trump card that could turn certain death into survival!

Still, it will likely cost a fortune! Luo Chen muttered as he scanned the crowd.

Though they mocked Liao Liang, none held back when it came to bidding! The price soon soared to over fifteen thousand spirit stones. That figure startled more than a few Initiates. Third-tier pills were expensive, but even so, a bottle purchased from the Spirit Herb Pavilion usually cost only five to six thousand spirit stones in total. Divided evenly, each pill came to just a few hundred. Yet this single Revival pill had already soared to fifteen thousand. That truly exceeded many people’s expectations.

Even so, given the miraculous effects of this pill, numerous Initiates still flocked toward it. Who wouldn’t want such a chance at survival when standing on death’s edge?

The price kept rising. Soon, it had climbed past twenty thousand!

At that point, one cultivator, whether strapped for funds or simply intent on ruining Liao Liang’s sale, suddenly snapped. After being outbid once more, he cursed aloud, ”Damn! Fine, you lot fight over it. That Liao family stuff came from some thousand-year-old ruin left by their ancestors. Their treasures are rotten, and their pills barely have any potency left. I refuse to believe this Revival pill has even a sliver of power left in it!”

After finishing his jab, he spread his hands innocently and stepped back behind the crowd, completely ignoring Liao Liang’s furious glare.

”Sha Yan!” Liao Liang’s voice cracked with anger.

Before he could even curse, a bidding cultivator interjected. ”Is that true? This Revival pill isn’t really a thousand years old, is it?”

”Does it still retain any medicinal effect? You’d better not be scamming people with a worthless pill.”

”Liao Liang, no matter what other problems you might have, you’re an Inner Hall disciple of Green Pill Valley. If you pull a stunt like this, you’ll only tarnish the sect’s name!”

Faced with wave after wave of suspicion, Liao Liang’s face flushed red as he forced himself to reply, ”Don’t believe that nonsense! This pill may be centuries old, but it still retains at least half its original potency. It might not work on Golden Core Adepts, but for Initiates, it absolutely will! I’d never do something that would disgrace the name of Green Pill Valley. If you don’t believe me, ask the sect leader himself; he personally tested the pill’s effects!”

After these words, the murmurs of doubt eased somewhat, but the bidding momentum had already faltered. Clearly, many still harbored suspicions. A pill like this wasn’t something that could be tested on a whim.

As the hall grew quiet, Liao Liang’s heart sank. He cursed Sha Yan silently, wishing he could throttle him for ruining the sale. The price had stalled at twenty-eight thousand spirit stones. No one else spoke up, and no further bids came.

The price truly left Liao Liang dissatisfied. He looked around at the others in Gaoyang Tower and shouted, ”Is that all? No one else? I’m telling you, this pill still works. Even one of our Grand Alchemy Institute elders bought a few and reverse-analyzed the formula from them! If you don’t trust me, do you not trust a third-tier alchemist from Green Pill Valley?”

The more he spoke, the less convincing he sounded. His words now carried the weight of desperation rather than confidence. Even the cultivator who had offered twenty-eight thousand was beginning to shift uncomfortably, second-guessing his own judgment. Spending that much on a pill of questionable potency? It was starting to feel more like a blunder than a bargain. He could almost feel others behind him looking at him like he was an idiot.

At that moment, a calm, steady voice cut through the air. ”Thirty thousand.”

The voice wasn’t loud, but it rang out with surprising clarity. To Liao Liang, it was a rope thrown to a drowning man. Hope surged in his chest. His eyes lit up instantly. That was the lowest price he had hoped for.

Still, he forced himself to stay composed. After all, this wasn’t exactly a generous figure. With a few more reluctant mutters and half-hearted goads for higher bids, and seeing no one respond, he sighed dramatically and went to greet the young man in crimson robes.

”You’re getting an incredible deal,” Liao Liang muttered as he handed the pill over. ”Fellow Daoist, you really struck gold today.”

Luo Chen simply smiled and said nothing. Was it a bargain or a mistake? Everyone would have their own answer to that.

Over the past few days, Luo Chen had come to an important realization. Though the True Inheritor disciples of the sect had abundant resources, most lacked liquid wealth. Tens of thousands of spirit stones were still a painful sum to part with, even for them. By contrast, he could very much afford something like this, and even though the sum was large, spending it for a potential lifesaving trump card was definitely not a bad deal.

He accepted the pill and gave it a brief inspection. The medicinal aroma still lingered around it. The exact potency was anybody’s guess, but at the very least, it confirmed the pill retained some power. He decided he would examine it more thoroughly once he returned.

Stowing the pill away, Luo Chen ignored the stares around him and made his way to a jade plaque display. It was densely inscribed with trade information. Most had been left by Foundation Establishment cultivators who couldn’t frequent Gaoyang Tower in person. This practice actually stemmed from the sect’s own task delegation methods.

Luo Chen skimmed through the listings, and soon enough, his eyes gleamed. There were quite a few rare treasures listed, things he hadn’t seen even in Dahe Market or Tianlan Immortal City.

For example, second-tier meridian protection pills that aided Foundation Establishment, and Fiend-Purging pills that flushed out fiend qi—most of them sold individually, by the pill. Major sects claimed these items were never leaked to outsiders, but in truth, they simply weren’t sold in bulk. For their own disciples, small-scale trades like these were quietly permitted.

These pills were of little personal use, yet they could aid the Luo Tian Society’s Qi Refinement cultivators. Their repeated failures in Foundation Establishment weighed on him, and such aids might tip the balance.

Come to think of it, Caiyi is approaching her Foundation Establishment attempt as well. Preparing some spirit medicine for her is fine.

With that thought, Luo Chen didn’t hesitate. He immediately informed the Gaoyang Tower attendant of the items he intended to buy. It was only a modest expense anyway. Still, his generous spree drew attention from the Green Pill Valley cultivators in Gaoyang Tower. They marveled at his apparent wealth, even as they sneered at him for acting like a bumpkin eager to buy anything in sight.

Luo Chen paid those looks no mind. Not only did he lock in several purchases, but he also listed the pewter staff left behind by Wei Tuo on the jade plaque. He specified that he wanted to trade it for a water-element enchanted treasure. If there was a price difference, he was open to negotiation.

By the time the process was finished, the day had slipped by. Luo Chen glanced at the sky and, not planning to stay longer, prepared to leave Gaoyang Tower.

”Hey, it is really you!”

A familiar voice sounded beside his ear. As Luo Chen was about to descend the stairs, he turned around and saw an old acquaintance.

”It’s you?” he said, surprised. ”What brings you here?”

Chu Kui let out a cheeky laugh. ”If you can be here, why can’t I?”

With those words, Luo Chen already sensed the reason for his presence. His gaze shifted to the imposing figure beside Chu Kui, who was studying him with equal curiosity.

Luo Chen said, ”Brother Chu, aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Chu Kui glanced at Luo Chen and, seeing no objection, enthusiastically pointed at his companion. ”This is He Yuanqing, a True Inheritor disciple of the He family from Yuxuan.”

He then gestured to Luo Chen. ”And this here is Luo Chen, president of the Luo Tian Society of Danxia Peak, also known as the Fire Spirit Lord.”

He Yuanqing raised a brow at the name. Danxia Peak? Luo Tian Society? Never heard of them. Probably a small group from Tianlan Immortal City.

Still, the fact that this man bore a Daoist title meant he wasn’t someone to take lightly. This was compounded by the fact that He Yuanqing couldn’t see through Luo Chen’s cultivation. Thus, he gave a polite nod. ”Greetings, Fire Spirit Lord. If you’re ever free, feel welcome to visit Yuxuan Mountain.”

Luo Chen returned the gesture. ”You’re too kind, True Inheritor He.”

Seeing that they seemed to get along, Chu Kui said to He Yuanqing, ”You go on ahead. I’ll take him for a stroll. Everything here’s too pricey, I can’t afford any of it.”

He Yuanqing chuckled and nodded, making no effort to stop them. He watched as Chu Kui and Luo Chen descended the stairs together. Then, he called someone over. ”Find out who this Fire Spirit Lord Luo Chen really is, and who invited him to Green Pill Valley.”

***

Along the long streets of Green Pill Valley’s market, two figures strolled side by side, their shadows stretching long under the moonlight.

”You’re a retainer of the He family now?” Luo Chen asked.

”Temporarily.” Chu Kui shrugged. ”You know me. I’m a loyal retainer of... seven or eight cultivation families. Once the True Inheritor Sword Duel ends, this one will be tossed into the archive as well.”

A soft click of the tongue escaped Luo Chen. ”That must have cost He Yuanqing quite a few spirit stones.”

”Hehe, I made a nice little profit!” Chu Kui grinned smugly and looked at Luo Chen. ”What about you? Who invited you?”

Luo Chen pulled a token from his storage pouch and held it up.

”The Tao family?” Chu Kui blinked. ”Tao Wan invited you?”

Luo Chen asked curiously, ”You know her?”

Chu Kui looked at him as if he were an idiot. That expression made Luo Chen frown subconsciously as if he had missed something.

After a moment’s thought, memory stirred. Back when he had first arrived in Tianlan Immortal City, Xu Xiaoliu had patiently explained the city’s customs and the rankings on the Debate Platform. That had been the first time Luo Chen heard of Chu Kui, reputed as the strongest Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator in the city.

At that time, Xu Xiaoliu had also mentioned Tao Wan. She ranked third at the time, just beneath Lin Qingxuan of the Sword Sect, who had once challenged the top ten immortal cities, and below Fairy Icesoul, the Dao Scion of the Ice Fortress.

Clearly, Tao Wan hadn’t traveled through all ten cities like Lin Qingxuan. Her battleground had been Tianlan Immortal City, and in that place, how could she not have encountered Chu Kui?

Once Luo Chen realized the truth, Chu Kui’s strange expression no longer puzzled him. He said helplessly, ”Since you know her, how would you judge her battle prowess? Does she truly stand a chance of becoming Green Pill Valley’s Dao Scion?”

Evaluate her battle prowess? Now that got Chu Kui’s attention. He clasped his hands behind his back, straightened his posture, and adopted a mock-solemn air. The moment felt like the prelude to one of his long lectures, the kind he delivered with all the authority of a self-declared master.

1. 崽卖爷田 (zǎi mài yé tián) is an idiom that describes the act of squandering ancestral property or legacy, often for short-term gain. It criticizes those who, having inherited valuable resources or status, sell them off recklessly without understanding their worth or the sacrifices made by previous generations. ☜