An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Dust returned to dust, and ashes to ashes.

A gentle breeze brushed across the green mountains, while a rain of blood stained the land below. From the depths of the earth, vast waves of spirit energy surged upward. Radiant clouds of seven colors rolled back from the horizon, pouring into Danxia Peak like a river flowing against the current.

The seven-colored barrier rippled softly, then slowly drew together, mending itself. The gaping hole that a force of over three dozen Initiates had blasted open earlier vanished completely before countless watchful eyes.

Once again, the seven-colored barrier shimmered on Danxia Peak, stretching from heaven to earth, majestic and untouchable.

The words still echoed in everyone’s ears and rumbled in their hearts: ”Within the Seven-Colored Danxia Formation, I am king.”

The eerie atmosphere had been felt since the seven-colored Daoist appeared and slaughtered a man in an instant. When he went on to kill a couple more with effortless ease, that atmosphere reached its peak.

The alliance led by Zheng Xian, formed to destroy the Luo Tian Society, fell into complete silence. The countless cultivators watching from afar also dared not utter a word. Outside Danxia Peak, it was as if a herd of ten thousand wild horses had suddenly stopped and fallen mute. Not a single voice rose.

A voice filled with confidence and provocation echoed. ”All of you, why not come in and show me your skill?”

In that instant, the entire crowd erupted.

”How arrogant!” one shouted.

”I’ve never seen such a domineering man before!” another exclaimed.

”Who is he? I’ve been in seclusion for years, and I never knew Tianlan Immortal City had such an invincible figure!” a cultivator said in disbelief.

”Have you been living in a cave? It’s Min Longyu! If that name means nothing to you, then surely you have heard of Lei Zhenzi!” someone else cried.

Hiss!

”You mean the one who annihilated five Initiates in one shot with a lightning formation in the Jilei Nine Mountains?”

”How many Lei Zhenzi are there? He’s been gone from the public eye for a couple of years, and it seems that not only has his cultivation advanced, but his mastery of formations has grown even more terrifying. Slaughtering those of the same realm is now no different to him than butchering chickens and dogs. Just like that, ten lives are gone.”

”Exactly. If those four survivors hadn’t entered a little later and escaped a little faster, they would’ve lacked a head by now as well.”

”Lei Zhenzi is not only the formation master of the Luo Tian Society but also the heir of the Danxia Min family from a hundred years ago. Now that he has returned to his ancestral land, it seems that he would sooner fight to the death than let the past tragedy repeat.”

”A master of formations truly is terrifying!”

***

In battles between cultivators, life and death were decided in an instant, and they were nothing rare. Even killing an opponent of the same realm in an instant was hardly rare. At most, defeating someone of a higher cultivation earned a few gasps of admiration or brief tales of praise. When Luo Chen leapt across an entire realm to slay Adept Di Wanyun, the cultivators of the Jade Cauldron Domain had been utterly shocked, yet they had also been quick to dismiss it as nothing more than trickery and the use of external aids.

Min Longyu’s display just now, however, had truly stunned the countless cultivators of Tianlan Immortal City. With only a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, he had moved like a phantom among more than a dozen cultivators of the same realm, and every swing of his sword had claimed another life. Those men had barely mounted any real resistance. They had simply stood frozen in place, waiting for death.

That scene alone was enough to terrify not just ordinary Qi Refinement and low-level Initiates; even the eight late-stage Initiates led by Zheng Xian felt their scalps prickle and a chill seep into their bones. They had witnessed it all too clearly.

Within that grand formation, Min Longyu was practically invincible among those of the same realm. It was not only weaker cultivators like Wei Bufan and Shen Gongyi who stood no chance; even stronger ones like themselves would likely find little strength to resist if they stepped inside.

That blasted formation! Xiahou Kun suddenly cried out in terror and blurted out, ”What defensive formation!? This is clearly a third-tier killing formation!”

He understood formations fairly well. A century ago, after the Min family had been destroyed, the Xiahou family had seized many of their formation manuals. Earlier, during the assault on the formation, he had not been able to see things clearly, but when Min Longyu personally acted, making use of the grand formation to slaughter Initiates of various levels, the overwhelming killing intent within could no longer be concealed.

His voice trembled as he said, ”If we are caught within a third-tier killing formation, how could we Initiates possibly be his match?”

Song Fengzi’s face was filled with astonishment. He had never expected such an extraordinary figure to rise from among the seemingly shallow-rooted rogue cultivators of the Jade Cauldron Domain. ”No wonder he dares proclaim that within that formation, he is king!”

Even as they marveled, Tuoba Lingfei said sternly, ”This is not the time for discussion. What we must consider now is how to break the formation.”

The gazes of the Foundation Establishment cultivators shifted toward the towering Danxia Peak and the countless Qi Refinement cultivators retreating in panic. For a moment, they found themselves at a loss.

Zheng Xian’s eyes flickered as he lifted his head to look at the sky.

***

Just like the countless rogue cultivators below, the three Golden Core Adepts hovering in the sky were equally shaken. The young Qin Junjie even rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he had just seen.

”Where did this man come from? How could he slaughter Initiates so effortlessly? Even we, true inheritors of the major sects, cannot achieve such a feat!” Qin Junjie exclaimed in disbelief.

While he marveled, Tao Wan, who stood at his side, gave a cold snort. ”This is the so-called army of cultivators you managed to gather? The numbers may be large, but they are nothing more than a disorderly mob. They could not even tell whether the formation had been broken, and instead trapped themselves inside, waiting to be slaughtered at another’s whim. In my view, you would be better off retreating now before you disgrace yourselves further.”

Qin Junjie’s expression froze. At his side, Qin Tairan shot him a cold glance, and that single look made his face flush crimson.

It had always been Qin Junjie who dealt with matters concerning the Luo Tian Society. He asked himself if he had failed, but in truth, without even mobilizing the manpower of the Flame Alliance, he had managed to gather a formidable group of experts in just a few short years. That lineup of eight late-stage Initiates would have been a force to be reckoned with even on the battlefield of the Jilei Nine Mountains. Yet here, before the modest Danxia Peak, they had been met with defeat.

Before the gathered crowd, Qin Tairan restrained himself. He would not rebuke his grandson too harshly; he had to leave the boy at least a shred of dignity. His gaze then settled on the seven-colored barrier, and his divine consciousness spread outward, casting its light across heaven and earth.

”Hm?” he murmured.

As his low murmur faded, Elder Fei of Ailao Mountain and Elder Long of Green Pill Valley also realized that something was wrong. Elder Fei’s eyes widened, and he muttered, ”This formation is rather intriguing. Why does it feel similar to the Valley of Ghosts and Divinities’ sect-guarding grand formation?”

When Tao Wan heard those words, she turned to look at Elder Long beside her, surprise written on her face. ”The sect-guarding grand formation of the Valley of Ghosts and Divinities?”

Elder Long gave a slight nod and transmitted his voice in a quiet tone. ”The Valley of Ghosts and Divinities was once one of the major Golden Core sects, second only to the Six Great Upper Sects during the Sixteen Sects’ joint assault on Lianxia Mountain Range. That sect excelled in the Dao of formations. Given only a little time, the formations they set up were formidable enough that even Nascent Soul Sages would not dare take them lightly. Their most renowned formation was, of course, their grand formation—the Heavenly Spirit Seizing Formation. You are still young and may not grasp the depth of its power, but all you need to know is that the formations on the five peaks of Pill Valley are actually based on the Heavenly Spirit Seizing Formation. From this alone, you should understand how terrifying it is.”

With those words, realization dawned on Tao Wan. Pill Valley held a mere low-tier spirit vein, yet it was the sect’s most treasured land and the hope for its future. Ever since Luo Chen warned her that the Falling Cloud Sect might covet the valley, she had questioned her elders time and again to learn more.

That valley had been cultivated from nothing, and in time, it might even advance into a fourth-tier spirit land. Now, on Danxia Peak, where the Luo Tian Society resided, there stood a mountain-guarding formation infused with the very essence of the Heavenly Spirit Seizing Formation. It was no wonder the force below, despite rallying every Initiate they had, had failed to make progress. Instead, they lost a quarter of their strength in a single clash.

Elder Long and Qin Tairan recognized the formation at once. A century ago, the legacy of the Valley of Ghosts and Divinities had been divided among the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, the Flame Alliance, and Green Pill Valley. That legacy had shaped the Jade Cauldron Domain into the home of the mightiest Nascent Soul sect, and into the wealthiest hub for both artifact creation and alchemy.

Only belatedly did Elder Fei of Ailao Mountain realize the truth as well. His eyes widened as he muttered, ”It really is the Heavenly Spirit Seizing Formation!”

”Of course!” he added, as memories surfaced. ”The Luo Tian Society came from Dahe Market. Back then, a dwelling of the Supreme Elder of the Valley of Ghosts and Divinities had appeared in the Ancient Plains. But when our Ailao Mountain cultivators went to investigate, the site was already in ruins, and even the great formation had been dug away. Who would have thought that the Luo Tian Society was among those who acquired the legacy? With such a formation here, unless Old Man Qin acts personally, these people will find themselves helpless against the Luo Tian Society.”

Elder Fei’s lips curved in a smile tinged with scorn as he glanced at Qin Tairan.

Qin Tairan’s face darkened, as though he were already pondering ways to break the formation. Yet before long, his expression eased into a faint smile.

The Heavenly Spirit Seizing Formation was truly formidable. It might have been only a third-tier formation, but given enough time, it could grow to a level even an ordinary fourth-tier formation could not compare to. Both Green Pill Valley’s Pill Valley and the Flame Alliance’s Incense Burning Valley had arranged similar formations. One hoped to elevate its land into a fourth-tier spirit vein, while the other sought to increase the concentration of firepower to better nurture their forging flames. After centuries of cultivation, both had achieved considerable results.

By contrast, the Luo Tian Society was nothing more than a rustic power that had risen through sheer fortune. Its foundation was shallow, and since arriving in Tianlan Immortal City, it had existed for only a little over ten years. That Min Longyu did have some talent in formations and had managed to grasp fragments of the Heavenly Spirit Seizing Formation’s essence. Yet the time left to him was far too short.

Moreover, Tianlan Peak held dominance over the city; its overwhelming aura suppressed all other spirit veins. For thousands of li around, not a single second-tier spirit land had ever emerged. How could a trifling Danxia Peak possibly seize so much of heaven and earth’s spirit energy?

Even so, it seemed that the junior had sensed this very problem. He had changed the formation, guiding the spirit energy hidden within the rainbow clouds overhead to strengthen it further. But in the end, it was nothing more than a drop in the bucket. The Luo Tian Society lacked a true foundation.

Once Qin Tairan understood this point, a cold smile crept on his face. He cast a glance at the two across from him and immediately sent out a voice transmission.

Below, Zheng Xian’s expression shifted, and then clarity dawned upon his face.