An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Chapter 580: The Fire Spirit Lord Rampages Across the Battlefield, The Flame Alliance’s Adept Strikes (I)

The battle erupted in an instant!

There was no hesitation. After days of relentless consumption and the final bombardment of devastating techniques, the Seven-Colored Danxia Formation finally shattered. The long standoff gave way to brutal close-quarters combat.

Compared to the hasty charge of the Flame Alliance’s vassal cultivators, the Luo Tian Society seemed a lot more orderly. Naturally, they had made their preparations well in advance. The formation could have held for two more days, yet they had dispelled it early at Luo Chen’s command. That choice placed the initiative firmly in their hands.

As the tide of low-tier cultivators surged up the mountain slope, Zhou Yuanli stood at the front with the Law Enforcement Palace cultivators, commanding the three thousand members of Luo Tian Society. Lines of spirit consciousness voice transmissions poured steadily from his lips.

”Qin Liangchen, prepare the first wave of talisman attacks!”

”Yes!” Qin Liangchen shouted in response.

With a sharp cry, he led the Outer Hall cultivators as they raised the bundles of talismans that had been long prepared. In the next instant, fireballs, wind blades, ironwood bolts, and boulders erupted all at once. A torrent of low-tier talismans ignited as though they had cost nothing, thundering down like a storm. In a single clash, the hundred vanguard cultivators who had charged at the front were struck head-on by the devastating barrage.

Zhou Yuanli’s voice thundered across the battlefield once more. ”Feng Xia, prepare the second wave of talisman attacks!”

”Yes!”

At the southeastern flank, Feng Xia’s expression hardened. With a sharp sweep of her long sleeves, the cultivators of the Medicine Palace unleashed another storm of talismans. The sight mirrored the first assault.

Even as the talisman rained down, Zhou Yuanli’s ears caught a distant voice within his mind. It was Sima Huiniang, sending a warning from the Luo Tian Society’s Grand Hall.

”From the northwest, a large force of Qi Refinement cultivators has broken through the defenses and is charging forward,” she said.

Zhou Yuanli’s expression remained steady. He raised the great command banner and leapt into the air, stirring wind and cloud with his movement.

”Yuan Xiaoyue, spells!” he called.

From afar, a crisp and charming female voice answered, ”Yes!”

In the next moment, the female cultivators of the Gold Palace released a dazzling barrage of multicolored spells, crashing down in a thunderous wave. Wails of agony filled the battlefield. Even among the Qi Refinement cultivators with formidable defenses or unmatched speed, none could withstand such widespread attacks. They were trapped, unable to escape.

In just the first exchange, the Flame Alliance’s vassal cultivators, fighting without proper command, were already suffering devastating losses.

The scene did not escape Zheng Xian’s eyes. His expression darkened as he gave a cold order. ”Send three men to kill the Initiate who is directing them on the field!”

At once, two Initiates of the Zheng family charged forward under Zheng Kejian’s lead, rushing straight for Zhou Yuanli.

Zhou Yuanli faced them without the slightest sign of panic. Before the three could close in, three figures leapt out behind him. They were the newly advanced Initiates of the Battle Palace: Gui Jiang, Su Xiaolin, and Li Yingzhang.

Li Yingzhang stepped ahead, gripping the Hornless Dragon Sword that he had finally reclaimed. Luo Chen had recovered the sword from Yan Leizi’s storage pouch after the battle at Jilei Nine Mountains.

Years back, Yan Leizi had used Earth Fire Fiend Qi to seize it, robbing him of his family’s ancestral treasure. Now, with the sword once more in his hand, Li Yingzhang stood unshaken, as though the chaos of the battlefield had no power to disturb him.

”Zheng Kejian is mine,” he declared. ”You guys will deal with the other two.”

Su Xiaolin’s face changed slightly, and he said, ”But you’re only at the second stage and he’s a mid-stage—”

Before he could even finish his sentence, Li Yingzhang had already rushed forward to meet Zheng Kejian. An instant later, the two flying swords clashed in a flurry.

Everyone had expected Li Yingzhang to fall quickly, yet he forced himself to hold firm and met Zheng Kejian’s assault head-on!

Su Xiaolin’s eyes brightened as he felt the surge of power. Elder Li’s spirit power is overwhelming. Even though he is two stages lower, he manages to hold his own against Zheng Kejian’s assault!

Such a formidable strength of spirit power was something he had only ever witnessed in President Luo back when he was still at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Yet his surprise lasted only a moment. On the battlefield, there was no room for carelessness. He immediately engaged one of the Zheng family cultivators.

Behind them, Zhou Yuanli watched the clash with a cold expression.

From below, Liu Qiang’s urgent voice rang out. ”Some of the Qi Refinement cultivators have come up Danxia Peak!” he shouted.

Zhou Yuanli gave a dismissive wave of his hand. ”Focus on killing the enemy. Leave that matter to me.”

Liu Qiang arched his brows, forced an enemy back, and shot a glance over his shoulder.

On the mountain slopes, vines twined like serpents, stalks of rice transformed into swords, and massive spirit fruits of the Luo Tian Society burst apart like cannonballs. Slaughter and flames swept across Danxia Peak in an unending tide.

”Even the Agriculture Palace has joined the battle?” Liu Qiang exclaimed in shock.

”Of course,” another replied. ”Back then, Granny Yuan was renowned for wielding spirit planting spells in combat. She once forced Elder Min to retreat by relying on the terrain. Hall Leader Yuan Dongsheng inherited her true legacy and has grown even stronger than she was back then. With him leading the cultivators of the Agriculture Palace, those stragglers are nothing more than lambs awaiting slaughter!”

A wave of relief settled over Liu Qiang’s heart. He drove his enchanted artifact forward once again to aid the other members of the Luo Tian Society.

From the skies above, the patterns of battle became clear. The strategies of both sides could be seen in their movements and formations.

The Flame Alliance’s vassals had brought a thousand Qi Refinement cultivators, most of them seasoned fighters in the middle and late stages. Yet without a commander, they charged in blindly, each striking on impulse rather than order. On the other hand, the Luo Tian Society had assembled three thousand cultivators of varying strength. Under Zhou Yuanli’s command, the weaker disciples remained at the rear, hurling spells and talismans from a distance. Even when enemies forced their way to the front, the defenders used the terrain to slip aside and regroup.

At the forefront, the Battle Palace cultivators bore the brunt of the assault, holding the line against the fiercest pressure. Behind them, waves of Outer Hall cultivators and Beast Palace cultivators lent their support, reinforced by a smaller contingent from the Merit Palace. At the center stood the intelligence cultivators trained by Su Xiaolin, joined by Zhou Yuanli’s Law Enforcement Palace. They lacked overwhelming strength, yet their quick wits and agility made them indispensable; they closed gaps wherever gaps appeared and pressed forward the moment an advantage was gained.

After sweeping through one front, they surged toward the next like wind, forest, fire, and mountain. In this way, the defenses within and without formed three distinct layers, each moving with clear order, and the fighting unfolded with a steady rhythm. At the battle between the Qi Refinement cultivators alone, only a few minutes had passed before the Luo Tian Society had already secured an overwhelming advantage.

Yet every cultivator on the field understood the truth. The true weight of this battle did not rest on the clash of Qi Refinement cultivators, but on the outcome between the Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Sima Huiniang’s voice rang out once more in Zhou Yuanli’s ear.

”Be careful. The Zheng family could not bring you down, so they have sent the Foundation Establishment cultivators of Iron Sword Hall to deal with you.”

Zhou Yuanli shifted his gaze to the distance. Several figures streaked through the air toward him, and a cold sneer touched his lips. Since he had chosen to command from the front lines, he had long set aside thoughts of life and death. Besides, killing him would not be so easy.

”Qu Lingjun, are you ready?” Zhou Yuanli called out.

Deep beneath the mountain, the Alchemy Palace lay silent. The palace that had once been filled with alchemy furnaces and tools now stood empty. Within, the cultivators of the Alchemy Palace waited with solemn faces, while the weary disciples of the Artifact Palace, drained from days of maintaining the grand formation, stood beside them.

Each of them possessed skill in their own craft, but few excelled in direct combat. Even so, the question of whether they could fight depended not on their individual strength, but on how they chose to fight together.

At that moment, Zhou Yuanli’s voice reached them, and Qu Lingjun turned sharply.

He raised his voice, his tone firm. ”Everyone, activate the grand formation Elder Min prepared!”

The Qi Refinement cultivators stationed at their positions responded with unified nods. They followed the plan without hesitation, channeling their spirit power into the formation flags one after another.

Beyond the mountain, five Initiates gathered into a single force and charged straight toward Zhou Yuanli. They were following Zheng Xian’s command: Zhou Yuanli was to be eliminated with utmost priority. So long as he remained in the lead, their forces at the Qi Refinement stage would face certain ruin! Even so, the order left them unsettled. Sending five of them against a single newly advanced Initiate seemed rather excessive.

”Is Zheng Xian being overly cautious?” one of them muttered.

”We should be charging up with the main force against Danxia Peak. That way we could seize more spoils,” another said.

”Enough chatter. Let’s finish off Zhou Yuanli quickly, then we can go and grab our share,” the third snapped.

”That works. No one should hold back.”

As they exchanged these words, the five of them drew closer and closer.

When they reached the midpoint of their charge, one cultivator with exceptionally keen divine sense suddenly froze. A flicker of unease passed through him, and he instinctively glanced at the ground before veering sharply to the side. Another reacted a moment later; though his response came late, his speed was extraordinary, and he managed to slip away at the last possible instant.

The other three were not so fortunate. They were still caught off guard when the danger erupted beneath their feet.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Pillars of fire burst from the ground, surging into the sky with unstoppable force. They twisted like flaming dragons, roaring as they devoured heaven and earth. The place where the three cultivators had been only a heartbeat earlier was reduced to nothing but a storm of blazing embers.

The two survivors stared in horror, their eyes wide with disbelief.

”They’re harnessing the power of earth fire!” one of them gasped.

”Is the Luo Tian Society trying to destroy their own foundation?” the other exclaimed.

While they hesitated, Zheng Xian’s furious roar shook the battlefield. ”You fools! What are you waiting for? Kill him at once!”

The two men trembled. With lingering fear, they cast a wary glance at the ground before rushing toward Zhou Yuanli.

From the Grand Hall, Sima Huiniang watched the scene through the Water Mirror, her expression heavy with concern. If those two broke through, the clash would become five against four. The Luo Tian Society had only four early-stage Initiates, while the enemy had five Initiate and among them two were at the middle stage. Li Yingzhang could barely hold Zheng Kejian back, and he could not endure for long. With another joining in, the balance would collapse.

Her gaze swept across the battlefield, and she bit down hard.

”Bian Zhen, go and support Zhou Yuanli!” she ordered.

Within Danxia Peak, a figure drew a deep breath and shot into the sky, flying swiftly toward Zhou Yuanli’s position. In this way, although they were still at a disadvantage, at least it was now five against five. If the Alchemy Palace deep beneath the mountain could use the earth fire once more, it might give Zhou Yuanli and his men a crucial aid.

However, that situation was no longer Sima Huiniang’s focus.

Through the Water Mirror, she saw eight mid stage Foundation Establishment cultivators advancing together as they charged toward Danxia Peak.

A silent thought stirred in her heart. Can Xu Haizhen and the others hold them off?

***

”Today, there are guests again. Yet they are not honored visitors, but vile intruders.”

The clear voice spread across Danxia Peak, accompanied by the sharp cries of countless eagles. A Daoist flew out from behind the mountain, and beneath his feet surged hundreds upon hundreds of Plume-Snatching Eagles. Their wings gleamed as they filled the sky. Among them was one with a golden crown on its head, giving off the aura of a second-tier beast. Wherever the soar of eagles passed, the sky darkened and feathers scattered like snow, as though a great storm was sweeping through the heavens.

Xu Haizhen stamped his foot and declared, ”Since that’s the case, then I’ll fight you on your own terms!”

The golden-crowned Plume-Snatching Eagle beneath him let out a piercing cry. In the next instant, the thousand-strong flock of Plume-Snatching Eagles hurled themselves recklessly toward the eight mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Faced with this scene, a cultivator from the Iron Sword Hall paled. ”When did Xu Haizhen advance to late-stage Foundation Establishment!?”

Another growled, ”Don’t be afraid. It’s just him alone, and the eight of us can easily take him down!”

The eight cultivators steadied their minds and unleashed strike after strike against the swarming eagles. From within the storm of wings, a true torrent suddenly erupted. Waves of deep blue rose in endless layers, surging forward to blot out the heavens. Two graceful figures stood upon the rolling waves, striding across them as though walking on water. When the eight saw the two women, their eyes gleamed with sinister light.

One of them cried out, ”That is Murong Qinglian, the leader of the Luo Tian Society’s Merit Palace. She is one of Dan Chenzi’s closest allies. Killing her will earn us great merit!”

Another added, ”I recognize the other one. She is Gu Caiyi, the leader of the Gold Palace. They say she’s pretty close to Dan Chenzi. If we can capture her alive...”

Without hesitation, the eight cultivators charged toward the two women. In the very next moment, a sharp streak of light flashed across the waves.

Shhhk!

A streak of rippling light swept through the air.

In midair, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator clutched his throat and stumbled back in desperation. Yet that rippling light gave him no chance to escape.

At the same time, Murong Qinglian and Gu Caiyi urged the surging waves beneath their feet, driving them forward layer after layer with unstoppable force—the Ocean-Severing Triple Waves!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The two women brandished their artifacts to control the spell, together with another cultivator. All three possessed water-element spirit roots, and when their powers merged, the torrent they unleashed crashed down like a falling mountain. In just an instant, the enemy collapsed lifeless to the ground, his eyes wide with unwilling defiance.

Only then did Duan Feng reveal himself before the crowd, his longsword in hand. He stood before the two women, and the three of them urged the waves together. At the same time, Xu Haizhen stirred up a raging gale that drove the already surging waves to even greater violence.

Amid the storm of wind and waves, the remaining seven cultivators were furious, yet they showed no fear in the face of danger.

One of them shouted coldly, ”Just a single late-stage Initiate and three early-stage ones, and they dare block our way?”

”Die!”

With their furious cries, enchanted artifacts and treasures blazed to life, radiating a chilling murderous aura. The three who faced them all carried grave expressions.

Without turning his head, Duan Feng said, ”Gu Caiyi, you have been in the Foundation Establishment Realm for the shortest time. Focus on staying safe once the fight starts.”

Gu Caiyi’s complexion turned pale, but her eyes remained firm. She answered, ”Do not worry. I have my own ways to deal with this; you don’t need to worry.”

As she spoke, a dark radiance shimmered faintly across her back, and the sound of a soft, feminine laughter seemed to echo in the air.