An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”A supreme-grade defensive enchanted artifact, this will be a reward for one of our Foundation Establishment candidates,” Luo Chen decided.

”A Soul-Taming Bell, a low-grade enchanted treasure. Since Little Ling has already awakened and struggles to wield the Soul-Nurturing Banner, this should suit her better.”

”This one is useless. They can take it to the black market and sell it off.”

”This earth-element defensive enchanted treasure is slightly damaged but still nearly eighty percent intact, with little loss of power. When Chu Kui once protected me against Di Wanyun, his defensive item was destroyed. This will serve well as compensation for him.”

***

”What kind of puppet is this? It can spit webs. Could it have been crafted from a spider-type demonic beast?” Luo Chen examined the construct with curiosity.

”A small pavilion that can expand and shrink? Could this have belonged to a True Inheritor from Ailao Mountain? It’s perfect for travel and residence.”

”Another Profound-Link Celestial Crystal. It seems late-stage Foundation Establishment grand cultivators deliberately collect these, preparing to forge life-bound enchanted treasures. I’ll keep it for myself; it will be useful when I craft mine in the future.”

”Soft Thunder Sand. This is excellent; I will keep this for myself.”

”Oh my heavens, third-tier Earth Fire Fiend Qi! Whoever Xuan Yu killed for this must have been a top Grand True Inheritor of the Flame Alliance, second only to the Dao Scion. This is perfect. The Blazing Fire Miasma only works with second-tier fiend qi. With this added, it will be four or five times stronger!”

***

”Bellybands, scented kerchiefs, rouge... why so many girly...oh. Right. Peach Mountain was a land for pleasure. Since he was the boss there, it’s not weird that he had these things.” Luo Chen shook his head with regret. ”What a pity... I could’ve given all of these to our ladies, but sadly, they can’t see the light of day.”

”The Peach Blossom True Scripture? Damn, is this Grand Elder Peach Blossom’s cultivation technique? A third-tier dual water-and-wood technique... What a shame. It might have served as my core technique after Core Formation. Too bad it’s a dual-cultivation technique, and the most sinister kind at that. Using others as a cultivation furnace and harvesting their essence... Damn.

”The Great Handprint of Primordial Qi is a third-tier spell that creates an overwhelming suppressive force, especially powerful when fueled with earth and wood spirit energy. This is a fine spell. It may become one of my trump cards.”

***

Xuan Yu’s fortune was unimaginably vast. A rough tally had already taken Luo Chen three to four days, and a thorough accounting consumed more than half a month before he finally finished. Even then, he felt unsatisfied; many items seemed to hold mysteries yet to be unraveled.

This task had consumed a great deal of his time. Aside from his daily cultivation, which Luo Chen never neglected, even his now-routine calligraphy practice, painting, and scripture reading were set aside. Pill refinement was reduced to the bare minimum, limited only to maintaining the production of Spirit Passage Pills. Still, all of it was worth the effort. From these spoils, he had gained tremendous fortune. Even without what he set aside for the Luo Tian Society, the items he kept would greatly enhance his strength.

With a quiet sigh, Luo Chen activated the formation. It was the appointed day for the Luo Tian Society cultivators to deliver materials and collect resources.

This time, it was Gu Caiyi. The moment she saw him, she slipped directly into his arms before he could say a word.

”Missed me that much?” Luo Chen teased her.

”And you didn’t?” she retorted.

He wanted to argue but froze when he saw her pointing at the erotic paintings[1] on the table. Her look carried both amusement and mockery.

”Ahem, this is...” Luo Chen faltered, unable to explain. He could not admit it had come from Xuan Yu. Keeping such things secret was the safest choice.

”Enough, you contrary man,” Gu Caiyi said as she pressed the painting into his chest and cleared the table. ”Little Ling woke early today and prepared a fine spirit meal for you. I also contacted Taibai Market and obtained a bottle of third-tier spirit wine.”

The table soon filled with plates of exquisite dishes, each vibrant in color and rich in aroma. When she unsealed the wine jar, the fragrance spread instantly, intoxicating in its intensity. Even one breath stirred the divine soul and lifted the heart with joy.

”Cultivation requires balance,” Gu Caiyi reminded him. ”You are not attempting a major breakthrough or anything. Locking yourself away day after day serves no purpose. You are still young and have a long lifespan ahead. Others your age are still struggling to establish their foundation. You have already reached the seventh stage and you’re a grand cultivator, welcomed as a guest by major sects...”

Luo Chen sipped the fine wine with delight and savored the exquisite dishes. Listening to the woman beside him chatter on, his heart felt at ease. Perhaps it was because they had not met in some time, but Gu Caiyi seemed especially talkative today. When she advised him to cultivate with moderation, Luo Chen did not bother to argue. His daily reading and the unlocking of storage pouches were already his way of relaxing. Of course, he understood the principle she spoke of.

Before long, he had finished every bite of the meal that was worth hundreds of spirit stones, leaving much of the wine to savor another day. After a satisfied burp, he found himself praising Little Ling in his heart. Her cooking was far better. If she were to open a restaurant in Tianlan Immortal City, it would surely attract many customers. Of course, all of that culinary skill had been cultivated using the endless ingredients he had supplied.

As Luo Chen watched Gu Caiyi tidy the table, he asked about the current state of the Luo Tian Society. Nearly two years had passed, and by Sima Huiniang’s original plan, they should have recovered by now. And indeed, they had—in fact, according to Gu Caiyi, the Luo Tian Society was in even better shape than he had imagined!

In her area of expertise, external trade, every channel had been restored. In alchemy, they had seized the low-tier rogue cultivator market and risen to become the third-largest pill supplier in Tianlan Immortal City, behind only the Medicine King Sect and Green Pill Valley. At the same time, they had helped the Luo family of Luosha Market establish a new shop in the city specializing in minerals. That venture had clearly taken over the business once dominated by Iron Sword Hall and the Xiahou family.

Progress had also been made in other areas. For instance, three Qi Refinement cultivators advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm over the past two years. They were Sima Wenjie, Feng Xia, and Lou Ying, a rising talent from the Battle Palace.

At present, the Luo Tian Society had no shortage of Foundation Establishment Pills. The supply exchanged from the Jilei Nine Mountains battlefield had not yet been depleted. In addition, the storage pouches Luo Chen had unlocked had also yielded some. Combined with the purchases made through black markets and auctions, the overall stock was more than sufficient.

Under these circumstances, Sima Huiniang initiated sweeping changes in personnel. Chu Kui became leader of the Battle Palace; Xing Zhonghan replaced Su Xiaolin as the leader of Luo Network; Feng Xia replaced Bian Zhen as leader of the Medicine Palace; Sima Wenjie temporarily assumed leadership of the Merit Palace; Lou Ying was transferred from the Battle Palace to the Outer Hall to serve as an elder. The renowned master healer Sun Sifang, together with her entire Sun Medical Hall, formally joined the Luo Tian Society; Sun Sifang herself became the Succession Palace’s third elder, following Wang Yuan and Min Longyu.

These were the major shifts. Smaller adjustments were too many to count. Even for positions that existed only in name for the time being, Sima Huiniang had appointed candidates. Her ambition was clear. She was laying down the structure first, and once the Luo Tian Society returned to its peak, she intended to act with full force and elevate the society to a higher tier.

Luo Chen listened with great interest. He had delegated personnel authority entirely to Sima Huiniang, and she wielded it boldly. He had no objections. Although he did not follow the rigid maxim of ”trust completely or not at all,” his years of experience allowed him to judge a person with clarity. Delegating authority according to that judgment was the best way to ensure healthy growth for his organization.

”That was nicely done!” Luo Chen remarked.

Gu Caiyi narrowed her eyes. ”Are you praising her or me?”

”Both of you, of course,” Luo Chen laughed, brushing past the question. Then he shifted the topic. ”How is the search for materials to restore my sister-in-law’s hand coming along?”

Gu Caiyi’s expression dimmed. She let out a quiet sigh. ”Most of the materials have been collected, but we are still missing the two most crucial ones.”

”Which two?” Luo Chen asked.

”Seven-Pore Lotus Root of Rebirth and Tracing Mud,” she replied.

At the mention, Luo Chen frowned. He had read about them in the classics. One was a third-tier material, the other was a four-tier; both were exceptionally rare and valuable. Then a thought stirred within him. ”I recall the Nangong family once gifted Brother Qin a piece of Seven-Pore Lotus Root of Rebirth as an offering of atonement. Have you not asked Nangong Jin about it?”

Gu Caiyi shook her head and delivered news that left him momentarily stunned. Nangong Jin was dead. He had fallen on the battlefield of Jilei Mountain, and his body was lost without a trace. Due to that, the Nangong family, who had struggled to resettle in Tianlan Immortal City, departed a few years ago.

”Dead...?” Luo Chen murmured. ”No wonder I saw Elder Lianyun and Li Yixian during the Luo Tian Society battle, but not him. With our past ties and his nature, he would have been the first to lend aid. I never imagined his absence was because he had already fallen....”

For a moment, Luo Chen felt a wave of emotion. That war had truly been a slaughterhouse, where too many cultivators had met their end.

The Luo Tian Society’s rise in Tianlan Immortal City was, in truth, inseparable from that carnage. So many had died on the battlefield that the city had been left practically hollow, giving the society the chance to flourish.

”Oh, and one more thing!” Gu Caiyi lifted her head and said casually, ”The Adept from Ailao Mountain has gone all out. Not only did he help us rebuild Danxia Peak, he even repaired the ruins of the Alchemy and Forging Palaces that were ruined by the earth fire eruption. The alchemy chambers and forges now function better than ever.”

”That’s rather generous of him.” Luo Chen frowned. ”Did he ask for additional payment?”

”None at all.” Gu Caiyi shook her head, biting her lip. ”Sima Huiniang also said he was overly eager. But since he’s a Golden Core cultivator, it is difficult to speculate. She asked me to bring this matter to you and hear your opinion.”

Luo Chen fell silent. His eyes narrowed as memories of encounters with Elder Fei Ming replayed in his mind.

Only after a long pause did he nod slowly, his expression thoughtful. ”I think I understand his intentions. You need not dwell on this. Focus on maintaining good relations with the Ailao Mountain cultivators in your daily dealings. As for Elder Fei Ming, I will go and meet him myself.”

1. 春宫图 (chūn gōng tú) literally means ”Spring Palace Painting.” In classical Chinese culture, ”spring” refers to sexuality, and ”palace” in this case refers to intimate chambers. ☜