An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Chapter 606: Luo Chen’s Three Tactics, Alliances and Entanglements

”The small-scale tactic is to strike the Flame Alliance. The medium-scale tactic is to merge the entire sect into a Nascent Soul upper sect, or else to seek backing from an upper sect beyond this domain. As for the large-scale tactic... that would be to rekindle the Frontier War.”

Inside Qingyun Hall, Tao Wan’s clear voice rang like silver bells. With every Golden Core Adept watching, she delivered the three strategies with a trace of tension, then stood quietly with hands clasped and waited.

Within the hall, scarcely a breath had passed before voices rose in heated discussion.

”Nonsense. How could these things resolve our troubles?” someone scoffed.

”In the end, rogue cultivators are nothing but rogue cultivators; he’s just a fledgling who dares to speak on matters that surpass his competence,” another said.

”No, I believe that some of the things he’s saying hold merit.”

”What merit could there be? Green Pill Valley is only a major sect. How are we to start a Frontier War?” a skeptic pressed. ”And to attack the Flame Alliance? We can hardly manage our own affairs as it is. How could we stir further trouble?”

”I would advise you not to be so hasty,” an elder murmured. ”There must be careful reasoning behind this. Sect Leader, what is your view?”

At last, all eyes turned to Qing Yunzi. His cultivation was not the highest in this hall, but he was the one who held the reins of leadership. Since Tao Wan now served under Qingyun Peak, the final decision naturally fell to him.

Under the weight of so many gazes, Qing Yunzi, who had looked increasingly weathered in these past days, let out a long sigh. ”My view? Of the three tactics, were the first two not already being discussed among us? How can you say they are worthless?”

The gathered elders nodded slightly. These ideas had indeed been discussed before, but since there was no consensus, the debates had dragged on without end.

”Being insiders mired in the situation, there are matters we cannot clearly see. Tao Wan, tell us exactly what Luo Chen said, word by word. Perhaps, as an outsider, his perspective may grant us some clarity.”

In response to that earnest gaze, Tao Wan steadied herself and carefully recited Luo Chen’s words in full detail. ”The small-scale tactic is to attack the Flame Alliance. It’s not something useful in the long run, but for now, it would stabilize morale. Because there has been no communication on our part, the disciples have grown restless. Even among our vassals, some have already begun colluding with the Falling Cloud Sect to secure their future. If the morale of those cultivators is not steadied, Green Pill Valley may collapse from within before enemies even arrive.”

At these words, some scoffed, while others’ faces changed instantly.

”Utter nonsense! Without invasion, how could our sect lose unity?”

”That is not entirely true. When I inspected Yuanhua Mountain’s repairs recently, I overheard many disciples whispering, and they seemed quite uneasy. A good number of them are pessimistic about the future. And as for our vassals... How many have actually come to us in these past few days?”

”The hearts of men are indeed unsettled. If we strike the weakened Flame Alliance and achieve one swift victory, that would release our inner tensions and restore unity. The future remains uncertain, but for now, it would bind our disciples together.”

”No, no. Junior Sister, if you think that way, then...”

Another quarrel seemed ready to erupt, but a dry cough suddenly echoed through the hall. At once, the hall fell silent. Qing Yunzi cast a glance behind him, then turned his gaze back to Tao Wan. ”Please continue.”

”Alright,” Tao Wan answered. The restlessness in her heart eased. It had been replaced with composure, and that composure had been brought by Luo Chen!

”The medium-scale tactic has two paths. One is to merge completely into the Falling Cloud Sect or the Sword Sect, which would preserve the lives of our disciples. They would not refuse; only an idiot would turn away so many alchemists. The other is to seek aid from outside the domain, forming a three-way balance within the Jade Cauldron Domain and turning our wealth into battle strength. In this way, we might resist both the Falling Cloud Sect and the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.”

The extremity of this proposal drew clear displeasure from many elders. Arguments were about to rise again, but Qing Yunzi shook his head and asked, ”Tao Wan, what is your view of the two?”

”The first path would result in Green Pill Valley ceasing to exist. I would never choose it,” she declared without hesitation.

What a joke! How could Green Pill Valley, proud as it was, submit to another sect? Would that not betray the forebears who built it, the centuries of toil that sustained it? If survival alone were their goal, they would have surrendered outright when the Sword Sect first attacked.

At her words, those who had been about to argue fell silent. Many turned to her with looks of approval, their eyes filled with admiration. This was the bearing expected of a Dao Scion of Green Pill Valley!

When it came to matters of principle, Tao Wan saw with clarity.

She steadied herself and said, ”As for the latter, I believe it could indeed stabilize our situation for the next century.”

Some elders exchanged skeptical looks, but then she recounted Luo Chen’s words. ”Did the Falling Cloud Sect rise on Han Zhan’s strength alone? I think not. Leaving other matters aside, where did he find the fourth-tier spirit land required for his Nascent Soul advancement? Everyone knows Skysail City stands behind them. In other words, they have already clung to an external upper sect while they were still a major sect. If they could do so, why not you?”

The moment she finished speaking, the entire hall sank into contemplation.

Among them, only Qing Yunzi broke the silence with a heavy sigh. ”I fear this would be like inviting wolves into the house.”[1]

The assembly shuddered in alarm. In truth, both of Luo Chen’s medium-scale tactics appeared to offer relief for a century or so, yet one would have their sect disbanded outright, while the other would invite external forces that would inevitably devour them later. The first option was dismissed at once. As for the second, if they had been the first to attempt it, it might have been hailed as brilliance. But if it was just imitating someone else’s attempt, it would only mark them as fools.

”Martial Niece Tao Wan, tell us of the large-scale tactic Luo Chen proposed!”

”Yes, I would like to know as well. How could a mere Golden Core sect like ours start a Frontier War? Has Luo Chen lost his mind?”

At these protests, Tao Wan shook her head. ”To tell the truth, when I first heard the strategy, I too was shocked. Yet after hearing his reasoning, I found it not without merit. The plan is not for our sect to launch a Frontier War, but to help the Falling Cloud Sect launch it.”

The hall fell silent in stunned disbelief. Then, amid that stillness, voices slowly rose in approval.

”What a clever scheme!”

”Indeed, the Falling Cloud Sect already meets the conditions to start such a war. If they waged a Frontier War, not only would the Jade Cauldron Domain’s civil war be resolved, but every conflict within the domain could be pushed outward. But when the time comes, would Green Pill Valley join them? You must understand that Frontier Wars are the most terrifying wars of all!”

”Indeed. Younger disciples may not know what happened four centuries ago. In that war, three entire sects were wiped out, several more fell into decline, and it took Green Pill Valley three full centuries to recover.”

For human cultivators, a Frontier War meant expanding territory and securing resources for cultivation. However, for the demonic beasts of the Eastern Wilderness’ Great Million Mountains, it was nothing less than a war for survival. In such a war, high-tier beasts would never abide by the so-called rules of the cultivation world. A fourth-tier Beast Emperor at Nascent Soul strength could face tens of thousands of Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivators, and slaughter them with a single breath of demonic energy. No sect dared to shoulder the weight of such a war.

Despite these warnings from the elders, the younger Adept Longshou and Adept Baisu expressed different views. ”If we remain uninvolved, we can still profit by selling pills. If we join, the risks will be dispersed among all the participants, and with our numbers and wealth, Green Pill Valley can preserve more strength than most. Most importantly, whether the Frontier War succeeds or not, the overcrowded power structure of the Jade Cauldron Domain will be shattered and cleared. Then, there will naturally be space for everyone. No, I tell you, Luo Chen’s tactic is brilliant. It may not yield short-term results, but if it succeeds, it could grant Green Pill Valley centuries of stability.”

When Adept Longquan spoke these final words, others also voiced their agreement. Reflecting upon the three tactics, many now looked on with admiration. Whether feasible or not, Luo Chen had indeed provided plans for the short, the mid, and the long term—a path toward breaking the predicament.

”Luo Chen is such a talent,” one elder murmured, ”if only he belonged to our sect. He could become both a master alchemist and an unrivaled strategist. Alas, it was that little Ice Fortress that claimed him first.”

Amid sighs of admiration and regret, another Adept suddenly asked curiously, ”But how could we help the Falling Cloud Sect to start such a war? If they don’t apply themselves to it, such a war cannot begin.”

Before Tao Wan could repeat Luo Chen’s answer, a weary voice drifted from the seat of honor at the head of the hall. ”Bai Ye Palace!”

All present were taken aback, and then their eyes slowly brightened with realization.

As for Tao Wan, her heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, she cast a glance at the youthful figure who appeared as noble as a dragon, as graceful as a phoenix, and as radiant as spring dawn. The Supreme Elder’s idea was the same as Luo Chen’s.

The Divine Transformation pocket world within Jilei Mountain was the resting place of a mighty cultivator from the Nether Origin Sect, a sacred holy land of the Eastern Wilderness. Should news of this be revealed to the Nether Origin sect’s cultivators, it would surely draw in cultivators. Such powers could never allow the Jade Cauldron Domain to remain in chaos. At that time, with only a few embellishments, precedent suggested the Nether Origin Sect would most likely compel the Falling Cloud Sect to initiate a Frontier War.

”Senior Brother!”

”Supreme Elder!”

”Senior Brother Qing Danzi, what course do you believe we should take?”

Under the weight of so many expectant gazes, Qing Danzi raised his hand. ”For now, let us carry out the small-scale plan.”

Sect Leader Qing Yunzi nodded instinctively, but then the deeper meaning in the elder’s words struck him.

”First?” he asked.

Qing Danzi spoke slowly, ”Luo Chen presented these three tactics as if they were meant for us to choose from. But in truth, are they not meant to be pursued in combination?”

The assembly was startled as they turned his words over in their minds. Gradually, realization settled across their faces. The strategy in the short term was to steady morale, in the mid term to shield the sect, and in the long term to secure space for survival. This had never been a matter of choosing one path. The three tactics were three parts of one main strategy—preserving their Dao legacy.

Qing Danzi sighed. ”There’s no helping it. Who could have foreseen that the Falling Cloud Sect would tear up the five-hundred-year pact and give the Sword Sect the pretext to strike? Otherwise, would we be under such pressure now?”

In the end, circumstances allowed no choice!

Then his tone shifted. ”This matter shall be entrusted to Tao Wan. There is one limitation to it, however. Not a single Adept of our sect may act!”

The first declaration made Tao Wan’s heart leap, but the second left her bewildered. She hesitated, then asked, ”If our Adepts do not act, how can we restore confidence among our disciples?”

Qing Danzi let out a soft laugh. ”Green Pill Valley has endured for a thousand years. Its cohesion is not so fragile. The low-tier disciples are merely shaken for the moment. Appear before them more often, and their hearts will steady on their own. Luo Chen was clearly exaggerating to make our sect work for his purposes. In his own words, he also wants to kill with a borrowed blade.”

Many in the hall looked uncertain. Those who knew of recent upheavals in the Jade Cauldron Domain offered brief explanations, and soon the rest understood the grudge between Luo Chen and the Flame Alliance. Eventually, they realized why Luo Chen had gone to such pains on Green Pill Valley’s behalf. He wished to borrow their blade and strike while the Flame Alliance struggled with both internal unrest and external threats.

Even so, none were truly angry. Luo Chen’s strategy still carried undeniable value, offering perspectives the sect could not ignore. Only Tao Wan felt troubled. Without the sect’s top strength, how was she to move against the Flame Alliance? After all, the Flame Alliance still had three Adepts remaining.

As she wavered, Qing Danzi spoke again, ”Qing Yunzi, give your sect leader’s token to Tao Wan. All of Green Pill Valley’s vassals, including the two first-rate powers, will now be under her command. Whether she succeeds or fails, this matter will not shake the foundation of our sect. As for the rest, let Luo Chen concern himself with it.”

Qing Yunzi quickly nodded and handed the sect leader’s token to Tao Wan.

As she accepted it, Tao Wan felt her whole body weighed down by the token’s burden. Yet mingled with the heaviness was a strange sense of relief.

Dao Scion status and the sect leader’s token...

She bit her red lip lightly and bowed respectfully. ”I will see the task through and will not bring disappointment to the honored elders.”

***

The next day, a flying boat soared into the skies and left Green Pill Valley’s territory behind.

Inside the vessel and out of sight of others, Luo Chen wore an expression of clear displeasure. He had not expected Green Pill Valley to be so cautious, refusing to draw upon its foundation in the slightest. That reluctance left his plan incomplete.

I was planning to borrow only the strength of the Ice Fortress and Green Pill Valley to destroy the Flame Alliance. Now it seems Green Pill Valley has no wish to wage war, and the Ice Fortress will likely hesitate as well, even with the terms I offered. It isn’t enough!

A long sigh escaped him and was carried away by the wind. After a few moments, he let out a self-mocking laugh. ”True enough. I’m not the only clever man in this world. To think I could just move my lips and make others fight to the death for me is foolish of me. To even gain two Adepts from among their vassals is already fortune enough. How could I not be content?”

With a smile, Luo Chen calmed his mind. If aid from here proved insufficient, then other avenues could be sought. The vast Jade Cauldron Domain surely held many who eyed the weakened Flame Alliance; he needed only to find them. With that thought in mind, the flying boat veered toward unfamiliar lands.

Within a day’s travel, Luo Chen arrived alone before a grand immortal city. He lifted his gaze to the massive scarlet plaque, a glint of cold resolve flashing in his eyes. It was Skyfire Immortal City!

This city had been built by the Flame Alliance and was even ranked among the ten greatest immortal cities, even if it did not match the scale of Tianlan Immortal City, which was jointly raised by the Seven Sects. Now that the Flame Alliance struggled to fend for itself, how much control could they still hold over this city?

Just then, a figure emerged from the city. After glancing cautiously around, the man hurried straight toward him and reported, ”President, I’ve learned all the details.”

Luo Chen gave a slight nod, producing a silk ball in his hand. ”In that case, make contact with them.”

1. 引狼入室 (yǐn láng rù shì) means to expose oneself to grave risk by allying with an entity that is a natural enemy otherwise. ☜