An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”President, here are the seven unique hidden weapons you requested. It took some time, but I had our society’s artifact creators craft them specially.”

Luo Chen gave a nod as his spirit consciousness swept over them. Inside the storage pouch lay seven types of hidden weapons commonly seen in the mortal martial world, all neatly arranged: Seven-Star Bone-Piercing Nails, Intestine-Severing Thread, Five-Petal Cotton, Flying Guillotine[1]... Including the three hidden weapons Luo Chen had already mastered years ago—the Primordial Pearl, Seven-Night Star, and Iron Caltrops—he finally possessed all ten weapons required to practice Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers.

He had long intended to perfect the hidden weapon art he had obtained decades ago. He had lingered at the Grandmaster level for too long, which he found rather unsatisfying. In the past, he had not continued practicing it simply because collecting ten kinds of hidden weapons was too troublesome, and mastering three of them had been enough to meet his needs. But things were different now. With so many capable people in the Luo Tian Society, obtaining a few hidden weapons suitable for his needs was as easy as stating that he needed them. The Artifact Palace could produce as many as he wished.

Given his cultivation, practicing Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers to Perfected Mastery would take no more than a single month. The resulting increase in combat strength was secondary; what truly mattered was obtaining another achievement point.

Once the society members departed, Luo Chen devoted himself wholly to the training of the seven remaining hidden weapon arts. Day after day, his proficiency steadily climbed. And by the seventh day, when he saw that he had just attained Perfected Mastery of Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers on his status panel, a satisfied smile crossed his lips.

He had clearly underestimated himself. He had expected it to take a month, yet he’d finished in hardly a week! But now that he thought of it, it made sense. Hidden weapon practice naturally relied on having good weapons to work with, and as prerequisites, one needed keen eyesight and inner force. Luo Chen now possessed every weapon required and the appropriate techniques for each; his eyesight was far sharper than any mortal martial artist’s, and the so-called inner force was nothing but his immense spirit power. Under these conditions, it would have been weird for him not to evolve rapidly.

Even after perfecting his hidden weapon art, Luo Chen continued refining his combat methods without pause. His pursuit of improvement showed no sign of slowing.

One day, Gu Caiyi arrived at his cave residence bearing good news.

”There’s news about the top-grade third-tier fiend qi you wanted.”

Luo Chen’s eyes lit up at once. Ever since the battle at Incense Burning Valley, when Qin Tairan had shattered his Blazing Fire Miasma with the Flame Yang True Fiend, that art had been rendered practically useless. Since then, it had been three years in the Ice Fortress, and another three after his return to Tianlan Immortal City. To finally receive news after such a long search was no easy feat.

”What kind is it, and where was it found?” he asked.

Gu Caiyi smiled. ”It’s a special third-tier fiend qi called the Sinking River Ghost Fiend. A trade alliance retrieved it from the Lancang River, and they’re currently transporting it to Thousand Leaves Immortal City. I’d wager they intend to auction it to cultivators from the Falling Cloud Sect.”

Thousand Leaves Immortal City belonged exclusively to the Falling Cloud Sect. In recent years, the sect’s puppet arts had become increasingly well-known. Their methods were not limited to controlling puppets in battle, but extended to enhancing them with other powers. Among such augmentations, fiend qi was one of the most formidable. After all, cultivators dreaded fiend qi as they would a venomous beast, yet lifeless puppets had no such concerns.

However, Luo Chen frowned slightly. ”Sinking River Ghost Fiend... Doesn’t that sound more like water or ghost fiend qi rather than fire?”

Fiend qi also followed the divisions of the elemental classification, although it was not strictly limited to elemental classes. When a single kind of energy was gathered in excess within a region, it would condense into an extreme and destructive force. That extreme force was what cultivators called fiend qi.

Gu Caiyi nodded in agreement, then smiled and shook her head. ”You’re right that it carries both water and ghost attributes, but its main essence is actually fire. It’s also known as the Sinking River Ghostfire Fiend. It seems that it was formed when countless living beings perished in the Lancang River, and the energies they left behind gradually converged inside an extinct volcano on the riverbed. Over centuries, that power condensed into fiend qi of a unique kind. Because it originated from the depths of a volcano, its primary attribute is fire, but it was also tainted by conflicting water essence, and when the ghostly flames of the dead merged with it, the result was an incredibly destructive force. It’s said that once they are contaminated by this fiend qi, even defensive artifacts begin to corrode instantly; as for human flesh, that goes without saying.”

After hearing her explanation, Luo Chen felt his interest stir. The more he found out, the more extraordinary it sounded. Unlike ordinary fire fiend qi, which was domineering and explosive, this one carried a sinister, corrosive quality. If he cultivated this into a new Blazing Fire Miasma, even an Adept who came into contact with it was bound to suffer greatly.

”Send someone to Thousand Leaves Immortal City,” Luo Chen ordered calmly. ”No matter the cost, secure the Sinking River Ghostfire Fiend.”

”Rest assured, I’ll handle it myself,” Gu Caiyi replied at once. She could tell how much this meant to him. He would not have had the entire Luo Tian Society search for high-tier fiend qi for years otherwise.

Seeing that she was determined to go, Luo Chen paused and added, ”I’m saying ’no matter the cost,’ but that really just means money. If it really can’t be obtained, don’t force it. The Jade Cauldron Domain forbids unnecessary conflict now. If you provoke anyone and cause a fight, it’ll be troublesome. If nothing else works, just purchase a large amount of ordinary third-tier Earth Fire Fiend Qi. I can make do with that.”

”Alright, don’t worry. I’ll be careful.” Gu Caiyi nodded in acknowledgment, then took her leave.

After her departure, Luo Chen’s days returned to their steady rhythm of cultivation and alchemy. But unlike before, he reduced his other responsibilities, devoting his spare hours entirely to the study of the Nether Origin Pill’s refinement. For the time being, he was not relying on the system to learn the formula. Instead, he relied on the large stock of low-tier medicinal materials collected by the Luo Tian Society to experiment, hoping that he could derive a lower-level one by himself.

He began by substituting the third-tier Heavenly Mountain Revitalization Liquid with the far more common Revitalization Liquid, replaced the Sapphire Lightning Flower with a lightning-attribute herb of the second tier, and found a suitable replacement for the Nine-Pattern Snakespit Fruit. Their medicinal properties aligned well, sharing the same fundamental temperament. For the auxiliary ingredients, he likewise sought compatible substitutes wherever possible.

With these countless trials and careful refinements, the days passed in quiet succession.

***

A year later, Gu Caiyi returned from Thousand Leaves Immortal City with somewhat disappointing news. The Sinking River Ghost Fiend had already been purchased by a Golden Core elder of the Falling Cloud Sect.

With no alternative, she had instead procured a large quantity of third-tier Earth Fire Fiend Qi for Luo Chen, spending more than ten thousand spirit stones in total. If the quality was lacking, then sheer volume would have to make up for it. Fiend qi was still fiend qi! Even if it posed little threat to Golden Core cultivators, it remained a devastating trump card within the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Nevertheless, Luo Chen did not halt the Luo Tian Society’s search for high-tier fire fiend qi. If another potent fire fiend qi like the Sinking River Ghost Fiend or Flame Yang True Fiend appeared, and the price remained within his means, he was determined to secure it.

While bad news came from Gu Caiyi’s side, the Ice Fortress sent the good news Luo Chen had been waiting for regarding the Heavenly Mountain Revitalization Liquid! For the ”low” price of three hundred thousand, the Ice Fortress was willing to sell him two bottles of Heavenly Mountain Revitalization Liquid, which was quite enough. According to the Nether Origin Pill formula, one bottle was enough for ten batches. The spare liquid could be reserved as an auxiliary spirit solution for Core Formation.

The price probably exceeded the market rate by fifty percent or so, but Luo Chen voiced no complaint. Medicine that increased the chances of Core Formation was something that could technically be paid in spirit stones yet was rarely found for sale. Many cultivators had deep pockets but still failed to obtain such treasures.

Luo Chen believed that the Ice Fortress likely reserved most of its Heavenly Mountain Revitalization Liquid for its own use, trading only a small surplus with Medicine King Sect in exchange for rare medicinal pills. That they were willing to spare two whole bottles for him was already an extraordinary gesture.

Since they showed him favor, Luo Chen naturally intended to return it in kind, and he went all out. Over the next year, he dedicated himself wholly to alchemy, refining the entire ten-year supply of top-grade Jade Dew Pills that the Ice Fortress would require. He even went a step further, throwing in a few bottles of supreme-grade ones as a token of his sincerity.

In the past, Luo Chen had never revealed his ability to refine supreme-grade Jade Dew Pills. Even when he occasionally refined a few bottles of supreme-grade Jade Dew Pills, he reserved them for Sima Huiniang and Gu Caiyi, for their own personal use. But Ice Torrent had granted Luo Chen’s requests without fail, and he was not the ungrateful kind.

Some might have wondered why, when Mi Shuhua, Miao Wen, and Fairy Ruthless met Luo Chen’s requests in the past, he had still kept his abilities in reserve, yet with Ice Torrent, he had shown them openly. Was that a double standard? Not at all. The former had always demanded results from Luo Chen or imposed conditions, while the latter one had never demanded anything of him. On the contrary, she had provided all he had requested and even more.

Perhaps one could say that Fairy Ice Torrent possessed remarkable tactics, or perhaps it was simply that Luo Chen responded better to kindness than coercion. When others treated him with sincerity, he always returned that sincerity in equal measure.

***

After refining the required Jade Dew Pills, Luo Chen devoted himself to refining the second-tier Spirit Passage Pill. The work directly supported Chu Kui’s cultivation of the secret art Beaded Curtain Lock. Since Chu Kui served as his best subject of observation for that art, the supply could not fall behind.

Another year slipped past while he refined every Spirit Passage Pill that he and Chu Kui would need in the foreseeable future. During that period, he also found time to instruct Qu Lingjun in the refinement of the first-tier Spirit Passage Pill. And once these tasks were complete, he found that three years had passed in a blink, and only six years remained before departure.

”Six years...”

In the quiet of his cave residence, Luo Chen calculated how to best use the remaining years. ”Quality matters more than quantity. My mastery over the Great Handprint of Primordial Qi has barely reached the Beginner level, and I probably won’t reach Grandmaster level in time. A spell of that level isn’t suited for battle unless I can get it to Grandmaster level.”

Therefore, Luo Chen wisely chose to set it aside for the time being. The same reasoning applied to Mirror Flower Water Moon. As a composite spell, it progressed very slowly.

”Blazing Fire Miasma should be my focus. If I can create a proper one, then I can steamroll any Initiate. And I need to work on both Soul Intimidation and Spirit Beguiltment. That Hermit Xiao has plenty of soul attacks, and he’s probably going to reach Perfected Mastery. Other than the defense of the Forsaken Black Chess Piece, I must have proper countermeasures. Even if my divine soul foundation is just as strong as his, I can’t expect him to die from the backlash.”

After this analysis, Luo Chen set his cultivation priorities for the next six years. He would cultivate a new Blazing Fire Miasma using the third-tier Earth Fire Fiend Qi. Then, he would practice Soul Intimidation to Perfected Mastery and push Spirit Beguiltment toward the Grandmaster level as much as possible. Besides that, he would see whether he could develop an alternative formula to the Nether Origin Pill.

Sadly, progress on deriving the Nether Origin Pill had been exceedingly slow. He had tested a number of substitute ingredients, yet all he had to show for it was the ever-decreasing amount of spirit stones in his pocket.

”Eh, no need to rush,” he said with a faint smile. ”I’m the least anxious of all.”

***

The wind swept the sun along its course, and time hurried toward the western sky. Within the Jade Cauldron Domain, where the air was both lively and hushed in the long fifty-year preparation for war, six years slipped by in an instant.

One day, two graceful figures met under a flurry of thick, downy snow. The atmosphere between them was not harmonious, yet once they stepped into Cave Residence Bing Seventeen, they held their tempers in check. They had plenty of occasions to quarrel, but the eve of their man’s departure was not such a time.

Inside the cave residence, Sima Huiniang and Gu Caiyi sat facing each other. Neither spoke nor met the other’s gaze; both pairs of eyes were fixed on the cultivation chamber ahead.

After a long silence, a violent surge of aura suddenly erupted from within. The two women’s expressions changed instantly, but before either could react, the aura vanished just as swiftly as it had appeared.

Crack!

The door of the cultivation chamber opened, and a tall, handsome figure strode out. Luo Chen, still immersed in the joy of being able to regain his trump card, Blazing Fire Miasma, paused in mild surprise when he saw the two women.

”It’s only a short journey,” he said with an easygoing laugh. ”There’s no need for a personal send-off.”

Gu Caiyi lowered her gaze and let out a soft sigh. ”The last time you said the same thing, and in the end...”

Luo Chen smiled and ruffled her hair. ”You’re overthinking it. That time I was facing a major sect. How could the danger compare to this trip? With my strength, unless I meet an Adept dead-set on chasing me, I can roam freely across the entire domain. In fact, even if an early-stage Adept attacks, I have full confidence I can get away unharmed. Don’t worry too much.”

Gu Caiyi puffed her cheeks in mild frustration and said nothing more. Once her man had made up his mind, few could sway him. She turned slightly, hoping Sima Huiniang might speak up on her behalf.

But Sima Huiniang only rose gracefully and offered a light bow. ”Go with an easy heart, and do what you must. As for the Luo Tian Society, I’ll see to it myself.”

Luo Chen laughed heartily, hugged them both in turn, and then walked straight out of the cave residence. Descending Tianlan Peak, he did not pause for even a step, heading directly toward the outskirts of the Immortal City.

***

A thousand li away from Tianlan Immortal City lay a barren region almost devoid of spirit energy, scattered with a few low hills. Thick snowflakes drifted from the sky, cloaking the rugged landscape in silver and lending its desolation a quiet, austere beauty.

Atop one of the hills, four figures stood or sat amid a ring of formation flags planted in the snow. Yousha, wrapped in a white fur robe, stood at the edge, glancing anxiously toward Tianlan Immortal City from time to time.

”Why didn’t we arrange to depart from Tianlan together? If Luo Chen can’t find such a remote place, and it delays our departure, what then?”

She was growing restless. Fu Jiusheng cast her a glance, easily noticing that her cultivation had yet to reach Perfected Mastery of Foundation Establishment. Perhaps that was why she felt so anxious.

He Lianyun chuckled softly. ”There are too many eyes and ears in the Immortal City. If we each depart separately, no one will pay attention. But if five of us were to leave together, it would surely draw the attention of those with sharp eyes. This journey concerns the great endeavor of Core Formation. We cannot afford carelessness. Besides, with my token in his hands, Luo Chen will have no trouble finding us here.”

Yousha was about to argue further when Hermit Xiao suddenly cut her off and said, ”He’s here.”

The moment the words left his mouth, all four turned in the same direction. Fu Jiusheng’s eyes flickered slightly. He realized that Hermit Xiao had detected Luo Chen’s presence even before he himself had sensed it. That was not something a ninth-stage Initiate should have been capable of.

Still, since the man clearly intended to conceal his strength, Fu Jiusheng saw no need to expose him. It was better to stay alert and prepare quietly. On the contrary, if Hermit Xiao made any sudden move, the others would be caught off guard, while he would not. That would allow him to be ready and seize the advantage.

Fu Jiusheng turned his gaze toward the horizon. In the distance, a lone figure approached, riding a white cloud at an unhurried pace. Snowflakes drifted through the air, settling toward him, yet he made no effort to ward them off. Before the flakes could even touch his body, they evaporated of their own accord, turning into mist that swirled around him in hazy layers.

Through the veiling mist, the man with long ash-gray hair approached at a steady pace. His tall and upright figure was as steadfast as a pine standing in the snow. His clear eyes shone with a fierce brilliance, like a flame burning in the heart of winter; no one dared to meet his gaze.

The four cultivators exchanged wary glances. Luo Chen’s cultivation had clearly advanced once again, far beyond what they had expected. That single realization threw several of their prior arrangements into question. Luo Chen growing this powerful would make their future cooperation far more precarious.

Just as doubt began to stir among them, the drifting clouds parted and came to a gentle halt. Luo Chen clasped his hands and offered a polite bow. ”My friends, you’ve waited long enough.”

After the four returned his greeting in turn, Luo Chen casually extended his hand. ”Hand them over.”

”Uh...”

The abrupt command caught the group off guard. For a moment, none of them knew what he meant.

Luo Chen clicked his tongue. ”The medicinal materials you’ve gathered over the years for refining the Nether Origin Pill. Give them to me first. I need to check their condition. If anything was mishandled, I’ll have to deal with it before we begin refining. It’d be troublesome if problems arose midway.”

He Lianyun hesitated. He had planned to hand the materials over only once they reached their destination. But before he could respond, Luo Chen continued without pause.

”Fellow Daoist Fu knows the location, so he’ll lead the way,” he said calmly. ”Fellow Daoist Xiao, your divine soul foundation seems quite strong. You’ll keep watch over our surroundings. Lastly, I’ll trouble Lady Yousha to pilot the flying boat. I need a quiet place to examine the materials, and traveling by air should do nicely.”

Once he finished assigning their roles, Luo Chen waved his sleeve. A top-grade flying boat rumbled as it descended from the clouds, landing squarely atop the snow-covered hill. The other four were forced to rise into the air to give it space.

Luo Chen stepped onto the vessel first and gestured invitingly. ”My friends, there’s no time to waste. Please, come aboard.”

At his invitation, the four exchanged glances in silence. He Lianyun gave a weary smile and stepped onto the flying boat first. Fu Jiusheng and Hermit Xiao shared a look, shrugged lightly, and followed him aboard.

Yousha’s face shifted between pale and livid. In all her life, she had never once served as anyone’s pilot. Yet under the collective gaze of the others, she could only grit her teeth and walk stiffly toward the cockpit of the top-grade flying boat.

”For the sake of a greater cause, what’s wrong with serving as Dan Chenzi’s driver this once?”

Standing in the unfamiliar cockpit, the female cultivator ground her teeth in frustration. But the moment she noticed the rows of empty spirit-stone sockets before the control formation, she froze. He didn’t even prepare the mid-grade spirit stones to power this damn thing?

Cursing Luo Chen’s stinginess in her heart, she reached into her own belt pouch and drew out several mid-grade spirit stones, setting them one by one into the flying boat’s formation sockets. Moments later, the flying boat roared to life. Then, it shot forth like a comet, heading east-northeast.

1. The term ”flying guillotine” is an existing translation of 血滴子(xiě dī zǐ, literally ”blood droplet”). It’s an entirely fictional weapon that appeared for the first time in a 1975 movie with the same name, The Flying Guillotine. ☜