An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Once it was decided that a Dao Companion Ceremony would be held alongside the Core Formation Ceremony, the preparations naturally grew more complex.

But although the two women would be busier than ever, their spirits were surprisingly high! For years, talks about their relationship with Luo Chen had circulated both within the Luo Tian Society and throughout Tianlan Immortal City. In particular, rogue cultivators found endless amusement in the gossip and often brought it up as idle chatter.

Some troublemakers even claimed that Murong Qinglian, the former head of the Merit Palace, had moved away immediately after her husband’s death just to avoid suspicion. Of course, such rumors were beneath the concern of anyone with a brain. With Luo Chen’s prestige, having two fine women by his side only added to his brilliance; what could other people be jealous about? If anything, they just felt a bit envious, wishing such happiness for themselves as well.

Now that both women were to be acknowledged in name, it might mean little to outsiders, but it was a matter of lifelong significance to them. This was especially true for Sima Huiniang. In the early years, when she had led the Luo Tian Society, her closeness with Luo Chen had drawn criticism and doubt. Although her ability had later silenced all gossip, it was still something that had lingered uncomfortably.

Now that Luo Chen stood as a Golden Core Adept, openly recognizing Sima Huiniang’s status would invite no criticism of favoritism. He had entrusted sect affairs to a capable Dao companion so that he could focus on cultivation, and there was nothing wrong with that. In fact, such arrangements were perfectly common in the cultivation world.

The two were busy, but their workload was far from overwhelming. While the Luo Tian Society had grown immensely over the years, so too had its pool of talent, and both commanded their own circles of trusted disciples.

Sima Huiniang had taken three disciples, and her chief disciple, Yao Mingyue, had successfully established her foundation and often assisted with sect administration.

On the other hand, Gu Caiyi was close to Yuan Xiaoyue. When she had just failed her first Foundation Establishment attempt, Yuan Xiaoyue, who was at the ninth stage of Qi Refinement at the time, took over the management of the Gold Palace for her. After Gu Caiyi’s eventual success, she in turn spent a large sum of resources to help Yuan Xiaoyue become an Initiate herself. Of course, the latter was deeply grateful. In recent years, Gu Caiyi had rarely left Danxia Hall, and most of the external business matters were handled by Yuan Xiaoyue through the caravans.

With such capable help, the preparations for the Core Formation Ceremony progressed in perfect order. Invitations were already being sent out.

Luo Chen was not idle either. After leaving the Luo Tian Society’s Grand Hall, he did not depart Danxia Peak but turned instead toward the Succession Palace.

***

”Welcome back.”

”Mm.”

”Congratulations on forming your core.”

”Heh. Brother Wang, didn’t you already congratulate me once?”

Although he pretended not to care, hearing Luo Chen still address him as ”Brother Wang” in private warmed Wang Yuan’s heart. He shook his head lightly. ”Saying it before others and saying it in private are not quite the same.”

Luo Chen smiled. Then, he entered the library pavilion accompanied by Wang Yuan. He did not go straight to the upper floors. Instead, he began on the ground floor and climbed slowly upward. As he walked, he occasionally took out books from his Thundernet Hoard Ring. Some were manuals of cultivation techniques, tales and insights from the cultivation world, and secret arts. Most were paper texts, but there were also a few bamboo or jade slips, and even scrolls of beast hide and silk.

On the first floor were texts like Carefree Wander, The Mountain-Cleaving Monument-Breaking Palm, Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers, The Hundred-Year Chronicles of the Lianxia Jade Cauldron, and The Records of the Thirty-Six Powers of the Eastern Wilderness.

The second floor housed manuals like Long Spring Art, Blazing Flame, The Earth-Element Art, Blazing Fireflies, Entangle, and The Infernal Suppression Flame Art.

On the third floor were more advanced works, including The Wood King Codex, a pseudonym for the Foundation Establishment part of the Yi Wood Medicine King Codex, along with Unified Ding-Fire, The Azure Yang Seal, The Waterside Pavilion Art, Solar Flare, Landslide, and Flower Fairy.

By the time Luo Chen reached the fourth floor, only a few sparse bookshelves remained in sight. He let out a quiet sigh.

Wang Yuan had already understood what Luo Chen had come here to do the moment he saw Luo Chen take out the first cultivation manual. Now that his friend had reached this point in cultivation, the low-tier techniques he had collected over the years were no longer of use to him. Keeping them would do him no good. Hence, it was better to offer them all to enrich the Luo Tian Sect’s library.

The transformation from society to sect was now only a matter of time. Before all formalities were completed, establishing the Luo Tian Sect’s proper line of inheritance was of utmost importance, perhaps even more crucial than all other preparations combined.

The only book Luo Chen kept for himself was Scenes of the Six Domains. It held little practical value, yet it carried memories worth keeping.

At this moment, hearing Luo Chen sigh, Wang Yuan already knew what weighed on his mind.

”You’ve accomplished something remarkable, and everyone has done their part. But the Luo Tian Society has existed for less than a century. It’s only natural that its foundation remains shallow. There’s no need to sigh over it.”

Luo Chen nodded as his gaze lingered on a few manuals that recorded incomplete third-tier techniques on the shelves. He then met Wang Yuan’s curious eyes and took out a set of manuals from his storage ring.

”From this day on, the Luo Tian Sect will no longer be lacking in third-tier cultivation techniques.”

Luo Chen placed two manuals onto the shelf. They were titled Flourishing Azure Unified Heart and The Flame Yang True Scripture.

He did not take out the manual for Wood Ignition. The technique was incomplete, after all, and he had only reached the Skilled level himself. To pass it onto others now would only harm them. Besides, he had to guard against anyone analyzing its contents to uncover his potential weaknesses. He did, however, take out the two manuals that recorded the complete third-tier water- and earth-element techniques from He Lianyun’s storage pouch and placed them on the shelves as well.

Among the five elements, the Luo Tian Sect now possessed complete third-tier manuals for wood, water, fire, and earth; only the metal element was missing. From now on, whether it was veterans like Duan Feng advancing to Golden Core and seeking new cultivation techniques, or younger members choosing core techniques after successfully establishing their foundation, there would be inheritance to rely on.

This was three times as important for the younger-generation disciples! They would no longer need to waste years switching between techniques at every realm like Luo Chen and Duan Feng once had. Instead, they could choose one cultivation technique at the Qi Refinement stage, and acquire the corresponding volumes of the manual when they reached Foundation Establishment and then Golden Core. Although these techniques were not especially profound compared to the inheritances of Nascent Soul sects, they were still proper third-tier ones passed down by Golden Core major sects. Many people would not come to use even the second volume in their entire lifetime, let alone the third. For now, they were enough.

When Luo Chen finished arranging the four elemental third-tier techniques, Wang Yuan nodded in quiet approval. In these past years, Luo Chen had advanced far beyond him in cultivation, and his amassed wealth was also beyond imagination.

As Luo Chen continued reaching into his storage ring, Wang Yuan blinked in surprise. ”There’s more?”

Yet this time, the item Luo Chen took out was not placed upon a shelf.

”Zeng Wen’s son inherited your teachings. He formed his foundation and now has returned to Physique Refinement, like you?”

Wang Yuan nodded. In an age when physique cultivators had nearly fallen into obscurity, he still regarded it as a viable path.

”And you, Brother Wang, what realm have you reached now?”

Wang Yuan made no effort to conceal it. ”Thirty years ago, I achieved Perfected Mastery of Transforming Force. After the battle against the Flame Alliance, I grasped a trace of the essence of Pill Force. For the past thirty years, I’ve devoted myself to refining it and have now begun exploring methods of Core Condensation.”

Physique Refinement was clear and straightforward at first glance; no mysteries of the universe to ponder, just sheer effort. Yet in truth, it was vast and profound. Without innate talent, one could easily remain trapped for life.

Even someone as gifted as Wang Yuan, who had created his own methods at nearly every stage, had already lived past the ordinary qi refiner’s natural limit of one hundred twenty. Had he not established his foundation early on, he would have long since passed away.

So far as Luo Chen understood things, the early stages of the second realm of Physique Refinement were still manageable. However, the later four minor realms of Bright Force, Dark Force, Transforming Force, and Pill Force became vastly more difficult. This was mostly because, unlike in the case of immortal cultivation, there were practically no established methods to follow. Yet through many decades of effort, Wang Yuan had reached major mastery in Pill Force, and was now seeking the method of Core Condensation! The accomplishment was absolutely worthy of admiration.

Luo Chen extended a jade slip engraved with intricate runes toward him.