An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Inside the cave residence, a series of enormous chests had been laid out neatly. Everything had been sorted into categories, and each chest was marked with a label. The majority of them held materials used for artifact creation, along with high-tier enchanted artifacts and low-tier enchanted treasures. These materials and artifacts accounted for nearly eighty percent of the stock; only after that came the more common resources such as spirit medicines and talismans. As for other things like herbs and technique manuals, there were only a few random items.

This matched perfectly with everyone’s impression of the Flame Alliance. As expected of a major sect that specialized in artifact creation!

Obviously, the Flame Alliance’s treasury was not limited to this. From what Luo Chen had gathered in his discussions with Dan Yangzi, Diwu Qi, and the others, the Flame Alliance had originally divided its hoard into four shares. These had been distributed among three Adepts and Sect Leader Xiao Lian, who had been a peak Initiate at the time. But the share that ended up in Luo Chen’s hands happened to be the most valuable. By a rough estimate, its worth had to be at least fifty million spirit stones. It truly proved the saying that a horse cannot grow fat without grazing at night and a man cannot grow rich without an unexpected windfall. Just by unlocking Qin Tairan’s storage ring, Luo Chen had risen from a poor man in debt back to a multimillionaire in an instant.

Of course, most of these resources weren’t meant to be sold. The Luo Tian Sect was now a proper sect in name and in legacy, but it still lacked far too much in every other aspect. With this batch of resources, Sima Huiniang could finally enrich the framework the sect had previously built. Even setting everything else aside, the sect’s weakest department—artifact creation—could now be elevated into one of its core strengths. Even if the sect could not reach the heights once achieved by the Flame Alliance, its prospects in nurturing Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment disciples had just shot up significantly.

That much could be seen from Duan Feng’s beaming face. Under normal circumstances, he did not lose control of his emotions so easily. That kind of joy only surfaced when he encountered something he truly loved. Min Longyu felt much the same; the Compendium of Formations in his hands was the ideal resource for someone already outstanding in the way of formations.

As for Luo Chen himself, his own gains were naturally considerable as well. The eight million spirit stones were one thing; more importantly, among the many materials they had sorted out, he had found all those needed to refine his life-bound treasure!

He had gained more than a dozen additional pieces of Geng Metal and several extra lengths of Black Sinkwood. There were four bottles of Cold Marrow as well. Although it was not fourth-tier Ice Soul Cold Marrow, it was still third-tier Yin Vortex Marrow. Adding just a few drops could elevate an enchanted treasure’s power by several degrees. After years of consumption and multiple rounds of replenishment, the Flame Alliance had only four bottles left.

As for the Fire Spirit Diamond he had been missing before, the Flame Alliance had also collected a single piece of this rare material. It was born in fire veins, formed by absorbing countless traces of fire element spirit energy. Under normal circumstances, such ore should have continued evolving and eventually become a top-grade spirit stone, or even a supreme-grade one. But due to the impurities that had been present from the moment it first formed, it had been forced to take a lesser path and become Fire Spirit Diamond instead. Yet this very impurity allowed its spirit energy to be purified over long years of erosion, granting it a final value far surpassing ordinary spirit stones.

Sadly, a single piece was just barely enough to refine a life-bound enchanted treasure. Luo Chen felt it was a terrible pity; it would have been even better had there been a few more pieces. The Primordial Unity Cauldron only grew stronger the more materials it incorporated, yet everything still had to follow the proper proportions, or the embryonic treasure would easily slip out of balance during creation. He had prepared at least ten sets of every material except Fire Spirit Diamond.

Perhaps I should wait a little longer and see if I can purchase more of this from other Adepts in the Frontier War.

Luo Chen forced down the excitement in his heart. His gains extended far beyond this. The gourd of Withering-Flourishing True Fiend, for instance, was another remarkable harvest. On top of that, he had obtained a third-tier alchemical formula.

Given the Flame Alliance’s wealth and its orthodox prestige as a major sect, it was only natural that they had accumulated alchemical formulas. After all, they were experts in fire arts as well. Artifact creation was a craft, and so was pill refinement. It was just that every alchemist with a hint of talent in the Jade Cauldron Domain had been drawn into Green Pill Valley, so the Flame Alliance’s alchemists had seemed unimpressive by comparison.

Gu Caiyi’s list showed a total of five complete alchemical formulas, ranging from first tier to third tier. The one Luo Chen valued most was a third-tier pill named True Flame Pill. According to its description, it could greatly increase a cultivator’s fire-attribute spiritual energy. For those whose core cultivation techniques were fire-element techniques, it would be of tremendous benefit.

As for the other formulas, he did not take them. Instead, he handed them to Sima Huiniang, intending for her to bring them back to Qu Lingjun, Qi Yi, and the others.

”All right.” Luo Chen clapped his hands to draw everyone’s attention. ”We have more or less finished counting everything, and I have already taken what I need. Take a look and see whether anything catches your eye. Each of you may choose one item.”

The four of them could not help but brighten at his words. Duan Feng wanted to decline out of courtesy, but when he saw that Gu Caiyi had already gone to choose something, he stopped holding back and went over as well. Luo Chen watched them selecting items, and paused when Sima Huiniang picked out a supreme-grade flying boat.

”Why not choose the Crimson Flame Dragon Boat? It’s a low-grade enchanted treasure.”

Sima Huiniang smiled faintly and said, ”I rarely travel far. A supreme-grade flying boat already serves me well enough. Besides, aren’t you the one who needs a good flying boat the most?”

Luo Chen was taken aback. Only then did he realize why they had all deliberately bypassed that exceptionally exquisite enchanted treasure dragon boat—they had been saving it for him.

Gu Caiyi laughed and said, ”Dear, you are now an Adept. When you travel outside, you should have something that reflects your status. This Crimson Flame Dragon Boat suits you perfectly.”

”Very well!” Luo Chen gave a helpless little chuckle. He hadn’t wanted the flying boat because it consumed an enormous amount of spirit stones, so he had planned to leave it for the Luo Tian Sect to use. He had not expected them to keep it for him instead.

”I suppose it makes sense. Since none of you is an Adept yet, this would be a little too conspicuous.”

He reached out and stored the dragon boat, which still measured three zhang in length even after being reduced a hundredfold by the Wish Alignment Formation. Once everyone had happily chosen their own reward, he swept his sleeve, and all the random chests scattered about the hall were drawn back into the black iron ring from whence they had come.

”Huiniang, you are the sect leader, so I will entrust this item to you.”

Sima Huiniang hesitated and said, ”Shouldn’t a storage treasure with such an enormous space be given to Caiyi for business use?”

Luo Chen chuckled and said, ”In critical moments, she can certainly use it for that. Under ordinary circumstances, it is better not to. If everything becomes too convenient, the people under her will have nothing left to do.”

That was fair enough. Sima Huiniang slipped the ring onto her finger and gently rubbed its surface. Perhaps this item could serve as one of the inheritance tokens passed down with the position of sect leader of the Luo Tian Sect.

After the share of spoils had been distributed, the main hall of the cave residence suddenly felt spacious again. With rare free time before them, Luo Chen did not dismiss the others. Instead, he began inspecting their cultivation progress. Bai Meiling brought tea, then lay off to the side with her chin propped in both hands to watch quietly.

Among the four, the one whose cultivation had advanced the fastest was undoubtedly Sima Huiniang. In the past, her progress had been slow, but after the battle to defend Danxia Peak, she had deeply realized how lacking her strength was and had been diligently cultivating ever since.

With the supreme-grade Jade Dew Pills provided by Luo Chen and a second-tier top-grade cave residence, her cultivation speed had not fallen behind in the slightest. On top of that, precious resources such as essence-nurturing liquid and Spirit Passage Pills had been supplied to her without restrictions.

After she had finished guiding her eldest disciple, Yao Mingyue to the Foundation Establishment Realm, she had even more time to devote to her own cultivation. Now, at the age of one hundred and three, she had already stepped into the seventh stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

This speed might not rival True Inheritors of upper sects, but it did match those of major sects. It truly lived up to her core cultivation art, Waterside Pavilion Art—the closer she drew to Luo Chen, the faster her cultivation grew.

”With your current cultivation speed, as long as resources keep up, you should at least have a chance to make a push for the Golden Core Realm before your natural lifespan runs out.” Luo Chen came to this conclusion after a thorough examination.

Sima Huiniang smiled softly. ”I’m only doing so well because I’m riding on my husband’s coattails.”

Luo Chen smiled as well, then moved on to assess the other three. In terms of cultivation, Min Longyu stood the highest, at the sixth stage. Next came Gu Caiyi, who had by now reached the peak of the fifth stage and was on the verge of breaking through to the sixth. Considering that she had been the last to reach Foundation Establishment among the group, her cultivation speed was astonishing.

On the other hand, Duan Feng had the lowest cultivation and had just stepped into the fifth stage. This stood in stark contrast to the ”genius” reputation he had always carried. Of course, the reason lay in the disparity of resources. The two women enjoyed Luo Chen’s full support, while Min Longyu, being proficient in formations, could speed up his cultivation through formations in addition to ordinary resources. By comparison, Duan Feng had little besides his aptitude to lean on. At present, he could only afford to rent a second-tier mid-grade cave residence.

While aptitude was extremely important to cultivators, at the lower realms, it was actually nowhere near as crucial as cultivation resources. The longer Luo Chen cultivated, the more he realized this. Unless the cultivator possessed a heavenly spirit root, most of the time, they never even reached the point where raw aptitude became the deciding factor. Only after Core Formation did talent become truly important. It was because at that level the gaps between even minor stages was vast, and any small flaw in aptitude would be magnified tremendously.

After completing his round of examinations, Luo Chen nodded. ”Although your progress differs, all of your foundations are quite solid. There are no major flaws.”

The Luo Tian Sect had Wang Yuan, a powerhouse in Physique Refinement, as well as Luo Chen, an alchemist capable of refining Spirit Passage Pills. With such figures at the top, it was only natural that the sect’s upper echelon would not fall behind in terms of foundation. Even if something went wrong in their cultivation, the medical experts of Sun Sifang’s lineage could quickly treat them. That was how the four had ended up with such steady and solid foundations.

”Caiyi,” called out Luo Chen.

”Yes?”

”Has Green Pill Valley delivered the top-grade Ascending Dragon Pills they promised?”

”There was a long pause after your Core Formation. But since you returned this time, they began sending them again. I already paid them the spirit stones.”

”Take an extra portion from that batch of top-grade pills and give it to Duan Feng.”

”All right.”

With that brief exchange, the distribution of the top-grade Ascending Dragon Pills was settled. In the past, they had been supplied mainly to the palace leaders, followed by the elders, with the majority of the latter going to Luo Chen’s disciple. After all, Qu Lingjun had taken over the task of refining Jade Dew Pills for Luo Chen, so he naturally needed to be compensated with resources.

This time, there was an additional portion that would be carved out for Duan Feng. His lips twitched as he heard Luo Chen’s order, yet he said nothing. At the Foundation Establishment Realm, the effect of pills in assisting cultivation was still very obvious. He could not bring himself to go against his own interests.

Luo Chen asked another question, this time for Sima Huiniang. ”Has Wang Yuan finished simplifying the Fine Dust Primordial Art yet?”

Sima Huiniang shook her head. ”No way. He said that it’s far too complicated. Even with his ability, he will need a few decades before he can create a proper simplified version.”

”Is that so?”

Luo Chen frowned slightly. In several decades, he would probably be able to work out a simplified version on his own through regular cultivation. The others had no idea what the Fine Dust Primordial Art truly was, nor did they understand what kind of complexity could make even the erudite Wang Yuan find it so troublesome. Only Luo Chen himself knew how difficult that Core Formation secret art was in its original form. It encompassed several different Core Formation secret arts, after all. If one tried to cultivate each component one by one, there was simply no way to finish before an Initiate reached the end of their lifespan.

This was precisely why he wanted to create a simplified version. Even if it was no longer a Supreme Path art, as long as it was an Upper Path or even a Middle Path one, it would still be far better than the common Core Formation arts circulating on the market.

After some thought, Luo Chen said, ”If he manages to complete it, you can then decide whether to pass it on to those who reach the ninth stage of Foundation Establishment. For now, everyone here can hold on to a copy and study it, as long as you make sure nothing leaks outside.”

”All right, I will remember that,” Sima Huiniang answered with a nod.

Although the others did not know exactly what kind of art it was, Luo Chen’s solemn attitude made it clear that it was something invaluable. For a moment, all of them felt their motivation to cultivate surge even higher.

”By the way.” Sima Huiniang suddenly seemed to recall something. ”I almost forgot an important matter.”

Luo Chen looked at her in puzzlement.

Sima Huiniang spoke slowly. ”That supreme immortal city the Falling Cloud Sect has been building is about to be completed.”

***

One month later, high above Danxia Peak, a massive flying boat three hundred zhang in length filled the sky like a great dragon. Luo Chen stood on the topmost deck of the vessel, gazing down at the scenery below.

Pavilions and towers were scattered throughout the area. Streams of light from cultivators flowed in and out. White clouds drifted overhead, and a cool breeze brushed across his face. In his ears rose the lively shouts and calls of the cultivators below, rising and falling without pause.

”So this is the foundation I built. It’s a pity that even though Min Longyu has already found a way to raise this spirit land to the second tier, it still isn’t a place we can stay in for long.”

Luo Chen spoke of regret, yet his face showed little reluctance. Once he secured a third-tier spirit vein he could settle on, he would abandon this land without the slightest hesitation. At most, he would station some disciples here to maintain it as a branch outpost.

His gaze drifted, and he turned around to look toward the hazy distance. A strong surge of pride welled up in his chest. His cultivation had taken shape, and the sect now stood firm; alliances supported it from without, and capable hands held it together from within. The coffers were full, a life-bound treasure was close at hand, and every technique had been practiced to perfection. On top of that, he had an enchanted-treasure flying boat as his means of travel. It truly felt like a moment when heaven and earth lent him their strength. With this momentum, he could finally make his move.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two streaks of light descended and landed in front of him.

”Supreme Elder, everyone has boarded the Crimson Flame Dragon Boat,” Xu Haizhen spoke as he bowed with deep respect.

”Supreme Elder, all the necessary pills and materials have also been loaded. We can depart at any time.” Yuan Xiaoyue bowed as well. The young woman looked ever more radiant, and as she spoke in a crisp voice, her eyes were filled with hope.

Luo Chen gave a soft acknowledgment. His gaze passed over the two before him, as if he could already see the two very different yet equally captivating women standing outside the Grand Hall, watching him depart side by side.

”In that case, let us set off.” Luo Chen swept his sleeve, and his deep voice resounded throughout the dragon boat.

Responses rose layer upon layer from within the vessel.

”Let’s go!”

They left Danxia behind, heading toward their old homeland with the Howling Moon Mountain Range as their destination. It was both a triumphant return and the first step toward a far greater future.