An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Boom!

”Are we at the Heavenly Drum Plains?”

Xing Zhonghan had long been waiting outside. He was already familiar with Luo Chen’s habit. Hence, he lowered his head and replied, ”We are almost there. That sound just now was likely caused by another clash between an Adept and a Demon King, which triggered a faint resonance within the ground.”

With a slight nod, Luo Chen acknowledged this. The Defiant Howl Wolf Court was located at the very center of the Howling Moon Mountain Range. The fourth-tier spirit vein it occupied spanned an extraordinarily vast area and stretched for tens of thousands of li. Within its bounds, lofty mountains rose in dense clusters like forests, while lakes lay scattered like stars across the land. Countless precious resources were known to grow throughout this region.

The earth-moving rumble was deep and thunderous, yet not true thunder; resonant like the beating of a drum, yet unlike any drum of the world. It was as though divine beings were striking drums in the heavens, sending vibrations through the Three Realms.[1] For this reason, the plains had come to be known as the Heavenly Drum Plains, a place of rare providence.

According to many estimations, the decisive battle would most likely unfold on the Heavenly Drum Plains. Thus, the Falling Cloud Sect, which held an advantage, and the entrenched Defiant Howl Wolf Court assembled against one another on opposite sides of the plains. On the human side in particular, powerful cultivators were continuously mobilized from the rear to uproot demonic beast strongholds along the outskirts and exerting pressure on the Defiant Howl Wolf Court.

At present, a battle formation was slowly closing in on the court. The reason it was still ”closing in” and not entirely closed was that the supreme-grade third-tier spirit vein that had caused the five sects’ failure back then had yet to be taken. That spirit vein could be considered one of the Defiant Howl Wolf Court’s gateways. If it was not seized, unforeseen danger could easily arise at the critical moment of the final battle.

Xing Zhonghan said, ”The Heavenly Drum Plains are far too dangerous. Powerful members of wolf clans patrol them day and night, so the Falling Cloud Sect established its main camp on a large third-tier spirit vein outside the plains. Supreme Elder, we will arrive soon.”

Luo Chen acknowledged the report with a soft grunt and did not return to the meditation chamber. Instead, he stood outside, and his spirit eyes continuously swept the surroundings.

Aboard the flying vessel, cultivators from the alliance’s factions also emerged one after another and gathered together.

Luo Chen glanced at them and inwardly sneered. It seemed some of the leaders were still quite stingy, afraid of wasting their experts on the battlefield, so they had only sent minor figures in the early and middle stages of Foundation Establishment. Only the Myriad Phenomena Sect and the Luo Tian Sect were different.

On the Myriad Phenomena Sect’s side, the two late-stage Initiates looked rather tense. They could not afford any losses. If they died on the battlefield, their sect would truly have no future left. As for the Luo Tian Sect, Zeng Yilong wore an eager and spirited expression as he once again stepped into the battlefield. A place like this was exceptionally well-suited for a Physique Refiner like him to temper and hone his strength.

Last time, after experiencing several battles, he had already fully grasped Bright Force and began to touch upon Dark Force. On paper, it looked as though he was still inferior to Wang Yuan when he first arrived in Tianlan, but that was not how things were actually calculated.

Back then, Wang Yuan’s path in Physique Refinement had been quite winding, and his cultivation lacked proper structure. He first comprehended the changes in blood qi, then turned back to stabilize his foundation.

By contrast, Zeng Yilong had laid an excellent foundation since childhood. After advancing to the second stage of Physique Refinement, the Blood River Realm, he progressed step by step through Marrow Cleansing, Organ Refinement, and Meridian Unblocking. Only after achieving major mastery in Aperture Opening did he accumulate boundless blood qi within his apertures. In other words, he had comprehended blood qi transformations naturally, after his foundation had become as solid as it could be. This was precisely the principle of those before planting trees so that those after could enjoy the shade.

With things as they were, Zeng Yilong’s strength actually exceeded that of Wang Yuan when he first arrived in Tianlan by more than tenfold! Assuming that his combat experience could keep pace, even battling late-stage Initiates head-on was not impossible. Furthermore, before returning to the front lines, he had just about mastered Ninety Thousand Li. With the agile movement and evasion ability it granted him, his lethality would undoubtedly increase even further. It could be said that as long as Zeng Yilong survived this Frontier War, he would definitely secure a place among the most powerful Initiates.

Luo Chen smiled faintly. He knew well that experts were never nurtured through frugality, nor raised behind closed doors. Only by bringing theory, cultivation, and actual practice together could a true expert be produced.

Within the Luo Tian Sect, there were quite a few whose cultivation surpassed Zeng Yilong’s, such as Gu Caiyi and Sima Wenjie. Yet Luo Chen had never regarded them as true martial experts, instead classifying them merely as talents suited for internal affairs.

Only people like himself and Wang Yuan, who continuously honed their combat methods through repeated life-and-death struggles, could truly be considered warriors. From time to time, they even achieved feats of killing enemies beyond their realm. This was the path Zeng Yilong was meant to walk.

”Supreme Elder, we have arrived!” Xing Zhonghan announced in a low voice.

Luo Chen raised his hand, and the massive Crimson Flame Dragon Boat slowly descended into an open mountain valley. Nearby, disciples of the Falling Cloud Sect stepped forward to welcome them and carry out the handover with Xing Zhonghan.

With the roster recorded, cultivators from Sky Sail City were arranged to inspect and conduct maintenance on the boat—for a corresponding fee, of course. These were all standard procedures and were naturally handled by Xing Zhonghan. From their actions, it was clear that everyone involved was thoroughly familiar with this workflow. Even the arrival of Luo Chen failed to draw much curiosity. It was as if such scenes were nothing out of the ordinary.

Zeng Yilong moved closer and pointed at a towering mountain beside the valley. He said, ”That is Thousand Leaf Peak. Daoist Uncle, you just need to go there to register and state that the Luo Tian Alliance has changed its representative in the Sword Enforcer Hall.”

Luo Chen nodded and looked at them. ”And you guys?”

Xing Zhonghan had already completed the handover and immediately replied, ”I will take care of the arrangements.”

Nodding in acknowledgment, Luo Chen leaped up and drifted lightly toward Thousand Leaf Peak. Having already received word, members of the Falling Cloud Sect came out at once to welcome him.

Upon seeing the ”welcoming committee,” Luo Chen broke into a smile. ”Fellow Daoist Qu, it has been a while. I trust you have been well!”

As Qu Xibai walked, he smiled and said, ”How could I be as carefree as you in the rear? I barely get a moment of rest. Come, let’s go inside!”

As he spoke, his right hand spread outward in an inviting gesture.

Luo Chen walked alongside him and asked, ”Oh? With so many capable people in your sect, are you truly that busy?”

Qu Xibai sighed and said, ”You have no idea how taxing it is to lead a Frontier War. Outsiders only see us as a newly promoted upper sect who can command everyone around and they think it’s all glory, right? In truth, we have just as many worries as we have advantages. We have to formulate strategies, coordinate the major sects under us, negotiate with the other eight upper sects, and most importantly, hunt demonic beasts. Tsk tsk, I hope that one day, you can savor the suffering yourself!”

Luo Chen was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled and cupped his hands. ”May your curse come true!”

Qu Xibai waved his hand and began explaining the current state of affairs.

At present, the upper sects and major sects all regarded the Falling Cloud Sect as their leader. As Luo Chen knew, the one presiding over everything was Cheng Yan, a late-stage Adept. Qu Xibai, the Falling Cloud Sect’s leader Ruan Jing, and another Adept stood at his side to carry out his orders. These three each had their own responsibilities. Qu Xibai oversaw human resources, dispatched experts where needed, and solved disputes among the sects. Ruan Jing was responsible for logistics, which included the deployment of all strategic resources. As for the third Adept, Qu Xibai did not specify what his job was, but Luo Chen had heard from Xing Zhonghan that this person was in charge of intelligence.

But this only accounted for the arrangements at the main encampment. For commanding the Falling Cloud Sect’s Initiates and Qi Refinement disciples, several Adepts had also been dispatched. As for the Nine Sects’ Sword Enforcer Hall, the leader was another old acquaintance—Linghu Jie.

What Luo Chen needed to do now was to first report in with Cheng Yan, then go meet Linghu Jie. The process was somewhat inconvenient, but the advantage was that he could gain a rough understanding of the situation on the front lines by the time he was done with everything.

In the rear hall of the grand hall, Luo Chen met Cheng Yan for the second time. The previous time had been during the Golden Core meeting in Moonbreak. Cheng Yan carefully examined Luo Chen, then nodded before taking out an identity token. Luo Chen felt a hint of surprise as he held onto the token. It was a top-grade enchanted artifact.

”Infuse this with mana and bind it to yourself for now. This token not only serves as proof of your identity, but when activated, it can also send a warning to the main encampment. Naturally, it also carries a defensive spell. Well, such a thing is of little use to people like us, but it’s better than nothing.”

Luo Chen nodded. ”Thank you for the guidance, Fellow Daoist Cheng.”

Cheng Yan appeared very amiable. He smiled and said, ”You are also here to help. There is no need for thanks. If anyone should be expressing gratitude, it ought to be me.”

After exchanging a few platitudes, Luo Chen followed Qu Xibai and flew toward another mountain peak where the Sword Enforcer Hall was stationed.

After Luo Chen left, Cheng Yan stopped smiling and raised his head to look upward. A voice transmission rang in his ears.

”As long as he is not a demon clan spy, that is enough,” replied Cheng Yan. After a pause, he suddenly asked, ”Junior Brother, the time is ripe. When do we start?”

From the void, a gentle voice replied, ”Let’s wait a little longer.”

Cheng Yan frowned. At present, with the combined efforts of the various sects, all the territories that could be taken had already been seized. Even the spirit land that five sects had failed to capture back then was now well within reach. Meanwhile, it was obvious that the number of powerful experts on the demonic beast side was increasing. Under such circumstances, was it still not time to launch a full-scale offensive?

”But what purpose is there in continuing to delay?”

”We are waiting for someone!”

1. 三界(sān jiè) is a cosmological concept present in several religious traditions. It usually refers to the Heavenly Realm, Mortal Realm, and Underworld. ☜