An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Just as Luo Chen had anticipated—with his advancement to the Golden Core Realm and third tier of alchemy, news that he was hosting a small gathering instantly drew guests. Even those without immediate need for pills would still take the chance to form a favorable connection with him, let alone those who wanted to talk business.

Under Zeng Yilong’s leadership, the ten Initiates of the Luo Tian Alliance personally delivered invitations to each Adept’s residence. Aside from a few who were in seclusion, most accepted the invitation, resulting in a merry gathering of over a dozen people. Mu Yunyan also lent a hand and sent Murong Qinglian over to handle the various affairs of the gathering on Luo Chen’s behalf. With disciples bustling about and an old acquaintance assisting, the arrangements proceeded smoothly and without complication.

Luo Chen himself expended little effort for this; all he had to do was be a gracious host. Through a few casual exchanges, even unfamiliar Adepts gradually became acquainted, and the atmosphere grew warmer with each passing conversation.

Those present included Lin Qingxuan of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, Gongye Qian of Skysail City, Wei Wuya of Skyscraper Cliff, Ye Xiang of the Divine Talisman Sect, Fairy Hundred Flowers of the Silktree Sect, Fairy Fengyue of the Windflower Palace, as well as the local hosts Mu Yunyan and Linghu Jie of the Falling Cloud Sect.

It could be said that among the nine upper sects participating in this Frontier War, aside from Meng Changshou of the Medicine King Sect and Jin Buque of the Five Elements Divine Sect, nearly all were present.

Apart from the Adepts of the upper sects, several representatives from major sects also arrived, among whom Fairy Ruthless of Ice Fortress, Jadewater Dragon of Dreamspring Cave, and Nalan Feng of Willow Forest Den.

Luo Chen moved among them, engaging in warm exchanges. At first, the conversations revolved around backgrounds, exchanged names, and traded pleasantries. Gradually, these exchanges shifted into small clusters of two or three, where cultivation experiences and insights were shared in greater depth.

By the middle of the gathering, Luo Chen took the initiative to propose an exchange of resources. As the host, he naturally needed to lead by example. The offering he presented was straightforward. He had three bottles of pills: supreme-grade first-tier Blood-Burning Pills, mid-grade second-tier Spirit Passage Pills, and mid-grade third-tier Starfield Pills.

These three varied in tier and effect. First served as life-saving trump cards, the second enhanced the foundation of the divine soul, and the last were cultivation pills. All of them were rarely seen on the market. There were certainly other pills with higher market value, but all of them were undeniably exceptional.

Even though everyone present was an Adept, many were tempted and quickly engaged in trades with him. The Blood-Burning Pill could be bestowed upon sect members or disciples as a life-saving measure. As for the mid-grade Spirit Passage Pill, it sparked fierce competition and was ultimately claimed by Mu Yunyan herself.

Luo Chen calmly oversaw the flow of the gathering and showed no concern about revealing some of the pills he could produce. The reason was simple: Times had changed. Now that he had both power and standing, revealing some of his skills would not invite major trouble. Instead, it would only deepen others’ impression of him as a master alchemist. From low-tier to high-tier, from unusual to conventional, from low-grade to supreme-grade, he could refine them all. If such a person did not qualify as a master, then who possibly could?

Moreover the Blood-Burning Pill and the Spirit Passage Pill were bound to appear on the market anyway. Luo Chen had previously traded their formulas to Meng Changshou in exchange for mountain-moving methods. He had provided the first-tier version, but with the strength of the Medicine King Sect, it would not take long before they could mass-produce such pills. There was no point in holding back further. It was better to present them early and get some extra benefits.

Of course, the transactions here were not settled with spirit stones but through barter. Luo Chen offered a stable supply of low-grade Starfield Pills to trade with Nalan Feng of Willow Forest Den for a chunk of Fire Spirit Diamond of decent quality. In doing so, he not only obtained a piece of material for his life-bound treasure but also resolved the problem of Starfield Pill sales that had appeared after Jiang Yu’s fall.

After Luo Chen made the first move, the rest did not hold back. They each produced various resources they had little use for but still held respectable value.

As the exchanges went on, Luo Chen slowly came to a realization. Although he was the host of this gathering, the others had not come solely for the sake of befriending him. Jadewater Dragon was a good example. Dreamspring Cave had seized Seven Kings Mountain and would likely settle in the Howling Moon Mountain Range in the future. She was here to build goodwill and connections on behalf of her sect. The master of Hundred Flowers Palace, Fairy Hundred Flowers[1], was likewise building connections with clear intent. From time to time, she sent transmissions through divine consciousness, and those involved in her conversations often revealed expressions of hesitation and uncertainty. Linghu Jie himself took out some of his own puppets and openly promoted the unique puppet craftsmanship of his sect.

After observing for a while, Luo Chen could not help but laugh inwardly. It seems I really have potential as a mediator. As expected of a master alchemist, everyone wants to meet me and everyone has to be nice. If there are disputes among these acquaintances in the future, so long as they do not reach the point of life-or-death enmity, I can stand in the middle and mediate. Others are now even using me as a bridge to form new connections. As long as I don’t do something really stupid in the future, both the Luo Tian Sect and I should be able to move smoothly.

As the trade exchanges gradually drew to a close, the Adepts who had no further needs resumed their conversations. However, the topics this time largely revolved around the Frontier War—when Supreme Emperor Mountain would be taken, when they would cross the Heavenly Drum Plains to strike the Defiant Howl Wolf Court, and when the war would finally come to an end.

In short, everyone appeared brimming with confidence, presenting an air of absolute certainty toward the course of the war.

In between, Fairy Hundred Flowers also quietly sought out Luo Chen. The matters she brought up more or less confirmed what Fairy Ruthless had previously told him. Hundred Flowers Palace had now aligned itself with Pure Crane and would attack the Great Snowy Mountains after concluding the Frontier War here in Howling Moon. She invited the Luo Tian Alliance to participate as well. She offered a rather enticing condition: Once they were successful, the Luo Tian Sect would have official permission to sell pills in the new domain of the Great Snowy Mountains!

It had to be said that Luo Chen was tempted. However, it was only temptation. He did not agree on the spot and stated that he needed to consider it further.

Fairy Hundred Flowers also did not press him further; instead, she moved on to persuade others. With her exquisite beauty, graceful bearing, and polished manner of speech, she was adept at social maneuvering. Under her efforts, many gradually revealed looks of interest.

At last, as night fell, the gathering slowly came to an end. Streaks of light departed from Luo Chen’s cave residence, each returning home.

On the Falling Cloud Sect’s side, Mu Yunyan and Linghu Jie walked side by side along the mountain path. They spoke in low voices.

”Dan Chenzi’s alchemy skills may not yet surpass mine, but his foundation is terrifyingly solid. As long as he is given suitable alchemical formulas, he can work out the underlying principles. His sect does not have many Adepts yet, but that’s just yet. In the future, we could form a stable partnership with him with the surplus third-tier cultivation pills he refines. Additionally, the Spirit Passage Pill will be extremely useful for our Foundation Establishment disciples. When tasks from the Sword Enforcer Hall are assigned later on, you should consider showing him a bit of preferential treatment.”

Linghu Jie listened quietly. A hint of softness appeared on his gloomy face. ”In that case, I will follow your suggestion.”

Luo Chen was unaware of these matters. Even if he had known, they would have been within expectations. The pills he had revealed spanned a broad range, from the Qi Refinement Realm to the Golden Core Realm, ensuring that there would always be people in need of them. Receiving a preferential treatment due to reputation and skill was only natural.

***

After the guests had departed and the gathering had drawn to a close, Luo Chen sat quietly in the meditation chamber. He carefully calculated the materials in his storage ring needed to craft the Primordial Unity Cauldron.

He’d long since gathered all the auxiliary materials, twenty times over. As for the primary materials, some were sufficient for a good dozen attempts, while those in lesser amounts were at least enough for six or seven. Only Fire Spirit Diamond remained in short supply; he only had three pieces on hand.[ref]The original says two, but he already had two before trading in this chapter.[ref]

”If I can get five pieces, I can go all out and enter seclusion to refine my life-bound treasure.”

This type of material should have been abundant within the Jade Cauldron Domain, given the numerous fire veins that ran through the region. However, Fire Spirit Diamond had an extremely wide range of uses. Whether for artifact crafting, puppet creation, or constructing formations, it was always in demand. After so many years of constant consumption, it had instead grown dangerously scarce. It truly was a pity.

”Before all that, I should first become more proficient in the fundamentals of artisanship, as well as the formations I need.”

Luo Chen opened his status panel and reviewed the basic Five Elements Formations. Before setting out, he had already reached Beginner level by repeatedly copying Min Longyu’s formations.

From here on, he only needed to circulate his mana and inscribe the basic restrictions, assemble them into complete formations, then rinse and repeat. Once he raised his proficiency to Perfected Mastery, he could move on to more advanced formations and gradually grasp the few required to craft the Primordial Unity Cauldron. Just like he’d always done, he would deepen his understanding until everything was fully prepared.

***

”Dan Chenzi, it’s your turn to patrol this month. This jade slip contains the details of the defensive perimeter. Take it and familiarize yourself with it.”

”Mm.”

Luo Chen took the jade scroll from Linghu Jie. He sent his divine consciousness into it and quickly memorized the map contained within.

Before he departed, Linghu Jie called out to him, ”If you encounter an enemy you cannot overcome, activate your identity token. I will bring reinforcements as quickly as possible.”

Luo Chen smiled and nodded at his kind reminder. Patrol duty was considered one of the safest assignments; as long as the Wolf Emperor did not personally arrive and there was no large-scale demonic wolf assault, he was confident he could handle any situation with ease.

Of course, to others, he was just a newly advanced first-stage Adept. They had no way of knowing that he had already reached the second stage, much less finding out his actual power.

By the time Luo Chen stepped out, Zeng Yilong had already been waiting for some time, accompanied by the other nine Initiates of the Luo Tian Alliance.

Luo Chen smiled faintly and said, ”Let’s go!”

1. Reminder that Hundred Flowers Palace is a subsidiary of the Silktree Sect. They participated in conquering the now Jade Cauldron Domain and later established the Hundred Flowers Palace. ☜