An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Patrol duty for cultivators was far less physically taxing than for mortals, as it did not require constant physical movement. Even so, it was not actually easy because it demanded the cultivator to continuously activate their spirit consciousness or divine consciousness to monitor the surroundings. Additionally, formation tokens had to be used from time to time to check whether formations in various locations were under attack.

Under such conditions, a cultivator’s divine soul foundation faced a bit of a test. Those with shallow foundations often could not endure for long. Thus, the length of patrol missions under the Sword Enforcer Hall was generally set to one month. Once that was over, the duty would rotate to other factions.

Luo Chen led the alliance cultivators to the outer region of the main encampment and began patrolling according to procedures. When he activated his divine consciousness to survey the surroundings, three figures immediately perked up in the Falling Cloud Sect’s camp.

It was Linghu Jie, Mu Yunyan, and Cheng Yan.

”What a formidable divine consciousness! It easily reaches five hundred li, maybe six hundred. It’s almost comparable to the divine consciousness of a fifth- or even sixth-stage Adept!”

”I was not mistaken, was I? Dan Chenzi must have cultivated his divine soul foundation to its absolute limit during the Foundation Establishment Realm by consuming large quantities of those Spirit Passage Pills he refined himself. Otherwise, how could his divine consciousness be this strong while he’s still at the first stage?”

”No wonder he succeeded in forming his core in a single attempt using our sect’s Core Formation art. With such a foundation, giving him Beaded Curtain Lock is like dropping a fish into the sea. I bet he immediately reached minor mastery, and honestly, I wouldn’t be all that surprised if he managed to reach major mastery as well.”

They were confident that Luo Chen would not choose a Lower or Middle Path art with such a titanic divine soul foundation. Since he had obtained Beaded Curtain Lock, it only stood to reason that he had used it for his breakthrough.

Of course, if they knew that Luo Chen had not only reached the absolute peak but had even used it as a foundation to create a Supreme Path art of his own, they would likely be shocked beyond measure. Even what they had witnessed just now was more than enough to leave them in awe.

Mu Yunyan was truly excited. ”There’s no way to make him hand over the Spirit Passage Pill formula, but if he can sell Spirit Passage Pills to our sect in bulk, then our disciples will be able to practice Beaded Curtain Lock on a large scale. Given enough time, our sect might produce over a hundred Adepts, and perhaps even nurture one or two Sages.”

Cheng Yan frowned slightly. ”Junior Sister Mu, you got a bottle of Spirit Passage Pills. Are you saying you cannot deduce the exact formula from it?”

Mu Yunyan gave a wry smile. ”Do you think it’s that simple? Over the past month, I have conducted experiment after experiment. It wasn’t difficult to figure out the ingredients, but no matter how I adjusted the proportions, I simply couldn’t figure out the correct ratio and process. My furnace even exploded several times. Forget about refining pills, you should be happy I haven’t set fire to the camp yet.”

Is it really this difficult?

Cheng Yan and Linghu Jie exchanged glances. Deducing the general ingredients for the Spirit Passage Pill was not actually difficult. By investigating the Luo Tian Sect’s medicinal material purchases, narrowing down the possibilities, and then relying on the Falling Cloud Sect’s apothecaries along with Mu Yunyan herself, they could figure out the composition in a few weeks. Yet the furnace just... exploded, regardless of how it was refined? That was simply absurd.

What they did not know was that the first-tier pill formula Luo Chen had acquired was incomplete; he had completed it with the system’s help. Who knew whether the system had actually recreated the original formula? Moreover, the bottle Luo Chen traded to Mu Yunyan contained second-tier Spirit Passage Pills, whose formula had been created by Luo Chen himself. In other words, the formula was definitely not something that existed elsewhere, and neither was it an entirely orthodox one. How would it be so easy for someone to reverse-engineer it?[1]

After a long while, Cheng Yan stroked his beard and said in a low voice, ”If that is the case, there is no need to continue experiments. That would be a waste of manpower and resources.”

Mu Yunyan nodded. This was the most critical period for the Falling Cloud Sect. The sect could not afford to give her the same level of support as before. Resources had to be used where they made the greatest difference.

Cheng Yan continued, ”As for Dan Chenzi... we should maintain a friendly relationship with him. And speaking of that, Junior Brother Linghu...”

”Yes, Senior Brother?”

”When we attack Supreme Emperor Mountain in a year, the Wolf Court will send demonic beast forces as reinforcements. When the time comes, adjust the Sword Enforcer Hall assignments and place the Luo Tian Alliance at the main encampment. Do not send them to the battlefield.”

Linghu Jie nodded. This was within his expectations. Supreme Emperor Mountain was the location of the supreme-grade third-tier spirit vein that the five major sects had previously failed to seize. According to the scouts, the quality of this spirit vein was exceptionally high. With proper nurturing, it could even advance into a fourth-tier spirit vein.

For Howling Moon Mountain Range to potentially produce two fourth-tier spirit veins was truly astonishing. This was why the five major sects had set their sights on the area in the first place. Of course, the result had been... less than ideal. In the process, many powerful figures had fallen, and the Great Harmony Sect had been nearly wiped out.

Linghu Jie hesitated briefly before asking in a low voice, ”Then, when the final battle comes, what should we arrange for Dan Chenzi?”

Cheng Yan frowned, then waved his hand. ”Nothing at all. Let things proceed as they should. Some matters cannot be handled with too much favoritism. When the time comes, I will look after him as much as possible.”

”Mm, I understand.”

***

Luo Chen had realized something long ago—once you achieve fame and success, the people around you change completely. Wherever he went, he was treated with courtesy. Everyone he encountered greeted him with warm smiles. Even now, stationed at the frontline battlefield that struck fear into countless hearts at the mere mention of its name, the treatment he received remained astonishingly favorable.

Once the patrol mission was over, he was not assigned any truly dangerous tasks in the following months. At most, one or two Initiates would be sent out to deliver messages. He himself did not need to act at all.

By comparison, the cultivators from other sects within the Sword Enforcer Hall received far more dangerous assignments. They were sent to intercept demonic beasts, gather intelligence, or mediate conflicts between sects. From time to time, he would see Sword Enforcer Hall cultivators returning stained with blood. It was not pleasant at all, but he also felt no particular duty toward this organization, so he had no objections to this arrangement.

He spent his days in quiet comfort within his cave residence, repeatedly copying formations and rapidly increasing his proficiency. Each day was divided between meditation and cultivation; as he watched the digits on the system panel steadily change, he felt thoroughly content.

Occasionally, he would take time to visit Mu Yunyan and exchange insights on alchemy. After several discussions, he traded Scaled Shift for Burning Crane, which was not only an essential technique for the Nascent Soul Pill but further enriched his alchemical foundation.

At times, when he felt bored, he would even take out the large stockpile of medicinal materials in his storage ring and refine pills in bulk. Among other things, he refined a large batch of top-grade and supreme-grade Jade Dew Pills for Sima Huiniang and Gu Caiyi. It was enough to last them until they reached Perfected Mastery, and he spared no time sending people to deliver them.

With that done, Luo Chen felt bored once again. He began collecting intact second-tier demonic beast corpses around the main encampment. He wanted to push the second-tier Imperial Nectar all the way to Perfected Mastery. Otherwise, every time he opened the status panel, that lonely second-tier category would hang there, looking truly unsightly.

***

A year later, Luo Chen once again arrived at the Sword Enforcer Hall headquarters.

”Another patrol assignment?”

”Yes. Is there a problem?” asked Linghu Jie.

Luo Chen smiled faintly. ”None whatsoever. Things look peaceful, and that’s for the best.”

Linghu Jie nodded. Just as Luo Chen was about to leave, he suddenly called out, ”There may be some... major movements ahead. The main encampment will be relatively understaffed, so you should be more careful during patrols.”

Luo Chen froze. Suddenly, he realized what his interlocutor meant by “major movements.” It was likely an assault on Supreme Emperor Mountain—stripping away the Defiant Howl Wolf Court’s last line of defense. And if that was the case, then the final decisive battle could not be far off.

He took a deep breath. ”Thanks for the reminder, Fellow Daoist.”

Linghu Jie gave a slight nod. Luo Chen understood the goodwill he had conveyed, and that was enough for him. This was precisely how relationships were built.

***

Everything unfolded almost exactly as Luo Chen had anticipated. Five days after he had started his second patrol, the human forces finally made their move. With Star Moon Temple taking the lead, seven major sects of varying strength—including the Blazing Sun Sect and Lotus Flower Palace—launched another assault on the Supreme Emperor Mountain region.

Luo Chen learned the details as well. If Supreme Emperor Mountain was taken, the region would be jointly governed by two sects.

With the seven sects mobilizing, the Sword Enforcer Hall was also ready to move. Three days after the battle began, a bell tolled within the Sword Enforcer Hall. Hundreds of streaks of light shot into the sky together.

Luo Chen stood on top of a small hill and looked up at the scene. He knew that the Defiant Howl Wolf Court had likely sent out troops as well. Then, he lowered his head and looked at Zeng Yilong, who was standing nearby with an obviously dejected look on his face.

Luo Chen could not help but smile. ”Why the long face? Do you want to go?”

Zeng Yilong scratched his head. ”Well... shouldn’t I? Daoist Uncle, didn’t you bring me out to test my blade? Other than throwing hands with people at my level in the camp, I haven’t fought a proper battle at all. That doesn’t really count, does it?”

Luo Chen pressed his lips into a smile. ”It may sound like I’m contradicting myself, but really, now is not the time to fight. If you want to see how sharp you actually are, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. There is no need to rush.”

”Is that so? Fine then, I will wait.” Zeng Yilong nodded, firmly engraving these words in his heart.

Seeing how earnestly he took the advice, Luo Chen felt a deep sense of satisfaction. If Zeng Wen were still alive, he would surely be delighted to see his son grow to this.

What failed to satisfy Luo Chen, however, was what came next. His words could practically be called prophetic—no sooner had he told Zeng Yilong to wait for a chance to test the blade that this chance arrived.

The moment night fell, Luo Chen’s expression shifted. He immediately took out his identity token.

”Enemy attack! Over ten thousand demonic beasts, more than twenty Demon Kings!”

His powerful divine consciousness had allowed him to detect no fewer than ten thousand wolves charging in from hundreds of li away. The very instant he issued the warning, layers of formations light lit up across the main encampment. On Thousand Leaf Peak, one fearsome puppet after another stepped out, each radiating powerful pressure.

At the same time, a crescent blade of golden light slashed down violently from the heavens. Upon seeing that moon-like golden radiance, Luo Chen’s expression changed drastically. ”The Demon Emperor!”

From Thousand Leaf Peak, a robust voice rang out clearly. ”Fellow Daoist Defiant Howl, an uninvited guest is hardly welcome.”

Even faster than the voice was a streak of black radiance that shot up from the ground. The golden light and the black one collided in an instant. Clouds shifted color and wind stopped; heaven and earth trembled, and the world seemed to lurch. Around Thousand Leaf Peak, the land shook violently for a thousand li in every direction. Massive trenches were dug into the earth; formations shattered, and the ambiental spirit energy became chaotic. The clash was such that even the towering Thousand Leaf Peak saw its height decrease by over a hundred zhang!

A figure stood beneath the bright moon, coldly gazing at the Sage atop Thousand Leaf Peak.

”Uninvited, you say? Then who the hell invited you here!?”

1. This paragraph has been heavily content-edited and does not accurately reflect the original. The author contradicts established facts in the novel’s universe, so we rewrote it for consistency reasons. ☜