An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

He had not expected that among the three times the Luo Tian Alliance had participated in the frontline, the heaviest casualties would occur under his watch. Five confirmed dead, three probably also dead, and he had even lost one of his key subordinates.... He had believed he could protect these people, and had even thought he still had the leisure to protect Zeng Yilong and let him gain experience! Looking back now, he had been truly arrogant. He had nearly failed to preserve even his own life. How could he have had any spare strength to protect others?

Fairy Ruthless departed, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Only silence remained within the cave residence. Luo Chen reflected and questioned himself—what mistakes had he made along the way that had led to these consequences?

After a long while, he finally let out a deep sigh. ”Indeed, you never notice these things until it’s too late. That’s the result of things going too well. Smooth success and arrogance go hand in hand.”

During the Qi Refining Realm, he had treaded as if on thin ice, planning every step in advance. Because of this, he had met with constant success and suffered almost no defeats. After reaching Foundation Establishment, he had taken certain risks, but they had been largely kept within the bounds of what he could handle if he failed. Only in the battle at Incense Burning Valley had he fallen to a Heart Devil and taken a burden far beyond what he was capable of bearing.

The real changes had begun with his successful Core Formation. When he formed his core, an entire city deferred to him, congratulations arrived from everywhere, and he went on to found a sect, his proper legacy. It was a time of splendor and high spirits. After that, he formed the Luo Tian Alliance, pushed into the Howling Moon Mountain Range, and seized a third-tier spirit land. Everything seemed to go his way. In particular, after resolving his cultivation resource crisis and bringing his illusion arts to Perfected Mastery, his confidence had unknowingly swelled to an extreme.

He had begun to compare strength with mid-stage Adepts, and to calculate whether he might even contend with those at the late stage. Yet in the end, he was nothing more than a second-stage Adept. In a war of such massive scale, where engagements involved tens of thousands, he was simply inconsequential. Even an experienced and powerful late-stage Adept like Cheng Yan could not maneuver freely. And if even Cheng Yan couldn’t protect his own people, then how could someone like Luo Chen speak of looking after others?

”Without forming a Golden Core, speaking of the Great Dao is nothing but empty talk. And even after forming the Golden Core, I am merely standing at the starting line of the Dao. On what grounds did I believe that a hundred years of my own effort could erase the gap created by other people’s multiple centuries of hard work?”

These twenty years of smooth sailing had caused Luo Chen to overlook far too much. Those Adepts he once could only look up to surrounded him with gentle smiles; that had made him forget that what they respected was his alchemy skill, not his combat strength or cultivation base. It had nothing to do with Heart Devils or other cultivation-related delusions. It was simply arrogance and overconfidence of the most ordinary kind.

After this battle, Luo Chen had awakened. He was still the same humble man seeking a Dao infinitely greater than himself. If he wished to walk further along the long road toward eternity, he would have to remain cautious in all things. The path ahead was a narrow bridge made of thin ice.

Once his thoughts settled, he removed his clothes, revealing a body covered in shocking wounds. He proceeded to apply the Black Sovereign Paste, and waves of searing pain followed. But Luo Chen did not utter a single sound; he just allowed the paste to mend his damaged body.

***

The aftereffects of the great battle spread far and wide. On the human side, Supreme Emperor Mountain was taken, which meant that the Defiant Howl Wolf Court was well and truly encircled. From that point on, when to fight and how to fight would be dictated by the cultivators. Yet the demon clans had not fought for nothing. Under the command of Defiant Howl, they had grievously crippled the very leading force of the cultivator coalition, the Falling Cloud Sect.

That night, a total of seven Adepts from the Falling Cloud Sect perished. Among them were the sect leader, Ruan Jing himself, as well as Qu Xibai, Cheng Ru, and several other renowned experts.

In a single battle, the Falling Cloud Sect’s top-level battle strength was practically halved. Its losses among low-tier cultivators were just as devastating. Of the thirteen scions chosen by the Falling Cloud Sect fifty years ago, only three had formed cores and remained in the rear. Of the remaining ten, eight were now dead. Only Han Zheng and another True Inheritor at the ninth stage of Foundation Establishment had survived. Countless other Initiates had been killed or injured.

From a strategic standpoint, the coalition achieved a great victory. Yet on the local battlefield, the Falling Cloud Sect had suffered a heavy blow, which dampened the joy of victory.

Everyone knew that the most important goal of this war was to take the Howling Moon Mountain Range so that the Falling Cloud Sect, a newly risen upper sect, could obtain a fourth-tier spirit land and truly live up to its status. Now that the Falling Cloud Sect’s foundation had been severely damaged, the pace of subsequent warfare would likely be delayed. After all, the sect could not fight the final battle in a crippled state, and even if they did win, aside from Sage Han Zhan, only a handful would remain. How could they possibly spare manpower to control the entire region?

When that time came, the interests of the Howling Moon Mountain Range would inevitably be carved up by various major sects, while upper sects from other regions would encroach even more aggressively.

Would Falling Cloud Sect truly work only to benefit others? Of course not. And since that was the case, all parties involved realized that a prolonged period of peace would likely follow. They would have to wait until the Falling Cloud Sect had recovered its strength before the decisive battle could be concluded.

”Perhaps this is the true purpose behind Defiant Howl’s strike.”

Inside a cave residence, several renowned Adepts spoke in low voices. Among those present were Wei Wuya of Skyscraper Cliff, a late-stage Adept, and the graceful master of the Hundred Flowers Palace, Fairy Hundred Flowers. Also present were Fairy Ruthless and Lin Qingxuan, who had recently risen to prominence among the Sword Sect’s Adepts.

”Abandoning Supreme Emperor Mountain, crippling the Falling Cloud Sect, and thereby delaying the war to buy time for the Wolf Court to draw support from the wild mountains... Such a strategy of sacrificing a pawn to save the king hardly seems like something devised by a brute that drinks blood and eats raw flesh.”

”Fellow Daoist, I must disagree. Once demonic beasts transform, they are essentially no different from us. Calling them blood-drinking brutes is inappropriate.”

”Arguing over language serves no purpose. What I wish to know is how long the Howling Moon War will continue.”

”Fellow Daoist Hundred Flowers, are you perchance growing impatient?”

”We endured fifty years of preparation, and then waited another decade. I don’t mind waiting a bit longer. But who knows how long this ’bit’ will actually be? Must we wait until the Falling Cloud Sect raises another seven Adepts?”

As soon as these words were spoken, silence fell over the cave residence. Adepts were not cabbages that could be raised by random peasants. After many years of accumulation, the Falling Cloud Sect only had a dozen. Worse still, the previous battle had cost them most of their outstanding True Inheritors. Without such experts, even exhausting all the sect’s resources would make it impossible to produce new Adepts.

Lin Qingxuan spoke without concern, ”They can delay as long as they like. A prolonged war only gives me more time to hone my sword. A few more casual battles would be quite great.”

The others glanced at him speechlessly. Lin Qingxuan was normally gentle and kind, but deep down, he was a battle fanatic. In every fight, he always charged at the forefront. Once his flying sword left its scabbard, it always returned drenched in blood. While others grew weaker with repeated battles, he only grew stronger; his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. Although the Sword Sect was somewhat unimpressive among the upper sects, centuries of accumulation had still produced a few truly exceptional talents. Once this war ended and Lin Qingxuan fully digested his gains, the Sword Sect would have another top-tier expert among the Golden Core ranks.

From a corner, a masked Daoist suddenly spoke, ”In my view, perhaps we will not have to wait long.”

Everyone was taken aback.

Wei Wuya frowned. ”Fellow Daoist Hundred Loss, your Pearl-Returning Pavilion is renowned for its intelligence network. If you know something we don’t, now’s the time to share.”

Hundred Loss said in a low voice, ”There is little movement from the Falling Cloud Sect at the main encampment. It appears they really intend to quietly recuperate and restore their strength. But there is actually something I know that you don’t. The disciples stationed at Moonbreak, as well as those at the Falling Cloud Sect’s estate in the Jade Cauldron Domain, are all heading here.”

As soon as he said this, the group exchanged wide-eyed glances. If the goal was to recuperate, there was no reason to summon people from the rear. In fact, they should all have remained behind to gather resources and supply the front lines. Yet if the plan was to concentrate all available strength and resume the war right now, did the Falling Cloud Sect truly possess such resolve?

The group began to discuss the matter among themselves. Yet after a long exchange, no conclusion was reached. Finally, Fairy Ruthless grew impatient and said, ”I will go see how Dan Chenzi’s injuries are recovering. You guys may continue.”

With that, she left the cave residence. The others were not surprised; the relationship between Dan Chenzi and the Ice Fortress was well known. Moreover, since the Ice Fortress’s strength had greatly diminished, and Dan Chenzi had displayed formidable battle prowess apart from his alchemical attainments, Fairy Ruthless’s concern for him was only natural.

Only Hundred Loss in the corner stood there with a corner of his mouth twitching under his mask.

***

Within the low-grade third-tier cave residence arranged by the Sword Enforcer Hall, Luo Chen was completely naked. His entire body was coated in pitch-black paste, so dark that only his neat white teeth stood out against it.

Suddenly, Luo Chen opened his eyes. He parted his lips, and wisps of golden light were expelled from within. Anyone else who witnessed such a bizarre scene would surely have been astonished, yet Luo Chen felt deeply dissatisfied.

”This Spirit-Dissolving thing is working far too slowly. It seems that if I want to purge the damn demonic energy, I must rely on myself. Oh well, nothing unusual here.”

He clenched his teeth and began to slowly form seals. He was somewhat clumsy at first, but he gradually found his rhythm. Suddenly, his hands paused, and he brought two fingers of his right hand together before slashing downward.

Clang!

The sound of a blade striking a metal cuirass echoed through the room, but there was neither a sword nor armor to be seen. In truth, the violent resonance was something erupting from within Luo Chen’s body. After the sound faded, Luo Chen opened his mouth and expelled a thick strand of golden demonic energy.

”As expected, the Dragon-Slaying Art is truly effective against foreign energies. As expected of something developed by the Five Elements Divine Sect.”

Luo Chen pressed his lips together in a grimace, but his eyes were gleaming. He had bound the golden demonic energy with Withering-Flourishing Fire, dissolved it with the Spirit Dissolving Solution, and finally severed it strand by strand using the Dragon-Slaying Art. With these three methods working in tandem, this demonic energy endangering him from the inside could likely be eliminated within a month at most.