An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

The weather had grown colder and colder, to a degree far beyond anyone’s expectations. According to some of the demonic beasts of Green Parasol Mountain, this heavy snow that had already lasted four months was the greatest snowfall the mountain had seen in a thousand years.

The accumulated snow was so thick that it almost started compressing the ground. Walking atop it without using spirit energy or mana could easily lead to sinking into the snow layer. Such heavy snow severely hindered the free movement of the demonic beasts on the mountain. It was said that Nether Spring had recently begun preparing to activate a formation to reverse the heavenly phenomena and forcibly usher in spring.

Luo Chen did not deliberately inquire much about the situation. Recently, his attention had shifted from his life-bound enchanted treasure to the refinement of Transformation Pills.

Inside the cave residence, Luo Chen looked at the plump gray cauldron standing on the ground and skillfully tossed medicinal ingredients into it.

”Even Tang Sanzang needed to endure eighty-one trials to retrieve the scriptures[1]. I’ve already failed eighty times. This one’s got to be it!”

A smile appeared on Luo Chen’s face. He had a feeling that he would surely succeed this time. Unlike before, there was no crowd of onlookers to watch him refine the Transformation Pills. After so many failures, their interest had naturally faded, and all the more so in the depths of winter. With no one watching, Luo Chen’s focus grew even sharper.

When he added the blood essence imbued with Heaven Smelter’s Nascent Soul power, he thought of that old man.

Ever since crafting Luo Chen’ life-bound treasure, his condition had worsened day by day. The spirit medicine bestowed by Nether Spring could not possibly compensate for his vital blood essence being extracted over 80 times. This was something that not even wild demonic beasts famed for their powerful blood qi could withstand, let alone human cultivators.

”I’m afraid Heaven Smelter won’t be able to hold on much longer. Getting to the Beginner level didn’t cost me any achievement points, but it drained 800 years of his cultivation instead. That... is no small price.”

Luo Chen let out a quiet sigh. He made a mental note that the next time he saw the old man, he would bring along something good to eat and drink. Not long ago, a third-tier Golden-Feathered Snow Owl had delivered him a large jar of monkey wine. The spirit energy within it wasn’t particularly pure, but its taste was quite unique. Perhaps Heaven Smelter would enjoy it.

Even as these thoughts passed through his mind, Luo Chen’s hands never slowed. He remained steady and precise.

Ten days later, Luo Chen’s gaze sharpened. He lifted his hand into the air. From within the plump gray cauldron, a cluster of flowing light slowly rose. He swept his sleeve and the radiance scattered, leaving behind five golden pills of the size of pearls in midair.

Luo Chen was stunned for a moment, but he shook his head and steadied his mind. He reached out, and a flick of his wrist brought the five pills into his hand. ”Well, that does it.”

Refining a fourth-tier pill brought none of the excitement he had once imagined. When something was expected, the sense of surprise naturally faded. More than that, these pills had literally sucked the life out of a fellow human, making excitement even less appropriate. And when he remembered that they were meant for demonic beasts to consume to transform into human form ahead of time... it left him feeling rather uncomfortable.

Luo Chen sighed as he put away the Primordial Unity Cauldron and turned to leave the cave residence.

***

At the door of the cave residence, Luo Chen came to a brief halt. He lifted his head and looked toward the sky, where snow continued to drift down just like every day in the past month.

”It should’ve been spring now. Why hasn’t the snow stopped?” Luo Chen muttered.

He summoned a crimson cloud condensed from mana and flew toward the Transcendence Palace. Upon reaching the palace entrance, he informed the guarding demonic beasts and waited quietly. Before long, a voice came from within, telling him to enter.

”What is it?”

Luo Chen frowned slightly. Why does she sound kind of impatient?

He did not hesitate and immediately took out five golden pills from his storage ring.

”Hmm?” Nether Spring paused when she saw the pills. Then, realizing something, she spoke with a trace of uncertainty, ”Are these Transformation Pills?”

”Yes. I managed to refine some.” Luo Chen smiled slightly and handed four of the pills to her.

Nether Spring glanced at the one Luo Chen kept in his hand. ”I would like to keep one for research. I hope you’ll allow it.”

Nether Spring blinked, and her gaze finally settled on the four in her hand. A hint of anticipation flickered in her eyes. After a brief pause, she nodded slightly. ”Granted.”

With the pills delivered, there was nothing else to attend to. Luo Chen prepared to take his leave.

Yet Nether Spring called out to stop him. She said casually, ”We will soon activate a grand formation to disperse the snow that has covered Green Parasol Mountain for the last couple of months. While the formation is active, don’t wander around.”

Luo Chen paused for a moment, then nodded in acknowledgment. He already sensed that his breakthrough to the third stage was only days away, and he had not planned to go out in the first place. Now that the first batch of Transformation Pills had been delivered, they would likely not urge him again anytime soon. Taking this opportunity to enter seclusion and break through to the third stage seemed perfectly timed.

After Luo Chen departed, Nether Spring’s gaze fell upon the four Transformation Pills in her hand, her thoughts far from calm. ”My Netherworld Yin Crow bloodline is simply too thin. Well... it was never whole to begin with—just a bit of Yin Crow aura the Primal Sovereign seized between life and death. Because of that, I managed to advance to the fourth tier, but I don’t have the strength to take human form. For five hundred years, my cultivation has crawled along. Even Little Azure ended up surpassing me entirely. At this rate, I’ll not be able to assist the Primal Sovereign in the future. No matter how well I manage Green Parasol Mountain, I’ll still be left behind in the end. But now... perhaps I still have a chance with these Transformation Pills. This is my only chance to transform!”

Indeed, with these pills, Nether Spring had gained some hope for the future. But for the time being, she had to think of the present. She had to activate the grand formation of the Transcendence Palace to remove this heavy snow.

***

The grand formation of the Transcendence Palace was activated on that same day. The spirit energy from the earth vein was drawn out and spread out from the Transcendence Palace.

The dark clouds overhead were swept aside, and the snow blanketing the mountains began to melt. Streams of water poured down ridges and ravines, while a steady drizzle fell through the lingering chill of early spring. The melting snow felt far colder than the snowfall itself.

All of this, however, went unnoticed by Luo Chen. Inside his cave residence, he lit the crude sandalwood incense he had hastily made over the years and entered seclusion. He began cultivating, and his fire-element mana flowed out from the core in his sea of qi, coursing through his meridians and acupoints to nourish them before returning to the sea of qi. At the same time, Luo Chen’s body seemed to turn into a black hole, steadily devouring the dense spirit energy around him.

On the status panel, the entry shimmered brightly, as if eager to leap forward.

Realm: Golden Core Stage Two (99/100)

As Luo Chen continuously used his core cultivation technique, the surrounding spirit energy kept flowing into his body. It was refined and purified, then further processed by the Fine Dust Primordial Art as it was imbued with his divine soul and transformed into mana. With a smooth circulation, the Golden Core absorbed the mana and grew increasingly full and rounded in its crimson glow.

Time flowed slowly. One day, two days, three days...

Before he realized it, half a month had passed in one stretch. On this day, Luo Chen’s entire body trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes. There was no earthshaking spectacle. Even the overflowing mana—though somewhat restless and scorching—remained well within standard limits.

”A simulated heavenly spirit root, but it behaves like a real heavenly spirit root. To break through so smoothly, as naturally as eating or drinking... this has been the easiest breakthrough I’ve ever had.”

Luo Chen sighed as he gained an even deeper appreciation for the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture. Even though he possessed only its Golden Core Chapter, its contents within far surpassed any third-tier cultivation technique he ever had. To cultivate it not only brought astonishing speed, but also produced solid mana comparable to that of five-element dual cultivation. What was more, the mana creation method inherent to the scripture was not inferior to his creation, Fine Dust Primordial Art. Its comprehensiveness was unmatched. It was worthy of being known as the root of fire cultivation techniques.

1. Tang Sanzang is a central character of the Journey to the West, a Buddhist monkwho travels to the West to acquire Buddhist scriptures. The journey is famous for its eighty-one trials, which symbolize enduring hardship and repeated failure in order to reach enlightenment. ☜