An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

When Cheng Dou heard his name, he pressed his lips together. As expected! It matched their speculation almost perfectly. This young man with eccentric conduct truly commanded the Azure Yang Devil Flame, to the extent that he’d even taken it as his Dao title! But when Cheng Dou recalled the conditions required for refining such a flame, he could not help but shiver. Rumors said that the process involved tremendous amounts of fresh blood essence and was brutally cruel. Such a devilish flame could only be refined by a devil-path powerhouse. In that case, he would certainly have to give the man a proper welcome, lest he provoke calamity.

”Senior, this way please!” Cheng Dou respectfully stepped aside to let Luo Chen walk in front.

But Luo Chen cast him a glance and said calmly, ”I don’t want to expose my cultivation for the time being.”

Cheng Dou froze for a moment, then understanding dawned. He was a late-stage Initiate, only one step away from Perfected Mastery, and the place they were at now was the Cheng family’s stronghold, bustling with people and eyes everywhere. Yet he was treating someone who appeared to be only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment with such deference? If even a hint of this spread, others would inevitably speculate that either Luo Chen’s identity was not what it seemed, or his cultivation was far higher.

He took a deep breath, then stepped forward. Luo Chen matched his pace, staying side by side.

”The banquet is already being prepared and will take a bit more time. While we wait, how about I give you a detailed introduction to Black Swan Island and the Flying Swallow Archipelago?”

”I’m all ears,” Luo Chen replied evenly.

***

Luo Chen knew a few things—for instance, that the Northern Sea was also called the Sea of Demons because the ocean was filled with sea demons, and back when the Primordial Devil Sect was still operating, devil-path experts roamed freely. Both names were coined by outsiders, but over time, even the hegemon of this place accepted them. At some point, they began calling the areas they had already taken Devil Domains, while the areas they hadn’t yet occupied were collectively known as the Demon Sea.

He was, however, entirely ignorant about the very place he was in, so his host’s comments came in at just the right time.

”The Flying Swallow Archipelago has been human territory for about eight hundred years now. Before that, it was part of the Demon Sea, with Cloud-Piercing Sparrows and Sea-Cleaving Swallows infesting the islands. That, until the Holy Land sent some subordinate sects to conquer the area and renamed it the Flying Swallow Archipelago. But this place never had much in the way of resources. It’s remote, and it’s always under threat from the Heaventrust Sea Region, so no major sect was willing to stay. Over time, it became a gathering place for rogue cultivators and small families. My family settled here a good while back, making a living by raising and selling first-tier demonic beasts like Black Swans.”

Cheng Dou recounted the history of the Flying Swallow Archipelago in detail, far more thoroughly than Cheng Haichang. Luo Chen listened quietly, picking up bits of knowledge useful to him. For instance, how the Primordial Devil Sect, though seemingly arrogant and domineering, actually bore responsibilities similar to those of the Nether Origin Sect. For instance, opening up the path to new territories. Following that line of thought, did the Holy Lands of the Southern Frontier and the Western Desert carry similar duties? If that was truly the case, it meant the original purpose of the five great Holy Lands was rather noble: working for the benefit of human cultivators.

But that, in turn, raised another question. What role, then, did the Heavenly Origin Dao Sect play, since it was seated in the center and free of external threats? A leader? A beneficiary who merely reaped the rewards? Or a meritorious pioneer who, after opening up an entire continent through untold hardships, had now begun to enjoy the fruits of past achievements?

Luio Chen’s thoughts drifted, and this time, he did not brush them off and force himself to return to reality.

Before coming to the Northern Sea, he had already faintly brushed against the conflict between demons and a human Holy Land—the Nether Origin Sect and Green Parasol Mountain. He would inevitably return to the Eastern Wilderness, and one day, he would advance to the Nascent Soul Realm or even the Divine Transformation Realm. When that time came, he would also inevitably be swept into those currents as well. There were only benefits in acquiring as much information about these things as possible.

Meanwhile, Cheng Dou continued his explanation. ”Although the Primordial Devil Sect had a reputation for acting without restraint and being outright brutal, in the eyes of many, they still had its bottom lines. They followed the law of the jungle and encouraged competition, both within the sect and beyond it, but that only applied to people on the same level. Everyone appreciated that they strictly forbade high-level cultivators from indiscriminately slaughtering low-level cultivators and mortals. Actually, as far as I know, even the Soul Refinement lineage, which needed large numbers of souls, was ordered not to kill people like that. If they needed souls, they could simply hunt demonic beasts; there are plenty of those.

”I believe you have noticed since arriving here that the mortals of this archipelago look rather lively, even though they’re living harsh lives. That’s because the Primordial Devil Sect set an example long ago about how to treat mortals, and they even encouraged population growth. Those with spirit roots were taken into local sects, and those without were taught Body Tempering martial arts and given spiritized artifacts, so they could still play a role in everyday affairs. This system still works today. Some mortals who perform especially well, like those at the Innate Grandmaster level, are even taken in by cultivation families like ours and given generous treatment.”

Luo Chen suddenly understood. No wonder the mortals he had seen earlier, though weathered by hardship, were nevertheless full of enthusiasm. They were nothing like the numb and dispirited mortals of the Eastern Wilderness. So that was the reason. They had hope!

Luo Chen nodded. ”In this regard, the Primordial Devil Sect did quite well.”

Cheng Dou’s spirits lifted. He had steered the conversation this way intentionally, so he could openly praise the sect, and Azure Yang’s reaction seemed quite positive. In this way, whether his interlocutor was truly a surviving member of the Primordial Devil Sect or not, he had handled the situation well enough.

He cleared his throat and continued, ”Yes, the Primordial Devil Sect was fairly peculiar in its conduct. Even when the world called them a devil sect, labeling them with terms like Devil Lords and whatnot, they disdained to argue and never bothered to cloak themselves in lofty names like the other Holy Lands.”

Luo Chen gave a hum of agreement. Top-tier powerhouses rarely cared even about the actual distinctions between righteous and evil, let alone trivial titles.

As they conversed, the two arrived before the manor by Small Mirror Lake.

”Senior Azure Yang, the banquet is ready. This way, please.”

Luo Chen paused slightly and cast Cheng Dou a sidelong glance, a faintly amused expression appearing on his face. ”You have prepared quite generously.”

Cheng Dou’s heart tightened. ”It is only right for me to do so. I hope you find it to your liking.”

”You’re thoughtful.” Luo Chen chuckled softly and strode into the manor.

The moment he entered, he saw a woman of delicate features and graceful figure standing at the entrance of the main hall, her hands resting neatly at her sides. When her gaze fell upon Luo Chen, she trembled slightly. She lowered her head and bent at the waist in a gentle bow.

”I am Cheng Haixin. Greetings, Adept Azure Yang!”

As she bent down, her dress tilted slightly, allowing for a fleeting glimpse behind the curtain. Even ignoring the curves of her waist and hips, the mere hint of her white chest was enough to make the eye linger.

Luo Chen glanced at her and said flatly, ”Lift your head.”

Cheng Haixin pressed her rosy lips together, lightly biting down as she straightened. Her neck was long and elegant, like that of a proud swan, and with that, Luo Chen truly took note of her most striking trait: she looked him in the eye from almost the same height.

She was indeed tall; she even stood a head taller than Cheng Dou. Among all the women Luo Chen had seen in his life, perhaps only the demoness Azure Frost could rival her in height. Yet Cheng Haixin’s gentle and delicate aura did not match her physical presence; in that respect, Azure Frost surpassed her by far. She was very cold and very powerful, to the extent that Luo Chen had not even dared to look directly at her during his three years at Green Parasol Mountain.

This was, perhaps, the very reason Azure Frost’s tall figure had left such an impression on him despite their few encounters. All he had been able to glimpse were those long, firm, powerfully built legs.

Cheng Dou stood carefully to the side, closely observing Luo Chen’s expression. And it paid off: For a brief instant, he caught a trace of distraction across Luo Chen’s gaze.

Only then did he finally relax. As expected, Seventh Sister truly was the pearl of Black Swan Island. Anyone who saw her would find it difficult to remain unmoved.

”Adept, please take a seat!”

Luo Chen looked at the chair Cheng Dou had pulled out and raised an eyebrow. ”I’m the guest here. Isn’t it a bit inappropriate for me to take the main seat?”

Cheng Dou hurriedly smiled and said, ”Not at all. Your presence is an honor to our Cheng family. Of course we should treat you as our most esteemed guest and make you feel at home. I could not possibly forgive myself if we failed in our duty as hosts.”

Luo Chen smiled faintly and did not insist on being polite, sitting down openly at the main seat. Cheng Dou also took a seat to the side. Once they were seated, Cheng Haixin was left standing in the hall, looking rather out of place. Cheng Dou shot her several meaningful looks before she clenched her teeth and sat down beside Luo Chen. Her reluctant expression made Luo Chen chuckle inwardly. So Cheng Dou really does have other intentions...

”Adept, please try some of the specialty dishes of the Flying Swallow Archipelago. Haixin, pour the wine!”

Cheng Haixin hummed softly and, with movements that were clearly a little unpracticed, filled Luo Chen’s cup. The moment the wine was poured, its fragrance spread, and the spirit energy within the hall seemed to stir. Luo Chen’s heart also stirred as his gaze fell upon the wine cup.

”This is Washed Orange Wine. It is a third-tier spirit wine brewed from deep-sea spirit spring water, Blood Oranges, and supreme-grade Washed Jade Marrow. It’s especially effective for cultivators on the verge of a breakthrough.”

Cheng Haixin lifted the cup and offered it to him. The blood-red liquid inside—thick and lustrous, like crimson nectar—was enough to steal one’s breath.

A beauty, fine spirit wine, and a lavish feast... Heh.

Luo Chen smiled. A banquet of only three people thus began under an ambiguous atmosphere.

Cheng Dou was a very talkative man. Topics left unfinished earlier were deliberately brought up again; things that he believed Azure Yang was unaware of, having been in seclusion.

Under the rule of the Primordial Devil Sect, although the Northern Sea cultivation world had been turbulent, families like theirs had still managed to survive reasonably well. But everything had changed a century back, following the sect’s destruction. The order maintained by an iron fist collapsed overnight. The customs and temperaments shaped over thousands of years under their rule erupted without restraint, now that they lacked the absolute suppression of a Holy Land. As a result, over the next seventy years, the Northern Sea was shrouded in bloodshed and chaos. Rumors spread that the inland Devil Domains had truly become infested by devils.

Devil overlords had emerged one after another, and great figures of the devil path would raze sects and exterminate families at the slightest provocation. Even cultivators of lower realms had turned to the life of raiders. Worse still, some who had only grasped fragments of the Primordial Devil Sect’s techniques embarked on killing sprees. Whether it was the Blood Devil techniques of the Blood Deity path or the Soul Refinement arts, all of them demanded vast numbers of lives as nutrients.

In the past, such hunger had been directed outward, toward the demon races lurking in the endless seas. Now, with a large batch of easy targets within the cultivation world itself, who would still risk venturing into the Demon Seas?

All in all, these seventy years were the darkest chapter in the history of the Northern Sea cultivation world. Even the remote Flying Swallow Archipelago saw multiple conflicts that wiped out families. The Cheng family had once boasted multiple mid-stage Initiates, the family’s true pillars. Yet every one of them fell in those seventy years of turmoil.

Then, the arrival of Adept Nantian pushed the bloodshed to its extreme. Upon his arrival, he immediately annihilated a family with three late-stage Initiates, seizing the only third-tier spirit vein in the area. And that was not all. Had matters ended there, it might still have been tolerable. But after that, he ordered all forces in the Flying Swallow Archipelago to pay tribute to him. Any hint of disobedience was met with bloody suppression. In barely fifty years, no fewer than three Foundation Establishment families were destroyed by his hands.

It was only thirty years ago that an Ascendant surnamed Li established the Righteous Blue Sea Alliance in the heart of the Devil Domains, allowing the Northern Sea cultivation world to finally regain a fragile semblance of order. Whether people accepted it in their hearts or not, outward deference became unavoidable. Adept Nantian nominally joined the alliance to obtain the island-linking formation, and only thanks to that did he rein in his unrestrained arrogance. The Flying Swallow Archipelago thus enjoyed thirty brief years of tenuous peace.

”However, Adept Nantian is narrow-minded. If anyone in the Flying Swallow Archipelago reaches a realm that could threaten him, he suppresses them openly and eliminates them in secret. Take the Flood Dragon Gang’s leader. He has reached Perfected Mastery of the Foundation Establishment Realm, yet for all these years he’s been drifting alone out at sea, not daring to return to the archipelago.

”As for me, though I possess dual spirit roots and cultivate at a decent pace, I have been at the ninth stage of Foundation Establishment for decades, but I dare not step into Perfected Mastery and push for higher realms for the same reason.”

As he spoke, Cheng Dou’s tone carried layers of resignation and bitterness. But then, his gaze settled on Luo Chen, and his voice suddenly rose with fervor.

”But things are different now! With you here, the Flying Swallow Archipelago can finally find some true peace.”

Luo Chen suddenly raised his hand and cut him off. Amid Cheng Dou’s momentary confusion, Luo Chen calmly finished the last mouthful of spirit wine.

”The wine is good, and the dishes are distinctive, but I’m tired.”

Cheng Dou opened his mouth, his face flushing slightly. Yet having survived decades under Adept Nantian’s oppressive rule, he possessed enough composure to realize he had gone too far. He forced a smile. ”Forgive my oversight. You’ve traveled a long way, you should rest for now. Haixin, take him to the inner courtyard.”

Cheng Haixin’s expression dimmed, but she silently rose to her feet.

Luo Chen waved his hand lightly. ”There is no need for the inner courtyard. That cliff at the tail of the island will suffice. There is a second-tier spirit vein there, and that’ll do for the time being.”

Cheng Dou naturally did not dare object and immediately changed his tone. ”You truly have tastes. The Sea-Gazing Cliff has a great view! Haixin, go with the senior and help him prepare a temporary cave residence.”

Cheng Haixin lowered her head and murmured a meek reply.

***

Atop the solitary cliff, Luo Chen manipulated the Mystic Flame Sword and carved out a simple yet spacious cave residence in less than half an hour. Upon entering, he immediately took out the Primordial Unity Cauldron from his storage pouch.

Hissing sounds echoed from the cauldron. Cheng Haixin watched with curiosity, but when Luo Chen formed a hand seal and five Blue-Ringed Great Fang Sea Serpents appeared, her face drained of color.

Luo Chen turned to her and said calmly, ”I will rest here. You may do as you wish.”

Cheng Haixin’s expression flickered between pale and flushed, but she ultimately clenched her teeth and said, ”The Sea-Gazing Cliff is cold and windy at night. Sleeping alone may feel lonely. I... I would like to keep you company.”

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow and measured her from head to toe before slowly shaking his head. ”Forget it. I am not that weak.”

”But...” A trace of delight stirred in her heart, though hesitation still showed on her face.

”There’s no rush,” Luo Chen said meaningfully. He paid her no further attention and began arranging the temporary resting place on his own.

Cheng Haixin hesitated briefly, then turned and left the Sea-Gazing Cliff, unable to hide the joy in her steps.

After she departed, Luo Chen walked to the cave entrance. He gazed out at the silver-tinged waves and the deep, star-laden sea, and his eyes narrowed slightly. After a moment, he let out a relaxed smile. ”Trying to spur the tiger to devour the wolf, huh?”