An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

The gray cauldron shimmered with hazy spirit light. Nine fire dragons radiating an aura that threatened to devour all things fixed their gaze on a single point within the cauldron. At the same time, Luo Chen sat cross-legged and looked as though he was facing a formidable enemy. His mana was circulating at maximum speed and azure flame enveloped his right hand; clearly, he was prepared to unleash an earth-shaking strike at any moment. Meanwhile, in his sea of consciousness, a black chess piece emitted a hazy radiance that seemed to form a protective barrier around it.

Luo Chen’s gaze locked onto the Primordial Unity Cauldron that was blazing with light. Illusions rose and fell in endless succession, like flowers reflected in a mirror or moons cast upon water, light and shadow flickering without pause.

No wind had yet risen, yet his robes already snapped sharply in the air.

The words ”a display like that” truly made sense. One could imagine how terrifying it would be if Luo Chen were to strike without restraint, especially since the voice—naturally, Han Zhan’s—was coming from that very cauldron. Timing, terrain, and power were all firmly in Luo Chen’s hands. Even a Sage could do nothing now but lower his head.

Hearing Han Zhan’s bitter chuckle, Luo Chen did not relax. When dealing with any Sage, one could never afford to let their guard down.

He replied calmly, ”The circumstances leave me no alternative but to act like this. It’s for my own safety. Senior Han, I believe you understand.”

There was a brief silence. Then, from the cauldron, came a resigned voice. ”Yeah... I do.”

Indeed, their current situation was worlds apart from the time of the Frontier War. Yet still, Luo Chen lacked absolute suppression, due to the sheer difference in cultivation. Under such circumstances, no amount of caution could be considered excessive. Had Han Zhan been in his place, he would have unquestionably done the same. In fact, in spite of his own situation, he felt nothing but approval toward Luo Chen’s prudence.

He sighed, then continued in a calm tone, ”I am nothing more than a lingering soul now. Apart from my utter lack of strength, I’ve also exhausted most of my safety measures. Yet after you escaped alive, you chose not to kill me on the spot to eliminate future trouble. That alone shows your character. So tell me—how do you intend to deal with me now?”

How to deal with you?

This time, the one who fell silent was Luo Chen. His feelings toward Han Zhan were complicated. After all, Han Zhan was a legendary figure whose name had lingered in his ears ever since his transmigration.

Han Zhan was arguably the most outstanding genius in the history of the Jade Cauldron Domain. In terms of both cultivation speed and combat strength, he even surpassed Ren Pingsheng, the Sword Sect’s foremost Adept. At just over two hundred years old, he relied on sheer strength to force his senior brother Cheng Yan to step aside, taking over the position of Supreme Elder. Not long after, at the fresh young age of three hundred, he condensed a Nascent Soul and achieved a milestone all cultivators could only dream of.

There should never have been any connection between him and Luo Chen. Yet due to a single act of kindness—namely, saving Han Zheng—Luo Chen caught his attention. Though they’d never met in person, Han Zhan proceeded to show Luo Chen goodwill multiple times because of it. Whether it was the battle at Incense Burning Valley that destroyed the Flame Alliance, or Qu Xibai voluntarily opening the tap of the spirit veins at Tianlan during Luo Chen’s Core Formation, all of it reflected Han Zhan’s goodwill. After the Frontier War broke out, Han Zhan even personally intervened to save Luo Chen. Even though Luo Chen believed he owed him nothing, he still formed a very favorable impression of Han Zhan because of all these. That was why he did not take advantage or strike him down when Han Zhan was on the brink of death.

But now? Had Han Zhan been still the lofty Sage he once was, Luo Chen could have dealt with him calmly. After all, there was nothing special about that; he was quite used to it. In this life, he had long grown accustomed to dealing with those above him. And if roles were reversed, if Han Zhan completely fell while Luo Chen rose, the reversal of positions would not have posed much trouble either. After all, Luo Chen’s ability to manage subordinates had been well honed over the decades.

Yet the present situation was awkward. Control Han Zhan? Luo Chen believed his capabilities were not weak among Adepts. Even if a late-stage Adept personally acted, he still had some confidence in protecting himself. Yet before a Sage, even if only a lingering remnant of soul, he dared not become careless. He had seen far too much for that. To be counterattacked would be nothing short of humiliating. Kill him? He could not get past that hurdle in his heart. Let him go? That also felt like a waste. Han Zhan had lived inside the Primordial Unity Cauldron for nearly four years without paying any rent. Over those four years, Luo Chen had pondered more than once how to deal with him. Yet no matter how many plans he had prepared, the moment Han Zhan truly awakened, all those plans amounted to nothing.

For a while, silence filled the cultivation chamber. Suddenly, the aged voice sounded once more. ”Young friend Luo Chen, you’re hesitating. Heh, looks like the rumors are true. You are indeed a gentleman at heart, and you do not strike when someone is down.”

Luo Chen lifted an eyebrow slightly and said calmly, ”Senior Han, there’s no need to flatter me. If I were truly a gentleman, I would have let you out long ago.”

”Heh...” Han Zhan chuckled softly. ”A gentleman is judged by deeds, not by intent. Whether a false gentleman or a true villain, what matters in the end is the outcome. If the outcome is that I remain alive and free, then no matter what may or may not have happened along the way, what spreads will only be a fine tale of the two of us helping each other escape Green Parasol Mountain.Young friend, what do you think?”

The outcome, huh... Luo Chen’s gaze sharpened, as though piercing through the thick gray wall of the cauldron to lock onto the black wooden figure hidden there. ”I take it that you want to live, and not only that, but you want to be free as well?”

Han Zhan let out a self-mocking laugh. ”Life and death are terrifying matters. Especially for someone like me, who barely survived beneath that wisp of Nirvana Sacred Fire... I value my life all the more. I hope you won’t find that laughable.”

So that was called Nirvana Sacred Fire? Luo Chen made a mental note.

He deeply empathized. Back when he struggled under Mi Shuhua, did he not want to live freely? For that sake, he had even secretly dug escape routes, ready to flee at any time. And precisely because he understood this, he was even more cautious. Someone who desperately wanted to live freely was terrifying.

Seeing that Luo Chen was silent again, Han Zhan didn’t feel like beating around the bush any further and went straight to the point. ”Alright, let’s talk terms. What will it take for me to leave the cauldron?”

The interlocutor’s bluntness dispelled the last of Luo Chen’s hesitation. His expression grew solemn, and he answered frankly, ”What concerns me most... Well, I don’t think I need to explain it. Senior Han, you should understand better than anyone.”

”You’re afraid I’ll turn on you?”

”Yes. Your abilities are unfathomable and difficult to guard against. You deceived the Lightning Prison Divine Roc and survived by faking your death. I once believed you to be powerless, yet when you faced the Nirvana Sacred Fire, you unleashed terrifying strength. You appear to be nothing more than a weak fragment of a soul right now, but legends say that truly powerful beings can stain the heavens with blood if so much as a single drop remains. Who can say that a fragment of your soul cannot unleash the abilities it had as a whole?”

”You’re cautious. That much I can understand,” Han Zhan replied calmly. ”But this time, you’re stretching it too far.”

”One must always plan for as many contingencies as possible. There’s no such thing as being overly cautious.”

”How about forming a contract? You once founded the Luo Tian Alliance and you should have spare contract talismans. Or, if you prefer, I have a blood contract technique. It only requires some blood essence from the two of us.”

Luo Chen shook his head. ”Neither. The binding force is far from sufficient.”

”Then what do you propose?”

”I want a Great Dao Oath,” Luo Chen said decisively.

Han Zhan seemed to have anticipated this and asked in return, ”And would you swear an equivalent Great Dao Oath in return?”

”I will not. And your oath must include that for your entire life, you will never act against me, nor employ indirect methods such as killing by proxy.”

”For an entire lifetime...” Han Zhan murmured. ”That’s too long. You know very well that the higher our realm, the closer we are to the Great Dao, and the more readily Great Dao Oaths take effect. Those couple of words will become iron shackles. If I swear such an oath, I fear I’ll never be able to advance again.”

He paused for a moment, then said wistfully, ”Luo Chen, I’m only a little over four hundred years old. Among Sages, that still counts as young and promising. And of course... I still long for the Divine Transformation Realm.”

Han Zhan formed his Nascent Soul at three hundred. The Jade Cauldron Civil War and the Frontier War together spanned another hundred years, bringing him to just over four hundred. That was indeed very young.

But Luo Chen caught something else in his words. ”Senior Han, you’re reduced to a mere remnant of a soul, yet you still speak of the Divine Transformation Realm. In other words, you have a way to rebuild your body, restore your soul, and walk the Great Dao anew.”

Han Zhan froze for a brief moment. His mouth had gotten ahead of his brain, and Luo Chen was indeed very perceptive. Still, there was no point in hiding it. ”Others might not be able to, but I specialize in puppetry and other such. I have my methods.”

At this point, he suddenly realized something. ”You will neither kill me nor release me. So you’re planning something with me as well, Luo Chen. Let me think... what could I possibly have that’s worth your interest?”

Before Luo Chen could respond, Han Zhan continued on his own, ”My storage belt was long ago taken by the demons of Green Parasol Mountain, and I obviously possess nothing of value. That avatar puppet was indeed extraordinary, but it was reduced to ashes by the Nirvana Sacred Fire, and it’s gone for good. In other words, what you’re after can only be the things that cannot be taken from me... the things in my head. Cultivation techniques, secret arts and spells, puppet crafting methods, alchemical formulas, formation diagrams... or perhaps my method of rebuilding the body. Heh. Am I wrong?”

Luo Chen blinked. Having his thoughts laid bare did not make him feel embarrassed or angry. Negotiations were precisely two parties gradually exposing each other’s bottom line. He smiled faintly and said, ”Senior, aren’t your four hundred years of experience a treasure far more valuable than any of those things?”

Han Zhan smiled freely. ”If that’s the case, then why don’t we each take a step back?”

”And how would that work?” Luo Chen asked.

”I can swear a Great Dao Oath, but with a time limit. Say... until you condense a Nascent Soul yourself. By then, you should have the means to protect yourself and won’t need to fear me. In return, so long as it doesn’t violate my own principles, I’ll do everything I can to help you form your Nascent Soul. Of course, in the process, you will also need to help me gather the necessary materials so that I may continue my own path in the future.”

After hearing this, Luo Chen fell into a long contemplation. He had to admit this was the ideal arrangement. Throughout his life, although he’d had friends who supported him, companions who walked by his side, and people with knowledge to learn from, he had always lacked a proper mentor. If Han Zhan were willing to assist him sincerely, that help would be invaluable. In fact, it was entirely worth it for Luo Chen to assist him in return.

More importantly, a Great Dao Oath carried limited binding force for ordinary low-tier cultivators, but for high-tier cultivators, it was extremely powerful. Worse still, Han Zhan was in a state not much different from a naked baby sitting outside, exposed to the forces of nature. If he violated the oath, the backlash would cause his immediate death.

Suddenly, Luo Chen said decisively, ”Deal!”

At that, the oppressive air seemed to ease slightly... but only slightly.

Finally, after a long moment, laughter mixed with a curse came from the cauldron. ”Damn smart kid. You really are cautious.”

Luo Chen tugged at the corner of his mouth. ”Please swear the oath first, Senior. I’ll release you immediately afterward.”

”Fine!”

”I hereby swear to devote myself fully to assisting Fellow Daoist Luo Chen... Let the Great Dao bear witness to this oath... Should I violate this oath, may heavenly lightning strike me down, may Heart Devils devour me, and may I sink into endless torment, forever bound to the cycle of reincarnation.”

Each word was as heavy as lead, and each one seemed to be embroidered into the fabric of the word itself. Luo Chen listened carefully, ensuring there were no hidden wordplay loopholes. Finally, when the words ”let the Great Dao bear witness” were spoken, a faint yet undeniable connection formed between him and Han Zhan. For Luo Chen, it felt like a gentle breeze brushing past, almost unnoticeable. For Han Zhan, it was as though golden chains tied his wrists and a wooden yoke locked around his neck.

At this point, the oath was complete.

Luo Chen let out a long breath. The spirit light in his eyes faded, and the azure flames in his hand withdrew. He inhaled, and the nine fire dragons vanished into his mouth. With a final sweep of his sleeve, the cauldron hummed, and a streak of black light leapt out. Before any polite words could be exchanged, the black light wobbled and crashed onto the ground.

Crack... Crack...

Luo Chen focused his gaze. The black wood that formed the puppet figure had turned to charcoal, shattered into pieces. Only a faintly transparent figure remained, smiling bitterly at Luo Chen. ”Young friend, it seems I must trouble you to find me a place to reside.”

Luo Chen’s jaw dropped. He was speechless. So this was the true reason Han Zhan had been forced to recuperate inside the cauldron for four years and now finally forced to awaken! But seeing his state, a thought suddenly struck Luo Chen. He reached out, and a long banner fell into his hand.

”Senior, please enter this banner!”

Upon seeing the long banner, Han Zhan was both shocked and furious. ”We’ve just finished negotiating the terms, and now you want to refine me into the chief soul of a Soul-Refining banner? Luo Chen, you’re going too far!”

No wonder he was so furious. When a soul entered a demonic banner, there were clear distinctions. The difference lay between a living soul and a dead soul!

Those who died unjustly accumulated resentment that refused to dissipate. After death, their souls lingered in the world, becoming dead souls. Such existences were unmistakably demonic treasures once refined. In battle, they were difficult to guard against, endlessly mutable, and exceedingly practical. However living souls were those of cultivators who had achieved a certain realm. Even if their bodies were destroyed, they retained their consciousness and could even rebuild through another vessel. But if such beings entered a demonic banner filled with death energy, ghostly energy, resentment, and yin qi, even a living soul would degenerate into a dead one, forever cut off from the orthodox path of cultivation. Han Zhan’s current state was precisely that of a living soul whose realm had been achieved but whose body had been destroyed.

In response to his anger, Luo Chen chuckled. ”Senior, please don’t be angry. I have no ill intentions. Please hear me out for a moment.”

Facing Han Zhan’s half-doubtful gaze, Luo Chen started talking about a cultivation manual he had obtained years ago—The Divine Ghost Secret Record. Although it was technically meant for ghosts, it encompassed techniques for both dead souls and living souls. Moreover, it included insights into using formations for nurturing and refining yin souls.

The reason Bai Meiling had been able to advance to the Ghost General realm in just a few short years was precisely that she cultivated according to this manual and possessed a Soul-Nurturing Banner. Luo Chen did not have one right now, but he did have a Soul-Refining Banner. With Han Zhan’s own expertise in the field of the divine soul, and with a few targeted adaptations drawn from the Divine Ghost Secret Record, this banner could easily become a place for him to stay for the moment. After all, nourishment was a necessary part of refinement.

After hearing Luo Chen’s explanation, Han Zhan nodded, albeit with a hesitant expression. ”There is some merit to it, but I will need time to study it.”

In spite of his doubtful words, he then leapt forward and entered the long banner.

Seeing this, Luo Chen could not stop the corners of his mouth from lifting. This Myriad Soul Banner had now gained a Nascent Soul remnant! If supplemented with low-tier souls, it could not only regain its former might but even contend with the legendary Myriad Fierce Soul Banner. Most importantly, Luo Chen would not need to divert his focus to control it. This effectively meant he gained a powerful combat partner out of thin air. With Han Zhan’s capabilities, even without displaying his full Nascent Soul might, he would still far surpass any ordinary Adepts.

With this, I can finally roam the Sea of Demons!