An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

On Moon-Inviting Island, the young man clad in a moon-white Daoist robe moved his hands like swallows darting through the air, forming seals in rapid succession as his mana surged in rolling tides. Under his control, the ingredients streamed into the giant cauldron like a rain of countless falling stars. It was plain to see, even for those with no alchemy knowledge, that he was undergoing a task of colossal difficulty.

When the great alchemy sects carried out alchemy on such a massive scale, they often needed long periods of preparation. During refinement, they would employ various formations, numerous low-tier alchemists, and even specialists from other disciplines to provide support. For example, when Green Pill Valley attempted to refine the Nascent Soul Pill, they assembled five third-tier alchemists, thirty seasoned second-tier alchemists, and even used the Green Pill Grand Formation before making the attempt under the supervision of Qing Danzi. Yet Luo Chen now sought to accomplish a similar feat alone!

In the eyes of the world, this was nothing short of fantasy. Only Luo Chen himself knew that he possessed the necessary foundation. Whether it was his mastery of foundational alchemy techniques or his peak proficiency in the True Flame Pill, both were sufficient to support him in pulling it off. More importantly, the Primordial Unity Cauldron was a treasure of the alchemy path and his life-bound treasure that he had painstakingly nurtured over half a decade. He could control it at will, and he could sense every single subtle change within it. This foundation was what gave him the confidence to take this step.

As for enlarging the cauldron to this titanic size and conducting the refinement outside, that was not for bragging rights but out of necessity. Alchemy on this scale could not possibly be handled by a normal-size cauldron. Of course, if he decided to work this way, many things became difficult to hide, but in Luo Chen’s opinion, there was no need to hide. In Flying Swallow, he was king. If he told everyone to look east, they would not dare to even glance west. But even if others caught a glimpse of what he was doing and ended up ”stealing” some of his craft, how did that inconvenience him?

On the contrary, when it came to teaching and passing on knowledge, Luo Chen had always been rather generous. Whether in his humble days at Dahe Market or after his rise in Tianlan, aside from his core secrets, he was rarely stingy with what he had learned and was always willing to share both principles and tips. Others would develop their own insights and refine those methods into new approaches. He would then learn from them in turn, using his system to acquire an even better understanding of what they were doing. Through this cycle of giving and taking, everybody benefited, but in the end, the greatest beneficiary was still himself.

Under Luo Chen’s steady control, the refining work on the island proceeded in an orderly manner. As the temperature grew, waves of scorching heat spread outward, which forced the apothecaries waiting nearby to retreat farther and farther away. Under such extreme heat, even the surrounding space seemed to warp and blur. Tens of thousands of cultivators gazed from afar at the man in the sky whose every movement flowed like drifting clouds and running water. And as they watched, the look in their eyes gradually changed. It was no longer simple fear or dread—instead, a measure of genuine respect had taken root.

No matter how ruthless and domineering one may be otherwise, genuine skill will always attract respect.

A discerning observer could notice the subtle change in Luo Chen’s expression even amid the distorted air. At times, he appeared pleased; at other times, he frowned in confusion. Now he hesitated; now he pressed forward aggressively. Towards the end, every hand seal he formed carried an unmistakable weight. Had they not suspected their own eyesight, some might even have suspected that the Devil Lord was sweating. These details naturally became topics of discussion. Yet regardless of what they speculated, as time continued to pass, it was undeniable that the refinement process advanced at a steady pace.

One day, two days, three days...

The cultivators by the lakeside came and went, leaving and returning, dispersing and gathering again. Aside from those genuinely interested in alchemy, no one could possibly remain watching the entire time. Yet anyone could imagine the massive mana consumption and heavy strain on the divine soul caused by such a prolonged refinement. Because of this, the respect held by the Flying Swallow Archipelago’s cultivators toward Luo Chen grew deeper by the hour. It was only now that they truly experienced his power without even witnessing a battle. It was a gentle display of a magnificent foundation laid bare!

At last, half a month later, a long howl echoed across the tranquil lake, sending countless ripples of golden light bursting across the water. Every gaze converged on a single point. In midair, the red-faced young man in white robes held a green gourd in one hand while the other reached into the void as he shouted, ”Done! Get in, you!”

In the next instant, streaks of light shot out of the cauldron like meteors. Each was crimson as polished agate, their radiance reflecting off one another as they arced through the air like falling stars reversing their course toward the heavens. The young man’s fingers moved in rapid succession, like an immortal plucking stars and seizing the moon, drawing each blazing streak into the green gourd.

One pill, two pills, three pills...

To a mortal’s eye, they seemed beyond counting. Yet cultivators’ perception was keen. With Luo Chen not even attempting to conceal them, the Initiates found it easy to tally them up.

A total of four hundred twenty-seven pills had been formed!

The sheer quantity stunned the entire crowd. More astonishing still, every single pill seemed to be top-grade!

Dense pill fragrance spread between heaven and earth. Even the spirit plants on the island underwent subtle changes under this rich aroma. Some water-element plants grew listless, their leaves drooping. In contrast, fire-element plants stretched their branches, greedily drawing in the fragrant air. Breathing in that pill fragrance, the Initiates by the lakeshore looked at one another and their eyes filled with disbelief.

More than four hundred top-grade third-tier pills! Even without considering their effects, if one calculated according to the usual market prices in the Northern Sea, the value was staggering. A bottle of low-grade third-tier pills cost at least three thousand spirit stones, while mid-grade ones fetched double. As for top-grade pills... There was simply no open market for pills like these! Such pills generally only appeared at large auctions, high-tier black markets, or in barter trades among high-level cultivators. If one truly had to put a price on it, a single bottle would cost at least ten thousand spirit stones, perhaps as much as twenty thousand!

If calculated this way, over half a month of refinement, 100 batches of ingredients had been consumed, at a known total cost of 300,000. In the end, 427 top-grade pills had been produced, with a market value of 500,000 at the very minimum, but possibly as high as 800,000, considering their effects. In other words, the net earnings were at least 200,000 and up to 500,000 spirit stones in just half a month!

Hold up, that’s not right! He had no costs at all. Those ingredients were all delivered for free by the families. In other words, that’s at least half a million of pure profit! After the crowd did the mental maths themselves, they could not help but swallow hard, their eyes filled with greed.

However, when Luo Chen’s gentle gaze swept over them, it was as if icy rain had poured down on their heads and washed their greed away. What a joke! That was their Devil Lord Azure Yang. Who would dare set their sights on his fortune?

With that said, they had finally witnessed the staggering difficulty of high-level alchemy, but also the alchemists’ ability to amass wealth. They had nothing to criticize. Once they returned, they would nurture alchemists of their own as much as possible. Even if they could not reach Azure Yang’s level, decent alchemists could still make heaps of money.

The crowd remained on the shore for a long time, reluctant to leave. Meanwhile, on the central islet, the nine-zhang giant cauldron had already shrunk to a tiny size and vanished inside Luo Chen’s sleeve, while Luo Chen himself had long since disappeared as well. Wisps of white mist billowed from the island, gradually spreading across the lake until the islet was once again hidden from view.

***

Luo Chen walked toward the grand hall on slightly unsteady steps. Before he even entered, a chuckle rang out from the banner leaning against the door. ”My, Luo Chen, you seemed rather sweaty out there!”

Those words were not spoken without reason. Because Luo Chen had devoted his full attention to alchemy, he could not possibly maintain the composure he had cultivated over many years. As a result, he had appeared momentarily undignified in the eyes of the many cultivators.

Luo Chen rolled his eyes and said confidently, ”I am fine. Everything went according to plan!”

Han Zhan did not press the matter any further. Luo Chen halted, and his eyes seemed to pass through the banner as he saw the lingering soul hidden within. He hesitated for a moment, then ultimately said nothing and stepped inside. Because of that hesitation, Han Zhan also did not say anything.

Only when Luo Chen entered the hall did he quietly say, ”Congratulations!”

Luo Chen responded with a brief hum of acknowledgment. He then said that he intended to rest properly and did not wish to be disturbed, and Han Zhan took note of that.

That rest lasted for three days and three nights.

When Luo Chen finally awoke, he rubbed his temples and got up slowly. He was still dizzy, and his head felt swollen and heavy. This was the aftereffect of refining a hundred batches of ingredients at once. Handling so many ingredients simultaneously and controlling countless streams of medicinal liquid as they merged into pills placed an immense strain upon any alchemist’s divine soul.

Luo Chen knew that his divine soul foundation was no weaker than that of any mid-stage Adept’s. Yet a mid-stage Adept would find it practically impossible to complete such a challenge. Luo Chen’s success owed a great deal to his alchemy experience, which was so rich it could be called terrifying.

A trace of regret appeared on Luo Chen’s face. If only the Spirit Passage Pill was still effective on me...