An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Luo Chen waved his hand. Only after Cheng Ji’s demon-hunting ship gradually vanished into the distance did his gaze turn toward the unfamiliar sea ahead with anticipation.

The Profound Rock Sea Region was known for its complex terrain. Hidden reefs lay everywhere, and countless islands rose from the waters. Within its depths, demonic crabs flourished, and aquatic vegetation grew thick and abundant. Ordinary cultivators dared not enter lightly. Even Adepts were advised not to linger long. But of course, Luo Chen had not traveled so many thousands of li merely to strike once and leave.

Luo Chen summoned the thirty-zhang-long Black-Scaled Flood Dragon. ”Alright, shrink down now.”

The Black-Scaled Flood Dragon cast him a resentful glance, yet it had no choice but to reduce its size until it was only two zhang long, its lowest limit. Among demonic beasts, height was dignity and length was a mark of prestige; shrinking to such a small form meant that if it did not actively release its third-tier aura, some ignorant shrimp or crab might attempt to prey upon it.

”You will lead the way. If you encounter enemies, do not act on your own. Follow my instructions at all times.”

The Black-Scaled Flood Dragon hissed and slipped beneath the water. Luo Chen formed a spirit seal, and black patterns surfaced across his body before vanishing beneath his skin. The Concealment Veil Formation engraved upon him was fully activated. He then closed and opened his eyes, and spirit light bloomed within them. He turned around in a full circle, sweeping his gaze across a thousand li in every direction.

”Let’s go!”

He leapt into the air, transforming into a hazy mass of spirit light drifting across the sky. As he flew, he scanned his surroundings. Ever since his Spirit Eyes had reached Perfected Mastery, he could peer beneath the earth and search for spirit veins. When fully activated, he could even detect the flow of vitality and deathly energy. Right now, he was looking for a suitable foothold.

After flying for roughly half an incense stick, he halted midair. He sent a voice transmission, directing the Black-Scaled Flood Dragon toward a large island in the distance. He could see clearly that spirit energy surged upon that island in vast torrents. Even without a formation gathering it and locking it there, it was already close to top-grade third-tier—a natural treasure land.

Yet just as the flood dragon was about to reach the shore, Luo Chen abruptly barked, ”Retreat immediately!”

He himself turned without hesitation and left in another direction. The reason for such a reaction was simple—moments earlier, several formidable auras had flared from the island, each one surpassing his own. At the same time, waves of nauseating stench drifted outward.

Only after retreating over a thousand li did Luo Chen relax. ”What poor luck. I nearly barged straight into the lair of the Nine-Legged Poison King Crab the moment I arrived.”

Crabs generally had eight legs. The Nine-Legged Venom King Crab was an ancient aberration, said to be born from a venomous dragon and an Azure Emperor Crab. Its venom was tyrannical, and even Sages avoided contact. Luo Chen had no desire to even see it from afar, let alone hunt it down.

”Let’s try another place.”

***

Time passed slowly. The stars shifted, and the sun and moon revolved. After nearly half a month, one man and one flood dragon finally set foot on a seemingly unremarkable small island. The moment Luo Chen landed, he directly planted the Myriad Soul Banner into the ground.

”Senior, I will trouble you to oversee the formation.”

From within the banner, Han Zhan teased, ”It’s only an early-stage third-tier Heavenjade Battle Gull. Is there really a need to make such a big fuss?”

Luo Chen’s expression remained solemn. He did not think he was overcautious in the slightest. The Heavenjade Battle Gull was a well-known avian demonic beast in the Northern Sea. It was violent by nature, fond of battle, and extremely fast. To occupy a small island in the Profound Rock Sea Region, where demonic crabs ran rampant, it could not possibly be weak. No matter how cautious he was, it would not be excessive. Moreover, Luo Chen had no intention of stirring up a great commotion. He intended to remain in this region for several years. Acting quietly was far preferable to drawing attention.

”Blackscale, go lure that seagull. Do not let it escape.”

The Black-Scaled Flood Dragon cast Luo Chen a resentful look. Did his master not know that the Heavenjade Battle Gull was one of its natural enemies? But under the yoke of the Myriad Beast Sutra, it had no choice but to obey and carry out the task.

In truth, it hardly needed to lure anything at all. The moment the flood dragon revealed its massive form and undulated onto the shrub-covered island, a piercing bird cry rang out. A majestic blue bird with a wingspan exceeding ten zhang soared up from the thickets, then plunged straight downward. Its sharp talons spread wide like steel blades.

The Black-Scaled Flood Dragon faced it like a great enemy. It coiled tightly into a circle; its scales bristled almost upright, and its tongue flicked around wildly. The horn atop its head shone with dense black light in an attempt to intimidate its opponent.

Sadly, the seagull paid it no heed. Instead, it wheeled through the air with visible excitement, circling the flood dragon. From time to time, it beat its wings and sent out arcs of wind blades. Clearly, it intended to wear the flood dragon down before delivering a decisive strike. And indeed, while the two were still probing each other, the flood dragon suddenly exposed a flaw. Its massive body abruptly slackened.

The seagull revealed a disturbingly human-like look of delight. With a violent flap of its wings, a massive vortex formed over the island and swept the flood dragon into it. At the same time, the seagull dove down, and its talons clamped directly onto the flood dragon’s thick body. The flood dragon twisted its head to bite, and the seagull thrust its beak in response. Flood dragon and bird collided upon the sandy shore, and blood was drawn at once.

At that moment, a sharp whistle pierced the air. The seagull turned abruptly and saw a sword light cutting through the sky. Its eyes flared in anger; it abandoned the flood dragon and folded its wings.

Buzz...

A vortex manifested in midair, forcibly diverting the sword. Before it could even draw a breath of relief, an explosive boom rang out somewhere in the surrounding area. In an instant, a figure appeared out of thin air above its head.

A hand shot out, making a grasping motion. The seagull tried to resist, but the flood dragon’s tail coiled tightly around it to prevent it from escaping. The seagull panicked and flapped its massive wings to send out wind blades once more, slashing toward the descending hand. Yet the owner of that hand paid them no heed; his hand descended like the claws of a divine roc crossing the clouds and seized the seagull’s neck.

”Submit or die!”

When these words rang in the seagull’s ears, it instantly shuddered, but that instinctual reaction was followed by a surge of furious defiance. Just as it was about to resist with all its might, its eyes met the man’s gaze.

”I...”

***

By nightfall, Luo Chen sat cross-legged on the seagull’s island. His right sleeve was tattered, streaked with blood—blood from the wounds inflicted by the seagull’s wind blades when he had used the perfected Cloud-Seizing Divine Claw. The demonic beast truly lived up to its fame. Even in such a desperate situation, it had the strength to strike back and even injure Luo Chen’s tempered physique.

But such a risky strike brought rich rewards. In the sky, the majestic blue bird circled. From time to time, it glanced down at the man on the island with eyes filled with hatred and helplessness. In the end, it had ultimately submitted to Luo Chen and received the Spirit Enslavement brand. Its divine soul was under Luo Chen’s control. Unless it advanced to the fourth tier right now, it could not defy his orders.

”A mere early-stage third-tier bird. Was it worth such effort?” Han Zhan’s voice transmitted from within the banner.

Luo Chen slowly opened his eyes, a trace of fatigue lingering within them. After enslaving both the Black-Scaled Flood Dragon and the Heavenjade Battle Gull, he sensed a subtle burden upon his divine soul. He did not know whether his soul foundation was insufficient or the Myriad Beast Sutra was too low tier.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and said seriously, ”If this bird suddenly disappears, it’ll draw the attention of the demonic beasts in the Profound Rock Sea Region. That’d just be alerting them for nothing. Besides, with this beast working together with Blackscale, I’ll have eyes in both the sea and the sky. After that, whether I fight or retreat, I’ll have plenty of room to maneuver.”

After hearing this explanation, Han Zhan fell silent. He knew clearly that this had not been part of Luo Chen’s original plan. It appeared to be a decision made on the spur of the moment, after discovering the small third-tier spirit vein and the seagull on this island. Yet even if rushed, the decision was flawless. He had truly managed to capture a flying third-tier demonic beast alive. When Han Zhan thought back to that exchange—the explosive burst of speed over such a short distance, the unstoppable claw rending through the air...

”I finally understand why you are so determined to refine Black Sovereign Paste. You truly intend to follow the path of Physique Refinement to the end!”

Luo Chen smiled lightly and offered no further explanation, but Han Zhan had hit the nail on the head. When his cultivation was low, he was constrained by resources and lifespan and dared not invest too much in his physique. But now, he was at the Golden Core Realm, and the peak of the realm was within reach at his current speed. Thus, the extra time could not be wasted, and it was time to pick up his physique cultivation once more!

Most importantly, after years of cultivation, he was about to reach Perfected Mastery in Myriad Path Convergence. With the aid of Black Sovereign Paste, he would be able to raise the level of his physique in a short span of time. Once that happened, he would once again possess a lethal trump card that surpassed the Golden Core level through conventional means.

Luo Chen was no fool and would never engage in futile effort; at the same time, when the time came to make purposeful effort, he would not slack for even a second.

He stood up and brushed the sand off his clothes. After glancing around, his gaze gradually settled on the center of the island. ”First, let’s carve a temporary cave residence.”