An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Luo Chen gave this nameless small island the name Heavenjade Island, derived from the Heavenjade Battle Gull. In all fairness, though, the bird was just a bonus reward. What had truly drawn his attention was the spirit vein deep below the island. Though small in scale, its quality was quite good; it was a decent third-tier vein. It was no wonder that the Heavenjade Battle Gull had risked danger to settle in the Profound Rock Sea Region.

Deep underground, Luo Chen activated the Mystic Flame Sword and unleashed blades of sword energy to cut through the rock continuously. After half a day, an underground cavern two zhang high and several zhang wide and long took shape. He examined the crude and rough cave dwelling and nodded in satisfaction.

However, if he intended to reside here for an extended period, this alone would not suffice. Light flickered at his fingertips as small flags flew out of his storage ring and shot toward the corners of the cave. With a turn of his wrist, a compass appeared in his palm. After surveying the space, he stepped to the very center of the cave.

”The main stream of earth energy flows through here. This place will do as the center. The Spirit-Gathering Formation should start here....”

As he muttered to himself, the compass slowly sank into the ground. With that, everything was prepared; only the final spark remained. Luo Chen produced more than a dozen mid-grade spirit stones, embedding them at the bases of the small flags. He then formed a few hand seals in succession and shouted, ”Rise!”

In an instant, layers of spirit light bloomed throughout the cavern, colorful and dazzling. Then, as Luo Chen formed the final seal, the radiant lights gradually faded under the control of the formation.

On Heavenjade Island, wisps of white mist quietly began to rise. As it was just before dawn and sea fog already drifted across the waters, the additional mist did not attract attention. When the sun climbed high, the white vapor would gradually thin, leaving behind only faint traces.

Within the Myriad Soul Banner, Han Zhan watched the entire process in silence, once again feeling deeply shaken. And here I thought I was a genius... Maybe he is the real genius and I am just a fraudster?

Han Zhan’s astonishment was understandable. The Spirit-Gathering Formation was a really common one, and—just like the Black Sovereign Paste—not classified into a specific tier. Its effective tier depended entirely on the materials used. The better the materials and the more spirit stones invested, the greater the amount of spirit energy it could gather.

Yet there were Spirit-Gathering Formations... and then, there were Spirit-Gathering Formations. The one Luo Chen had just set up so casually was actually a more ingenious version of the one Han Zhan would’ve set up instead. Not only could it gather greater amounts of spirit energy, but it also adapted seamlessly to the external environment and did not reveal any anomaly.

In Han Zhan’s view, given Luo Chen’s talent in formations and provided he was willing to invest the time, there would be nothing left for him to teach within ten years at most.

Han Zhan’s remnant soul, a three-inch figure made of condensed ghostly energy, shook its head helplessly. What a waste of talent on a rogue cultivator. If he’d let himself be recruited by a proper sect, he would have allowed that sect to rise by a whole level. Whether in alchemy or formations, he could’ve been a grandmaster...

Luo Chen had no idea what his senior was thinking, and neither did he particularly care right now. He was busy observing the flow of spirit energy in the cavern. It was only a step from the middle grade, but ”only a step” in the end meant it was not there at all.

If he replaced the mid-grade spirit stones with top-grade ones, he could break through that threshold, but he saw no need to do so. He did not have many mid-grade spirit stones to begin with. Before setting out, he had taken stock of his current wealth—thirty-five top-grade spirit stones, two thousand mid-grade ones, and only a handful of low-grade ones. Altogether, it amounted to little more than five hundred thousand spirit stones. It had been a long, long time since he’d last been this poor.

Still, there was no helping it. During the Frontier War, he had spent much of his savings cultivating the Snow Wolf Plateau spirit land he had seized. After coming to the Northern Sea, he had been spending with no replenishment, despite the ”generosity” of his new subordinates. And every spirit stone he used was one he couldn’t get back.

”I wonder... After the battle at the Heavenly Drum Plains, what happened to the Luo Tian Sect’s spirit land?”

Luo Chen let out a quiet sigh as several familiar figures surfaced in his mind. He then shook his head and began removing items from his storage ring one by one: wooden racks, ingredients, mortar, small millstone, chopping blade... At last, the Primordial Unity Cauldron descended with a resonant clang.

Beneath it, he added several fire-resistant bricks and arranged a simple fire pit following Fei Ming’s methods. With that, the cave residence finally started to look like a place inhabited by a person.

He then walked to a wide, rectangular stone he had deliberately left intact and took out bedding and blankets.

Time to rest for the night. Tomorrow, I will begin the true work of hunting demonic beasts and gathering materials.

After a month of travel, half a month of searching for land, and battling a third-tier demonic bird, his spirit and mind had been under constant strain. It was only proper to rest well. After all, good rest would only make the work ahead easier, and Luo Chen understood that principle well.

***

”So this is the famed Green Emperor Crab?”

On the desolate island, Luo Chen stood by the shore and watched the massive crab that the Black-Scaled Flood Dragon had knocked unconscious and dragged up from the shallow sea. The creature measured a full two zhang across, and its hard armor was a deep green, as though coated in moss. Despite its enormous size, it somehow gave off a delicate and graceful beauty.

From within the Myriad Soul Banner, Han Zhan replied, ”Among the many demonic crab races, the Green Emperor Crab is renowned for its grace and elegance. Though... if I am to be honest, I truly can’t say where that beauty lies.”

Luo Chen smiled faintly. ”Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! In my eyes, a demonic crab of this size might not be a beauty, but it certainly is a treasure from head to claw. It cannot be wasted.”

Han Zhan paused, then smiled as well. Indeed, it could not be wasted!

Luo Chen took out the Primordial Unity Cauldron and slapped its metallic wall. Several fiery red chains surged forth to bind the Green Emperor Crab tightly and dragged it into the cauldron.

After putting away the cauldron, he looked at the Black-Scaled Flood Dragon waiting eagerly in the sea and instructed, ”Keep hunting for demonic crabs. Second-tier ones are best. First-tier will do if you can’t find any. As for species, anything except the Nine-Legged Poison King Crab. If you run into a third-tier Crab King, avoid it if you can. If things turn dangerous, call on Heavenjade.”

As he spoke, he pointed upward. A majestic bird circled above the island. The Black-Scaled Flood Dragon glanced at the Heavenjade Battle Gull and gave a disdainful snort. It would never seek help from its nemesis. That earlier battle had left it pecked and sore.

With that, Luo Chen hurriedly left the desolate island and quietly returned to Heavenjade Island.

Clang!

The Primordial Unity Cauldron landed at the center of the room, exhaling a burst of spiritual light. Instantly, the green crab appeared before him. The sudden confinement and release had awakened it, and it stood there staring blankly at the man and the banner before it.

”You first, or shall I?” Luo Chen asked calmly.

”You first,” Han Zhan replied. ”Black Sovereign Paste requires live refinement. I will extract the remnant soul afterward.”

”Alright. Help conceal the noise.”

The second-tier Green Emperor Crab did not understand what the human was saying. It only sensed that something bad was about to happen. And indeed it did. The human approached with a mortar in one hand and a large brush in the other. The brush was dipped into the mortar and coated with white liquid. Infusing his mana into the brush, he then began painting across the crab’s shell as if he were whitewashing a wall.

After a short while, the azure shell was entirely coated in white. At that moment, the crab started to feel a strange and unrelenting itch, a tremendous pain that seemed to be arising from its very soul. Its legs trembled wildly as it scratched frantically at its back.

Once, twice...

In the end, it forcibly tore off its own shell!

Seeing this, Luo Chen nodded calmly. ”The flesh is shed, yet the spirit remains. The overlord casts off his armor, yet his might endures.”

Without a moment’s pause, he lifted his hand, and the massive shell floated into the Primordial Unity Cauldron. He glanced at the shell-less crab writhing in agony on the ground and said casually, ”Senior, it’s your turn.”

Han Zhan gave no reply. Yet from the Soul-Refining Banner, streams of black qi poured out and began enveloping the crab layer upon layer. Gradually, a complete demonic beast soul was extracted. Amid unwilling howls, it was absorbed into the Soul-Refining Banner, and thus, the banner gained another second-tier demonic soul. Given enough time and effort, it would likely regain the former glory of the Myriad Soul Banner... and even surpass it.

After completing this, Han Zhan shifted his attention to Luo Chen, who was already going at it with the refinement. Before he realized it, Luo Chen had progressed through more than half the process. A peculiar scent began to permeate the cavern, and upon catching that fragrance, Han Zhan could not help but sigh. ”As expected of an alchemist master. Refining third-tier Black Sovereign Paste for the first time and it’s practically flawless.”

Luo Chen was doing a textbook refinement of second-tier primary ingredients into third-tier Black Sovereign Paste. When he took out a large jar and let the thick medicinal fluid from the cauldron flow into it, that was unmistakably Black Sovereign Paste. In terms of quality, it stood at the low grade. Of course, the only one who could do better right now was Mu Yunyan, the chief alchemist of the Falling Cloud Sect.

After collecting all the Black Sovereign Paste, Luo Chen let out a breath. He shifted his attention to the status panel in his mind—Black Sovereign Paste: Beginner (12/100)

To achieve Beginner-level proficiency on the first attempt was indeed an auspicious start. Next, he could test how much this paste would aid his physique. However, before that, there was a small matter to handle. He looked back at the Green Emperor Crab. Without shell and soul, what had once been a vibrant body was now nothing but a husk.

”The demon core must not be wasted.”

Hence, he extracted the demon core the size of a longan.

”As for the flesh...”

Luo Chen let out a soft sigh. Without its shell and soul, even if he refined the remaining flesh with the Withering-Flourishing True Fire, he would not be able to extract much life force from it. But it absolutely could not be wasted. So there was only one option—eat it. But then, his gaze finally fell on the eight massive crab legs, especially the two large claws. For a moment, Luo Chen found himself at a loss.

”Forget it. I’ll store them for now. I might just sell them later, they’re premium materials for artifact crafting. Plenty of people would pay a high price.”

In less than half a day, the Green Emperor Crab had been dismantled. Its shell was stripped, its blood drained, marrow extracted... its value wrung out to the utmost. As for the remaining organs and whatnot, they could later be given to Blackscale and Heavenjade. The former feared no toxins and relished flesh. The latter especially liked crab hearts, often capturing demonic crabs only to discard the rest of the body and devour the heart alone.

If the king of the Green Emperor Crab clan knew of Luo Chen’s handling, it would likely fly into a rage and wish to tear him apart. Of course, Luo Chen did not care about its feelings. What concerned him was only how much this Black Sovereign Paste could enhance his physique.

He removed all his clothing and used mana to spread the warm black paste over every part of his body. Even the most easily overlooked areas, and indeed even the private areas, were carefully coated; not a single bit of skin was left uncovered. Then, it was time for Myriad Path Convergence, which was nearing Perfected Mastery.

Fire roared within his body while the paste seeped into him from without. A faint scent of scorched flesh drifted through the air.

Several hours later, he slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the roughened skin on his body and frowned at first. Then, he took out the Mystic Flame Sword and lightly struck his arm. As nature would demand, a streak of blood appeared. Yet this streak of blood was accompanied not by the sound of flesh being sliced, but by a faint metallic sound.

”I still can’t block an enchanted treasure head-on, but it’s clearly improving. And I’m only at the mid-stage of the third tier. There’s still plenty of room. Still, I have to say... the Black Sovereign Paste really lives up to its name. I’ve chosen the right path.”

After reaching this conclusion, he cast Cleanse on himself and put on his robe. When he stepped out of the partitioned cavern, Han Zhan looked over. ”How is it?”

Luo Chen smiled faintly. ”If you want to see real results, you’ll have to give me some time. I can’t rush it.”

Han Zhan understood at once. If Luo Chen needed time, it meant it was working as expected. That only confirmed what he had thought: The Black Sovereign Paste was originally a top-tier spirit medicine for physique cultivation. The only problem was its high requirements—without a strong physique to serve as a foundation and the will to endure excruciating pain, using it to temper the physique was simply impossible. Of course, if one used it in the manner of the Falling Cloud Sect, namely by applying it to puppets, those requirements no longer applied.

After thinking this through, Han Zhan hesitated for a moment, then said, ”Luo Chen, what is too rigid is prone to break. You’d do well to remember that.”

Luo Chen hummed in acknowledgment. He naturally knew the properties of the paste. It used demonic beast shells as the primary ingredient, and the result of that was a body that excelled in sheer sturdiness. Yet its obvious flaw lay in insufficient flexibility. For puppets, that was easy enough to fix; the Falling Cloud Sect simply used materials that enhanced flexibility. But on a cultivator’s body... that was not so straightforward.

After pondering for a moment, Luo Chen simply smiled. The vast life force he had refined and absorbed through the Withering-Flourishing True Fire enhanced his recovery ability. In a sense, that counted as added resilience.

”One step at a time!”

***

The days on Heavenjade Island continued peacefully. With every day that passed, the collection of demonic crabs delivered by Blackscale became more complete. Luo Chen came to witness the so-called five great crab clans of the Profound Rock Sea Region.

The Overlord Crab had the greatest battle prowess, its claws endowed with terrifying strength, and was capable of crushing anything. The Green Emperor Crab was... beautiful. Whenever it appeared, it was often accompanied by other demonic crabs that followed and circled around it. The Crimson Rock Crab was rarely seen. It inhabited deep-sea volcanic trenches and ravines. On the rare occasions it emerged onto land to bask in the sunlight, it did so in groups. Their number was legion; even the Black-Scaled Flood Dragon did not dare provoke them. The Demon Spider Crab was the most terrifying of all. Although overall shaped like a crab, its body was covered in eyes, and it could spin silk like a spider, hence the name.

There was even once that Blackscale encountered a third-tier Demon Spider Crab and nearly failed to return. It was saved only when the Heavenjade swooped down and carried it away.

Yet the Demon Spider Crab had its merits. Its flesh was absolutely delicious. After tasting a first-tier specimen, Luo Chen found himself unable to forget the flavor. He repeatedly instructed Blackscale that whenever it encountered low-tier Demon Spider Crabs, it was absolutely not to let them escape. Poor Blackscale felt deeply aggrieved because of this.

One day, while Luo Chen was cultivating in the cave, he suddenly heard an urgent cry outside.

”What happened?”

Han Zhan’s voice transmitted from outside, ”That’s Heavenjade. Seems like Blackscale has gotten into some serious trouble.”

Luo Chen frowned. He rose to get dressed and calmly walked out of the cave. He leapt into the sky, where Heavenjade was waiting. He mounted the gull’s elegant back, and though the distance spanned nearly a thousand li, they were there before Heavenjade flapped its wings twice.

Even from a great distance, Luo Chen could already discern the situation. In the deep sea, Blackscale was back to its natural thirty-zhang size, and it seemed quite ferocious. At the same time, it also looked extremely battered; a gigantic demonic crab was wildly chasing it and brandishing its massive claws.

Luo Chen’s eyes lit up. ”A third-tier Overlord Crab!”