An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”BREAK!”

Luo Chen let out a low shout and forcibly wrenched the two massive pincers apart. Seizing that fleeting opening, he closed the distance and pressed in against the Crab King. At such close quarters, the struggle was no longer about snapping off arms or breaking pincers. Life and death would be decided in a single decisive exchange.

Luo Chen thrust his palm forward and unleashed a strike with the force to split mountains.

BOOOOMMMMMM!!!

Blood burst everywhere as the crab was blown apart on the spot. Both its hard shell and its protective demonic energy barrier failed to block the attack in the slightest. As flesh and blood rained down, Luo Chen caught with the corner of his eye the Crab King whose two pincers he had torn off earlier retreating quickly.

”Trying to run?”

With a cold snort, he flicked his finger and three streaks of black light shot out—the Three Piercing Nails! The Crab King’s expression changed drastically as it plunged beneath the sea surface.

In the next moment, a shrill scream rang out. ”AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

A towering geyser of seawater blasted through the air; with it, a gigantic beam of sword light burst out from the sea, carrying the Crab King impaled upon it as it soared into the sky. It was the Mystic Flame Sword Luo Chen had driven into the sea floor earlier! He had not recalled it before not because he lacked control but because he had been keeping it in reserve. Since he could perfectly divine his focus, he had no problem guiding it to deliver a fatal strike at the perfect moment.

In the span of mere breaths, events had unfolded with lightning swiftness. Of the three Crab Kings, one was dead and one gravely wounded.

Luo Chen turned his head and looked toward the smaller Crab King that had remained still throughout the battle.

”Now it is your turn.”

A trace of humanlike sorrow flickered across the Demon Spider Crab’s expression. It had likely never expected its two companions to suffer such devastating defeat.

In a hoarse voice, it said, ”Yes... Now it’s my turn. You took on the three of us alone, and from the very start, you split us apart and crushed us one by one. I have to admit... your talent in battle is truly unmatched.”

Luo Chen frowned slightly. This demonic beast was indeed extraordinary. The speech it uttered was clear and orderly; had he just listened without looking at it, he couldn’t have told it apart from a normal human.

”But there is something you don’t know. The fact that I haven’t taken action isn’t because I’m cold-blooded, or because I didn’t care that my brothers died. I was waiting for the right moment... to make sure you die.”

By the end of the last sentence, its initially mournful tone had transformed into fervent rage. In the next instant, it leapt into the air. White silk unfurled and gathered like clouds beneath it, lifting it up, while a brown compass appeared in its grasp. It was at this moment that Luo Chen noticed something was off.

Where are its legs?

Crabs had eight legs, of course, but the Crab King in front of him actually had... none. But then, as if in reply to Luo Chen’s unvoiced question, enormous pillars of water shot up from the sea surface. The water poured back down, revealing eight black crab legs covered in white markings.

Luo Chen’s expression changed. ”A formation?”

Indeed, the eight legs were the nodes of a formation! The moment the formation took shape, endless blood-colored spider silk shot toward Luo Chen from all directions. Above, the Seventh Elder manipulated the compass with composure.

”My name is Red Seven. When I was young, I stumbled upon a great opportunity and obtained an Adept’s inheritance on an overseas immortal island. With this flawed body of mine, I cultivated all the way to mid-stage Demon King... and became the Seventh Elder of my clan. This formation is called the Oceanseal Eight Trigrams Formation and also stems from that inheritance; I used my innate abilities to further strengthen it, and its sealing power cannot be broken even by ordinary Great Demon Kings. Human, before you die, tell me your name. One day, when I break through to the fourth tier and rise as a Demon Emperor... you will remain a rare memory in my path of cultivation.”

The Oceanseal Eight Trigrams Formation?

Within the grand formation, Luo Chen’s expression flickered with uncertainty. As the terrifying strands of spider silk shot toward him from every direction, endless azure flames erupted from his body. Yet the spider silk that had previously disintegrated upon contact now withstood the flames. Though it still could not gain any ground against the flames, it no longer collapsed at the first touch either. It was clear that the formation was empowering it.

***

By the shore, the Black-Scaled Flood Dragon could no longer sit still when it saw this. ”Heavenjade, retreat to the other side of the island. I will go and help Master.”

It did not wait for the seagull’s reply, and directly bolted toward the battlefield in the distance

Red Seven remained unmoved at the sight. With a flick of the compass, he fully activated the formation. At once, a colossal pillar of water erupted from the sea and took shape as a towering Demon Spider Crab. Eight massive legs lashed out simultaneously, coiling around the flood dragon and binding it tightly.

”This formation was originally prepared for that seagull. I did not expect it to have a master, but you know what? That’s even better. I will capture you all and restore peace to the countless crab clans of these seas.”

As it spoke, its movements did not stop; the twists and turns of the compass grew faster and faster, and it poured all its demonic power into it. Across the sea, waves churned and vapor billowed as the turbulence intensified.

***

Within the formation, Luo Chen activated his Spirit Eyes and finally understood what was going on. No wonder the spider silk could now withstand his fourth-tier flame. The Crab King had drawn upon the power of the vast sea and fused into the silk an incredible amount of water-element energy. At this realization, Luo Chen could not help but sigh inwardly.

By abandoning metal, wood, water, and earth to specialize solely in fire, his battle prowess had soared. Yet of all places, he had arrived in the Northern Sea cultivation world, the Sea of Demons. As its name implied, practically everybody here was a strong water cultivator, and water and fire were... well, like water and fire.

Would fire vaporize water, or would water extinguish fire? Which one of them restrained the other ultimately depended on who was stronger. In most cases, the question was quick and easy to answer—cultivators of this place had the sea as their geographical advantage, and it greatly amplified their strength. Yan Nantian had relied on it, and so did Wu Qi.

Demonic beasts naturally adapted to their environment, but Luo Chen had not expected that a demonic beast could use geography in such a human-like manner. It was easy to imagine that as the formation operated, its power would only grow stronger. Its source of energy lay in the boundless sea and was practically inexhaustible. If this persisted, the Withering-Flourishing True Fire would eventually falter, and Luo Chen would succumb as well.

Yet at the thought of that outcome, Luo Chen suddenly laughed.

Red Seven froze slightly upon seeing this. Huh, why is he laughing?

In the next instant, he saw Luo Chen take out something that looked like a cauldron.

The cauldron instantly expanded to three zhang wide, towering like a small mountain. The white-robed Daoist placed one hand on it and azure flames burst out, coiling around the cauldron and turning it into a massive fireball. From afar, it looked as though he were holding a green sun in his palm.

He raised his head and looked at Red Seven. His voice was calm as he spoke, ”My name is Azure Yang. Fellow Daoist, may your journey on the Yellow Spring Road be smooth.”

As the words left his mouth, he turned his body slightly, bent his arm, and took a step forward. The enlarged arm curved like a crescent moon, hurling the cauldron forward with tremendous force! The massive cauldron shot forth like a blazing meteor, carving a vast azure streak through the sky!

Red Seven immediately mobilized the formation’s power and sent out endless white spider silk, attempting to drag the green sun down into the sea. However, that terrifying force was unstoppable. Moreover, the azure flames spewed by the giant cauldron were in no way hindered by the power of the sea. It was as though the cauldron also belonged to the sea, moving with effortless ease like a fish in water.

Wait... I thought he was a fire cultivator... could he be a master of water as well?!

Before the Crab King could resolve its doubt, the cauldron had already closed the distance.

BOOOOMMMM!

The formation was smashed open; the giant cauldron burst through, leaving behind a massive hole. Facing the incoming cauldron, Red Seven had no chance of escaping, as it had no legs to run. Its face turned deathly pale, and only a single thought remained in its mind: I’m dead.

BANNGGGG!

A rain of blood reddened the seawater, while scorching steam filled the air. Luo Chen drifted forward lightly and recalled the rapidly shrinking Primordial Unity Cauldron with one hand while seizing the brown compass with the other.

”What a pity for this mid-stage Crab King....”

Only he knew whether he lamented the loss of a fine meal or the collapse of the Crab King’s dream to become a Crab Emperor.

Then, his gaze shifted to the other Demon Spider Crab, grievously wounded by the Mystic Flame Sword and suppressed by the Three Piercing Nails. At least, this battle had not been in vain.