An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Chapter 947: The Profound Dust Armor; Blood Hermit Is Back

On the third day after meeting Luo Chen, Black King quietly set out with the map Luo Chen had drawn for him toward the Purple Spirit Island deep within the Demon Sea. Sadly, Luo Chen could not go because he was busy stabilizing the formations and nurturing his enchanted treasure. Yet he did not want to delay the matter, so he sent Black King in his place. Logically, Heavenjade would have been the better choice; with her avian form and her mastery of Ninety Thousand Li, she would have been much faster. But in the vast sea, powerful demonic beasts were everywhere, and danger lurked at every turn. Under such circumstances, speed alone was far less reliable than strength.

Black King was now close to the late stage of the third tier. With his devouring ability and the pair of mid-grade enchanted flying sabers gifted by Luo Chen, his combat strength was formidable. He was fully capable of venturing into the depths of the Demon Sea. Moreover, Heavenjade had long handled Luo Chen’s affairs, often dealing with the Zhang family and with the Society. If she left, Luo Chen would have to take on those matters himself, which would only cause him further delays.

The Purple Monkey Flower was one of the three main ingredients for the Nascent Soul Pill. It was not something well-known to modern cultivators, but in ancient times, it had been famous, or rather infamous, for its poison. The fragrance it emitted could disrupt the soul, and it even fed on living beings. It particularly liked to lure monkey-type demonic beasts with relatively low intelligence and raise them as food while using them as guards against other beasts.

But human cultivators gradually discovered uses far beyond its direct poison. The flower was of great value in alchemy, in the making of incense, and in the practice of the poison arts. But after the ancient wars between the humans and the demons, the Purple Monkey Flower became increasingly rare.

Because of that, later generations no longer associated it with the Nascent Soul Pill. The Nascent Soul Pill formula in Green Pill Valley had come from Han Zhan, who had obtained it from the cave residence of an ancient cultivator. After Luo Chen secured the Soul-Nurturing Wood for him on Coldlight Island, Han Zhan gave the complete formula to him. Before that, he had thought to rely on trial and error with the system to deduce the formula; he had not expected it to come so easily. After obtaining it, he naturally did not leave it idle. Even amid his busy schedule, he always set aside time to study it.

In his view, the formula clearly bore the style of ancient times. The three main ingredients complemented one another perfectly. The Divine Iris protected the body, the Five Elements Lotus Pod guided the flow of qi, and the Purple Monkey Flower drew in the soul—everything aligned perfectly with the key principles he had grasped in forming a Nascent Soul.

Vital essence, qi, and spirit merged into one. The formula was direct and domineering, placing heavy demands on the user’s foundation. Yet Luo Chen found it entirely suitable because of his exceptional foundation. Had it been a different kind of pill, he might have hesitated, but for this one, he made his decision without much thought.

All cultivators sought the same end: to ascend and attain immortality. Yet the paths leading there were countless, branching off from the very beginning of Qi Refinement; differences in spirit roots, physiques, and even race gave rise to endless variations. There were countless spirit medicines for Foundation Establishment, many distinct methods for Core Formation, and even more varied approaches to forming a Nascent Soul. The pill, however, was clearly the best fit for Luo Chen, and it spared him the effort of seeking out other resources. Over the years, he had already gathered most of the required auxiliary ingredients. Now, only the three main ingredients remained.

”I’ve got one Divine Iris, but it’s not enough.”

Through the Demon Hunter Division’s intelligence network, Luo Chen had learned that Divine Irises appeared every now and again in Blue Sea Alliance markets. The region controlled by the alliance was among the richest in the Northern Sea, second only to the Heaven of Northern Yama, and was home to the greatest number of Sages.

”Sooner or later, I’ll have to go there myself or send someone. And now... there’s the Purple Monkey Flower too.”

A trace of hope appeared in Luo Chen’s eyes. According to the records in the book, Purple Spirit Island was entirely shrouded in a purple miasma. With conditions on that scale, there would inevitably be a large number of Purple Monkey Flowers growing there. If he could take control of the island, he would no longer have to worry about securing a sufficient supply.

”Hopefully, Black King brings back some good news,” muttered Luo Chen, though he did not have much confidence in his heart. Many years had passed since that description was recorded on paper, and the Northern Sea had seen countless upheavals, including the fall of the Primordial Devil Sect. Who knew if Purple Spirit Island still existed? Sending Black King on this trip would at least allow him to scout the way in advance and avoid some potential dangers.

”Still no news of the Five Elements Lotus Pod. Even the ancient records barely mention anything about it. Haihh... even when they do, it’s just a vague line: ’Born of the Five Qi, the essence of the Five Elements...’”

A trace of disappointment appeared in his hopeful gaze. Though he now cultivated at a speed comparable to those with heavenly spirit roots, he was not truly one of them. It was said that such individuals faced almost no obstacles in reaching Nascent Soul; all they had to do was endure the tribulation. He was not so fortunate. He had to rely on external aids, which was why he had spent these years searching for them. As for the tribulation, Luo Chen’s gaze settled on the gray cauldron before him. His eyes seemed to pierce through its surface and stare at something within.

”The Primordial Unity Cauldron and the Profound Dust Armor... these are my preparations for the tribulation.”

The former went without saying. As his life-bound enchanted treasure, it would have to bear the brunt of the lightning tribulation. As for the latter, it was the name Luo Chen had given to the defensive treasure slowly roasting inside the cauldron. The name was, of course, partly a tribute to Demon Emperor Profound Rock, and partly the artisan’s own name[1]. It was simple and direct. Though Luo Chen considered his physique formidable, he had no intention of facing the lightning tribulation with his body alone. When the time came, the Primordial Unity Cauldron would stand at the forefront, while the Profound Dust Armor would protect his body. With both working together, he might just withstand the tribulation.

Luo Chen let out a soft sigh and once again gathered his divine consciousness and mana, sending restrictions into the armor within the cauldron.

***

Truth be told, this round of artifact creation had been filled with twists and turns. If he were to compare it to childbirth, obtaining the Demon Emperor’s remains was like finding a partner, and his relentless practice of crafting was like preparing for conception. He almost succeeded in one try due to the special properties of the Primordial Unity Cauldron. Yet after finally conceiving the treasure embryo, his brainchild had been stalled at the final step, and the whole thing had turned into a difficult birth.

What Luo Chen was doing now was no different from performing a forced surgical delivery. The basic restrictions he cast were like sharp scalpels cutting in at critical moments. Fortunately, through years of studying formations, he had gradually made up for his earlier shortcomings in this area. His only foundation had been the Darkness restriction, and he barely even understood that one. But in recent years, he had gone on to master it and then moved on to other fundamental restrictions: Mountain, Water, Wind, Cloud, Radiance, and Void.

Before he knew it, he had built a solid grasp of the foundational restrictions required for formations. Even the notoriously difficult Void restriction, which most formation masters struggled with, he had managed to grasp in part by observing the restrictions left behind by the Azure Frost on his cauldron. He was even confident that, if he got his hands on the right materials, he could attempt to make a low-tier storage pouch himself.

***

While Luo Chen awaited the birth of his enchanted treasure, Black King finally reached his destination after more than half a year of travel. The sea before him was deathly still, without waves or wind. A single horn slowly rose from beneath the water, followed by a pair of huge eyes. He looked toward the island shrouded in purple miasma, a trace of wariness appearing in his gaze.

”So this is Purple Spirit Island? Hehh... I almost can’t believe it took me this long and a few fights to finally get here. Honestly, aside from looking mysterious, it’s nothing special.”

Although that was what he said, his movements remained cautious. His throat moved, and something came up from his stomach. Between his fangs, a red pill came into view. He bit down on it, and a burning sensation spread through his body. He was naturally resistant to poison, and with the detoxifying pill his master had refined for him, the purple miasma posed little threat. With a grin, he shrank his body down and swam toward the island shrouded in miasma.

Three days later, an enraged dragon’s roar erupted from the island. The miasma that had built up over the years churned violently, blasted apart by the sheer force of the roar. At the same time, a massive figure burst into the air. Two clusters of energy, one black and one white, swirled around him, throwing enormous saber lights behind him one after the other. The massive flood dragon appeared weakened, stumbling as he plunged into the sea and fled without hesitation.

Behind him came thunderous footsteps. Soon, more than a dozen purple figures charged out from the forest, each radiating immense demonic energy. They roared in fury and gave chase, but upon reaching the shore, they could only stop and vent their rage at the open sea.

***

Inside the Alchemy-Artifact Hall, the white-robed Daoist appeared somewhat leaner, yet his eyes shone brightly. He looked at the gray cauldron before him and drew in a deep breath. ”It’s been eighteen years... surely, even an immortal artifact should be ready by now!”

He pressed his palms together and slowly pushed forward. Mana surged forth, and the gray cauldron shook violently. In the next moment, a beam of light rose from within. As it faded, an armored robe appeared.

Luo Chen quickly grabbed the Profound Dust Armor and scanned it with his divine consciousness. The armor was a deep black, its brilliance restrained. The plates sported patterns reminiscent of a tortoise shell, yet also like parched earth cracked by drought. As his divine consciousness passed over it, the patterns seemed to respond, flashing with light as the ambiental spirit energy surged toward the armor.

”The formation and embryo have fused, and the qi generated through the armor... The Two Poles Six Shields Formation has perfectly integrated with the embryo, with almost no impurities! The Profound Dust Armor is... top-grade!”

The result was somewhat surprising, yet also entirely reasonable. Surprising because, with his obviously inadequate level of skill, he had crafted a top-grade defensive treasure. Reasonable because all the conditions pointed toward it. A Demon Emperor’s remains served as the core material, supplemented with numerous precious materials. The crafting method came from the Penglai Immortal Sect, and in the end, the finished item had also been nurtured by the Primordial Unity Cauldron. If all that had only produced a low-grade defensive treasure, Luo Chen would have had nowhere to vent his frustration. He had expected at least a mid-grade item, but who was he to turn down a top-grade one?

At any rate, this evaluation was just something done casually, at a glance. Its true power still needed to be tested. He gestured to the Profound Dust Armor, and a flash of spirit light adhered to his body. Mana surged inside the Alchemy-Artifact Hall, and the next moment, he was gone. A streak of light shot up over Surging Lake into the sky.

Upon reaching a high enough altitude, Luo Chen formed a seal, and his body began to expand. One zhang, two zhang...

Vhoosh!

A pair of wings unfurled from his back. When his body reached nine zhang, he halted the transformation. Though he was slightly smaller than the titanic size he’d reached before, his power felt more condensed, and far more fearsome.

After years of physique cultivation and improving his techniques, his Physique Refinement path had long shifted. But that was not his focus now; he was focusing on the armor he was wearing. The Profound Dust Armor fit perfectly, without causing the slightest discomfort. Such was the result of something being tailor-made. More than that, he did not feel any weight at all. With the Two Poles Six Shields Formation, the armor naturally carried the qualities of each component formation. This lightness was the result of the Spirit Cloud Armor Formation. Luo Chen infused mana into the armor, and a five-colored glow immediately enveloped him.

”The qi armor!”

A look of delight appeared on Luo Chen’s face, and he immediately descended from the sky. Wind and thunder roared, stirring unease among the cultivators of Surging Lake.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he felt a continuous flow of power. Even without him infusing mana, the qi armor remained radiant and sturdy.

”Huh...”

At first, Luo Chen thought it was just a fluke, but after waiting for a few moments, he understood that the Profound Dust Armor really did have an unexpected special effect. As long as he stood on the ground, it could absorb ambiental earth-element spirit energy to sustain the armor indefinitely.

”I don’t remember setting up any spirit-gathering formation...”

Luo Chen lightly brushed his fingertips against the solid armor plates. He could tell where this effect originated—Demon Emperor Profound Rock had awakened the bloodline of the Black Tortoise, which was known for its control over earth. With such a background, this was hardly surprising.

He stood still, sensing the difference between being in the sky and on the ground. Even after leaving the ground, the armor could still absorb nearby earth-element spirit energy, but the amount was greatly diminished. From this, he concluded that what the qi armor absorbed was likely not just spirit energy but also the vitality of the earth itself. The proof lay beneath his feet. The once-green grass gradually turned pale, the once-fertile black soil started to dry, and even the earth veins trembled as if they could not bear the burden. The land itself struggled under his weight!

”This island only has scattered first-tier spirit veins. It cannot sustain my consumption. But if I happen to fight somewhere with stronger spirit energy... then who can possibly wear me down?”

Luo Chen’s eyes lit up with excitement. That was just an additional effect of the qi armor. He had yet to test its true defensive power. But just as he wanted to do that, he noticed streaks of light approaching. With his keen eyesight, he could see Heavenjade at the front, and then some members of the Zhang family.

”This is one of my trump cards. Best to not let others see it.”

Luo Chen shrank back down to his normal size, but he did not remove the armor. It was simply a matter of changing its appearance, and soon it took on the form of his usual white Daoist robe.

”Couldn’t be better.” He chuckled softly, sent a divine consciousness message to Heavenjade, and returned to the Starry Palace.

Before long, Heavenjade entered the Starry Palace. Seeing the carefree smile on Luo Chen’s face and that he was no longer confined to the Alchemy-Artifact Hall, she immediately understood what had happened. ”Congratulations, Master!”

Luo Chen was in an excellent mood and waved it off. ”No need for formalities. Tell me, has anything major happened? And how is Black King doing?”

Clearly, the latter was what he cared about most. Heavenjade’s expression turned serious as she replied, ”Blood Hermit is back!”

Blood Hermit? Luo Chen was taken aback.

1. Reminder that the Chen (尘) in Luo Chen’s name means dust. ☜