An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

A streak of light cut across the sky from west to east. It moved so fast across the sky that the wind and clouds churned violently in its wake. Yet when it passed a towering mountain shrouded in mist, the streak suddenly vanished.

Three days later, it appeared once more. This time, however, the light had dimmed to a dull gray, so faint it was nearly impossible to detect as it glided low above the sea.

”Good. No one’s following me.” Luo Chen spread his divine consciousness across the surrounding area and only relaxed after confirming that the Angler and the others had not secretly pursued him. This mission had been orchestrated entirely by the Angler for the sake of Blood Hermit’s Nascent Soul breakthrough insights, while the place Luo Chen was heading toward now was likewise concerned with resources related to Nascent Soul formation. In that regard, there was no real difference between them, and neither wanted any mishap to arise at the last moment.

He took off the Moonbreak Wings and formed a seal with his fingers, activating the Concealment Veil. In an instant, his aura vanished almost completely. Even the low-tier demonic beasts roaming close to the sea surface failed to notice his presence in the slightest. Though this would greatly slow his journey toward Purple Spirit Island, the secrecy and safety it provided were unquestionably worth it.

Only after settling these matters did Luo Chen finally have the leisure to reflect upon the battle at Withered Wood Ridge. In truth, there was not much worth analyzing. Among the five Adepts, aside from the relatively inexperienced Huangfu Song, none of them had revealed their trump cards. Under such circumstances, no matter how dazzling Star Catcher’s astral arts appeared or how domineering Saberstorm’s Golden Ni Saber was, neither had truly shaken him. What continued to linger in his mind was something else entirely—the Sage-level battle he had witnessed from close range.

The clash between the Blood God Clone and the Vine King had reduced the entirety of Withered Wood Ridge to ruins, to the point that even the spirit veins beneath the land had been overturned. Yet of everything he witnessed that day, the scene that remained etched most deeply in his memory was the moment all life throughout the ridge was drained away at once.

Now that he thought back on it, many of the Blood God Clone’s techniques suddenly made sense. From start to finish, it had been steadily weakening the Vine King, forcing it to continuously reclaim the scattered life force spread throughout Withered Wood Ridge. Only by drawing all that life force back into itself could the Vine King preserve its strength, and only then could the Blood God Clone seize the opportunity to seize it in one move.

The mere aftershocks spilling from their clash were enough to leave the five Adepts in fear. Yet despite that, it still could not truly be considered the power of genuine Sages. One had merely been a spirit plant that had awakened intelligence, while the other was nothing more than an avatar. In terms of actual combat abilities and tricks, neither could be compared to a true Sage. But it was precisely because of that realization that Luo Chen’s awe toward Sages deepened even further. If even a Sage-level avatar and a random sprite are this terrifying, then what am I supposed to do if I run into actual Sages in the ancient cultivator pocket world?

Luo Chen asked himself honestly, yet found not even the slightest confidence within. Even though Ding Yi had previously explained that Sages and Adepts would enter through different entrances and seek entirely different treasures, he no longer felt capable of fully believing those words.

What if... just what if some of them decided to clear the field on a whim and casually wipe them all out? In front of such power, would Luo Chen even be capable of protecting himself? And could Han Zhan, who had presumably recovered a little more than half of his full strength, truly keep him safe? After all, even at his peak, Han Zhan had been just a newly advanced Sage. The Two Poles Five Elements Sword Formation he once relied upon was long gone, while the Sage-level puppet that had fought beside him had been destroyed as well. In the end, he was merely a crippled Sage. Could he truly guarantee Luo Chen’s safety? Perhaps if Han Zhan went all out, he might still be able to preserve Luo Chen’s life at a critical moment, but would he really be willing to risk everything for Luo Chen?

The battle at Withered Wood Ridge had given him a far clearer and more direct understanding of the terrifying strength of Sages. As he continued flying, his brows remained tightly knitted, and his eyes filled with worry.

I guess refining that treasure really did get to my head. I got carried away and even fell for Ding Yi’s bait. Now that I think about it... Maybe I really shouldn’t have taken the risk. Or at least, I shouldn’t have rushed into it this early.

Luo Chen weighed his own situation. He was only a little over a hundred years old and still far from reaching the lifespan limit of the Golden Core Realm. He had not yet reached the point where he needed to gamble his life within secret realms. As for the Five Elements Lotus Pod, obtaining it would naturally be a blessing, while failing to obtain it could only be called “too bad.” Since that was the case, why did he need to rush things now?

At worst, if he truly could not find another opportunity in the future, he could always venture into the Sunken Sea then. By that time, his cultivation would surely have reached an entirely new level, making the journey far safer than it would be now.

Besides, Ding Yi had already mentioned that the ancient cultivator pocket world within the Sunken Sea did not open only once in a millennium or anything of the kind. Although the timing was irregular, the world had opened many times over the past thousand years. There was no need for him to force himself into danger now when he could simply wait until he was fully prepared before entering.

It’s just... if I do that, it’ll be hard to explain things to Ding Yi. Luo Chen’s thoughts were still in disarray, though deep down, he already seemed to have made up his mind.

In any case, he first had to deal with the matters right in front of him.

With Black King leading the way, Sovereign Thatched Mountain and the others should already be close to Purple Spirit Island by now. I need to be faster.

With that, he flew a little faster.

***

Two months later, upon the boundless sea, fierce winds suddenly swept across the surface, stirring towering waves that rolled endlessly. After a time, the raging wind gradually subsided, and a lone figure slowly flew forward with a newly drawn map in his hand, checking the direction as he went.

Black King had taken detours around three places along the way: Withered Wood Ridge, a strait filled with violent undercurrents, and a massive island covered in giant, ancient trees. According to him, each place housed either an unknown presence that frightened him from the depths of his soul, or some exceptionally troublesome Demon King. Fortunately, Luo Chen had bypassed all three with no issues. From here on out, the journey ahead should be far smoother.

He let out a long breath, and the tension that had weighed on him for days eased slightly. He put away the map and looked toward the faint silhouettes of several small islands in the distance. There were only seven of them, and none was particularly large; each was roughly the size of the inner city of Dahe Market back in the day. Yet when viewed from a distance, the islands seemed to connect in a curved formation that vaguely resembled a spoon.

Beyond the Seven Star Islands should be the Purple Spirit Sea Region.

With a faint smile, Luo Chen headed toward the islands ahead. Rather than flying over them, however, he chose to travel on foot. According to Black King, the seven islands formed a natural maze formation due to their unique terrain. Attempting to cross the archipelago through the sky made it extremely easy to lose one’s sense of direction, whereas traveling island by island along the ground only cost a few extra days.

It was precisely because of this natural barrier that Purple Spirit Island had remained hidden from powerful humans and demonic beasts for countless years. Only low-tier humans and demonic beasts that wandered slowly through the Seven Star Islands had ever managed to reach the island by chance. The rogue cultivator who discovered the place back then had likely succeeded for the very same reason. The logic behind it was simple: High-tier cultivators would always choose to fly if they could, and with the uneven and treacherous terrain, there was even less reason to travel on foot. After all, who would willingly spend two or three days slowly crossing island after island?