An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Blood Hermit was the first to leave, with Dragon Abyss following shortly after. Though he bore the name of the city as his Dao title, he rarely involved himself in its affairs, and even matters of the Society seldom held his attention. Moon Hermit was the one who truly managed everything. From external dealings to the inner workings, everything ran through her hands.

Once the two Sages had departed, the hall fell noticeably quieter. Moon Hermit leaned back in her chair in a casual posture and let her cool gaze land on the four below. Then, all of a sudden—

”Liu Ziweng, I hear you’ve been getting quite close to Blood Hermit lately!”

Thud!

To Luo Chen’s surprise, the Angler dropped to his knees the moment the accusation fell, all the bearing of a late-stage Adept gone in that moment. He trembled as he pressed his forehead to the ground and hurried to explain. ”Sage, you’ve misunderstood. I was just carrying out a few tasks for Blood Hermit and got some rewards, that’s all. It wasn’t just me; plenty of people in the Society were involved...”

Luo Chen watched in disbelief, entirely caught off guard at first, but the reactions around him quickly made things clear. No one seemed particularly moved. If anything, they looked almost indifferent, as though this were nothing out of the ordinary.

As the rumors said, though Blood Hermit had founded the Society, he had never truly managed it, living much like any other rogue cultivator. To him, the Society was merely a tool. He was accountable to no one, and no one answered to him. The true authority within the Society was Moon Hermit. In daily management, the core members of the Society naturally aligned themselves with her, including the three eight-star demon hunters present here. The Angler’s recent actions had clearly strayed from that alignment, and now he was being reminded of his place.

Luo Chen felt a faint sense of pity. Rogue cultivators in the Society were nowhere near as free as they appeared. The moment they joined, they were already bound to one faction or another.

”That’s enough. Stop rambling. It’s annoying.”

Angler fell silent at once and rose to his feet, though his back remained slightly bent. Sweat still ran down his face as he steadied himself. From his behavior, Luo Chen gained a clearer sense of Moon Hermit’s temperament—she tolerated no contradiction, had no patience for excess, and did not enjoy empty words.

After dealing with the Angler, her gaze shifted to the remaining three before settling on the youngest among them, the man in a crimson robe. ”Lift your head.”

Luo Chen remained composed as he lifted his gaze, meeting the eyes of the stunning woman above. He quietly activated the Fine Dust Primordial Art to resist the charm that she exuded. He looked at her openly, and she examined him just as thoroughly.

”You’re not bad, though that filthy blood qi makes you no different from Pang Bujue,” she remarked, then she got straight to the point. ”What star level are you now?”

”Five-star.”

”Only five stars?” Moon Hermit frowned, her gaze sweeping over him. ”With your capabilities, that shouldn’t be the case.”

Purple Empress spoke up at the right moment. ”Sage, over the past year, Azure Yang has slain many demonic beasts at the Sunken Sea. He’s turned in three late-stage Demon King corpses. By merit, he already qualifies for six stars.”

”Oh?” A note of surprise lingered in Moon Hermit’s voice as she looked him over again. ”Only at the sixth stage, and you can just kill three late-stage Demon Kings by yourself? That’s impressive.”

Luo Chen felt a slight chill in his heart. ”I was just lucky. You overpraise me, Sage.”

Moon Hermit let out a soft laugh. ”Quite modest... Little Purple, raise his rank to seven stars later.”

”Hah?!” Purple Empress froze for a moment before responding, ”Understood, Sage.”

Luo Chen was just as taken aback. ”Thank you for your favor, Sage, but I haven’t done enough to deserve it. How can I skip a rank and enjoy the Society’s resources without merit?”

Moon Hermit was still smiling, though it looked strangely out of place with her otherwise detached features. ”Who says you don’t have merit? Slaying tens of thousands of demonic beasts is one. Bringing back news of the Demon Emperor breaking free from the Heaven of Northern Yama is another. Even just for those two things, seven stars are more than justified.”

Her smile deepened, like a flower in full bloom. ”Focus on your cultivation. The Society may be a loose gathering of rogue cultivators, but we have abundant resources and seven Sages. It’s no weaker than any other upper sect. When you eventually reach nine stars, you’ll even receive priority access to resources for forming your Nascent Soul, just like Dragon Abyss.”

Luo Chen’s eyes lit up, and he visibly quivered with excitement. He bowed deeply and declared, ”Thank you for your guidance, Sage. Luo Hai will not disappoint you!”

***

Under the moonlight, a man and a woman walked side by side. The voluptuous woman in a flowing purple dress smiled as she congratulated the man in a crimson robe beside her. ”There aren’t that many seven-star demon hunters in the Society, seven or eight I think? and they’re all late-stage Adepts. Someone like you, so young and already at the sixth stage, yet reaching seven stars... that’s rare. And you’ve even caught a Sage’s eye! With her backing, your future’s looking bright.”

Luo Chen accepted her congratulations and continued to shower praise on Moon Hermit. He spoke of her cultivation rivaling Blood Hermit’s, her unparalleled beauty as the finest in the Northern Sea, and her discerning eye that had recognized his potential at a glance... the compliments just kept coming. It was obvious how excited he was.

At the end, he cupped his hands. ”I’ll have to trouble you with the promotion.”

Purple Empress waved it off. ”It’s just a formality. I’ll have someone deliver your new token to Surging Lake tomorrow.”

Luo Chen said, ”Alright, thank you. I’ll—oh, wait. Actually... there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

”Hm?”

”Before Blood Hermit left, he ordered us to lead people to the Sunken Sea battlefield to clear out the demon races. But you know my situation... I’ve just spent nearly a year there, fighting battle after battle. I’m exhausted, and I’ve picked up quite a few injuries. So when you’re selecting people, I hope you can leave me out for the time being and give me some time to recover.”

Purple Empress smiled. ”I thought it was something serious. That’s nothing. I’ll mention it to the Angler and the others. Just go back and rest.”

”Thank you, again.” Luo Chen cupped his hands again, bid her farewell, and left for Surging Lake.

After he was gone, Purple Empress turned and headed back to the division. In a grand hall filled with bamboo scrolls, she stood respectfully behind Moon Hermit. ”Well? How did he take it?”

”As expected, extremely excited. For rogue cultivators like him, the chance to reach Nascent Soul is the greatest temptation, especially at such a young age.”

Moon Hermit chuckled softly. ”With Dragon Abyss as an example, who wouldn’t be tempted?”

”Oh, right. He also said he’s tired and injured, and doesn’t want to go back to the Sunken Sea battlefield.”

”Hm?” Moon Hermit’s finger paused on a scroll, a hint of puzzlement crossing her face. ”That’s odd. He’s just been promoted to seven stars. This should be the time to take on more tasks, solidify his reputation, and push toward nine stars. Why would he stop now?”

Purple Empress hesitated. ”Maybe he really is injured... or just worn out?”

Moon Hermit shook her head slightly, her long lashes lowering. ”Looks like I underestimated his resolve.”

Purple Empress seemed to catch on. ”Should we force him to go in Blood Hermit’s name?”

Moon Hermit thought for a moment, then calmly resumed flipping through the intelligence reports. ”Let him be. I’ve just given him a reward. If I push him to risk his life before he’s even had time to enjoy it, people will start to look down on me.”

***

On Surging Island, the Starry Palace was lit once more. After washing away the dust of travel, Luo Chen sat cross-legged and let out a long breath. He completed a full cycle of the Fine Dust Primordial Art; his mind cleared, and the tension from his meeting with the Sages gradually faded. It should be fine. I said what needed to be said and left out what should’ve been left out.

The earlier excitement was gone. What remained was calm and composure. What Moon Hermit had offered might have stirred other Adepts’ ambitions, but to him, it felt all too familiar. It was merely a superior’s way of controlling subordinates, offering grand promises to drive them forward. Well... at least she had been straightforward. The promotion to seven stars was real, and for someone at the sixth stage of Golden Core, it was almost unheard of within the Society.

But Luo Chen was not stupid. He had once led a group of rogue cultivators and built it into something that could stand alongside a major sect. He knew how easily people could be swayed by the promise of advancement. Most of what he had shown earlier had been an act. Only a small part of it was genuine, and that was specifically toward the promotion. As a seven-star demon hunter, the benefits he enjoyed within the Society would increase sharply. Many costs would drop, including the rent for Surging Lake!

What concerned him was his final request. He did not know how Moon Hermit would respond or whether she would probe further through Purple Empress. Even so, he would not change his decision. The favor of a Sage came with its own weight. If he stepped too far in, too many things would slip beyond his control.

Moreover, his trial battles were already over. He had no interest in meaningless fights. He was not like Saberstorm, who thrived on battle. And now, even a battle-crazy powerhouse like Saberstorm had stumbled. Who knew if he was still alive?

Luo Chen’s plan was simple. Before the ancient pocket world opened, he would use this time to strengthen himself. If he could push his Physique Refinement into the fourth tier, then it would give him a decisive edge.

I need more time!

His eyes shone as he began planning his next steps. There was no room for hesitation now. He would press forward, break through the final threshold, and secure one more trump card before setting out toward the Sunken Sea!