An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

A beautiful yet deadly magma chamber lay hidden within the depths of Vermilion Bird Mountain. Seen from a higher vantage point, it looked like a sea of flowing fire. The lake’s dazzling depths naturally invited endless speculation, making one wonder whether an evil of flame lurked beneath it or whether it served as a passage to another world.

The truth was neither. A sacred bird, however, did exist.

Deep within the mountain’s earth veins, hidden among countless molten channels and cave pockets, a tiny fire bird no larger than a human palm slept soundly beneath a halo of shifting colors. Its wings were wrapped tightly around its body, and it rested so peacefully that the turmoil of the outside world seemed incapable of reaching it. Wisps of crimson flame drifted from its small form, melting the surrounding rock into molten liquid that flowed through the mountain’s veins before eventually feeding the magma lake above.

Yet despite their immense heat, those flames remained confined within a thousand-zhang radius around the sleeping bird. Beyond that core region stretched a labyrinth of scorched caves, magma tubes, and gas pockets. Though no longer touched directly by the Vermilion Bird Sacred Fire, those areas had been tempered by its heat for countless years and remained deadly to almost all living beings.

Within one such cave pocket, beyond the thousand-zhang boundary, the heat had far surpassed even what people thought of as the core of a volcano. Merely stepping into the area created the unsettling sensation that even one’s thoughts were beginning to dissolve. Without a proper foundation, it was virtually impossible for anyone to set foot there.

Drip! Drip!

The sound cut through the silence of the inferno. A man stood within that deadly heat, and the dripping sound came from droplets of black liquid running down his body and onto the ground. Those acquainted with Han Zhan of the Falling Cloud Sect would have been shocked, because this man looked exactly like the fallen Sage! Moreover, at first glance, he appeared entirely ordinary, yet anyone who looked closely would notice that his flesh was slowly melting under the relentless heat! Yet he seemed utterly unconcerned, and his gaze was fixated on a small lotus not far away.

The lotus was clearly struggling. Though it managed to endure the scorching temperatures, it was caught in an awkward spot: outside waited cultivators eager to snatch it the instant it showed itself, while heading deeper inward inspired it an even greater fear. Although it had cultivated within Vermilion Bird Mountain for many years and absorbed traces of the Vermilion Bird Sacred Fire’s aura, those gains had always been limited, merely enough to prevent the environment from rejecting it.

The man silently watched the uneasy lotus for a few moments, then suddenly turned his head. From somewhere beyond the extreme heat, a figure was approaching at lightning speed. Seeing that, the man flew toward the newcomer and pointed ahead. ”It’s right there!”

The moment he finished speaking, his body seemed to reach its limit. The humanoid form collapsed into a puddle of black liquid, from which a streak of dim light shot out. The light circled once through the air before slipping into the Soul-Nurturing Wood hanging from Luo Chen’s chest.

Luo Chen slightly narrowed his eyes at this sight. No matter how often he witnessed it, he always found himself newly amazed by Han Zhan’s attainments in divine soul cultivation. Being able to split off portions of his divine soul and freely possess puppets or refined corpses as avatars was already beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators. Yet, compared this display of attaching his entire divine soul to it and controlling it as though it were his own body, even that seemed unremarkable.

”Senior, your divine soul cultivation is truly remarkable. Have you already practiced Soul Split to its highest level?”

Han Zhan looked surprised that Luo Chen would suddenly bring up the subject. ”The highest level? Not even close. I’ve only reached minor mastery.”

Luo Chen found it difficult to believe. ”You can split your divine soul so freely, and that’s only considered minor mastery?”

Han Zhan smiled faintly. ”Dividing the divine soul into two is only the beginning. I was only able to take that first step because of the opportunity I found in Ice Prison back at Ice Fortress. After that, I spent two hundred years practicing before I could maintain nine divine soul fragments at the same time. Only then could I be considered proficient. As for full mastery... I’m afraid that’s not possible for me in this lifetime.”

”Is it really that difficult?”

Luo Chen found it hard to imagine. Among all the Sages he had encountered, Han Zhan’s attainments in divine soul cultivation were among the finest of all. After a brief hesitation, he asked, ”Is it a matter of talent, or is the art incomplete?”

”Neither,” Han Zhan sighed. ”The problem is that the art requires a certain treasure to assist with practice. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to find it.”

As the words left his mouth, he suddenly understood why Luo Chen had been steering the conversation in this direction. Under normal circumstances, Luo Chen would never waste effort flattering him, much less concern himself with the finer details of divine soul cultivation. It seemed the battle with Liu Jun had left a deeper impression than he had realized.

Luo Chen had entered that fight believing his strength had finally reached a level where Sages no longer posed an overwhelming threat. Yet before the battle had even begun, he had already fallen prey to Liu Jun’s enchanting voice. Although the effect had been brief, the fact that it had succeeded at all was enough to expose a problem: His divine soul simply was not strong enough.

The experience had not shaken his confidence, but it had forced him to confront a reality he could no longer ignore. For all his strengths, there remained a gap between himself and a true Sage, and that gap was rooted in the divine soul. Now that he had identified the source of the problem, he was naturally searching for a way to overcome it.

Having pieced everything together, Han Zhan let out a chuckle. ”Don’t waste your time thinking about it. In the short term, it’s impossible for you to raise your divine soul foundation to the level of a Sage. Even if I teach you Soul Split right now, the result will be the same.”

Having his intentions laid bare, Luo Chen’s face reddened slightly, though beneath the glow of the Vermilion Bird Sacred Fire, it was impossible to tell. In a calm voice, he asked, ”Why? Is it simply a matter of time?”

Han Zhan shook his head. ”You keep forgetting what I told you. When people break into the Nascent Soul Realm, they face a lightning tribulation. If they survive, it’s not just their qi cultivation level that changes, but also their divine souls, as they get tempered by heaven and earth themselves. You’ve never gone through that process, so no matter how strong your divine soul is, there will always be a fundamental difference between you and a true Sage.”

Luo Chen fell silent.

Tribulation was feared by countless cultivators because it carried the risk of death, yet danger and fortune had always walked hand in hand. The heavens did not simply test those who sought higher realms; they also bestowed blessings upon those who endured. Compared to such a transformation, even the finest secret arts and rarest treasures seemed woefully inadequate.

Seeing Luo Chen’s disappointment, Han Zhan offered some reassurance. ”Honestly, you’re already pretty good for your age and cultivation realm. Why go so harsh on yourself? Once you advance to the seventh or eighth stage, or even Perfected Mastery, your divine soul foundation may not be much weaker than that of an ordinary Sage. And besides, why are you so worried? If you’re afraid of running into Sages who specialize in divine soul arts, I’m still around! I might not be able to beat them when it comes to fighting head-on, but if we’re talking about divine souls... Even against a middle-stage Sage, I wouldn’t necessarily lose. So as long as I’m here, protecting your divine soul is well within my capabilities.”

Luo Chen forced a smile, though the reassurance indeed lifted his mood somewhat.

The path of the divine soul had always been one of the most mysterious branches of cultivation. Even among Sages, relatively few truly excelled in it. Liu Jun’s enchanting voice undoubtedly contained elements of divine soul arts, but soundwaves were merely the medium through which it operated. At its core, it was not fundamentally different from his Mirror Flower Water Moon. In fact, if the cultivation realm was set aside, Luo Chen felt that Liu Jun’s technique was far cruder than his own illusion spell and lacked much of its subtlety and sophistication. By contrast, techniques like Han Zhan’s, which could bypass all intermediaries and directly attack an opponent’s divine soul, were likely true rarities even in the wider cultivation world.

With that, Luo Chen temporarily put the matter aside and focused on the lotus. Even while speaking with Han Zhan, he had never once taken his eyes off it. The lotus was genuinely sentient, to the point that it was not just aware of the dangers here but could plan for them. It had consciously reduced its body to the least possible size to cut down its exposure to the heat and also to conceal itself. Its camouflage was so effective that, without Han Zhan’s refined corpse avatar tracking it here, Luo Chen might have searched this place from top to bottom and still failed to find it. Now that he did, however, there was no reason to delay.

As for collecting it, Luo Chen had prepared long before entering the Land of Fallen Devils. As a veteran fourth-tier alchemist, he was thoroughly familiar with harvesting all manner of spirit plants, and this lotus was no exception. Over the years, he had studied several techniques specifically designed for collecting it.

The simplest approach was brute force. By overwhelming the lotus with absolute power, one could sever its connection to the surrounding spirit energy and seize it outright. The second way was to harvest it using tools unrelated to the five elements. The lotus possessed all five elemental powers simultaneously, and the cycle of generation and restraint was an instinct born from its very nature. Whether presented with wood, fire, earth, metal, or water, it would instinctively react and resist. In some cases, it could even escape after being captured. Treasures existing outside the five elements, however, were far less likely to trigger that instinctive resistance.

There was also a third option, one that worked through the principle of shared origin. Instead of avoiding the five elements, it embraced them completely by using an enchanted treasure that contained all five elements. Since both sides had the same complete elemental balance, the lotus would not instinctively reject it.

Thinking of this, Luo Chen suddenly realized why Liu Jun had failed to seize the treasure despite his strength. He most likely lacked a suitable treasure for the task. Luo Chen, on the other hand, happened to possess exactly what was needed.

With a thought, he exhaled lightly and spat out a small gray cauldron. Fed by mana, it rapidly expanded until it stood several zhang tall. He then formed a series of seals, and the cauldron immediately began spinning at high speed. A tremendous restraining force spread outward and enveloped the lotus that had believed itself perfectly concealed. Then Luo Chen flicked his fingers repeatedly.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

***

The nine mana chains shot forth with a deafening rattle. Unlike the crimson chains Luo Chen normally wielded, these were a muted gray that matched the Primordial Unity Cauldron itself. Evidently, while controlling the cauldron, he had already transformed his mana in advance. The chains twisted through the air like living serpents as they streaked toward the lotus.

Sensing the approaching danger, the lotus naturally refused to submit. It rotated once and abruptly expanded to nearly five zhang in size. The nine chains immediately coiled around it and pulled with tremendous force, yet despite the strain on both sides, the lotus remained rooted in place as if it had merged with the entire mountain.

Luo Chen was in shock. ”What the...”

Han Zhan watched the scene and sighed. ”The Flesh Ganoderma was right. This lotus is truly a single step away from advancing to the fifth tier.”

The reminder immediately clarified several things for Luo Chen. The reason Liu Jun had not directly taken the lotus was not merely that he lacked a proper treasure. The lotus’s own resistance likely played an equally important part. That likely explained why he had remained at Vermilion Bird Mountain and used the lotus there to recover from his injuries instead of taking it away. Looking back now, if the lotus had chosen to flee during their battle, Liu Jun might not have been able to stop it at all. If that was the case, then even if Luo Chen managed to capture it now, storing it inside a storage ring and transporting it away would be another matter entirely.

”I should’ve known it wouldn’t be this simple. If even a fifth-tier Withered Blood Vine cost Blood Hermit so much effort, then a treasure like this was never going to come quietly. Ugh... No matter what, I have to get it out of here first.”

The logic was simple. Within this mountain, the lotus enjoyed the same advantage he did. The fire-attribute spirit energy surrounded it on all sides, constantly replenishing its strength. As long as it remained here, it would never truly exhaust itself. Only by dragging it away from this environment could he hope to seize it completely.

Having made his decision, Luo Chen pressed his lips together and stopped holding back. The remaining mana within his Nascent Core surged out like a flood, pouring directly into the nine chains. ”COOOOOME OUUUUUT!”

The struggle became a contest of pure strength. By the end, Luo Chen had completely exhausted the mana in his Nascent Core and was forced to draw upon the mana of his Golden Core as well. Even then, he only managed to drag the lotus a few hundred zhang away.

Just then, a familiar voice sounded in his ears. ”If you don’t mind, let me lend you a hand.”

”Hm?” Luo Chen was briefly startled, but he accepted Han Zhan’s assistance. The next moment, a mysterious force flowed into the nine mana chains.

Rattleeeee...

The chains clattered as Luo Chen pulled them back. Bound by their pull, the lotus was gradually dragged outward as well.

During the process, Han Zhan sighed in admiration. ”In just a few decades, you’ve nurtured the cauldron to this level. That’s truly remarkable.”

His refined corpse avatar was exceptionally sturdy, yet it had ultimately melted away inside the high-temperature zone. Yet throughout the entire process, the Primordial Unity Cauldron had remained completely unaffected. That alone was enough to reveal the treasure’s extraordinary nature. In Han Zhan’s view, it lacked only an opportunity to undergo the tempering of heaven and earth. Once that happened, it would undoubtedly ascend into the ranks of True Artifacts and gain the ability to command the spirit energy itself.

Luo Chen offered no response. He simply continued channeling his mana and pulling on the chains.

***

One day later.

”They’re out!”

The Flesh Ganoderma watched a tiny figure come out of Vermilion Bird Mountain with excitement. Beside it, Devil’s Cloud slowly opened his eyes. As he watched Luo Chen and the enormous lotus being dragged out by nine chains, a complicated expression appeared on his face. He had nearly lost his life for the sake of this thing. Looking back now, he could not help wondering whether the journey had truly been worth it. More importantly, once everything here was over, would he even leave the Land of Fallen Devils alive? If he ended up meeting the same fate as Saberstorm...

After a long silence, he pursed his lips and asked hoarsely, ”Does this spirit plant really help cultivators form a Nascent Soul?”

The Flesh Ganoderma shook its head. ”Not really. The Five Elements Lotus Pod grows by absorbing the spirit energy of the five elements, so it’s naturally pure and exceptionally compatible with the natural spirit energy. Its greatest use to cultivators is as a cultivation aid; it can filter impurities from spirit energy, allowing cultivators to absorb it directly.”

Devil’s Cloud froze for a moment, looking uncertain. ”No need to refine it?”

”None! Once a Sage merges their Nascent Soul with the lotus, they can directly absorb the spirit energy best suited to them.”

”A Sage?”

”Yeah. It’s practically made for Sages.”

Devil’s Cloud became even more puzzled. ”Then why did Azure Yang go to such lengths to obtain it?”

Adepts possessed no Nascent Soul and simply could not withstand the direct influx of natural spirit energy. They had to absorb it little by little, filter it through their meridians, and lastly refine it before it could be converted into mana suitable for their own use. Viewed that way, Luo Chen’s obsession with the lotus made little sense. Calling it preparation for a future Nascent Soul breakthrough felt like a stretch. It was more like worrying about problems that might never come.

The Flesh Ganoderma shrugged. ”How would I know? He’s an alchemist. Maybe he has some way of refining it into something else.”

Devil’s Cloud fell silent. All this time, he had regarded Luo Chen as a fellow artisan; yet he had forgotten that he was also a high-tier alchemist. If Luo Chen truly possessed some technique to transform the Five Elements Lotus Pod into a treasure capable of aiding Nascent Soul formation, then everything would make perfect sense.

”Nascent Soul formation...” He repeated the words softly, and a faint spark of hope appeared in his eyes.

The Flesh Ganoderma seemed to sense his yearning and chuckled. ”Fellow Daoist, there’s no need to belittle yourself. Once you help my true body escape, I’ll lead you into the inheritance grounds. If you can obtain even a portion of Heaven Refiner’s artifact creation inheritance, reaching the Nascent Soul Realm will be as easy as picking up your cup of tea.”

Devil’s Cloud found it difficult to believe.

Seeing his skepticism, the Flesh Ganoderma said in a hushed voice, ”Just think about Fairy Jadecold.”

That single sentence was enough to stir Devil’s Cloud’s heart and make his confidence swell.

BBBBOOOOOMM!!

An explosion echoed in the distance. The massive lotus crashed down beside a great river of lava. From high above, the gray cauldron radiated a hazy glow that enveloped the lotus and prevented it from escaping.

The moment Devil’s Cloud saw it, his eyes lit up. ”What is that gray cauldron?”

The Flesh Ganoderma’s attention lay elsewhere. It watched Luo Chen leap onto the lotus and sit cross-legged atop it. As his aura rose and fell rhythmically, it was obvious that he had entered cultivation. Hm? He knows the lotus can be used for cultivation too? But he’s not a Sage yet. If he tries to use it, how is he supposed to handle all the spirit energy it draws in?