An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

The thought left him both relieved and resigned. He had never imagined that refining a pill could reduce someone to such a state. It had felt as though every last trace of strength had been squeezed from his body, and he had nearly lost his eyes in the process.

Splash!

Luo Chen raised a hand to his face and touched his eyes. They were moist, clear, and bright. Five years of continuous alchemy had placed a great burden on them, while the final three years had forced him to keep the Spirit Eyes active without interruption. Fortunately, he had endured through it all.

Once the last tension in his mind finally loosened, exhaustion rushed over him again. He slowly closed his eyes and allowed himself to sink back into sleep. He did not resist it; he just let the spirit spring continue nourishing him as he absorbed the mysterious power within its waters.

***

A year later, more people began to emerge within the Heaven of Bright Illumination. Four figures had already gathered on the Sea of Clouds Plaza. They were the ones who had survived the inheritance grounds through sheer luck, though in truth, each had failed to obtain an inheritance. The Seagon Matriarch stood among them, her hair now entirely silver. Beside her were a cold and strikingly beautiful woman, an otherworldly-looking old man, and another man concealed beneath a black robe.

Just then, a streak of light descended. When it faded, two figures appeared within it. One was a man who appeared to be in his prime, while the other looked much older. Yet no one present judged them by their appearance.

The moment they arrived, all four Sages turned their attention toward the younger-looking man.

”Flying Cloud!”

”Sage Flying Cloud!”

Several voices sounded at the same time.

Flying Cloud looked at the four of them and called out their names one by one. ”Fellow Daoist Silent Fate, Fellow Daoist Jadecold, Seagon Matriarch... and who are you?”

The man beneath the black robe chuckled. ”Just an unnamed rogue cultivator. I am not worth mentioning.”

Flying Cloud frowned. An unknown Sage was already suspicious enough, but the man’s voice sounded oddly stiff, as though it did not come from a normal throat. Yet before anyone could question him further, Flying Cloud reached toward the man who had arrived beside him.

Devil’s Cloud was terrified when he saw this. ”Senior, please spare my life!”

”Spare you?” Flying Cloud’s expression darkened. ”You ruined my plans on Weapon Mountain. If I let you live, how will I ever vent this anger?”

BOOOMM!!!

Two streams of mana collided. Flying Cloud frowned and looked toward the black-robed cultivator. ”Fellow Daoist, what are you doing?”

The black-robed cultivator merely gestured toward Devil’s Cloud. Still confused, Devil’s Cloud hurried to his side. After all, whatever the reason, this man had just saved him. The black-robed cultivator nodded at him, then turned back toward the others. ”We are all Sages. Is it truly worth fighting over a junior?”

Flying Cloud snorted, though a trace of caution flashed through his eyes. That brief exchange had already told him that the black-robed man was no weaker than he was. More importantly, if they fought here, the others would not simply stand aside, and they would certainly not rush to help him. Silent Fate in particular came from the Penglai Immortal Sect, which had long stood opposed to the Blue Sea Alliance. If he acted recklessly, someone else might benefit from the conflict.

”A coward who won’t even show his face...”

Flying Cloud let out another cold snort, but he held back from attacking again. For a time, the Sea of Clouds Plaza fell silent, and everyone’s attention shifted toward the palaces overhead. As before, only the Alchemy Palace and the Slave Palace remained lit.

Privately, Silent Fate was conversing with Fairy Jadecold through divine consciousness transmission. ”Junior Sister, did you obtain the painting you wanted?”

”Mhm.”

”What kind of treasure is important enough that you came back to the Land of Fallen Devils for it?”

”That’s none of your business.”

Silent Fate was not offended by the rebuff. Cultivators of their standing had long since stopped placing much importance on seniority. Rather than pursue the matter, he changed the subject. ”I wonder how Blood Nightmare is doing.”

Fairy Jadecold replied, ”He came here specifically for the resting place of Grand Elder Blood Sea. No one is competing with him for it, and he has little interest in the inheritance trials. He’ll most likely be fine.”

Silent Fate slowly shook his head. If Blood Nightmare truly obtained the inheritance of that elder, the Northern Sea would gain another formidable Blood Path expert. Should that man later reach the Divine Transformation Realm, the Primordial Devil Sect might even rise again. That was hardly good news for Silent Fate, but he had already failed the Talisman Realm’s inheritance trial and could do nothing to stop it.

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something, and his expression darkened. ”Your older sister came in too.”

Sage Jadecold’s face went pale. She looked around before her gaze settled on the Slave Palace. If she wasn’t wrong, her sister was probably inside.

Silent Fate said with lingering fear, ”She still hates the Penglai Immortal Sect, and she hates me as well. If we run into her again, she may attack without warning. Junior Sister, when that happens, I hope you’ll help me...”

Sage Jadecold pressed her lips together, fear flickering in her eyes. ”I can’t control her. She’s insane.”

Silent Fate’s heart sank. That woman was one of the Northern Sea’s Three Great Hermits, and her strength nearly rivaled that of the Penglai Immortal Sect’s grand elder. If she truly intended to kill him, he doubted he could escape.

A chill of unease crept through him. He should never have made this trip! Still, there was no turning back now. His best option was to find Blood Nightmare; if the three of them joined forces, they might stand a chance against her.

No! There was actually another way. As long as he left the Heaven of Bright Illumination before she came out and escaped the Land of Fallen Devils entirely, there would be nothing to fear. The Sea of Clouds Plaza beneath his feet was clearly the teleportation formation that led outside.

Thinking of this, Silent Fate began pacing across the plaza as he searched for a way to activate it. The others watched his restless movements with some confusion, but after a while, they lost interest and turned their attention back to the star-like palaces above. Those were all places that contained inheritances! Even if they had failed their own trials, perhaps they could still force open one of the palaces from the outside.

Everyone was thinking along those lines, and from time to time, they used various techniques to try opening the palace’s doors. Yet their attacks landed without effect, like ants trying to shake a tree, and the doors did not budge the slightest.

Several days later, another palace lit up, meaning that someone else had passed an inheritance trial. In an instant, everyone’s attention turned toward the name that had appeared: Light Palace.

***

While the Sea of Clouds Plaza simmered with shifting tensions and inscrutable thoughts of the many experts, Luo Chen finally awakened completely within the Alchemy Palace.

As the milky-white spring water slid down from his body, he slowly sat upright and looked down at the pool. Its water level had fallen considerably, leaving only a shallow puddle behind. Even with his powerful physique, he had been unable to absorb all of its energy, so it must have been something truly astronomical.

He had truly benefited tremendously. When Luo Chen examined himself inwardly, he found his entire body in a state of ease. Mana flowed through his meridians in a vigorous stream, and his cultivation had even advanced by two minor steps! He was now a little more than halfway through the eighth stage!

That increase alone had just saved him decades of cultivation, but it was also the least significant of his gains. What truly astonished him was the faint resonance he now felt with heaven and earth. Every pore in his body seemed to have opened, and as long as he wished it, he could draw spirit energy into his body. This feeling was like...

”Heavenly spirit roots... True heavenly spirit roots! And not just one element, but all five!”

Luo Chen swallowed, unable to hide his shock. Over the past year, the spirit spring had not only altered his spirit root aptitude, but it had also transformed his entire physique. Rather, this was more than five heavenly spirit roots. The changes within him closely resembled a special constitution described in ancient records, one akin to five-element spirit roots yet far superior to them—the Five-Spirit Dao Body!

The full extent of its effects had yet to reveal itself, but Luo Chen could already sense that he had received an opportunity unlike any he had encountered before. It might even be the greatest opportunity of his life.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he scooped up a handful of the remaining spring water and examined it closely. ”Just what kind of miraculous spirit spring is this?”