An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Mountains had collapsed, rivers had long since changed course, and ruins and crumbling walls stretched across the land as far as the eye could see. Rising from the wasteland, a lone stone pillar pierced the sky, its intricate carvings serving as the last reminder of the glory this land had once known.

Three figures rode across the sky atop black horses, all dressed in the robes of the same sect. Though they were only Initiates, the fierce auras radiating from their mounts made it clear that they were not to be taken lightly. They had long since grown used to the desolation below, so none of them spared the ruins a second glance as they continued toward their destination.

Before long, a towering mountain came into view. Buildings of varying heights were scattered across its peaks and valleys, and dense natural spirit energy shrouded the entire mountain.

The leader narrowed his eyes and let out a cold snort. ”A sect relocated from some backwater actually gets a spirit vein this good in the Five Elements Domain? I really don’t know what the people above are thinking.”

One of them immediately echoed his dissatisfaction, but another one soon offered a different view. ”It may be a declining sect, but it still has its strengths. Their Grand Elder, Wang Yuan, has reached an incredible level in Physique Refinement.”

”That’s true. I heard that during the demon chaos in the Eastern Wilderness, twenty-seven major sects stood on the front lines. When the demon tide broke out, most of them were wiped out in the very first wave. Aside from our sect, only a handful survived, and the Luo Tian Sect was one of them. They say their Grand Elder, Wang Yuan, was the biggest reason they made it through. That battle was said to have shattered the heavens, split the earth, severed rivers, and turned the battlefield into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Who knows how many powerful cultivators died there...”

Ran Feng, a late-stage Initiate of the Five Elements Divine Sect, listened quietly as his junior brothers reminisced about the past. Wang Yuan was indeed someone worthy of respect. Even the elders of his own sect treated the man courteously. But in Ran Feng’s eyes, Wang Yuan was the Luo Tian Sect’s only person of consequence. As for everyone else, they were beneath notice.

He gave the reins a light tug. ”Let’s go. Once we’ve delivered the order, our mission is complete.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he directly urged his black horse forward and charged straight toward the mountain.

As they drew closer, the Luo Tian Sect disciples guarding the entrance finally noticed the three riders and hurried out to meet them. ”Please dismount and state your busi—”

Before they could finish speaking, Ran Feng casually flicked a token toward them and rode straight past without even slowing down.

”It’s the Five Elements Divine Sect!”

”Those are Howling Wind Beasts! The one leading them is Ran Feng, a famous Initiate of the Five Elements Divine Sect!”

The Luo Tian Sect disciples’ expressions changed at once. The Five Elements Divine Sect was an upper sect, but such open disrespect was too much to tolerate. Thus, they immediately gave chase, but before they could catch up, someone had already intercepted the three riders halfway up the mountain.

Standing in their path was a broad-shouldered man with metallic wings spreading from his back and a massive broadsword resting in his hand. A long ravine split the ground between them, cutting across the mountain road like a natural chasm.

Thud!

The man slammed the broadsword into the ground. Fiend qi billowed around him as he fixed the three riders with an icy stare. ”The Luo Tian Sect’s territory is no place for you to run wild. Even Adept Coldwood from your sect showed proper courtesy when he came here. You people sure have some nerve.”

The contempt on Ran Feng’s face faded, replaced by a trace of seriousness. He studied the man for a moment before asking, ”Who are you?”

The man replied coldly, ”I’m Zeng Yilong.”

Ran Feng frowned slightly. He had never heard that name before. Yet this man had brought to a halt three Howling Wind Beasts with brute strength alone. There was absolutely no way someone with that level of power was a nobody.

The junior brother behind him had traveled extensively and knew far more about the cultivators of the region than Ran Feng did. He leaned in and whispered, ”His Dao title is Dragon Fiend. He’s Wang Yuan’s only disciple. His physical strength is exceptional, and he’s recognized as the strongest cultivator in the Luo Tian Sect below the Golden Core Realm.”

Realization dawned on Ran Feng’s face as he raised an eyebrow. ”So you’re the battle maniac Senior Sister Qi keeps talking about.”

”Fellow Daoist Qi?” At the mention of a familiar name, Zeng Yilong’s expression softened slightly, and he nodded. ”If there isn’t another Dragon Fiend around, then I suppose that would be me.”

Ran Feng gave Zeng Yilong another look. ”I heard that during the battle at Border City, you fought alongside Senior Sister Qi and helped kill a Fire-Eyed Bull King. That victory secured her place among our sect’s Nine Great Dao Scions. Seeing you in person, I have to admit that you live up to your reputation.”

This brief exchange eased the tension between the two sides. Zeng Yilong glanced at the Luo Tian Sect disciples who had rushed over, and they immediately understood what he wanted them to do. Without another word, they dispersed and returned to their posts, leaving only the three visitors and Zeng Yilong on the mountain path.

With that, Zeng Yilong’s expression softened a little. He stepped aside and extended his hand in an inviting gesture. ”Please. The sect leader is waiting for you.”

Ran Feng nodded, but before continuing up the mountain, he gave Zeng Yilong one last thoughtful look. He knew the young man’s Dao title well, but he had not been aware that the renowned Dragon Fiend was a member of the Luo Tian Sect. From the look of things now, this sect was not as insignificant as he had assumed.

After dismounting from his Howling Wind Beast, Ran Feng proceeded up the mountain at an unhurried pace. His earlier arrogance had faded, and as he walked, his gaze wandered over the sect around him.

This formation... is impressive. It may not compare to my sect’s grand formation, but if I’d charged in just now, I might’ve ended up leaving my bones here. And that mountain... is that where the Luo Tian Sect’s experts cultivate in seclusion? I can feel the pressure on my divine consciousness even from here. No wonder the elders warned me not to underestimate the cultivators out there. Those who fought their way through the demon chaos in the Eastern Wilderness really aren’t anything like the guys back in the sect who do nothing but drink and brag.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Ran Feng’s opinion of the Luo Tian Sect gradually changed. It was still a small sect that had relocated from a remote region, but it deserved far more respect than he had expected. Yet precisely because of that, the lingering pity in his eyes actually deepened. Once he delivered the orders he had been tasked with, it likely would not be long before the Luo Tian Sect began to decline....

Before long, he arrived outside a newly built grand hall. A graceful woman was already waiting there, and when she saw him approach, she offered him a graceful bow, then extended her hand toward him—she was holding the identity token he had tossed out earlier. ”I am Yao Mingyue, leader of the Luo Tian Sect. It is an honor to welcome an envoy from the Five Elements Divine Sect.”

Compared to the domineering Dragon Fiend, the Luo Tian Sect’s sect leader was far more humble. If Ran Feng had come here before seeing the mountain’s formation and Zeng Yilong’s strength, he might have dismissed that humility as weakness. Now, however, he no longer dared to carry himself with the same overbearing attitude. He accepted the identity token and introduced himself properly. ”I am Ran Feng of Divine Fire Peak, disciple of Adept Flame Cloud and grand-disciple of Sage Divine Fire!”

Divine Fire Peak? Yao Mingyue’s heart tightened.

Within the Five Elements Divine Sect, the Luo Tian Sect had always maintained the closest relationship with Renowned Sword Peak and Supreme Wood Peak. In fact, Renowned Sword Peak was the division that had arranged for them to settle on this spirit vein. Divine Fire Peak, however, had always been the least friendly toward them. In the past, any communication from the Divine Sect had come through either Renowned Sword Peak or Supreme Wood Peak, yet this time, the envoy had come from Divine Fire Peak instead.

Has something happened?

***

Inside a cave residence on a mountain, Yao Mingyue stood respectfully before a red-robed woman who looked even younger than she did.

”Master, this is what the Five Elements Divine Sect intends.”

The red-robed woman turned around, her expression grave. ”They want our sect to take the lead and join forces with seven major sects to retake the Three Crossings River?”

Yao Mingyue bit her lip. ”Three Crossings River is crawling with second-tier demonic beasts, and there are more than a dozen Demon Kings there. Worse, several fallen immortal cities are nearby. The moment we attack, the Demon Kings stationed in those cities will swarm out. We’ll be caught between two fronts. That’s practically a suicide mission!”

Indeed, the Eastern Wilderness was no longer the land it had been during the age of expansion. The Great Million Mountains had erupted with hordes of demonic beasts; over the past several decades, they had poured into human territory ceaselessly until more than a dozen great regions had fallen. Although the Holy Land, the Nether Origin Sect, had organized repeated campaigns to reclaim them, every victory had been followed by even fiercer beast tides. It was even said that Sages and Demon Emperors had clashed several times as well. And now, the Luo Tian Sect was being pushed to take the lead in one of those battlefields.

Faced with such a development, the red-robed woman fell into a long silence before finally asking in a low voice, ”Did you find out whether this was truly an order from the Holy Land, or merely the Five Elements Divine Sect’s own decision?”

Yao Mingyue hesitated for a moment, then replied, ”The Holy Land usually only decides the overall strategy. Matters like troop deployment have always been left to upper sects like the Five Elements Divine Sect. Ran Feng insisted this came directly from the Holy Land, but...”

She left the rest unsaid, but the meaning was clear enough. The red-robed woman sighed. ”So the Divine Sect has finally decided it can no longer tolerate us occupying this third-tier spirit vein.”

The words left the cave residence in a heavy silence. A moment later, she shook her head and changed the subject. ”Has Lingjun sent back any news from Windflower Palace?”

At the mention of that name, Yao Mingyue fell silent. Qu Lingjun, the Luo Tian Sect’s chief alchemist, had entered Windflower Palace twenty years ago and had not sent back a single message since. Before leaving, he had promised to establish himself there with his alchemy, then find the Luo Tian Sect a safe place behind the front lines of the Eastern Wilderness, where the sect could recover and rebuild.

Yet twenty years had passed without a single word from him.