An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”The Heaven Refiner Cauldron!”

The startled cry rang out in Moon Hermit’s ear just as she finished killing Silent Fate with a finger strike. She had been calmly withdrawing her fair hand, but those words made her pause. ”What did you say?”

The artifact spirit of the Myriad Beast Scroll fell silent for a moment before answering, ”Never mind; I was mistaken. That cauldron only looks like the Heaven Refiner Cauldron, but its tier and power are far from the real thing.”

Moon Hermit let out a sigh of relief. As she had thought, the Heaven Refiner Cauldron really had self-destructed above the Sea of Clouds Plaza not long ago; she had witnessed it with her own eyes. There was no way a second one would suddenly appear. Still, if even the Myriad Beast Scroll’s artifact spirit could mistake it, then the great cauldron above Azure Yang’s head could not be ordinary.

She found herself wanting to observe the battle over there more closely.

To her side, Fairy Jadecold was still clutching her painting, surrounded by beastly phantoms, but her resistance had already weakened.

Moon Hermit looked away from the cauldron and back at her. She let out a gentle sigh. ”Little Sister, stop struggling. Silent Fate is dead, and Blood Nightmare won’t last long against Blood Hermit. Your alliance has fallen apart. The devil sect is gone, and the Penglai Sect will never rise again. But I have founded the Society. Come back with me. From now on, I will protect you.”

Fairy Jadecold remained silent.

Seeing that she had no intention of answering, Moon Hermit shook her head and carefully withdrew the Myriad Beast Scroll. The spirit treasure was powerful beyond doubt, but the drain on her mana was far too great. Even after advancing to the late stage, wielding it remained extremely taxing.

Yes, the late stage! No one in the Northern Sea had expected that Moon Hermit, long regarded as the weakest of the Three Great Hermits, had quietly crossed that threshold and become a true late-stage Sage. In other words, she was now the most powerful of the trio. Mad Hermit had reached the same realm, but he’d long since lost his mind, while the overbearing Blood Hermit had lost three of his Blood God Clones during this expedition and no longer possessed the strength to contend against a late-stage Sage.

With this breakthrough, Moon Hermit had become the strongest rogue cultivator in the Northern Sea.

That was why she had been able to kill Silent Fate so quickly and capture Fairy Jadecold. The might of a late-stage Sage utterly overwhelmed others of the same realm. Even so, the demands of a spirit treasure still exceeded what an ordinary Sage could bear. Thankfully, Fairy Jadecold had stopped resisting, so Moon Hermit also ceased attacking and turned her attention toward Luo Chen’s battlefield.

After only one glance, she let out a soft murmur of surprise. ”That cauldron can actually restrain a Sage’s void displacement ability?”

Before her eyes, the small gray cauldron suddenly radiated five-colored light that spread across the area like silk. Flying Cloud’s Nascent Soul clutched the shattered golden bell as it shifted through the void again and again, yet no matter where he fled, ribbons of five-colored light followed close behind like chains, relentlessly trying to bind him.

At the same time, clusters of azure flame rained down from beneath the suspended gray cauldron. Golden specks shimmered within the flames, making them breathtakingly beautiful, but that beauty concealed lethal danger. A Sage’s Nascent Soul could not afford to touch even the faintest trace of them. Under the double pressure of the five-colored stripes and azure flames, Flying Cloud’s range of movement grew increasingly limited until it became impossible to even activate the void displacement ability.

A hearty laugh rolled across the plaza as the nine-zhang giant clenched his hand through the air, and the countless five-colored ribbons converged in an instant. Flying Cloud’s Nascent Soul was locked firmly in place and could only watch as disbelief spread across his deathly pale face.

Seeing this, Moon Hermit nodded slightly. ”That gray cauldron really is extraordinary. It looks like a top-grade enchanted treasure, and it’s just one heavenly tribulation away from becoming a True Artifact. Once it reaches that level, a Sage’s Nascent Soul exposed before it will have no way to resist.”

As the thought settled in her mind, another question naturally followed. How had Azure Yang refined such a treasure? The Myriad Beast Scroll possessed similar abilities, but it was a spirit treasure and far too demanding to wield. If she could obtain that gray cauldron and refine it just a little further, then...

A trace of greed flashed through Moon Hermit’s beautiful eyes.

Just then, Fairy Jadecold’s soft voice reached her ear. ”Sister, that gray light holds the secret to Heaven Refiner’s advancement into the Dao Integration Realm. Don’t you want it?”

Moon Hermit turned toward Fairy Jadecold at once. ”Really? How do you know?”

Fairy Jadecold met her sister’s gaze calmly. ”This painting isn’t a spirit treasure, but it does have a spirit. It stayed beside the Monarch day and night, so it knows many secrets. I have no reason to lie to you.”

Moon Hermit was still only half convinced, but she did not press Fairy Jadecold further. Instead, she turned to the Myriad Beast Scroll’s artifact spirit, which she had only recently obtained. Faced with her question, the artifact spirit hesitated and gave only a vague answer, and that reaction alone made Moon Hermit’s expression darken.

”You’ve already acknowledged me as your master, yet you still dare hide things from me?”

The artifact spirit answered, ”Every palace has its own inheritance rules. To obtain its inheritance, one must prove worthy and pass the corresponding trial. That gray light is a treasure my former master left for the Alchemy Palace’s inheritor. You should not covet it.”

”Hmph!”

Moon Hermit gave a cold snort and asked nothing more. The artifact spirit’s attitude was enough to confirm Fairy Jadecold’s words. Since the gray light was truly connected to Heaven Refiner’s inheritance, there was absolutely no way she would let Azure Yang take it. Thus, she shot into the sky and flew straight toward the gray light. Moonlight bloomed in ripples about her, and it had a weight to it that compelled all who looked upon it to submit.

Meanwhile, Luo Chen had only just captured Flying Cloud’s Nascent Soul when he saw Moon Hermit make her move, and anger flashed across his face. He had obtained that inheritance only after enduring countless hardships, even losing his body in the process. Yet now, the moment its value was exposed, everyone wanted to reach out and take a share.

Does this world have no justice at all?

Of course, there was no such thing as justice in the cultivation world. At most, the major sects enforced their own rules within their own territories, and the Land of Fallen Devils lay far beyond the reach of any such authority.

Fortunately, Moon Hermit soon discovered that subduing the gray light was not so simple. Without the Myriad Beast Scroll to assist her, she cast several spells and brought out multiple enchanted treasures, but none of them could capture it. Even more troubling, those treasures were clearly extraordinary, yet the moment they touched the gray light, they mysteriously disintegrated. Not only that, but the gray light began spreading outward as if it intended to devour Moon Hermit herself!

For a time, Moon Hermit appeared remarkably disheveled as she stood in the sky.

Down on the plaza, Fairy Jadecold’s eyes flickered. Nice, she’s tied down for now. If I can just hold out until the teleportation formation activates, I might finally be free of her control.

And that opportunity was already close at hand. She looked towards the two floating palaces that still shone brightly: the Light Palace and the Darkness Palace. Their radiance flickered on and off; it was clear that the inheritors inside were close to completing their trials.

According to the spirit in the painting, once the inheritance trials within the Heaven of Bright Illumination ended, everyone there would be transported back outside.

As for the cultivators scattered throughout the Heaven of the Five Elements, those fortunate enough to find one of the stone houses containing a Spirit Gathering Formation would likewise be teleported out. The unlucky ones, however, would likely remain trapped within the Land of Fallen Devils forever, gradually assimilated until they became no different from the exotic beasts and spirits that roamed the place.

It should happen soon! Fairy Jadecold cried inwardly.

Her hatred for the devil sect ran deep and unrelenting. Although it was the key to her advancement to the Nascent Soul Realm, it was also the source of every humiliation she had suffered during the first half of her life. She hated the Penglai Immortal Sect as well. People from that sect preached righteousness and virtue at every turn, yet when it mattered most, they were more heartless than anyone. As for her own elder sister... Her desire to control others was so suffocating it made Fairy Jadecold sick. If anything, she disliked her sister even more than she disliked the others.

Now that I’ve reached the Nascent Soul Realm, I should finally be free to go wherever I want. I won’t let anyone control me ever again.

As she watched in anticipation, the glow of the Light Palace and the Darkness Palace steadily intensified until it could grow no brighter.

***

”Luo Chen, how are things on your side?”

”I’m fine. My mana is down to barely a tenth of what it was, but I still have enough left to hold off Flying Cloud’s Nascent Soul.”

Enough, perhaps, but only barely. Luo Chen could still keep Flying Cloud trapped for the moment, yet that was all he could do. Moon Hermit was trying to forcibly subdue the gray light right in front of him, and he had no choice but to watch. Even at the peak of his strength, he would never have dared to fight her directly, much less in his current state.

”What about you?”

”The Seagon Matriarch’s cultivation isn’t weak, but she’s no fighter. It’s still quite manageable.”

Just as Han Zhan said, he held an overwhelming advantage over Seagon Matriarch. Seven puppets of unknown origin each wielded one of the Seven Fiend Swords, forming the Seven Fiend Sword Formation that trapped her firmly at its center. At the heart of the formation sat the Sage-level puppet personally controlled by Han Zhan that sealed off any chance of escape.

As Luo Chen watched, it struck him that Han Zhan still had strength to spare. It seemed he had also obtained tremendous benefits within the Heaven of Bright Illumination.

That thought had only just formed when Luo Chen’s attention was dragged back to the sky. Moon Hermit suddenly turned around and unfurled the ancient-looking scroll again. From inside it protruded an enormous elongated mouthpart like that of a mosquito, and all traces of her former elegance had vanished from her face, replaced by sheer fanaticism. She was forcefully activating the spirit treasure that had only recently acknowledged her as its master, determined to seize the gray light at any cost.

That mouthpart seemed to be the proboscis of some unknown beast, and whatever ability it possessed, it could briefly resist the gray light’s refining power. If this stalemate continued...

Damn it... I’m still too weak after all!

Luo Chen clenched his fists, unwilling to accept it. He had defeated Flying Cloud, but even that was not enough to deter Moon Hermit, and there was no way he could fight her. If things continued this way, the opportunities he had obtained in the Heaven of Bright Illumination would be greatly diminished. Not only had he failed to obtain the Transcendent Spirit Treasure, but now even the mysterious gray light was about to be taken by someone else. Added to that were the Five-Spirit Dao Body he had gained only to lose immediately, his destroyed Nascent Core, the gravely injured Heavenjade, and Black King, whose fate remained unknown...

Luo Chen’s breathing grew heavier.

Suddenly, a faint voice came from the Primordial Unity Cauldron. ”How could you lose focus at a time like this?”

Luo Chen was startled and instinctively poured the little mana remaining in his Golden Core into action. However, it was already too late.

In the void, Flying Cloud’s three-inch Nascent Soul, still bound by the five-colored ribbons, raised the shattered golden bell. With utter resolve, he sent a stream of mana onto it, which caused the damaged golden bell to swell violently and forced the five-colored ribbons apart.

Under Luo Chen’s furious gaze, the golden bell exploded. The force of a True Artifact’s self-destruction formed a small storm that spread outward with Flying Cloud’s Nascent Soul at its center. Luo Chen was the closest and took the blast head-on. His massive body staggered backward beneath the impact, while the Primordial Unity Cauldron was sent spinning through the air, as faint cracks began spreading across its surface.

Pfffttt—

With his life-bound enchanted treasure damaged, Luo Chen’s divine soul was wracked with unbearable pain, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Yet even that blood was instantly scattered and erased by the raging storm.

Across the Sea of Clouds Plaza, Blood Hermit and Han Zhan were forced to pause their separate battles and use their own techniques to withstand the impact.

Blood Hermit’s expression turned especially ugly. Even a half-dead man managed to turn the tables on him. What a useless bastard!

But how could he have known that this was Luo Chen’s first time using the Primordial Unity Cauldron to capture a Sage’s Nascent Soul? After completing the Nirvana of the Flesh, his once-boundless mana had mysteriously vanished, and he was now unable to properly control the cauldron.

Of course, even if Blood Hermit knew all this, he would only mock Luo Chen for lacking combat experience, and Luo Chen had no mind to explain himself anyway. He was shocked by Flying Cloud’s decisiveness in detonating a True Artifact, but even more furious at himself for being distracted.

”You’re courting death!”

With a fierce shout, Luo Chen forced himself against the storm. The crimson origin energy surged from his body and condensed into a giant claw that tore upstream through the raging force. This was the Cloud-Seizing Divine Claw, his strongest technique.

Flying Cloud had already suffered the backlash of detonating his True Artifact, and as the one at the center of the blast, he was already on the brink of collapse. The crimson claw forced its way past the storm’s impact and the jagged fragments of the golden bell, and plunged straight into the eye of the storm as it grabbed toward the three-inch figure whose face was already drained of all color.

Flying Cloud’s Nascent Soul still struggled and desperately and frantically released the sword orb to pierce countless holes through the incoming claw. Yet it was still... completely futile!

Luo Chen grinned savagely. Ignoring the intense pain in his divine soul, he forced the enormous claw to close around both the sword energy and the three-inch Nascent Soul. Then, he squeezed.

”FAAAAAATTTHHEEEEEERR!!!”

A shrill scream rang across the plaza. Luo Chen’s savage grin had not yet faded when he raised his head with a vicious glare.

Before the gates of the Light Palace stood a woman in a white dress and a golden crown. She covered her mouth and tears filled her eyes while she stared at the scene below. At the same time, another palace gate opened, and a man in fitted black clothing stepped out from within the Darkness Palace. His features bore a strong resemblance to Flying Cloud’s, and from several hundred li away, he fixed his gaze on Luo Chen.

The opening of the Light Palace and the Darkness Palace meant that the inheritance trials of the Heaven of Bright Illumination had finally reached their end. The inheritors of the Alchemy, Slave, Light, and Darkness Palaces had all successfully received their inheritance. Although something unexpected had happened on Luo Chen’s side, the trials still had to end as planned and could not be postponed.

At that moment, the Spirit Gathering Grand Formation that had operated for twenty years suddenly reversed, and with its reversal, the Heaven of Bright Illumination lost its source of light. The thirteen suspended palaces, along with the ruined Alchemy Palace, began to fall like dying stars. Their brilliance faded as darkness spread, swallowing the entire realm and transforming the Heaven of Bright Illumination into the Heaven of Night Illumination.

Amid this overwhelming shift, the Sea of Clouds Plaza rumbled and rose upward through the encroaching darkness.

The teleportation formation had activated!

Luo Chen withdrew his hand and recalled the damaged Primordial Unity Cauldron. Just as the cauldron shrank and flew back toward him, he noticed a streak of gray light chasing close behind it. A moment later, the gray light entered the cauldron

”Huh...”

”That belongs to me!” Moon Hermit’s cold voice drifted through the darkness as she ignored the Sea of Clouds Plaza’s teleportation and charged straight toward him. As she rapidly closed the distance, Luo Chen’s face turned livid, every muscle in his massive body tensing as he prepared to brace himself for one final struggle.

Suddenly, Han Zhan’s voice rang in his ear.”Fall back!”

Luo Chen grasped the situation immediately. He swallowed the shrunken Primordial Unity Cauldron along with the gray light inside it and rapidly retreated. Abandoning any thought of continuing the struggle, he turned without hesitation and retreated at full speed.

At the same time, a massive black shadow swept past him with the force of wind and lightning. It opened its mouth and spat out a huge, glowing energy orb that flew toward the pursuing Moon Hermit.

Only then did Luo Chen manage to catch a clear glimpse of the shadow. A tiger?

Before he could think further, Han Zhan had already arrived beside him. ”Let’s go!”