An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Amitabha!” the Wrathful Vajra said in his deep voice. ”Your sound technique may not be as refined as my Furious Thunder Lion Roar, but its raw power is definitely not inferior.”

Their first true exchange was the collision of soundwaves. On the surface, Luo Chen had been at a disadvantage, but that was only natural since he was not skilled in such techniques. If anything, the fact that his hastily uttered shout had blocked the opponent’s well-prepared attack demonstrated who was actually stronger.

”From here on, you’d better be careful!” The Wrathful Vajra raised both hands toward the sky. His aura rose and fell as ocean tides, and biting gales gathered around him. A nine-ring staff materialized from thin air and settled into his grip.[1]

Meanwhile, somewhere in the sky, Heavengazer opened his mouth and breathed out. A small sword flew out and circled through the air like a fish swimming through a pool.

Just as the two of them were about to attack, a voice rang out, ”I want that little cauldron too!”

The Wrathful Vajra’s momentum faltered at Xiang Qi’s greed.

Everyone could tell the little gray cauldron possessed astounding abilities. If Luo Chen’s own capability was half the reason he could handle illusory beasts so easily, then the little cauldron accounted for the other half.

He really is too greedy. He wants both the pill and the cauldron so that it’s easier for him to hunt illusory beasts later. Oh well, what can I say... As his Dao Protector, it’s my duty to do everything I can to satisfy his demands while we’re in the pocket world.

Just as his thoughts were swirling, he heard a deafening roar. Next thing he knew, his fierce eyes reflected a weathered yet handsome face.

How is he so fast?!

Shoulders back, elbows out to the side, charging forward with unstoppable force—it was the Mountain-Smashing Form from the Six Forms of Extreme Mountain! Luo Chen rammed into the Wrathful Vajra as if he intended to use this physical combat technique as a payback for what his opponent had just done moments before.

KABOOM!

The golden figure was sent flying several li like a metal ball. Even as he tried to steady himself in midair, he still staggered.

Luo Chen chuckled at the sight. ”You really shouldn’t get lost in your thoughts in the middle of a fight.”

He stomped his foot, using Voidburst Step again. Leaving a myriad of afterimages in his wake, he appeared just a few zhang above the Wrathful Vajra, close enough to see the look of shock and anger on the man’s face without using his Spirit Eyes.

”I’ve heard that Buddhist cultivators excel in body tempering. In that case, this is the perfect opportunity to test the strength of a fourth-tier Physique Refiner for myself! I trust you won’t disappoint me!”

With these hopeful words, Luo Chen dove down. He was like a mountain falling from heaven as he blasted through the gale caused by the Wrathful Vajra’s aura.

In response, the Wrathful Vajra’s left palm struck the ground while his right hand thrust the staff upward. A strange sound rang out.

Dun!

Luo Chen landed with his toes on the tip of the staff. Just as he was about to stomp it down, he heard someone shout, ”WATCH OUT!”

A flying sword was shooting toward Luo Chen from what seemed to be a blind spot, but Fu Qinglan’s warning was redundant; he had been on guard anyway. Without even looking back, he made a grabbing gesture, using the Cloud-Seizing Divine Claw with practiced ease. The claw manifestation swatted at the sword, but the latter was remarkably agile. It slipped right through the gaps between his fingers without slowing down in the slightest.

Luo Chen raised a brow. ”A slippery flying sword and an eerie mana...”

He formed a seal with both hands and flame rings erupted right in front of the little flying sword, hindering its movements. While it continued forward, its momentum became weaker and weaker.

Ding!

The tip of the sword pricked Luo Chen’s chest with just about the same power as the bite of a mosquito. He looked down and lifted his hand to grab it, but the small sword suddenly withdrew.

High in the sky, Heavengazer was casting hand seals to control the flying sword. ”Be careful! His protective treasure is either a True Artifact or something just as strong!”

”No problem. Watch me break it!” declared the Wrathful Vajra, who had been able to catch his breath thanks to Heavengazer’s timely intervention.

The monk no longer tried to fight Luo Chen’s crushing pressure. Instead, he used it to plunge down and entered the ground smoothly, like a knife slicing through tofu. Then, with a whoosh, a golden streak of light shot out from another spot on the ground a hundred zhang away. Immediately following that, the monk wrapped himself in a thick layer of fortified qi and bolted forward, swinging his nine-ring staff at the opponent.

Ground-Crossing Golden Light Escape? Luo Chen nodded in appreciation. A fusion escape technique of Earth and Metal!Certainly no less impressive than my Voidburst Step. But are you sure you want to clash with me head-on?

With a savage grin, he fearlessly threw his bare palm at the staff.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The noises of metal hitting metal echoed as the two exchanged blows. Golden qi and blood-red origin energy intertwined. Such a close-quarters battle was rare in today’s cultivation world. It lacked the ethereal grace and lightness of immortals casting spells at each other, but it was filled with passion and unbridled spirit.

In just a brief moment, they traded nearly a hundred blows. It was so intense that the onlookers’ eyelids jerked.

Getting impatient, Xiang Qi barked, ”Yu Xu!”

Yu Xu nodded to Heavengazer, and the latter stopped standing idly by. He reactivated his flying sword, conjuring streaks of sword light that struck at Luo Chen from all angles. It really looked like he was attacking with all his might.

Xiang Qi finally let out a sigh of relief. This Wilderness Hermit really is a tough nut to crack. Two Sages are going at him together, one from up close and one from afar, and he still manages to put up a good defense; in fact, he’s fighting back pretty well. Why would such a talented individual sell himself to a second-rate house like the Fu family?

Meanwhile, Luo Chen certainly begged to differ. There was no doubt that the Wrathful Vajra was giving it his all, using a variety of superb martial techniques in succession to go neck-and-neck with him. But Heavengazer, on the other hand, was clearly slacking off!

Heavengazer should have known from their very first clash that his flying sword could not break through the defense of Luo Chen’s Profound Dust Armor, not even with an infusion of mana. Therefore, Luo Chen could tell that he was only pretending to go all out. He was certainly able to fool inexperienced youngsters like Xiang Qi and Yu Xu, but he could not fool the very target of his attacks, who was feeling no pressure from him at all.

In other words, the only real opponent Luo Chen had to face at the moment was the Wrathful Vajra.

”GOLDEN FORTIFIED SLASH!”

A furious roar rang in his ears as the bald monk imbued his staff with berserk fortified qi, raised it high, and swung it down like a blade.

Luo Chen’s expression turned serious. He gathered origin energy and unleashed a punch to counter the staff.

BOOOM!

This time, it was his turn to be sent flying. But in the process, his ten fingers rapidly tapped the air, shooting out needles of blood-red origin energy to repel the opponent. When he landed, the flying sword approached again. Unfazed by its sharpness, he simply flicked it away with a finger.

With that, the battlefield lurched into silence, as if time had rewound to the initial moment when neither side had encroached upon the other. Everyone held their breath and focused intently. Even the usually talkative and arrogant Xiang Qi was quiet—he was aware that his abrupt demand earlier had disrupted the Wrathful Vajra’s momentum and allowed Luo Chen to gain the upper hand.

Fu Qinglan, for her part, also refrained from issuing any more warnings. She had realized that it was not her place to instruct the battle-hardened Luo Chen. The only thing she could not figure out was why he, despite being so skilled at a wide variety of spells, had not utilized them at all during the heat of battle. Was it that he couldn’t, or was it that he didn’t want to?

In the field, Luo Chen patted his chest. Dust rained down from his robe, yet he showed not the slightest sign of distress. His gaze swept back and forth between the Wrathful Vajra and Heavengazer. Then, he said leisurely, ”Fourth-realm Physique Refinement cultivators are nothing special, or so it seems. I have to say, you’re not really showing me the might of the Flawless Golden Body described in the ancient texts!”

The Wrathful Vajra glared at him but offered no retort.

The four tiers of Physique Refinement were Vajra, Blood River, Furnace, and Flawless. Upon reaching the fourth tier, the cultivator’s fortified qi would stay completely concealed inside their body; they would also seal up their vital energy so that nothing escaped or leaked. As a consequence, there would be no grand displays in battle. The focus was on increasing the concentration of one’s power so that it was difficult for the enemy to withstand it. ℯℯ𝑙.

The Wrathful Vajra had indeed not attained the Flawless Tier proper, as evidenced by the way his fortified qi had leaked out during battle. The reason he had been able to reach the fourth realm of Physique Refinement without having the Flawless Golden Body was related to his obsessive pursuit of a solid foundation.

While in the first realm, he had pushed his body to the limits and thus acquired the Great Vajra Physique too early. His title was obviously testament to his incredible physique, but fate was not without its ironies—what made him great was also his greatest failure. Although he had forcibly advanced to the fourth tier, he was unable to achieve that famous Flawless Golden Body and contain his vital energy.

This was, in fact, the main reason he had accepted the Xiang family’s offer and traveled untold thousands of li to the Central Continent to participate in this grand competition. He wanted to obtain a Daoist physique refinement technique from the Xiang family. By fusing Buddhist and Daoist practices, he hoped to fix the shortcomings of his Golden Body.

He had never thought that this so-called Wilderness Hermit would possess such a keen eye and such vast knowledge. He had figured out the problem after just a few brief moments of combat.

Seeing his opponent keep glaring at him without a word, Luo Chen shook his head and turned to the black-robed cultivator standing in the sky.

”I heard that cultivators from the Southern Frontier are very good at utilizing Gu. In fact, I thought that you people use Gu not only in cultivation but also in combat, yet I haven’t seen you employ anything of the sort, fellow Daoist. Your evasive style is quite disappointing!”

Heavengazer said hoarsely, ”It’s in your best interest that you not see me employ them.”

Luo Chen blinked. ”Alright then, keep your secrets.”

As soon as he said that, his Nascent Soul Domain launched with a loud rumble. His dense, dry, and hot spirit energy pressed down so heavily that everyone could barely breathe. He overwhelmed the entire field by virtue of his mere aura!

Without wasting a moment, he leaped up and flew high into the air. In his line of sight, the Wrathful Vajra’s fortified qi burst out and broke him free from the domain’s suppression. The monk then turned into a golden beam that shot toward Luo Chen. At the same time, Heavengazer activated his own Nascent Soul Domain. He then lightly flicked a finger, and his small sword vanished. The sword itself was no longer visible, but its power permeated the air to the point that it felt omnipresent!

”Alright, let’s end this,” Luo Chen muttered under his breath.

Behind him, a pair of splendid wings unfolded, and a colossal Fire Phoenix soared into the sky. The azure flames swirling around its tail feathers swept across the sky. This was the fourth-tier fire-element spell Fire Phoenix’s Prairie Blaze after Luo Chen had practiced it to the Grandmaster level!

1. The khakkara, sometimes called a pewter staff in English, is a staff decorated with a large ring at the top, with multiple smaller rings hanging from it. It started off as a travelling item meant to scare off animals with its chime, but it then became a ritualistic implement used to keep the rhythm while chanting sutras. ☜