An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Luo Chen’s Nascent Soul stared at that stubborn glimmer of gold amid the azure flames. Is this really as far as it can go?

A wave of frustration came from the fire sprite. It clearly refused to accept such an ending, and Luo Chen felt the same. After all, they had already come too far to stop here.

After a long silence, Luo Chen made his decision. You’ve been with me for about 200 years. I may have lost a great deal of my lifespan because of you, but also thanks to you, I was able to bring my physique to perfection. You’ve helped me more times than I can count, both in cultivation and in battle. Now that you’ve finally found a chance to attain the Dao, how could I not give you a push?

With his mind made up, Luo Chen withdrew his consciousness from the Purple Mansion and returned fully to his sea of consciousness.

Whoosh!

Luo Chen opened his eyes and summoned a jade box. When he lifted the lid, he saw the Heaven Mystery Pill lie within a halo of white light, radiating an attraction so powerful that even he felt an instinctive urge to swallow it right away.

Had the circumstances been different, he would have taken the pill himself and used it to comprehend the Power of Laws, just as Fu Qinglan and the others had done. If he succeeded, his strength would undoubtedly rise dramatically.

Now, however, he had no intention of keeping it for himself. Instead, he was going to give it to the Withering-Flourishing Fire Sprite!

Luo Chen had thought it through. Or rather, he had simply recognized the reality of his situation. Every True Inheritor of the Dao Sect possessed outstanding aptitude, received guidance from their elders, and had made all sorts of preparations to enter the pocket world, yet even they still struggled to comprehend the Power of Laws. If he consumed the Heaven Mystery Pill, his chances of successfully finding root power would hardly be higher than theirs.

But if he gave it to the Withering-Flourishing Fire Sprite, its chances of advancing to the fifth tier would be far greater. And if it succeeded, the increase in his overall strength would be no less significant than if he had grasped the Power of Laws himself.

More importantly, Luo Chen had good reason to believe this was what the Saint Alchemist had intended from the beginning. During her Ascension, Chu Yan had transmitted a message directly to him—”Your true fire is already on the verge of transforming. With the Heaven Mystery Pill to give it that final push, it should happen soon.”

From the very beginning, this pill had been meant for the fire sprite. With that final doubt settled, Luo Chen no longer hesitated. He swallowed the Heaven Mystery Pill, but instead of refining it with his mana, he guided it directly into his Purple Mansion. The Withering-Flourishing Fire Sprite reacted at once and eagerly enveloped the pill.

At that moment, Luo Chen clearly sensed a large amount of spiritual vitality spreading outward. His Nascent Soul reacted instinctively, clearly drawn to the tremendous vitality, but the fire sprite gave it no opportunity to partake and absorbed every trace of the vitality it released.

He watched helplessly and let out a resigned sigh. ”So be it! So be it!”

There was no point regretting the decision now. He settled his mind and quietly watched the Withering-Flourishing True Fire continue its transformation, hoping that the day of its success would come soon!

***

Seven years later, Shi Ju abruptly opened his eyes inside a secluded cave residence.

”Where are they?”

Qi Xiongcheng stood respectfully nearby, the sleeve on one side hanging empty where his arm had been severed. ”In the far north of the pocket world.”

Shi Ju raised an eyebrow. ”So they fled all the way to the outskirts. No wonder we couldn’t find them before. Are you sure?”

Qi Xiongcheng nodded. ”The news came from Wang Yifu, so it should be. He said there’s something strange about that area. The ground is covered in heavy snow, but the plants are still growing like it’s spring and summer. According to the Dao Sect’s records, such an anomaly only happens when a cultivator cannot properly control root power. Wilderness Hermit seized many illusory cores, so with his help, it wouldn’t be surprising if Fu Qinglan has reached that point.”

Shi Ju fell silent in thought. Root power was among the most fundamental expressions of the Power of Laws. It might seem simple, but actually comprehending it was anything but easy. If Fu Qinglan had only recently comprehended it, some leakage was perfectly normal. The only surprising thing was how quickly she had progressed. Even Gu Daosu had failed to reach that point before his enlightenment was interrupted. If that was the case...

”Let’s go. We’re going north.”

Qi Xiongcheng instinctively touched the empty sleeve beside him. For a Sage, restoring a severed limb should have been simple. Yet for some reason, the arm cut off by that blood sword could not be restored through conventional means. Even after seven years, his missing arm remained a constant reminder of that battle.

Shi Ju noticed the gesture and frowned. ”Are you scared of Wilderness Hermit?”

Qi Xiongcheng immediately shook his head. ”No. It’s just that you’ve already collected enough illusory cores, Young Master. Shouldn’t you be focusing on cultivation now? Why go out of your way to find them?”

Shi Ju’s expression darkened. ”If I don’t go now, they might leave the pocket world before I get another chance. And since when have I ever needed to worry about cultivation? Why are you worrying about it for me?”

Qi Xiongcheng was left speechless. As arrogant as the words sounded, Shi Ju had the strength and talent to justify them. He had never encountered a true bottleneck in cultivation. Even grasping the Power of Laws, something that countless Sages struggled with for centuries and still failed, was little more than an inevitability to him.

Meanwhile, Fu Qinglan could leave at any time once her comprehension stabilized. If she exited the pocket world, Shi Ju would lose his best chance to settle matters with Luo Chen. Once they were outside, everything would have to be handled according to the Dao Sect’s rules.

Qi Xiongcheng understood all of that. Yet as his fingers lingered over the empty sleeve, another thought surfaced despite his reluctance to face it. Am I really scared of him?

Before he could answer, Shi Ju was already walking toward the entrance of the cave. ”Tell Wang Yifu to not make a move until we arrive. He’s no match for Wilderness Hermit. If he alerts them and lets them escape, I’ll hold him responsible.”

Qi Xiongcheng immediately bowed his head. ”Yes.”

***

”Is this the place?”

”It should be. I followed that white eagle all the way here. Look at it. It keeps circling the same area, so it must have sensed its enemy nearby.”

Gu Yuan crouched down and pulled up a withered blade of grass. He rubbed it between his fingers, then frowned. ”No. This is almost completely dead. There’s barely any life force left in it. It doesn’t look like the Root of Wood has touched this place at all.”

Gu Chen was also somewhat puzzled. ”Maybe we’re still too far out. Whatever’s happening might not have reached this area yet.”

Gu Yuan stood up and looked at the enormous white eagle circling overhead. ”Or that beast led us to the wrong place. It’s been thirty years already. Even if Fu Qinglan’s aptitude isn’t anything special, with all those illusory cores helping her, she should’ve comprehended the Dao and left the pocket world long ago. Why would she still be hiding out in these snowy mountains?”

”Why don’t we go a little farther and see?”

”Fine. I’m not in any hurry.” Gu Yuan brushed the snow from his hands. ”I need to look into what’s been happening in the pocket world for the family anyway. And if they really are here, we might get to watch something interesting.”

Gu Yuan did not particularly care either way. After concealing his aura, he followed the white eagle into the mountains shrouded in heavy snow.

Two days later, they came to a stop.

On a distant peak, two men stood side by side, watching them from afar.

”It’s those two from the Lin family.”

”What are they doing here? Did they come looking for Wilderness Hermit too?”

”Hard to say. They could be after the white eagle instead. I heard Lin Jingtang figured out a way to hunt illusory beasts and has gained quite a lot over the years. Maybe he’s decided that eagle is worth the trouble.”

”Forget them. Let’s keep looking.” Gu Yuan turned away. ”If we still don’t find anything, we’ll head back. I’ve more or less finished consolidating my gains anyway.”

With that, they once again continued forward.

In the distance, Lin Bufan and Lin Jingtang watched them with puzzled expressions. As the two from the Gu family pressed onward, the scenery around them became increasingly strange. Although it was still winter, patches of fresh greenery had begun appearing between the snowdrifts. Yet right beside them were stretches of grass and bushes that had yellowed, withered, and died. There was no obvious reason for such a sharp contrast, which only made the landscape feel more unnatural.

Suddenly, Gu Chen stopped in his tracks. His golden robes snapped in the wind as he stepped in front of Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan blinked. ”What’s wrong?”

Gu Chen’s expression was uncertain and uneasy. ”I’m not sure. I just have a bad feeling about this place. If we keep going, I feel like something bad is going to happen.”

A bad feeling? Gu Yuan frowned and spread out his divine consciousness to inspect the surroundings.

Mountains rose and fell around them, some tall and some low, all blanketed beneath heavy snow. There was no one in sight, and aside from the strange greenery, nothing seemed out of place.

After searching for a moment, he withdrew his divine consciousness. ”Keep watch for me.”

He sat cross-legged in the snow and sent out his Nascent Soul. In this state, he became more closely attuned to the surrounding world. Moreover, because he had previously cultivated using illusory cores, he was even more sensitive to the spiritual vitality within this pocket world. Naturally, the most conspicuous presence was the white eagle circling overhead. But aside from the eagle, two other auras stood out.

Gu Yuan’s Nascent Soul returned to his body, and he opened his eyes. ”Found them. I know where the spiritual vitality is gathering.”

But after saying that, confusion appeared on his face. ”Wait... but why are there two of them? Shouldn’t Fu Qinglan be the only one cultivating?”

Unable to make sense of it, he beckoned to Gu Chen and quietly headed in that direction.

After roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, they entered a valley where the snow had begun to melt, and water trickled steadily down the rocks.

They looked up toward a seemingly empty mountaintop, from which a terrifying aura emanated. Gu Yuan swallowed as a possibility surfaced in his mind. Don’t tell me Wilderness Hermit reached enlightenment too?

Before he could investigate further, the white eagle suddenly let out a piercing cry. The surrounding mountains began to tremble. Three figures tore across the sky without masking their aura, and wherever they passed, their mana caused stretches of snowy mountains to collapse.

Then an arrogant voice rolled across. ”Wilderness Hermit, I’ve found you!”

The shout echoed from peak to peak, triggering one avalanche after another.

Gu Yuan drew a slow breath as realization dawned. ”Perfect timing. Shi Ju and the others have come straight to his doorstep.”