An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Three months later, the most tranquil part of Verdant Mountain was bustling with activity.

”Qi Yi, add Cold Marrow Ice Essence!”

”Yes!”

With a jade bottle in hand, Qi Yi leapt into the air and pointed its mouth down toward the big gray cauldron on the ground. As he channeled his spirit energy, one puff of white smoke after another floated out from the bottle. From the smoke, Cold Marrow Ice Essence fell into the Primordial Unity Cauldron while Qi Yi mentally kept track of the amount...

”That’s enough.”

Luo Chen’s reminder rang out just as Qi Yi also gauged that the quantity gone in was just right. He immediately stopped pouring the Cold Marrow.

”Adding the Cold Marrow drastically lowers the temperature of the concoction, while we need higher temperature to let the ingredients fuse and increase the medicinal potency, so this is where we increase the heat. Now, step back, don’t let my true fire injure you.”

After Luo Chen gave this heads-up, the Withering-Flourishing True Fire erupted from him. Qi Yi cautiously retreated to the back and watched Luo Chen’s every move with growing anticipation. The Supreme Elder clearly intended to mentor him, occasionally imparting his knowledge at specific parts.

”The refinement of high-tier pills demands the highest standards in every aspect. Things like the tools, the intensity of the fire, and even the cultivator’s personal mana intimately affect the process. When I first refined the Nascent Soul Pill, my cultivation was only at the late stage of Golden Core. It took me what felt like forever. I had to go bit by bit with utmost care and focus. Thankfully, I’m a Sage now, so we can expect to save quite a bit of time.

”The foundation of your alchemy skills is already quite solid, so that will not be a problem for you. The reason you can’t consistently refine third-tier pills is that one, you don’t have a Sourceless Flame; and two, your spirit energy is lacking. The first part can be easily resolved; you can burn a piece of spirit wood to power in the Flame-Gathering Formation, and then use a fire-control formation to monitor the fire. As for the second... there is only one way, and that is putting effort into cultivating your spirit energy.

”Don’t underestimate the importance of spirit energy cultivation, it’s closely tied to your path to Golden Core! I’ve been training mine for a long time and I’ve gained some insights regarding this, which I’ve compiled into a technique called Spirit Tempering. After we’re done with the Nascent Soul Pill, I’ll give you the manual to study.”

Qi Yi listened with intent, in awe of the fact that Luo Chen had been able to refine a fourth-tier pill for cultivation breakthrough while at the Golden Core Realm. At the same time, he also realized his own shortcomings through Luo Chen’s teachings. His face lit up with joy when he heard about the Spirit Tempering Technique.

After expressing his gratitude, Qi Yi wondered, ”Our last few attempts all ended in failure. Do you think we will succeed this time, Supreme Elder?”

Luo Chen kept a close watch on the situation inside the Primordial Unity Cauldron. His face glowed a rosy hue in the blazing light of the Withering-Flourishing True Fire.

With a calm expression, he replied, ”Whatever the outcome will be, we must first give our all to the process every single time. If one day you come to believe your alchemy skills are sufficient and grow complacent, then the acrid, burnt stench of every next failed batch will be a mockery of you. You must be fully focused the entire time, every single time! Only then will the fragrance of the pill fill the air, and you’ll know that your sweat and effort weren’t in vain.

”Now, pay close attention! Next comes the most crucial part, the three main ingredients. I won’t explain it to you again. How much you learn this time will depend entirely on your aptitude for alchemy.”

At the end of his speech, Luo Chen tossed out a fourth-tier Purple Monkey Flower. He let it suspended in the air, and his ten fingers danced like butterflies as he rapidly formed one hand seal after another. His mana surged with each seal, and one alchemy technique after another was cast, slowly breaking down and melting the Purple Monkey Flower. The result was a cloud of dreamlike purple mist that slowly entered the Primordial Unity Cauldron.

Qi Yi held his breath tightly as he observed the process, seemingly determined to etch every one of Luo Chen’s movements into his memory.

Several days later, Luo Chen landed on the floor gracefully, with a trace of satisfaction in his eyes.

Qi Yi had been holding fast throughout the whole process, without a moment of sleep. His eyes had long turned bloodshot. ”Supreme Elder, have we succeeded?”

Looking up at the massive cauldron, Luo Chen smiled faintly. ”This batch of herbs was probably stashed away in the vaults of the Divine Talisman Sect for too long; their medicinal properties have waned. They need to be simmered for a few more days, until the energy is condensed enough, before we can open the cauldron. But from what I can already tell, this batch has an eighty percent chance of success!”

Qi Yi couldn’t help heaving a long sigh of relief. He had grown noticeably gaunt during the last few days. Refining high-grade pills, even just as an apprentice assisting Luo Chen, was an incredibly demanding task. During this process, however, he had learned a great deal. So long as he properly assimilated what he’d learned into his arsenal, his alchemy skills would undoubtedly take a tremendous leap forward!

”You must be exhausted. Take a couple days to catch a break.”

Qi Yi instinctively nodded, but he immediately had a change of heart. ”I’ll stay and tend the fire!”

Luo Chen smiled. ”That won’t be necessary. We have someone else to take care of this.”

Crisp footsteps then echoed from a corner of the room. Qi Yi looked up to see the red dog puppet, which he had assumed to be a mere laborer tasked with hauling ingredients, silently walking to the base of the Primordial Unity Cauldron and then emitted a brilliant spirit light. From each of its paws, a wisp of the Withering-Flourishing True Fire shot out. This, alongside the firewood and the formations prepared in advance, maintained the fire under the cauldron at a steady intensity.

Qi Yi was visibly astonished. This puppet can actually tend the fire?!

”This should put you at ease. With Red Dog here, the fire won’t fluctuate,” Luo Chen said with a confident smile on his face.

Red Dog contained his strongest split soul, so it knew everything he knew. Its presence alongside the Withering-Flourishing True Fire here was practically equivalent to him tending the fire in person. There was hardly any room for error.

Luo Chen took a green gourd from his storage ring and handed it to Qi Yi. ”This contains Soulsoothe Powder, a third-tier medicine for the divine soul. It’ll help your soul recover from even utter exhaustion, and it’ll even strengthen it a little bit. It’s a foundational product of the Medicine King Sect, and Old Tal was kind enough to let me have the recipe. I concocted this between our sessions, and I was in a bit of a rush, but it should work well enough. Make sure to take some, and then go and get proper rest!”

Qi Yi accepted the gourd with curiosity. He had no idea where Luo Chen had found time to concoct this medicine. Was it while I was preparing the ingredients? But that can’t be... right? The Soulsoothe Powder is a famously precious third-tier medicine. Have the Supreme Elder’s alchemy skills already reached a level where he can produce such a medicine with ease?

”Thank you for your generosity, Supreme Elder!” Qi Yi respectfully said before leaving the alchemy chamber in wonder.

Once the apprentice was gone, all of Luo Chen’s focus settled on the Primordial Unity Cauldron. He made sure that the Red Dog puppet was fully capable of handling the situation, and only then headed to his bedroom.

Back in his room, the first thing he did was check his storage ring. Of the ingredients from Old Tal, a full thirteen sets remained. But if he didn’t use the Five Elements Lotus Pod he’d set aside for himself, he could only refine three more sets.

Well, that’s fine. It won’t hurt to refine a few more Nascent Soul Pills in my spare time.

Luo Chen still had two of them, leftovers from his time on Dragon Abyss Island. Back then, he had raised them to the best of mid-grade fourth-tier Nascent Soul Pills with the help of the Dragon-Nurturing Basin. This time, if he succeeded in refining more, then based on past experience, he reckoned he’d produce about ten pills.

Old Tal had requested a minimum of two Nascent Soul Pills. He hadn’t specified a maximum, but everyone understood the unspoken rule. Luo Chen decided to be generous and give Old Tal three or four, or even five, which would still leave him with plenty—and he had decided to ”forsake his integrity” and keep them. While he didn’t have a personal need for them, his sect certainly did. These fourth-tier Nascent Soul Pills were to become part of the Luo Tian Sect’s foundation!

For the condensation of the Golden Core, he had a stockpile of several dozen third-tier Liquid Condensation Pills. He had also refined some on Dragon Abyss Island after obtaining the formula from Devil Lord Heaven Refiner’s legacy. For Foundation Establishment, Luo Chen had the Imperial Nectar. For Qi Refinement, he had created a complete set of recipes for Spirit Root Pills for all elements. These pills could give mortals without spirit roots at least thirty years to attempt cultivation!

All in all, Luo Chen had collected all the essential breakthrough medicines for getting human cultivators from zero to the Nascent Soul Realm. Together with the cultivation pills and other auxiliary medicines corresponding to each realm, they would allow new disciples to walk a smooth road of cultivation.