Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

Author’s Note: The price of this chapter is higher due to it being longer than regular chapters. [

In the Divine Thunderforge Realm

A man rushed through the hallways of Stormfront, his hair standing on end as he did so. Electrical charge built up around his body, and every so often it discharged into the surrounding walls, creating small sparks that crackled softly.

The man finally arrived at a massive metal door. The guards standing by announced his arrival.

”Reverend Thunderflash has arrived, Your Majesty.”

”Come in.”

As soon as he received permission, the man named Thunderflash pushed open the door and walked into the gloomy hall, lit only by the occasional flashes of lightning from the windows.

The Storm God, Quickstorm, sat in his seat with his head leaned against his hand in a leisurely manner.

”It must have been something important for you to rush all the way here, Thunderflash,” the Storm God said. ”Go ahead and tell me why you are here.”

The man nodded fervently. ”We’ve found him, Your Majesty. The young alchemist who escaped from Hell-he has been spotted.”

The Storm God’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he gave a gentle nod. ”I had a feeling that might be the case,” he said.

The Reverend appeared surprised. ”As expected of Your Majesty. You already knew.”

”I only knew he had been moving around a lot lately. He was bound to be found sooner or later,” the Storm God said. ”Has he been

captured?”

”No, not yet,” the man said hesitantly.

The Storm God frowned. ”Why not? Are the Divinities not enough to capture him?”

”It’s not that they can’t capture him, but that they aren’t allowed to,” the Reverend explained. ”The young man is currently in the Sacred Lotus Dominion, and both rulers of that world are giving him asylum. No one dares to go against them while he is within that realm.”

The Storm God’s eyes narrowed, his anger flaring. ”Do Soulmother and Moonspirit think they can go against my command?” he asked. ”When exactly did they grow so insolent?”

The room quaked along with the Storm God’s anger.

”I beg Your Majesty to calm down,” the Reverend quickly said. ”There is more to this. I fear those two gods may be acting against their will.” The Storm God paused, looking puzzled. ”What do you mean?”

”The Sword God-er, I meant to say Daoist Bladedance-was spotted in the Sacred Lotus Dominion as well. From the reports, she may be close to the young alchemist. While their relationship is unclear, some even claim he might be her disciple.”

The Storm God’s expression remained calm, but it was the calm before the storm.

”Bladedance,” he said in a low voice. ”She disappears for thousands of years-more than even the Divination God-and the moment she returns, she is with this young man? How is that possible?”

The Reverend could offer no answer.

The Storm God closed his eyes for a moment, his mind entering the white space of the Heavens. He posed his question and soon received

an answer.

It wasn’t entirely clear, but it was enough.

”I see,” he said slowly. ”She must have been in Hell as well.”

He thought about the new Sword God and how he had appeared so suddenly. He remembered the teleportation talisman to Hell and how it might have been used.

The pieces fell into place.

”I always knew someone had helped him escape,” the Storm God said. ”And now we have our answer.”

He stood up from his seat for the first time in a long while, issuing orders not only to the man before him but to many others waiting to hear his command.

”You can stop the hunt for the young alchemist,” Quickstorm said. ”I

will deal with him myself.”

******

In the Celestial’s Cradle

Ashmaker strode out of his magnificent palace, wearing a half-burned red and yellow robe. His short hair was red, tipped with yellow at the ends. A large crown rested upon his head, radiant and ornate.

One could not find a more impressive crown even after searching through every palace in every world.

He had been informed that someone sought an audience with him, so he made his way to the garden in the palace’s backyard. Thousands of different plant species filled the space, forming beautiful patterns with their vibrant colors.

As he walked past the flowers, they bent away from him, as though they could not withstand the heat radiating from his body. If they stayed too close, they would turn to ash.

Ashmaker’s destination was the center of the garden, where a gazebo stood with a single person inside. While the rest of the garden was bright and warm, the area around the gazebo was covered in a thin layer of snow.

”You do know it’s not proper etiquette to display your elements in another god’s domain, right?” Ashmaker asked as he approached. Inside, a lone woman sat, her face hidden behind a veil. Her body was draped in a soft blue robe, partially obscured by the cold mist surrounding her.

”My apologies for my rudeness, but I am performing a small experiment at the moment. I hope you can tolerate it,” she replied. As soon as Ashmaker stepped into the gazebo, the snowflakes vanished. The frost melted within moments, leaving behind only

damp ground.

Ashmaker grinned. ”It appears I have no intention of indulging your experiment,” he said, crossing his arms. ”So, what brings the Winter God to Emberhearth?”

The Winter God, Snowchild, remained silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. ”I have come because I require your assistance,

Fire God. I hope you can help me.”

”Me?” Ashmaker asked, amused. ”I’ve never known you to ask for anything since becoming a Half-God. I must say, I’m honored.”

Snowchild ignored his tone and continued.

”I am going to confide in you about something, and I hope you will

keep it secret,” she said. ”Lately, my power as a Half-God has been diminishing, and I do not understand why. I was hoping you could help me understand what is happening.”

Ashmaker studied her with a curious glint in his eyes.

”Before I answer, may I ask why you came to me?” he said. ”Why not

any of the other gods?”

Snowchild looked at him directly. ”Because the Celestial’s Cradle is only a single teleportation away from my Eclipsing Heaven Realm.”

Ashmaker raised an eyebrow. ”That’s the only reason?”

”What other reason could there be?” she asked.

He burst into laughter. ”You mean to say it’s pure coincidence that

you chose me among all Half-Gods?”

Snowchild narrowed her eyes. ”I fail to understand your reaction.”

Ashmaker’s laughter faded. ”Well, you see... I am facing the same

problem.”

”Meaning?”

”Meaning I, too, am growing weaker as a Half-God.”

Snowchild’s eyes widened. ”Is that true? How is that possible? Are all Half-Gods weakening?”

Though unlikely, she hoped it wasn’t just her.

”I’m afraid not,” Ashmaker said. ”From what I understand, only you

and I are affected. None of the others have reported anything similar. But setting that aside... you must already have an idea of what’s happening, don’t you?”

”You mean there is a Celestial out there who wields my element so

profoundly that others now see them as its pinnacle?” she asked. ”That was my first thought. But there is no one like that.” Ashmaker shrugged. ”It’s the only explanation that makes sense.

There is someone out there-perhaps even two-who are gaining recognition as the true embodiment of Fire and Ice. I don’t understand how we haven’t noticed them until now, but that must be

the truth.”

”Then... there is only one way to resolve this, isn’t there?” Snowchild asked.

Ashmaker nodded slowly.

”We must find these rising Celestials... and show them what it truly

means to be gods.”

*******

In the Split Sky Realm.

Woodsbane was a man of small stature but muscular build. There was

a red scar on the left side of his face, going down from the side of his

eyes to his chin. It was a scar from before he became an Immortal, and never did he seek to heal it.

It was a reminder from his first life-and-death battle. He sat high up on the seats of an empty arena with only two figures

battling down below. One was a man with gray hair and the other a younger man with red hair.

The one with the red hair was clearly the weaker of the two, with a weaker cultivation base as well as talent with the axe. And yet somehow, he fought with enough ferocity to make Woodsbane smile.

”I must say, when you said your disciple trained with the axe, I thought you meant that he merely dabbled in it,” Woodsbane said. ”But this is certainly far beyond that. This disciple of yours might not

have the best talent for it, but he understands the true ferocity of the axe. He will go far with a proper teacher.”

The man he spoke to was much larger than him, with broad shoulders

and an older face.

”That is why I brought him over to you, Axe God,” the man said.

The Axe God smiled. ”I must say, you found quite an incredible

disciple. Not only is he a master in formation and alchemy, I now

realize he is great at fighting too. You must be proud of him, Formation Monarch.”

The Formation Monarch nodded. ”Will you train him?” The Axe God didn’t immediately answer, instead choosing to smile a little. He tapped on the floor, letting the seconds slip by.

The Formation God realized what was happening. ”You need something from me.”

”You have quite astute observation skills,” Woodsbane said. ”I do need

something small from you.”

The Formation God sighed. ”What do you need from me?” ”That depends on your answer to this question. What do you think

about the war on the horizon?” he asked.

”It’s unclear if there will even be a war. What can I really think about

it?” the Formation God asked.

”What do you want to happen? Should there be a war or not?” the Axe

God asked. The Formation God frowned. ”I do not know,” he said. ”I have no

interest in taking sides either. With my world being on the frontlines,

if I had to choose, I would choose for there to be no war.”

”So you lean toward the Anti-War faction’s ideologies, huh?” the Axe

God asked. ”I suppose I do,” the Formation God said. ”But I have not joined them.

Neither have I joined the Warmongers. That’s what they’re being called, right?”

”Ouch. That makes them sound rather barbaric,” the Axe God said.

”What’s more barbaric than wanting to bring back wars that killed billions upon billions in the past?” the Formation God asked.

”I suppose you are right,” the Axe God said. ”But, if I had to choose

between the two, I would choose for the war to return.”

”But you’re not a Warmonger.”

”No, I’m not.”

The Formation God frowned. ”I thought you were going to ask me to

join the Warmongers. Why are you even asking me all of this?” ”I’m not going to ask you to advocate for another war,” the Axe God

said. ”But, if you want me to train your disciple, I want to ask something else of you.”

”What is it?” the Formation God asked.

”There they will ask for our input on the upcoming war. Please abstain from choosing either side when it comes to that.”

is likely going to be another Council in the near future where

The Formation God frowned slightly. ”That’s it?” ”That’s it,” the Axe God said.

The Formation God couldn’t see any issues with the request, so he

nodded. ”I shall do as you ask. I shall abstain. I was already going to.”

”Brilliant,” the Axe God said, turning toward the arena down below.

”That’s enough!”

The two fighters stopped suddenly, both turning toward the two

gods.

The Axe God gestured for the other one to leave, before calling the remaining one up to where they were seated.

Aethersage flew up and arrived before the Axe God. ”How did you like my performance, Your Sharpness?” he asked.

”It was... okay,” the Axe God said. ”It wasn’t bad, but I would hardly

call you good with the axe.” Aethersage nodded. He understood as much, which was why he had come here to train if possible.

”Will you accept me then, Your Sharpness?” he asked.

Woodsbane smiled slightly. ”Tell me, why did you choose the axe? Was there any reason?”

”It’s because the axe is unsophisticated,” he answered. The Axe God raised an eyebrow. ”Unsophisticated? I’m not sure that’s

something you should be saying before me.”

”It’s not an insult,” Aethersage answered without showing much fear. ”When I say it is unsophisticated, I mean that there is no flair to using

an axe. No style, only substance. It is brutal in the way it is used. I

raise it up and I slam it down as hard as I can. Do it enough times and

I can win against anyone.”

Woodsbane was taken aback slightly. ”So the axe is nothing more than

a tool to you, huh?” he asked. ”What exactly do you want out of it?” Aethersage had only one answer.

”Power,” he answered. ”Power to defeat anyone”

*****

In the Land of the Blessed Sun

Ravenwing appeared out of a teleportation formation alongside the

few beasts and demons that came from the Mystic Demon Realm. She

was a simple woman among the demons, hardly conspicuous at all. However, that only lasted for mere moments as she immediately flared up her cultivation base, causing the people and beasts in the surroundings to pass out immediately.

She was no ordinary cultivator after all. As one of the Seven Shadows

of the Moon, she was a Celestial.

Her actions led to all the major factions being alerted almost immediately. The Azure Dragon Patriarch was the first to arrive, having teleported almost instantly.

The moment he arrived, Ravenwing drew in her aura. She lifted her veil, revealing a mischievous look on her plain face. On

her forehead was a single horn, while the other one had been cut off.

The Azure Dragon Patriarch didn’t immediately speak to her. He recognized her quite well after all, so he waited, lest the woman decided to go on a rampage right there.

The others arrived not long after, along with a few other Celestials as well. Once most of them were gathered there, the Azure Dragon Patriarch took charge of the situation and stepped up. ”Daoist Ravenwing, why have you come to our realm to make such a

scene?” he asked.

The woman kept her smile. ”My apologies, but I found this to be the

easiest way to gather all of you. Who knows how many years I would’ve had to wait if I had done things the proper way.” The others let out low grumbles, but they could not deny that what

she said was indeed true. Had she gone through the proper channels

to get

them all together, it was unlikely she would have done so in less

than a few months’ time at the very earliest. ”Then you must need something,” the Vermilion Bird Matriarch asked.

”Why don’t you tell us what it is you want?”

”I intend to,” Ravenwing said. ”Will you be willing to host another

meeting between the humans and the demons?” The several beasts were quite surprised. ”You want to meet with the humans? Again?” the snake half of the

Black Tortoise Matriarch asked.

”Whose order is this?” the White Tiger Patriarch asked. ”The Glacial

Sword?”

”Savagesnow? Of course not,” Ravenwing said. ”It is the wish of our goddess. She wishes to meet with the humans to bring peace to the land. Which is why she wishes to converse with the leaders of the humans and the beasts. And what better place to do that than here?” Their expressions changed a little when they heard of the demon’s goddess. All of them knew about that fact, with a few even having met her. It wasn’t surprising that the demons were elated to have their goddess, but it was surprising that they would be willing to bring her

into contact with the humans so soon.

Were they not worried for her safety?

Ravenwing looked through them all. ”Do you need time to talk through this?” she asked. ”If so, do take as much time as you need.

However, please note that Her Holiness has sent a message along with

me to deliver to all the Heavenly Beasts.”

The beasts grew curious. ”What is it?” ”The Moon Goddess is the Phoenix Mother. She is the one through

whom all of you hold your bloodline. She has this one wish to bring peace to the whole world by talking with the humans and beasts at the same time. Is your intention to disappoint her?” Those words were strikingly powerful for the beasts who prided themselves on their bloodline and who they received it from. ”We’ll do it,” the Vermilion Bird Matriarch said without consulting the rest. ”We have our four-family meetup coming up soon. Once we are done with it, we can receive the humans and demons and help them

converse with each other again.”

The other beasts looked at her, but none contradicted her words.

They all agreed.

”Is that how everyone else feels?” Ravenwing asked with a bright smile

on her face.

The beasts nodded. ”That’s incredible!” she spoke out loud in a cheerful voice. ”Her Holiness will be delighted to hear that you’ve accepted it. Thank you.”

”Will you be staying here? Or will you return to the Demon Realm

immediately?” the Azure Dragon Patriarch asked. Ravenwing giggled. ”Are you in that much of a hurry to get rid of me, senior?”

The Azure Dragon merely continued staring. ”No,” she answered once she realized he wasn’t going to react the way

she wanted him to. ”I will not be returning.”

”Then you will be staying. Our palace can welcome you.” ”That’s fine,” she said. ”I have to head over to the human realm now.”

”The human realm?” the White Tiger Patriarch asked in surprise. ”Do

demons even visit the human realms?”

”I’m not going there to visit, but to deliver the message from my

goddess,” Ravenwing explained. ”If they seek peace like we do, then

they’ll have to come.”

The White Tiger Patriarch looked at the others with a strange look. ”Even if you say that, the teleportation formation shouldn’t be active

for another half a decade,” he told the woman.

”I see,” she said, slightly taken aback. ”In that case, would you mind if I

were to accept your offer of hospitality?”

In the 3rd Major Spirit Realm

A man sat on an outdoor chair, overlooking the fields where several

crops grew. There was a patch of onions and carrots to his left. A large

patch of cabbage grew directly before him. And far to his right were

corns that had grown taller than a person.

He wasn’t the one who had planted these crops. This wasn’t even his

place. However, he felt a need to come here to see if it would help

him understand more about someone.

Beyond the crops lay a tremendous number of trees, and beyond that

was the ’Void,’ an area of intense Qi that could shred anyone below

the Immortal realm.

Even an Immortal could be easily injured if they weren’t careful.

Perhaps only a Divinity would have an easy time getting through it. ”Senior!” someone called out to him. The man turned, watching the person fly down from the sky. Even in

this Qi-less place, people had found ways to get by with spirit stones and the like.

”I have gathered everything you asked me to, senior,” the newly arrived young man said, bringing out a stack of talismans. ”I can’t lie.

There was so much on this person that I thought I would never run out of new things to find. Thankfully, I should have gathered

everything.”

The man nodded, taking the talismans from the young man.

”Did you know beforehand that this used to be his house?” the young

man asked, looking behind at the farm. ”They say this was where he trained as a child and learned the technique to kill even someone as strong as the Dragon Emperor.”

The man ignored the young man’s ramblings and pulled out a storage

The

bag, handing it over to him without a word. young man caught the storage bag, looking into it. At first, when he saw only a few hundred spirit stones, he was disappointed. However, when he realized that the spirit stones were of the Immortal

grade, his mood immediately turned for the better.

”This is incredible,” he said in a low voice. However, even as his heart

beat loudly with glee, he did have a question in his mind.

How had he come by these spirit stones?

On that note, why was he in this area in the first place?

He had no idea.

’Am I forgetting something?”

The man continued walking, now far away from the young man he left

behind. He looked through the talismans one after another, going

through them all in a matter of minutes.

After he was done, he tossed the talismans aside, destroying them

instantly.

”Alex...” he said slowly, as though rolling the name on his tongue.

”Yu Ming.” The name was different, and likely a fake. But it was still

him.

”And now, Dawnblade,” the man spoke in a low voice. ”All these people

are one. The greatest alchemist of the younger generation started in

the lower realm.”

There was no doubt about it now.

man looked up, having landed on a truth that no one else seemed

The

to have

seen. ”He found the book. He learned its content and became an alchemist,”

he said slowly. ”That means, he must be the one who has it. The

message left behind by Littleflower must be with him.”

The truth was obvious to him now, and so was his next course of

action.

”I must find him and retrieve it as soon as I can.”