An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Look here, look there, the days of cultivation shine bright!

”Five spirit stones aren’t much, they can’t buy you an enchanted artifact or a ride.

”Is this pill good or not? Let your partner be the judge.

”Take a Myriad Wonders pill, and enjoy more scenery on your cultivation path.”

Hearing the young man next to him spouting rhyme after rhyme, Chen Xiuping felt more embarrassed than he ever had in his entire life.

He wished he had studied Earth-Cracking when he was younger. If he had, he could crack the ground open right now and bury himself in it.

This was utterly humiliating! Sure, we’re just setting up a stall, but we’re still cultivators, aren’t we? How can we act like ordinary mortals hawking goods without a shred of dignity?

Chen Xiuping regretted it deeply, why had he agreed to share a stall with Luo Chen?

It was only half a spirit stone; he didn’t even need the money.

Casting a resentful glance at Luo Chen, Old Man Chen pleaded, ”Fellow Daoist Luo, could we tone it down a bit?”

”Why tone it down? Didn’t eat enough? Lacking nutrition?

”The other cultivators aren’t hawking their wares like you are!”

Luo Chen replied confidently, ”That’s because they don’t have faith in their products! I’m different. An alchemical formula from a Golden Core Adept, refined by a Grandmaster alchemist personally over a month, how can I not shout to let more cultivators enjoy it?”

Damn, an alchemical formula from a Golden Core Adept? You can lie to others, but have you started believing in your own lies?

However, Chen Xiuping couldn’t argue. After all, the qi-concealing talismans he was selling under the name of Divine Talisman Sect’s Spirit-Concealing Adept weren’t much different.

Why on earth had he fallen for this kid’s nonsense in the first place? Now, he had to share in this disgrace.

As Chen Xiuping’s face turned beet red, more and more cultivators gathered around their bluestone stall.

”What kind of pill is this? Bold claims!”

”Myriad Wonders pill? Never heard of it!”

”What’s this pill for?”

Luo Chen, unhurried and enthusiastic, picked up a jade bottle and began introducing it to the crowd, ”Made with the North Sea jade conpoy and rare demonic beast meat from the Medicine King Sect, and personally refined by a Grandmaster alchemist—this is how this batch of Myriad Wonders Pills came to be.”

As Luo Chen said this, his face remained calm, and his heart didn’t skip a beat.

A Grandmaster at refining a fasting pill would still be a Grandmaster! He could swear to the heavens that his words contained not a single falsehood!

”If you take it, your yang energy will soar, your passion will ignite, and you’ll reach heavenly heights with your partner. This isn’t some devil pill. It fortifies your essence and doesn’t harm your vital energy. In short, one pill brings bliss, two make you a sage, and three will make you rule the heavens and earth!”

The gathered cultivators gradually caught on. This wasn’t some miraculous pill, it was clearly the most popular vitality-boosting pill from the mortal world.

However, this young man’s eloquence was captivating, and the crowd listened with relish. They didn’t quite believe that such a pill would work on cultivators. Some skeptics picked up a bottle, removed the stopper, and sniffed it.

”Does it really work?”

”Authentic and honest, guaranteed fair for all!” Luo Chen vowed confidently.

”But I still want to reach Foundation Establishment and pursue the great path,” the questioning cultivator said, looking determined as if even he believed the nonsense that he had just spouted.

Luo Chen didn’t expose him. Those truly dedicated to the Dao wouldn’t even entertain such thoughts. Instead, he grew even more enthusiastic, this was his target customer!

”Rest assured, as long as you take it in moderation, it won’t break the vital gate, and your vital essence will remain intact.”

”Really?”

”Try it for yourself. At the crucial moment, the essence you release will actually be converted from the pill, not your own energy.”

The cultivator still hesitated. Mainly because there were many onlookers, but not a single buyer yet. As the stalemate dragged on, a chubby man squeezed out of the crowd.

”Fellow Daoist Zeng, long time no see.”

”Hmm, I’ll take five bottles of fasting pills,” Zeng Wen said calmly, tossing out eleven spirit stones.

The surrounding cultivators were stunned, weren’t five bottles of fasting pills just one spirit stone?

”Alright, here are your fasting pills, Fellow Daoist. May you enter the treasure mountain, discover the spirit spring, and achieve great success!”

Luo Chen handed over a handful of jade bottles, about seven in total.

Two of them were unmistakably jade bottles of Myriad Wonders pills.

Zeng Wen, with an indifferent expression, pocketed the bottles and turned to leave the crowd.

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

Then the questioning cultivator quietly said, ”I think I’m out of fasting pills at home too. Give me five bottles.”

After speaking, he took out six spirit stones and happily acquired five bottles of fasting pills, along with one bottle of Myriad Wonders pills as a bonus.

Seeing this, the crowd of cultivators had a sudden realization. In no time, everyone eagerly opened their wallets to buy a few bottles of fasting pills to take home and retreat into secluded cultivation.

After this wave of customers left, Luo Chen took out more pills from his storage pouch.

Old Man Chen, watching from the side, twitched with astonishment, both at Luo Chen’s speed in earning spirit stones and at his rapidly improving alchemy skills.

It had only been a month, and the pills Luo Chen produced were already far more numerous than before.

”Fellow Daoist Chen, with so many customers, why don’t you promote your talismans too?”

Luo Chen casually reminded him while busy and Old Man Chen snapped out of it immediately.

In the past, it had always been Luo Chen taking advantage of his customers, so why was he so slow today?

He opened his mouth and murmured something, but no one heard him. But after a moment, he mustered up the courage and shouted.

”Premium qi-concealing talismans here! Invisible to demonic beasts, undetectable by enemies. You won’t lose out, won’t be deceived, come take a look!”

Luo Chen was startled. Then he gave Old Man Chen a big thumbs-up.

As expected of the man who shares a stall with me, still strong and vibrant in his old age!

Perhaps it was good fortune today, or maybe Luo Chen shouted loud enough, or it could be that the recent skirmishes between the two factions had left the cultivators overly tense.

In any case, sales of the Myriad Wonders pills were excellent today. Even the fasting concoctions he made as a side project were sold out in no time.

By noon, only a few bottles of Myriad Wonders pills were left unsold.

Luo Chen planned to keep shouting until they were sold so he could buy more materials in the afternoon. Before he could finish calling out his pitch, two cultivators with unfriendly expressions stood in front of his stall.

”Luo Chen, is it?”

Luo Chen felt a jolt in his heart, instantly realizing what was happening.

Still, he kept his expression calm and greeted them warmly.

”Fellow Daoist, would you like to learn more about Myriad Wonders pills?”

”We’re not here for pills. Do you know Gao Ting’e?”

Luo Chen shook his head first. ”Never heard of him.” Then, with a curious look, he asked, ”Who is that?”

Duan Sanfu said coldly, ”Gao Ting’e is the younger brother of our boss, Gao Tingyuan. He disappeared a month ago in the southwestern wasteland of the outer district. That place should be quite familiar to you, right?”

”Of course, I’m familiar with it. That’s my home!”

Luo Chen nodded at first, then exclaimed indignantly, ”I was out collecting herbs, and when I got back the next day, my house was burned down! So it was your people who did it? Is there no justice? No rule of law?”

Rule of law? The Dajiang Gang was the rule of law!

Duan Sanfu sneered and exchanged a glance with his companion before clearing his throat.

”We don’t know who burned down your house. But right now, you’d better come with us to meet our boss.”

Luo Chen stepped back cautiously, looking at them warily.

”Can I not go? I feel like you’re going to beat me up.”

”You can’t not go!” Duan Sanfu sneered. ”Our boss is the second-in-command of the Dajiang Gang, only below Gang Leader Wang. If you don’t come, the consequences will be severe.”

In his mind, a mere third stage Qi-Refining cultivator would already be scared out of his wits upon hearing the name Dajiang Gang.

Next, the guy should obediently follow them. However, Luo Chen just shrugged.

”Well then, I definitely can’t go with you to the Dajiang Gang.”

”Huh? Why not?”

”Because my big brother is Wang Yuan!”

Luo Chen said with a wide grin, pointing toward a spot not far away. At a nearby stall, Wang Yuan had already stood up, his cold eyes staring indifferently in their direction.