An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Life in the Alchemy Hall gradually settled into a steady rhythm, the earlier excitement fading like ripples on a still pond.

Under Gu Caiyi’s efficient leadership, the cultivators had begun to internalize the contents of the Compendium of Hundred Herbs and grasp the essentials of the Flame Manipulation.

Their growing proficiency made them increasingly helpful in Luo Chen’s alchemical work, lightening his work load and granting him more time for his personal cultivation and experimentation.

A month later, far from the familiar stone halls of Crescent Moon Valley, deep within a primeval forest ten li behind the valley, the stillness of morning was suddenly broken.

Rustle, rustle.

A crimson-eyed rabbit bolted from a clump of underbrush, its fur bristling in fear. Something was chasing it—something that made every nerve in its small body scream danger.

Just moments behind, a massive gray wolf—nearly as tall as a man and three meters long—exploded through the foliage like a battering ram. Its bulk tore through vines and saplings with ease, yet it moved with shocking agility.

With a powerful leap, the beast pounced mid-air and snatched the rabbit in one claw. The next moment, its jaws clamped shut, blood and fur vanishing between rows of jagged teeth. After devouring the rabbit, the gray wolf seemed unsatisfied and prowled the forest in search of more prey.

But just as it prowled forward in search of more prey, it froze.

Nostrils flaring, ears twitching, the beast caught a scent. Its head whipped left and right, eyes gleaming warily. Yet no one was visible.

Except... directly ahead, high in the branches of a thick old tree, a young man in moon-white daoist robes sat silently, his gaze locked on the beast below. His breathing was calm, his eyes sharp with thought and anticipation.

A first-tier demonic beast, the Grayleaf Wolf.

Among low-tier spirit wolves, it was particularly dangerous. Its strength was said to rival a late-stage Qi-Refining cultivator, and its regenerative abilities made it a menace even to well-equipped hunting parties. Yet what truly caught Luo Chen’s attention wasn’t its strength—but the fact that it was alone.

That’s strange, he mused, perched calmly on the branch. Grayleaf Wolves are pack hunters. Why is this one moving on its own?

These days, Luo Chen often ventured into the forest behind the Alchemy Hall whenever he had free time. It had become his training ground, a place to sharpen his spells against real-life opponents. Most of the demonic beasts he encountered were weak and easily dispatched. Occasionally, he encountered wolf packs, but he always chose to avoid them. As this part of the forest was considered the outer region of the Howling Moon Mountains. Though the Howling Moon Mountains bordered the Dahe Market, it was not a primary hunting ground for cultivators.

The main reason was that spirit wolves were typically swift and had keen senses, making them unsuitable for hunting. When Luo Chen did encounter wolf packs, he relied on his Proficient level Spirit Suppression and rapid movement to evade them.

But this time... things were different.

”A lone Grayleaf Wolf?” Luo Chen’s lips curled into a faint smile. ”Perfect. A proper opponent.”

Always seeking weaker demonic beasts for practice would not yield significant improvement. In comparison, a Grayleaf Wolf was a more formidable challenge.

With a thought, Luo Chen flicked his wrist. Seven emerald streaks of light burst forth from his fingers—concealed weapons forged from failed Jade Essence pills, each laced with the deadly Primordial Pearl technique.

The moment he made his move, the Spirit Suppression lost its concealing effect, and the active fluctuations of his spirit power were instantly detected by the spirit wolf.

Woo-woo!

With a low whimper, the Grayleaf Wolf charged forward instead of retreating. In this part of the forest, spirit wolves reigned at the top of the food chain—they had never known fear.

The human before it, with his clean robes and composed expression, didn’t appear particularly threatening. With a powerful leap, the wolf sprang into the air, and a surge of demonic energy rippled outward in all directions.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The seven emerald streaks of light clanged against its steel-like hide and were deflected powerlessly. But Luo Chen’s eyes gleamed as he activated Traction again. The jade blades, scattered across the air and forest floor, suddenly reversed direction and converged mid-flight. In the blink of an eye, they formed a rotating blade formation.

”A Grandmaster level Traction, combined with my spiritual consciousness that’s twice as strong as ordinary cultivators, allows me to control this mid-grade enchanted artifact with perfect precision,” Luo Chen murmured, his gaze sharp and calculating. ”But this alone won’t be enough to subdue a spirit wolf.”

Sure enough, the fully-formed jade blade only managed to leave a few shallow cuts across the wolf’s flanks before the beast roared and swatted the entire formation away with one sweep of its paw. One of the wooden blades dimmed noticeably, likely on the verge of breaking.

But Luo Chen was far from finished. ”However, my techniques go far beyond this.”

He shouted, ”Rise!” as his hand seals shifted in an instant. From the dense underbrush and foliage surrounding them, countless green vines erupted from the ground, lashing toward the spirit wolf like a nest of grasping claws.

The wolf’s crimson eyes flashed with disdain. It didn’t slow down. Each vine that wrapped around its limbs or body was snapped apart in moments. With a swing of its claw, the beast launched multiple yellow-green energy blades, condensed from demonic power, straight at Luo Chen.

Unfazed, Luo Chen’s figure blurred. His enchanted robe billowed as he weaved through the air, gracefully avoiding the deadly slashes. With Carefree Wander and the Wind-Control Seal, he darted between the giant trees with incredible speed and agility. Many of the wolf’s attacks were blocked or scattered by the dense trunks and thick canopy.

Even as he retreated, Luo Chen counterattacked. Fireballs streaked from his hands, exploding in bursts of flame around the wolf. Between them, dozens of multicolored orbs danced—each a Fireball launched with a different rhythm and trajectory using his unique casting method.

The wolf paused slightly, eyes narrowing. This spell—Fireball—was one it recognized. A common trick among human cultivators. Dangerous, yes, but predictable.

They were too slow and couldn’t hit him.

The orbs struck the Grayleaf Wolf one after another, bursting on impact and leaving its steel-like hide battered and scorched. Though not the swiftest among spirit wolves, the Grayleaf Wolf—a creature of wood attributes—was renowned for its durability and exceptional regenerative abilities. It was a beast made for endurance, capable of outlasting most foes in drawn-out battles.

These minor injuries weren’t enough to bring it down. They only served to enrage it further.

The damned human was too fast. Refusing to engage head-on, he danced through the trees like an elusive specter, striking from all directions while never staying still. After dozens of breaths, the Grayleaf Wolf finally stopped, its sharp gaze flicking around. Its primal instincts were filled with frustration—it despised being toyed with like this.

With a low growl, it turned to retreat.

However, just as it turned to leave, its beastly eyes widened, and its tail instinctively tucked between its legs. In its line of sight, the fireballs that had previously missed had subtly formed a circle around it.

”Getting kited all this time must feel awful, huh?”

Unbeknownst to the spirit wolf, Luo Chen had already positioned himself atop a nearby giant tree. His robes fluttered gently in the breeze, his eyes glinting with a sharpness that promised death.

”Let me grant you a dignified end.”

Combine!

With a thought, Luo Chen’s fingers moved with practiced grace, weaving patterns in the air like blossoming flowers. As he moved, threads of spirit power linked the scattered fireballs, guiding them along precise trajectories to converge on the spirit wolf.

Awooo!!!

A desperate, echoing howl tore from the beast’s throat. Bands of earthen-yellow energy surged around its body as it summoned every drop of its demonic power for defense.

Yet, even with such defenses, it stood no chance against the relentless barrage of more than twenty fireballs.

Five breaths later, the forest fell silent once more.

Luo Chen descended from the treetops and landed beside the smoldering crater. Smoke curled lazily from the charred remains of the spirit wolf. He sighed deeply.

”What a waste of such fine fur. If it were intact, it could’ve fetched at least ten spirit stones. The meat alone must weigh over a thousand jin—dozens of spirit stones, gone.”

He stared at the cracked bones and burnt flesh in the pit, mourning the loss of perfectly good materials. ”And those bones... tsk. Why must my hands be so reckless?”

With a groan, Luo Chen shook his head and muttered, ”There go my precious spirit stones.

”Better get out of here. That howl before it died was likely a call for reinforcements. This place is no longer safe!”

Without hesitation, Luo Chen leaped away, disappearing like a great bird into the dense expanse of the primordial forest.

On the way back, Luo Chen reviewed the battle in his mind, dissecting each step and searching for weaknesses. But the more he thought, the more satisfied he became.

After scrutinizing every detail, he found none!

”I really am a combat genius,” he chuckled, brushing a fallen leaf off his sleeve.

This time, he hadn’t used any of his trump cards—no Soul-Breaking Nails, no Fireball Fusion. Just standard techniques: Jade Blade, Entangle, Fireball, Primordial Pearl, Carefree Wander, and Wind-Control.

Even so, his kiting strategy had allowed him to defeat a beast on par with a late-stage Qi-Refining cultivator.

From start to finish, the rhythm of the battle had been under Luo Chen’s control.

Especially the final maneuver—encircling the wolf with fireballs and detonating them in unison—it left Luo Chen more than satisfied.

”The Flame Manipulation truly elevated the Fireball technique,” he murmured. ”What was once Blazing Fireflies is now far more agile and unpredictable.”

He grinned. ”If it were Big Brother Qin, he might’ve underestimated the situation and taken serious damage.”

And then there’s the Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers hidden technique. Using the Primordial Pearl, I launched Jade Essence discarded pills, treating them as single-use explosive items. In concentrated bursts, they rival normal enchanted artifacts in power. What’s more, they don’t require sustained spirit power manipulation.

If used against cultivators, the effect would likely be even better! The Jade Essence discarded pills were inherently useless, but their composition included first-tier material Washed Jade, making them exceptionally durable.

When detonated, a single bead’s power was limited. However, using the Primordial Pearl to detonate dozens or hundreds at once produced devastating results.

As Luo Chen pondered these matters, he felt his gains over the past month had been extraordinary!

The Entangle, one of his earliest-learned skills, had finally reached Grandmaster level. Though lacking in offensive or defensive power, it excelled at hindering and restraining enemies.

The Spirit Suppression had reached Proficient level, far surpassing the minor accomplishment Chen Xiuping had once achieved. Even the keen senses of the spirit wolves failed to detect him initially.

As for his Heal at Skilled level and Mountain Cleaving Monument Breaking Palm at Proficient level, he barely gave them a second thought.

Due to the continual improvement of these techniques, his achievement points had soared to nineteen.

With multiple techniques at Grandmaster or Perfection level and his refined kiting combat style, Luo Chen was confident he could now handle most late-stage Qi-Refining cultivators. Should he advance to the seventh stage of Qi-Refining, he would fear no ninth stage cultivator lacking a superior enchanted artifact.

”Perhaps only those experts with supreme-grade artifacts from the Debate Platform could pose a threat to me!”

Luo Chen recalled the scene of the deadly clash among eighteen cultivators: the eerie array flags, fragmented enchanted treasures, sword orbs, blood-path techniques, Qin Liangchen’s self-destructive tactics, and Wang Yuan’s formidable physique.

He could only shake his head and sigh.

Those were simply not things ordinary ninth-stage Qi Refinement cultivators could possess. It could only be described as a showdown of the wealth and resources of two major factions, backed by their Foundation Establishment cultivators!

Where would ordinary Qi-Refining cultivators get supreme-grade defensive daoist robes or supreme-grade flying swords?

As Luo Chen mulled over these thoughts, he flew into Crescent Moon Valley.

As soon as he entered the Alchemy Hall, Sikong Shoujia approached him.

”Hall Leader Luo, the main hall has notified us about a meeting. Do you think we should head over?”

”A meeting?” Luo Chen’s eyes lit up as he waved his hand dramatically.

”Let’s go!”