An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

A single clap of spring thunder brought a refreshing spring rain. The lively rain swept away the snow on the mountain cliffs, merging into streams that trickled downward.

In Crescent Moon Valley, cultivators of the Medicine Hall emerged from their pavilions in high spirits. With laughter and light steps, they dismantled the winter spell formations—those that kept the area perpetually temperate even in the dead of cold. At last, the harsh season had passed, and spring had arrived in earnest.

This winter had been unusually comfortable for the Medicine Hall. The reason? Their industrious neighbors at the Alchemy Hall. While the pills refined there raked in a fortune, it wasn’t just the pills themselves that brought in profit. A significant chunk came from the auxiliary materials—herbs and resources—that were purchased directly from the Medicine Hall.

Even at discounted internal prices, the sheer volume of business was enough to let the Medicine Hall’s cultivators enjoy a season free from worry.

As Luo Chen once said, this was the formation of an industrial chain.

The high-end industry, Alchemy Hall, drove the low-end industry, Medicine Hall, creating a win-win industrial chain.

However, this industrial chain was still far from perfect. For example, the sources of primary materials and the consumption of other items still relied on external procurement.

In contrast, top-tier sects like the Medicine King Sect had likely built a fully integrated supply chain. From the growing of raw materials, to deep processing, pill production, assembly, distribution channels, and even after-sales service. There might even be dedicated test subjects for medicines and pills, specialized research institutions, and external market expansion departments.

So many elements were not something a small faction like the Poshan Gang could accomplish independently. Even ordinary small sects couldn’t manage it.

Only a sect like the Medicine King Sect, with its formidable martial strength to dominate opponents, abundant low-tier manpower, and most importantly, control over an entire territory, could accomplish such a feat.

The Medicine King Domain spanned tens of thousands of li from east to west, with its vast territory teeming with high-grade spirit fields.

Standing at the cliff edge of the Alchemy Hall, with the chilly spring breeze brushing past him, Luo Chen let his thoughts wander.

If one day he could command such a grand power, how triumphant and carefree would life be!

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, Sikong Shoujia approached, a strange object wrapped in ice carried reverently in both hands.

”Whose hand is this?” Luo Chen asked, raising a brow.

”A little gift,” Sikong said with a faint smirk. ”Shan Xiu.”

Luo Chen blinked, expression unreadable. ”The rogue cultivator who ambushed me?”

”Yes. What do you think, quite a surprise, isn’t it?”

Luo Chen looked at him with a strange expression, showing no trace of surprise. ”If you’d brought me a severed head, I’d be happy. But just a hand, not even an arm? You think I’m impressed?”

Sikong Shoujia, somewhat dumbfounded, said, ”A ninth-stage Qi-Refining cultivator, and one skilled in combat at that, isn’t so easily killed. This hand only came to us because the Gang Leader issued a bounty at Snow Lotus Market. It cost him a substantial reward.”

Luo Chen scolded him in frustration. ”If you knew his whereabouts, why alert him? Couldn’t you send enough people to obliterate him?”

”But Snow Lotus Market isn’t our territory. It’s not that simple to send people there!”

”You!” Luo Chen took a deep breath and waved his hand. ”Alright, just take it away. It’s creepy to look at.”

A cultivator who contends with the heavens, creeped out by a severed hand? Sikong Shoujia opened his mouth, genuinely surprised by Luo Chen’s reaction.

He had thought Luo Chen would be thrilled. However, by the time the morning’s alchemy session ended and he saw the number of Jade Essence pills produced, Sikong Shoujia felt relieved.

Production had returned to forty percent! It seemed Luo Chen was pleased after all; his alchemy had improved significantly.

Ignoring Sikong Shoujia’s knowing smile, Luo Chen went to the small pool to wash his hands. The reason for today’s high pill success rate was actually quite simple.

After enduring the pain of stimulating six acupuncture points simultaneously the previous night, he could now tolerate the discomfort caused by stimulating just one or two during normal activities.

Naturally, his performance in alchemy returned to its usual standard. In fact, he had even secretly pocketed a few top-grade Jade Essence pills earlier.

Now that the Long Spring Art had reached Perfected Mastery, it offered the benefit of purifying spirit power, though it came with a downside. The purification process reduced the accumulation of spirit power, thereby slowing down the time required to break through to the next realm.

Luo Chen naturally couldn’t tolerate such things happening.

Thus, his demand for pills increased again. He no longer intended to sneakily pocket thirty or forty Jade Essence pills a month as he had before.

As long as Mi Shuhua wasn’t around, he planned to take some every time! It didn’t matter if he could use them all; he’d just take them anyway!

Just as he finished washing his hands, a loud explosion echoed from outside.

Thunder again? It’s spring, not summer. Once or twice is enough, but why does it keep thundering? Luo Chen muttered to himself.

Then, exclamations came from outside the Alchemy Hall.

”The landslide, the landslide!”

”Nanwa Snow landslide!”

”What do you mean collapsed? That’s an avalanche.”

Why would there be an avalanche out of nowhere? Luo Chen walked to the edge of the cliff and gazed into the distance.

Nanwa Snow Mountain was not part of the Great Million Mountains but one of the peaks separating Dahe Market from Taishan Market. Its towering summit jutted out like a giant tile, hence the name Nanwa Snow Mountain.

Under his Spirit Eyes, the distant Nanwa Snow Mountain was collapsing inch by inch. The already diminutive-looking peak now seemed a whole inch shorter.

”No, this isn’t a natural collapse!” Luo Chen’s eyes narrowed as he spotted a golden streak of light in the sky. It pierced through the layered clouds and shot straight toward Dahe Market.

Wherever it passed, the dark clouds shattered, and torrential rain poured down. Several nearby snow-covered mountains, yet to fully thaw, triggered massive avalanches in a chain reaction.

Luo Chen swallowed hard; he had seen this golden light before. ”Sword cultivator!”

As the words left his mouth, Sikong Shoujia and Gu Caiyi, standing nearby, also reacted.

Sikong Shoujia exclaimed in astonishment. ”A Golden Core sword cultivator!”

There was no mistake. This kind of light, breaking through everything, could only be produced by a high-tier sword cultivator riding their sword orb and soaring like a rainbow. Ordinary cultivators riding enchanted artifacts could never create such a spectacle.

Gu Caiyi said uncertainly, ”If I’m not mistaken, that should be the Golden Core cultivator from the Sword Sect—Pang Renxiong, who presided over the opening of the Debate Platform last time!”

The other two nodded in agreement.

There was no doubt—it had to be him. But why would he suddenly return to Dahe Market out of the blue?

Though this place had abundant resources, it only had a single large first-tier spirit vein, insufficient to support a Golden Core Adept’s cultivation. Even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators needed pills and spirit-gathering arrays to barely manage cultivation here. Logically, a Golden Core Adept wouldn’t linger in such a place.

The streak of light flew unrestrained, boldly demonstrating its power as it tore through the sky. It wasn’t merely traveling—it was announcing its arrival to the tens of thousands of cultivators in Dahe Market.

In just a few breaths, the distant streak of light had already entered the inner city of Dahe Market.

The cultivators in Crescent Moon Valley discussed it for a while before returning to their own tasks. Although the arrival of a Golden Core cultivator was intriguing, it had nothing to do with these low-tier cultivators.

Gu Caiyi and Sikong Shoujia exchanged a few words about it before dismissing it as mere gossip over meals.

Only Luo Chen felt a heaviness in his heart, sensing an impending storm.

A Golden Core Adept returning here was certainly not a good sign. There was nothing here that would interest someone of his level. If he came, it must be for something specific.

For instance... the death of Fei Bowen, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from Ai Lao Mountain!

That matter was still unresolved, and from what he had overheard at the Immortal Build Residence, the blame seemed to point toward the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. Pang Renxiong likely came to uncover the truth.

The process would undoubtedly stir up a bloody storm. I just hope this won’t affect my peaceful cultivation in the Poshan Gang! Luo Chen sighed, feeling an inexplicable sense of urgency.