An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Luo Chen knew a story like this, or rather, many people did.

Somewhere, once upon a time, a mountain of gold was discovered. News of it spread like wildfire, and soon, people from every corner of the land rushed to that mountain, each of them hoping to strike it rich and change their fate overnight.

Did those people actually find gold in the end?

Perhaps a few lucky ones did. But the ones who truly made money were the smart ones—those who sold shovels, food, clothing, and lodging. These clever individuals not only made money but also avoided the dangers and injuries that came with gold mining.

Of course, when it came to Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and cultivation resources, such things couldn’t simply be measured in gold.

Still, the principle remained the same.

Luo Chen saw no need to be one of the gold miners; instead, he could use this opportunity to gather more spirit stones.

After finishing his alchemy work for the day, he hurried back to the inner city. He personally went to purchase materials for Blood-Burning pills and even sent Xiaoyue to buy additional ingredients for him.

He planned to secretly refine some Blood-Burning pills and then auction them in the black market. In such a sensitive period, Blood-Burning pills would undoubtedly fetch a high price!

After finishing his purchases, Luo Chen decided to stay the night in the SiHeYuan backroom.

The next morning, before he could step outside, he heard the sound of an argument outside. When he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of a quarrel, with people pulling at each other.

”Xiao Duan, don’t go. Please, don’t go.” Feng Xia pleaded.

”Do you know that a Foundation Establishment cultivator has already died in the Ancient Plains? Why do you have to get involved in this mess?”

”Listen to me, Sister Xia is right. That place is no safe haven!”

Luo Chen, Gu Caiyi, Murong Qinglian, Qin Liangchen, and Bai Meiling all leaned against their respective doorways, watching the scene unfold.

Feng Xia clung to Duan Feng’s sleeve, her eyes brimming with tears.

Duan Feng remained silent, his gaze resolute.

I knew it, you two definitely have something going on! Luo Chen thought.

Ignoring the stares of the others, Feng Xia’s hoarse voice sounded like she was weeping blood. ”Do you know that this time, the struggle over the relic isn’t limited to Qi-Refining cultivators anymore? Even Foundation Establishment cultivators from Dahe Market and nearby towns are on their way!

”What are you going to use to compete with those Foundation Establishment cultivators?”

Duan Feng’s eyes grew even colder at her final words. He gently, yet firmly, brushed Feng Xia’s hand aside.

”I know. I know all of this.” he said. ”But time waits for no one! That old bastard doesn’t have many years left. If I don’t establish my foundation soon, how will I personally avenge my mother’s death?”

His somber words left Feng Xia powerless to respond.

Murong Qinglian sighed from the side and advised, ”Xiao Duan, you must think this through carefully!”

Qin Liangchen smirked and said, ”I don’t know about the rest, but Old Man Mi has already mobilized all of Poshan Gang’s forces for the relic. He’s gathered fifteen ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivators, including people like Luo Wudi and Zeng Wen, who are hardly weaker than you.”

Duan Feng froze in his tracks, hesitation appearing on his face for the first time. He wasn’t an impulsive fool and could naturally infer many things. If the Poshan Gang was mobilizing like this, then what about the Dajiang Gang? And the Xuanyi Society?

What about the five Foundation Establishment families backed by the Xuanyi Society? Wouldn’t the countless sect forces in Dahe Market also be tempted to join the fray?

Could someone like him, merely at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining, secure any opportunity amidst a pack of ravenous wolves?

If he didn’t go, would he ever have the chance to establish his foundation in this lifetime?

Feng Xia cast a grateful glance at Qin Liangchen and his wife. She truly didn’t want Duan Feng to throw his life away in the Ancient Plains. Yet, she noticed that the hesitation on Duan Feng’s face was gradually being replaced.

Hehe. Suddenly, a soft chuckle broke the tense silence.

Duan Feng frowned and turned to see Luo Chen crouched on the doorstep, munching on a Heavenly Sun Fruit in large bites.

“Why are you looking at me? Only an idiot would risk their life to fight for it.” Luo Chen remarked.

“As cultivators, isn’t it our purpose to wrest the Dao from the heavens?” Duan Feng retorted.

Luo Chen quickly waved his hand dismissively. “No, no, no. Everyone struggles against the heavens, defying fate. But the heavens haven’t exactly provoked or offended you, have they? Besides, cultivation is all about acquiring resources, isn’t it?

“You’re not without skills, and there’s such a golden opportunity to earn spirit stones right in front of you, yet you haven’t noticed. Calling you an idiot is me being polite.”

Opportunity? Duan Feng froze, puzzled.

Clapping his hands to shake off the juice of the Heavenly Sun Fruit, Luo Chen stood up. “Since you joined my Alchemy Hall a few days ago, Your Hall Leader, I, will show you the right path!”

***

That afternoon, at the foot of Qinghe Mountain—the largest and safest entry point into the Ancient Plains—the area was bustling with activity, as always. With countless cultivators passing through each day, it remained the most heavily trafficked route into the treacherous frontier.

It was Luo Chen’s first time visiting this place.

Just outside Qinghe Mountain, rows of shops stood densely packed, their lively atmosphere rivaling the small commercial streets of the outer district and only slightly inferior to the rogue cultivator markets of the inner city. There were talisman vendors, restaurants, medicinal herb buyers, clinics for treating injuries—everything one could think of.

Luo Chen even noticed a branch of the Lianyun Trade Alliance established here, dedicated to swiftly acquiring newly unearthed heavenly treasures.

“It seems I’m not the only one with this idea.” Luo Chen sighed thoughtfully, nodding toward Duan Feng, Feng Xia, and the others behind him.

Duan Feng’s expression was slightly awkward, but he gritted his teeth and got to work.

From his storage pouch, he pulled out a pile of assorted tools and materials, a forging furnace, a large hammer, a small hammer, pliers, carving knives, and rulers. There was also a pool of thick, mysterious blue liquid, along with several barrels of murky, foul-smelling water.

He brought out a palm-sized compass, a few transparent glass mirrors, and finally, a towering banner over thirty feet tall.

With Feng Xia’s assistance, the two got to work.

Soon, an open-air forging stall was set up.

Not only that, but the brass-colored banner was also erected. On it were four large characters, along with rows of smaller words written in bright red liquid.

Fenghai Forging Workshop!

Professional repair of low and mid-grade enchanted artifacts, with options for refurbishing, maintenance, and upgrading top-grade enchanted artifacts.

High-priced acquisition of second-hand enchanted artifacts. Prices negotiable!

Fenghai Forging Workshop was the name of this small shop, chosen by Luo Chen himself! The name cleverly incorporated Duan Feng’s name while also making it immediately clear what the shop offered.

For those who didn’t catch on immediately, the explanatory line below ensured they understood. This shop wasn’t just Duan Feng’s venture—it also had Luo Chen’s investment.

Most of the equipment and materials had been purchased by Luo Chen using his own spirit stones to support Duan Feng.

That wasn’t all!

”There are five low-grade enchanted artifacts and two mid-grade ones here, all available for sale. Additionally, I’ll give you two thousand spirit stones as startup capital to buy up those half-damaged artifacts at low prices.” Luo Chen took out a large pile of miscellaneous spirit stones from his storage pouch and handed them to Duan Feng.

His previous savings had surged to seven thousand spirit stones, fueled by his advance dividends, income from the two small shops, and scavenging loot from three groups of raiding cultivators.

Now, taking out two thousand spirit stones in one go didn’t even make a dent in his finances.

Duan Feng frowned and asked, ”Wasn’t it supposed to be a high-price buyback?”

”It’s higher than Treasure Pavilion’s offer, so doesn’t that count as a high-price buyback?” Luo Chen replied matter-of-factly.

Uh... alright then. Duan Feng found himself at a loss for words.

Treasure Pavilion had always bought back enchanted artifacts at half price.

An enchanted artifact bought earlier in the day would still only be worth half its original price if sold back. If their buyback price was higher than half, then technically could be called high-priced.

”After buying them back, you should repair them slightly and then resell them at prices just slightly lower than Treasure Pavilion’s.

”Actually, no. Enchanted artifact prices have risen now, so you can sell them at Treasure Pavilion’s original price.

”If a customer hesitates, you can pretend to slash prices dramatically and act like you’re selling at a loss.

”Drastic cuts! Got it? Make sure it looks like drastic cuts!”

Duan Feng listened intently and nodded from time to time. He truly didn’t understand these business tricks.

However, seeing Luo Chen’s confident explanation, he assumed there must be some profound wisdom in it.

”Don’t let the severely damaged enchanted artifacts go to waste, either. Grab them for a few spirit stones.”

”Don’t you know about the Golden Melt Iron? Melt them down, extract the materials, and either use them to repair enchanted artifacts or sell the raw materials to Treasure Pavilion or Immortal Build Residence.

”Top-grade enchanted artifacts involve more complex formations. If you’re unsure about any, don’t take them on lightly—it’s better than ruining the shop’s reputation.”