An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Ugh!

A retching sound was followed by a mouthful of blood being violently expelled. Mixed in with the blood were fragments of ruptured organs, a grim testament to how serious the injuries were.

Yet, despite the horror of it, the one coughing up blood was actually in better condition compared to another.

Sima Wenjie’s eyes filled with worry as he glanced at the man lying on his second sister’s back. That man was their eldest brother, Sima Xian.

Earlier, he had used a secret technique to ignite his essence, swallowed a Blood-Burning pill, and then fought two wood-element draconic serpents on his own.

In the final moment, when all six serpents summoned by the Blue Musk Gathering Serpent Banner struck, Sima Xian had desperately shoved his second sister, Sima Huiniang, aside and faced the brunt of the attack. As a result, his injuries had become so severe that his life was hanging by a thread.

“Third Brother, stop being distracted! Stay alert and find a safe place for us to rest.” commanded Sima Huiniang.

Her tone was urgent yet composed, snapping Sima Wenjie back to his senses. He quickly scanned his surroundings and soon located an empty room.

After a brief inspection to ensure relative safety, he ushered everyone inside. The moment he relaxed, a wave of dizziness hit him.

“Second Sister, what about Big Brother...?”

“He’s not dead yet, so what are you worrying about?!” Sima Huiniang shot him a glare before tossing him a bottle of pills.

She then pulled out a heap of other pills, quickly sorting through them before stuffing several directly into the unconscious Sima Xian’s mouth. Finally, she poured a bottle of golden liquid down his throat.

Not stopping there, she channeled her spirit power to assist Sima Xian in absorbing the medicinal effects.

Time ticked by slowly, under the tense gaze of the two siblings, Sima Xian finally opened his eyes. He tried to grin and say something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, fresh blood trickled uncontrollably out.

“Big Brother, don’t talk! Focus your spirit and heal yourself while the revitalization liquid is still active.” Sima Huiniang urged.

She was the second sibling of the Sima trio but unquestionably their leader. Whether in business, auctions, or battle, she was always the one calling the shots. The only reason her presence had been overshadowed earlier was due to their eldest brother’s suicidal resolve in the heat of the fight.

Hearing the words “revitalization liquid,” a flicker of emotion crossed Sima Xian’s eyes, and faint tears shimmered. Sima Wenjie, the youngest, exclaimed in shock, “That was the spirit medicine you saved for your Foundation Establishment breakthrough! Why would you...?”

“Guard by the door and keep watch for trouble!” Sima Huiniang snapped, glaring at her younger brother.

She then turned her attention back to Sima Xian. Her gaze softened as she looked at her eldest brother, whose eyes still carried the shadow of impending death. Forcing a smile, she said, “Big Brother, I beg you, please survive this. It’s just one bottle of revitalization liquid. As long as the three of us are still alive, we’ll find a way to get another eventually.

“Your injuries are severe, but if you seize the opportunity now, there’s still a chance you’ll pull through.”

Sima Xian parted his lips, but no words came out. After a moment, he managed a feeble nod.

With Huiniang’s help, he sat upright, crossed his legs, and began circulating his spirit power to mend his wounds. Meanwhile, Sima Wenjie, guarding the door, was in relatively better shape. After all, he hadn’t been a main combatant during the battle and had spent most of his time searching for flaws in the formation.

After taking another pill earlier, he was slowly beginning to recover. Half of his focus was directed outward, while the other half was turned inward. His previously anxious heart gradually calmed.

”It’s strange—the person who appeared at the end was not only bold enough to snatch the supreme-grade enchanted artifact from right under their noses but also deliberately destroyed the formation core to create an escape route for us.

”I wonder who that person is. If I ever get the chance, I’ll make sure to repay him properly.”

”Second Sister, who do you think it could be? We know plenty of people in Dahe Market—could it be someone we’re familiar with?”

”Second Sister?”

Hearing no response for a long time, Sima Wenjie suddenly turned around. His eyes landed on Sima Huiniang, slumped against the wall near the foot of the bed, unconscious.

The might of a supreme-grade enchanted artifact was not something that could be easily resisted. The two siblings had borne the brunt of the attacks, which was the only reason the youngest brother had sustained the lightest injuries.

”Second Sister, don’t scare me like this!

”The medicine, where’s the medicine?

***

They didn’t follow me?

Luo Chen’s lips curled slightly. As expected. With my escape speed and sudden burst of movement, there’s no way most people could’ve reacted in time. If it weren’t for those other scavengers showing up later, that storage pouch would’ve been mine too.

He paused mid-step, spirit energy suppressed to the barest whisper. Silently, he pushed open a nearby door, his eyes flashing faintly with spiritual light as he scanned the interior at a glance.

Within moments, his gaze locked onto a particular spot beneath a cabinet.

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of satisfaction flickering across his face.

Minutes later, he sat cross-legged atop a bed of soft, dry straw, completely at ease.

The previous owner of this place had clearly been an extremely cautious individual. Not only was the house tucked away in a remote, desolate area, but it also concealed a hidden underground chamber—so well-hidden that without Luo Chen’s Spirit Eyes, attuned to even the faintest traces of spirit energy, he would have completely missed it.

Ironically, it was the slight disturbance caused by the energy trap protecting the entrance that had given it away. What was meant to conceal had instead revealed the secret below.

This place isn’t bad. I can use it as one of my strongholds to enter and leave the city. Luo Chen was satisfied and carefully replayed the earlier battle in his mind, ensuring he hadn’t left any traces that might lead pursuers to him.

That Foundation Establishment cultivator named Qiu Bai truly wasn’t one to be trifled with! He had cleverly acquired a supreme-grade enchanted artifact at the Precious Dragon Black Market and left in a rush.

At first, Luo Chen thought Qiu Bai was all bark and no bite, but it turned out he had set an ambush outside well in advance. Not only that, but Qiu Bai also had spies planted within the auction. This allowed him to identify easy targets among the bidders.

Coincidentally, that spy was the very same person who had competed with Luo Chen for the revitalization liquid.

Qiu Bai and Liu Han!

From their conversation, it seemed they were both from Glowing Stream Market. It was said that Glowing Stream Market was extremely impoverished, with scarce resources. As a result, it was teeming with rogue cultivators and rife with bloodshed.

Judging from the earlier battle, they were indeed quite capable. Whether it was setting traps beforehand or fighting head-on, every move they made was beyond the level of an ordinary ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator. Even the Sima siblings, who Luo Chen deemed quite capable, were toyed with effortlessly.

After all, they were from Glowing Stream Market. Even among collaborators, they wouldn’t hesitate to stab each other in the back.

If I recall correctly, the enchanted artifact that killed Qiu Bai was clearly one of the peculiar supreme-grade enchanted artifacts offered during the individual cultivator auction.

Its name? The Stubborn Zombie.

An unusual name for an enchanted artifact with equally unusual effects.

The enchanted artifact was somewhat impractical, as it required biting the enemy’s body to activate. Yet, for all its drawbacks, it possessed extraordinary power.

Once it bit down, the enemy would immediately be rendered immobile, their body stiff as a corpse. The enchanted artifact’s would then release a burst of extreme yin energy, reducing the enemy’s body to ash.

Judging by its performance earlier, its utility was indeed remarkable. Even a Perfected Mastery Qi-Refining cultivator like Qiu Bai stood no chance against it.

Something’s not right. Judging by Liu Han’s movements when he appeared, his sudden attack was clearly premeditated. Luo Chen replayed Liu Han’s every action in his mind.

From flying up to stand side by side with Qiu Bai, to his flattering words, and finally to the seemingly casual pat on the shoulder. Everything had been carefully orchestrated to set up his final move.

”Truly despicable outsiders, with such vile and malicious schemes.”

Luo Chen clicked his tongue in mock admiration and made up his mind to be exceedingly cautious whenever dealing with cultivators from Glowing Stream Market in the future.

Speaking of which, I wonder if Huiniang managed to escape.

When Luo Chen thought of Huiniang, his expression turned complicated. She was the elegant female cultivator who had bid on the peculiar enchanted artifact_Lotus Conceals during the auction.

He had found her voice strangely familiar at the time. Later, as he was leaving, he heard her companion call out ”Huiniang,” and only then did realization dawn on him.

Wasn’t she one of the rogue cultivators he had encountered back when he was still living in the outer district, the ones who had escaped from the Howling Moon Mountains?

He remembered that the others had looked down on him and only Huiniang had kindly advised him to move, warning that the area wasn’t safe.

To her credit, her advice had been spot on. Though there hadn’t been a demonic beast attack, the later incident of Gao Ting’e had been no less dangerous.

Earlier, Luo Chen had observed everything with clarity.

The final strike from the supreme-grade enchanted artifact hadn’t killed all three instantly. It had only shattered their talisman and gravely injured them.

Luo Chen had taken advantage of the chaos to snatch the supreme-grade enchanted artifact but didn’t mind lending Huiniang a hand in the process.

The white fog formation was nothing more than a simple array set up with a few flags. As long as one could locate the core points, it could be easily dismantled.

For most people, that would’ve been impossible due to the dense and disorienting fog. But with his Spirit Eyes, he had easily located one of the core points—a seemingly ordinary stone mill.

Of course, whether Luo Chen had intentionally used the three to stall Liu Han was hard to say. At the very least, he had given the Sima siblings a chance to escape!

After carefully reviewing everything that had happened and confirming he had left no loose ends, Luo Chen finally allowed himself to relax.

The cultivators from the Precious Dragon Black Market didn’t deceive me; they were genuinely trying to build goodwill.

North Street’s Three Alley truly was a hotspot for raiding cultivators. Before I arrived, someone had already set up an ambush. After I left, even more cultivators rushed in.

Luo Chen made a mental note of this ”advice” as a gesture of goodwill. Then, he happily took out the Blue Musk Gathering Serpent Banner.

He grinned widely and said, ”A supreme-grade enchanted artifact of the wood-element—this rightfully belongs to me!”

***

Luo Chen had no manual detailing this supreme-grade enchanted artifact. All the information Luo Chen had came from Tian Xingzi’s introduction during the black market auction.

In an underground market like this, the organizers would never fully disclose the pros and cons of an auctioned item. Doing so would only expose the hidden mechanisms and potential advantages for the buyer.

Take the Blue Musk Gathering Serpent Banner, for example. Its musk wasn’t just inhaled through the nose and mouth—it could even seep into an enemy’s body through their pores and acupoints, making it an insidiously effective weapon.

It was truly impossible to guard against.

The Sima siblings were all at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining and were skilled enough to travel and conduct business freely, but had still fallen so quickly—this effect was undoubtedly the reason why.

However, Tian Xingzi had clearly not revealed all the flaws of this supreme-grade enchanted artifact. He had only stated that late stage Qi-Refining cultivators could barely summon three flood dragons once, whereas those at the ninth stage could manage it twice.

Most people would naturally assume that a Perfected Mastery Qi-Refining cultivator could summon them three times. After all, at the Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining, one’s spirit power would have already been refined to its absolute limit. Their spirit power was vastly superior to others of the same realm. Summoning just one more time shouldn’t have been an issue.

Yet in reality, even someone as powerful as Qiu Bai had only been able to summon them twice.

No... could it be that Qiu Bai was just pretending?

Luo Chen wasn’t sure. He would need to test it privately. There might be more hidden functions—or more flaws.

Nothing was certain yet.

The only certainty was this enchanted artifact’s power. It is incredibly strong—far surpassing the Flame Spear in Luo Chen’s possession.

”I’ve gained another trump card!” smirked Luo Chen.

Luo Chen erased Qiu Bai’s lingering spirit imprint, conducted a basic refinement ritual, and stored away the Blue Musk Gathering Serpent Banner.

Luo Chen laid on his bed and went over the gains from the auction. He hadn’t made many purchases—just a bottle of revitalization liquid, a fire-element spell manual, and five bottles of Runming Pearl essence.

None of these would provide an immediate boost to his combat power. However, they were undoubtedly excellent resources for cultivation.

As for the fire-element spell manual, it contained a second-tier spell. If he could master it while still in the Qi-Refining Realm, it would undoubtedly become another trump card in his arsenal.

”The real gain was confirming the market and pricing for the Blood-Burning pill!” Luo Chen’s eyes glinted with amusement.

He had to admit that the Blood-Burning pill’s high production cost had always made him uneasy about its actual value. After all, he had painstakingly deduced the alchemical recipe and even spent ten achievement points just to get started.

If it turned out to be worthless and only useful for personal consumption, that would be a terrible loss. But now, it turns out there was plenty of profit to be made!

”Especially now, with the chaotic times and the growing prevalence of battle and bloodshed, it’s the perfect moment for the Blood-Burning pill to shine!”

***

As dawn broke, the cool and refreshing morning breeze swept across Dahe Market.

After last night’s thunderstorm, the scent of damp earth lingered throughout the outer district. The stench of blood left by fights and killings had mostly dissipated.

More cultivators were starting to move around the area. As expected, today was likely one of the scheduled small market days.

Luo Chen blended into the crowd and quietly slipped into the inner city. He spotted Zhou Yuanli standing guard at the city gate, but the other bodyguards were nowhere in sight.

So it seems Zhou Yuanli is the one Mi Shuhua trusts the most among his bodyguards. Otherwise, there’s no reason for him to be here so early.

Luo Chen didn’t look back and left Zhou Yuanli behind.

He had already suspected as much.

Among the five bodyguards, Zhou Yuanli was the strongest and the most steady and reliable. It made sense that Mi Shuhua would entrust him with the task of keeping an eye on Luo Chen.

That was fine by him! At least there was someone relatively trustworthy ensuring security on a daily basis.

Luo Chen, satisfied with his spoils and returned to his SiHeYuan courtyard. It wasn’t until daylight fully broke that he yawned and finally made an appearance.

Qin Liangchen saw his sluggish demeanor, chuckled and teased him. ”Out sneaking around last night?”

Luo Chen paused for a moment before grinning foolishly.

He really had stolen something! The one who got robbed was probably fuming with rage.

A massive supreme-grade enchanted artifact had been snatched from right under his nose. Hopefully, the storage pouch he took contained enough valuable loot to make up for it!