An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Inside the Swallowing Waves and Oceans Jar, nearly an entire basin of blood was stored! It was human blood! And not just any blood—it was the essence blood of cultivators!

Every single drop contained an incomparably rich vitality, spirit power, and even the innate energy that cultivators acquired through rebirth as they broke through realms.

Each drop was a brilliant crimson, resembling a Blood Bodhi [1].

Under normal circumstances, a rogue cultivator at the Qi-Refining Realm could extract, at most, ten drops of essence blood. Any more than that would damage their foundation, leaving them unable to advance for life.

Even if they disregarded the consequences and forcibly extracted more, the number would only increase to twenty or thirty drops at best. Yet inside the Swallowing Waves and Oceans Jar, there was an entire basin’s worth.

Luo Chen could hardly imagine just how many cultivators Wang Yuan had slaughtered to collect this much essence blood.

Faced with Luo Chen’s shock, Wang Yuan merely smiled faintly and said,”If Heaven grants and one does not take, one shall suffer the consequences. If the time comes and one does not act, calamity shall follow. When opportunity arises, some things must be done. Otherwise, I might regret it for the rest of my life.”

The reasoning was sound. But to actually go through with it, just how ruthless did one have to be?

Killing for treasures was nothing unusual, it happened every day in the Eastern Wilderness’ cultivation world. But extracting the essence blood of cultivators, that was an undeniable devil path technique. If exposed, it would mean being hunted down by righteous sects.

Not to mention, gathering this much essence blood... how many lives had to be taken? How many dangers lurked along the way?

Wang Yuan’s voice was calm, almost too calm as he said, ”I know you’ve been trying to improve that second-tier alchemical formula.”

Wang Yuan stood up, clasped his hands behind his back and continued, ”Right now, you’re only a first-tier alchemist. Being able to deduce the first-tier Blood-Burning alchemical formula already makes you an unparalleled genius. To modify a second-tier formula, how difficult would that be?

”Inside this jar, there is essence blood from over a hundred cultivators, some I killed with my own hands, others I extracted from corpses.

”I’ve calculated it. Each drop can serve as a single ingredient. Altogether, it’s enough for you to refine over a thousand furnaces’ worth.

”I’ll do my best to gather the other two primary ingredients as well. When the time comes, all you need to do is focus on refining the pills.”

As he finished speaking, Wang Yuan paused. Turning around, he gazed intently at Luo Chen and said, ”That Divine Breaker of Malevolence, you should be close to mastering it, right?”

Luo Chen was taken aback. He truly was on the verge of mastering it. After months of effort, he had already unlocked thirty-six acupoints, only the most critical and dangerous ones in his head remained.

Why is Wang Yuan bringing this up?

Luo Chen narrowed his eyes, suspicion flickering in his gaze.

Wang Yuan chuckled, his tone calm yet enigmatic as he said, ”The Blood Fiend pill belongs to the blood path’s alchemy, but even cultivators who don’t follow that path can use it. The only catch is that they’ll have to endure excruciating pain.

”If you truly master the Divine Breaker of Malevolence, by then, your willpower should be strong enough to withstand that pain. Luo Chen, don’t you want a body strong enough to carry the Great Dao?”

Cultivators in the early stages focused on refining qi, with divine refinement as a secondary pursuit. They didn’t place much importance on their physical bodies. But in reality, unless they ascended to the Nascent Soul Realm, cultivators could never truly abandon their physical shells.

If the physical body suffered severe damage, it could easily hinder one’s path on the Dao. People like Zeng Wen and Gao Tingyuan were all victims of such misfortune. Back then, Qin Liangchen lost an arm. To avoid jeopardizing his cultivation path, he chose to forsake Bai Qi’s inheritance just to have the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect restore his limb.

Luo Chen was no fool. He fully understood that a sufficiently strong body would greatly benefit his pursuit of the Great Dao.

Under Wang Yuan’s words, Luo Chen felt tempted. Yet as he looked at the Swallowing Waves and Oceans Jar in his hand, holding the lives of over a hundred cultivators, his restless heart immediately cooled.

A single, simple question stopped Wang Yuan in his tracks.

”Even if I manage to refine Blood Fiend pills, how many can this amount of material produce? How far can it sustain our cultivation? And when the essence blood runs out, then what?” As Wang Yuan hesitated, Luo Chen’s voice dropped, laced with a sharp edge. He asked, ”Will we have to continue slaughtering until we draw the attention of the great sects?”

***

Wang Yuan left, taking the Swallowing Waves and Oceans Jar filled with cultivators’ essence blood with him. Keeping such an item with Luo Chen was unsafe, it was better for Wang Yuan to hold onto it.

He had not been oblivious to the concerns Luo Chen raised. But in the chaotic environment of the Golden Core Ruins in Ancient Plains Mountain, he had momentarily lost control and ended up gathering a large amount of cultivators’ essence blood.

As he had said, if Heaven grants and one does not take, one shall suffer. If the time comes and one does not act, calamity shall follow.

But he had made one critical mistake. He believed that the blood of over a hundred cultivators would be enough for Luo Chen to refine a large quantity of Blood Fiend pills.

But he didn’t understand alchemy, nor did he realize how defiant of natural order it was for a first-tier alchemist to refine second-tier pills. Even someone as powerful as Qing Yuanzi had only managed to refine third-tier pills across realms by utilizing the art of nurturing pills.

Under Luo Chen’s explanation, he finally understood, an alchemist needed to fail countless times before they could barely manage to succeed in refining a pill of their own tier.

Even after succeeding once, trying to replicate and improve the process would still involve a high probability of failure. Let alone attempting to refine pills beyond one’s tier.

The essence blood of over a hundred cultivators might seem like enough to produce many Blood Fiend pills, but in reality, the final yield would be pitifully small! It wouldn’t even be enough to sustain Wang Yuan’s long-term cultivation, let alone allow Luo Chen to benefit from it.

Only after this explanation did Wang Yuan finally calm down completely. He stated directly that he would think this matter over carefully.

Either he would wait until he had sufficient strength to protect Luo Chen or he would wait until Luo Chen advanced to a second-tier alchemist, at which point they could reassess the situation.

Ultimately, he had not completely abandoned the idea. However, before leaving, Wang Yuan revealed a very important piece of information to Luo Chen.

”Mi Shuhua has returned ahead of schedule!” said Wang Yuan.

This news sent a shiver down Luo Chen’s spine.

When did Mi Shuhua returned? Why did none of the other cultivators in the Poshan Gang know anything about it?

Right now, Poshan Gang had suffered heavy losses and was in turmoil. Shouldn’t his return be announced to stabilize morale?

Even Wang Yuan didn’t know the specifics. He had merely informed Luo Chen of this and mentioned that the formation at the Golden Core Ruins had dissipated, attracting numerous second-tier demonic beasts.

After a fierce battle, the human Foundation Establishment cultivators had each used their own techniques to flee, scattering like startled birds and beasts. Luo Chen kept this news to himself and didn’t tell anyone.

In the days that followed, he continued refining pills and cultivating as usual, acting as if nothing had happened. It wasn’t until three days later that Zhou Yuanli quietly approached him, holding a sound-transmission jade token, he said,”The Gang Leader requests your presence!”

***

This was Luo Chen’s first time visiting the Mi family estate. Accompanied by Mi Junping and a ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator, he made his way step by step toward the forbidden area of the Mi family estate. Though it was called a forbidden area, it was actually Mi Shuhua’s personal seclusion chamber.

As he moved forward, Luo Chen kept a close watch on the Mi family cultivators’ mental fortitude. He didn’t notice anything unusual, everyone seemed to be in good spirits.

It seemed that with the Poshan Gang acting as a source of resources, the Mi family had been thriving over the years. Even within this short distance, Luo Chen spotted many young cultivators in the early and mid-stages of Qi-Refining.

”We’re here. Zifan, you can go about your business. I’ll take him inside,” Mi Junping said.

The ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator who had accompanied them nodded. However, before leaving, he cast a look at Luo Chen filled with a hint of resentment.

Luo Chen had sharp perception, and with Spirit Eyes embedded in his vision, he quickly caught that trace of hostility.

”Is this Mi Zifan? The one who ranked in the top ten on the Tianjiao Board?” Luo Chen asked curiously, pretending not to know.

Mi Junping hummed in acknowledgment, then said with a tone of regret, ”Unfortunately, after losing once to Duan Feng, his ranking dropped. Now that the Debate Platform is closed, there’s no chance to climb back up. It’s really a disgrace to our Mi family.”

As she brought up Duan Feng, Mi Junping shot Luo Chen a knowing look and asked, ”If I recall correctly, you and Qin Liangchen were the ones who recommended Duan Feng to join the Poshan Gang?”

Luo Chen smiled slightly and replied, ”Yes, he’s nominally part of the Alchemy Hall, but the gang hasn’t assigned him a fixed stipend. Right now, he’s running a little business of his own.”

”Then you’d better watch out. Mi Zifan might go looking for Duan Feng to settle the score,” said Mi Junping.

As she spoke, the corners of Mi Junping’s lips suddenly lifted into a smirk.

”Ah, I almost forgot, you and Mi Zifan were already at odds. Now, with old grudges and new resentments stacked together, he must loathe you even more!”

Luo Chen was stunned as he thought, I have a grudge against Mi Zifan?

For no apparent reason, when had I ever crossed paths with a ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator?

Seeing his bewilderment, Mi Junping leaned in and whispered three words, ”Spirit-gathering array.”

In that instant, Luo Chen understood the source of the grudge. Back then, when Luo Chen was ambushed by raiding cultivators from Snow Lotus Market, he had used it as an excuse to stay holed up in the inner city, refusing to step out.

To placate him, Mi Shuhua had specially sent someone to deliver a small spirit-gathering array. It was precisely this formation that had allowed his cultivation efficiency to reached the level of a dual-spirit root cultivator.

Naturally, an item as valuable as a spirit-gathering array wouldn’t have been something the Mi family left lying around. It had undoubtedly been a treasured asset, reserved for those deemed worthy.

Now, it seemed that the original owner of this small spirit-gathering array had been none other than Mi Zifan, the ninth stage Qi-Refining expert.

This grudge was well justified!

Luo Chen let out a bitter chuckle and caught sight of the slight curve at the corner of Mi Junping’s lips, a thought suddenly struck him.

Why is she going out of her way to remind him of this?

Can it be that she is also at odds with Mi Zifan?

But that didn’t make sense. She is from the second generation of the Mi family, while Mi Zifan is merely her nephew. He isn’t a threat to her, and they are bound by blood.

No matter what, she should have been siding with family over outsiders. Besides, it isn’t like we had any particularly close ties.

As Luo Chen mulled over these thoughts, Mi Junping led him forward, their path gradually descended deeper underground. It felt as if they were heading straight into the depths of the earth. Suddenly, they stopped before a stone door.

”Go on in. My father is waiting for you inside,” said Mi Junping.

Luo Chen studied Mi Junping carefully, noting the calmness in her expression. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and pushed open the stone door alone.

The moment he set foot inside, before he even had the chance to survey the room, a heavy thud echoed behind him as the stone door slammed shut.

Luo Chen’s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a step back. Only then did he realize that this small stone chamber, barely ten square meters in size, was anything but ordinary.

Spirit energy!

The sheer abundance of spirit energy was unimaginable, as vast as a boundless ocean. Even just standing in the midst of it, Luo Chen felt his Long Spring Art activating on its own, as if impatient to draw in the rich, overflowing spirit energy.

”A second-tier spirit vein!” Luo Chen blurted out in shock.

”Unfortunately, it is not.” A weary, aged voice echoed from the center of the chamber.t was Mi Shuhua.

His voice was weary and aged, no longer carried the robust energy it once had. Luo Chen paused, his keen eyes scanning carefully. Only then did he notice the sickly pallor on Mi Shuhua’s face. He sat cross-legged on a cushion woven with golden and silver threads, surrounded by an array of bottles and jars.

Luo Chen could clearly sense a powerful source of spirit energy surging from beneath the cushion. It felt eerily similar to the spirit vein cavern he had discovered beneath Crescent Moon Valley, only even more dense.

Is there a massive raw spirit stone vein beneath it?

But even a first-tier spirit vein’s branch shouldn’t be capable of creating such an overwhelmingly rich spirit energy environment!

Just as Luo Chen was lost in thought, a crisp crack echoed beside him.

Following the sound, Luo Chen turned his gaze toward the southeast corner of the chamber, where a pile of translucent, whitish rhomboid crystals had crumbled, dissolving into a fine layer of dust.

Spirit stones, mid-grade spirit stones!

At a glance, Luo Chen could count at least ten pieces of spirit stones in that pile.

That was just one corner. In the remaining eight corners of the stone chamber, the same number of mid-grade spirit stones were placed. That meant there were a total of eighty mid-grade spirit stones on the ground, equivalent to over eight thousand low-grade spirit stones!

”This place was originally a spirit vein branch, classified as first-tier. Under my arrangement, no spirit energy can escape from it.

”Moreover, I used a second-tier spirit-gathering array to draw in large amounts of spirit energy from mid-grade spirit stones, mixing it with the natural energy here. Eventually, it formed an environment suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

”Luo Chen, don’t you think cultivating in this place would be much better?” asked Mi Shuhua, fixing on Luo Chen with a piercing gaze.

Luo Chen immediately beamed with uncontrollable delight and replied, ”That would undoubtedly be better! Gang Leader, are you planning to let me cultivate here?”

”Hmm, it’s not impossible. From now on, I’ll allow you to cultivate here once a month.” Mi Shuhua smiled slightly and said, ”Besides accelerating cultivation, this place also provides considerable benefits for breaking through to Foundation Establishment.”

Temptation! This old guy is clearly trying to lure me in!

From the moment Mi Shuhua started describing this cultivation environment, Luo Chen had already sensed the underlying intention. Especially when he mentioned its benefits for achieving Foundation Establishment, Luo Chen became completely certain.

But why is he using this to tempt me?

”Luo Chen, what are your thoughts on Foundation Establishment?” asked Mi Shuhua.

Without hesitation, Luo Chen immediately responded, ”It is what I yearn for! I wish nothing more than to become a Great Dao Initiate!”

”A commendable ambition!” exclaimed Mi Shuhua, praising Luo Chen.

Luo Chen shook his head with a sigh, revealing a trace of bitterness as he said, ”But alas, the Great Dao is difficult. With my poor aptitude, I fear I may never even set foot on the threshold of Foundation Establishment in this lifetime.”

”Oh? You underestimate yourself.” Under Luo Chen’s stunned gaze, Mi Shuhua said with a chuckle, ”You’re already at the eighth stage of Qi-Refining. There’s only one small step left before Foundation Establishment. You have great potential!”

He knows I’ve reached the eighth stage of Qi-Refining!

Did my Grandmaster level spirit suppression seal fail to hide my cultivation from a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

Or... was it Steward Miao from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect who told him?

Suddenly, Luo Chen recalled the trace of incomparably pure spirit energy on his shoulder.

Damn it, blinded by the obvious!

Someone had left a mark on me! No matter how well I concealed myself, I was still just disguising myself in plain sight.

No matter how elaborate the disguise, they could still see my true form at a glance.

Luo Chen forced out a stiff smile and feigned admiration. He said, ”Gang Leader, your wisdom and insight are truly unmatched.”

He made no mention of his reasons for hiding his cultivation. Mi Shuhua did not press the matter either. Some things were best left unsaid, as long as both parties understood. Exposing it would only make things awkward for both sides.

Instead, Mi Shuhua presented an even greater temptation that left Luo Chen unable to resist. He said, ”At your current pace, in less than ten years, you’ll likely have one foot through the gate of Foundation Establishment. By then, what are your plans?”

Luo Chen was puzzled, What plans could there be? Nothing more than acquiring a Foundation Establishment pill!

And then, right before his eyes, a Foundation Establishment pill was placed in front of him.

1. 血菩提 (Blood Bodhi) is a rare spirit fruit in xianxia and wuxia literature, often depicted as having potent effects in enhancing cultivation, healing injuries, or even extending lifespan. It is commonly associated with deep red or crimson coloration, resembling a bodhi seed soaked in blood, and is often found in perilous environments such as ancient ruins, demonic territories, or the nests of powerful beasts ☜