An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Retreat!”

Amid Luo Chen’s shock, Miao Wen didn’t hesitate in the slightest, swiftly retreating. Not only him, but Luo Tianhong also reacted the same way. Luo Chen naturally couldn’t afford to lag behind. With Carefree Wind-Control and his Cloud-Stepping Boots, he burst forth at top speed.

Almost in unison, the three of them retreated dozens of li away.

Miao Wen cast him a surprised glance.

Crap! Luo Chen’s heart sank. In his panic, he had unleashed his full speed.

He knew very well that both Miao Wen and Luo Tianhong were sword cultivators. Though they hadn’t yet reached the level where their swords could transform into streaks of light like Golden Core cultivators, their speed was still renowned among their peers. Yet at full speed, he was only a step slower than the two Foundation Establishment cultivators. No wonder Miao Wen was looking at him like that.

Just as Luo Chen was internally lamenting his blunder, a deafening roar rumbled in from the distance. The sonic boom was overwhelming, making Luo Chen’s face turn pale as his vision blurred, his body plummeting downward.

It wasn’t until a gentle force of spirit energy caught him that he snapped out of his daze, still shaken.

A cold voice echoed beside him. ”You’d best fend for yourself.”

Luo Chen gratefully nodded at Luo Tianhong. It had been him who noticed his predicament and lent a hand. Otherwise, if he had fallen from a thousand meters, even with his physique, he would have been seriously injured.

”Hmph!” Miao Wen let out a cold snort. ”Get even farther away. If the shockwaves from a Golden Core battle spread over here, we may not be able to protect you.

”Besides, at this distance, without extending your spirit consciousness, you won’t see anything anyway.”

Luo Chen gritted his teeth and flew about a li behind them.

This distance should be safe enough.

The battlefield lay over the Lancang River, dozens of li away. Even if the battle’s aftershocks rippled outward, two Foundation Establishment cultivators stood ahead of him, providing ample buffer time for him to react accordingly.

Still, to be safe, Luo Chen summoned the Four Symbols Cauldron. Four colored tassels draped from the cauldron’s surface, enveloping him in solid protection.

His actions naturally did not escape the attention of Miao Wen and Luo Tianhong, but their focus was clearly not on him. Instead, they watched the distance with solemn expressions.

Once he had set up his defenses, Luo Chen took a deep breath and gazed toward the vast waters of the Lancang River.

Who said he couldn’t see anything?

His Spirit Eyes had just reached Perfected Mastery a few days ago. Even a hundred li away, he could see everything with crystal clarity.

The sun had yet to set completely; though dusk had fallen, visibility hadn’t yet deteriorated completely.

Under his gaze, the golden radiance faded, and the river’s waves rolled gently. Pang Renxiong, clad in a grand crimson robe, stood tall in the sky, overlooking the river below.

”You vermin, show yourself!”

His powerful shout sent shockwaves rippling across the water.

Amid the deafening roar of the waves, a soft sigh echoed faintly.

Unaffected in the slightest, the words rang out clearly.

”Fellow Daoist Pang, why must you be so ruthless?”

In the next instant, twin beams of black and white light lifted a weathered figure slowly from the depths of the Lancang River.

Upon seeing the twin lights, Pang Renxiong let out a cold snort.

”The Forsaken Chess Piece! So it was you who personally killed Mi Shuhua after all.”

The figure cloaked in black robes let out a bitter laugh. ”Just a mere Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator, was he truly worth all this trouble?”

However, Pang Renxiong shook his head.

”He was never my real target. Mi Shuhua was nothing more than bait. The real goal was to draw out the mastermind behind the schemes against my Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.

”I ask you—was it you who killed Fei Bowen of Ai Lao Mountain?”

The black-robed cultivator froze for a moment before firmly denying it.

”I have neither past grudges nor recent feuds with Ai Lao Mountain. Why would I kill him?

”Your word alone means nothing. You will come with me to the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect for interrogation.”

At these words, the black-robed cultivator’s anger flared.

”Are you not going too far? I am but a mere rogue cultivator—if I were to go to the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, would I not be at your mercy?”

”You have no choice!”

”Hehe... Then let me see exactly what power you have to leave me no choice!”

Clearly, this was not a man who would allow himself to be toyed with. The moment he finished speaking, countless golden-purple discs shot forth from behind him—at a glance, there were at least several hundred.

The Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel!

His enchanting power was immense. With a single move, he unleashed the full might of his enchanted treasure. This was far beyond anything Mi Shuhua or any other Foundation Establishment cultivator could compare to.

Faced with this strike, Pang Renxiong looked disdainful and spat out. A sword orb shot forth from his mouth, instantly transforming into thousands of sword lights, engulfing the countless spinning wheels.

Violent clashes erupted, explosions booming in rapid succession. Vast waves of enchanting power surged through the air, sending the waters of the Lancang River into violent upheaval.

Dozens of li away, Luo Chen watched the battle in utter shock.

So this was the power wielded by Golden Core cultivators?

With just a mere probing strike, they had already sent the mighty river into chaos.

As their enchanting power clashed, a ten-li radius became shrouded in killing intent. If they were to target him instead, wouldn’t it take just a mere thought, even from this distance?

Suddenly, his ears twitched.

”It seems there’s no mistake. This black-robed Golden Core truly was the one who secretly killed Mi Shuhua.”

”Hmm... The Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel was something I sold at an auction back then. The buyer was indeed Mi Shuhua. And this defensive treasure, the Forsaken Chess Piece, was once the protective artifact of the Supreme Elder of the Valley of Ghosts and Divinities.”

”Junior brother, this Forsaken Chess Piece must have come from the Ancient Plains Ruins, correct? Back then, I was ordered to commission the Poshan Gang to search for it, and they did indeed find the real ruins. But when Elder Pang entered and retrieved most of the relics, why didn’t he take these enchanted treasures as well?”

”Something has to be left behind; otherwise, how else would we lure in such a big fish?”

Miao Wen’s puzzled voice rang out once again.

”Why are we so sure that this black-robed Golden Core cultivator would be tempted by these enchanted treasures?”

”This was Elder Pang’s calculation.”

Luo Tianhong spoke indifferently, ”Fei Bowen was ambushed. According to Elder Pang’s judgment, the attacker must have been after Ai Lao Mountain’s defensive enchanted treasure—Fanlong. The Fanlong does not merely ward off external forces—it also restricts those trapped within. Before his death, Fei Bowen managed to activate it, leaving the assailant with no choice but to retreat empty-handed.

”Later, Elder Pang explored the Supreme Elder’s ruins in Valley of Ghosts and Divinities, taking most of the valuable resources but intentionally leaving behind the Forsaken Chess Piece and the Demon Locking Pagoda. Both of these have defensive properties, making them highly desirable to that vermin.”

Miao Wen suddenly understood. He hadn’t known the full details of this secret operation.

After all, he was merely an outer sect steward, whereas Luo Tianhong was different.

Luo Tianhong was a Foundation Establishment True Inheritor of the sect and thus highly valued. Even a high-ranking elder like Pang Renxiong held him in great regard, so naturally, such minor details were not kept from him.

”It seems clear now, the black-robed Golden Core cultivator killed Fei Bowen and tried to frame our Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.” Miao Wen sneered and continued, ”Ridiculous. He’s at death’s door and still refuses to admit it.”

Luo Tianhong shook his head. ”Of course, he won’t admit it. The consequences of doing so would be unbearable for him. But in the face of our Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, whether he confesses or not no longer matters.”

Indeed, it no longer mattered.

Luo Chen could clearly see that Pang Renxiong was growing impatient, wielding his sword orb with increasing ferocity. The countless sword lights fractured and multiplied, forming a blinding, inescapable web of destruction—so densely packed that they had become beyond count.