An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Under this relentless onslaught, the Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheels trembled on the verge of collapse. No matter how many were summoned, they were obliterated in an instant.

Those inescapable sword lights that broke through his defenses struck his body, causing the black and white chess pieces to spin wildly as they activated in desperation.

So this is what they mean by ‘one sword shatters ten thousand techniques’?

With nothing but a single sword orb, he has already forced an equally ranked Golden Core cultivator into dire straits.

Luo Chen was filled with admiration. To dedicate oneself entirely to a single sword, it was no wonder sword cultivators were said to be the strongest among their peers.

However, since this man dared to challenge a Jade Cauldron sword cultivator, surely he had more tricks up his sleeve, right?

As Luo Chen was speculating, a piercing roar suddenly resounded across the banks of the Lancang River.

”Sect cultivators, you have gone too far!”

In the next moment, a small pagoda shot forth from the black-robed cultivator’s hand.

The pagoda radiated an ancient aura, clearly a treasure of great antiquity.

As he channeled his enchanting power into it, the pagoda rapidly expanded with the wind.

Ten zhang!

Twenty zhang!

In the blink of an eye, it surpassed the thirty-zhang height that Mi Shuhua had once struggled to unleash.

And it showed no signs of stopping.

Forty!

Fifty!

One hundred zhang!

The towering pagoda, now a hundred zhang tall, descended onto the river like a pillar holding up the sky. The black-robed Golden Core cultivator took a deep breath, retrieved his Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel, and then flung both hands outward.

Clang! Clang!

Clang! Clang!

Dozens of thick black chains shot out from the pagoda, writhing like dragons and serpents. Wherever they passed, sword lights collapsed in an instant. Their momentum was unstoppable, and in the blink of an eye, they had encircled a five-li radius around Pang Renxiong.

Seeing this, the black-robed cultivator burst into triumphant laughter. ”This is one of the three great treasures of the Valley of Ghosts and Divinities!

”Within it lies the power of eighteen earth fiend, while externally, it is fortified with nine great formations, truly the pinnacle of top-tier enchanted treasures!

”Once it sealed countless demons. Today, I shall use it to slay the Jade Cauldron sword cultivator!”

***

Dozens of li away, Luo Chen understood everything clearly.

This treasure must be the Demon Locking Pagoda that Miao Wen had mentioned on their way here.

Its power was truly overwhelming.

Even the sword orb, renowned for its unparalleled sharpness, was helpless against the entrapment of those black chains.

No wonder this person had the confidence to challenge Pang Renxiong.

Thinking about it now, Mi Shuhua had truly been played to death.

The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect had first sent him to mobilize the Poshan Gang’s manpower and resources in search of the Golden Core Ruins, then used him as bait, and in the end, didn’t even bother to save him. They had never seen him as anything more than a disposable pawn.

No, that’s not right. Given Mi Shuhua’s personality, he must have understood the situation clearly. With a great treasure before him, he must have decided to take the gamble. And he did, indeed, seize the greatest share of resources from the ruins. Perhaps there was even an opportunity related to forming his Golden Core inside.

He just didn’t expect that, aside from being surrounded by five Foundation Establishment cultivators, a Golden Core expert would secretly strike him down.

Understanding the full picture, Luo Chen couldn’t help but feel a wave of sorrow.

It was not only for Mi Shuhua but also for himself.

Mi Shuhua had been nothing more than a pawn in the hands of Golden Core cultivators, and Luo Chen himself had similarly been tossed between Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Sect cultivators, at their core, had nothing but disdain for rogue cultivators!

With this realization, Luo Chen’s mood grew even heavier as he observed the battle unfolding before him.

This black-robed Golden Core cultivator claimed to be a mere rogue cultivator.

But by the time one reached the Golden Core Realm, could anyone truly be rootless and without affiliation? If nothing else, the fact that he had colluded with five Foundation Establishment cultivators meant that he had a backing somewhere.

The most likely possibility was the Lianyun Trade Alliance.

That organization spanned dozens of trade markets and housed more than twenty or thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Having Golden Core cultivators stationed there was only natural. Even if they weren’t high-ranking officials, they would at least hold a position as honored elders.

Perhaps the Demon Locking Pagoda isn’t even his trump card!

As Luo Chen speculated, the two in front of him—Miao Wen and Luo Tianhong—were also engaged in discussion.

Miao Wen’s voice carried a hint of urgency. ”Elder Pang specializes in the Grand Geng Sword Scripture, but he can’t fully unleash its power over a river. Now that he’s at a disadvantage, what should we do?”

However, Luo Tianhong remained unhurried, his expression calm and steady. ”No need to worry. Elder Pang has simply been inactive for too long, he’s just toying with him.”

”Uh... That said, he should have had enough fun by now!”

Hearing this conversation from behind them, Luo Chen couldn’t help but be taken aback.

They had fought to this extent, and it was still just ‘playing around’?

Pang Renxiong better not end up getting himself into trouble.

Under the glow of the setting sun, the Lancang River roiled violently, its waters churning under the surging force of enchanting power, as if it had been set ablaze.

From the towering Demon Locking Pagoda, countless black chains extended outward, forming a dense web that closed within a hundred meters of Pang Renxiong.

At this moment, the Jade Cauldron sword cultivator had no way to escape, neither to the heavens nor the earth.

If he were bound, the only fate awaiting him was suppression!

Yet, despite the imminent peril, Pang Renxiong merely let out a scornful laugh. ”You’ve had the Demon Locking Pagoda for so long, and this is all you’ve managed to refine it to?”

The black-robed Golden Core cultivator neither raged nor wavered. Instead, he calmly replied, ”Even at this level, it’s enough to kill you. And besides, this is far from my only method...”

Before his words even fully landed, a golden sword orb shot out from his mouth, transforming into a streak of radiant light that sped toward the very center of the black chains.

”Today, I shall return the favor using your own methods against you.

”Let you sword cultivators perish by the very sword orbs you wield!”

The moment the golden sword orb appeared, Pang Renxiong could no longer suppress his fury.

”So it was you who framed us!”

With an enraged roar, he suddenly clenched his hands in the air.

The sword light that had been fending off the chains instantly dissipated.

At the same time, his own sword orb transformed into a massive sword that landed in his grasp.

In the very next moment, he leaped forward and slashed!

A vast sword radiance tore through the clouds, split the sun, and severed all the chains in its path. Not only that, but its residual force remained undiminished, as the colossal blade of energy surged forward, slashing straight at the black-robed cultivator.

The golden sword orb, still hurtling forward, didn’t even have the chance to unleash its power before it was struck down into the depths of the river.

Faced with this heaven-splitting strike, the black-robed cultivator’s expression changed drastically.

The black and white chess pieces transformed into two giant dragons, coiling around him protectively. The Demon Locking Pagoda unleashed eighteen torrents of earth fiend qi, attempting again and again to weaken the devastating sword strike.

Unfortunately, all of these efforts were in vain.

The so-called earth fiend qi melted under the sword radiance like snow under the midday sun.

Boom!

A deafening explosion echoed across thousands of li.

Even Luo Chen, watching from dozens of li away and shielded by the Four Symbols Cauldron, was shaken so hard that he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He immediately clutched his ears. Not only that, but he quickly pressed several acupoints on his body to barely withstand the pressure.

When he finally steadied himself, the scene before him left him utterly dumbfounded.

The Lancang River had been severed!

More precisely, the ever-rushing river had stopped flowing. Not only had it stopped, but the once thousands-of-meters-wide river now had not a single drop of water left, exposing a vast and immense riverbed.

The muddy riverbed was littered with the corpses of various fish and aquatic demonic beasts, their blood forming a mist that lingered in the air. Thick layers of mist spread across the area, shrouding it like a dreamlike marshland.

”Is he dead?” Luo Chen’s mouth hung open as his spirit-lit eyes frantically scanned the scene, searching for the black-robed cultivator.

”He’s not dead!”

As the river water resumed its flow, a now tenfold smaller, mere ten-zhang-tall black pagoda floated alone in the midst of the mist.

Moments later, a battered and disheveled figure emerged from behind the pagoda.

The terror in his eyes gradually faded. He swallowed hard before bursting into wild laughter.

”Nothing but this!”

”Nothing but this!”

”So this so-called Gengjin Sword Orb isn’t that powerful after all—I’m still alive!”

Hearing the rampant laughter, Pang Renxiong in the distance merely smirked.

He extended his hand, clenching his fingers in the air as the black-robed cultivator looked on in confusion.

”The Demon Locking Pagoda, this is not how it should be used. Watch carefully!”

The black-robed cultivator’s expression changed drastically as he instinctively turned toward the black pagoda before him. A translucent golden chain shot out from the pagoda’s pinnacle, flicking like a serpent’s tongue.

Hiss!

In the blink of an eye, it pierced into his body with unstoppable speed. As the golden chain swiftly retracted, it dragged a black-and-gold colored Golden Core, sealing it inside the pagoda.

”My Golden Core!”

His shrill, despairing scream echoed through the air.

But what greeted him was a streak of sword light.

The black-robed cultivator—dead!

Pang Renxiong sneered, stepping onto the black pagoda as his enchanting power pulled back the two rotating banners floating in the void.

Not stopping there, he reached out with a sweeping motion.

From beneath the freshly restored river waters, a dim sword orb emerged.

Staring at this sword orb, which had already reached the level of an enchanted treasure, Pang Renxiong furrowed his brows, paying no attention to the black-robed cultivator’s corpse.

”Congratulations, Elder, on slaying a formidable foe!”

”Elder’s might is unmatched!”

Luo Chen stood by the newly formed riverbank, staring at the three figures above him with reverence.

Faced with the congratulations from his two Foundation Establishment disciples, Pang Renxiong simply shook his head.

”Only the Golden Core sword cultivators of our sect can refine sword orbs to the level of enchanted treasures. The sword remains, but the wielder is gone... I wonder which of our brethren perished outside.”

Hearing these words, Miao Wen and Luo Tianhong were both struck with alarm.

Luo Tianhong asked in disbelief, ”In recent years, the only Golden Core Elders from our sect who have traveled outside are those three, correct?”

”Dao Bearer Ren Pingsheng, Elder Bo Yijian, and Xiao Shu!” Pang Renxiong sighed, a hint of hope in his voice. ”Let’s hope it’s not them and that this sword orb was acquired from the outer domains instead.”

Upon hearing those names, even Miao Wen couldn’t help but shudder.

If any of these three had perished outside... Once the news reached the sect, it would undoubtedly cause a great upheaval.

Especially Ren Pingsheng, hailed as the strongest Golden Core cultivator! He was the Dao Bearer of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, the one with the greatest potential to advance to the Nascent Soul Realm!

After storing away the sword orb, Pang Renxiong glanced at the remaining enchanted treasures.

”I secretly tampered with the Demon Locking Pagoda beforehand, which is why I was able to cripple him so easily. This treasure must be taken back to the sect.

”This Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel, I shall bestow it upon Miao Wen.

”And this Forsaken Chess Piece shall go to Tianhong.”

With a casual wave, the two enchanted treasures landed before them.

Luo Tianhong was momentarily stunned before his face lit up with joy.

Miao Wen cast a jealous glance at Luo Tianhong before grinning and accepting the Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel.

On the ground, Luo Chen couldn’t help but feel envious.

Pang Renxiong might have been domineering, but he was certainly generous. Two enchanted treasures, handed out just like that.

As he marveled in envy, a sharp gaze locked onto him.

”Dan Chenzi—Luo Chen, isn’t it?”