An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

It was certainly something that never needed to be returned.

Luo Chen knew there was no way Wang Yuan would actually return the pill, so his words were merely a lighthearted joke—meant to ease the tension between them.

He could clearly sense that Wang Yuan, who was usually calm and composed, had shown a rare trace of unease upon learning about the massive battle between five Golden Core cultivators at Dahe Market.

All this time, Wang Yuan had always carried himself with an air of effortless composure. But the consecutive Golden Core battles at Dahe Market were putting immense pressure on him. Pressure that someone at merely the second realm of physical refinement could not possibly withstand.

A single bottle of spirit purification pills might not seem like much, but it could provide Wang Yuan with significant support. With his already substantial wealth, he had enough resources to cultivate steadily to Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining.

Now, with this additional bottle of pills, he might be able to accelerate that progress.

Luo Chen still had four bottles left. While he lacked Wang Yuan’s powerful physique to directly absorb the pills, his mastery of the Unadorned Heart alchemy technique allowed him to break them down for absorption.

The two chatted for a while, speculating about the ongoing battle in Dahe Market and discussing possible contingencies.

But in the end, it was all just theoretical. That battle was far beyond their capabilities.

For now, all they could do was wait.

At Luo Tian Society’s headquarters in Crescent Moon Valley, the supreme-grade formation gifted by Miao Wen had already been set to a half-activated state.

If any enemy approached, they could fully unleash its defensive power in an instant. Even if a Foundation Establishment cultivator attacked, the formation could hold them off for some time.

At midnight, Wang Yuan came to find Luo Chen.

“This won’t do. We can’t just sit here and wait. If the battle reaches its conclusion and things turn against us, we’ll be nothing more than sitting ducks.”

Luo Chen’s eyes flickered. After a brief moment of consideration, he nodded in agreement. “What’s your plan?”

Wang Yuan replied, “I need to get closer and observe from a distance. If things take a turn for the worse, we need to decide whether to flee or fortify our defenses as soon as possible.”

“Then... I’m coming with you.”

Wang Yuan immediately rejected the idea. “You should stay here.”

“Come on, don’t underestimate me. I might not be good in a fight, but when it comes to running, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.” Luo Chen grinned before setting off.

His sudden burst of speed left Wang Yuan momentarily stunned.

Even Miao Wen and Luo Tianhong had taken notice of Luo Chen’s impressive speed before—this was not something to be underestimated.

***

Beneath the cover of night.

Amidst a desolate graveyard, two figures drifted in with the wind.

Feeling the eerie ghostly energy around him, Luo Chen shivered. ”Couldn’t we have chosen a different vantage point? Why did it have to be the Mass Graveyard?”

The Mass Graveyard! The final resting place of countless rogue cultivators who had met untimely deaths in Dahe Market.

At first, it had simply been a burial site where cultivators’ friends and family laid them to rest. But over time, those who perished with incomplete remains were also discarded here. Especially later, when the enforcement team from the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion frequently disposed of the corpses of cultivators from the Debate Platform here.

It served both as disposal and as a deterrent.

This place had become something of a landmark in Dahe Market.

A paradise for raiding cultivators!

According to the ”advice” Luo Chen had received from the Precious Dragon Black Market, the Mass Graveyard was the most likely place to get ambushed. If someone got killed here, there was no need to waste a Fireball to scatter their ashes.

Standing within, Luo Chen could feel the bone-chilling presence surrounding him. He swept his gaze around with his Spirit Eyes and faintly saw countless spectral shadows flickering in and out of view.

Ghost?

Moreover, Luo Chen could sense something odd—an unusual vitality growing stronger within these spirits.

Normally, the dead were defined by their deathly aura. Yet the eerie vitality coursing through these ghosts felt as if it had been temporarily bestowed upon them.

”It must be the influence of those three Ghost Kings awakening.” Luo Chen came to this conclusion.

Beside him, Wang Yuan gazed toward the inner city. His eyes reflected the golden radiance and dark clouds flickering in the night sky. Yet he remarked, ”The ghostly entities here aren’t strong enough to be of concern—especially since I’m a physical cultivator with immense life force.

”On the contrary, by observing the changes in these ghostly entities, I can gauge the current state of those three Ghost Kings.”

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow. ”How do you figure?”

”Wherever a Ghost King resides, it inevitably forms a ghost abyss. While ghostly cultivators within it fall under the king’s control, they also receive nourishment and grow stronger.”

”This is why third-tier ghost cultivators are called Ghost Kings.”

To command a ghost abyss and rule over its spectral inhabitants—that is what makes a true king among ghosts.

Understanding this, Luo Chen finally realized why Wang Yuan had chosen this place.

Watching the battle directly was out of the question at such a distance. However, by observing the shifts in the Mass Graveyard, they could indirectly track the flow of battle—a clever method indeed.

Luo Chen voiced his admiration before stepping beside Wang Yuan, turning his gaze toward the inner city of Dahe Market.

With his Perfected Mastery Spirit Eyes, he could see much farther and clearer than Wang Yuan. Enhanced by the moonlight, he could faintly make out hazy figures even from this great distance.

”As expected of a sword cultivator—said to have the strongest battle prowess of all at his tier! To be besieged by four Golden Core cultivators and still hold out for this long... unbelievable.” Luo Chen marveled.

Wang Yuan nodded. ”It helps that he’s fighting on his home turf.

”Fallen Phoenix Mountain has long been fortified by the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion. Its spirit veins, fortifications, and formations are all intimately familiar to him. With two sect Foundation Establishment cultivators aiding him, Pang Renxiong isn’t entirely alone.

”But still...”

Luo Chen recalled the group led by Tian Xingzi that he had seen on his way back. If they dared to besiege Pang Renxiong, they must have accounted for all these factors.

The Jade Cauldron sword cultivators were still in grave danger.

Suddenly, Luo Chen’s eyes sharpened.

Within Dahe Market, a sword aura, dazzling to the extreme, erupted like a dragon taking flight.

Waves upon waves of sword energy surged forth, and the resounding hum of swords echoed for a thousand li! The entire night sky was torn apart under the force of this single sword strike.

”This is the same move Pang Renxiong used this afternoon.

”He’s fighting for his life!”

Almost simultaneously, Luo Chen and Wang Yuan came to the same conclusion.

The next moment, Wang Yuan and Luo Chen turned their heads in unison.

The nearby yin soul and ghostly soul, which had been growing stronger, suddenly froze as if struck by a fierce gale. Then, they withered and fell into dormancy. The chilling yin energy in the air weakened significantly.

Everyone knew what this meant.

The three Ghost Kings were gone!

Wang Yuan gasped, ”Pang Renxiong did it!”

”No, not yet!”

Luo Chen suddenly turned toward Dahe Market.

His face showed shock and confusion.

Because at that very moment, an equally overwhelming crimson sword aura descended from above, piercing into Fallen Phoenix Mountain like an immense cauldron.

”A sword cultivator!”

”How can there be another sword cultivator?!”

”And they’re not helping Pang Renxiong?!”

As his shock deepened, the overwhelming sword aura came crashing down.

A furious roar, filled with unimaginable rage, echoed in all directions just as the sword energy struck.

”It’s you!”

After the roar, absolute silence fell.

Luo Chen and Wang Yuan exchanged bewildered glances, momentarily at a loss for words.