An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

The Duan family of Dahe Market!

The clan had a three-hundred-year history, and it was said that the first-generation Grand Elder was not originally from this region.

During the late stages of the war, he had gained favor with cultivators from Tianfan City and learned the basics of artifact forging from them. Through years of exploration and study, he eventually carved out his own path.

Realizing the intense competition within the inner domain, he had migrated to Dahe Market, which had just been established at the time. There, he seized a spirit land and founded his clan.

Now, nearly a dozen generations later, the current patriarch was a highly ranked senior, rumored to be of the third generation.

But none of that mattered now.

What mattered was that they were competing with the Luo Tian Society for talent.

Li Wanchun, formerly of Treasure Pavilion, was no mere errand boy. During his time there, he had assisted disciples from Tianfan City in crafting enchanted artifacts. Although he had not developed his own forging style, he was well-versed in the craft. He might have even picked up a few genuine techniques from those disciples.

Luo Chen had wanted to recruit him into the Luo Tian Society and assign him to Duan Feng.

The artifact forging business was something Luo Chen had long wanted to establish! However, Luo Tian Society only had Duan Feng as an artificer, which made expansion difficult.

With Li Wanchun onboard, at least they could establish a foothold. By setting up an artifact forging division and leveraging the enchanted artifacts collected from past battles, they could sustain the business from the start.

Unfortunately, the Duan family had the same idea.

As Luo Chen’s hawk-like gaze swept over, the Duan family cultivator, who had been confidently offering generous terms, suddenly froze.

That man was also a late stage Qi-Refining cultivator, though his cultivation realm was slightly lower than Luo Chen’s. Yet, relying on the prestige of his family, he did not feel inferior in the slightest.

Realizing his own awkwardness, he immediately became frustrated and angry.

”What are you looking at? Where to go is entirely up to Fellow Daoist Li Wanchun!” he snapped.

”Besides, the Duan family is well-known for artifact forging—it’s only natural that Fellow Daoist Li should choose us. If you’re not happy about it, then just offer better conditions to recruit him!”

He spoke with righteous confidence, even becoming smug toward the end.

The cultivators of Luo Tian Society, enraged, were about to argue with him. After all, Li Wanchun had already agreed to join the Luo Tian Society.

”Stand down!” Luo Chen stopped his men from taking action.

Standing still, he fixed his gaze on the conflicted Li Wanchun and continued, ”Where you go is for you to decide, Fellow Daoist Li. Luo Tian Society does not resort to coercion.”

Li Wanchun stood between the two factions, a chill running down his spine.

The past half-month in the inner city had been the most tormenting period of his life. Each day was filled with uncertainty and dread. The ghost abyss beyond the building had shaken him to his core. Back then, he had thought that as long as he survived, nothing worse could possibly happen.

But after escaping, being abandoned by Old Chu and left stranded in Dahe Market had left him feeling lost.

But suddenly, he received an invitation to join Luo Tian Society. The realization brought a sense of relief—at least he had found a place to settle.

Never in his wildest dreams had he expected that the renowned Duan family would extend an invitation to him as well.

Perhaps this is what they call a turn of fortune, he mused.

It was a thought that had filled him with excitement at first. Being fought over by two factions was quite a delightful dilemma.

Yet, the moment Luo Chen, the president of Luo Tian Society, uttered the words ”make your own choice,” a cold shiver ran down his spine.

In the short term, joining the Duan family was undoubtedly the best choice. They specialized in artifact forging, allowing him to fully utilize everything he had learned throughout his life.

But there were drawbacks. The Duan family already had plenty of talented artifact forgers. If he went there, he might not be valued as highly as he hoped.

So, in the long run, Luo Tian Society was the better option.

If he joined the Luo Tian Society, he might have the chance to break free from his former lowly status as a mere assistant. There, he could stand on his own, make a name for himself, and finally showcase his skills without restrictions.

Li Wanchun was not a short-sighted man.

And so, he made his choice—

”I appreciate President Luo Chen’s offer, but I would prefer to join the Duan family instead.”

”Very well. I respect your decision,” Luo Chen said with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

With that, he turned and left with his people.

Watching him walk away, Li Wanchun let out a quiet sigh. So, I’ve ended up offending a leader of an emerging force after all...

Beside him, a Duan family cultivator sneered. ”He really thinks he’s someone important. It’s just a small group of rogue cultivators.”

”Our Duan family is backed by a Foundation Establishment Initiate! We’re a real power to be reckoned with!”

Li Wanchun nodded in agreement.

Short-term or long-term considerations didn’t matter to him. What mattered was that any faction without a Foundation Establishment cultivator at its helm had no future.

Aside from the five great sects, there were countless other businesses in Dahe Market. Some of them were even backed by the other six sects of the Jade Cauldron Domain.

Yet in the end, only five businesses had made it out of the ghost city alive.

And the reason? Each of those five had a Foundation Establishment cultivator to protect them.

He understood this all too well, which was why he had chosen the Duan family.

As for whether he had offended Luo Chen?

Now that he had joined the Duan family, he didn’t care. Having spent so many years working in Treasure Pavilion, he had never once concerned himself with the struggles of ordinary rogue cultivators.

Luo Chen didn’t matter to him, and neither did the Luo Tian Society.

The Duan family was a true haven for the strong. It was only natural for a wise man to seek shelter under the tallest tree.

***

Luo Chen understood the reasoning behind Li Wanchun’s decision all too well.

Though he spoke of respect, his heart was ice-cold.

Not having a Foundation Establishment Initiate was Luo Tian Society’s greatest weakness and because of this, they would always be at a disadvantage when it came to competing for talent.

Li Wanchun hadn’t lingered there for even a moment longer than necessary. He knew very well that no matter how good of an offer Luo Tian Society made, any cultivator who had survived the inner city’s catastrophe would make the smart choice and join another faction.

It’s not just about recruiting talent. Other problems will start surfacing soon too.

Ever since Pang Renxiong’s death, Luo Chen had felt freer, lighter. But now, his heart felt heavy once again.

The coming days would not be easy but no matter how difficult it became, he had to push forward. Giving up was never an option.

Upon returning to Luo Tian Society, Luo Chen gathered his people for a meeting.

Few people attended. Among them were Murong Qinglian, Gu Caiyi, and Duan Feng, all representing the Battle Hall.

”The inner city has turned into a ghost abyss. The cultivators from the major sects have all withdrawn and, at least in the short term, won’t be returning.”

After dropping the news, Luo Chen gave them more than enough time to let it sink in. He watched their expressions shift from shock to heated discussion, and finally to quiet unease.

”In the short term, I have no intention of giving up on Luo Tian Society. As long as we can keep operating, even if Dahe Market declines, we can always relocate to another market. At the very least, we won’t be left stranded and alone.”

”That makes sense,” Murong Qinglian nodded in agreement. ”Going at it alone is difficult. Unless a rogue cultivator has a heaven-defying opportunity, they almost always rely on a faction to reach Foundation Establishment.”

This was the hard-earned wisdom that rogue cultivators had accumulated over the years.

Take Dahe Market’s two rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators, Mi Shuhua and Wang Haichao. Both had relied on the Poshan Gang and Dajiang Gang to succeed in their breakthroughs.

Sticking together for warmth wasn’t just a saying; it was a necessity.

Only by relying on a faction could one gather the necessary cultivation resources to continue advancing. Moreover, having a faction to back you meant not having to constantly fear sudden attacks from rogue cultivators.

Seeing that even Gu Caiyi and Duan Feng were nodding in agreement, Luo Chen began discussing the challenges Luo Tian Society was about to face. The smaller factions were growing restless, while the larger forces were likely to suppress them. He laid everything out in detail, breaking it down piece by piece for the three to fully grasp.

By the time he finished, their concern had only deepened, yet none of them suggested disbanding Luo Tian Society and going their separate ways. That alone made Luo Chen feel gratified. His sincerity had not been in vain. At the very least, they had chosen to remain united.