An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Are you sure you want it all?” Xiong Kun narrowed his eyes at Luo Chen, his tone filled with doubt.

Beside them, Tian Xingzi remained calm, serving as the intermediary between the two. By now, the black market trade had concluded, leaving only the three of them in the hall.

Earlier, at Tian Xingzi’s transmission, Xiong Kun had halted the auction of the demonic beast’s corpse, setting it aside as the final transaction of the night. Yet, he wasn’t worried, demonic beast corpses were always in high demand. Even if Luo Chen chose not to buy it, Tian Xingzi had the means to take it off his hands. Either way, he wouldn’t be at a loss.

Meanwhile, Luo Chen had already calmed his earlier excitement. Now, with a clear mind, he began weighing the benefits and drawbacks of this unexpected deal.

A second-tier demonic beast, relatively well-preserved. He wasn’t sure what methods Xiong Kun had used to take it down, but that hardly mattered now. What mattered was its value.

If he purchased it, he could use it as the primary material for Imperial Nectar. After all, the formula required only one crucial ingredient, the flesh, bones, and blood of the same demonic beast. If the demonic core was still intact, that would be even better.

He walked around the corpse, occasionally using Spirit Eyes to examine its condition.

As he inspected it, he couldn’t help but nitpick.

”The most valuable Blazing Cloud Wings, one is half-destroyed, severely reducing its worth!” he remarked.

”The flesh is well-preserved, but the demonic core has been overused. Its demonic power is nearly depleted.”

After speaking, he looked at Xiong Kun.

”Senior, with the two most valuable materials damaged like this, I’m afraid I can’t offer the price you’re expecting!

Xiong Kun let out a cold snort. ”You think just anyone can take down a flying demonic beast?

”Doesn’t matter the rest, just the name Blazing Cloud Roc alone is worth five thousand spirit stones. Besides, I haven’t taken a single piece from it, those materials alone add another five thousand!”

Luo Chen sighed. So he was dead set on ten thousand spirit stones, unwilling to budge?

He had nearly finished his research on Imperial Nectar, but his water-based alchemy technique was still short of true mastery, stuck at the crucial step of Cloud Transformation Hand.

Even if he bought this Blazing Cloud Roc, he wouldn’t be able to refine Imperial Nectar immediately.

Xiong Kun recognized Luo Chen, he was one of the two who had bought his incomplete cultivation technique last time.

He sneered through voice transmission, ”Aren’t you planning to use this beast to train that incomplete Sky Roc Transformation?

”Ten thousand spirit stones, it’s worth every bit!”

Luo Chen hesitated. He hadn’t actually thought of that.

He forced a smile. ”But still, it’s just too expensive. At the end of the day, this is a dead second-tier demonic beast. Its value should be assessed as second-tier materials. Ten thousand spirit stones, that’s the starting price for enchanted treasures.”

The price of second-tier materials had always fluctuated greatly.

Pills, for example, started at three to five hundred.

Herbs were priced similarly, even a breakthrough treasure like Heaven and Earth Root had only surged to a little over five thousand.

Ores, on the other hand, were usually sold in bulk.

Yet this Blazing Cloud Roc, despite its power, had its two most valuable parts severely damaged. Was it really worth ten thousand?

Ten thousand was truly excessive.

Xiong Kun frowned; he had thought he could corner Luo Chen into the deal. However, it seemed that Luo Chen wasn’t entirely determined to buy it, and with the back-and-forth haggling, both sides found themselves at an impasse. At this moment, Tian Xingzi, acting as the intermediary, stepped in to smooth things over.

”Young friend, five thousand is indeed too low. After all, Fellow Daoist Xiong risked his life for this,” he said.

Luo Chen nodded, acknowledging this fact. Any materials obtained by risking one’s life in the mountains to hunt demonic beasts were indeed worth a high price.

Tian Xingzi paused and then turned to Xiong Kun.

”But ten thousand is a price few can afford. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have planned to turn my auction house into a slaughterhouse earlier, would you?” His words made Xiong Kun’s face turn somewhat awkward, because he had indeed considered doing just that during the auction.

Selling such a massive corpse without major sect-affiliated shops like Zhongding Restaurant, Spirit Source Pavilion, Spirit Herb Pavilion, or Treasure Pavilion purchasing it was difficult.

His plan had been to butcher it on the spot, selling pieces to whoever wanted them. Had that happened, the auction hall at Precious Dragon Black Market would have instantly turned into a bloody slaughterhouse.

Seeing this, Tian Xingzi struck while the iron was hot. ”Even if I were to take this off your hands, converting it into spirit stones would take quite some time. If any complications arise in between, the final price may not be as satisfactory as you hope.

”Since that’s the case, why not both sides take a step back and agree on a set price, leaving satisfied?”

Noticing both men waver, Tian Xingzi smiled slightly. ”In my opinion, eight thousand is a good number, an auspicious one.”

Xiong Kun hesitated; cutting two thousand off the price in one go was a lot. For a rogue Foundation Establishment cultivator like him, it wasn’t a small sum. Unlike other cultivators in Dahe Market who had factions, families, or specialized skills, his cultivation resources depended entirely on hunting demonic beasts. He truly earned his living with his life on the line.

However, Tian Xingzi had a point, rather than selling the materials piece by piece, it was more efficient to settle the deal in one go. While the profit would be slightly lower, the time saved could be better spent on cultivation.

”Eight thousand it is. I am willing to concede,” Luo Chen said, feigning reluctance.

Xiong Kun also begrudgingly agreed.

After all, both Tian Xingzi and Luo Chen had shown him respect in the negotiation, one side raising their offer by three thousand, the other lowering theirs by two thousand. In this way, respect had been subtly maintained.

Once the transaction was settled, Luo Chen didn’t linger and immediately took his leave, leaving only Xiong Kun and Tian Xingzi in the hall.

Watching Luo Chen leave, Xiong Kun cautiously asked, ”Fellow Daoist, earlier you mentioned ’if any complications arise.’ Does that mean something is about to happen?”

To this, Tian Xingzi remained evasive. Instead, he smiled and asked, ”Have you given any thought to joining our side, Fellow Daoist Xiong?”

Xiong Kun hesitated.

After a long pause, he firmly shook his head. ”No, I’ve grown used to my free-roaming life. The days may be tough, but at least I’m not bound by too many rules and restrictions.”

Tian Xingzi didn’t push further. ”If that’s your choice, I respect it. Even if I am no longer here in the future, you may use my token to trade in any Precious Dragon Black Market.”

This effectively granted Xiong Kun a trade channel.

Xiong Kun cupped his hands in gratitude.

Before leaving, he asked curiously, ”Fellow Daoist, when are you all leaving?”

Tian Xingzi sighed wistfully. ”Soon, very soon!”

***

Under the cover of night, a figure shot into the sky at an incredible speed.

A dark cloud suddenly appeared, catching him and carrying him away from the ground. The raiding cultivators lurking outside had initially been lying in wait, but upon witnessing this scene, they quickly abandoned their plans of murder and plunder.

Although the figure only emitted the spirit energy fluctuations of the Qi-Refining Realm, the ability to ride a cloud and soar through the sky was something only a Foundation Establishment cultivator could possess.

No one dared to provoke a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

On top of the black cloud, Luo Chen’s heart pounded violently.

It wasn’t because he had just spent an exorbitant eight thousand spirit stones on a demonic beast’s corpse. Rather, it was because, during his conversation with Tian Xingzi earlier, he had nearly exposed the other party’s true identity.

”Falling Clouds Mist. It could serve as a sect’s inheritance. A technique of this caliber couldn’t possibly be common knowledge, it’s undoubtedly the alchemy method of the Luoyun Sect!”

Just moments ago, during his conversation with Tian Xingzi...

What should have been a simple exchange of pleasantries had instead triggered a moment of sudden enlightenment in his mind. If it had been nothing more than idle speculation, he would have let it go.

However, his thoughts had been exceptionally sharp lately, no longer clouded as they once were. In that instant, he recalled all the inconsistencies surrounding the Precious Dragon Black Market.

It spanned multiple markets, operating like a vast, interconnected network. They frequently sold puppets, and at one point, had even auctioned a combat puppet rivaling a Perfected Qi Refining cultivator. Such things weren’t merely a matter of having broad connections or extensive trade routes, these were treasures that could not be easily obtained by ordinary means.

Because in the Jade Cauldron Domain, only the Luoyun Sect was capable of producing combat puppets, and they had never sold them to outsiders. If the Precious Dragon Black Market was, in fact, controlled by the Luoyun Sect, then everything suddenly made perfect sense.

Then there was that gray-robed Golden Core cultivator who had recklessly unleashed three Ghost Kings. That wasn’t merely the act of someone extreme in temperament.

Ghost Kings were known for their ferocity, once freed, they wouldn’t care who had aided them. Yet, that gray-robed Golden Core cultivator had done precisely that and had even managed to command the Ghost Kings to besiege the sword cultivator Pang Renxiong.

An ordinary Golden Core cultivator could never achieve such a feat.

But if it was done using the Luoyun Sect’s puppet techniques, and had been meticulously planned, then it wouldn’t be impossible at all. They had merely treated the three Ghost Kings as puppets under their control.

It was only after piecing everything together that Luo Chen felt a chill creep up his spine. He didn’t even dare to consider what would have happened if he had outright exposed the truth.

Would Tian Xingzi have killed him on the spot to silence him?

Thus, he had swiftly shifted the conversation, deliberately avoiding the subject.

A demonic beast corpse worth eight thousand spirit stones, surely that was enough of a distraction for Tian Xingzi to overlook his momentary slip-up?

At the very least, given that he had left the Precious Dragon Black Market unharmed, it seemed that Tian Xingzi hadn’t caught on.

”Then again, someone as cunning as him might have already noticed my slip,” Luo Chen mused. ”If that were the case, the only reason he hadn’t acted must be because of the Blood-Burning pill business.

”Blood-Burning pill... Blood-Burning pill.”

Luo Chen licked his lips, feeling as though some of the fog clouding his thoughts was finally clearing.

Such a pill was a powerful trump card for Qi-Refining cultivators, but for Foundation Establishment cultivators, it wasn’t nearly as valuable. Yet, Tian Xingzi valued it immensely, purchasing it in massive quantities. His intentions were as clear as day.

This isn’t about reselling for profit. In another market, the Blood-Burning pill might not even fetch a high price. He’s obviously buying them for the Luoyun Sect.

But why does the Luoyun Sect need so many Blood-Burning Pills?

Gulp! His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

A single word surfaced in Luo Chen’s mind.

War!

The biting northern wind slammed against Luo Chen’s face, chilling him to the core. He had always wondered how the Precious Dragon Black Market had the audacity to surround and attempt to kill Pang Renxiong. That was no different from declaring war on the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.

Yet, he hadn’t expected that they had been preparing for war all along. The black markets spread across the land had been aggressively stockpiling spirit stones and various resources. This was unmistakably the kind of resource hoarding that preceded the outbreak of war.

They had even begun selling the sect’s own puppets, which proved that the Luoyun Sect had made all necessary preparations.

But how could they possibly have the guts to challenge the local overlord?

Suddenly, Luo Chen recalled a rumor.

When he had first met Qin Liangchen and his wife, they had been sending their son, Xiaohu, to attend the Luoyun Sect’s disciple selection ceremony. They had mentioned that the Luoyun Sect’s Supreme Elder, Han Zhan, had the potential to reach the Nascent Soul Realm.

Could it be that he had truly broken through?

Was that why they now had the confidence to oppose the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect?

If that were the case, then everything made perfect sense.

A single domain, though rich in resources, could scarcely sustain two Nascent Soul sects. The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect had initiated an expansion war in the past because they had reached the limits of growth within their original territory. Now, it seemed that the Luoyun Sect had reached that same bottleneck.

However, with their current strength, launching an external conquest seemed unlikely. With no means to expand outward, their only option was internal warfare.

”I don’t even know if my speculation is correct.”

Luo Chen let out a bitter chuckle. All he knew was that in this grand tide of change, a mere ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator like himself could only go with the flow.

But he had painstakingly built a stable foundation for himself. Who would willingly allow themselves to be swept away by the current? He had no desire to end up like Xiong Kun, a rogue cultivator surviving solely by hunting demonic beasts.

Forget it!

Thinking about this any further is pointless. The priority now is cultivation, to reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible.

With the Luo Tian Society as my foothold, even if war breaks out, I will have enough leeway to make my own choices.

Letting out a sigh, Luo Chen controlled his black cloud, making a wide loop before heading back toward the Luo Tian Society.

In the cold night, the black cloud drifted steadily forward. It was inconspicuous, barely noticeable even if a cultivator were to look up.

It didn’t take long for Luo Chen to return to the outskirts of Crescent Moon Valley.

However, before he could even land, his heart clenched. ”Are they trying to destroy everything I’ve built?!”

The moonlight cascaded down like liquid silver.

Outside Crescent Moon Valley, a five-colored barrier had already been deployed.

The thick stench of blood filled the air, accompanied by the relentless roars of beasts. Everything pointed to the fact that the Luo Tian Society was now facing the greatest crisis since its founding.

A beast tide!